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Part of: #GalswithLEI
East-West Center's IMIN Conference Center
Thursday, August 4, 2022 | 12:30 – 7:30pm, Hawaii
The East-West Center is excited to present the 6th Annual #GalswithLEI Forum. #GalswithLEI Forum is not your typical event; rather it is provocative, purposeful, and collaborative. #GalswithLEI offers a keynote panel and six interactive workshops focused on Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration followed by an attendee driven open space forum and a networking reception featuring local female chefs. Panelists and attendees include invited experts, local established women leaders, bold millennials, and the Changing Faces Women - connecting and integrating the experience, ambition, and passion of all those in attendance.
Join us as we try to make sense of the times, the struggles, and the language to be reclaimed.
Agenda
The agenda is subject to change. All events to be held at the East-West Center's IMIN Conference Center. All panelists are anticipated to participate in-person unless otherwise noted with an asterisk (*).
12:30pm | REGISTRATION
1:00pm | WELCOME & KEYNOTE PANEL
#galswithLEI Keynote: Uppity Women
Cascading global crises and opportunistic political leaders at home and abroad are challenging societal progress on gender roles and definitions of masculinity and femininity, eroding hard-fought gains in women’s workforce participation, reproductive funding and choice, and renormalizing misogynistic and discriminatory language at the highest levels. This seeming backward slide has left women across the globe struggling to understand the times, the struggle, and the language to be reclaimed. Join uppity women leading change in discussing whether women are gaining ground in representation, rights, equality, and voice or whether we are seeing a retrenchment of patriarchy, and what can be done individually and collectively to challenge systemic gender discrimination and empower and advance women globally.
Moderator: Annalisa BURGOS, Reporter & Weekend Anchor, Hawaii News Now, Hawaii @AnnalisaBurgos
- Robin MORGAN*, Feminist Icon, Poet, Novelist & Author, The Word of a Woman, and Syndicated Radio Host, WMCLive with Robin Morgan, New York @TheRobinMorgan
- Khara JABOLA-CAROLUS, Executive Director, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii IG: @statusofwomenhawaii
- Mary Ellen ISKENDERIAN*, President & CEO, Women’s World Banking and Author, There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women, New York @MEIskenderian
- Nancy REDD, Author, Body Drama and Pregnancy, OMG!, New York IG: @nancyredd
2:30pm | SESSION ONE CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
#galswithLeadership: Now Every Office Can Have One!
Women make up 46.9% of the global labor force but represent only 2.6% CEOs at Fortune Globe 500 companies – and all are white. This leaky pipeline of women in leadership is due, in part, to poor access to the training, mentoring, networks, and information resources necessary to progress in their careers or grow their businesses. Learn from women engaged in empowering others as they discuss different models and best practices for incorporating training, mentoring, and networking opportunities into an organization as well as how individuals might effectively seek out mentors and build professional networks.
Moderator: Junghyang “Jessie” KIM, Founder & CEO, Jessie Kitchen, Seoul, South Korea
IG: @jessiekitchen_official
- Meli JAMES, Cofounder, Mana Up and President, Hawaii Venture Capital Association, Hawaii IG: @manauphawaii
- Colleen MCALUNEY, Director, Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership, YWCA of O’ahu, Hawaii @ywcaoahu
- Mahina PAISHON-DUARTE, Co-founder & CEO, Waiwai Collective LLC, Hawaii IG: @waiwaicollective
- Kiyono Yagami SAKAKIBARA, Founder & CEO, Manabiyamom Inc., Nagoya, Japan IG: @kiyono17
#galswithEntrepreneurship: It's Not Easy Being Green
Enacted in 1963, the Clean Air Act marked the first of a series of influential environmental legislative protections, which would be followed in the early 1970s by the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, numerous environmental non-profits, and Earth Day. Since that time, green growth policies, environmental stewardship, and the creation of a more sustainable economy have become often mentioned goals of governments, nonprofits, and businesses. But it’s not easy being green. Discover how leading businesses and organizations create competitive advantages by successfully “greening” their everyday operations through sustainable supply chains, energy efficiencies, reduced waste, and sharing these stories to increase sales and strengthen communities.
