Part of: #GalswithLEI

The East-West Center is excited to present the 7th annual #GalswithLEI Forum. This publicly ticketed event not only augments the skills acquisition, community outreach, and networking opportunities of the Changing Faces Seminar, but directly benefits women leaders and entrepreneurs in Hawaii by creating a space, which enhances and encourages Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration. #GalswithLEI offers a keynote panel and six interactive workshops, followed by an attendee-driven open space and a networking reception featuring local women chefs. Panelists and attendees include invited experts, established local women leaders, emerging innovators, and the international Changing Faces women - connecting and integrating the experience, ambition, and passion of all those in attendance.

#GalswithLEI is welcoming and respectful to all women, including trans women and those who identify as nonbinary gender non-conforming.

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Agenda

1:00pm | REGISTRATION

1:30pm | WELCOME

1:45pm | KEYNOTE PANEL

Reinventing Worth

Join acclaimed women experts, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are challenging convention, disrupting business norms, and creating breakthroughs in transforming the workplace as they discuss why women are at the forefront of promoting a people-centered work landscape and how they are helping to build a legacy of inclusive prosperity and a more equitable, supportive, and successful future for all.

• Nicole ROBINSON, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company, San Francisco @mckinseyco
• Debi YADEGARI, Founder and Chief Empathy Officer, Villyge, New York @Villyge 
• Morgan MATTHEWS, Founder, Inclusive Mindset Solutions and Former Senior Manager of DEI, Peloton, New York
• Julie NAKAYAMA, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kyo-Ya Management Co., Ltd., Hawaiʻi
• Manu BERMUDES, Vice President of Human Resources and DE&I, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Hawaiʻi @hawaiiandredgingconstructionco 
• Moderator: Meredith ARTLEY, Doris Duke Foundation’s Executive in Residence, Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, Hawaiʻi @MeredithA  

2:45pm | SESSION ONE CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

It Takes a Village

Learn from health experts, leaders and entrepreneurs who are challenging the stigma of asking for help and creating a culture of support for families.

• Kanako SUGIURA, Founder & CEO, Midwives GLOBAL Inc., Japan @midwife_kanako
• Alicia HIGA, Director of Health Promotion, Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawai‘i @waianaecomp
• Suma METLA, Founder, Three Little Ducks, Kailua, Hawaiʻi @threelittleduckshawaii
• Inglish JONES, Director of Development, Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, Hawaiʻi @bgch808
• Amanda CORBY NOGUCHI, President & CEO, Under My Umbrella, Hawaiʻi @umuhawaii
• Moderator: Armi Shyr BATICADOS, Chapter Head and Co-founder, LATCH, Los Baños, Philippines @LATCHLosBanos

Think Outside the Bin

Discover how leading businesses and organizations are creating a more inclusive, green, and circular future through their creative approach and innovative solutions to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

• Kristine KUBAT, Executive Director, Recycle Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi @recyclehawaii
• Irushinie WEDAGE, Country Director — Sri Lanka, Parley for the Oceans, Sri Lanka
• Chyloe SKIZEWSKI, Owner & Designer, Kūmana Activewear, Hawaiʻi @kumanaactive
• Isabelle THOMAS, Co-Founder & Director, BhuME Women's Collective Pvt. Ltd., India @bhume_women
• Kelly Takaya KING, Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC, Hawaiʻi @pacificbiodiesel
• Moderator: Wuying LIN, Founder & Director, iConserve Co., Ltd., China

Pride in the Face of Prejudice

Be inspired by advocates and activists as they offer best practices on how to meaningfully support, impact, and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, and discuss actionable ways to be an effective and authentic ally.

