Texas
Tickets On Sale Now
October 5, 2026
Moody CenterExperience the CFW Magic in the Heart of Austin.
8,500+ Professionals. Infinite Possibilities.
Limited $445 Tickets Still Available
Questions?
Email [email protected]
TX CFW Returns to Moody Center!
An exciting venue. An elevated experience.
The CFW magic and inspiration in a dynamic new Arena setting.
Electrifying energy & non-partisan connection that
only CFW can deliver, with a community of 9,000+ professionals from all industries and career stages.
Unparalleled Keynotes and Power Talks—the right
combo of star power, substance, and inspiration with access to the nation’s leading experts on leadership, career, and wellbeing.
CareerWorks, your one-stop-shop for personalized tools, support, and connections will elevate your
career with 1:1 Coaching & Resume Reviews and Professional Headshots.
The Concourse Collection—a transformed expo experience with curated exhibits and interactive opportunities for connection.
Dedicated lunch break with no program conflicts. Boxed lunch with flexible pickup and expanded seating throughout the venue.
Flexible & fluid by design, you can curate your own experience. Assigned Arena seating lets you pop in
and out of sessions throughout the day, and choose the content that lights you up!
2026 LINEUP
Keynotes
2026 Agenda
October 5, 2026
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Get familiar and settled with the venue before the program kicks off at 8:30AM
Traditional breakouts reinvented with a fresh take—speakers and sessions will now come to you in your assigned Arena seats. These micro-learnings offer the perfect blend of storytelling, inspiration, and actionable takeaways. Short by design (15-25 minutes), the content is tightly focused, energizing, thought-provoking and immediately useful. Each time block will feature 2-3 dynamic sessions under one shared theme—including Leadership, Career, and Wellbeing. No audience Q&A. No room-hopping. Just one seamless experience, packed with diverse perspectives—and the ease of assigned seating.
Built to Pivot: Reinventing Your Career in a Nonlinear World
(15 minutes)
What if the most unexpected turns in your career weren’t detours — but training grounds for what’s next? In this Power Talk, TIME100 honoree and Emmy-nominated creator Michelle Khare has built a career doing what most of us only dream about — immersing herself in the world’s toughest professions and challenges on her hit series Challenge Accepted. Together, we will explore what those radically different roles taught her about risk, reinvention, and making confident moves without having all the answers. Whether you’re navigating an internal shift, exploring your next move, or considering a full reinvention, Michelle shows how to turn uncertainty into momentum, break out of linear career thinking, and build a path that actually fits who you are — not just what’s expected. If you’ve ever felt stuck, boxed in, or unsure of what’s next, this session is your permission to explore and your strategy to move.
Speaker: Michelle Khare, Host & Creator of Challenge Accepted and TIME100 Honoree
Managing Up, Down, and Across: Succeeding in a Complex Workplace
(30 minutes)
Rapid technological change, evolving workforce expectations, and shifting economic conditions are reshaping how we work. Professionals at every level are navigating new dynamics of influence, communicating across generational differences, and balancing competing priorities. In this Executive Insights session, there are no presentations or prepared remarks. Executive Mentors — Conference board members, senior professionals, and community leaders — will respond to pre-submitted attendee questions to explore how to lead and collaborate effectively in an increasingly interconnected environment. Learn strategies to manage up with clarity, manage down with empathy, and manage across to drive alignment and results. Walk away with advice to help you strengthen relationships, build credibility, and sustain momentum in a changing workplace.
Speakers to be announced!
Stretch your legs and groove to the CFW playlist
Emcee: Sally Hernandez, Morning Anchor, KXAN
Hoda Kotb, New York Times Bestselling Author, Award-Winning Journalist, and Founder & CEO of Joy 101
Ilona Maher, 2X Team USA Rugby Olympian, Olympic Bronze Medalist
Codie Sanchez, Founder & CEO, Contrarian Thinking and NYT Bestselling Author, Main Street Millionaire
Speakers are not listed in order of appearance and are subject to change.