Moderator: Tina KEKOOLANI, Owner & Creative Director, Haleakala Supah Shots, Hawaii
- Alexia AKBAY, Founder & CEO, Symbrosia, Hawaii @symbrosia
- Ruth CROSS, President & Founder, Climate Action, Tungaru Climate Alliance, Tarawa, Kiribati IG: @neiruth.xox
- Kelly Takaya KING, Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC, and Maui County Councilmember, Hawaii IG: @pacificbiodiesel
- Sara SMITH, Founder & CEO, Wrappily, Hawaii IG: @wrappily
#galswithInspiration: Hysterical Women
Female hysteria was once considered a common and chronic medical diagnosis, with described symptoms often synonymous with normal functioning female sexuality. Later in the 1950s and 1960s, pharmaceuticals were aggressively marketed to women using gendered tropes–the neurotic singleton, the frazzled housewife, the joyless career woman, the menopausal shrew–as “fixes” to what historian and author Andrea Tone dryly describes in The Age of Anxiety as “the problem of being female.” Be inspired by mental health experts and advocates who are challenging mental health taboos and gendered language, normalizing self-care, and addressing a growing teen mental health crisis.
Moderator: Deborah EDIRISINGHE, Founder & Director, Child Action Lanka, Kandy, Sri Lanka
IG: @childactionlanka
- Dana ARAKAWA, Organizational Psychologist & Founder, thrive808, Hawaii
- Karen CHEN, 2x Olympian and 2022 Olympic Figure Skating Medalist, Author, Finding the Edge, and Mental Health Advocate, California IG: @karebearsk8
- Neilani SIATINI-VALENCIA, Owner & Therapist, Neilani Siatini Valencia, LCSW LLC, Hawaii IG: @neilanisiatinivalencia_lcsw
- Courtney TRACY, Psychotherapist, Podcast Host, HUMAN First, and Mental Health Content Creator, The Truth Doctor, California IG: @the.truth.doctor
3:30pm | COFFEE BREAK
4:15pm | SESSION TWO CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
#galswithLeadership: Wallpapering Woke
Organizations that prioritize an ethos of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top talent, and typically see higher employee engagement and improved productivity. Businesses and non-profits alike are increasingly announcing their commitment to DEI, launching committees, and hiring coordinators. To be more than a performative wallpapering over “business as usual,” the integration and implementation of DEI requires a multi-pronged approach that recognizes the value of diverse voices and centers inclusivity, and employee wellbeing, belonging, and growth as central facets of organizational success. Learn from thought leaders as they discuss best practices in creating and integrating DEI strategies into the workplace, building inclusive and adaptable communities, and achieving cultural transformation.
Moderator: Ayanna ZAHRA, CEO, Ayanna Denise Ltd. Co., New Mexico
IG: @ayannadenise_skin
- Sophie HALLIDAY, Co-founder & Educator, Shanti Alliance, Hawaii IG: @shantialliance
- Haruka NAKASE, Representative Director, ViVarsity, Okazaki, Japan
- Janelle REIKO SASAKI, EY Global Women Athletes Business Network Leader and Director of Brand, Marketing and Communications, EY Japan, Tokyo, Japan @Japan_EY
- Nora SWANN, Founder, Nora Swann Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand
- Beth WHITEHEAD, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, American Savings Bank, Hawaii IG: @asbhawaii
#galswithEntrepreneurship: A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen
Deeply rooted in expressions of identity, values, and way of life, food has long been considered a form of cultural heritage. Through its cultivation, preparation, and consumption, food both creates and preserves social bonds while simultaneously delineating and excluding communities. The evolution of these relationships with food have also challenged and reinforced traditional gender roles and values. Discover how women restaurateurs and others have made a commitment to food as cultural heritage and the preservation of sustainable practices as both meaningful and profitable.
Moderator: Norkhalila Mae MAMBUAY-CAMPONG, Co-owner & Manager, Babu Kwan’s Restaurant, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines IG: @babukwan
- Patti CHANG*, Co-founder & CEO, Feed the Hunger Fund, California/Hawaii
- Isabella “Bella” HUGHES, Co-founder & Head of Mission, Shaka Tea and Co-founder, Hawaii FoundHer, Hawaii IG: @drinkshaketea
- Robynne MAII, 2022 James Beard Award Winner & Chef Owner, Fête, Hawaii IG: @fetehawaii
- Marlienna “Nana” SUWITO, CEO, Heavenlynest Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia IG: @heavenlynest
- Lee Anne WONG*, Chef Partner, Koko Head Café, Hawaii IG: @leeannewong
#galswithInspiration: Braless, Brainless Broads
A 1968 protest against the Miss America beauty pageant sparked the iconic - and mythical - image of the "bra-burning feminist.” A group of women hurled mops, girdles, nylons, lipsticks, and high heels, but no bras, into a "Freedom Trash Can," symbolically throwing away female beauty expectations and societal stereotypes of a woman's place. While feminists of this era inspired unprecedented economic, political, and societal changes, they were also trivialized as “braless, brainless broads” by Illinois State Legislator Thomas J. Hanahan, among others. The struggle for equal rights and to be taken seriously continues. Be inspired as women advocating and organizing for policy and social change offer best practices on how to build a grassroots movement, sustain engagement, and attract media attention.
