On a day devoted to the theme of illuminating values and inspiring action, Inge-Lise Ameer, Ed.D., Bryant University’s vice president of student affairs and dean of students, couldn’t help but be awed by the women gathered for the 2026 Women’s Summit® — and their capacity for supporting one another.
“Two days before the 2025 summit, I learned I had early-stage breast cancer,” she told an audience of more than 1,000. “I remember being so scared and worried, and then I looked out at all the amazing women in the room and felt such strength and joy.”
“You all gave me the strength to keep going as women have since the beginning of time, no matter the circumstances,” continued Ameer, who is now cancer-free. The summit, the largest and longest running of its kind in the region, she said, was a testament to the power of community, sharing knowledge, and inspiration.
After a heartfelt thank you to the many people who made the summit possible — including co-directors Kelly Boutin, Bryant’s director of student case management, and Amy Webster, associate director of wellbeing and nutrition — and a welcome video from Amica, the event’s platinum sponsor, the day’s first keynote speaker, Amanda Scipione, head of global diversity and inclusion at Fidelity Investments®, took the stage.
Scipione focused on how we can overcome adversity by learning to pivot, let go of the illusion of control, and find a pathway to creativity.
Illustrating her points with personal stories about dealing with a career-ending basketball injury, adoption, a near catastrophe during childbirth, and the challenges of raising a child with special needs, Scipione stressed that hardship requires us to be versatile. “[It] isn’t about holding on tighter to what was and what will never be again. It's about learning to release your grip and let it go.”
Learning that you can’t control everything in life can be liberating, said Scipione. “If you recognize that control is just an illusion, you're able to be more present in the life you have, not the life that you want. And the results will stun you.”
Discovering her creativity also helped Scipione, who turned a habit of writing short stories while traveling for work into a book called The Plane Game, find her center.
“By escaping into your imagination, a counterintuitive thing happens: You become more present in the life that you have,” she said.
A call to action
When we combine our talents with our passions, great things can happen, the day’s speakers noted.
“It is a pleasure to see so many accomplished, thoughtful, and purpose-driven women and friends gathered here today, bringing together leaders, mentors, and changemakers to connect, to reflect, and to move forward with intention,” declared Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “Today is an opportunity to honor progress, acknowledge the work still ahead, and draw inspiration from one another.”
This year’s theme of values-based leadership had special resonance for Bryant, he noted. “Our women graduates, and all our alumni, exemplify this every day — as executives, entrepreneurs, educators, public servants, and community leaders who lead with confidence, clarity, and purpose, he stated.
Barbara Papitto ’83, ’85MBA, ’97H, the recipient of this year’s Kati C. Machtley Businesswoman of the Year Award, offered proof to that statement. As the founder and a trustee of the Papitto Opportunity Connection, she leads a nonprofit private foundation dedicated to working together with other nonprofit organizations committed to Rhode Island communities in need.
The afternoon session concluded with a moderated discussion between Ameer and keynote speaker Elin Hilderbrand. The New York Times best-selling author took the audience through the successes and struggles of her life and career, including being told early on by the director of a prestigious writer’s workshop that she would never be published.
“Thirty-two books later, I can say he was wrong,” noted Hilderbrand, several of whose novels, including The Perfect Couple and The Five-Star Weekend have been adapted for the screen, with others currently in the works.
The secret, Hilderbrand said, was persistence and perseverance. She may not have always been the most gifted writer, she admitted, “But I always finish my stories,” Hilderbrand stated.
“What I would say to the women out there who have a passion, whether it's writing or something completely different, is you have to be fairly single-minded in achieving your goal,” she suggested.
The author also discussed how her relationship with her own reputation has changed.
“The title ‘Queen of the Beach Read’ was the male universe trying to put me in a box,” said Hilderbrand. “They don’t typically say that kind of thing about male authors.”
But over time she realized that there was power in that title — it meant her readers could use her stories as an escape from the difficult circumstances in their lives.
The tools to succeed
Throughout the day, the Women’s Summit attendees took part in breakout sessions covering everything from embracing your financial clout to the rise of women’s sports.
A lack of confidence can be devastating in our professional lives, Tara McClary, managing vice president of claims shared services at Amica Mutual Insurance Company noted during the Thriving Against Impostor Syndrome panel. McClary broke down the feelings of inferiority that plague so many, including their causes, costs, and the unfair expectations we sometimes hold ourselves to.
The answer, she suggested, is reframing how we see ourselves and allowing our true selves to shine through. “If you want to stop feeling like an impostor, you need to stop thinking like an impostor,” she advised.
Artificial intelligence was the topic of several sessions led by Bryant experts, including a breakout on secure and ethical implementation led by Erica Lebrun, Associate Director of Web and Integration Services, and a session on using AI as a tool of empowerment presented by Sharmin Attaran, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing and Director of the Digital Marketing program and Stefanie Boyer, Ph.D., professor of Marketing, and the director of the Bryant University Sales Institute.
The key to leadership in the face of AI-driven change isn’t knowing everything about the technology or indulging in jargon, management consultant Rita Williams-Bogar ’76, president and CEO of Personal Development Solutions, argued during her breakout. It’s about the very human attribute of empathy.
AI implementation, Williams-Bogar said is often accompanied by disruption. “It is moving at lightning speed,” she said. “Some people are excited; some people are really worried about their job security.”
Williams-Bogar advised managers to “lead with emotional intelligence” by listening, validating workers’ concerns about AI, and being transparent about the changes the technology will bring. “Be ethical in your decision making and put people first,” she said.
Other breakouts focused on additional evolving trends. For instance, in a session moderated by Bryant’s Assistant Professor of Communication and Language Studies Jerrica Rowlett, Ph.D., journalists representing Ocean State Media, The Boston Globe, Rhode Island Monthly, Hey Rhody Media Co., and Providence Business News discussed the erosion of public trust driven by mis- and disinformation, when journalists should or shouldn’t use AI, and the challenges and opportunities created by social media.
Pam Johnston, president and CEO of Ocean State Media, noted that despite industry’ headwinds, there are opportunities for reinvention.
“There are ways to use this moment and serve an audience with excellence,” she said.
Attendees were also inspired to take action.
“When your values are clear, your decisions are clearer” shared Melissa Cherney, CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank in the Lighting the Way, Values that Spark Change pane. In her talk, Cherney discussed how her own experiences shaped her leadership, and how defining and owning our values can bring strength.
“Values are not just something you look at passively on the wall. Values are strategic,” she said. “They guide how we make decisions. They guide and shape how we treat people. They determine how we respond in good times and in bad times.”