Stretch your legs and groove to the CFW playlist
Traditional breakouts reinvented with a fresh take—speakers and sessions will now come to you in your assigned Arena seats. These micro-learnings offer the perfect blend of storytelling, inspiration, and actionable takeaways. Short by design (15-25 minutes), the content is tightly focused, energizing, thought-provoking and immediately useful. Each time block will feature 2-3 dynamic sessions under one shared theme—including Leadership, Career, and Wellbeing. No audience Q&A. No room-hopping. Just one seamless experience, packed with diverse perspectives—and the ease of assigned seating.
The Myth of Lonely Leadership
(15 minutes)
What if “it’s lonely at the top” isn’t a truth, but a design flaw in how we lead—and one that’s quietly undermining performance, culture, and retention? In this Power Talk, social relationships expert and author of The Business of Friendship, Shasta Nelson, challenges the normalization of leadership loneliness and makes a compelling case that it doesn’t have to be this way. She explores why so many people managers feel isolated in their roles and how that disconnection quietly shapes team culture in ways they may not even recognize. Grounded in her “frientimacy” framework, Shasta offers a clear path to more connected leadership, where real, appropriate relationships at work become a source of strength and strategic advantage, not a liability. You’ll walk away with a fresh perspective on what it means to lead with strengthened connection, resilience, and the kind of support that makes leadership feel less like endurance and more like purpose.
Speaker: Shasta Nelson, Friendship Expert, Workplace Connection Consultant and Author of The Business of Friendship
Additional speakers to be announced!
Steady Under Pressure: Sustaining Engagement in Dynamic Times
(30 minutes)
Change is now part of how we work. Restructuring, AI integration, and shifting economic conditions require leaders to make thoughtful decisions quickly while maintaining trust, stability, and performance. For people managers especially, sustained change can test morale, focus, and confidence. In this Executive Insights session, there are no presentations or prepared remarks. Executive Mentors — Conference board members, senior professionals, and community leaders — will respond to pre-submitted attendee questions to explore real-world scenarios around evolving priorities, making decisions with limited information, strengthening team engagement, and sustaining results through change. Walk away with practical strategies to lead with clarity, reinforce accountability, and maintain steady performance in dynamic environments.
Speakers to be announced!
New this year: a dedicated lunch break to step away, recharge and refocus — no distractions
Traditional breakouts reinvented with a fresh take—speakers and sessions will now come to you in your assigned Arena seats. These micro-learnings offer the perfect blend of storytelling, inspiration, and actionable takeaways. Short by design (15-25 minutes), the content is tightly focused, energizing, thought-provoking and immediately useful. Each time block will feature 2-3 dynamic sessions under one shared theme—including Leadership, Career, and Wellbeing. No audience Q&A. No room-hopping. Just one seamless experience, packed with diverse perspectives—and the ease of assigned seating.
Wired to Feel: Reclaiming Your Emotional Sensitivity
(15 minutes)
Have you ever been told you’re too sensitive, too emotional, or simply too much, and quietly started to believe it? In this Power Talk, board-certified psychiatrist and author of Too Sensitive Dr. Sasha Hamdani reframes emotional sensitivity not as a personality flaw, but as a highly responsive nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do. She explores how everyday moments — a delayed text, a shift in tone, feeling overlooked in a meeting — can spiral into self-doubt and withdrawal, and why for so many women this experience is rooted in biology, not weakness. Drawing on her expertise in brain chemistry, hormones, and emotional sensitivity, Dr. Hamdani shares how these factors shape the way we feel and respond, and why this is exacerbated for the estimated 20% of the workforce who are neurodivergent. Learn techniques to regulate emotional intensity in real time, navigate high-stakes dynamics at work and in life, and channel your sensitivity into a grounded, sustainable strength.
Speaker: Dr. Sasha Hamdani, Psychiatrist, Author and CEO
Additional speakers to be announced!
