Keynote Speakers
The Weatherhead Leadership Conference brings together nationally recognized thought leaders who embody intentional, human-centered leadership. This year's keynote speakers will inspire, challenge and equip attendees to lead with purpose, courage and heart.
Shelly McNamara
Former Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer, Procter & Gamble
Leading with Intentionality & Humility
Shelly McNamara is a humanist leader, storyteller, and advisor who has dedicated her career to bringing humanity into the heart of business and culture. Over more than three decades at Procter & Gamble, including her role as Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer, she shaped culture, policy, and leadership to help one of the world's largest companies better serve its diverse employees and global consumers.
Shelly is passionate about building bridges across differences and creating spaces where people can grow, thrive, and connect. An accomplished writer and sought-after speaker, she shares wisdom with empathy, humor, and a spark of joy.
She serves as Vice Chair of the Board for The Trevor Project and as an advisor to the University of Michigan. Shelly and Cindy, her wife and partner of forty years, live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and are the proud parents of three daughters and a son-in-law.
Shannon Watts
Founder of Moms Demand Action & Author of Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age
Lighting Up is the New Leaning In
The conversation around women's leadership has long focused on ambition—leaning in, climbing ladders, and chasing titles. But ambition alone often leads to burnout and disillusionment. True leadership comes when women align their passions and values, "lighting up" in ways that fuel both personal fulfillment and organizational growth.
Shannon Watts introduces her Fire Formula, a simple but powerful tool that helps people reconnect with what makes them come alive. She reframes failure as a way to "fail forward" and reminds attendees that passion is not a ladder—it's a compass.
Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, the nation's largest grassroots group fighting against gun violence. Known as the "summoner of women's audacity," she spent more than a decade leading one of the world's largest field experiments for mobilizing women. She has been named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year. She is the author of Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age.