• Hinaleimoana WONG-KALU, Cultural Ambassador, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i @kumuhina
• Makiko TERAHARA, Founder & CEO, Marriage For All Japan, Japan @marriageforalljapan
• Francine BEPPU, Vice President of Network Strategy, NMG Network, Hawaiʻi @nmgnetwork
• Zabrina ZABLAN-DUVAUCHELLE, Founder, The Gay Agenda Collective, LLC, Hawaiʻi @thegayagenda.co
• Moderator: Nadia MEREDITH HUNT, CEO, KVAConsult Ltd., Sāmoa

3:45pm | COFFEE BREAK

4:30pm | SESSION TWO CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

Amplifying Indigenous Voices

Join leaders and advocates in celebrating the value, culture, and perspectives of Indigenous communities as they explore the importance of advancing the visibility and representation of Indigenous voices and identities.

• Mehanaokala HIND, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i @hawaiiancouncil
• Shae KAMAKA‘ALA, Director of ‘Āina Protection, Hawai‘i Land Trust, Hawai‘i @hilandtrust
• Maile MEYER, Founder & Owner, Native Books and Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, Hawai‘i @nameahawaii  
• Akiemi GLENN, Executive Director, The Pōpolo Project, Hawai‘i @popoloproject
• Moderator: Faumuina Felolini Maria TAFUNAʻI, Founder & CEO, Flying Geese Pro, New Zealand

Niche Market is the New Market

Gain expert advice on how brands have been able to stand out and effectively promote and grow their niche to maximize success in the competitive marketplace. 

• Dana SHAPIRO, Co-Founder & General Manager, Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, Hawaiʻi @hawaiiulucoop
• Kapua BROWNING, Founder, Honua Hawaiian Skincare, Hawaiʻi @honuaskincare
• Mrinali KUMAR, Co-Founder & CEO, EatKinda Ltd., New Zealand @eatkinda
• Keānuenue DESOTO, Owner & Designer, Anu Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi @anuhawaii
• Brittany HEYD, Co-Founder, Mana Up, Hawaiʻi @manauphawaii
• Moderator: Ria ANDRIANA, Founder & CEO, PT Kuliner Jalanan Group, Indonesia @streetsushi.id

Resilient Women

Be inspired by resilient women leading with passion, determination, adaptability, and purpose as they share their stories of strength, fearless perseverance, and unwavering will to overcome life’s personal and professional challenges.

• Judy BISHOP, Owner & President, Bishop & Co., Hawaiʻi @bishopandcosocial
• Lach BANIYA, Co-Founder, Icarus Media Co., Ltd., Myanmar @lachbaniya
• Lois KIM, Executive Office Manager, YWCA Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi @ywcaoahu
• Robynne MAII, 2022 James Beard Award Winner & Chef Owner, Fête, Hawaiʻi @fetehawaii 
• Moderator: Bosa TOGS, Founder, Saribu ICT Consultancy Services, Papua New Guinea 

5:30pm | OPEN SPACE

Open Space has no keynote speaker, no set schedule of workshops, no panel discussions, and no exhibit booths. Instead, anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on an issue of common concern and interest to women entrepreneurs writes it down on "The Marketplace of Ideas" during either registration or the coffee break. #GalswithLEI facilitators will combine similar ideas and curate suggested topics to several attendee-driven discussion groups. Attendees will then self-organize into the discussion group of interest to them.

6:15pm | NETWORKING RECEPTION

Networking reception with hosted bar, light pupus, and desserts prepared by local women chefs and artisans.

Featured Chefs

• Emily IGUCHI, Executive Chef, Fête @fetehawaii
• Maelani IOKEPA, Executive Chef, Basalt @basaltwaikiki
• Kristene MOON, Chef de Cuisine, The Pig and the Lady @pigandthelady
• Gayla YOUNG, Founder, Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery @pipelinebakeshop

---

Partners & Sponsors

#GalswithLEI Forum is just one example of East-West Center’s efforts to connect our Hawaiʻi community with national and international officials, experts, journalists, artists, and women entrepreneurs. The Center is proud to partner with Under My Umbrella, Pacific Business News, Hawaiʻi P-20, Gear Up Hawaiʻi, JWLI Ecosystem, Bishop & Company, and Pacific Air Cargo in this dynamic endeavor to support women's entrepreneurship and leadership by.

