Today’s post-recession economic landscape is a new reality on many fronts, yet one factor remains: businesses that win the race for talent flourish, with one critical difference. Studies show that women in management and on boards are the breakthrough innovation in companies that excel. Fresh thinking happens when women play a meaningful part in creating solutions and leading efforts. Bottom line results across industry sectors prove that women’s full leadership engagement is an imperative for business prosperity and positive change.

So how is your company attracting the best female talent and cultivating women to succeed? It starts with having a great pool of talent for all aspects of business - and that starts by increasing the number of girls and women who aspire to business leadership. But current research shows that continued gender stereotyping in the media and popular culture often confines women and men into traditional work roles, limiting thought diversity, insights, aspiration and innovation. What are business and the media doing to inspire females to reach for substantive careers and to be successful? Typically females are poorly represented in the number of women executives in business, as well as in the kinds of female characters and images modeled in advertising, film, television and other forms of media. Changing cultural perceptions of female worth and roles is necessary to bolster the number of women who lead.

The Womenetics third annual Global Women’s Initiative will focus attention on Effective Leadership for the 21st Century Economy: Popular Culture and Positive Role Models for Women and Girls, and will seek to counter stereotypes and advance gender equality in the workplace. Diverse thought leaders from business and popular culture will discuss how to foster a social environment that celebrates women’s intellectual talents and inspires girls to succeed – and that keeps US businesses competitive. Pat Mitchell, president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media, will be the opening speaker, and Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, will speak at lunch. With additional speakers from media, the arts, entertainment and business, including Madeline Di Nonno, executive director for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; Jean Kilbourne, renowned filmmaker and writer; Pola Chagnon, VP of on-air promotions and creative director at Turner Classic Movies; Dr. Edit Schlaffer, international women’s leadership advocate and founder of Women Without Borders; and Gabi Zedlmayer, VP of sustainability and social Innovation at Hewlett-Packard Company, we will examine best practices in the global economy and look at steps needed to provide more positive female role models and realistic portrayals of women. Join us to explore ideas that will create positive change for women – and men - in the workplace and cultivate the next generation of innovative and successful business leaders.