This year, despite being hosted virtually, the two-day conference is committed to providing an interactive experience for participants. The event is intentionally designed to foster dialogue on important issues that Asian American womxn experience, to build community among participants, and to provide a structured space to reflect on who you want to be. While speakers will offer their expertise and insight into various topics, participants will spend a majority of their time at the conference building connections with others, discussing ideas in small groups, and sharing their thoughts with the community. Check out the 2020 Conference Agenda to see for yourself!

The Asian American Women in Leadership Conference started in 2004, with a brief hiatus for the past five years to rebrand. We are now ready to rise from the ashes and make this conference better than ever. 

As Asian American females, we often face cultural and societal pressures as obstacles. RISE UP is about tackling those adversities and embracing our vulnerability. Through cross-generational dialogue, workshops, and networking, we want you to come out feeling inspired and ready to rise to all occasions--to be empowered to help each other RISE UP.

Making It Count! is about leveraging the failures and successes, great or small, along your leadership journey. As we mark AAWIL’s decade milestone, join us for the 2014 conference as we reflect upon our personal and collective experiences and continue paving our futures as Asian American women. Through cross generational dialogue and networking, it is up to us to celebrate and ignite each leader in ourselves and our community, and acquire the tools to thoughtfully map out the next 10 years. How will you make your leadership count?

Many Asian American females believe that becoming a leader only occurs once they have attained a certain age, level of experience, or threshold of success in their academic or professional lives. The 2013 Asian American Women in Leadership (AAWIL) Conference will demonstrate that leadership comes in all forms and is developed at all stages and areas of one's life: at home, in school, in the workplace, and in how we manage our personal lives. Through the lens of the specific challenges Asian American women face explored in the workshop panels, trainings, networking discussions, and other activities, this conference will enable participants to recognize, accept, and embrace the leader they already are. 

The 2012 AAWIL Conference will encourage you to unleash your inner potential by identifying and mapping out your personal and professional goals. The conference will focus on increasing your awareness of the unique challenges AA women face in school, the workplace, and at home and provide direction towards achieving your life goals. You have the ability to take charge - whether you want to find your voice in the world, identify ways to maintain work/life balance and good health, advance your career, or discover your leadership style –you’ll be surprised to discover much potential you really have.

The 2011 AAWIL Conference will celebrate the significant contributions of Asian American women leaders and the inspirational lessons we can learn from their experiences. This conference aims to affirm the importance of empowering Asian American women and to create a bridge for our next generation of leaders through exploration of personal and professional growth in a context relevant to Asian American women. Speakers with diverse personal and professional backgrounds will share stories about the challenges they faced, stereotypes they overcame, and the paths they choose to gain success.

The 2010 AAWIL Conference aims to encourage attendees to explore, learn, and flourish. This conference will challenge and support Asian American women to take a leap. Speakers will share their experiences on how they were able to discover themselves through new inspirations and experiences which allowed for change in their lives.

The 2009 AAWIL Conference aims to encourage fearlessness through empowerment. Asian American females often face cultural and societal pressures, thus fearing the exploration of all options before choosing a traditional path. Nevertheless, success and confidence can be attained by taking a fearless step forward. Speakers will share their experiences on how they pursued their dreams, broke ties with the cultural and societal pressures, and traveled different paths in life by fearlessly taking risks to achieve success, professionally and personally. 

Asian American women often feel an extra sense of responsibility toward the world around us, be it expectations from family and work, and/or pressures from peers and ourselves. ASPIRE explores the importance of achieving balance throughout our lives in order to be professionally and personally successful.

Speakers at various stages of their lives and career paths will share their experiences in developing and maintaining balance. They will discuss how this balance leads to continuous leadership development and professional and personal success.

Gather a group of Asian American women who are exercising their leadership and success to give back and make lasting, positive changes in their communities. Celebrate and explore the various ways Asian American girls and women exercise Meaningful Leadership by leveraging their unique identities and interest.

We look forward to an inspiring day of celebrating and promoting professional and community leadership among Asian American girls and women. At AAWIL, conference participants and prominent speakers will convene to discuss pertinent aspects of modern leadership. These include: essential highlights of effective leadership, ways to develop a powerful and personal leadership style, and innovative approaches to developing leadership skills.