Part of: #GalswithLEI

The East-West Center is excited to present the 7th annual #GalswithLEI Forum. This publicly ticketed event not only augments the skills acquisition, community outreach, and networking opportunities of the Changing Faces Seminar, but directly benefits women leaders and entrepreneurs in Hawaii by creating a space, which enhances and encourages Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration. #GalswithLEI offers a keynote panel and six interactive workshops, followed by an attendee-driven open space and a networking reception featuring local women chefs. Panelists and attendees include invited experts, established local women leaders, emerging innovators, and the international Changing Faces women - connecting and integrating the experience, ambition, and passion of all those in attendance.

#GalswithLEI is welcoming and respectful to all women, including trans women and those who identify as nonbinary gender non-conforming.

---

Agenda

1:00pm | REGISTRATION

1:30pm | WELCOME

1:45pm | KEYNOTE PANEL

Reinventing Worth

Join acclaimed women experts, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are challenging convention, disrupting business norms, and creating breakthroughs in transforming the workplace as they discuss why women are at the forefront of promoting a people-centered work landscape and how they are helping to build a legacy of inclusive prosperity and a more equitable, supportive, and successful future for all.

• Nicole ROBINSON, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company, San Francisco @mckinseyco
• Debi YADEGARI, Founder and Chief Empathy Officer, Villyge, New York @Villyge 
• Morgan MATTHEWS, Founder, Inclusive Mindset Solutions and Former Senior Manager of DEI, Peloton, New York
• Julie NAKAYAMA, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kyo-Ya Management Co., Ltd., Hawaiʻi
• Manu BERMUDES, Vice President of Human Resources and DE&I, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Hawaiʻi @hawaiiandredgingconstructionco 
• Moderator: Meredith ARTLEY, Doris Duke Foundation’s Executive in Residence, Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, Hawaiʻi @MeredithA  

2:45pm | SESSION ONE CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

It Takes a Village

Learn from health experts, leaders and entrepreneurs who are challenging the stigma of asking for help and creating a culture of support for families.

• Kanako SUGIURA, Founder & CEO, Midwives GLOBAL Inc., Japan @midwife_kanako
• Alicia HIGA, Director of Health Promotion, Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawai‘i @waianaecomp
• Suma METLA, Founder, Three Little Ducks, Kailua, Hawaiʻi @threelittleduckshawaii
• Inglish JONES, Director of Development, Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, Hawaiʻi @bgch808
• Amanda CORBY NOGUCHI, President & CEO, Under My Umbrella, Hawaiʻi @umuhawaii
• Moderator: Armi Shyr BATICADOS, Chapter Head and Co-founder, LATCH, Los Baños, Philippines @LATCHLosBanos

Think Outside the Bin

Discover how leading businesses and organizations are creating a more inclusive, green, and circular future through their creative approach and innovative solutions to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

• Kristine KUBAT, Executive Director, Recycle Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi @recyclehawaii
• Irushinie WEDAGE, Country Director — Sri Lanka, Parley for the Oceans, Sri Lanka
• Chyloe SKIZEWSKI, Owner & Designer, Kūmana Activewear, Hawaiʻi @kumanaactive
• Isabelle THOMAS, Co-Founder & Director, BhuME Women's Collective Pvt. Ltd., India @bhume_women
• Kelly Takaya KING, Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC, Hawaiʻi @pacificbiodiesel
• Moderator: Wuying LIN, Founder & Director, iConserve Co., Ltd., China

Pride in the Face of Prejudice

Be inspired by advocates and activists as they offer best practices on how to meaningfully support, impact, and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, and discuss actionable ways to be an effective and authentic ally.