Moderator: Gantuya TSEDENBAL, Co-Owner & CFO, Prost LLC, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Anna CHUA, Red Hill Organizer, Sierra Club Hawaii, Hawaii
- Rachel O'LEARY CARMONA*, Executive Director, Women’s March, Washington, DC IG: @rach_carmona
- Carmen PEREZ, President & CEO, The Gathering for Justice and National Co-chair, Women’s March on Washington 2017, New York IG: gather4justice
- Su Chuan “Dora” YEN, Co-founder & COO, YC Holdings Inc., Taichung City, Taiwan
5:30pm | OPEN SPACE
Open Space is chaotic, productive, and fun! There is 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 curate suggested topics and combine similar ideas to create several discussion groups. You will then self-organize into the discussion group of interest to you. And if, after being in a group you are no longer interested, you are free to wander over to another.
A whirlwind of activity is guided by a handful of simple Open Space principles:
- Whoever comes are the right people.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could happen.
- Whenever it starts is the right time.
- When it is over it is over.
6:15pm | NETWORKING RECEPTION
Networking reception with hosted bar, light pupus, and desserts prepared by local women chefs and artisans. Join us in sampling the delicious and innovative creations of these featured chefs:
- Ale CRUZ KLEIN & Stacey SCHILLER, Co-owners, Nosh, Hawaii, USA
- Aimee IWATA, Sous Chef & Jacqueline CHICO, Head Pastry Chef, Koko Head Café, Hawaii, USA
- Bev LUK, Pastry Chef, Nami Kaze Izakaya & Sushi Bar, Hawaii, USA
- Kristene MOON, Executive Sous Chef, Piggy Smalls, Hawaii, USA
Partners & Sponsorship
#galswithLEI is just one example of East-West Center’s efforts to connect our Hawaii community with national and international officials, experts, journalists, artists, and women entrepreneurs. The Center is proud to partner with Under My Umbrella, Hub Coworking Hawaii, Sacred Hearts Academy, Pacific Business News, and JWLI Ecosystem among others in this dynamic endeavor to support women's entrepreneurship and leadership.
Part of: #GalswithLEI
East-West Center's IMIN Conference Center
Thursday, August 4, 2022 | 12:30 – 7:30pm, Hawaii
The East-West Center is excited to present the 6th Annual #GalswithLEI Forum. #GalswithLEI Forum is not your typical event; rather it is provocative, purposeful, and collaborative. #GalswithLEI offers a keynote panel and six interactive workshops focused on Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration followed by an attendee driven open space forum and a networking reception featuring local female chefs. Panelists and attendees include invited experts, local established women leaders, bold millennials, and the Changing Faces Women - connecting and integrating the experience, ambition, and passion of all those in attendance.
Join us as we try to make sense of the times, the struggles, and the language to be reclaimed.
Agenda
The agenda is subject to change. All events to be held at the East-West Center's IMIN Conference Center. All panelists are anticipated to participate in-person unless otherwise noted with an asterisk (*).
12:30pm | REGISTRATION
1:00pm | WELCOME & KEYNOTE PANEL
#galswithLEI Keynote: Uppity Women
Cascading global crises and opportunistic political leaders at home and abroad are challenging societal progress on gender roles and definitions of masculinity and femininity, eroding hard-fought gains in women’s workforce participation, reproductive funding and choice, and renormalizing misogynistic and discriminatory language at the highest levels. This seeming backward slide has left women across the globe struggling to understand the times, the struggle, and the language to be reclaimed. Join uppity women leading change in discussing whether women are gaining ground in representation, rights, equality, and voice or whether we are seeing a retrenchment of patriarchy, and what can be done individually and collectively to challenge systemic gender discrimination and empower and advance women globally.
Moderator: Annalisa BURGOS, Reporter & Weekend Anchor, Hawaii News Now, Hawaii @AnnalisaBurgos
- Robin MORGAN*, Feminist Icon, Poet, Novelist & Author, The Word of a Woman, and Syndicated Radio Host, WMCLive with Robin Morgan, New York @TheRobinMorgan
- Khara JABOLA-CAROLUS, Executive Director, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii IG: @statusofwomenhawaii
- Mary Ellen ISKENDERIAN*, President & CEO, Women’s World Banking and Author, There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women, New York @MEIskenderian
- Nancy REDD, Author, Body Drama and Pregnancy, OMG!, New York IG: @nancyredd
2:30pm | SESSION ONE CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
#galswithLeadership: Now Every Office Can Have One!
