YWCA Canberra unveils She Leads Conference 2026: Forge

Posted on 10 March, 2026

Get ready for a powerhouse lineup of women to descend on our city in July to champion a new era of women’s leadership.

YWCA Canberra has just unveiled the program for their She Leads Conference 2026: Forge, celebrating women and non-binary leaders who aim to create something strong, enduring and successful. Now in its 12^th year, the leadership event will be held on Friday 31 July at the Canberra Rex Hotel.

The conference brings together emerging and established leaders with some of Australia’s most inspiring voices for a day of keynotes, seminars, and panels designed to ignite, challenge, and transform.

The event will feature four remarkable Australian and international keynote speakers: artist and activist Kirsha Kaechele, inspirational speaker and philanthropist Sophie Delezio, renowned tech leader Dr Michelle Dickinson, and Aboriginal human rights expert Dr Hannah McGlade.

This year’s seminar program has been carefully curated to ensure every attendee walks away with something meaningful and actionable. Annalise McCarthy will lead a session on finding your voice and communicating with confidence, while renowned facilitator and author, Penny Nesbitt will share her expertise on building thriving team cultures. Dr Lauren Burns will explore the physiological responses to stress and equip attendees with strategies to perform under pressure.

Frances Crimmins, YWCA Canberra Chief Executive Officer

The conference will also feature three compelling panel discussions: Celebrating the Many Faces of ‘Difficult Women’, Women at the Vanguard, and Forging Legacy – each promising honest, inspiring, and truly thought-provoking conversation.

Believing leadership shouldn’t be a privilege, YWCA Canberra has a variety of affordable ticket options for self-funders, not-for-profit, government and corporate so every woman and person who wants to lead can afford to show up.

“It still surprises me how many leadership events charge thousands of dollars to attend. That model shuts out a huge portion of women and gender-diverse people – especially those who have just as much to contribute, if not more. We never wanted She Leads Conference to be that. And we’ve made deliberate choices to keep it different,” says Frances Crimmins, YWCA Canberra Chief Executive Officer.

Returning for an extraordinary seventh consecutive year as Champion Sponsor, Nadia Pessarossi, Strategic Advisor and Director of Pulse8 Strategies, continues to demonstrate her unwavering commitment to women’s leadership in Canberra, saying, “She Leads Conference must not only continue but remain accessible to all women”.

Spaces are limited, and YWCA Canberra encourages interested attendees to secure their place early. Early bird tickets for She Leads Conference 2026 are now on sale, and prices start at $400 for current members of YWCA Canberra.