The Women's Council at CU's Leeds School of Business Announces the Third Annual WILD Summit

BOULDER, Colo., Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Three years ago, Cindy Carrillo, a very successful woman entrepreneur who built, created and later sold her own business here in Colorado for almost $30 million, wanted to do something to help other women realize their dreams like she did. Carrillo saw how women of all ages, sectors and development of their careers sometimes struggled to cut through the noise, red tape and politics to find their way.

She did something about it. She formed a group called the CU Women's Council through the school's Leeds School of Business. She quickly gained support – from tens to twenties to now more than 200-plus women. Carrillo realized she needed a forum to bring all these women together – as well as others – to share their thoughts, their struggles, their challenges and their successes. And learn how they could all benefit from them and grow as individuals and as a community.

That is how Women Inspiring Leadership Development, or WILD, was formed.

On April 10, 2015, the third annual WILD Summit will be held at the new Marriott Hotel and Convention Center (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/denmw-denver-marriott-westminster/) in Westminster. It is the premier event in Colorado and perhaps the Southwest, for women (and men) to come together to share, inspire, dream and learn how they can grow and further their development in both personal and professional ways.

This is the third year Carrillo has led this cause. It has grown each year in its success since it launched.

Personal and Professional 'Choices' Is WILD III Theme
This year, the bar has been raised even higher. WILD III's theme is "Choices," centered on the decisions that impact each person's personal and professional lives and how we can shape them into learning – both positive and negative – to help women grow. Amazing morning sessions; a featured inspirational luncheon speaker, (Elaine Feeney, president and CEO of Wayin, who has led programs with Fortune 500 companies and beyond – more on this soon); and, an exciting closing program have been developed with this theme in mind. There is ample time for networking – to learn, share and exchange ideas. There are plenty of opportunities also for fun!

An "after party" at the end of the formal event will include a "happy hour" of sorts with a coffee bar, cocktails, music, hors d'oeuvres and time for attendees to talk and share in a more informal atmosphere.

"We have come such a long way toward our goal of helping foster discussion, growth and ideas among women of all ages," said Carrillo. "We have heard from attendees – especially students – how they have grasped so much from attending each WILD Summit and put it to practical use. We have so many examples of how this conference has impacted the lives of so many professional women. It is so gratifying to be part of this positive change."

Keynotes and Speakers
Morning Keynote Speaker, Barbara Mowry:
Kicking off the day's event will be Keynote Speaker Barbara Mowry, one of the top women business leaders in Colorado and beyond. Mowry currently serves as CEO and founder of GoreCreek Advisors, a management consulting firm focused on working with CEOs and Boards of Directors on business strategy and innovation. Her extensive experience includes roles as a senior executive in three Fortune 500 companies - Oracle Corporation, TCI (Comcast Corporation), United Airlines, as well as CEO of four entrepreneurial ventures. She founded companies and raised significant venture capital resulting in the successful sale of three of them. She has led both business-to-business as well as business-to-consumer focused companies. She is the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kauffman Foundation, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Overseers of the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota. She is a Board member of the National Association of Corporate Directors where she is a Leadership Fellow, a member of the Committee of 200, an invitation-only organization comprised of the world's most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders, The International Women's' Forum, and Women Corporate Directors.

Mowry, plus a featured luncheon speaker and a full afternoon of provocative women business leaders talking about the choices they have made throughout their careers, will make this year's program the best yet, says Carrillo.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Barbara join us for the top speaking slot at this year's WILD," said Carrillo. "She exemplifies the very ideals of strong women leadership. I have no doubt she will be an inspiration to us all."

Zayo, ViaWest, Whitewave and Wayin Show Support as Top Sponsors
Once again, strong backing and support from some of the Front Range's top businesses for WILD III has been shown with Zayo Group signing on as this year's Big Cat (top) sponsor and ViaWest, Wayin and Whitewave as Platinum sponsors.

More than half of this year's financial goal already has been achieved with many more other top businesses across Colorado already demonstrating their support, according to Carrillo.

"Based on the strong success we have been able to achieve with the first two years, we have been able to secure support from three new top sponsors (Zayo, ViaWest and Wayin) as well as a returning one (Whitewave). We are so very appreciative of their dedication in helping us make this year's WILD Summit the best ever!" said Jane Miller, this year's WILD underwriting chair.

Miller, who also is a successful business entrepreneur, was excited to play an even bigger part in this year's event. "As a repeat sponsor of WILD as the CEO of Rudi's and as the founder of Jane-Knows.com, I am thrilled to be in charge of underwriting," she said. "I can, with confidence, talk about the positive impact the event has made on my employees and the students that we sponsored. The speakers and sessions truly touch the core of what is most important to women in business."

Students Reap Significant Rewards
Carrillo says this year's program has a strong bent toward attracting, helping and nurturing students allowing them to interact with professional women in all industries throughout their career. For WILD III, a full student committee has been selected and is influencing everything from the program sessions to the luncheon speaker to student scholarships. Students will be interspersed at tables throughout the main ballroom so they get an opportunity to meet and network with women leaders throughout the day. They also will receive special discounts for registration. Proceeds received from WILD III will go toward student programming at CU's Leeds School of Business's undergraduate and graduate programs to help support their education and career aspirations.

"Having students play an active role makes this their conference too – which is a key objective of ours," explained Carrillo. "We want to empower them to learn, grow and seize the opportunity of having all these amazing women leaders present. We are excited to foster this type of environment where everyone benefits and learns from each other. It promises to be another magical event."

The WILD Summit III will take place on April 10, 2015 at the new Marriott Hotel and Convention Center (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/denmw-denver-marriott-westminster/) in Westminster. Registration will open February 10, 2015. For more information on the Women's Council and the WILD Summit, please visit (http://cudemingcenterwomenscouncil.org/index.html).

Tweet this: The @WILD_Summit takes women #leadership development to new level, announces 3rd Annual #WILDSummit for April 2015: http://cudemingcenterwomenscouncil.org/index.html

About the WILD Summit:
The WILD Summit is an annual event of The Women's Council, in partnership with The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. The mission of The WILD Summit is to provide a professional forum for women who want to learn and share; inspire and be inspired. Its objective is increase the visibility and accessibility of successful WILD women in the community to students and each other. It offers a venue for the presentation and sharing of relevant topics that are provocative and engaging to WILD women across university majors, industries and functional roles. It engages a broad audience of WILD women who fit in every place along the continuum of age and experience – bringing together those who are seeking knowledge and those with a desire to share and give back. For more information on the WILD Summit, please visit (http://leedswomenscouncil.org/wild-iii.html).

About the Women's Council:
The Women's Council is a membership group of professional women who serve the efforts of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado (CU).

The purpose of the Women's Council is to support the mission of CU's Leeds School of Business by providing access and connection for students to successful women business leaders who will provide their support and expertise and nourish both students and other women in our community to live up to their potential as entrepreneurs and leaders in business. For more information on CU's Women's Council, please visit (http://leedswomenscouncil.org/cu-leeds-school-of-business.html).

Media Contact: 
Terri Douglas
Catapult PR-IR
303-581-7760, ext. 18 (office)
303-808-6820 (cell)
[email protected] 
Twitter handle: @tddouglas

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SOURCE The WILD Summit