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Kimberly Egan
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Ragan Communications / PR Daily
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Ragan Announces 2026 Speaker Lineup for Leadership Retreat & Summit for Women
Chicago, IL (May 14, 2026) — Ragan Communications today announced the featured speaker lineup for its 2026 Leadership Retreat & Summit for Women, taking place Sept. 23–25, 2026, at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Designed for senior and emerging leaders in communications, marketing and HR, the intimate retreat combines leadership development, peer learning, networking and wellness experiences in a collaborative setting intentionally capped at 60 attendees.
This year’s featured speakers include:
- Jessica Adelman, Senior VP, Mars Snacking North America: Corporate Affairs & One Mars Reputation Building, Mars
- Brandi Boatner, Global Influencer Marketing, IBM
- Christina Furtado, Director, Global Revenue Operations Communications, Dell Technologies
- Mary Olson-Menzel, CEO and Founder, MVP Executive Development
- Marta Ravin, Emmy-Nominated Showrunner and Executive Producer of Brand Experiences, Marta Ravin Productions
- Miri Rodriguez, Founder and CEO, Empressa AI
- Melissa Shahbazian, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, MVP Spark Coaching
- Samantha Stark, Founder and Chief Strategist, Phyusion
- Amy Sterner Nelson, Founder & CEO, The Riveter
- Dr. Jen Welter, NFL coach, football player and sport psychology consultant
Collectively, this year’s speakers bring expertise spanning executive leadership, AI innovation, corporate communications, crisis management, neuroscience, storytelling, talent development, personal branding and organizational transformation. Attendees will gain insights from leaders representing global brands, entrepreneurial ventures and award-winning creative and leadership organizations, offering practical strategies and real-world perspectives for navigating today’s evolving workplace.
Leadership today requires resilience, adaptability and the ability to navigate uncertainty while staying grounded in purpose. This year’s speakers will share bold ideas, practical strategies and deeply personal insights designed to help attendees lead with confidence and authenticity.
The 2.5-day retreat is designed to help attendees think differently, build meaningful professional relationships and return to work with renewed energy and actionable ideas. Sessions and peer-to-peer workshops will explore topics including AI and business growth, transformation and change leadership, talent retention, executive presence, storytelling, business fluency and crisis management.
In addition to leadership programming, attendees will participate in curated wellness experiences, networking receptions and interactive group activities designed to foster connection and reflection.
Attendance at the Leadership Retreat & Summit for Women also includes membership in Ragan’s Women’s Circle, a year-round peer community for senior women in communications, marketing and HR.
The Summit has consistently sold out in previous years and draws leaders from organizations including Amazon, AARP, American Red Cross, Baker Hughes, CBRE, Chick-fil-A, Columbia University, Hearst Magazines, Microsoft, Paramount Global, PwC and UCLA Health.
Click here for more information and to register.
About Ragan Communications and PR Daily
Ragan Communications has been delivering trusted news, training and intelligence for more than 60 years to internal and external communicators, HR professionals and business leaders. Its daily news sites, PRDaily.com and Ragan.com, are read by more than 600,000 internal and external communicators monthly. Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council is one of the fastest-growing membership groups for communications executives, and its conferences, webinars and workshops are attended by more than 5,000 communicators a year. Ragan Training is the leading learning portal among communicators, offering more than 800 hours of training and development for communicators. Ragan is also the producer of Communications Week, which is held each November. Headquartered in Chicago, with team members spanning the country and loyal customers worldwide. Visit us at ragan.com.
