A year ago I sat in a now infamous conference session, trying to reconcile my presence at a CEO conference with the degrading words coming from the stage. I have been reflecting on why that day, and the following ones, have been so impactful on me, and whether the incident has had an impact on the industry.

Highlights and Photos from Inside Fixed Income 2019.

Highlights and photos from SRI Conference 2019.

When women in financial services shared their experiences of harassment and assault with me, I immediately noticed how many of the incidents took place at industry events and conferences. Unchecked bad behavior runs rampant at many financial services conferences. Below are stories of harassment and assault incidents at conferences as told by the women-in-finance who experienced them.

A letter to my readers about why I broke the media policy at an industry conference to speak out about Ken Fisher’s awful remarks.

I’m often asked how I started in public speaking. I’m certainly naturally drawn to it as you can see from the photo of me prepping for one of my first talks. It also takes diligence to create and deliver engaging, relevant content. One of the ways I got started speaking at industry conferences was by moderating panel discussions. It’s a great way to get used to being on stage and presenting content to an audience. I did well at moderating which led to being asked to take on larger roles. But if you’re new to moderating, the task can seem daunting. Here are my top tips for moderating a panel. I’ve added notes specific to impact and ESG investing, but the format works for any topic.

The social side of financial services conferences is rife with harassment and sometimes even assault. These are my six requests of men conference attendees to help make financial services a better community for everyone. All of the requests are based on incidents that have actually happened to me or to friends.

Over the past 5 years I’ve watched with interest as TruValue Labs has grown from startup to well known ESG data provider. Their approach to gathering data is unique and has always interested me, so I was thrilled when they asked if I would help them with their 2019 US Conference. I had a dual role of emcee and an unusual role of being an extra pair of eyes and ears for attendees. I watched each presentation and panel closely, then at the end of the event, summed up all of the themes, key takeaways, and action items I saw for attendees. Below is a recap of those themes and takeaways along with some photos. If you want more photos and highlights, there’s a Twitter moment here; if you prefer a short video wrap up, you can see that here.

Highlights, photos, and my take on FPA Retreat 2019.

Highlights and Photos from Morningstar’s 2019 US Conference.

May 8-10, 2019 Chicago

Marian Wright Edelman says, “you can’t be what you can’t see.” It’s tough to stay in a field (let alone advance) when there are no colleagues or leaders who look like you. It’s not just that you can’t see the path to the top, it’s also that peers and managers can’t imagine “someone like you” as a leader.

One of the things I often speak and write about is the lack of diversity in financial services. We’re not even close to reflecting the racial, ethnic, or gender diversity of the United States. Today I want to share one relatively easy starting point where each of us can make an impact and push our companies and colleagues towards improvement.