PROGRAM DIRECTOR, ASSISI HEIGHTS SPIRITUALITY CENTER

EMCEE

Emily Watkins is the Program Director at Assisi Heights Spirituality Center, where she creates programs that foster hope, reflection, and personal growth. Former publisher of Rochester Women Magazine and business owner, she is passionate about building community and creating spaces where people feel welcomed, connected, and inspired.

ROMANCE AUTHOR

EMCEE

With more than 12 years of experience in business and leadership, Melissa has built a career focused on growth, innovation, and empowering others. She is now a romance author who published five works in her first ten months, blending her entrepreneurial mindset with creative storytelling to build a thriving author business. She is passionate about encouraging others to pursue ambitious goals, embrace creativity, and build their life with purpose.

OWNER, IMPACT FORWARD STRATEGIES, LLC

MODERATOR, RESILIENT LEADERS PANEL

Julie is a seasoned coach and trainer with 20+ years of experience in both the wellness and business industries. Her passion lies in helping individuals discover and maximize their strengths, offering advanced strategies to achieve peak performance. Known for her relatable, interactive, and fun teaching style, Julie excels at empowering clients to unlock their purpose, gain clarity, and stay laser-focused on their goals. Working with her results in lasting habit changes and meaningful transformation for individuals, teams, and organizations.

CO-FOUNDER, MINDMAXED INSTITUTE & FOUNDER, SOMALI NAVIGATOR INSTITUTE

RESILIENT LEADERS PANELIST

Rashida Dean is a life coach, strategist, and community leader with more than 15 years of experience empowering women and families, especially minority mothers and individuals navigating major life transitions.

As Co-Founder of MindMaxED Institute, Rashida shapes the organization's brain fitness and mental wellness programs, leading group coaching cohorts and one-on-one sessions that help clients "train their brains to thrive, not just survive" and break free from limiting beliefs.

She is also the Founder of Somali Navigator Institute, a cultural liaison and coaching platform that builds understanding between educators, organizations, and Somali families.

In her full-time role with the Jeremiah Program, Rashida supports up to 20 families at a time as they set and reach educational, professional, and parenting goals. Her coaching blends compassion with accountability.

A psychology graduate of Carleton University and a skilled Somali-English interpreter, Rashida is a cultural connector and advocate for equity and inclusion who uplifts voices too often overlooked.

GENERAL MANAGER, ALL CRAFT EXTERIORS

RESILIENT LEADERS PANELIST

Jewels DeCorsey was hired to keep the books and the people side of All Craft Exteriors running. She ended up running the company. Connecting with people and bringing clarity to complicated situations turned out to be the whole job description of a General Manager.

Jewels leads with accountability, transparency, and heart, in an industry that never slows down and a company she calls "one big family." That instinct to put people before process shows up outside of work too. Her world revolves around her two kids — Landyn, a multi-sport athlete, and Mila, who shines on the dance floor and proudly rocks an extra chromosome. When she gets time to herself, she heads for the water to reset and recharge.

She also believes in getting better in the company of people who want the same. In 2026 Jewels was invited to join the National Advisory Board of the Exterior Contractor Alliance, an invitation-only cooperative for contractors who run their companies above industry standards and who believe in the power of sharing and learning.

For Jewels, leadership isn't a title. It's the work of building people, building careers, and building something that lasts.

OWNER, MVR HEALING LLC

LUNCH & WELLNESS HOUR SOUND BATH

Maria Voorhees-Reincke is an Intuitive Energy & Sound Healer, and the founder of MVR Healing. Through sound, energy work, and intuition, she helps women calm their nervous systems, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and remember they don't have to keep living in survival mode. Her mission is to create powerful healing experiences that inspire women to slow down, heal deeply, and come home to themselves.

FOUNDER, EMPOWER POSSIBLE

THE HALLWAY, ON PURPOSE

Some of the best moments at any conference happen in the hallway, and this session is that, but on purpose. Got a leadership question you can't stop thinking about? A challenge you haven't found the right room for yet? Bring it. You'll help build the agenda, pick your conversations, and spend real time digging into the topics that matter to you right now.

Julie Zaruba Fountaine, MBA, MS, is a Well-being Specialist, Change Management Coordinator, and the Founder of Empower Possible, an organization that helps individuals and teams navigate change with confidence and purpose. She holds advanced degrees in Change and Leadership and Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science. As a consultant, speaker, and facilitator, Julie supports workplaces and communities in creating meaningful, sustainable change.

OWNER, GROW BEYOND COLLECTIVE & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

MANIFEST, DISRUPT & BUILD: A FRAMEWORK FOR CREATING AN ALIGNED LIFESTYLE

What if the thing standing between you and your best work isn't discipline — it's safety?

Manifest, Disrupt & Build is a working framework for realigning with your values, interrupting the patterns that quietly run your days, and building systems that actually hold. Drawing on the principles of nervous system regulation, you'll explore why physiological safety comes before innovation and meaningful change — why a body braced for the next thing can't do its most creative thinking.

Together we'll take apart the habits of hustle culture and put something sturdier in their place: systems where what you produce professionally and how you feel are no longer at odds.

You'll leave with a framework for leadership, not another list of goals.

Becca Mattie is an occupational therapist, speaker, and founder of Honeybee OT and Grow Beyond Collective. Known for her authentic, down-to-earth style, Becca helps people rediscover balance and purpose through her Manifest, Disrupt, & Build framework. Drawing from years of experience supporting children, families, and fellow therapists, Becca blends neuroscience, sensory processing, and real-life wisdom to invite audiences to slow down, reconnect, and build lives that feel grounded, intentional, and full of meaning.