Home - Women as Changemakers 2026

Join us on Friday, October 23, 2026, at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart for a day that celebrates women making an impact in bold and meaningful ways. The Women as Changemakers Conference brings together community members, alumni, and students for inspiring keynotes, dynamic panels, and conversations that spark new ideas.

From hearing the stories of incredible women leaders to connecting with others who care about creating change, you’ll leave with fresh inspiration, practical takeaways, and new connections. It’s more than a conference — it’s a celebration of what happens when women come together to lead, to innovate, and to reimagine the future.

Award-winning science journalist and author Donna Jackson Nakazawa has spent her career exploring the connection between neuroscience, emotion, and mental health. She is the author of ten books, including Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media, named one of the best health books of 2022 by The Washington Post and Mashable, and Mind Drama, which explores the science behind our inner dialogue and how we can change it.

Her work has appeared in Wired, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Psychology Today, and Health Affairs, and she has been featured on the Today show and NPR. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages and include The Angel and the Assassin, named one of Wired’s best books of 2020, and Childhood Disrupted, a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Award. Donna speaks at universities and organizations across the country, translating complex science into compelling insights about how our experiences shape our brains, our health, and who we become.

Suki Dardarian is the retired Editor and Senior Vice President of the Star Tribune, one of the nation’s largest metro newsrooms. During her tenure, she guided award-winning public-service journalism, led the paper’s digital transformation, and earned recognition for her commitment to press freedom and open government. Under her leadership, the Star Tribune won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the murder of George Floyd and was a finalist for several others.

A graduate of the University of Washington, Dardarian has spent decades in news leadership at the Everett Herald, News Tribune, and Seattle Times, where her teams won multiple Pulitzers. In 2025, she was named Editor of the Year by the National Press Foundation for her body of work in both Washington and Minnesota. Today, she continues to serve on advisory boards dedicated to advancing integrity and excellence in journalism.