WoMEN’S SUMMiT SUMMiT DeTROiT, MI OcTOBER 7-8
2026
October 7–8 | Detroit, MI
Women’s Summit
DAY ONE SPEAKERS ANDREA DIMATTEO Christine Hurt
Andrea DiMatteo is the ownership culture manager at the NCEO, where she partners with organizations to build and strengthen cultures rooted in employee ownership practices. She brings experience in learning and development, client success, and organizational culture to her role. Her deep affection for employee ownership is engrained from years working inside an ESOP building ownership culture. Andrea holds a BA and MA from Colorado State University, a black belt in Taekwondo, and several certificates in leadership development and training.
GINA SCHAEFER Gina Schaefer, founder of 15 Ace Hardware stores, is a dynamic keynote speaker with nearly 22 years of experience in community building and business transformation. She grew her business from one to 15 locations, employing over 300 team members of which 135 are now co-owners. Gina’s engaging talks focus on creating positive corporate cultures, effective succession planning, and empowering women in business. She inspires audiences with her compelling stories and actionable insights, motivating them to drive change and achieve success in both business and life.
LORIN BELLER Lorin Beller built a technology company to $3M+ and 20 employees, then sold it, discovering authority isn't a title; it's a practice. As founder of Lorin Beller & Co., she now coaches ESOP and women-led organizations to close the gap between stated values and lived culture. Her Intention Wheel™ is built on a distinction most leaders miss: goals are outcome-focused and measurable, while intentions are identityfocused and behavioral—and it's intentions that actually sustain culture over time.
BRENDA BENNETT Brenda Bennett is the founder of Sovren Being, where she develops embodied leadership and integration experiences that help professionals reconnect with clarity, self-trust, and grounded presence amid complexity, pressure, and change. Brenda blends breathwork, nervous system awareness, intuitive development, and practical self-inquiry to support more conscious leadership, communication, and decisionmaking. Brenda is also active in the EO community, where her professional work focuses on repurchase obligation, liquidity planning, governance, and more.
EVENT SPONSORS THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE!
Learning Objectives: To cultivate the professional and leadership development of women in employee ownership, foster holistic personal growth, and build a vibrant, supportive community. This workshop aims to accelerate their individual contributions and maximize their collective impact within EO companies, providing actionable insights and tailored networking opportunities designed to help attendees excel in their careers and personal lives. While centered on women's experiences and contributions, this program welcomes all leaders committed to fostering inclusive and thriving employeeowned workplaces.
MEMBER RESOURCES Communications Committee Crash Course Celebrating employee ownership means recognizing the value that every team member brings to the table and creating a workplace where collaboration thrives, contributions are valued, and everyone shares in the rewards of success. The NCEO's flagship communications committee training and networking program returns February 9–March 2, 2027! This course will prepare bothseasoned and novice communications committees to thrive in their employee-owned companies. Each session will feature 45 minutes of facilitator-led learning, a 30minute peer breakout session, and 15 minutes of wrap-up discussion/Q&A.
Peer Networking Learning from and with other employee-owned companies is one of the most effective ways to supercharge your employee ownership practices and performance. Meet your NCEO company peers to discuss everything from leadership and succession, to communication and engagement, to ESOP valuation and transaction issues.
Live Webinars & Replays Stay up to date on ESOPs and equity compensation with online presentations on legal, governance, HR, communications, and financial topics from our Compass online learning series. Both live and recorded webinars are free for NCEO members. We offer approximately 45 live ESOP webinars every year. Each webinar is recorded and then placed into our Replay Library for you to re-watch at your convenience. NCEO live webinars offer continuing education credit for CPE and SHRM. Find out more information about webinars at www.nceo.org/live-webinars.
Upcoming Events 2027 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Pittsburgh, PA David L. Lawrence Convention Center April 12–15, 2027
2027 FORUM
Austin, TX JW Marriott Austin August 25–27, 2027
AGENDA: OCTOBER 7 TIME
TOPIC
10:00–10:30 AM
Welcome Refreshments & Networking
10:30–10:45 AM
Welcome & Community Kickoff Andrea DiMatteo | NCEO
10:45 AM– 12:00 PM
The Somebody Shift: How Underestimated People Can Build Extraordinary Change Gina Schaefer | A Few Cool Hardware Stores
2:00–1:15 PM
Networking Lunch
1:30–2:45 PM
Setting Intentions that Drive Ownership Culture Lorin Beller | Lorin Beller & Co.
2:45–3:15 PM
Coffee Break
3:15–4:30 PM
Leading From Within: Breathwork for Clarity, Confidence, & Inner Authority Brenda Bennett | Sovren Being
4:30–5:00 PM
Q&A and Closing Remarks Andrea DiMatteo | NCEO
5:30–6:30 PM
Networking Cocktail Reception 42 Degrees North | Level 3 (Lobby Level)
DAY TWO SPEAKERS TENECIA WADDELL-PYLE Christine Hurt Tenecia Waddell-Pyle is director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at MyPath, a 100% employee-owned human services organization, where she built the enterprise's DEI infrastructure from the ground up across 8 companies and ~2,000 employee-owners in Wisconsin and Indiana. With 25+ years of experience spanning law enforcement, crisis intervention, and public service, she brings a unique lens to organizational culture and equity work.
BETH KRIECK Christine Hurt
Beth Krieck, MBA, CPTD, is an ownership culture consultant at ESOP Partners and president of the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of the Association for Talent Development (ATD). With nearly 20 years of experience in leadership development and culture building, she is passionate about helping people find their voice, build authentic connections, and lead with confidence. Beth works with employee-owned companies nationwide to strengthen culture and empower employees to make a meaningful impact.
MARY JOSEPHS Christine Hurt
Mary is founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, a nationally leading boutique investment bank focused on working for companies with employee ownership. Mary had been a leader inside and outside the ESOP community having held board positions for NCEO, TEA, ESCA, and Expanding ESOPs. Mary serves on four ESOP company boards as well as three nonprofit boards. Mary has five adult children, is an avid skier, and competitive ballroom dancer.
AGENDA: OCTOBER 8 TOPIC
TIME
7:30–8:30 AM Wellness Activity 8:30–9:30 AM Breakfast 9:30 AM Welcome/Keynote Introduction Andrea DiMatteo | NCEO
9:30–10:30 AM
Owning the Culture: How Women Shape the Future of Employee Ownership Tenecia Waddell-Pyle | MyPath
10:30–10:45 AM Coffee Break 10:45 AM–12:15 PM The Unwritten Rules: What No One Tells
Women About Influence, Visibility, and Advancement Beth Krieck | ESOP Partners
12:15–1:15 PM Networking Lunch 1:15–2:45 PM How to Get from Here to There; And...Where is
"THERE" for You? Mary Josephs | Verit Advisors
2:45–3:00 PM Closing Reflections Andrea DiMatteo | NCEO
3:00–3:30 PM Afternoon Snack Break
2027
Annual Conference
We invite you to join us in Pittsburgh! Use code ESOP to save $50 on your Annual Conference registration. Learn more at annualconference.nceo.org.