Chicago
Women's
Leadership
Accelerator
Committed to Closing the Leadership Gap
October 15th, 2026
8:30 am - 5 pm
About The CWLA
The Chicago Women's Leadership Accelerator (CWLA) is a is non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and targeted leadership development program designed to close the gender leadership gap by empowering and equipping career driven women with essential skills for leading in today’s complex business landscape. The CWLA provides a focused, high quality, interactive, and intimate (limited to 50 participants) professional development experience focused on building emotional intelligence and inclusive leadership skills- valuable leadership competencies that directly enhance team performance, organizational culture, and improve employee retention. Participants gain tools they can immediately apply to strengthen their leadership effectiveness, elevate team performance, and contribute more strategically within their organizations.
Designed for ambitious women who want to maximize their leadership impact, the CWLA provides practical and actionable leadership development, a powerful panel discussion featuring recognized business leaders, professional headshots, catered meals, and a networking happy hour. Bringing together women across generations, industries, races, and backgrounds, the CWLA creates a dynamic environment where participants can expand their networks, learn from one another's experiences, and grow alongside a diverse community of accomplished women leaders.
The CWLA is designed for women who currently lead others, influence teams and initiatives, or are preparing to step into leadership roles. More than 400 career-driven women have strengthened their leadership competencies through the CWLA.
Participants will earn a 5-hour Leadership Development Certificate of Completion upon completion of the program.
Why The CWLA
Despite extensive efforts to dissolve gender disparities in leadership roles, women still encounter formidable obstacles in attaining such positions. Despite comprising over half of the U.S. population and almost 50% of its workforce, women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership roles, particularly women of color. Recent research has shown that there is a declining commitment to women's career advancement. In fact the most recent Women in the Workplace study found that only 50% of companies reported that women's career advancement is a high priority (down from roughly 70% in recent years).
Unfortunately, the gender leadership gap continues to widen, despite widespread initiatives for parity. The CWLA was created in response to the need to reduce disparities women face in the workplace, increase the representation of women in leadership, and equip women with the knowledge and tools to become effective, emotionally intelligent, and inclusive leaders.
What an incredible event! The workshops were all thought-provoking and impactful sessions. The organizers created a special type of space that I have never been a part of -one that allowed and welcomed each of us to be honest, open and vulnerable. The CWLA encouraged us to focus on ways that we can be our best and most authentic selves while considering our personal strengths and areas needing improvement. It was an eye-opening event which taught me so many valuable things. As an added mention, the sessions were also quite fun, the day flew by with delicious catered food. We were truly treated as honored guests. Highly recommend!
Carolyn H.
Heitman
I had a great experience at the Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator. The day was filled with immersive workshops, engaging discussions, and the collective sharing of experiences and strategies to promote inclusive professional environments. The CWLA is appropriate for both established and up-and-coming women leaders and is a great opportunity for attendees at varying stages of the career spectrum to exercise their emotional IQ muscles and add skills to their leadership toolkit.
Nicole C.
Health Care Service Corporation
The Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator was an incredible event. Everything from the size to the content was spot on - even down to the female-founded wine at Happy Hour. I travelled from Salt Lake City just for this event and it was absolutely worth it. A few of the exercises required us to write down goals on a sticky note and I’ve referenced them every day as a reminder. Alicia, Cindu, and Desiree struck the perfect balance of both inspirational and impactful lectures AND tactical exercises with key takeaways.
Mei H.
Investor, Mercadito Partners
The CWLA instructors facilitated engaging discussions on relevant topics with a diverse group of leaders at various stages in their careers.
They equipped me with activities and tools that I will take back to my team to help engage and communicate in new and different ways.
I found the session to be a balanced mix of interpersonal and business skills, both of which are essential in today's corporate environment.
As a senior leader, I found that the experience was well worth it and a great way to ease back into in-person leadership training!
Janet J.
Vice President, Amsted Industries
Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator is a great experience for professional women. Attending this conference allowed me to connect with many successful but similar women I would not have met prior. In this space you are allowed to be vulnerable, speak truth, seek advice, build brands, create and dream of new ideas which women typically do not always have the ability to do. The mindset, interaction, involvement and lessons that I walked away with made my CWLA experience great. The leaders of CWLA were very intentional in curating an atmosphere that was inclusive, friendly and fun. I will forever be grateful to have been a part of the CWLA 2022 session.
Vanesha B.
Program Coordinator, College of Lake County
I’ve attended many women’s leadership conferences in my twenty plus year career, and CWLA was by far the most valuable one I’ve experienced. I left with invaluable knowledge and tools that I was able to put into action immediately. I highly recommend the CWLA to any woman who is looking to level up her leadership skills.
Denise L.
CMO, Informed Group
My experience at the CWLA was an extremely valuable one. The sessions were engaging, informative, and inspiring. The facilitators brought their wealth of knowledge and expertise in their respective fields to empower us to be more courageous and effective leaders. I highly recommend the CWLA for any senior, emerging, or inspiring leaders.
Christy C.
Vice President, Goldman Sachs
I was expecting to sit in a chair most of the day listening to other people talk to me. Instead, I found myself leaving my phone/work email untouched, and truly engaged in each of the three interactive workshop formats. Networking can be daunting at large events, and I appreciated the intentionality of an intimate attendance size to foster more meaningful conversations.
Rebecca R.
P33, Digital Marketing Manager
'All encompassing' is the word that comes to mind to describe my CWLA experience. From shedding a tear during a small group discussion, getting inspired by other womens' successes and failures, feeling the wheels turning during the MBA-like exercises, to having others' stories resonate and validate my own... It was a perfect conference. A nice reminder to put ourselves first - to start the day with a glamor photo session! There was a light and energetic pace to the day, great coordination, humor and good food throughout the day.
Yulia K.
Dawar Technologies
“In this world there is no force equal to the strength of a woman determined to rise.”
- W.E.B. Du Bois
CWLA Founders
Experienced Leaders, Committed to Elevating Women
With decades of combined expertise, Cindu Thomas-George, Desiree Vargas Wrigley, and Alicia Del Real bring deep specialization in Inclusive Leadership, Innovation, and Emotional Intelligence—critical skills for today’s leaders.
Our why is simple: we believe in elevating women and expanding their power. Through the Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator, we are committed to closing the gender leadership gap and creating opportunities for women to lead with confidence and impact. This is our way of giving back—investing in the future of women leaders in Chicago and beyond.
You can learn more about CWLA's origin story here.
50
Attendees
3
Sessions
1
Day
Meet Our Upcoming Panelists
Join us on October 15 to hear from this inspiring group of leaders
Mary Weber, Chief Operating Officer, Lincoln International
Natasha Miller Williams, Vice President, Ferrara
Suzanne Yoon, Founder & Managing Partner, Kinzie Capital
Sharada Sullivan, Managing Director, CBRE
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Event Location: 110 N Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606
Thursday, October 15th, 2026, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
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