State of the Union with Elizabeth Kunz
Since our last Summit in 2019, Girls on the Run – along with the rest of the world - has experienced an unprecedented period of challenge and turmoil. Through it all, we found our strength, courage, and resilience in our mission, core values and, most importantly, one another. Liz will reflect on the deep bonds of connectedness across our movement that made it possible for Girls on the Run to fulfill its mission during the pandemic – a time when families desperately needed our programming. She’ll also highlight key organizational initiatives that are fueling our success as we build back. Liz’s state of the union keynote is always informative and inspirational and after a three-year hiatus, we are excited to kick off the event with the heart-warming energy and emotion she is known for.
About Liz
Elizabeth Kunz, CEO of Girls on the Run International, is a lifetime advocate for girls' and women's equity and has always encouraged others to recognize the power they have to create, nurture and transform their own lives and the world at large. Liz spent the first decade of her professional life in corporate America before transitioning to the non-profit sector in 1996. It was while working at the YMCA that Liz first learned about Girls on the Run. Its mission profoundly resonated with Liz's personal mission and she started volunteering for the organization in 2002. She joined the staff as Chief Operating Officer in 2006 and has served as CEO since 2008. Liz has presided over an incredible time of organizational growth and brings significant expertise to Girls on the Run in setting strategic direction and creating an inclusive culture of empowerment, gratitude and joyful purpose.
About Liz
Elizabeth Kunz, CEO of Girls on the Run International, is a lifetime advocate for girls' and women's equity and has always encouraged others to recognize the power they have to create, nurture and transform their own lives and the world at large. Liz spent the first decade of her professional life in corporate America before transitioning to the non-profit sector in 1996. It was while working at the YMCA that Liz first learned about Girls on the Run. Its mission profoundly resonated with Liz's personal mission and she started volunteering for the organization in 2002. She joined the staff as Chief Operating Officer in 2006 and has served as CEO since 2008. Liz has presided over an incredible time of organizational growth and brings significant expertise to Girls on the Run in setting strategic direction and creating an inclusive culture of empowerment, gratitude and joyful purpose.
The Changing Gender Landscape with Lisa Selin Davis
The United States is in the middle of a cultural revolution, where the spectrum of gender and sexual identities is seemingly unlimited. Lisa’s keynote will start with a summary of her research that culminated in Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different. In Tomboy, Davis explored the evolution of ‘tomboyism’ and the forces that have shifted what we think of as masculine and feminine. She will trace how childhood got gendered, why it is still happening today and the implications for the future. This session will also include a Q&A with CEO Elizabeth Kunz and the broader audience.
About Lisa
Lisa Selin Davis is also the author of the novels BELLY and LOST STARS. Her articles, essays and op-eds have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, CNN, Salon and many other publications. She is currently at work on a book examining the history of the ideal of the housewife, and how this ideal affects public policy and private lives today. Lisa lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.
Reviews for Tomboy:
"A thoughtful, thorough examination and celebration of gender non-conformity, and a crucial contribution to our cultural understanding of this moment, and how we got here."―Liz Plank, author of FOR THE LOVE OF MEN
"Tomboy tackles a unique, contradictory moment in history: male and female binaries are exploding yet childhood has become more hyper-gendered than ever. How did we get here? What does it mean? I picked up this book expecting to read a few pages; hours later I was still riveted, underlining paragraphs, scribbling margin notes and rethinking all my assumptions about boys, girls and everyone along or beyond that spectrum. Hooray for gender rebels!"―Peggy Orenstein, NewYork Times bestselling author of Girls & Sex
"An intriguing look at culture's influence on gender & identity."―PEOPLE Magazine
About Lisa
Lisa Selin Davis is also the author of the novels BELLY and LOST STARS. Her articles, essays and op-eds have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, CNN, Salon and many other publications. She is currently at work on a book examining the history of the ideal of the housewife, and how this ideal affects public policy and private lives today. Lisa lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.
