Upcoming Events
2025 Women In Business Conference
2025 Women In Business Conference
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 (8:00 AM - 3:00 PM) (CST)
Description
RECKLESS PURSUIT
What Do Dreams Know of Boundaries?
Charting Bold Courses in Business & Beyond
Why a Reckless Pursuit?
American Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart once said, "Please know that I am aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it."
As the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, she knew a thing or two about taking risks.
She encouraged women to ambitiously challenge the status quo and push against the societal boundaries placed upon them.
"Women must try to do things as men have tried," she wrote in a note for her husband in 1937, ahead of her planned voyage around the world. "When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others".
With the tools, resources, and wisdom presented at the 2025 Women in Business Conference, our hope is that you will be empowered to confidently (and some may say, recklessly) move forward in the direction of your dreams, charting bold courses in your own career and beyond.
More About The Conference:
The Lee’s Summit Chamber’s Women in Business Conference aims to connect female business professionals in eastern Jackson County and beyond through impactful programming, networking opportunities and educational training.
The conference is hosted in Lee’s Summit, Missouri but its reach extends beyond city limits into all parts of eastern Jackson County, Lafayette, Johnson and Cass County.
We invite women of all backgrounds and professional stages of their careers.
Whether you are a young professional just starting out in your career, a budding or seasoned entrepreneur, or someone with years of experience, we welcome all to join this impactful conference.
This event is open to the public — Lee's Summit Chamber members receive a discounted rate when registering through their member accounts!
The Women in Business Conference is a full-day experience that has been carefully curated with you in mind. We know you are busy and dedicating time to a full-day event has to be worth it. Trust us - it is!
You Can Look Forward To:
- Inspirational Speakers (Local, Regional and National)
- Empowering Breakout Sessions
- A Continental Breakfast, Lunch & Plenty of Coffee!
Inspiring Keynote Speakers:
Jenn Whitmer
Keynote & TEDx Speaker, Author, Enneagram Specialist, Podcast Host
When work gets tense and teams feel stuck, Jenn Whitmer brings joy that lasts. A keynote and TEDx speaker, author, Enneagram specialist, and podcast host, Jenn equips leaders and teams with the skills to create Joyosity — positive culture with complex people.
Through personality, play, and communication tools, leaders know how to build high-performing teams that want to stay. (Oh, and usually laughter too!)
Debra Sanning
Central Region Acting Regional Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
Debra Sanning began with the FAA in 1989 as a Senior Realty Specialist (contractor) in the Logistics Division, procuring land, space and services for a variety of emerging FAA projects, where she effectively moved several high-value projects to completion.
In 2001, following the 9/11 tragedy, Debra was selected as the Facility Manager of FAA's multi-tenant regional headquarters. She was successful in building emergency response processes, an operational security program and communications plans with Agency, local, state and federal partners, along with oversight, daily operations, construction moves and changes.
Breakout Sessions:
Finding Your True North: Staying Aligned With Your Values and Purpose
Lauren Wittig
Owner, Luminate Home Loans - Lauren Wittig Team
Amelia Earhart navigated uncharted skies with courage and conviction, guided not just by instruments but by an unwavering sense of purpose.
Staying true to your “North Star” means aligning your decisions and direction with the values that define who you are and the purpose that drives you forward.
In this breakout session, you’ll discover how to identify your guiding principles and use them as a compass in both your career and business.
Through practical strategies and reflective exercises, you’ll learn how to remain steady through shifts, challenges, and opportunities — always keeping your true north in sight.
Charting Your Flight Plan: Setting Intentional Goals and Building a Map for Your Career or Business
Casey Richards
Franchise Owner, PaPPo's Pizzeria & Pub
Amelia Earhart once said, “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”
Her fearless spirit and trailblazing achievements remind us that success comes from daring to dream and charting your own course.
At the Lee’s Summit Chamber Women in Business Conference, we celebrate that same courage, determination, and vision as women continue to break barriers and soar to new heights.
In this breakout session, you’ll learn how to create a flight plan for your career or business that’s as intentional as it is inspiring. Just like a pilot maps out a course before takeoff, you’ll explore how to define your destination, identify key checkpoints, and prepare for unexpected turbulence along the way.
By the end, you’ll have the tools to set meaningful goals, stay on course, and confidently navigate your path toward new horizons.
Fuel For Flight: How to Regain Energy and Clarity for the Journey Ahead
Courtney Krusemark, BSN, RN, NC-BC
Nurse & Functional Wellness Coach, Under The Hood Wellness
Amelia Earhart’s bold journeys remind us that the right fuel, focus, and preparation make anything possible. But too often, women today find themselves running on fumes — exhausted, foggy, and stretched thin. We push forward, thinking fatigue, cravings, or extra weight are just “part of life,” when in reality, our bodies are asking for a different kind of care.
In this inspiring breakout session, you’ll learn how to:
Recognize the signals of energy and hormone imbalance that may be holding you back.
Understand how the way you “fuel your system” directly impacts your clarity, focus, and ability to perform.
Apply simple, empowering strategies to smooth out turbulence, steady your energy, and feel lighter in body and spirit.
This isn’t about restriction or perfection — it’s about aligning with your body’s design so you can move through life with confidence, vitality, and resilience.
You’ll walk away with renewed perspective and practical tools to chart your own flight path - one where you aren’t just surviving the turbulence but truly thriving at cruising altitude.
A.I.R. Traffic Control: Taking Control of Your Internal Dialogue
Cindy Swatek
Program & Development Specialist, Lee's Summit Educational Foundation
Even the most skilled pilots depend on air traffic control to stay on course. In the same way, how we talk to ourselves serves as our personal air traffic controller. The messages we give ourselves, whether encouraging or doubtful, shape our confidence and determine whether we stay focused or drift off course.
With the mental skill of A.I.R. as our co-pilot, we’ll explore how to practice effective self-talk, build unshakable confidence, and direct our energy and focus so we can remain steady even in turbulent moments.
Just as every great pilot relies on instruments, we’ll walk away with practical tools to guide our self-talk and build lasting confidence. And like Amelia Earhart, we’ll be reminded that true courage isn’t about smooth skies: it’s about trusting ourselves to take to the skies anyway.
Please note that tickets are nonrefundable once purchased. Tickets may be transferred to another individual or donated to a nonprofit organization attendee by contacting the Chamber Office (816-524-2424).
**Conference Materials, Continental Breakfast and Lunch included in Registration Fee**
Interested in Sponsorships or advertising in our Conference Booklet? Contact Lisa Frogge, lfrogge@lschamber.com or at 816-524-2424 x 302.
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Open to the public with special pricing available to current members of the Lee's Summit Chamber. For membership information, please contact Lisa Frogge (lfrogge@lschamber.com)
Sponsorship options are open to LS Chamber members in good standing.
402 SW Persels Road
Lee's Summit, MO 64081
CORE Building is adjacent to the Main Campus Building (west of the church)