Highlights from the 2025 MIT Women’s Conference

For Rachele (Jean) Sylvan, SB ’95, attending the 2025 MIT Women’s Conference on March 28 meant an opportunity to meet fellow alumnae from across the Institute.

“Hearing how other smart, driven women navigate career shifts, job transitions, and personal growth is always enlightening,” said Sylvan. “MIT women are smart, fearless, and creative, and being surrounded by that energy is truly motivating.”

Sylvan joined nearly 300 of her fellow MIT alumnae at the InterContinental Boston for the 2025 MIT Women’s Conference. This year’s conference was generously sponsored by the Anchor Point Foundation, and co-organized by the MIT Alumni Association and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Adela Jamal, SFMBA ’22, who served as emcee on the conference mainstage throughout the day, described the gathering as a truly inspiring summit that convened women leaders from across the globe.

“The event was a celebration of innovation, resilience, and the power of collaboration,” said Jamal. “It served as a powerful reminder of the impact women are making at the forefront of these critical sectors, and I was humbled and energized by this dynamic group of visionaries and changemakers.”

Visionaries and changemakers

Following Thursday evening’s preconference events at the MIT Museum and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, attendees congregated at the InterContinental Boston for opening remarks from MIT Alumni Association President Natalie Lorenz Anderson, SB ’84. After kicking things off, Anderson introduced a short video from MIT President Sally Kornbluth.

“I haven’t been at the Institute for all that long, but from day one, I’ve benefited enormously from the leadership of many exceptional MIT women,” said Kornbluth.

The morning continued with “Discoveries in Human Health Science,” featuring Marzyeh Ghassemi, PhD ’17 (Germeshausen Career Development Professor), Polina Anikeeva, PhD ’09 (Matoula S. Salapatas Professor in Materials Science and Engineering), and Dina Katabi, SM ’99, PhD ’03, (Thuan (1990) and Nicole Pham Professor).

After a short break, the first round of breakout sessions began. In “Biotechnological Advancements and the Future of Humanity,” Melodi Anahtar, SB ’16, PhD ’22, Lindsay Androski, SB ’98, Kristina Masson, EMBA ’23, and Laura Stoppel, PhD ’17, spoke about their experiences in the biotechnology industry in the Boston area and across the globe.

“I love providing my lessons learned, failures, and insights to make it benefit people in this beautiful MIT community,” said Masson, co-founder and executive vice president of business operations at Acrivon Therapeutics. Androski, CEO of Arbutus Biopharma and the session moderator, confirmed this sentiment by noting that many MIT alumnae go into biotech because the Institute “trains us to be comfortable failing.”

Other sessions included:

• “Entrepreneurial Orbits” with Shari Van Cleave, EMBA ’15, and Susan Neal (Lecturer, MIT Sloan; Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Operations, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship), who demonstrated the MIT Entrepreneurship JetPack artificial intelligence tool.
• “Getting A.I.R.” with Carla Akalarian (Executive Career Coach, MIT Sloan), Shauna LaFauci Barry (Executive Career Coach / Alumni Engagement Strategist, MIT Sloan), and Gayle Grader (Senior Director, Career Development, Executive and Alumni Coaching, MIT Sloan), who discussed the need to “create meaningful connections that catalyze personal and professional growth.”
• “Women, Aging, and What’s Next” with Lauren Cerino (Technical Associate II, MIT AgeLab) and Taylor Patskanick (Research Specialist, MIT AgeLab), who facilitated an interactive conversation about how women shape the future of longevity.

A happy place

During her lunchtime keynote, Elizabeth J. Altman, LGO ’92, spoke about the future of work and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in workforce ecosystems. The associate professor of management at the University of Massachusetts Lowell joked about being a teacher with “too many slides,” but emphasized that, more than anything, she wanted to hear from the audience.

“I would love to hear your feedback because, given the room, many of you know a lot about these topics—whether it’s future of work or AI, and AI in these contexts—and it will be fun to talk to you about it,” said Altman.

A second round of breakout sessions followed. In “Realizing Your Superpower,” 2022 MIT Sloan Women’s Conference keynote speaker Monica Lee, EMBA ’19, and Nicki Roth (Executive Coach Program Lead, MIT Leadership Center) led a lively discussion of personal stories and practical tips for working women at various stages of their careers.

“I’m in my home, my happy place, back at MIT among the likes of you,” Lee told the room, which was packed to capacity. “When I think about what brings me joy and hope and happiness for today and tomorrow, it’s each of you.”

Other sessions included:

• “Igniting Change” with Lily Bui, SM ’16, PhD ’20, Heather Clark, SM ’04, Legena Henry, SM ’10, and Laura Knott SM ’87. Moderated by MIT Office of Sustainability Director Julie Newman, the panel discussed their respective fields at the forefront of climate change.
• “Pay Equity” with Hannah Riley Bowles, Audrey Daum, SM ’88, Kristin Smith, SB ’04, Deborah Liverman (Executive Director, Career Advising and Professional Development, MIT), and moderator Kim Lesly Hunter, SB ’86 (MIT Alumni Volunteer Stewardship Officer; President, Association of MIT Alumnae). The group discussed current legislation around the gender pay gap.
• “Looking Forward by Looking Up” with Mariel Borowitz, SB ’06, Catherine Coleman, SB ’83, Christine Joseph, SM ’19, Janelle Wellons, SB ’16, and moderator Barbara Braun, SM ’95, who highlighted MIT women who have made and are making significant contributions to space exploration.

Connecting and reconnecting

Prior to the closing conversation between the MIT Alumni Association President and Boston Globe Media CEO and Co-owner Linda Henry, SM ’05, Jamal asked attendees about the sessions they attended and any key learnings or surprises they might have encountered.

Microphones were passed around the room, and speakers shared what they learned, were surprised by, and who they connected with during the conference. After the conference, many also shared their experiences on social media.

“I am still reflecting on the incredible energy from hundreds of alumnae, tremendous learning insights, and meeting and networking with so many impressive individuals,” said Margo Gorra-Stockman, MBA ’98. “It was great to reconnect with my MIT Sloan classmates, and I met so many other amazing women who I am looking forward to continuing the dialogue with.”

As Cheryl Stokes, LGO ’96, described it, the MIT Women’s Conference stretched her mind and refreshed her spirit. Michaela Kaufmann, EMBA ’24, echoed these and other sentiments, calling the event an “inspirational day” that left her highly motivated and reflective.

But perhaps it was the acknowledgment of a classmate by Wendy Maldonado, MBA ’01, that best captured the room’s shared feelings of connectivity and community.

“If it had not been for Devra Weiss, MBA ’98, who first told me about the MIT Sloan MBA program, I may not have applied to the program that changed my life,” she said. “It was wonderful to meet so many amazing women who inspired me with their stories, accomplishments, and big hearts.”