Reviews for Tomboy:
"A thoughtful, thorough examination and celebration of gender non-conformity, and a crucial contribution to our cultural understanding of this moment, and how we got here."―Liz Plank, author of FOR THE LOVE OF MEN
"Tomboy tackles a unique, contradictory moment in history: male and female binaries are exploding yet childhood has become more hyper-gendered than ever. How did we get here? What does it mean? I picked up this book expecting to read a few pages; hours later I was still riveted, underlining paragraphs, scribbling margin notes and rethinking all my assumptions about boys, girls and everyone along or beyond that spectrum. Hooray for gender rebels!"―Peggy Orenstein, NewYork Times bestselling author of Girls & Sex
"An intriguing look at culture's influence on gender & identity."―PEOPLE Magazine
Reinvention Workshop with Jes Averhart
In our fast-changing world, a powerful way we can stay personally inspired and innovative is by taking the time to reinvent ourselves. Our Wednesday morning session is an interactive keynote and workshop designed to help you evolve in new and unexpected ways. Jes Averhart, creator of the 28 Day Reinvention Road Trip has helped CEOs, Executive Directors and early career professionals get unstuck in the reinvention process. In every instance, she starts by asking a few powerful questions that ultimately serve as a North Star. The session will open with Jes walking us through thought exercises created to help us unlock possibilities.
She will then lead a workshop that demystifies storytelling and empowers everyone with new techniques to build and share our personal stories for all audiences. Together, we will clarify our personal connections to GOTR, enabling us to each craft a fresh and compelling message that weaves beautifully into the Girls on the Run brand.
Jes will also share practical tips and insights gleaned from her years of working with incredible leaders. These lessons will help us take potentially average days and turn them into ones that are powerful, productive and life-giving.
About Jes
Jes Averhart is a bestselling author and the CEO of Jes & Co. She specializes in stakeholder engagement and leadership development advising executive leaders on growth strategies and talent development.
Her time spent immersed in the startup scene also inspired her to co-found Black Wall Street Homecoming, a nonprofit aimed at closing the funding gap for Black and Brown tech founders. Earlier in her career, Jes launched a boutique production and marketing company specializing in providing professional management services for many organizations including the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Procter & Gamble and Pepsi Cola North America.
Originally from Evansport, Ohio, Jes learned the ropes quickly by working in her family's real estate, auctioneering and appraisal business. After college, she accepted a corporate role with General Electric, but it didn't take long before she started her own company, making her a 4th generation entrepreneur. Jes moved to North Carolina in 2005 devoting much of her time to raising her son Tre, serving on various non-profit boards and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
She will then lead a workshop that demystifies storytelling and empowers everyone with new techniques to build and share our personal stories for all audiences. Together, we will clarify our personal connections to GOTR, enabling us to each craft a fresh and compelling message that weaves beautifully into the Girls on the Run brand.
Jes will also share practical tips and insights gleaned from her years of working with incredible leaders. These lessons will help us take potentially average days and turn them into ones that are powerful, productive and life-giving.
About Jes
Jes Averhart is a bestselling author and the CEO of Jes & Co. She specializes in stakeholder engagement and leadership development advising executive leaders on growth strategies and talent development.
Her time spent immersed in the startup scene also inspired her to co-found Black Wall Street Homecoming, a nonprofit aimed at closing the funding gap for Black and Brown tech founders. Earlier in her career, Jes launched a boutique production and marketing company specializing in providing professional management services for many organizations including the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Procter & Gamble and Pepsi Cola North America.
Originally from Evansport, Ohio, Jes learned the ropes quickly by working in her family's real estate, auctioneering and appraisal business. After college, she accepted a corporate role with General Electric, but it didn't take long before she started her own company, making her a 4th generation entrepreneur. Jes moved to North Carolina in 2005 devoting much of her time to raising her son Tre, serving on various non-profit boards and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes.