{"id":343918,"date":"2026-06-03T03:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T03:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/343918\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T03:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T03:00:11","slug":"2026-will-conference-a-closer-look-at-leadership-across-generations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/343918\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 WILL Conference: A Closer Look at Leadership Across Generations"},"content":{"rendered":"

We often learn about the lifecycle of a butterfly in grade school \u2014 appreciating the transformation each stage signifies and marveling at the magnificent result. At the\u00a0Ninth Annual Women in Leadership League (WILL) Conference<\/a>\u00a0hosted by the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at San Jos\u00e9 State, keynote panelists whose careers vary in lifecycle and industry enlightened a Spartan-filled audience with poignant narratives in a \u201cLeadership Across Generations\u201d conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The conference, held April 17, and sponsored by Cisco, joined Madison Huang, senior director of product and technical marketing for physical AI platforms at NVIDIA, Lavanya Gopalakrishnan, senior vice president of customer success at Cisco, and SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, to break down pivotal career moments, the future of leadership and more.<\/p>\n

\"Mentors<\/p>\n

Mentors and keynote speakers at the 2026 WILL Conference. Photo by Adriana Avila.<\/p>\n

While exploring leadership principles, moderator and Lucas College and Graduate School of Business Dean Rangapriya \u201cPriya\u201d Kannan, elicited a profound story from Gopalakrishnan \u2014 one with the\u00a0potential to encourage young professionals in any industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my leadership principle to make sure that no voice is left unheard,\u201d Gopalakrishnan said, outlining how she makes a conscious effort to ensure voices are heard from different personalities, and in whichever method that works for that individual.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak up and use your voice\u201d is something Gopalakrishnan learned later in her career and now advocates for others to do. Early in her tenure at Cisco, she faced impostor syndrome while working with a group of professionals with Ph.D.s from private, highly-recognized institutions, whereas she had come from a state school. She felt intimidated, and questioned whether she knew enough, opting to sit quietly during multiple group discussions. Afterward, she would share her opinions with her manager. Eventually he asked her, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you just say that in the meeting?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

That eye-opening exchange sparked Gopalakrishnan to break free from the pattern. Convinced\u00a0 that she was wasting everyone\u2019s time by not speaking up, she formed the habit of sharing one observation at each meeting, and slowly built up her confidence.<\/p>\n

For Teniente-Matson, her primary leadership principle when leading diverse multigenerational communities is \u201csetting people up for success at every level of the organization\u00a0\u2014\u00a0from students to middle managers, staff, executive leaders\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and then having clarity of purpose.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c[I]f everyone is doing their best work through that line of sight, from being student-centered to what we do to build our brand and reputation, then you have consistency and alignment across the organization and across generations,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"Sandy<\/p>\n

WILL mentor, Sandy Yu, VP of Customer Growth at Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC speaks to a table full of students at the 2026 WILL Conference. Photo by Adriana Avila.<\/p>\n

First-time WILL Conference attendee, Camillia Creese, \u201827 International Business, says what resonated most for her at the event was Huang discussing how career focus should be on purpose, not task.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026[T]hat motivated me because it\u2019s something that I feel strongly [about],\u201d Creese said. \u201cI have a strong sense of purpose, yet I\u2019m not sure where to funnel all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creese was referring to Huang\u2019s opinion about how \u201cAI has fundamentally reset every single industry and every single job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something to be afraid of,\u201d Huang said. \u201cThere\u2019s a difference between a job\u2019s purpose and a job\u2019s task.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huang shared that her purpose was a deep appreciation and love for mastering some sort of craft, or inventing something that\u2019s long-lasting and meaningful, like a brand or a product. For those going into the workforce, she recommends knowing what you want your purpose to be and asking yourself what you have really fallen in love with. By deciding what you want your purpose to be, you can then match the job to that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEvaluate the tasks that you previously thought these jobs were,\u201d she said, \u201cHow is it going to be reinvented with AI?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huang proposes dedicating yourself to learning how to adapt and adopt AI to serve those needs, and \u201creally embrace and try to understand and reflect on what you want your purpose to be, because jobs now are mostly aligned to purpose and not aligned to tasks.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the latter half of the conference, participants curated their experience by choosing from 20+\u00a0 breakout group session topics, including \u201cBuilding A Strong Personal Brand\u201d and \u201cTop Three Strategies For Your Career Growth\u201d and \u201cStop Networking, Start Connecting: How to Build Relationships that Open Doors,\u201d just to name a few.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Rangapriya<\/p>\n

Dean Rangapriya \u201cPriya\u201d Kannan; Meg Virick, Associate Dean; and Divya Aggarwal, 2026 WILL Mentor and Director, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance, Weee! Photo by Adriana Avila.<\/p>\n

Dean Rangapriya \u201cPriya\u201d Kannan; Meg Virick, Associate Dean; and Divya Aggarwal, 2026 WILL Mentor and Director, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance, Weee! Photo by Adriana Avila.[\/caption]
\nDirector of Food Safety and Compliance at Weee!, Divya Aggarwal, headed the discussion topic entitled \u201cSkills That Actually Matter Early in Your Career: What Employers Look For and How to Build Them.\u201d She credits her passion for mentoring early-career professionals with big dreams and ambitions for compelling her to participate in this year\u2019s conference.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was particularly interested in creating a space where students could ask candid questions, share their uncertainties, and walk away with actionable guidance they can immediately apply in their careers,\u201d Aggarwal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After leading three group sessions, Aggarwal found the students to be curious, thoughtful, and eager to learn, which made for an interactive discussion. Among the recurring themes were communication and confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat stood out most was their willingness to be open about these challenges,\u201d she said. \u201cIt reinforced the importance of conversations like these \u2014 helping students realize that success early in their careers is less about knowing everything and more about being adaptable, proactive, and willing to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit\u00a0Women in Leadership League<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about WILL and the extraordinary 2026\u00a0\u00a0keynote panelists<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0mentors<\/a>\u00a0who contributed to this event\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

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