Tackling the challenges of today’s business environment demands that female leaders bring every tool and resource they have to the table.
Rise with Confidence
Program Overview
Advice From Our Participants
- Make Connections"I want all the female bosses I know to complete this program. The specific time to set aside for learning is so necessary for growth. I feel like I have a core group of connections I could reach out to in any moment personally or professionally for support, and that is the impactful value of this program!"
- Push Yourself"This program really has helped me to think a lot about where I am and where I'm going in my career while giving me perspective I otherwise would never have gained. I'd recommend for any woman who wants to take the next step to push herself towards both self-discovery and professional potential."
- Get Inspired"This is the first time I have ever been in a room of such accomplished, ambitious women. It's really inspiring - not just all the presenters (who have been fantastic), but also the cohort of women. The topics are really relevant to my work and this program has really made me sit down and think about what I really want to get out of life."
Key Takeaways
How It Works
with Certificate of Completion
Who Should Apply
Program Highlights
Explore how to use your power, strengthen your influence, and transform your leadership skills and career trajectory.
The Course is taught in-person at the University of Texas AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas, and participants will be expected to arrive in time for dinner Thursday evening and will depart after each session ends mid-Friday afternoon. Participants will be expected to stay on-site, with one overnight stay each session, and will have homework exercises to complete between sessions.
Topics
- Self-Awareness and Personality Types
- Building Your Personal Brand: What Makes You Unique and Authentic?
- Team Dynamics – Diversity and Shoring up Blind Spots
- Networking (Beyond the Cocktail Party; Currency and Coinage)
- Cultivating Your Personal Board of Directors
- Goal Setting (Again, and Again)
Topics
- Value Creation
- Big Changes to Big Things
- Adaptability and Innovation
- Negotiation
- Professional Risk Taking and Ambition
- Decision Making
- Power: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Building Your Team: Courage and Compassion
Topics
- Executive Presence
- Understanding Bias
- Walking away from F.U.D. (fear, uncertainty and doubt)
- Grit and Perseverance
- Opting In (-or- the Cost of Opting Out)
Topics
- Build Trust
- Building a Kick Ass Culture
- Mentors, Sponsors, and Circles
- Know Thyself (Personal Values)
- Personal Risk Taking
- Having It All: Designing Your Life
T3 Founder, Author, Artist, and Entrepreneurial Trailblazer
Gay Gaddis is the founder of T3, an innovative digital and marketing agency that grew into the largest woman-owned independent agency in the U.S., with offices in Austin, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco. Under Gay’s leadership for over 30 years, T3 rose to national prominence developing digital solutions for clients such as Dell, UPS, Allstate, 7Eleven, Capital One, amongst others. In November 2019, Gay sold T3 into acquisition by Lieberman Research Worldwide (LRW).
Today, Gay is focusing her always-on energy to empower entrepreneurs and the next generation of business leaders to take big leaps in their careers and lives. She is an active speaker on women’s leadership, company culture and entrepreneurship. Her book, Cowgirl Power, released in January 2018, shares insights and examples for women to develop personal power and lead like fearless cowgirls. Gay is also a regular contributor to Forbes and a part of the Fortune’s Powerful Women Insider Network.
Gay is the first female Chairman of the Texas Business Leadership Council and is former Chairman of The Committee of 200 (C200), a leading organization that advances women’s leadership in business, and is on the Board of Directors of the Texas Cultural Trust. She’s also an immediate past board member for Monotype Imaging Holdings, Inc.
Throughout her career, Gay has received numerous awards including the Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award by Women Communicators of Austin, Fast Company’s “Top 25 Women Business Builders,” Inc Magazine’s “Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year,” C200’s Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence and was recently inducted to the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, inducted into Mortar Board and being named one of the top three “Outstanding Students” in her class, Gay is still deeply involved with the University of Texas at Austin. She is on the board and Executive Committee member of Texas Exes, the official alumni association of The University of Texas, is part of the Dean’s Advisory Council to The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and is an advisor for both the College of Fine Arts and the Moody College of Communication.
