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WLC Keynote Speakers

The 2024 Women's Leadership Conference is filled with incredible keynote sessions full of inspiration and excitement, all designed to help you BREAK THROUGH to the next stage of your professional and personal life. We're thrilled to welcome this year's morning, luncheon, and afternoon keynote speakers to the WLC stage.

Barbara Corcoran | Afternoon Keynote Speaker

Barbara Corcoran embodies the powerful concept of digging deep, pushing yourself beyond obstacles, and breaking through. With her dynamic blend of business acumen, storytelling, and humor, she'll bring her blend of no-nonsense wisdom and supportive advice and share stories of the lessons she’s learned along the way. Corcoran has been an investor/shark on ABC’s four-time Emmy award-winning show, Shark Tank for 10 seasons, investing in over 80 businesses to date. She chronicled her rise from waiting tables in a New York diner to heading a $5 billion real estate company in her bestselling book, “Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business!”

About Barbara Corcoran

Barbara Corcoran’s credits include straight D’s in high school and college and 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country: She borrowed $1,000 and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. Over the next 25 years Barbara would parlay that $1,000 loan into a $5 billion real estate business, building the largest and best-known brand in the business.

Corcoran is the author of the best seller “Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business!” and host of top podcasts “Business Unusual with Barbara Corcoran” and “888-Barbara”. Corcoran is a motivational and inspirational speaker. She is a frequent small business and real estate contributor on every major network. Corcoran has been an investor/Shark for the past ten seasons on ABC’s four-time Emmy award-winning show, Shark Tank, investing in over 80 businesses to date. Follow Barbara on Twitter and Instagram @BarbaraCorcoran.

Amy Purdy | Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Prepare to be moved, as NY Times Best Selling Author and Oprah Super Soul 100 Thought Leader Amy Purdy takes the stage, sharing her breathtaking story of resilience and triumph in the face of adversity. Amy recounts the unimaginable loss of both her legs at the age 19 and her remarkable rise to becoming a professional snowboarder, 3x Paralympic Medalist and runner up on the ABC hit show Dancing With the Stars. In this empowering talk, Amy weaves in the themes of creativity, clarity and commitment into an emotional rollercoaster of powerful storytelling that will take you from tears to cheers and redefine what it means to be inspired. This captivating session promises to be an unforgettable experience, igniting a fire within you to embrace your own challenges, break barriers, and unlock your fullest potential.

About Amy Purdy

Amy Purdy has defied the odds throughout her life and overcome a near death-experience to accomplish some extraordinary things.

Amy grew up with a passion for snowboarding and dreamed of traveling the world, and despite obstacles that perhaps should have stopped her dead in her tracks, that passion carried her not only to the upper echelons of athletics, but onto the dance floor of Hollywood and well, well beyond.

Amy is a NY Times best-selling author who has been published in ten different languages around the world, she has toured with none other than Oprah Winfrey, she has been featured in a Superbowl commercial narrated by the legendary Muhammad Ali, and she is a 3-time Paralympic medalist, making her one of the most decorated adaptive snowboarders in the history of Team USA.

Amy Co-Founded Adaptive Action Sports for athletes with disabilities and she is the host of the critically acclaimed podcast Bouncing Forward! Amy has partnered with both the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee to promote health, diversity, equity and inclusion through sport.

Amy Purdy has truly inspired millions across the world!

Liz Nead | Morning Keynote Speaker

Are you ready to play your game and access your internal blueprint? Each person is born with a unique game that cannot be duplicated by anyone else. Often individuals are taught there is a formula for advancement- they must duplicate a way of talking, thinking and leading that points to success. Imitation often leads to an uncomfortable feeling you somehow don't have the right equipment- and others are better equipped to prosper. Liz Nead believes true success comes from understanding the equipment you were born with, developing these talents into skills and learning to play your game with your team. Liz uses powerful examples of historical and modern day inventors, entertainers and leaders and shares simple strategies to implement your game in communication, leadership, organization and creativity.

About Liz Nead

Liz Nead is an adventure speaker, traveling the world and taking on challenges to find lessons of leadership, communication diversity and inclusion. A diversity speaker and researcher for over a decade, she specializes common language and daily communication around race and cultural differences in the workplace. Liz uses a direct, humorous and vivid style from the stage to create opportunities for communication around differences Liz has also served as an executive coach and consultant for DEI challenges for companies like Paypal, News Corp, National Guard and YWCA.

Liz is a television host and author, writing several Amazon best sellers, most recently “The 1440 Principle.” She also won a regional Emmy for her television show, “Life Dare.” Liz balances her passionate work with a thriving family of seven, and husband of 20 years, a retired army major.

Contact Info

Women's Leadership Conference

588 Longmeadow Street
Longmeadow MA, 01106 wlc@baypath.edu