Our 8th Annual Own it! Women's Conference is:

Friday, March 7th

10 am - 4:30 pm

At the Radisson Hotel Corning

$90 per person - includes all sessions, coffee, lunch & snacks

Please register to attend by Wednesday, February 26

*Register by Wednesday, February 5 for a discounted rate of $85

 

Presented by

 

Our 2025 conference theme is "Rise Together:  Your Journey, Your Connections, Your Power"

 

Own it! was created in 2017, the premiere local women's event.  The Own it! mission is:  To create an inclusive community which supports and empowers every woman to build the best version of herself.

 

Attendees are invited to bring a donation for The Potter's Hands to the conference.  See the donation wish list here

 

The conference program:

9:00 am - Registration, coffee and networking

10:00 am - Program kickoff & welcome

Opening Workshop & Goal Setting

Keynote Session - Women in Leadership

Panel Discussion - Redefining Success: Thriving in Every Season of Life

12:30 pm - Lunch

Panel Discussion - The Power of Connection

Session: Building Authentic Connections

Workshop: Designing Your Affirmation Roadmap

Closing Keynote: BuildHER

4:30 - Cocktail Reception & Networking (optional)

 

 

 

Thank you to Siemens Energy and all our Sponsors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about the sessions

 

Workshop: Honoring Where You Are in Your Journey - Renae Carapella-Johnson, LMHC, NCC
We all have an inner guide, but that wise inner voice can become lost in the noise and busyness of our world. This workshop will offer help to listen to the voice within, as well as guide us to set our goals and intentions, both for the conference and beyond.

 

Women In Leadership Keynote -

Ignite the Fire: How Passion and Perseverance Create Unstoppable WIL-Power - April Lebo

We’ve all been told that "hard work pays off"—but what happens when it doesn’t? When extra hours and added responsibilities go unnoticed, it’s time to take control and carve out our own path to success. In this inspiring keynote, discover how shifting your mindset and transforming frustration into fuel can unlock extraordinary opportunities. Through passion, perseverance, and a bold new perspective, you’ll learn how to ignite your inner fire and create the success you deserve.

 

Panel Discussion -

Redefining Success: Thriving in Every Season of Life - Jeanne Eschbach, Mary Meisner, Kenzie Spaulding

Our panelists will share their experience and advice focused on adapting to life's changes and finding fulfillment at every stage.

 

Panel Discussion -

The Power of Connection: Building Strong Connections Across Life Paths - Susan Bull, Nancy Kirby, Meghan Parsons

Our panelists will share their experience and advice focused on how meaningful relationships can shape our personal and professional lives.

 

Building Authentic Connections - Randi Hewit

Together, we will explore what it means to make friends at work and in the community, how to nurture those relationships, and the benefits of having real connections with other people.

 

Workshop: Designing Your Affirmation Roadmap - Chelsea Ambrose

In this hands-on workshop, you'll get to create a personalized map for your affirmation board, an experience that will guide you in developing empowering affirmations and selecting meaningful symbols to reflect the growth you wish to continue. By the end of the session, you will have designed a roadmap for your future, allowing you to take home a tangible tool that supports you in deepening positive beliefs and manifesting a life filled with joy and fulfillment.

 

Closing Keynote: BuildHER - Pamela Porter

 Life is not a solo mission, rather a series of events, relationships, and experiences that strengthen, encourage, and build us up. While no two journeys are the same, each one connects us to purpose. Collectively they make us who we are: authentic women empowered to impact the world around us one person, one community, one day at a time. This session will inspire you to unlock your power to build stronger communities and pursue your purpose. 