As an artist, Gaddis’ bold and vibrant paintings have been shown in several prestigious galleries around the country including a solo show at The Curator Gallery in New York City, featured in Paper Magazine and by Texas Monthly magazine naming Gaddis as one of the “Top Ten Artists to Collect Now.” Gaddis and her husband own and operate the Double Heart Ranch in the Texas Hill Country which houses Gay’s private art studio and gallery.
Independent Director of WESCO International, Lincoln National, NextEra Energy, and Vista Outdoor Operating Partner, Atlas Holdings, LLC
Lynn’s career is grounded in distribution and supply chain excellence. Her reputation was built in the food and beverage sector and more recently has extended to more industrial spaces. Lynn is an experienced operator having served as the Chief Executive Officer for First Source LLC, the largest packager and distributor of candy and specialty foods in the United States. Prior to First Source, she served as the global President and Chief Operating Officer of Knoll Office. At Coors Brewing Company Lynn’s roles included Chief Strategy Officer, President of Coors’ Distributing Company, and Group VP over Coors’ container manufacturing joint ventures. Her previous experience includes six years with PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, and four years with Strategic Planning Associates in Washington, D.C..
In recent years Lynn has transitioned fully to corporate board service. She currently serves as an Independent Director for four publicly traded companies, WESCO Distribution, Lincoln Financial, NextEra Energy and Vista Outdoor. Lynn formerly chaired the board for private equity-backed Merchants Metals and now serves as an Operating Partner for Merchants’ former financial sponsor, Atlas Holdings, LLC.
Lynn has also served on a myriad of not-for-profit boards within The University of Texas, The Aspen Institute, and United Way; and recently co-chaired the Stanford GSB's Task Force on Women. She was inducted to the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame, received the Paradigm Award from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, has been twice recognized as a recipient of Stanford University’s Award of Merit, and was honored as an Outstanding Young Texas Ex. Lynn received a bachelor's degree in business administration from The University of Texas’ Business Honors Program, and she earned an MBA from Stanford. Lynn and her husband share an empty nest in Philadelphia, PA.
Lynn appreciates that her path has been paved with a combination of education, hard work, privilege and mentorship. Sharing her experiences and insights with talented and ambitious businesswomen so that they can more readily navigate their own personal paths to success is an opportunity and responsibility she embraces. Lynn loves working with Women Who Mean Business.
in Austin, TX
Session Dates & Program Cost
Session 2: Nov 30-Dec 1, 2023
Session 4: April 4-5, 2024
Participants earn 1.4 CEUs and/or 14 CPEs for this course. A certificate of completion will be presented from Texas Executive Education.
1.00
Located on the edge of The University of Texas at Austin campus, the AT&T Hotel & Executive Education and Conference Center is a state-of-the-art facility that offers Texas Executive Education participants a comfortable and convenient location to learn and stay during their program.
Employer Reimbursement
Dear [YOUR MANAGER'S NAME],
I would like your approval to attend Women Who Mean Business, an immersive program for rising leaders. The program consists of four, two-day hands-on sessions over a six-month timeframe (Sep 6-7, 2023; Nov 30-Dec 1, 2023; Jan 25-26, 2024; and Apr 4-5, 2024). Taught by two CEOs and University of Texas McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame winners, Gay Gaddis and Lynn Utter, the program brings entrepreneurial skills and corporate experiences together for a comprehensive leadership program for rapid career advancement. This program will offer me real-world experiences and the tools needed to dramatically improve the [ADD YOUR PRODUCTS/SERVICES] we deliver and how we work internally.
This class is in-person and interactive at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin. It will include lectures, small group exercises, key speakers, and networking events as well as a McCombs School of Business certificate of completion.
Topics will include:
● Value Creation
● Difficult Decisions
● Risk-Taking
● Adaptability and Innovation
● Negotiation
● Power Dynamics
● Team Building
● Understanding Bias and Intentional Inclusion
● Executive Presence
● Grit and Perseverance
● Self-awareness and Personal Development Planning
After each session, I will be able to share tangible takeaways and learnings with our whole team. Additionally, I will be able to use these sessions to focus on strategies to grow our business and/or contribute to the profitability of the company.
