By Matt Vines March 04, 2025
SHREVEPORT – March is women’s history month, but a gathering of the region’s female leaders will be more interested in making history than studying it.
LSUS is hosting its annual Women in LeadHERship Conference on March 21, a collection of established and aspiring female leaders who will share their journeys and build a leadership community with each other.
The event attracts women from a wide range of industries and career stages – from ambitious students to established local leaders and entrepreneurs.
“Women should attend because this conference offers so much more than great information—it's an opportunity to connect, grow, and be inspired,” said Leigh Chambers, executive director of events and community initiatives. “Leadership isn’t one-size-fits all.
“It’s about learning how to steer your own course. Whether it’s gaining new skills, finding affirmation in your choices, or expanding your support network, this event is designed to empower women to become captains of their ships.”
Participants can register for the event on or before March 15 for an early-bird price of $79, with a $99 registration fee after that.
The event features three keynote speakers and a total of five breakout sessions with speakers discussing various topics. Lunch is provided.
One breakout session speaker is Dr. Grace Hildenbrand, an LSUS assistant professor in leadership studies who will be talking about leader identity and imposter syndrome.
Hildenbrand said about two-thirds of people experience imposter syndrome, but female leaders tend to experience this at higher rates than males.
“Females generally have fewer women in senior leadership positions to look up to, and there are fewer leader prototypes of women,” Hildenbrand said. “As a result, many women don’t see themselves as leaders or aspire to be leaders.
“To counteract this, female leaders can develop a leader identity (start seeing themselves as leaders), avoid overworking, avoid conforming, and have a growth mindset.
Organizations can support female leaders by encouraging networking among successful women and recognize women for their accomplishments as well as attribute their work success to their accomplishments.”
Hildenbrand added that organizations can evaluate their culture and address issues related to systemic bias.
Discussing issues such as these in an open forum can spark a sharing of ideas and foster a sense of connection and collaboration, which is a goal of the conference.
The conference’s three keynote speakers include Dr. LaTonya Mister (founder of SOW & REAP Physical Therapy), Amy Young (senior insurance consultant and co-owner of Greater Self LLC) and Jovon Brumfield (leadership coach and founder of Lagniappe Business Services, LLC).
Mister will be addressing pelvic health with techniques to improve pelvic health.
Young will discuss how to handle rejection and grow from those circumstances.
Brumfield’s topic is “relentless resilience” and how to craft the blueprint for one’s leadership success.
Breakout sessions will be led by women from various industries, including a police captain, a bank senior vice president, and a non-profit executive.
Visit the event’s webpage for a full list of speakers and topics.
The 2025 conference is the second in this annual series, and Chambers said the conference’s committee has built upon a successful inaugural event from 2024.
“We’ve expanded our committee and put out an open call for volunteers, and the overwhelming response has been incredible,” Chambers said. “The varied backgrounds of our volunteers – from students to high-level executives – truly reflect our mission to support women in leadership at every stage of their journey.
“One of the key takeaways from last year’s feedback was the recognition that leadership is a continuous journey, and women benefit from support and learning at all stages of life.
That’s why we designed this year’s programming to feature a broad range of speakers who can offer valuable insights from different perspectives and career paths.”
Dr. Dalila Morningstar-Salazar, associate dean of the college of business at LSUS, led the programming design of the conference.
Comments