Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇøÈë¿Ú

To enhance the potential for graduates and alumni to advance in their professional journeys. Create awareness of the capabilities they need to navigate through their careers, and empower them through training, coaching, and mentorship. Encourage them to “build the muscle” needed through active engagement and leadership in social impact and community programs. Ultimately, create a network effect in which successful alumni can, in turn, lift others.

Overview

The Women in Leadership (WIL) Forum 2026 explores “The Business of Care”, positioning caregiving not only as a social necessity but as a dynamic and growing economic sector driving innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and inclusive leadership. From childcare to eldercare to disability-centered services, caregiving shapes labor markets, financial systems, technology design, and community well-being. This two-day forum convenes students, founders, financial experts, researchers, and community leaders to examine how innovation, equity, and impact intersect across the caregiving ecosystem.

The goal: elevate caregiving as a strategic leadership and business issue while fostering collaboration across sectors and generations.

A special thank you to our speakers and leaders who shared their expertise and insight:

Cathy Sandeen, Anthony Muscat,Deka Dike, Vanessa Valerio,RN,CMC,CHCA,MS (Gerontology), Ashley Mates, Leona Tang, Maureen Goode, Ana Apodaca, Rupal Shah Hollenbeck, Sudharshan Seerapu, Benazir Fateh, Sunil Bhargava, Sarah Taylor, Alina Engelman DrPH, MPH, Izzet Sidki Darendeli Ph.D, Jennifer Sherwood, Joshua Kerr, Christian Roessler, Japjit S.

WIL Oscar Student Researchers

𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘇 – Invisible Labor, Visible Inequalities: The Undervaluation of Childcare Work
𝗦𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘆𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶 – A Cumulative Study on the Representation of Caregivers & Non-Caregivers in the USA
𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗼 – Evaluating Childcare Cost Burdens and Economic Drivers in California
𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗘𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 – Regional Variation in Elderly Caregiving and Its Economic Impact
𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 – The Double Burden: Race, Class, and the Unpaid Caregiving Gap
𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿 – Multigenerational Households, Caregiving Intensity, and Labor Market Attachment
𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗻 – Social Media’s Influence on Public Perceptions of Eldercare and Caregiving Careers

A special congratulations to 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘇, 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿, and 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀, whose projects were selected by the judging panel to present again on Saturday before a larger audience at the Forum.

Congratulations to the Demo Lab Award Recipients

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 - 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘇, 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘇, 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗩𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗮 A real-time execution guide that transforms static behavioral support plans into situation-aware guidance for caregivers working with individuals on the Autism Spectrum or with Developmental and Cognitive Delays.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 - 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝘆𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗝𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗦𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘆𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶, 𝗦𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗸𝗵𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶 An AI-powered maternal and caregiver navigation platform designed to reduce burnout, improve preventive care follow-through, and support expectant mothers and caregivers working in high-stress industries like healthcare.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 (𝗧𝗶𝗲)

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲+ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗻 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗼, 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴, 𝗦𝗵𝘂𝗯𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗶𝘆𝗮, 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘇 An AI-powered document assistance system that simplifies caregiving-related paperwork using natural language input to auto-generate and populate forms, reducing errors and freeing professionals to focus on patient care.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗻, 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗰𝗵𝗮 𝗛𝗼, 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮, 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗲𝗲, 𝗗𝗮𝗳𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘇 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗮 A caregiver support platform leveraging the already-established Bay Valley Health, Inc. to deliver resources and tools for caregivers across diverse communities. These projects demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, combining technology, data, and human-centered design to address the real needs of caregivers and care recipients. We congratulate all participating teams for their creativity, dedication, and commitment to building solutions that advance the future of caregiving.

We are a donor funded program made possible by the generosity of people like you!

Support the Women in Leadership Program by donating to Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇøÈë¿Ú Educational Foundation, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Federal Tax ID is 94-6128893. Gifts to the Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇøÈë¿Ú Educational Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Click here for gifts by mail or fax.

Donation by check can be made payable to: Â鶹´«Ã½ÉçÇøÈë¿Ú Educational Foundation, Cashier’s Office, SA 1200, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward, CA 94542-9988. Please specify that the donation is for the Women in Leadership Program. 

Contact us about Corporate Sponsorships. We appreciate your generosity!