Simmons Leadership Conference

Jordan Magnuson, Ph.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant – Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment

“Attending the Simmons Leadership Conference was a truly transformational experience.

I had the incredible opportunity to hear from inspiring speakers like Cynt Marshall, Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, and Brooke Shields. Throughout the day, we explored powerful themes such as authentic leadership, communication, compassion, values and vision, “power” skills, and fostering genuine respect for others—all in the context of leading in a rapidly changing world. I’m deeply grateful to the Engineering Leadership Institute for supporting this opportunity and investing in my growth as a leader.”

Elizabeth Aikman, Ph.D. Student, Stoppel Lab – Department of Chemical Engineering

“I am grateful to the UF Engineering Leadership Institute for the opportunity to attend the 2025 Simmons Leadership Conference. This conference was an inspirational experience to hear from amazing women leaders and connect with women from around the world in thoughtful breakout sessions. I participated in many relevant topics including the “Best Self” framework, work-life balance, and navigating change and competition in businesses.

The incredible keynote speakers, Cynt Marshall and Brooke Shields, gave wonderful advice on staying true to yourself and overcoming challenges to end up as a better leader and individual. Cynt even brought everyone tiaras to demonstrate overcoming personal challenges and maintaining her individuality in a turbulent workplace. It was exciting to connect our class discussions about culture and long-term change to the stories and examples brought up during panels and discussions with other attendees. This conference was very fulfilling and I am excited to implement the tools and strategies I learned toward my career.”

Estefania Urrego Hernández, Ph.D. Student – Biomedical Engineering

“I am grateful to the Engineering Leadership Institute for providing me with the opportunity to attend the 2024 Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston, as it was an experience that has immensely influenced my perspective on leadership. The conference shed light on the complexities of change, highlighting how it is impacted by our emotions and perceptions, leading to personal growth. I found that understanding the link between our mindset and resilience is extremely relevant to becoming a strategic leader in a post-pandemic world.

Additionally, the impressive lineup of talented speakers, including Gloria Steinem, Trevor Noah, Magie Cook, and Cassandra Worthy, shared insights into the importance of their identity in their leadership narratives. They explored the concept of creating impactful change through embracing diversity, practicing responsible allyship, and cultivating inclusive cultures in professional spaces. I gained valuable knowledge from this event, and I am excited to implement it throughout my leadership journey.”

Grace Winkler, MS Student – Mechanical Engineering

“The Simmons Leadership Conference was a very fulfilling leadership experience, and I learned a lot from inspirational women leaders. The main message I took from this day was to always remember your “why” and what impact you want to make. The founder and CEO of Rent the Runway framed this in how she analyzed the risk of starting her own business: that not pursuing her passions would be riskier than fulfilling her “why.”

The day was packed full of incredibly successful female founders who all had their own inspiring stories to tell. I enjoyed each speaker and the company of women seated at our table. It was encouraging to be a part of a community of women with different life experiences.”

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Elizabeth Volpe, Ph.D. Student – Civil and Coastal Engineering

“I am so incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the 2023 Simmons Leadership Conference.
I had the opportunity to meet and network with so many strong women leaders. The conference topic of renewal and focus on resilience was particularly impactful as it helped educate and encourage me, as a woman early in an engineering career, to persevere in the face of adversity. The speakers, such as Masih Alinejad, Gloria Estefan, Carla Harris, and Amy Purdy, left a lasting impression on me. They all shared the wisdom they had gained in facing various challenges throughout their careers and lives.

It was inspiring to see such strong and successful women. I learned the importance of being authentic, building relationships and being trustworthy, growing your own power as a leader and empowering other women, and being courageous in sharing innovative ideas.
I came out of the conference as a much more confident leader than before and feel more motivated to speak up and share my ideas in research, engineering, and leadership positions.”

Adrienne Widener, Ph.D. Student – Biomedical Engineering, 2023 Attendee

“I really enjoyed my time at the Simmons Leadership Conference 2023 in Boston. The topic of the conference was renewal and innovation, with speakers such as Gloria Estefan, Masih Alinejad, Amy Purdy, and Carla Harris. The conference was a great networking event, where I was able to speak with women leaders from entry-level positions all the way to CEOs. There were also people from all fields, broadening the discussions and sharing experiences with all attendees. I really appreciated the talk by Amy Purdy, a double amputee and Olympian. She spoke about how sometimes the setbacks and challenges that we are given in life will open greater opportunities for us in the future. I was especially grateful to connect these experiences to the concepts I learned in the College of Engineering and the Leadership Insitute. It was an experience that has changed my perspective on what it takes to move forward, that dreams are forever changing, and challenges are opportunities that we may not realize yet.”

Arianna Partow, Ph.D. Student – Agricultural & Biological Engineering

“The Simmons conference was such a valuable and unforgettable experience for me. Hearing from many strong and great women leaders, such as Simone Biles and Luvvie Ajayi, to name only a few, was very impactful. The theme of courage was brought up many times in this conference as how possessing the courage to speak up makes a great leader. It takes a lot to stand up for something you believe in or bring up uncomfortable issues, and these speakers presented ways to go about having the courage to lead and speak up. In addition, this conference emphasized how important it is to make people feel comfortable and create a safe working environment for everyone. Overall, this conference taught me many lessons and gave me great advice that has positively impacted my leadership development. I learned many skills from this conference that will be applied in the future.”

Jessica Aldrich, Ph.D. Student – Biomedical Engineering

“First, attending the Simmons Leadership Conference was a privilege, and I’m thankful that the ELI was willing and able to support my attendance. Although it was all virtual, I appreciated that I could go back and watch sessions I missed and re-watch sessions that I thought were interesting. One of the biggest takeaways from the conference was the idea that we could be creative within leadership. Creativity isn’t taught very effectively in school and, in leadership, it feels like we are often told that there are right and wrong ways to lead – but this conference reminded me that there could be an element of playfulness and flexibility in leadership that help you adapt to situations and to the people you are leading.
The other big takeaway that I had is that while leadership does require responsibility, and it’s not something to be taken lightly, there is the element of being human that we often forget about. Seeing women in various positions talk about strengths and weaknesses in their leadership journeys was motivating because it reminded me that no leader is perfect.”