Registration open for annual Women’s Leadership Conference at MSU

BOZEMAN - Registration is now open for an annual conference focused on professional development and networking opportunities for women scheduled for June 2, 2026, at Montana State University.

The MSU Women's Leadership Conference, hosted by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Strand Union Building ballrooms.

Tickets are $175. People should consider purchasing tickets before they likely sell out in January, organizers said. The conference features breakout sessions and guest speakers centered around women's leadership. This year's theme is "Leading without Permission."

Conference registration includes educational sessions, event materials, a networking reception, meals, a happy hour social and a silent auction. Proceeds from the conference fund scholarships, which are awarded to MSU students who have proven to be leaders and mentors both on and off campus.

The keynote speaker will be Katie Goodman, an award-winning comedian, author and international speaker. With over 20 years of experience with training and speaking, Goodman has taught more than 40,000 people how to use the tools of improv comedy in their lives to be more creative, courageous and confident. Her show "Broad Comedy" plays off Broadway and tours nationally. Goodman's work has been celebrated by Arianna Huffington, Comedy Central, Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes, Time Out New York and, Goodman says, her Pilates teacher - who says she's getting better.

Goodman has a degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the founder and director of Camp Equinox, a Montana-based theater camp that has hosted over 300 kids annually for the past 30 years. She is also an ambassador for Shelterbox, an international disaster relief organization that provides shelter for displaced people and refugees internationally.

The conference's morning keynote is Cindy Peterson, founder and managing partner of Leading With. Through more than 20 years working inside corporate cultures, from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups, Peterson's passion lies in helping individuals, teams and companies realize the vision and goals they have set for themselves.

More details on additional speakers and breakout sessions will be announced this spring. Details are available on the conference website.

Previously called the Women's Circle of Excellence, a group of MSU alumni and business college staff formed in 2006 and held their first conference in 2008, coinciding with the 115th anniversary of the business college. The event has since been renamed the MSU Women's Leadership Conference.

To register, visit: montana.edu/business/wcoe.