 

About our speakers:

 

Renae Carapella-Johnson, LMHC, NCC, is a licensed mental health counselor and owner of Ray of Light Counseling and Consulting in Savona, New York.  Renae is committed to supporting people on their journey of healing, hope and recovery.  She believes that we each have an innate inner wisdom and in her clinical work she strives to support people in connecting with this wise Self.  Renae is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and specializes in the treatment of trauma and suicide.  She has provided numerous training courses and workshops on mental health topics to community members and mental health professionals.  More recently, Renae has begun incorporating creative interventions, such as poetry and music, into her clinical work.  She is also a part-time instructor at Alfred University in their Graduate Mental Health Counseling Program and deeply enjoys serving as a teacher to future counselors.  When she isn’t working, she loves to read, write, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.   

 

 

My name is April Lebo and I am the VP of Demand Generation for Probo Medical. I have been with the company for over 12 years and throughout that time I have worn many hats including Global Sales Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing to currently developing a new global training and development program.  I have managed many different teams through the years and what I love most is coaching, mentoring and inspiring our employees to be the best, most successful version of themselves. One of the things I am most proud of in my career is being promoted to a VP which was a first for a female in our company but has since paved the way for many more to come! 

Prior to being at Probo Medical I was in the Pharmaceutical industry for close to 20 years. This started my love of sales specially in the medical field. 

One year ago, I started a Women in Leadership Society for the Heathcare Technology Management industry that helps to encourage, empower and inspire more women to join a very male dominated field and promote the benefits of women in management roles.  Today we are over 500 strong and growing. 

 

Randi Hewit serves as President of the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes.  Under her leadership, the Community Foundation has more than doubled in size since 2007.  She is past Co-Chair of Engage New York, a statewide professional organization for funders and served as board chair for WSKG Public Broadcasting and Corning Children’s Center.  She currently serves on the boards of Corning Museum of Glass and Bethany Senior Living. Randi lives in Corning with her husband and daughter, where they founded an independent bookstore, and shares her home with three cats.

 

 

Chelsea Ambrose is a holistic counselor, coach, leader, and healer.  Chelsea has a Master of Social Work degree from Boston College and has clinically focused on working with people  dealing with major life transitions including grief, chronic illness, trauma, LGBTQ+, and women’s issues.  Additionally, she holds expertise as a Reiki Master and Certified Sound Healer, emphasizing the integration of body, heart, mind, and spiritual connections as crucial elements of comprehensive well-being. After 10+ years in executive non-profit leadership she has recently transitioned to running her own small business, Beauty Way.   Chelsea is committed to living a life of service, developing strong collaborative partnerships that enhance our community, and helping individuals tap into the strength and resilience that lies within all of us.

 

 

 

Pamela W. Porter is a corporate leader, public speaker, preacher, mentor, and coach. She is passionate about helping women and young people live their dreams and advance their careers. She also supports several educational and community-service programs. 

Pamela is a member of the board of directors for Women Reaching Women Global, a non-profit organization that facilitates the guidance, support, and education of women and girls to help them and their families achieve better economic, physical, and social wellness. She is also a member, past president, and former chaplain of the Ithaca Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and has served as a member of the Southeast Steuben County Library board of directors. Pamela is an ordained minister who has participated in church-sponsored missions trips to Liberia, Ghana, and Haiti. 

As Director, Global Internal Communications for Corning Incorporated, she is responsible for developing strategies, providing counsel, leading large-scale communications efforts, ensuring alignment across global teams, and collaborating with senior managers to inform, engage, and motivate employees across its global workforce. In her 24 years with Corning, she has held a variety of leadership roles across the company.  

Prior to joining Corning, she was a producer at “The Early Show” on CBS in New York City, where she had a successful 14-year career in broadcast journalism.  Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Pamela graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications. She is the very proud mother of four children: Daevon, Alexis, Gabrielle, and Douglas

 

 

Meet our panelists:

 

Jeanne Eschbach is a consultant in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, grant development and non-profit management.  She is a certified partner with Wiley in Everything DiSC®, a personal development model that focuses on an individual’s preferences and tendencies and The Five Behaviors®, a model to improve teamwork based on Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. 

