Engaging Speakers For Panels

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟬𝘀? As you can imagine I consume at a lot of longevity content, and one thing keeps standing out: the biggest names I see and hear are still mostly men. 1️⃣ Only 17% of the top 100 longevity leaders are women. 2️⃣ At major conferences, lineups can be as imbalanced as 12 men for every woman. 3️⃣ In 2024, women-led startups in health and longevity attracted just 2% of venture capital in the US and Europe. 4️⃣ In research, only about 30% of scientists are women, and in drug trials women make up under 30% in early phases and about 41% later on. That imbalance whilst seemingly trivial does influence who gets the microphone, whose science is amplified, and thereby likely has knock-on effects to which companies get funded. Whilst less pronounced, the imbalance seems reminiscent of the past ✔️ After the thalidomide crisis in the 1950s, women were excluded from most clinical trials until 1993. ✔️ For decades medicine defaulted to the male body, leaving women with more side effects, misdiagnoses, and treatments that didn’t fit their biology. ✔️ Even now, they are 50–75% more likely than men to have adverse drug reactions. Of course men can talk about women's health and cite studies, but I believe it isn't the same as when women lead the conversation. With their biology, longer lifespans, and greater burden of chronic illness, women bring nuance and lived experience that male-led research can possibly miss in addition to simply being more likely to inspire behavioral change in female audiences. Still, the spotlight often circles the same few male voices, while equally credible women don’t always get the same recognition. Yet there are already incredible names in the space: → Dr. Rhonda Patrick: breaking down complex aging science for a mass audience. → Celine Halioua (Loyal): raised $125M+ to develop the first FDA-approved longevity drug. → Kristen Fortney Fortney (BioAge Labs): using AI and biobank data to target aging pathways. → Robin Berzin MD (Parsley Health): building a new model for preventive, personalized care. → Anne Fulenwider (Alloy Health): tackling menopause as a central longevity issue. → Dr. Gabrielle Lyon: putting muscle health at the center of longevity. → Stacy T. Sims, PhD.: proving that “women are not small men.” through research → Roma Van der Walt (Vitelle): creating longevity protocols designed for women. → Lucia Kupcova: supporting healthspan ventures and investors. → Kate Ryder (Maven Clinic): built the first women’s health unicorn and is reshaping femtech investing.

A student recently commented to me that the news cycle feels dominated with climate pessimism. But I disagreed. As I thought more about it, I realized that it is more important than ever to remain resilient and to fill our own news cycle with climate optimism. Everyday I try to spend time honoring the accomplishments and contributions of individuals actively driving sustainability initiatives for communities worldwide. I thought I would add some climate optimism to your feed today! ⭐ Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Founder of Urban Ocean Lab, is a marine biologist and policy expert working at the intersection of conservation and social justice. ⭐ Vanessa Nakate, a climate justice activist from Uganda, is committed to amplifying the voices of African activists and raising awareness about the impact of climate change on the continent. ⭐ Catherine Coleman Flowers, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, is a leading environmental justice advocate and author, working to address sanitation and water issues in marginalized communities. ⭐ Dr. Dorceta E Taylor, an environmental sociologist, is a leading scholar on environmental justice, sustainability, and diversity in the environmental movement.    These leaders exemplify the importance of cultivating a global workforce with green skills and the powerful role that women play in this field. From their research, speeches, podcasts, articles, and so much more, their work has unlocked insights that are changing the world.     #SustainabilityLeaders #Inspiration

