Women in Leadership Conference passes torch to next generation

The 26th annual Women in Leadership Conference (WILC) welcomed hundreds of women to Rice Business’ McNair Hall for a day of networking, learning and inspiration for climbing the ladder in their careers. This year’s theme was “Pass the Torch: Together, We Will Carry the Flame.”

In panel discussions and interactive workshops, attendees heard from leaders across industries, explored various approaches to leadership and discussed future opportunities for success. WILC’s goal every year is to provide present and future leaders with a unique forum to exchange ideas and professional development important to women in today’s workforce.

“Not only is this one of the best student-run conferences, it’s one of the best at Rice Business,” said Constance Elise Porter, senior associate dean for belonging and engagement, in her welcome speech. 

“I want to start off by saying that we know that there's been progress, but the progress is not over,” Porter said. “In the corporate sphere, in the political sphere, in the higher education sphere. From where we sit today, under representation seems to be problematic. In the corporate world, we have about 11% (female) CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. So that's far from parity in the C-suite.”

Only about half of companies prioritize investment in women’s careers, Porter explained. This lack of gender balance affects organizational resilience. Fewer trainings, mentors and pipelines dedicated to women leads to a “broken rung” on the leadership ladder, she said.

“We’ve talked about the broken rung at this conference before,” she said. “It’s still broken as women try to move up the career ladder. The sponsorship gap is part of that problem, because sponsorship leads to faster promotions — people who are sponsored are promoted at twice the rate of those who are not. Many women are also pushed onto what we call the ‘glass cliff,’ ascending to leadership during a crisis and then being pushed off once the crisis resolves. What isn’t always on the slide is that they’re often replaced by men once things stabilize. Getting to the top is difficult, but staying there can be just as hard.”

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“Our job is to train you to solve tougher and tougher problems — the challenges that arise at the intersection of people, markets, technology and the broader world,” said Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business. “Those problems are incredibly complex and deeply human-centered. They’re difficult to solve alone. Our goal is to prepare leaders who can tackle those challenges effectively, seize opportunities for the future and make a meaningful impact.”

Isamar Lopez-Veracruz, the 2026 WILC president, said she wasn’t sure she was “MBA material” until she visited Rice Business.

“In 2023, I attended WILC as a prospective student, a mom of two daughters, a wife and a K-12 educator, wondering if I was ready for more,” she said. “I wasn't sure I was MBA material. I wasn't sure I could do this at this stage in my life. But in this room, surrounded by women who had built careers, raised families and pivoted paths, I found a community that believed in me before I fully believe in myself. I realized the question wasn't whether I was capable, it was whether I was willing to bet on myself. So I took the lead. I applied to Rice and I am now graduating this May and stepping into consulting.”

Panels at WILC included “Why Mentorship Matters,” “Nonlinear Career Stories,” “The Visual Resume: Branding and Personal Style for Impact” and “Negotiate to Yes.” Each of these workshops was spearheaded by female corporate leaders from businesses such as Houston Methodist, ExxonMobil, Hewlett Packard Inc., Baker Hughes and NASA who shared personal stories of career struggles or successes. 

Keynote speaker Kathleen Barron, executive vice president and senior advisor to the CEO at Constellation Energy, noted that one way women can stand up for each other in a corporate environment is to help women speak up in meetings.

“I have absolutely found the best way to do that is to just call on people,” she said. “Yes, you have to do the coaching ahead of the meeting and yes, you have to do skill development – but in the meeting you've got to get people to speak up. You call their name and they wow people. You know, it's just because you know not everyone's going to do that, you have to do it.”

Another opportunity for women interested in leadership education at Rice Business includes a spring and a fall session, Empowering Women to Lead with Confidence and Impact, which equips women not only with the unique challenges that executive level work includes, but the additional hurdles that exist for women in environments shaped by traditional, masculine models of leadership.

Rice Business has programs every year that support all leaders. Later this month begins “Manager Courses to Advance Your Career,” an inter-modular group coaching session that will help participants create and implement effective corporate strategies to become a change agent in organizations. In April, “Tools for Leading Transformation,” provides actionable skills and strategies needed to lead organizational change with confidence at any level through a hands-on, action-based learning approach.

For those looking to become a strategy-centric executive, “Enhancing Strategic Planning & Execution to Create Value for Customers, Employees, and Shareholders” helps leaders whose organizations focus on customers, sales or stakeholders by focusing on bridging six strategy gaps. 

Executive Education at Rice Business has programs designed for a deeper learning experience with real-world case studies, award-winning faculty and a community deeply connected to the Houston business sphere. Learn more here.