National Women’s Leadership Conference

Julia Landauer is a champion racecar driver, keynote speaker, and podcast host who currently serves on the Strategy team at NASCAR. A Stanford University graduate, Julia has competed at the highest levels of motorsports, was a contestant on CBS’ Survivor, and has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. She is a passionate advocate for STEM education and women’s empowerment, sits on the board of the Shift Up Now Foundation, and hosts the podcast If I’m Honest with Julia Landauer. At NASCAR, Julia leads cross-functional initiatives in partnership with senior leadership, helping teams align strategy, execution, and innovation.

Teresa Bain is an EOS Implementer® and seasoned corporate strategist with more than 25 years of hands-on entrepreneurial and operational leadership experience.

Before deploying EOS®, Teresa built, acquired, operated, and successfully sold multi-state businesses in the real estate and healthcare sectors, leading teams through acquisitions, growth, and market disruption.

Today, she leverages her real-world operating experience and hard-earned leadership lessons to help entrepreneurs and leadership team members gain clarity, improve execution, and build healthy organizations.

Jessica Li is the Ned Fleming Professor of Marketing at the University of Kansas School of Business. She earned her BS from Cornell University and her PhD from Arizona State University. Her research sits at the intersection of psychology and marketing, examining how people form impressions, evaluate trust, infer motives, and make decisions about the brands, organizations, and people around them.

Her work has been published in leading academic journals including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Academy of Management Journal. Her research has also been featured in media and public-facing outlets, where she shares insights on consumer behavior.

For over a decade, she has taught courses in consumer psychology, marketing strategy, and integrated marketing communications and is passionate about translating research into practical tools that help people communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships, and better understand how others perceive them.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys scuba diving with her husband, spending time with their dogs, and exploring new places, ideas, and experiences.

Wendy Nguyen is the founder of Get Paid for Your Passion Center Inc., a nonprofit movement that empowers individuals to monetize their deepest passions while creating meaningful impact, proving that purpose and prosperity can beautifully coexist.

A nationally recognized CPA, Forbes contributor, and serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience, Wendy has founded and invested in more than 10 ventures spanning finance, education, hospitality, and technology. She has helped businesses secure more than $20 million in funding and guided over 15 companies to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. Among her proudest accomplishments is rebuilding her CPA practice from the ground up into a seven-figure business in just two years.

Wendy’s career is defined by resilience, innovation, and strategic leadership. After being dismissed from a company where she held a 20% ownership stake—despite increasing annual revenue from $1 million to $3 million and growing the team from six to 25 employees in just nine months—she transformed that setback into an opportunity, launching multiple successful businesses and expanding her entrepreneurial impact.

In 2023, Wendy experienced her most profound personal transformation. While navigating a difficult divorce as a single mother of three and continuing to lead her businesses, she chose growth over adversity. That experience inspired deep personal healing and the creation of her signature 3P Formula, which helps entrepreneurs align their Passion, Profit, and Purpose to build both meaningful and financially successful lives.

Her work has earned numerous accolades, including CPA of the Year by WomElle in 2024 and Inspirational Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the Global Leader Summit at Oxford University in 2025.

From arriving in the United States from Vietnam at age 17 with limited English to becoming a serial entrepreneur, international bestselling author, and sought-after speaker, Wendy’s journey is a powerful example of resilience, reinvention, and the American dream reimagined.

Adrianna Rubio-Clasen is a visionary entrepreneur, community leader, and advocate for women’s empowerment, dedicated to helping individuals and businesses thrive through wellness, protection, and meaningful connections.
As the founder of MenoWake , a wellness brand that helps women navigate menopause by choosing natural products. Adrianna is passionate about supporting women through menopause and life’s transitions with natural wellness solutions designed to help them feel confident, balanced, and empowered. Through her work, she encourages women to embrace aging with vitality and purpose, not pausing, but Awakening.

With more than 25 years of experience in the security industry, she established her business Tejas Protection in 2017. , Adrianna has built a reputation for excellence, integrity, and dedication to protecting people, businesses, and communities. Her commitment to service and leadership has earned the trust of clients throughout her career.
Adrianna is also the visionary behind The Awaken Woman Network and International Women’s Fest , platforms created to inspire, educate, and connect women from all walks of life. Through networking events, educational programs, and collaborative opportunities, she helps women discover their strengths, elevate their voices, and build lasting relationships that foster personal and professional growth.