Female faculty have a harder time working in academia than male faculty. Women report negative interactions with male colleagues make it harder for them to secure mentoring, resources, & career opportunities. Don't believe it? Ten years ago, Griffin et al. provided a masterful analysis of the issue, using qualitative methods & analysis of interviews with 23 female scientists. They found that: * academic value systems sometimes clash with the values ascribed to women in society. * women reported negative & marginalizing interactions with men in academic settings. * women lacked access to resources needed to succeed in academic careers. What can we do? * offer career development activities so everyone has equivalent access to develop soft skills. * monitor how people treat one another in academia, negative & marginalizing interactions should not be tolerated. * educate academics, so they understand how their actions impact each other. * create formal systems for allocating resources, such that everyone has similar access. * enforce rules for workplace civility, we need to stop looking the other way when a colleague is harassed. Read the paper, look around, & ask yourself is this still the academic world that I live in? If it is, become a change agent! The citation: Griffin, K., Gibbs Jr, K. D., Bennett, J., Staples, C., & Robinson, T. (2015). " RESPECT ME FOR MY SCIENCE": A BOURDIEUIAN ANALYSIS OF WOMEN SCIENTISTS'INTERACTIONS WITH FACULTY & SOCIALIZATION INTO SCIENCE. Journal of women & minorities in science & engineering, 21(2). The link: https://lnkd.in/eZPHUNwY The abstract: Disparities in representation in the professoriate and recent research suggest that women continue to face challenges throughout their training. This study examines a specific aspect of scientific training− interactions with faculty−due to their role in socializing students into academic norms and values which can promote retention and success in science. While studies have highlighted the importance of faculty relationships in socialization, few studies have done so using a Bourdieuian framework (social capital, cultural capital, habitus, and field) or simultaneously addressed postdoctoral and graduate training experiences. This study uses Bourdieuian tools to frame an analysis of focus group data collected from 23 women who have completed PhDs in the biomedical sciences, focusing on how their relationships with faculty throughout their training experiences inform them about what it means to be a scientist, their alignment with these norms, and their access to important resources (social and cultural capital). Findings suggest that faculty interactions often suggested to women or led them to surmise that academic norms and values conflicted with their own as women. Further, women described negative and marginalizing interactions as limiting their access to important resources key to advancement in science.

I was delighted to welcome Vanessa Kerry, MD MSc, the first World Health Organization Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health, to The Minor Consult podcast. We explored how climate change is impacting human health — from the rise of vector-borne diseases to the effects of extreme weather on health care access — and we discussed what individuals and the global community can do to mitigate this crisis. Along the way, Vanessa shared insights from co-founding and leading Seed Global Health, which helps train the health workforce in resource-limited countries. Thank you for joining me, Vanessa! Listen to our entire discussion here: https://lnkd.in/gTvxJbTP #TheConsult #EarthDay

Lately, I’ve been attending a lot of industry events, and there has been one recurring theme: a glaring lack of women speakers! Far too often, the only woman on a panel (if any) is the moderator—which, let’s be honest, does not really count as equal representation and the panel would still count as a ‘manel.’ And please, don’t tell me there aren’t female professionals in this or that field. There are talented women out there, bringing expertise and fresh perspectives across every sector. It’s time we move beyond tokenism and make sure women are not only present, but actively participating as thought leaders and experts. YOU can do something about it: 🔴 As a speaker, recommend, introduce and advocate for women co-panelists. 🔴 As an event organizer, audit speaker lineups and actively seek out female experts, or hire someone to do that for you. 🔴 As a sponsor or partner, support events that prioritize gender balance and hold others accountable for their choices. Equal representation doesn’t happen by accident—it requires intentional action from each and every one of us. When we create space for all voices, we enrich the conversation with diverse voices and inspire the next generation of leaders; and it is time for our event lineups to reflect that! #representationmatters #womeninleadership #diversityandinclusion #publicspeaking #genderequality #socialimpact