High Performance, Recharged: Thriving in the Energy Economy
(30 minutes)
Energy is the new currency in today’s workplace. Managers are navigating engagement and retention in new ways, while individual contributors balance shifting priorities and expanding responsibilities. In this Executive Insights session, there are no presentations or prepared remarks. Executive Mentors — Conference board members, senior professionals, and community leaders — will respond to pre-submitted attendee questions to explore how to recalibrate workloads, set clearer performance boundaries, and align expectations to prevent burnout while driving results. Walk away empowered and ready to sustain performance and wellbeing in parallel—whether that means leading teams more effectively or advocating for the conditions they need to thrive.
Speakers to be announced!
Stretch your legs and groove to the CFW playlist
Emcee: Sally Hernandez, Morning Anchor, KXAN
Kristen Bell, Actress, Philanthropist, and Producer
Tamara Fields, US Public Service Industry Lead & Austin Office Managing Director, Accenture & Board President, TX Conference for Women
Tunde Oyeneyin, Instant New York Times Bestselling Author, Peloton Instructor, Nike Athlete, Change Maker
Speakers are not listed in order of appearance and are subject to change.
You’re invited to the arena floor to mix and mingle with colleagues
Don’t forget to fill out your attendee survey — Your feedback is invaluable
STAY CONNECTED
Get Our Updates, Insights, and Valuable Resources
The CFW APP
More than Just Your Conference Day Companion.
Download the CFW App to access everything you need on event day—like the agenda, speaker info, maps, networking options, and exclusive giveaways.
But don’t delete it after the Conference! The app is your 365-day connection to the CFW community. Stay plugged in with year-round inspiring content, CFW communications, and access to the free Career Connections Program—all in one easy-to-use platform.
Attendee Hub
Early Bird
Available April 8–May 8 (or while supplies last)
Limited $445 still available
$445 individual ticket | $4,450 per 10-Pack
Standard
$495 individual ticket | $4,950 per 10-Pack
All Texas Conference tickets include free access to the virtual National Conference on March 3, 2027.
Credit cards (preferred) immediately secure your tickets. You may also pay by check to hold your tickets. An invoice will be issued, and payment must be received within 10 business days or tickets will automatically be released. Government agencies have 30 days to submit payment. Purchase orders are not accepted.
Choose to pay by check and an invoice will be emailed to you. You may then pay the invoice by either check or credit card.
Your ticket provides access to the in-person Texas Conference for Women and the virtual National Conference for Women. Tickets may not be split between individuals.
Texas Conference | In-Person | October 5, 2026
- Reserved arena seating for Keynotes and Power Talks
- CareerWorks including 1:1 Resume Reviews, Career Coaching, and professional headshots*
- The Concourse Collection featuring interactive booths and experiences
- Conference bookstore and author signings
- Networking opportunities
- Complimentary boxed lunch
National Conference | Virtual | March 3, 2027
A fully immersive, interactive virtual Conference experience — not a webinar or Zoom — designed to engage and connect participants nationwide.
- “Best of” Keynotes and Breakout sessions from recent in-person Conferences, plus new curated content
- Learning Stage featuring expert-led career and wellbeing mini masterclasses
- Live audience Q&A with speakers
- Virtual 1:1 Resume Reviews and Career Coaching*
- Structured and informal networking with professionals nationwide and globally
- 30 days of on-demand access to Breakout and Learning Stage sessions
*Resume Reviews, Career Coaching, and professional headshots are first-come, first-served and space is limited.
It’s easy! To register as an individual or a group, click the Register button at the top of the page and follow the steps to complete your registration.
Groups are registered through the standard online registration process. The purchaser is automatically designated as the group’s main contact.
A confirmation email will include instructions for submitting attendee names and meal preferences, which must be completed at least 30 days prior to the event.
Yes, please take a look at our Helpful Tips.
Arena seating for Keynotes and Power Talks is assigned based on the date and time of registration.
To guarantee seats together, all tickets must be purchased within a single registration or secured through Sponsorship.
Seating requests for attendees in separate registrations (up to 10 individuals) may be submitted after purchase using the link provided in your confirmation email. We accept seating requests for groups of up to 10 individuals. While we make every effort to accommodate seating requests, they are not guaranteed.
