Together, we're helping make Northern Kentucky shine more brilliantly.
Since 2008, PNC has been a proud sponsor of the Northern Kentucky Chamber Women's Initiative and honored to join them in providing professional women brilliant opportunities to connect, grow and achieve.
Kate Sharp Regional Summit Chair, 2024-2026
Welcome to the 2025 Regional Summit, powered by PNC – a day of connection, growth and achievement!
We know you lead busy lives, and we are truly grateful that you have dedicated time to join us today along with hundreds of others from across the Northern Kentucky region.
Since its founding in 2008, the Women’s Initiative has worked to establish itself as the leading resource for professional women, offering opportunities to connect with others, grow through shared experiences, and achieve both personal and professional goals.
This year’s Regional Summit builds on that legacy, featuring dynamic speakers, engaging breakout sessions, and meaningful conversations that challenge and uplift. Whether you’re here to expand your network, gain new insights, or rediscover your motivation, today is about investing in yourself and in the women who walk beside you.
Thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, and attendees who make this event possible. Your participation strengthens a community where women lead, support, and succeed–together.
We look forward to engaging with all of you throughout the day and at Women’s Initiative programs throughout the year.
Jordyne Carmack, Ph.D. Founder and CEO AuthentiLEAD
Dr. Jordyne Carmack is a leadership coach, connections facilitator and TEDx speaker who’s on a mission to help people lead with purpose and connect with authenticity - even in a world full of algorithms and automation.
She’s the Founder and CEO of AuthentiLEAD, where she equips leaders and teams to communicate better, lead bravely, and make a lasting impact. With a Ph.D. in Leadership and a love for all things peoplecentered, Jordyne blends deep research with realworld tools to help others grow in the classroom and for organizations.
She’s been named Nexstar Media & Fox56 Remarkable Woman Central Kentucky 2024 and a regional 40 Under 40 leader - but her favorite titles are wife and mom.
8:00 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 9:50 AM 10:10AM 11:10 AM 11:45 AM 12:45 PM 1:05 PM 2:05 PM 2:25 PM 3:30 PM 3:45 PM
Doors Open
Program Begins: Welcome from the Chair
Kate Sharp, RCF Group
A Word from the Title Sponsor
Heather Eberenz, PNC Bank
Morning Keynote: Flying Above the Turbulence
Candace McGraw, Former CEO, Cincinnati/NKY International Airport sponsored by Prysmian
Break/Transition sponsored by meetNKY
Breakout Session
Ballroom A: Rachel Jones Reclaim Your Time: Simple Ways to Use AI at Work and at Home
Ballroom B: Tarita Preston The 5% Rule of Being
Classroom C: Anna Wright Build your Brand: 5 Steps to Create a Personal Brand and Share it with the World
Classroom D: Catherine Salzman From Snooze to Spark: A Guide to Meetings that Matter
Lunch Break sponsored by Amazon
Afternoon Keynote: Feel. Lead. Thrive: Unlocking the 7 Keys to Your Emotional Genius
Patrice Borders, Founder/CEO, AmplifyEI sponsored by Charles Schwab
Break/Transition
Breakout Session
Ballroom A: Anna Wright Build your Brand: 5 Steps to Create a Personal Brand and Share it with the World
Ballroom B: Rachel Jones Reclaim Your Time: Simple Ways to Use AI at Work and at Home
Classroom C: Tarita Preston The 5% Rule of Being
Classroom D: Catherine Salzman From Snooze to Spark: A Guide to Meetings that Matter
Break/Return to Ballroom
Closing Panel Session
Reception sponsored by St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Event Concludes
` Candace McGraw, Former CEO, Cincinnati/NKY International Airport
Synopsis: In this inspiring keynote, the former CEO of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport shares her journey of overcoming professional and personal challenges to lead with vision and resilience. Through stories of innovation, perseverance, and transformation, she reveals how adversity became a catalyst for growth – fueling her success in reimagining an airport and redefining what leadership looks like in times of change.
Bio: Candace McGraw served as Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport from July 2011 until her retirement in July 2025. Candace was proud to lead a team that has been recognized as the Best Regional Airport in North America for eight years and as the World’s Best Airport serving 5-10 million passengers by Sky Trax World Airport Awards. During her tenure, the airport’s annual economic impact grew from $3.4 billion to $10.5 billion. Candace currently serves as Chair of the Airports Council International World Board, an organization representing airports serving 95% of all global air travelers. Additionally, she serves on several corporate and state-wide boards and is the Chair of the 2025 United Way Community Campaign.