She is the retired Executive Director of Workforce Education and Academic Pathways at SUNY Corning Community College.  Other previous positions include: Dean of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies at Elmira College; Assistant Dean, School of Global and Professional Programs at Marist College Director of Continuing Education at Corning Community College and a variety of positions in the non-profit world.  Jeanne’s degrees include: MA, Binghamton University and BA, University of Pennsylvania.  She also holds a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from CAEL and is a graduate of the Chairs Leadership Academy.  Jeanne is also a past Board Chair for the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce.

Now that Jeanne is enjoying semi-retirement, she is looking for new challenges in her community as well as enjoying gardening, cooking and reading murder mysteries.  She and her husband, Scott, are Chemung County residents and love exploring the beauty of the Finger Lakes. 

 

Mary Meisner holds the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Chemung Financial Corporation in December 2024. Ms. Meisner started her career at JPMorgan Chase in the two-year internal client services analyst rotation program. In her second year she completed a rotation in risk management within the JPMorgan Private Bank and has been working in the risk management field ever since. Ms. Meisner joined Chemung Financial Corporation as the Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering Officer in March 2017 and has held the roles of Regulatory Risk Manager and Senior Risk Officer prior to her promotion in December 2024. Ms. Meisner has responsibility for the Enterprise Risk Management program of the Bank, which includes Compliance, Fraud, Cybersecurity, Internal Audit, Vendor Management and Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery. She received her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and her Master’s of Science in Management degree from Keuka College. She holds two certifications for her field: Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and Certified Community Bank Risk Specialist.  

 

Nancy Kirby Kurjakovic founded her own CPA firm in 1979  in Elmira,  and built it to a firm of 14 professionals serving a wide range of businesses in the Southern Tier  for 25+ years.  During that time, she was a contract CFO for many startups, assisting them in their growth, helping them from initial startup to gross sales of up to $20 million. She has also served as CFO in large   nonprofits in Washington DC and Rochester.   Her community service  includes Board service on more than 20 community and nonprofit Boards of Directors, such as the  Southeast Steuben County Library and the Arnot Ogden Medical Center.   Nancy was recognized as a New York State Woman of Distinction in 2023, has been  named a Small Business Advocate by the SBA, and is a Certified Leadership Coach. 

Nancy joined IncubatorWorks in 2012 as CFO and became Executive Director in 2017.  During her time as Executive Director at IncubatorWorks, she led the organization in building an entrepreneurial community in the Southern Tier,  expanding the incubator’s services to Main St businesses, serving more than 100 entrepreneurs since that time.  IncubatorWorks, formerly known as the Ceramics Corridor Innovation Center, has 2 two facilities, one in Corning, the other in Alfred, and serves  four counties, including Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, and Allegany.   

Since her retirement in 2022, Nancy provides strategic financial consulting services, including as an Entrepreneur in Residence with REV, the Cornell University business incubator.   She is also Town Supervisor in Caton.  

 

 

Susan Bull is the President and CEO of Arbor Housing and Development, whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in communities by building independence and creating housing options. Susan has been in her current role since July 2021, and for two years prior, she served as Arbor’s Chief Operations Officer. Susan has held senior leadership positions for over two decades in nonprofit organizations with a heart for serving vulnerable populations as her motivation. Prior to her current role, she held the positions of Executive Director at Allegany County United Way and Ready, Set, Grow Child Care; Director of Child Care Services at ACCORD Corporation, and Nonprofit Leadership Consultant. Susan Serves as a Board member on the Boards of The Institute for Human Services, Three Rivers Development, Chemung County Community Services, Steuben County Homeless Housing Task Force, and NYS Continuum of Care.
Susan took a non-traditional path to what she defines as success by serving in the US Army active duty for 5 years, later earning a bachelor’s degree in Community and Human Services and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Susan’s commitment to ethical governance, sound program administration, and care for people is evidenced in her leadership and service to the community.

 

Thank you to Siemens Energy and all our sponsors, to our speakers, and to everyone who participated in our 2024 Own it! Women's Conference!

 

 

 

 

 

Own it! Vision

Mission

To create an inclusive community which supports and empowers every woman to build the best version of herself