All ticket sales are final (no refunds, no exceptions). Tickets may be transferred to another individual by updating the ticket assignment in your registration account.
Moody Center
2001 Robert Dedman Drive
Austin, TX 78712
The Conference runs from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CT. Doors open at 7:00 AM, and programming begins at 8:30 AM. For a detailed schedule, view the Agenda.
Expect heavy traffic, ongoing construction, and large crowds on event day. We encourage you to plan ahead, leave early, and allow for extra travel time to ensure a stress-free arrival.
CFW is in the process of confirming parking options at UT (limited) and satellite locations, along with complimentary shuttle service to make getting to the Conference as convenient as possible. Parking fees will apply at all parking locations.
Please check back soon for full parking details, shuttle routes, and reservation information.
Ride Share is strongly encouraged! Please check back soon for drop-off and pick-up locations.
The Downtown Cap Metro Station (401 E. 4th Street) serves the UT Austin campus and Moody Center.
Yes! ADA drop-off and pick-up is available. Please check back soon for details.
We’ve made it easy to find convenient, comfortable stays in Austin — with exclusive deals available through our official hotel partner, EvolveCon, LLC. We recommend booking your stay using HotelMap.
WEBSITE BOOKING DISCLAIMER
The hotels named on this website are provided for your convenience only. Conferences for Women and EvolveCon, LLC make absolutely no representations or warranties as to the actual condition or quality of the hotel’s guestroom accommodations, facilities or amenities, or a hotel’s guestroom/suite availability at the time a reservation is requested or made. Use of this website or any link provided above to make your guestroom reservations or your stay at any of these hotels shall be without any liability whatsoever by Conferences for Women or EvolveCon, LLC. Rates offered by each hotel are subject to change without prior notice. Individuals booking accommodations through this website or with any hotel listed will be responsible for their own room, tax, and incidental charges in accordance with such hotel’s policies. Please contact the hotel directly for additional information.
Yes! Check back in July to access our complete Travel Guide with travel, parking, and shuttle options.
Your printed badge is your official ticket and required for entry before passing security and must be worn all day. Lanyards and badge holders will be provided onsite.
Your badge contains important information about your assigned seat and your assigned lunch pick-up location.
Your badge will be emailed to you on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Badges are required for entry to the Moody Center. If you forget your badge, you will need to visit the Box Office located on the southwest side of the building at Dell West Plaza. (Please note that wait times may be extensive.)
If you registered yourself, please log into your registration to download your badge and/or email badges to your attendees. Your registration log in can be found on your confirmation receipt. If you still need assistance, reach out to: [email protected].
If you registered as part of a group and need assistance, please contact the primary registrant for your group.
Yes, all attendees are required to pass through security (and magnetometers).
No, rolling bags are not permitted. Mobile Bag & Coat Checks are available (fees apply) outside before security.
The clear bag policy is not in effect for the Conference. We highly encourage that you pack light, bring smaller bags, and fewer items to avoid delays at security. Laptops are permitted, but will slow security so try to unplug if you can.
Yes, Mobile Bag & Coat Checks are available outside, prior to security (additional fees apply).
We do not have a dress code, however most attendees are business casual. The venue is large and there will be a lot of walking, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
The Keynotes and Power Talks take place in the Arena. You will view everything from your assigned Arena seat (designated on your badge).
The program is continuous in the Arena from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The day is flexible and fluid and designed so you can pop in and out of sessions, take breaks, and stretch your legs anytime. Participate in the sessions and speakers that resonate with your interests and needs. The program includes:
- Two Keynote Sessions (9:40 – 11:10 AM & 2:15 – 3:30 PM)
- Power Talks Career (8:30 – 9:30 AM)
- Power Talks Leadership (11:20 AM – 12:20 PM)
- Power Talks Wellbeing (1:05 – 2:05 PM)
- End of Day DJ & Dance Party on the Arena Floor (3:00 – 4:00 PM)
The full agenda is available on our website. A printed Schedule Overview will also be available onsite.