Additionally, Women Who Mean Business isn't just for emerging corporate executives. The program is also designed for entrepreneurs to offer a cross-pollination of ideas while networking on future innovations. I'm excited to apply our principles of [**ADD YOUR CURRENT CORPORATE INITIATIVE HERE**]
The total cost to attend this six-month program is detailed below:
● Program Registration: $8,350
● Travel: [INSERT AMOUNT]
● Hotel: [INSERT AMOUNT]
● Meals: [INSERT ESTIMATE **Lunches & dinners during sessions included in Registration Fee]
● TOTAL: [SUM OF ABOVE]
You can learn more about the program here [link inserted here].
Thanks for taking the time to review this request. I look forward to talking to you about it.
Regards,
[YOUR NAME]
See the Session Schedule >>
Schedule is subject to change
SESSION 1
Day 1
5:30 pm: Registration
6:00 pm: Networking Social Hour
7:00 pm: Dinner with Keynote Speaker
9:00 pm: Cohort Check-Ins
Day 2
8:30 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: Classroom discussions on a specific topic:
- Frameworks, Experiences, and Discussions
- Small Group Exercises
- Breakout Sessions
Lunch: Speed Networking with McCombs Hall of Fame Recipients
2:00 pm: “Off the Record” | Closed-Door Conversations with Notable Keynote Speaker
3:00 pm: Departure
SESSION 2
Day 1
5:30 pm: Registration
6:00 pm: Networking Social Hour
7:00 pm: Dinner with Keynote Speaker
9:00 pm: Cohort Check-Ins
Day 2
8:30 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: Classroom discussions on a specific topic:
- Frameworks, Experiences, and Discussions
- Small Group Exercises
- Breakout Sessions
Lunch: Speed Networking with McCombs Hall of Fame Recipients
2:00 pm: “Off the Record” | Closed-Door Conversations with Notable Keynote Speaker
3:00 pm: Departure
SESSION 3
Day 1
5:30 pm: Registration
6:00 pm: Networking Social Hour
7:00 pm: Dinner with Keynote Speaker
9:00 pm: Cohort Check-Ins
Day 2
8:30 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: Classroom discussions on a specific topic:
- Frameworks, Experiences, and Discussions
- Small Group Exercises
- Breakout Sessions
Lunch: Speed Networking with McCombs Hall of Fame Recipients
2:00 pm: “Off the Record” | Closed-Door Conversations with Notable Keynote Speaker
3:00 pm: Departure
SESSION 4
Day 1
5:30 pm: Registration
6:00 pm: Networking Social Hour
7:00 pm: Dinner with Keynote Speaker
9:00 pm: Cohort Check-Ins
Day 2
8:30 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: Classroom discussions on a specific topic:
- Frameworks, Experiences, and Discussions
- Small Group Exercises
- Breakout Sessions
Lunch: Speed Networking with McCombs Hall of Fame Recipients
2:00 pm: “Off the Record” | Closed-Door Conversations with Notable Keynote Speaker
3:00 pm: Departure
HARNESS YOUR SUPERPOWERS
Objective: Increase self-awareness and confidence, and instill personal accountability for your professional growth.
Topics
- Self-Awareness and Personality Types
- Building Your Personal Brand: What Makes You Unique and Authentic?
- Team Dynamics – Diversity and Shoring up Blind Spots
- Networking (Beyond the Cocktail Party; Currency and Coinage)
- Cultivating Your Personal Board of Directors
- Goal Setting (Again, and Again)
DELIVER THE GOODS
Objective: Elevate your understanding of what it means to create value in a professional context.
Topics
- Value Creation
- Big Changes to Big Things
- Adaptability and Innovation
- Negotiation
- Professional Risk Taking and Ambition
- Decision Making
- Power: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Building Your Team: Courage and Compassion
BUILD YOUR EXECUTIVE PRESENCE
Objective: Probe the opportunity to build and leverage your executive presence in a modern context embracing diversity and inclusion.
Topics
- Executive Presence
- Understanding Bias
- Walking away from F.U.D. (fear, uncertainty and doubt)
- Grit and Perseverance
- Opting In (-or- the Cost of Opting Out)
CHANNEL YOUR AMBITION
Objective: Build your personal development plan and a process for self-renewal.
Topics
- Build Trust
- Building a Kick-Ass Culture
- Mentors, Sponsors, and Circles
- Know Thyself (Personal Values)
- Personal Risk-Taking
- Having It All: Designing Your Life