Women make up 46.9% of the global labor force but represent only 2.6% CEOs at Fortune Globe 500 companies – and all are white. This leaky pipeline of women in leadership is due, in part, to poor access to the training, mentoring, networks, and information resources necessary to progress in their careers or grow their businesses. Learn from women engaged in empowering others as they discuss different models and best practices for incorporating training, mentoring, and networking opportunities into an organization as well as how individuals might effectively seek out mentors and build professional networks.
Moderator: Junghyang “Jessie” KIM, Founder & CEO, Jessie Kitchen, Seoul, South Korea
IG: @jessiekitchen_official
- Meli JAMES, Cofounder, Mana Up and President, Hawaii Venture Capital Association, Hawaii IG: @manauphawaii
- Colleen MCALUNEY, Director, Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership, YWCA of O’ahu, Hawaii @ywcaoahu
- Mahina PAISHON-DUARTE, Co-founder & CEO, Waiwai Collective LLC, Hawaii IG: @waiwaicollective
- Kiyono Yagami SAKAKIBARA, Founder & CEO, Manabiyamom Inc., Nagoya, Japan IG: @kiyono17
#galswithEntrepreneurship: It's Not Easy Being Green
Enacted in 1963, the Clean Air Act marked the first of a series of influential environmental legislative protections, which would be followed in the early 1970s by the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, numerous environmental non-profits, and Earth Day. Since that time, green growth policies, environmental stewardship, and the creation of a more sustainable economy have become often mentioned goals of governments, nonprofits, and businesses. But it’s not easy being green. Discover how leading businesses and organizations create competitive advantages by successfully “greening” their everyday operations through sustainable supply chains, energy efficiencies, reduced waste, and sharing these stories to increase sales and strengthen communities.
Moderator: Tina KEKOOLANI, Owner & Creative Director, Haleakala Supah Shots, Hawaii
- Alexia AKBAY, Founder & CEO, Symbrosia, Hawaii @symbrosia
- Ruth CROSS, President & Founder, Climate Action, Tungaru Climate Alliance, Tarawa, Kiribati IG: @neiruth.xox
- Kelly Takaya KING, Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC, and Maui County Councilmember, Hawaii IG: @pacificbiodiesel
- Sara SMITH, Founder & CEO, Wrappily, Hawaii IG: @wrappily
#galswithInspiration: Hysterical Women
Female hysteria was once considered a common and chronic medical diagnosis, with described symptoms often synonymous with normal functioning female sexuality. Later in the 1950s and 1960s, pharmaceuticals were aggressively marketed to women using gendered tropes–the neurotic singleton, the frazzled housewife, the joyless career woman, the menopausal shrew–as “fixes” to what historian and author Andrea Tone dryly describes in The Age of Anxiety as “the problem of being female.” Be inspired by mental health experts and advocates who are challenging mental health taboos and gendered language, normalizing self-care, and addressing a growing teen mental health crisis.
Moderator: Deborah EDIRISINGHE, Founder & Director, Child Action Lanka, Kandy, Sri Lanka
IG: @childactionlanka
- Dana ARAKAWA, Organizational Psychologist & Founder, thrive808, Hawaii
- Karen CHEN, 2x Olympian and 2022 Olympic Figure Skating Medalist, Author, Finding the Edge, and Mental Health Advocate, California IG: @karebearsk8
- Neilani SIATINI-VALENCIA, Owner & Therapist, Neilani Siatini Valencia, LCSW LLC, Hawaii IG: @neilanisiatinivalencia_lcsw
- Courtney TRACY, Psychotherapist, Podcast Host, HUMAN First, and Mental Health Content Creator, The Truth Doctor, California IG: @the.truth.doctor
3:30pm | COFFEE BREAK
4:15pm | SESSION TWO CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
#galswithLeadership: Wallpapering Woke
Organizations that prioritize an ethos of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top talent, and typically see higher employee engagement and improved productivity. Businesses and non-profits alike are increasingly announcing their commitment to DEI, launching committees, and hiring coordinators. To be more than a performative wallpapering over “business as usual,” the integration and implementation of DEI requires a multi-pronged approach that recognizes the value of diverse voices and centers inclusivity, and employee wellbeing, belonging, and growth as central facets of organizational success. Learn from thought leaders as they discuss best practices in creating and integrating DEI strategies into the workplace, building inclusive and adaptable communities, and achieving cultural transformation.
