October 18, 2024 | 8:30AM - 5PM

Marshall Health Network Arena
1 Civic Center Plaza
Huntington, WV 25701

Our Goals

As we gear up for our second annual Women Warriors Summit, our mission remains: to empower every woman with the tools, insight, and resources needed to harness their true potential. That means uncovering what it takes for each of us to achieve success with a vision for what truly matters in our lives – no matter where we are in our journeys. It’s more than being productive; it’s about being purposeful. We want to make the right choices that will not focus on doing more but driving the most impact in our daily lives. Together, let’s explore the power of productivity and how our successes create strength in numbers.

– Alys Smith, Founder of Women Warriors Summit 

Speakers

COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, TELEVISION PERSONALITY & ENTREPRENEUR

Trisha Yearwood

Trisha Yearwood

Trisha Yearwood

Following three decades in the spotlight, numerous GRAMMY®, CMA® and ACM® Awards to her name, countless multiplatinum certifications, and millions of fans entertained, the same passion still motivates and moves Trisha Yearwood. The singer, actress, author, chef, personality, and entrepreneur derives deep fulfillment from simply walking up to a microphone and pouring her heart out by way of a celebrated powerhouse voice. In 2019, she continued that tradition with her first solo full-length since 2007, a collection of Frank Sinatra covers and one original entitled “Let’s Be Frank.” Later that year, Trisha unveiled her highly anticipated new single, “Every Girl in This Town,” setting the stage for the 2019 release of her first full-length country record in over a decade, Every Girl, and nationwide tour. The first single achieved the highest debut and biggest add day of her career. Her latest release, Every Girl: Deluxe, includes three new tracks including a new acoustic re-recording of her first album’s lead single “She’s In Love With The Boy.” Trisha made history when the original “She’s In Love With The Boy” vaulted to #1 and cemented her as the first female country artist to have a debut single reach the top of the country charts.” She made history once again in 2021, when “She’s In Love With The Boy” was named “the MOST listened to country song by a Female Artist in the history of MRC Data which monitors radio activity that powers Billboard’s Country Airplay Charts. Every Girl: Deluxe upholds and extends her legacy for a new generation of fans.

At the same time, Trisha remains a timeless entertainer whose influence permeates multiple facets of culture. Beyond fifteen albums, she hosts the EMMY® Award-winning Food Network hit Trisha’s Southern Kitchen and her Facebook Live “pre-show,” T’s Coffee Talk. At the forefront of a veritable lifestyle empire, she penned three New York Times bestselling cookbooks and has designed cookware, furniture, home accessories, and area rugs. Plus, she launched the “Trisha Yearwood Pet Collection.” Trisha has also collaborated with Williams Sonoma on her signature best-selling cocktail mixes, a variety of food products, as well as her Gwendolyn Dinnerware Collection. Next, she unveils what might be her most personal cookbook yet, Trisha’s Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family.

Soledad O’Brien

AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST & ENTREPRENEUR

EMCEE & HOST

Soledad O'Brien

Soledad O'Brien

Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, who founded Soledad O’Brien Productions, a multi-platform media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. She anchors and produces the Hearst TV political magazine program “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien” and is a correspondent for HBO Real Sports.

Emily Gregory

CO-AUTHOR OF CRUCIAL
CONVERSATIONS

Emily Gregory

Emily Gregory

Emily is a Crucial Conversations co-author, dynamic speaker, and consultant. She received a medical degree from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. Her work centers on identifying and teaching behaviors crucial to effective living and leading.

Alys Smith

FOUNDER OF WOMEN WARRIORS SUMMIT

Alys Smith

Alys Smith

Alys Smith is co-founder of the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, where she supports and facilitates many philanthropic activities that increase access to education, open entrepreneurial doors, and preserve and promote the natural environment of Appalachia A mediator and former attorney, Alys is also the founder of Better2Mediate. She is passionate about her role and platform as the First Lady of Marshall University, supporting women’s equality and empowerment. Her goal is to empower women in Appalachia and beyond to realize their full potential on whatever path they may choose. She is thrilled to unite the community for the Women Warriors Summit.