• Hinaleimoana WONG-KALU, Cultural Ambassador, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i @kumuhina
• Makiko TERAHARA, Founder & CEO, Marriage For All Japan, Japan @marriageforalljapan
• Francine BEPPU, Vice President of Network Strategy, NMG Network, Hawaiʻi @nmgnetwork
• Zabrina ZABLAN-DUVAUCHELLE, Founder, The Gay Agenda Collective, LLC, Hawaiʻi @thegayagenda.co
• Moderator: Nadia MEREDITH HUNT, CEO, KVAConsult Ltd., Sāmoa

3:45pm | COFFEE BREAK

4:30pm | SESSION TWO CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

Amplifying Indigenous Voices

Join leaders and advocates in celebrating the value, culture, and perspectives of Indigenous communities as they explore the importance of advancing the visibility and representation of Indigenous voices and identities.

• Mehanaokala HIND, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i @hawaiiancouncil
• Shae KAMAKA‘ALA, Director of ‘Āina Protection, Hawai‘i Land Trust, Hawai‘i @hilandtrust
• Maile MEYER, Founder & Owner, Native Books and Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, Hawai‘i @nameahawaii  
• Akiemi GLENN, Executive Director, The Pōpolo Project, Hawai‘i @popoloproject
• Moderator: Faumuina Felolini Maria TAFUNAʻI, Founder & CEO, Flying Geese Pro, New Zealand

Niche Market is the New Market

Gain expert advice on how brands have been able to stand out and effectively promote and grow their niche to maximize success in the competitive marketplace. 

• Dana SHAPIRO, Co-Founder & General Manager, Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, Hawaiʻi @hawaiiulucoop
• Kapua BROWNING, Founder, Honua Hawaiian Skincare, Hawaiʻi @honuaskincare
• Mrinali KUMAR, Co-Founder & CEO, EatKinda Ltd., New Zealand @eatkinda
• Keānuenue DESOTO, Owner & Designer, Anu Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi @anuhawaii
• Brittany HEYD, Co-Founder, Mana Up, Hawaiʻi @manauphawaii
• Moderator: Ria ANDRIANA, Founder & CEO, PT Kuliner Jalanan Group, Indonesia @streetsushi.id

Resilient Women

Be inspired by resilient women leading with passion, determination, adaptability, and purpose as they share their stories of strength, fearless perseverance, and unwavering will to overcome life’s personal and professional challenges.

• Judy BISHOP, Owner & President, Bishop & Co., Hawaiʻi @bishopandcosocial
• Lach BANIYA, Co-Founder, Icarus Media Co., Ltd., Myanmar @lachbaniya
• Lois KIM, Executive Office Manager, YWCA Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi @ywcaoahu
• Robynne MAII, 2022 James Beard Award Winner & Chef Owner, Fête, Hawaiʻi @fetehawaii 
• Moderator: Bosa TOGS, Founder, Saribu ICT Consultancy Services, Papua New Guinea 

5:30pm | OPEN SPACE

Open Space has no keynote speaker, no set schedule of workshops, no panel discussions, and no exhibit booths. Instead, anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on an issue of common concern and interest to women entrepreneurs writes it down on "The Marketplace of Ideas" during either registration or the coffee break. #GalswithLEI facilitators will combine similar ideas and curate suggested topics to several attendee-driven discussion groups. Attendees will then self-organize into the discussion group of interest to them.

6:15pm | NETWORKING RECEPTION

Networking reception with hosted bar, light pupus, and desserts prepared by local women chefs and artisans.

Featured Chefs

• Emily IGUCHI, Executive Chef, Fête @fetehawaii
• Maelani IOKEPA, Executive Chef, Basalt @basaltwaikiki
• Kristene MOON, Chef de Cuisine, The Pig and the Lady @pigandthelady
• Gayla YOUNG, Founder, Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery @pipelinebakeshop

---

Partners & Sponsors

#GalswithLEI Forum is just one example of East-West Center’s efforts to connect our Hawaiʻi community with national and international officials, experts, journalists, artists, and women entrepreneurs. The Center is proud to partner with Under My Umbrella, Pacific Business News, Hawaiʻi P-20, Gear Up Hawaiʻi, JWLI Ecosystem, Bishop & Company, and Pacific Air Cargo in this dynamic endeavor to support women's entrepreneurship and leadership by.