Known for her passion, authenticity, and unwavering commitment to empowering others, Adrianna believes that every woman deserves the opportunity to awaken her potential, embrace her purpose, and create a life of impact.

Her guiding philosophy is simple: Choose Nature. Don’t Pause. Awaken. 

Ramona J. Smith is a world-class communication strategist, international keynote speaker, and the 2018 World Champion of Public Speaking—an elite distinction earned by outperforming more than 30,000 speakers worldwide. As only the fifth woman in history to hold this title, she has become a defining voice in leadership communication, influence, and transformational impact.

With a commanding stage presence and a reputation for delivering high-impact experiences, Ramona has spoken across the United States, the Middle East, Asia, and South America, reaching millions of people globally. Her work equips executives, leaders, and organizations to communicate with precision, elevate engagement, and drive performance—particularly in moments that demand clarity, confidence, and decisive leadership.

From her roots in Cleveland, Ohio, to shaping young minds as a high school educator in Houston, Texas, to building a thriving enterprise in Los Angeles, Ramona’s journey embodies resilience, reinvention, and the highest level of excellence.

She is the Founder of Ascend Wealth Group, a financial literacy firm focused on building generational wealth, and the author of A World Champion’s Guide to Public Speaking . Her insights have been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc.com.

Beyond the stage, her greatest pride is her son, Ryan—a childhood cancer survivor who has grown into a scholar, athlete, and emerging entrepreneur.

Ramona J. Smith doesn’t just deliver speeches—she engineers transformational experiences that shift mindsets, elevate leadership, and move audiences to action.

Yvette Valdenegro is a self-mastery coach, author, podcaster, relationship mentor, and co-founder of YG Collaborations. Passionate about guiding women through seasons of growth, clarity, and meaningful connection, she helps women reconnect with themselves, realign their priorities, and create lives rooted in confidence, purpose, and intention.

With more than two decades of leadership, business, and community-building experience, Yvette is known for her ability to help women navigate life’s transitions with honesty, strategy, and heart. Her approach centers on the belief that lasting transformation begins not by doing more, but by strengthening the relationship you have with yourself.

Through coaching, speaking, retreats, books, podcasts, and curated experiences, Yvette empowers women to embrace every season of life with greater awareness, deeper connection, and a renewed sense of possibility. Her mission is to help women live intentionally, lead authentically, and create meaningful impact in their relationships, communities, and beyond.

Sara Sharif Iqbal is the founder and Creative Director of Graphic Matters, a full-service creative practice where graphics become important matters of communication for your business or organization. She designs brands and cohesive digital experiences that evoke emotion and motivate action. She finds her gray tabby cuter than her 2 boys and believes coffee is the gasoline of life. 

She has a BFA in Graphic Communications from the University of Houston, TX, and also teaches in the Graphic Design program as an adjunct professor. Sara is a Hootsuite Certified Social Media Marketer, a Certified UX/UI Designer from Udemy, and a Certified Non-Profit Board Educator by BoardSource. Sara’s diverse experience spans educational institutions, healthcare, interior design, and non-profits. Her design partnerships include clients such as KIPP: Capital Region Public Schools, NY; NWIH Integrated Health Clinics; Slovack-Bass; the American Society of Interior Designers; Texas Association of Interior Design; and Fort Bend County Parks & Recreation.  

She is also the co-founder and Communications Director of Indus Arts Council, a nonprofit that fosters cross-cultural exchange between the Pakistani diaspora and diverse communities in the U.S. through language programs, immersive events, and an indie film festival. She’s been a guest speaker at the AIGA National Design Conference, the AIGA Houston Shift Design Symposium, the UT Health Marketing & Communications Conference, the University of Houston Digital Media Program, and the ASID Texas Gulf Coast Chapter’s Business Symposium and IP Expo. 

Sara currently serves as president of AIGA Houston and believes in cultivating genuine connections through collaboration and knowledge sharing.