` Rachel Jones Commercial Insurance Advisor, Newman & Tucker Insurance
Synopsis: Feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate? This session will show simple, beginner-friendly ways to use AI tools to save time at work and at home. From streamlining daily tasks to organizing your thoughts, you’ll learn how to make AI your behind-the-scenes assistant — no tech skills required. Walk away with real examples, starter prompts, and the confidence to finally stop doing it all yourself.
Bio: Rachel Jones is a Commercial Insurance Advisor at Newman & Tucker and founder of The Bold B, helping small business owners and teams streamline sales and simplify success. With 15+ years in business development and leadership, she’s known for cutting through the noise to focus on what works. After discovering how AI could save time on proposals, meetings, and daily tasks, Rachel began teaching others how to use it to make work and life easier – not busier. In her session, “Reclaim Your Time: Simple Ways to Use AI at Work and at Home,” she shares practical, stress-free ways professionals can start using AI right away. Her mission: to help women reclaim their time, energy, and focus—at work and beyond.
` Tarita Preston Founder, Tarita Preston Coaching
Synopsis: Most leaders believe that doing more, doing better, and moving faster will lead to greater success and happiness. But what if the real key to both effectiveness and fulfillment is doing less? In this talk, Tarita will introduce you to the 5% Rule of Being, a game changing concept she teaches all her clients that will challenge how you lead, live, and show up.
Bio: A 2025 40 Under 40 awardee, Tarita Preston is a Professional Life and Leadership Coach passionate about helping leaders and teams elevate communication, creativity, and emotional intelligence. She developed her leadership expertise as an HR Business Partner at General Electric, guiding senior managers through complex transitions, and gained global experience working in London’s UK Parliament and teaching in South Korea. Tarita holds two master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and is the creator of Advanced Leadership for Women: A Bold Vision, a live experience empowering women in leadership. Active in the Cincinnati community, she serves on multiple boards, including InfoTrust, Cincinnati Opera, and the African American Chamber. Recognized as a 2021 Emerging Leader and featured in Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati 2023, she leads Tarita Preston Coaching, where she partners with clients to elevate their perspectives, mindsets, and choices.
` Catherine Salzman Owner & Director, Heartwood Strategies
Synopsis: Stop dreading meetings and start looking forward to them! This interactive workshop demonstrates how simple facilitation techniques can transform boring, unproductive gatherings into engaging collaborative sessions. Through hands-on activities aligned with connect, grow, and achieve themes, you’ll experience the power of participation over presentation. Learn four realworld meeting makeovers and practical strategies to unlock collective wisdom, increase engagement, and reduce the pressure of having all the answers yourself.
Bio: Catherine Salzman has over 18 years of experience in market research, marketing, strategy, and data journalism. She is also experienced in facilitation and creative problem-solving techniques. She has worked with organizations of all sizes from global brands to local nonprofits. Catherine is now the owner and director of Heartwood Strategies, a human-centered strategy, insights, and facilitation firm. She has previously held positions at Nielsen, Empower, and Seed Strategy. Catherine resides in Bellevue, Kentucky, with her husband Ryan, and two daughters, Nina and June.
` Anna Wright Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Prysmian
Synopsis: When it comes to personal branding, there are so many options out there. It can be overwhelming. This session breaks down the steps to create a brand that truly reflects you in five steps. Whether you’re a networking pro or an introvert, we will take traditional marketing tactics and apply them to building your personal narrative. We will also cover networking tips and tricks to empower participants to share their newly crafted brand with the world.
Bio: Anna Wright is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Prysmian, leading branding and media efforts across North America and collaborating globally with the company’s Milan headquarters. With a background spanning television news and corporate communications, Anna has advanced in roles at Johnson & Johnson, Dinsmore & Shohl, and Northern Kentucky University. A committed regional leader, she serves on the Be NKY Growth Partnership Board, the NKY Chamber’s Women’s Initiative Annual Breakfast Committee, and the Executive Committee for Making Strides for Breast Cancer. Named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Marketing by Women We Admire and a Hermes Creative Platinum Award recipient, Anna is also a proud graduate of the University of Missouri and Leadership Northern Kentucky Class of 2022.