Moderator: Ayanna ZAHRA, CEO, Ayanna Denise Ltd. Co., New Mexico
IG: @ayannadenise_skin
- Sophie HALLIDAY, Co-founder & Educator, Shanti Alliance, Hawaii IG: @shantialliance
- Haruka NAKASE, Representative Director, ViVarsity, Okazaki, Japan
- Janelle REIKO SASAKI, EY Global Women Athletes Business Network Leader and Director of Brand, Marketing and Communications, EY Japan, Tokyo, Japan @Japan_EY
- Nora SWANN, Founder, Nora Swann Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand
- Beth WHITEHEAD, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, American Savings Bank, Hawaii IG: @asbhawaii
#galswithEntrepreneurship: A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen
Deeply rooted in expressions of identity, values, and way of life, food has long been considered a form of cultural heritage. Through its cultivation, preparation, and consumption, food both creates and preserves social bonds while simultaneously delineating and excluding communities. The evolution of these relationships with food have also challenged and reinforced traditional gender roles and values. Discover how women restaurateurs and others have made a commitment to food as cultural heritage and the preservation of sustainable practices as both meaningful and profitable.
Moderator: Norkhalila Mae MAMBUAY-CAMPONG, Co-owner & Manager, Babu Kwan’s Restaurant, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines IG: @babukwan
- Patti CHANG*, Co-founder & CEO, Feed the Hunger Fund, California/Hawaii
- Isabella “Bella” HUGHES, Co-founder & Head of Mission, Shaka Tea and Co-founder, Hawaii FoundHer, Hawaii IG: @drinkshaketea
- Robynne MAII, 2022 James Beard Award Winner & Chef Owner, Fête, Hawaii IG: @fetehawaii
- Marlienna “Nana” SUWITO, CEO, Heavenlynest Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia IG: @heavenlynest
- Lee Anne WONG*, Chef Partner, Koko Head Café, Hawaii IG: @leeannewong
#galswithInspiration: Braless, Brainless Broads
A 1968 protest against the Miss America beauty pageant sparked the iconic - and mythical - image of the "bra-burning feminist.” A group of women hurled mops, girdles, nylons, lipsticks, and high heels, but no bras, into a "Freedom Trash Can," symbolically throwing away female beauty expectations and societal stereotypes of a woman's place. While feminists of this era inspired unprecedented economic, political, and societal changes, they were also trivialized as “braless, brainless broads” by Illinois State Legislator Thomas J. Hanahan, among others. The struggle for equal rights and to be taken seriously continues. Be inspired as women advocating and organizing for policy and social change offer best practices on how to build a grassroots movement, sustain engagement, and attract media attention.
Moderator: Gantuya TSEDENBAL, Co-Owner & CFO, Prost LLC, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Anna CHUA, Red Hill Organizer, Sierra Club Hawaii, Hawaii
- Rachel O'LEARY CARMONA*, Executive Director, Women’s March, Washington, DC IG: @rach_carmona
- Carmen PEREZ, President & CEO, The Gathering for Justice and National Co-chair, Women’s March on Washington 2017, New York IG: gather4justice
- Su Chuan “Dora” YEN, Co-founder & COO, YC Holdings Inc., Taichung City, Taiwan
5:30pm | OPEN SPACE
Open Space is chaotic, productive, and fun! There is 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 curate suggested topics and combine similar ideas to create several discussion groups. You will then self-organize into the discussion group of interest to you. And if, after being in a group you are no longer interested, you are free to wander over to another.
A whirlwind of activity is guided by a handful of simple Open Space principles:
- Whoever comes are the right people.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could happen.
- Whenever it starts is the right time.
- When it is over it is over.
6:15pm | NETWORKING RECEPTION
Networking reception with hosted bar, light pupus, and desserts prepared by local women chefs and artisans. Join us in sampling the delicious and innovative creations of these featured chefs:
- Ale CRUZ KLEIN & Stacey SCHILLER, Co-owners, Nosh, Hawaii, USA
- Aimee IWATA, Sous Chef & Jacqueline CHICO, Head Pastry Chef, Koko Head Café, Hawaii, USA
- Bev LUK, Pastry Chef, Nami Kaze Izakaya & Sushi Bar, Hawaii, USA
- Kristene MOON, Executive Sous Chef, Piggy Smalls, Hawaii, USA
Partners & Sponsorship
#galswithLEI is just one example of East-West Center’s efforts to connect our Hawaii community with national and international officials, experts, journalists, artists, and women entrepreneurs. The Center is proud to partner with Under My Umbrella, Hub Coworking Hawaii, Sacred Hearts Academy, Pacific Business News, and JWLI Ecosystem among others in this dynamic endeavor to support women's entrepreneurship and leadership.
