Women’s Leadership Initiative
Our world benefits from diverse leadership and a myriad of voices seeking to address some of the world’s greatest challenges. Yet, around the world we fail to create the conditions to advance women. The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) at the University of Delaware (UD) addresses these challenges by building powerful opportunities to advance diversity and inclusion in service of a more just and sustainable world. Our mission is to advance gender equity in leadership. To do so, we provide advocacy, education and research that enable engagement in powerful conversations and build critical skills that can support women and advance equity and inclusion.
Events and Programs
Women’s Leadership Initiative programs and educational events bring together students, faculty, alumni and the executive community to address gender and leadership issues in our society. Women are empowered to have more confidence and competence in achieving their goals and men have greater understanding of how and why to support women.
Signature programs:
Inspiring Women Leaders of Today and Tomorrow
In the Inspiring Women Leaders of Today and Tomorrow podcast, we talk to incredible women to hear about the challenges and opportunities in their rise through leadership. There's no straight path or one way to success. By spotlighting various career journeys, we hope listeners will build increased confidence and courage to persist, wherever they might currently stand.
News: Women’s Leadership Initiative
- UD Lerner Professor Wendy Smith Honored - UD Lerner Professor Wendy Smith received the 2024 Academy of Management Review Decade Award and Organization & Environment’s 2024 Best Paper Award at the Academy of Management Annual meeting on August 11.
- Delaware Gov. Carney signs Women’s History Month proclamation at UD - On Monday, March 25, Delaware Gov. John Carney visited the Women’s Hall of Fame Art Exhibition at the University of Delaware for a Women’s History Month proclamation signing.
- Lerner Professor Wendy Smith Receives Breakthrough Idea Award by Thinkers50 - Smith’s efforts to build a community promoting both/and thinking are garnering international attention.
- Research Heavy Hitters - UD Lerner Researcher Wendy Smith was named to the Highly Cited Researchers list for the fifth consecutive year.
- Lerner Professor Amanda Bullough Publishes Case Examples Featuring Women in Business - Bullough couldn’t find affordable case studies to teach women entrepreneurs in developing countries. So, with the help of Lerner students, she wrote her own.
Advisory Board
Thank you to the Women’s Leadership Initiative Advisory Board for providing governance, advice and support for all of our activities.
Advisory Board Members
Founder and CEO
Bold Story Press
Kristen Clendaniel Clark ‘90
Founder & President
Bouquet Garni Consulting, LLC
Richard Corcoran ’98
Managing Director / Private Wealth Advisor
Morgan Stanley
Tamara Ganc ‘94
Sr. Learning Solutions Expert
McKinsey & Co.
Maria Gunther
CEO, Chief Client Services Officer
Trellist, Inc.
Arlene Hogan ‘76
SVP (retired)
State Farm
Charlie Horn ‘75
Founder and Chairman
5Lights Group
Terri Kelly ‘83
CEO (retired)
W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Mary Ellen Payne ‘78
SVP, Sales & Marketing (retired)
Verizon
Bonita E. Penn
Family Nurse Practitioner
St. Francis Hospital
Jennifer Rowland ’90
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Audit Executive, CPA, CMA
Girls With Impact
Susan Sears ‘78
Global VP, Diversity & Inclusion (retired)
Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Michael Sicuranza ‘95
President
Affinity Wealth Management, LLC
Amy Stengel ’96
Head of Learning and Development
Best Egg
Nicole Jeter West ‘99
Head of Marketing and Brand Engagement
LA28
Contact
For more information about the initiative or any of its programs, contact:
Support the WLI
Your gift supports the programs and activities of the Women's Leadership Initiative.
Women Leaders Case Series
Professor Amanda Bullough has edited the Women Leaders Case Series, teachable studies about real women leading people and organizational development.
Both/And Thinking
Lerner professor Wendy Smith has co-authored a new book that explores the unique ability of both/and thinking to solve complex problems.