` Patrice Borders Founder/CEO, AmplifyEI
Synopsis: In this keynote, attendees will discover how small but powerful microshifts – grounded in emotional insight – can enhance trust, engagement, and psychological safety within their teams. Through increased internal awareness, they’ll learn to transform external outcomes both personally and professionally. Participants will also identify practical, everyday behaviors that cultivate authentic connection, strengthen collaboration, and inspire bold, emotionally intelligent leadership.
Bio: Patrice B. Borders, Esq., known as The EI Amplifier™, is an executive coach, speaker, attorney, and founder of AmplifyEI™. For over 20 years, she’s helped leaders build emotionally intelligent workplaces where people feel seen, safe, and supported. Blending her background in law and leadership consulting, Patrice uses neuroscience-based tools and her 7 Keys to Emotional Intelligence™ framework to help clients move from autopilot to intentional action. She’s coached leaders from Fortune 100 companies, top law firms, and national nonprofits, and is a Certified Search Inside Yourself Teacher and Board-Certified Executive Coach. Coauthor of the Amazon bestseller “Micro Shift,” Patrice’s upcoming book, “Amplify Emotional Intelligence” (2026), expands on her popular LinkedIn newsletter. Through AmplifyEI™, she inspires small, powerful shifts that lead to authentic, human-centered leadership.
Karen Bosse Principal Bosse Consulting, LLC
Jacque Saltsman Founder/CEO Wildly Rising
Shelley Volpenhein Director of Sales & Professor Northern Kentucky University
Christine Barth Gallagher
Kelly Barry 1N5
Laura Canter Canter Associates
Lauren Copeland Brighton Center
Dana Dobbs Citi
Shawnna Dunaway Marriott RiverCenter
Heather Eberenz PNC Bank
Jamie Glavic CTI
Geralyn Isler Business Benefits
Melissa Lutz Champlin Architecture
Crystal Mann Charles Schwab
Yashna Patel St. Elizabeth Physicians
Cass Patterson Alzheimer’s Association
Kate Sharp RCF Group
Korey Yelton Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
Allie Young City Wide Facility Solutions
Alexia Zigoris
Alexia Zigoris Coaching
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The Women’s Initiative, powered by PNC, is the leading organization in NKY and the Greater Cincinnati region for women of all career stages, working toward business and professional success.
WI Mission: Provide the opportunities for women of all career stages to Connect, Grow, and Achieve in business.
Annual Breakfast
Women’s Initiative’s largest event featuring a keynote speaker who will share her story of professional achievement.
Connect Hour
This women’s networking event is held the last Monday of every month.
Mentoring Program
Enables a pair to meet for a one-on-one relationship for career growth over the period of one year.
Outstanding Women of NKY
This program recognizes and awards women who work, live or volunteer in NKY and show outstanding service to their communities.
Professional Series
Professional development events held twice a year featuring various business-related topics. Open to women and men.
Regional Summit
The premier day-long conference for professional women in the Tri-state area held in the fall each year.
Roundtables
WI Vision: To be the premier organization in NKY and Greater Cincinnati for professional women. Facebook.com/NKYWI NKYChamber.com/WILinkedin
Groups of 6-8 women from different industries and career status meet once a month to support each other in a productive, confidential setting.
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Title Sponsor
Morning Keynote Sponsor
Afternoon Keynote Sponsor
Breakfast and Lunch Sponsor
Reception Sponsor
Break Sponsor
Breakout Room Sponsor
Speaker Gift Sponsor
Community Partner
Table Sponsors
Brighton Center, Inc.
Champlin l EOP
Heritage Bank
Marriott RiverCenter
NKY Community Action Commission
Paul Hemmer Company
Rudler, PSC
Scooter Media Company
The Christ Hospital
Transitions, Inc.
Turfway Park Racing & Gaming
Tyson Foods
Verst Logistics
Viox & Viox
YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
Event Sponsor
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
You Bring Out Our
At Heritage Bank, we know that when women succeed, businesses thrive, and communities grow. Whether you ’ re building your business, growing your career, or investing in the future, Heritage Bank is here with the financial expertise and community commitment to help you achieve your goals.
Proud Supporter of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Women’s Initiative Summit
