On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Laidlaw Foundation's annual celebration of Laidlaw women at the Elevate 2026 Conference. This was an amazing opportunity to strengthen connections with other ambitious women within the Laidlaw network, and I really enjoyed reconnecting with undergraduate scholars following the Annual Conference in October. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to foster new connections with scholars from the Women in Business scholarship and Laidlaw Trailblazers, and I really valued hearing about their aspirations to pursue leadership roles and their passions to support other women along the way. It was eye opening to hear about the unique academic and personal journeys of the Women in Business scholars that have led them to their MBAs, and I left feeling inspired after sharing a space with women who have such diverse life experiences yet who are all united through their ambitions and altruistic aspirations.
A highlight of this event was definitely Delia's Presenting with Confidence workshop, where she shared practical advice on how to use our body language, voice and words as tools to become more confident and competent public speakers. This holistic approach to public speaking is definitely one of my key takeaways from the conference, and it was so beneficial to learn about the technical aspects of public speaking, such as how to use our tone and pitch to engage an audience in different situations. It was equally inspiring to hear her speak about the importance of having gravitas and of being a commanding speaker, but also the value of being genuine and connecting with an audience; a refreshing reminder of the importance of humanity within leadership roles.
Similarly, I enjoyed how Helen Steers talked about how leadership is about service, not just status, during her Purpose, Profit and Passion talk. It was inspiring to hear how she not only opens new doors for herself within her career but also strives to hold these doors open for other women; it was an authentic reflection of the conference's purpose to 'elevate' other women. It was also insightful to hear about her non-linear and sometimes unpredictable career path, and the way that remaining curious and open to new opportunities was one of the most valuable contributors to her success. Helen also talked about how valuable her experiences were in different countries and cultures throughout her career, and the importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone; advice I will be harnessing as I approach my year abroad next year.
I also really enjoyed Susannah's talk on stress management and resilience, particularly the importance of monitoring and celebrating incremental progress to sustain motivation on our career journeys. Above all, it was so heartening to hear her talk about the value of finding sisterhood and just how invaluable connections between women are as they transcend our personal or professional lives to create lasting foundations that ground us as well as push us to our greatest potential.
I would like to thank the Laidlaw Foundation and our programme co-ordinators at Leeds for this incredible opportunity to attend the Elevate conference, it was truly a privilege to connect with such inspiring women. As Susannah mentioned in her opening talk, women have come a long way, yet there is still much work to do to ensure that women have equal access to opportunities, and so I can't overstate how important it is to be in a room full of intelligent, ambitious, curious and resilient women to foster the support and encouragement needed to aim higher and pursue leadership roles. For this, I am truly grateful that the Laidlaw Foundation recognises the importance of creating these spaces and opportunities for women. It’s empowering to know that as I continue on my own leadership journey as a Laidlaw scholar, I’m a part of such a strong and supportive community of women who strive to elevate each other. 💜