The 2023 Women & Hi Tech Fall Retreat is here and it’s time to recharge our inner SUPERPOWERS.
Join us at the French Lick Resort & Casino as we explore and celebrate our individual and collective work to change the narrative around women working in STEM fields. The daily effort we each make to show up and show out in our professions, to support and mentor women along their journey, and to impact the broader community for the benefit of all is making a difference and gives SUPERPOWER to our work to change the landscape of women represented in STEM to be equally inclusive to all. So, let’s reignite our SUPERPOWERS while we celebrate female heroes with good food, good wine, good company, and a good time.
Registration is $325 per attendee and includes one night's stay in a single room at the French Lick Resort and admittance to the Networking Reception, Themed Dinner, and Keynote Brunch.
After August 20, the resort may increase room rates for unreserved rooms in our block. Any increase in cost will be passed on those who register after that date.
Event Agenda
Friday, September 22nd
- 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Optional activities (on your own)
- 4:00 pm - Hotel Check-in
- 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Networking Reception (Come dressed for the evening)
- 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Female Hero-themed Dinner
Dress to represent your favorite female hero--a superhero or an everyday female hero; a costume, a cape, or a t-shirt--express yourself however you feel comfortable, but there will be a contest!
Saturday, September 23rd
- 8:00 am - 11:00 am - Enjoy the resort activities with old friends and new
- 11:00 am - Hotel check-out (luggage can be left in the back of the brunch room)
- 11:00 am - 11:30 am - Brunch
- 11:30 am - 1:30 pm - Fall Retreat Keynote Brunch with remarks by Deborah Pollack-Milgate
- 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm - Closing remarks and announcements, more networking, last chance for resort activities.
The retreat programming will begin on the evening of September 22nd with a female hero-themed evening. Join us at the reception dressed to represent your favorite female hero and be prepared to tell her story during our icebreaker game! You won’t want to miss the unique and treasured picture opportunities available. There will be prizes for best dressed and other fun surprises! After our themed dinner, you are free to explore and enjoy the amenities of the resort and casino or stay and network over drinks.
Saturday starts off with personal activity or relaxation time prior to brunch. After checking out at 11am, you will participate in a discussion guided by Parity Podcast founder and co-host and Intellectual Property litigator Deborah Pollack-Milgate.
This will be an interactive discussion reflecting on the work of real life female heroes and their allies who have shaped work culture in America and how we can use our SUPERPOWERS to continue the effort.
About Keynote Presenter Deborah Pollack-Milgate
The Parity Podcast, now heading into its third season, is a podcast for working women and their allies dedicated to accelerating equity in the workplace. Solutions-oriented, the podcast explores strategies that can be widely implemented based on available resources.
The podcast is guided by six core principles that make up the Parity Prescription, and spell out the word SCRIPT: Stop trying to change women, Create diverse teams, Recognize Unconscious Bias, Intentionally include, Partner with men as allies, and Talk about the issues.
Deborah’s advocacy for career parity for women was born out of being a woman in the very male-dominated career of Intellectual Property Law. Since 2001, Deborah has assisted and advised clients in complex patent suits across virtually all technical areas, including chemistry, software, mechanical and biotech, ushering her clients through all stages of litigation, including trial.
In 2020, Deborah became a capital partner at one of Indiana’s largest law firms, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP. During her career at Barnes & Thornburg, Deborah spent an extended stay in Mannheim, Germany, where she worked for and advised an international client in U.S. litigation and patent matters. She routinely presents in the German language on patent matters, and also serves as co-chair of the firm's European Services Practice Group and is Vice Chair of the Indiana Germany Business Council.
She is the mom of three children, ages 14, 18, and 22, and counts herself fortunate to have a husband equally skeptical of traditional gender roles.
Over the years, Deborah has moderated panels for various organizations speaking about Intellectual Property, law practice, and gender equality. Her advocacy and community efforts led her to join Women & Hi Tech, where she served as president from 2013-2014. She has continued to be involved with Women & Hi Tech as a member and supporter.
Women & Hi Tech is extremely grateful and equally excited to have Deborah Pollack-Milgate join us at our 2023 Fall Retreat to share her life experiences and how she has channeled the spirit of female heroes before her and used her SUPERPOWERS to advance parity for women.
If available, Late Registration will be open until September 5, 2023, at 4pm and may be subject to additional costs assessed by the hotel.
We look forward to seeing you there!
**By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you may be photographed, videotaped, and/or audio-taped during this event and hereby give permission for your image, and/or voice to be used in education, training, promotion, advertisement, and/or trade and communications media by Women & Hi Tech in any and all media outlets throughout the world, without restriction as to frequency or duration of usage.**
***PLEASE NOTE: Women & Hi Tech event registration, including all associated registration fee(s), is non-refundable and non-transferable. ***
Women & Hi Tech’s biennial Fall Retreat is an opportunity to connect in an intimate setting to build stronger relationships and talk in depth about progressing the mission of Women & Hi Tech. The Fall Retreat is presented by the Membership Engagement Committee, led by Women & Hi Tech Board Member Sahara Williams.
Sahara Williams is an attorney focused on data privacy and cybersecurity law as well as general commercial transactions. Previously, she operated her own engineering and construction management firm for nine years and served as the executive director of a nonprofit equestrian learning center for youth for five years.
Sahara earned her J.D. from the IU McKinney School of Law. She graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and earned a MS in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. She is an alumnus of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series (Class XXXVII), the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series (2012-2013) and the IBJ 2013 Forty Under 40 Class as well as a Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
