International Business Media Company Womenetics Hosts Chicago Conference on Women's Empowerment and Corporate Social Responsibility

CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The business case for women's empowerment in the global economy will be the focus when recognized global expert and Chicago-based consultant, Diane Osgood, leads discussions with renowned corporate and non-profit executives on November 10 at the Womenetics Global Women's Initiative. Global thought leaders will convene with leading corporate executives in Chicago to explore ways to advance women worldwide and ensure the U.S. stays economically competitive. The international media company, Womenetics, will host the Global Women's Initiative: The Ripple Effect to discuss trends, innovation, challenges and promising cross-sector solutions surrounding women's leadership, corporate social responsibility, and worldwide economic and political empowerment of women.

This half-day event will be moderated by Osgood, a recognized global expert in sustainable business who counsels companies to create value by integrating sustainability into their core activities. A pioneer in her field, Osgood is Senior Advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). In 2011, she worked closely with the CGI to launch the subject of sustainable consumerism on the global agenda.

"Diane Osgood has spent her career focused on driving value creation to enable companies to profit and deliver goods and services that benefit their customers and the planet," says Elisabeth Marchant, President and CEO of Womenetics. "She has been successful in initiating codes of conduct to guide companies on tricky issues, and creating groundbreaking multi-sector partnerships. Business initiatives that create shared value between companies and communities have become integral to success in the global marketplace. We are excited to have her join us at the Global Women's Initiative as she moderates the day's discussions."

The Global Women's Initiative: The Ripple Effect will take place on Thursday, November 10 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago, IL. For more information or to register, visit www.womenetics.com. The program will also include the following thought leaders from the corporate, public policy and non-profit realms who will discuss strategies to increase women's participation worldwide.

Pamela A. Joseph | Vice Chairman, U.S. Bancorp Payment Services; Chairman, Elavon, Inc.
Pamela A. Joseph is responsible for U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions, U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Solutions, Elavon Global Acquiring Solutions (formerly NOVA Information Systems), and Elavon Financial Services, U.S. Bancorp's chartered European financial institution. She was named #6 on American Banker Magazine's list of Most Powerful Women in Banking for 2011.

Jeff Peterson | Director, Innovation & Strategy, General Mills Foundation | Community Action
Jeff Peterson develops social change collaboration and communication strategies for the $16B international food corporation and its Foundation. With a focus on Hunger & Nutrition Wellness, signature initiatives under his leadership include Champions for Healthy Kids, a $20M campaign promoting youth nutrition and fitness, and Join My Village, an on-line crowd-sourcing initiative supporting women and girls' education in Malawi.

Astrid Pregel | President, Feminomics, Inc.
Astrid Pregel has spent most of the past 15 years studying, advocating, writing policy and advising international organizations and governments on women's economic issues. Pregel is a Canadian career Foreign Service Officer and the President of Feminomics Inc., a boutique consulting firm specialized in women's economic empowerment, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Edit Schlaffer, Ph.D. | Founder, Women without Borders (WwB)
Dr. Edit Schlaffer is an internationally renowned social scientist, author, and activist focused on women as agents of change in the global arena and civil society. In 2002, she founded WwB, an international advocacy organization to empower women as credible voices towards positive change through global dialogue, alliances with international partners and model projects that strengthen female self-confidence and influence in countries that are in transition.

Karen Sherman | Executive Director for Global Programs, Women for Women International (WfWI)
Karen Sherman provides strategic management for development and execution of worldwide programs to fulfill WfWI's mission to serve women survivors of war and conflict, changing the lives of women, their families, and communities. Sherman also spearheads efforts to enhance the impact, depth and scale of women's economic empowerment through innovative collaboration with business, corporate and other non-profit partners.

For the schedule and more information about this event, visit http://www.womenetics.com/details/35-global-womens-initiative-chicago.

About Womenetics

Womenetics is a business platform providing substantive information for and about women. Womenetics is a media property that celebrates women in the workplace and focuses on the grooming of future leaders. Womenetics explores  how women's abilities can be effectively employed to impact critical challenges – the economy, health, work, wages, politics, social issues and education.  Womenetics inspires women to become engaged, take charge of their destinies and to take their place in business and the public realm. Through relevant content online and at events, Womenetics brings powerful ideas and lessons for change. Womenetics is today's imperative for business success.  www.womenetics.com.

Contact: Ellen Adair Wyche
The Wyche Group
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SOURCE Womenetics