The Women Of Project Management’s first annual conference here in Atlanta, GA was a huge success! The energy in the room was almost palpable. Each attendee came eager to connect with one another while styled in their gemstone ensembles. The tone was set from the jump as they entered the second floor of the beautiful Startling hotel for check-in! From there, attendees anxiously navigated to the top floor to be greeted with sultry tunes by DJ Karismadic. 

Our emcee Lakia “LB” Brandenburg showed up and showed out! She had the room lit up from beginning to end with her vibrant personality. There were no dull moments as she moved around the room giving attendees the opportunity to share their intentions for the day. This was a great way to kick off the day and serve as an icebreaker. 

After Founder, Asya Watkins made her grand entrance and adorned the attendees with gratitude in her beautiful lime green pants suit, the first panel of speakers was introduced. 

This first powerhouse panel shared how they bring Black Girl Magic to the workplace. The common theme amongst the group was authenticity. Being true to yourself is the most important part of succeeding in the workplace. Knowing that you deserve to be in your position and letting your work be proof will take you very far in your career.

After a few networking and coffee breaks, the second panel was introduced. They discussed the road to becoming certified alongside PMI leader Sierra Hampton-Simmons. The women on the panel took turns sharing their experiences in becoming certified. They agreed that having a certification isn’t always necessary to perform well in a role, but having a certification definitely adds value and is worth the time and effort. 

A big piece of what made the Women Of Project Management conference so successful was the mentorship speed dating hosted by Bridget Jones and Ashima Sharma. 

When I tell you these women did not want to leave their seats! They were so engaged in the conversation with the women across the table. It was really a beautiful thing to watch. After the speed dating session, one young woman came to me and said, “Girl I’ve been thinking too small!” She continued to tell me about the conversation she had and how inspired she is.    

I had the chance to speak with 3 beautiful women throughout the day to get to know them and capture their thoughts on the Women Of Project Management conference. 

Jessica Jones expressed that her inspiration for attending the conference was to be in a group setting with those who looked like her. She’s fairly new in project management with less than one year of experience. Jessica found Women Of PM Conference speaker, Mahjooba “MJ” Bianchi to help her in her journey to become PMP certified. Jessica passed the PMP in three months after connecting with Mahjooba and landed a job two months later! Look at God yall. Next, she wants to learn agile project management. 

So before the happy hour turn up, we had to take it inward for a second. Dr. Ayanna Abrams was truly a blessing to everyone in that room. She spoke on the importance of setting boundaries at work and in life overall. The way she was able to connect with the women in the room was transformative to us all. You’d have to be there to really understand the magic that happened during this session. You could feel the love, support and encouragement from everyone.

Don’t miss out in 2023. Let the FOMO sink in really well and get your tickets as soon as they become available. So many of the attendees expressed that the first annual Women Of Project Management conference exceeded their expectations. Many are already asking about the plan for next year! Don’t worry sisters, we got you. Stay tuned because next year’s conference will be bigger and definitely better. 

By, Airess Rembert, PMP, Member of Women Of Project Management & Blogger at The Nerd Bae

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