Lunch and Lead is a virtual speaker series designed to help community and business leaders develop knowledge and skills while raising awareness of best practices from other leaders across Northwest Indiana and beyond.

“The Lunch and Lead Series brings new, fresh and thought-provoking topics to our audience,” said Mekisha Richardson, assistant director of the Leadership Institute. “This spring, we’ve crafted a diverse lineup of phenomenal leaders who are doing exceptional work to improve the quality of life in our region. I am excited for our audience to hear their stories.” T

he schedule for the Spring 2023 Lunch and Lead Speaker Series includes the following: ·

• Tuesday, Jan. 10: Mentorship vs. Sponsorship with Chareice White, Regional Business Development Officer, Community Investment Fund of Indiana ·
• Tuesday, Feb. 7: Black History Month: Sankofa Leadership panel discussion with Shontrai Irving, clinical associate professor of Business Law, Purdue Northwest; Maceo Rainey, director of Educational Talent Search - Westville, Purdue Northwest; Shanita Starks, Early Outreach Admissions Coordinator, Purdue University ·
• Tuesday, March 14: Women’s History & Leadership with Danita Johnson, Ph.D., President and CEO, Edgewater Health
• Tuesday, April 11: Youth Innovation with Don Wettrick, Founder & CEO, The STARTedUP Foundation Lunch and Lead sessions will take place virtually through Zoom.

Each session will start at noon CST and run for 45 minutes.

“Our Lunch and Lead Series is a chance to hear from some of the most inspirational leaders who share their stories with candor and authenticity,” added Sheila Matias, executive director of the Society of Innovators and Leadership Institute. “We continue to attract a broad range of listeners - further evidence that this speaker series is meeting a community need. It’s uplifting, educational, inspirational and easy to access - all without even leaving your office!”

Registration for the Lunch and Lead Speaker Series is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, please visit pnw.edu/soi or by reaching out to the Society of Innovators at societyofinnovators@pnw.edu .

The Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest

The Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest (PNW) is the hub of leadership development in Northwest Indiana. We present dynamic research-based leadership development programs for businesses, area professionals, and youth leaders from the university and across our regional community. For more information about the Leadership Institute, visit www.pnw.edu/leadership-institute .

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest (PNW) aims to contribute to economic and community development throughout the region as the champion of innovation in Northwest Indiana. For more information about the Society of Innovators, visit www.pnw.edu/soi .http://www.chamberdata.net/webforms/visit www.pnw.edu/soi .

Purdue University Northwest

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a premier metropolitan university dedicated to empowering transformational change in our students and in our community. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW values academic excellence, supports growth, and celebrates diversity. For more information about PNW, visit www.pnw.edu .