Panelists

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Katie Kopp

Katie Kopp

Katie Kopp

Katie Kopp is a clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs. She began her career working for the U.S. Army from 2007-2013, including two deployments to Afghanistan as the brigade psychologist with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Mountain Warriors). She treats veterans with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Dr. Kopp is passionate about helping others to find meaning and purpose in life regardless of the challenging circumstances they may face. She lives in Dubuque, Iowa with her husband of 21 years, their two children, and a pit bull named Poppy.

Diane Flynn

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF REBOOT ACCEL

Diane Flynn

Diane Flynn

Diane is Cofounder and CEO of ReBoot Accel, empowering leaders for greater impact and personal fulfillment. She advises Fortune 500 companies around building inclusive cultures, coaches executives, and facilitates leadership workshops. Ms. Flynn co-authored two books -- "50 Questions Inclusive Leaders Ask" and "The Upside," presenting the business case for diverse workforces and best practices for tapping the potential of women. Her mission is centered around empowering leaders and transforming lives. Diane is passionate about sharing strategies that empower individuals to reclaim time for the things they cherish most.

She has been featured on The Today Show, NBC's Morning Joe, ABC News, NPR's The Takeaway, WSJ and Forbes, and has the top-selling course at Udemy on Growth Mindset. Diane was previously Chief Marketing Officer of GSVlabs, VP Business Development at Electronic Arts, and an associate consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. She serves on the boards at Avidbank, Resurge International and MixR, and previously served on the Sacred Heart Schools and Santa Lucia Preserve Boards. She earned a BA in Economics from Stanford and an MBA from Harvard.

Dr. Juli Fulks

HEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH AT MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

Dr. Juli Fulks

Dr. Juli Fulks

Dr. Juli Fulks was recently named the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Marshall University (Huntington, WV) after finishing her tenth season at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. The Pioneers finished the 2023-24 season ranked #2 in the WBCA national poll after making their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four and completing their 3rd straight undefeated regular season. During her leadership at Transylvania, Coach Fulks guided the team to ten consecutive winning seasons with a combined record of 242-39, including seven NCAA tournament bids and won her 400th career game in the 2023-24 Elite Eight.

Coach Fulks has been named conference Coach of the Year eight times in her career and coached several academic and athletic All-Americans. In addition to coaching, Juli holds a master’s in education degree from Defiance College (2004) and a Ph.D. in leadership studies (2022) from the University of the Cumberlands. Her professional experience also includes speaking engagements and consultations regarding transformational leadership, aspirational culture creation, and leadership communication.

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER AT FOOT LOCKER

Cindy Carlisle

Cindy Carlisle

Cindy Carlisle

Cindy Carlisle serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Foot Locker, where she oversees development and execution of the global HR strategy. Prior to joining Foot Locker, she served as Group Vice President of Human Resources at Stryker Corporation, leading the supply chain organization with over 20,000 employees across 45+ global sites. Cindy has more than 24 years of experience across the healthcare and high-tech industrial industries, holding key HR leadership positions at Roche Group and Johnson & Johnson. Prior to her career in HR, Cindy worked in finance, Six Sigma, and product marketing at Johnson & Johnson and General Electric.

2023 Summit Highlights

Thank You to Our Sponsors






Interested in becoming a sponsor?

The Women Warriors Summit is a gathering of women (and supportive men) of all ages, demographics, and backgrounds to shine a spotlight and give the hidden voices of women a stage and grant them the power to say “NO” and the courage to say “YES.”  Your sponsorship helps us achieve this objective while providing you with access and brand visibility to this community network.

Thinking of traveling to Huntington for the Women Warriors Summit?

Access our special hotel room blocks from Thursday, October 17 - Saturday, October 19


Delta Hotels Huntington Downtown
800 Third Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia 25701

DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington
1001 3rd Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia 25701

Register Now