Empowered Women, Empower Women #Breaking Bias
Celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month

Date: March 9-10, 2023
Location: Pitch at the Wharf, 800 Maine Avenue, Washington D.C. 20024

Suggested Hotels:
InterContinental Washington, D.C. – The Wharf
Hyatt House Wharf
Canopy by Hilton Washington D.C. The Wharf

The agenda updated as of March 1, 2023, is as follows:

Thursday, March 9, 2023, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm
10:30 am – Registration, Coffee, and Networking
11:10 am – Opening Keynote Remarks Featuring Special Video “Heritage Keepers: Macedonian Women as Custodians of Culture”

Keynote Remarks: Ambassador Ljubica Z. Acevska, the first female Ambassador in Macedonia’s history and first Macedonian Ambassador to the United States; Honorary UMD Advisory Council Member

Embracing Your Uniqueness By Unleashing Who You Are
11:30 am – 12:15 pm – Apply Your Unique Voice to the Work You Do

Speakers:
Maggie Petreska Nayyar, Director of Development, College of Success Foundation – DC
Tamara Grozdanic, Management Consultant, Accenture Federal Services
Moderator: Elizabeth Naumovski, CM, Vice President, Marketing, Caldwell Securities Ltd. and Host, Finance is Personal

12:20 – 1:05 pm – Hearing your Voice at the Boardroom Table

Speaker:
Juliana Koloska-Bogatinoska, Vice President and Bank Secrecy Act Officer, OceanFirst Bank
Moderator: Sophie Evanoff, President, Vanille Patisserie

1:05 pm – Lunch and Networking

1:50 – 2:35 pm – How to Embrace Women in the World of Sport

Speakers:
Angela Kalanoska, Product Manager, Toyota
Ema Brown, Director of Advancement and Development, UMD
Moderator: Seline Campbell, UMD International Policy and Diplomacy Fellow

Navigating Change
2:45 pm – 3:30 pm – Is it Possible to have it all: Career, Family, Friends?

Speakers:
Vera Zlidar, Director, Global Business Development, United States Pharmacopeia
Juliana Koloska – Bogatinoska, Vice President and Bank Secrecy Act Officer, OceanFirst Bank
Moderator: Ema Brown, Director of Advancement and Development, UMD

3:30 pm – 3:45 pm – Coffee Break and Networking

Why Diverse Teams Drive Better Outcomes
3:45 pm – 4:30 pm – Navigating in a Multicultural Environment or/and Household

Speaker:
Dr. Natasha Garrett, Director of International Student Services and an Adjunct Professor, La Roche University
Moderator: Kelly Valbuena, UMD International Policy and Diplomacy Fellow

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Congressional Reception Celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month (invite only)

Invited Special Guests:

Congressional Macedonian Caucus Co-Chairs:
Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-Michigan)
Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-Pennsylvania)
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-New York)
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan)

Ambassador Zoran Popov, Macedonian Ambassador to the United States

Friday, March 10, 2023, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

9:00 am – 10:00 am – Congressional Tour (space is limited)
10:00 am – 11:00 am – Breakfast, coffee, and networking

The Future is Female: Building the Next Generation of Financially Mindful Women
11:00 am – 11:45 am – Financially Mindful – Knowing Where You Spend Your Money and Making Frugality Fashionable

Speaker: Elizabeth Naumovski, CM, Vice President, Marketing, Caldwell Securities Ltd. and Host, Finance is Personal

Stress Reduction for a Better Tomorrow
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm – Women in Medicine: Career, Balance, and Stress

Speakers:
Dr. Kostadinka Hadzijska, Podiatrist, NOVA Foot and Ankle Center
Dr. Jadranka Stojanovska, Associate Professor of Radiology at Langone Health, Department of Radiology, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University.
Moderator: Aleksandra Trpkovska, Global Pricing Leader, Russell Reynold Associates

12:45 am – 1:30 pm – Lunch and Networking

Stress Reduction For a Better Tomorrow
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm – Importance of Self-Care and Self Love

Speakers:
Sophie Evanoff, President, Vanille Patisserie 
Tamara Grozdanic, Management Consultant, Accenture Federal Services
Moderator: Katerina Trajkova, Manager, Data and Analysis, Publicis; UMD Board Member and Treasurer

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm – Becoming a Confident Woman

Speakers:
Angela Kalanoska, Production Manager, Toyota
Tamara Prodanov, Clinical Researcher at the National Institutes of Health
Moderator: Dr. Natasha Garrett, Director of International Student Services and an Adjunct Professor, La Roche University 

3:00 pm – 3:15 pm – Closing Remarks

Speaker: Katerina Trajkova, Manager, Data and Analysis, Publicis; UMD Board Member and Treasurer

3:15 pm – 4:00 pm – Happy Hour

If interested in speaking at the conference, please contact Ema Brown at ebrown@umdiaspora.org.

Register now to attend the conference, and please encourage young Macedonian participation.

We look forward to seeing you on March 9-10, 2023!