I'm honored, I really am, thank you. But...my entire work week would be unpaid if I said yes to every invite to mentor, speak, present, or support a startup or VC fund just “for exposure” or equity. There's actually a term for this: the pink volunteer economy. ⏰ It's 2025—and yet women are still disproportionately asked to do work that isn’t paid, promoted, or even acknowledged. Every single week of the year I’m asked by people who are paid... to work for free. Make it make sense. 🙅♀️ From unpaid panels, presentations, and mentoring to invisible tasks like note-taking, free advisory sessions, making introductions, and planning events—it all adds up. And when we say no? We’re told we’re “not team players” or missing out on “visibility” or even better, "future opportunities." 📊 This isn’t just anecdotal—it’s backed by research ⤵️ 44% more likely: Women are asked to do non-promotable tasks more than men (Babcock et al., 2017). These include event organizing, mentoring, and internal admin—critical to the org, but ignored at promotion time (Harvard Business Review). Women are also more likely to say yes, thus keeping the cycle alive. 🎤 Panels & speaking gigs: A 2023 Women in Global Health survey found women experts are routinely unpaid or underpaid vs. male peers. Anecdotally, colleagues across sectors share with me the same story: men get fees, and women get to do “favors.” 🎨 Creative & consulting work: In creative industries, women are 40% more likely to be asked for unpaid strategic input (Creative Equals, 2021). We talk a lot about the gender pay gap and the second shift. But what about the unpaid labor that hides in plain sight in the professional world? I get it. I do want to help as much as possible, especially for friends and those doing "good" in this world. And I am! But the work often... spirals. Non-profits, starving start-ups, and new initiatives don't have budgets. But can we at least get an honorarium? Credit for the deal? 💡 But folks, if the work is really worth asking for, it’s worth budgeting for. Full stop. I know you all know this pain ➡️ Modern Agriculture Foundation (MAF), Sonalie Figueiras - The World's Green Queen, Jenny Stojkovic, Women In The Food Industry, Women in Food and Agriculture, Jenny Tang, Malin Frithiofsson, Michele Champagne, Floor Buitelaar, Julia Vol, Julia Pekerman, Tarika Vijayaraghavan, Ph.D. P.S. - Gary is not his / her real name. P.S.S. - Do you like my male twin? Now I know what I'd look like as a guy (according to AI). Do you think he'd more likely be offered payment above me?

Ah, the sweet, sweet irony of International Women’s Day… (sugar care of the token cupcakes, obviously). That magical time of year when companies suddenly remember female founders, leaders, and entrepreneurs exist, only to ask them to speak for free (or for exposure, which last time I checked, doesn’t pay the bills) at various events. A day meant to celebrate women’s achievements, yet we’re still being asked to work for less than we’re worth. Can they not see the irony? Don’t get me wrong - I speak at not-for-profits, community events, and social good foundations for free all the time. But big corporates? Paid ticketed events? Come on. So here’s a radical idea: If you truly support women in business, PAY THEM. Value their time. Put your budget where your "values" are. Because empowerment isn’t a hashtag - it’s a paid invoice, to a female, for what she's worth. 💰💡 #IWD #PayWomen #EquityNotExposure

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻. 𝗕𝗘 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.  Every year, I will be approached by several companies to deliver keynotes or facilitate workshops for IWD events. While I value these opportunities, it’s clear that organizations need to rethink their approach to International Women’s Day initiatives.  Here’s what I’ve observed:  👉🏼 𝗜𝗪𝗗 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀.   👉🏼 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 - without any reduction in their regular workload.   👉🏼 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 “𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿” 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.  The message this sends?  "We don’t value the contributions of our female workforce enough to allocate a budget to celebrate them. Their time, and the time of external speakers, isn’t worth compensating."  If your organization truly values equity, here’s what you should do instead:  ✔️ Don't use words like "empower", "celebrate", use "hire", "promote", "fund", or "invest in" - from the brilliant Cindy Gallop ✔️ Share specific strategies to close the #GenderGap in your company.   ✔️ Make real commitments, backed by action, that demonstrate how your organization plans to uplift women and achieve equity.  Without action, these celebrations are not only ineffective - they’re counterproductive.  𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.  What’s the one thing your company is doing this year to truly #AccelerateAction"? If you are looking for an unconventional approach to accelerate your IWD event this year, dm me!

