SLU to Host 4th Annual Be Heard: Women in Leadership Conference
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University’s Emerson Leadership Institute will host its fourth annual Be Heard: Women in Leadership conference on Friday, March 28. The free half-day event, “Fostering Dignity and Belonging,” will explore the role of dignity in organizational culture.

This event, co-presented by the Emerson Leadership Institute and SLU’s Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement, will feature presentations, discussions, workshops and networking opportunities.
The theme for this year’s conference, “Fostering Dignity and Belonging,” aligns with the Dignity-Based Leadership Development Program launched at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.
The morning will begin with a talk by Michelle Li, KSDK-TV Ch. 5 morning anchor and the co-founder of The Very Asian Foundation. The conference includes a leadership development workshop, a panel discussion of local leaders and will close with a keynote from Marilyn Bush, president of Bank of America St. Louis.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Paige Hulsey, reporter for KMOV-TV Ch. 4 and will feature Delaney Clement, chief operating officer for the Archdiocese of St. Louis; Kristin Johnson, chief transformation officer at Edward Jones; Juanita Logan, vice president of international human resources and supplier diversity at World Wide Technology; and Tina Sappington, president of Integrated Solutions Worldwide and vice president and director of purpose and impact at QNDX.
Previous Be Heard conferences have highlighted Asian women in local leadership roles, emerging research related to women in business and amplifying female voices in organizations.
Event Details
- When: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28
- Where: SLU's Il Monastero Banquet Center, 3050 Olive St.
- Cost: Free. Lunch will be provided.
About the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
Founded in 1910, the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at Saint Louis University has shaped the future of industry for more than a century. As one of the oldest business schools west of the Mississippi, the Chaifetz School has built a reputation as a leader in business education committed to innovation, inclusion and impact and recognized with eight undergraduate and graduate programs nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
About Saint Louis University
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.
Latest Newslink
- Kathryn Mitchell Pierce, Ph.D.: 1955-2025Kathryn Mitchell Pierce, Ph.D., associate professor of educational studies, died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. She was 70 years old. Pierce joined Saint Louis University in 2015 as an assistant professor in the School of Education. Initially a literacy specialist in the undergraduate program, she eventually taught and mentored across all levels at the School of Education. She became an associate professor in 2022.
- Saint Louis University Student Speaks About Leadership and Disability at Ignatian Family Teach-In for JusticeSaint Louis University senior Grace LoPiccolo shared her personal leadership journey at the 2025 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice. The event, held annually in Washington, D.C., is the nation’s largest Catholic social justice advocacy day.
- SLU Research Shows Surge in Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Driving ‘Deaths of Despair’Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine say deaths from alcohol-related liver disease have surged in recent years, and the increase is hitting people without a college degree the hardest. While nearly every demographic group is seeing higher death rates—including those with college degrees—the gap between economically disadvantaged groups and more affluent ones is growing, according to new research.
- Saint Louis University Joins Multi-Disciplinary Research Team to Enhance Stress Resilience in SorghumSaint Louis University is part of a multi-disciplinary team, led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, to deepen the understanding of sorghum, a versatile bioenergy crop, and its response to environmental challenges.The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program supports the three-year $2.5 million project for Genomics-Enabled Understanding and Advancing Knowledge on Plant Gene Function. Saint Louis University will receive $437,039 for its portion of the study.
- SLU Graduates Celebrated at Midyear CommencementSaint Louis University celebrated its Midyear Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 13, inside Chaifetz Arena. More than 1,900 guests watched as 600-plus SLU students walked across the stage and left as graduates.
- Why Do Raccoons Cross the Road? SLU, St. Louis Zoo Research Shows They Don'tA new study led by researchers from Saint Louis University, the Saint Louis Zoo, and partner organizations set out to understand how raccoons use space in one of the nation's largest urban parks.