No advance sign-up needed! Enjoy Keynotes and Power Talks right from your assigned seat in the Arena.
The only offering that requires advance sign up is CareerWorks — home to Career Coaching, Resume Review, and Professional Headshots. You can join the virtual line when you arrive onsite (QR code and instructions will be available on the Schedule Overview and signage.)
Power Talks take place in the Arena and are broken into three themed blocks — Career, Leadership, and Wellbeing. Each block offers short power-packed bursts of advice, insights, and storytelling and features one solo speaker, one Executive Mentor panel, and two Executive Spotlights.
Complimentary 1:1 Career Coaching, Resume Review, and Professional Headshots are part of our CareerWorks offering and take place in the Germania Club on the lower level.
Hours: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM, excluding 9:40 – 11:10 AM and 2:15 – 3:30 PM during Keynote Sessions.
Advance sign-up is required by joining the virtual line when you arrive onsite (QR code and instructions will be available on the Schedule Overview and signage). Walk-ins are not permitted.
Space is limited and appointments are offered first-come, first-served.
We don’t have a traditional Hall this year but we have curated The Concourse Collection which features 10-15 sponsor booths throughout the main and upper concourse levels. Explore dynamic activations and experiences, enjoy photo ops, and visit the Bookstore.
Yes, check out the Sponsor List.
Sponsorship offers companies the opportunity to engage employees and elevate their brand on Conference day and throughout the year. To learn more about opportunities and benefits, visit our Sponsorship Overview or contact Marlyse Fant.
Yes! A grab-and-go boxed lunch with filtered water will be provided (one per person). The full menu will be available on the website no later than August 5, 2026.
There are Lunch Distribution locations throughout the venue. Specific locations and additional details will be provided closer to the event.
New this year, we’ve scheduled a dedicated lunch break from 12:20 – 1:05 PM.
Lunch may be enjoyed in designated areas throughout the venue, including the Brown Outdoor Terrace, the Dell and Indeed Clubs, lounges with tables and chairs throughout the concourses, or from your Arena seat. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Specific locations and additional details will be shared closer to the event.
Yes. An alternate boxed lunch that is both vegan and gluten-free is available upon request.
All attendees are automatically assigned the standard meal. The deadline to request the alternate meal is September 11, 2026. Requests must be submitted through your registration account (or through your group’s main contact, if applicable).
The full menu will be available on the website no later than August 15, 2026.
If the alternate lunch option does not meet your needs, you’re welcome to bring your own food. Concessions will also be available for purchase.
Please note: The Moody Center is cashless, so plan to use a card or mobile payment.
Yes, and we encourage you to connect when you arrive to avoid any connectivity issues. Look for “MoodyCenterWIFI” in your settings — no password or login required.
Yes! A variety of concessions will be open all day, and bar service starts at 2:00 PM. The Moody Center is cashless, so plan to use a card or mobile payment.
Yes. Stay tuned for locations and more details!
We have several options available onsite, however, no refrigeration is provided in these spaces so please plan accordingly.
There is a nursing pod available on the Main Concourse near Portal 10. You can also find several single restrooms in the following locations:
- Main Concourse (Behind Section 104)
- Upper Concourse (Near Section 205)
Yes. Keynote Sessions and Power Talks at the Texas Conference are closed-captioned. The virtual National Conference provides closed captioning for all sessions.
CFW is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible experience. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at [email protected] at least 30 days prior to the Conference. We will do our best to support your request, although it is not guaranteed.
Men’s restrooms will be limited, as most have been converted to women’s. Check back closer to the event for locations and details.
CFW will contact you from the following email addresses (sender IP 23.249.216.70). Please ask your IT department to allow our emails through your firewall, and check your spam folder.
Yes! The CFW App is your conference-day companion for quick and easy access to the schedule, sessions, speakers, maps, sponsors, and much more! It’s also an invaluable resource year-round, so be sure to keep it after event day. Download from your app store by searching “The Conferences for Women.”
2026 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Champion
Corporate
Patron
Contributor
Advocate
Community Partner
Media Partner