Should Women Be Paid to Speak on International Women’s Day (IWD)? Let’s Discuss. March is here, and as always, there’s a flurry of events, panels, and discussions celebrating IWD. If you’ve been building your brand and visibility, chances are your inbox is filling up with invitations to speak at IWD events. But here’s the catch—many of these speaking opportunities are still unpaid. And it begs the question: Should women speak for free on International Women’s Day? I’m of two minds on this. 1. Speaking is Expertise—And Expertise Should Be Paid For When companies organize year-end parties in my home country, Nigeria, they budget significant sums to bring in high-profile entertainers. No one expects these artists to perform for free in the name of “celebration.” So why, when companies organize International Women’s Day events, do they often expect women to share their insights, experiences, and expertise without pay? Instead of fees, many women are offered corporate souvenirs, exposure, or simply a pat on the back. If accelerating action—this year’s IWD theme—is the true goal, then companies should put their money where their mouth is and compensate women for their contributions. If gender equity is a business priority and not just a tick-box exercise, then women’s expertise should be valued, not just recognized. 2. If You’re Just Starting Out, Be Strategic About Free Speaking Now, I also understand that some women may not yet feel comfortable charging for speaking engagements, especially if they’re just starting to build their presence. If that’s you, my advice is to be strategic about the unpaid opportunities you accept. Ask yourself: • Will this enhance my brand? Is this a company or platform aligned with your expertise and long-term goals? • What’s the audience size and composition? Will you be speaking to decision-makers, industry leaders, or potential clients? • Can you leverage this for visibility? Get a recording, create a speaker reel, write an article about it, or secure media features from the event. Speaking for free should be a strategic decision, not an obligation. If you’re on the journey to becoming board-ready, your ability to speak with authority, command attention, and share your thought leadership is a critical skill. Board roles are not just about credentials; they’re about visibility, influence, and positioning yourself as a thought leader. My Board-Ready Content Program helps women craft powerful narratives that position them as experts—whether on LinkedIn, in board meetings, or on global stages. Because the truth is, when you speak powerfully and with credibility, companies start recognizing your value, and you create opportunities where being paid is non-negotiable. Send me a message or let me know in the comments if you would like to know more. So, what do you think? Should women be paid to speak at International Women’s Day events? Or should it be seen as an act of service to the cause? Let’s discuss.

Think before you ask that “deep” question (or: How Not to Be an Academic A**hole – Part 2) This is the second in a series where I share some personal guidelines on how to not be a barrier to diversity in academia. These principles have been forged through excruciating faux pas, mortifying realizations, and watching the physics community repeatedly trip over itself. Before I start, a few things: 📌 I am not an angel. I have made every mistake possible, and I will try to make amends. 📌 This is not prescriptive—just my current stance, which is subject to change based on experience and feedback. 📌 The bar for diversity in physics is so low. The first step? Just not being an a**hole. ... You’re sitting in the audience at a major conference. A junior person is giving an engaging talk. You grudgingly admit to yourself that their work is actually pretty good. But something about it irks you. Maybe it’s the attention they’re getting. Maybe it’s the thought that your own contribution yesterday didn’t land quite the same way. So, you decide to make your presence known. You raise your voice, interrupt with a “thoughtful” remark that subtly asserts your intellectual superiority. One question isn’t enough—you see multiple issues, so you keep pushing. Meanwhile, the rest of us in the audience are thinking: What a complete a**hole. And if the speaker isn’t a cis white male, these interruptions somehow multiply. The termites come out of the woodwork. Someone once pointed out to me (thankfully, early in my career) that men are far more likely to grill female speakers with questions than they are their male counterparts. Once I heard that, I couldn’t unnotice it. Now, every time I see a panel of men bombarding a non-cis white male speaker with patronizing, self-aggrandizing questions, I cringe. This is academic negging. Let’s not forget the power dynamic here. A junior speaker stands alone on stage, often at the mercy of a room full of senior experts who hold sway over funding, hiring, and career opportunities. The imbalance is massive. So when someone decides to pick apart their talk—not with genuine curiosity, but to flex—it’s not just uncomfortable. It’s bullying. So next time you feel the urge to raise your hand, pause. Ask yourself why you’re asking. Are you genuinely curious? Or are you feeling overlooked, irritated, or just itching to remind everyone how smart you are(*)? If it’s the latter—bite your tongue. (*) These are human emotions, and can arise in a variety of circumstances. I am not telling you not to feel this way, just try not to act on it. #AcademicIntegrity #ResearchEthics #Physics #DiversityInSTEM #PowerImbalance #IckFactor #BeNice