In early November, Jackie Healy had the unique opportunity to attend the Business Oriented Leadership Development (BOLD) Conference at Harvard University, an event hosted by the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business. The conference brought together aspiring young leaders and successful businesswomen to discuss entrepreneurship and leadership. It was an inspiring experience for Jacki, offering a chance to learn from influential CEOs and entrepreneurs while networking with like-minded peers. Below, find Jac
kie's personal recount of the conference and the valuable lessons she took away from the event.
"On November 9th and 10th, I had the opportunity to attend the Business Oriented Leadership Development Conference (BOLD) at Harvard University. The meeting was hosted by the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business. Multiple CEOs shared how they started a business and how they overcame the struggles of starting a business. Heading into the conference I felt nervous because I didn't know anyone attending, however, I quickly became friends with four girls who also had a driving passion for business.
On the first day, I had the opportunity to meet the owner of Tower 28 (a world-famous skincare brand) (Amy Liu) and the owner of Poppi (a prebiotic soda company) (Allison Ellsworth). Liu and Ellsworth held a fireside chat to kick off the weekend by sharing personal stories as to why they started their companies. After hearing from them, I met the president of Graybar (an electrical company) (Kathy Mazzarella). Mazzarella shared how difficult it was to get to her position now. Graybar is a male-dominated workforce and Marrzarella shared how she wanted to quit but kept persisting and now she is head of the company. After the first two meetings, everyone gathered in the atrium for lunch which was sponsored by Poppi and Tatte (a popular ca
fe in Boston). Shortly after, The owner of Tatte (Tzurit Or) hosted a panel discussion on creative industries. Or had moved to the USA from Israel with a desire to own her cafe. Her company focuses on sustainable, affordable, and delicious meals. Finishing day one, there were three more conferences regarding entrepreneurship, marketing, and social media balance.
The highlight of my experience was on day two at a panel discussion where I met the owner of the Little Words Project (an empowering and motivational jewelry business) (Adriana Carrig). Carrig focused on how resilience and staying true to who you are can be the keys to success. Later that day, while touring the Harvard Business School campus, I ran into Carrig where she personally invited me to an event at the Little Words Project store in Boston Harbour. Later at the store, Carrig showed interest in my desire for entrepreneurship and offered to advise me on my learnings. This experience motivated me to continue gaining insights and learning about business.
Attending the BOLD conference was an amazing opportunity. Not only did I have the chance to meet and learn from female CEOs and business owners, but I met many other business-oriented high school students, and truly broadened my business and entrepreneurial knowledge. I am so glad to have attended this conference and I am looking forward to attending the rest of my high school years!"