Northeastern’s Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship, or WISE, transformed the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) lobby into an elegant venue for its fifth annual summit on March 29. Centered on the theme “Built to Last,” this nine-hour event included keynote speakers, moderated panels, and hands-on workshops.
The summit explored sustainability in various sectors, including health and wellness, community, careers, and business. It attracted a diverse mix of entrepreneurs, professionals, and Northeastern students, many of whom benefited from the insights of Northeastern alumni speakers.
Grace Kennedy, a fourth-year health science major, shared her experience: ‘I got to have some really cool conversations. It helped me think about my future career and continue to invest in relationships with people who are doing really cool things in the world.’
The opening keynote speakers included Madyson Wallace-Stupart, a solutions consultant at Adobe and marketing manager at G{Code}, and Charmain Jackman, psychologist and founder of InnoPsych. Their stories sparked engaging conversations about minority representation, community empowerment, managing burnout, and creating meaningful impacts through one’s work.
Attendees had the opportunity to select from various expert-led workshops, which covered topics such as long-term investment, nutrition, and wellness. Later in the day, workshops on content creation, venture capital, sustainable fashion, and data visualization were also offered.
During lunch, attendees reconvened in the lobby, where a vendor marketplace showcased a diverse range of businesses, including candles, plants, jewelry, and art. The Better Business Bureau, a sponsor of the WISE Summit, also offered free professional headshots to participants, further enhancing the entrepreneurial exposure opportunities.
Uvida, Boston’s only zero-waste store, returned as a marketplace vendor reflecting the summit’s sustainability theme. Maria Vasco, founder of Uvida, noted, ‘I think their summits have grown and improved. I would definitely say the traffic has increased over the years.’
Another vendor, Strwbry Wrld, offered insights from founder Beatrice van der Velde-Kraft, a Northeastern graduate who expressed her excitement about reconnecting with her community and showcasing her creative work. ‘It’s always good to get exposure as a creative,’ she said.
After lunch and a second series of workshops, two lightning speakers, Lamiaa Laurène Daif from Apple and Ammy Lowney, co-founder of Juicygreens, delivered fast-paced presentations that guided attendees through transformative career journeys, sharing valuable insights about redefining success in their professional lives.
WISE’s mission of supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs was woven throughout the day’s activities. Attendees received goodie bags filled with promotional materials from summit contributors, and the day’s breakfast was catered by Juicygreens, highlighting the event’s commitment to community involvement.
The closing of the summit featured a moderated panel of entrepreneurs, offering perspectives on career changes and the investment required in entrepreneurship. Judy Thelen, co-founder of the restaurant list-keeping app Beli, provided the final keynote, sharing her journey of building a successful data-driven startup, which inspired attendees to reflect on their own paths.
Christine Ahn, director of marketing for the WISE Summit, stated, ‘In a way, that’s why we were able to build on it and create something lasting, because we had that strong foundation to go off of.’
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