The IWIL Symposium is an annual event that brings together women leaders at all stages of their careers for a day filled with inspiring presentations, informative break-out sessions, exhibitors, and networking.
Enjoy a day of leadership tips, inspiring personal growth, and networking with more than 300 Springfield-area women.
Save the date for this year's Symposium. You won't want to miss it!
2026 IWIL Symposium
Chair: Sarah Brewer
Date: September 17, 2026
Location: Crowne Plaza, 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL
Cost: $150 for members, $175 for non-members
Register at member price
Buy 5 get one free
IWIL is unable to provide refunds. If you cannot attend an event for which you have registered, we encourage you to send someone in your place. Simply have your guest indicate at the check-in table that she is your substitute. We appreciate your understanding.
Who should attend?
Any adult professional of any experience. You don't need to be a member to attend IWIL events. But we'd love it if you'd join! Learn about joining IWIL.
Event details will be added as the date gets closer. Bookmark this page and check back. Become a member to get updates montly in our member newsletter.
Information about sponsoring the event or becoming an exhibitor is included below.
Don't miss this day of inspiration, motivation, and actionable tips for professional and personal fulfillment!
" I look forward to the Symposium each year, because during the day, I know, I will recharge and meet so many new friends!"
- Amy Beadle
IWIL Symposium 2025
View photos from the 2025 Symposium
Sponsorship Opportunities
COMING SOON!!
Exhibitor Opportunities
COMING SOON!!!
Past Programs - 2025 Program
Keynote Speaker - Andrea Flack-Wetherald
Andrea Flack-Wetherald is the Founder and President of The Center for Mindful Improv Thinking, a consultancy providing coaching, training and retreat facilitation for leaders and staff desiring to strengthen the skills and behaviors that create and restore deep trust. They teach a framework for initiating, engaging in and recovering from conflict, disagreement and other forms of brave communication using skills rooted in mindfulness practice and improvised comedy. Their evidence-based approach has been shared with thousands of leaders in sectors ranging from healthcare to technology, banking to space exploration, education to beauty supplies and everything in between.
Andrea is the bestselling author of two books: The Funny Thing About Forgiveness: What every leader needs to know about improv, culture & the world's least favorite F word (Foreword written by Colin Mochrie of Whose Line is it Anyway) and Mindful Improv Thinking: Build a Culture of Resilient Trust.
Andrea's deeply engaging, high-energy and heart-centered keynotes are perfect for audiences passionate about deepening human connection and carrying the practical skills they learn out of the workplace and out into their spheres of influence. Andrea customizes keynote content and interactive pieces to each audience and makes every engagement a joyful and transformative experience.
Andrea is a social worker turned comedian, foster-to-adopt mom to two amazing kids and outdoor enthusiast. She's a Bluffton University graduate living in Northeast Ohio with her husband, two children and two dogs.
Past Prorgrams - Breakout Sessions
Generative AI: What It Is and Why It Matters - Rebecca Parton, Lincoln Land Community College
Reaffirming Equity: Foundational Tools for Understanding DEI - Becky Gabany, ChangeBridge Consulting, and Xuna Hu, The Real Estate Group, Inc.
Our commitments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are more crucial than ever. This interactive workshop will provide a foundational understanding of key DEI concepts and offer practical strategies for fostering inclusive practices in your organizations. Grounded in both historical and current contexts, this session will empower leaders to champion equity despite environmental shifts.
Women's Finance: Your Financial Journey - Sarah Goleman, Merrill Lynch
From Shattered to Shifting: A Journey Through Loss, Growth, and Becoming - Mandy Eaton, Memorial Health
Generative AI for Career Advancement - Kathyy Battee-Freeman, University of Illinois Springfield
Beyond the Scale: Women, Weight, and Hormones - Dr. Nikki Florence, Memorial Health and Mary Hitt, SIU Medicine
What's Your Why? Re-Visioning Your Life & Work - Sparkle Sanders, Certified Leadership Trainer and Coach
The Power of Networking : One Conversation At A Time Debbie Thompson, Always On Consulting
Learn how one meaningful conversation can lead to opportunities, collaborations and friendships. The session will include a powerful interactive activity, along with tips and insights that will be shared to build or enhance your networking capabilities and small talk techniques.
Reception
Following the symposium, don't miss a chance to relax, chat about the day, and network with fellow attendees at the Crowne Plaza!
*IWIL is unable to provide refunds. If you cannot attend an event for which you have registered, we encourage you to send someone in your place. Simply have your guest indicate at the check-in table that she is your substitute. We appreciate your understanding.