Martha Stewart (left) and Gloria Steinem (photo courtesy of themarthablog.com)

The program committee for the annual IWLC spring conference was told to create their Dream Team when brainstorming speakers for this year’s event.

Considering the caliber of this year’s roster – women’s rights pioneer Gloria Steinem, lifestyle icon Martha Stewart, and the Rev. Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, are among the featured speakers – it’s hard to imagine who else they wanted.

“The 2013 conference features our strongest speaker line-up yet,” says Diane Ramsey, IWLC’s executive director. “From health to entrepreneurism to negotiating skills, this conference has something for everyone, aligning relatable topics with some of the most accredited experts in the field.”

IWLC is non-profit charitable organization dedicated to advancing women leadership opportunities. The organization is a resource for women who want to grow as leaders in their companies, communities, and careers.

“We might change the title of the conference every year, but the essence of what we do remains the same,” Ramsey says.

This year’s conference – titled “Stay Smart. Lead Strong.” – will be held April 23 and 24 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Coralville. Additional featured speakers and workshop leaders for the 2013 conference include:

• Barbara Annis, expert on inclusive leadership and co-author with John Gray of “Gender Intelligence: Mars and Venus Working and Winning Together”
• Azure Antoinette, poet and activist known as “the Maya Angelou of the Millennial generation”
• Lisa Bloom, attorney and legal commentator, author of “Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World”
• Jennifer and Peter Buffett, founders of the NoVo Foundation, a co-sponsor of The Girl Effect
• Eleanor Clift, political commentator and co-author with Matthew Spieler of “Selecting a President”
• Carol Frohlinger, negotiations expert and author of “Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It”
• Christine Jahnke, communications consultant and author of “The Well-Spoken Woman: Your Guide to Looking and Sounding Your Best”
• Reverend Bernice A. King, daughter of the late Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King, and CEO of The King Center in Atlanta, GA
• Benita Mosley, Olympic medalist, cable TV executive, sports administrator
• Dr. Pamela Peeke, physician, chief medical correspondent for Discovery Heath TV, expert on nutrition, stress and fitness
• Selena Rezvani, leadership consultant and author of “Pushback: How Smart Women Ask—and Stand Up—for What They Want”
• Valerie Young, expert on the Imposter Syndrome and author of “The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women”

Early registration tickets are $450 per person, or $4,500 for a table of 10. The price increases to $495 per person and $4,950 for a table of 10 after March 15.

Information regarding scholarships to help pay the registration fee is available on the IWLC Website at http://www.iwlcleads.org/2013conference. These scholarships are designed for students, minorities, small business owners, nonprofit staff, the unemployed, and/or other women experiencing financial need or hardship. The scholarship application deadline is March 8.

“We opened registration on Feb. 18 and, as of (Monday), we had less than 100 seats available,” Ramsey says. “We have sold out the last three years of the conference and expect to again.”

Three pre-conference workshops on the topics of women’s health, communication skills and women-owned businesses – the latter featuring Cedar Rapids entrepreneur Lydia Brown and Director of Iowa Workforce Development Teresa Wahlert – are scheduled for April 23. Seats are available for the pre-conference workshops.

Registration and full conference details can be found at http://www.iwlcleads.org/2013conference. You can register online or by calling the University of Iowa Conference Center at (800) 551-9029 or (319) 335-4141.