Haslam College of Business - UT Haslam Hosts 11th Annual Women in Business Summit

The Office of Access and Community Connections (OACC) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business hosted its 11^th annual Women in Business, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit on March 6. With the theme of “Leading with Agility, Purpose and Impact,” the 2026 summit focused on remaining agile and flexible in the professional world, while exploring ways to maximize impact.

Open to all university faculty, staff and students, as well as community members, the annual summit enriches the university and the region by bringing together attendees with female business leaders from multiple industries to share inspiring stories, practical business advice and perspectives on leadership and the professional world, all on the UT campus.

Nayasha Farrior, summit organizer and OACC assistant director for academic support and partnerships, was excited to welcome over 200 attendees to the latest summit, including an impressive number of UT staff.

“We welcomed people from across Knoxville and the university, and I especially loved seeing such strong representation from staff, who made up the largest portion of our attendees,” she said. “The summit is always a meaningful opportunity to pour into the individuals who help our university run so smoothly, and this year felt particularly special.”

The Student Perspective

The 2026 summit opened with welcoming remarks from Stephen L. Mangum, Haslam’s dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, and Clarence Vaughn, the college’s OACC director.

Sara Easler, Haslam’s assistant dean for international programs and partnerships, then introduced four business students who traveled to Vietnam as part of the college’s second study abroad service-learning project. During the trip, students collaborated with Mekong Quilts, a business supporting female artisans in disadvantaged areas. Proceeds from the business fund the artisan community, micro-financing, scholarships and education. Summit attendees were gifted bags made by the artisans.

The student representatives shared information on Vietnam’s economic background, the service work they completed in the nation and what they learned through the experience, which largely centered on the power and presence of community in Vietnam.

FOCUSed with Sheree Cain-Jones

The summit’s opening keynote came from Sheree Cain-Jones, women’s advisor and relationship coach, who spoke on FOCUS-Forward Leadership:

• Focus on your vision
• One goal that moves you forward
• Create a list of activities to get you to that goal
• Use your support
• State the time you will give yourself to achieve the goal

Cain-Jones shared her journey from a single teenage mother to a nurse to an acclaimed speaker and coach. She encouraged others to find their visions — not wishes or fantasies, or even goals — ways they can truly live their passions and purposes, and ways to solve the problems only they can solve.

The advisor and coach addressed the audience with enthusiasm, sharing her hope that she had motivated attendees to understand their worth and potential.

“I’ve found that most students, women and leaders don’t have a capability issue; usually, its capacity,” she said. “They must have the capacity to believe in themselves, to know that they are worth more, that they can do more and that they can be more.”

‘Ready Enough’ with Lauren Beane

During the summit’s lunch, attendees gathered for a keynote address from popular speaker Lauren Beane.

She tracked her journey from an apprehensive college student, unsure of how to get more involved, to becoming a TEDx speaker and business owner. When she was younger, Beane believed she had to be completely prepared and have all the answers to go after a goal. She realized, however, that sometimes all it takes is to be “ready enough,” and encouraged attendees to go for their dreams even if they are only 50 percent ready.

Beane emphasized that importance to speaking with students and professionals at all stages.

“As women, we downplay ourselves, and we do this starting as students all the way until we graduate and are in boardrooms,” she said. “It’s so important to have events like this where we realize we’re not alone and are ready enough to go after our goals.”

Impactful Breakout Sessions

The summit included two breakout periods, each offering attendees a choice of two individual sessions. The morning period featured two speakers. CortneyJo Sandidge, the chief strategy officer for UT’s Center for Global Engagement, led a session on remaining rooted in leadership, explaining that two key elements of confident leadership are understanding oneself and remaining dedicated to one’s values. Marketing and business development leader Donna Corlew led a session on the importance of human-centered leadership in an AI world, sharing lessons learned from her experience working with architecture and construction firms.

The summit’s energetic afternoon breakout sessions featured sessions led by Angel Howard and Ashley King. Howard, a certified somatic movement therapist, executive coach, retreat host, speaker and founder of WildHeart Expressive, explained to attendees the importance of authentic presence and leading with agility, purpose and impact.Haslam accounting and information management senior lecturer Ashley King walked her session participants through ways to reclaim time and brain space through the use of AI.

Tools and Motivation for Achievement

The 11^th Women in Business, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit offered attendees practical tools they can add to their personal and professional toolkits, as well as the motivation to achieve their goals. Reflecting on the event, Farrior shared her aspirations for the participants.

“For anyone considering entrepreneurship, I pray this summit serves as the spark that encourages them to take that next bold step,” she said. “For leaders who may be uncertain about their skills or effectiveness, I hope the sessions provided them with clarity, confidence and strategies they can apply immediately in their roles.”

As in previous years, the 12^th summit is planned for the first Friday of Women’s History Month in 2027.

—

CONTACT:

Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu