Event details:
October 28, 2026 | 9 AM – 6 PM, Main Programming
- 8:30 AM – 9 AM: Check In & Coffee
- 9 AM – 11:30 AM: UnConference-style Breakout Rooms
- 12:30 PM – 6 PM: Main Stage Panels
- 6 PM – 7 PM: Closing Reception
Vital Voices Global Headquarters
1509 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Main Stage Panels
| Panel Session | Time | Speakers |
| Welcome to the Women's Global Embassy | 12:30pm – 12:45 pm | Alyse Nelson, President & CEO, Vital Voices. |
| The Voice of the Network | 12:45 pm – 1:20 pm | Moderator: Leah Lizarondo, VP, Global Network, Vital Voices. Agita Pasaribu, Founder of Bullyid App – NMA Foundation. Jessica Minhas, Founder & CEO of I'll Go First. Margarita Alonzo Argueta, Deputy Chair, TODOS Political Party; Scientist and Gender Equality Advocate | Vital Voices Crisis Readiness Community Regional Leader, Latin America. |
| I Am Jane Doe: Survivors, the Law and Ending Sexual Violence | 1:25 pm – 1:55 pm | Moderator: Soraya Chemaly, author and activist. Amy Ziering, filmmaker, The Hunting Ground. Alex Prout, co-Founder of I Have the Right To. |
| A Conversation on Restoration, Creative Process and Feminism | 2:00 pm – 2:25 pm | Moderator: Alyse Nelson. Carol Davis, author, Restoration. MILCK, singer-songwriter. |
| The Heart of the Game: Sport as the Great Uniter | 2:30 pm –2:55 pm | Sarah Jones Simmer, COO, NWSL. Danita Johnson, President Business Operations, DC United. |
| A Life at the Heart of the Movement: Honoring Gloria Steinem | 3:00 pm – 3:15 pm | Amy Richards, feminist activist, author, creator. |
| Women's Wealth, Health and Power | 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm | Dr. Vonda Wright, orthopaedic surgeon and aging activist. Jenny Abramson, Founder Rethink Impact. |
| At the Heart of the Storm: Women Leading Through Crisis | 4:20 pm – 4:55 pm | Moderator: Linda Robinson, Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations. Oksana Horbunova, Ukraine. Hanin Ahmed, Sudan. Sally Maforchi Mboumien, Executive Director, Common Action for Gender Development (COMAGEND) | Vital Voices Crisis Readiness Community Regional Leader, West Africa. |
| Who Holds Power: Women Defending Democracy Worldwide | 5:00 pm – 5:35 pm | Moderator: Huma Abedin Soros, Vital Voices Board Chair. H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, former President of Lithuania. Fatoumatta Njai, Member of Parliament, The Gambia. Laura Golakeh, Deputy Minister for Gender, Liberia. Alexia Leclercq, Founder & Executive Director, Land Justice Community School. |
| Organized Love: The Heart of a Movement | 5:40 pm – 5:55 pm | Nika Kovač, 8th of March Institute. |
| Closing Remarks | 5:55 pm – 6:00 pm | Alyse Nelson, President & CEO, Vital Voices. |
Celebrating the Power of Women-Led Change
For nearly three decades, Vital Voices has invested in women leaders who are transforming their communities, challenging the status quo, and creating lasting change around the world.
This October, we invite you to celebrate their extraordinary impact at the 4th Annual Women’s Global Embassy Festival.
Under the theme Women at the Heart of Solutions, the festival brings together inspiring voices, bold ideas, and a global community united by a shared belief: when women lead, communities thrive.
Join us for a day of connection, inspiration, and celebration as we recognize the women shaping a more equitable and sustainable future.
JOIN THE CELEBRATION
A Global Celebration of Leadership and Impact
The Women’s Global Embassy Festival is more than an event. It’s an opportunity to experience the collective power of women leaders working across borders, sectors, and generations to build a better world.
Throughout the day, attendees will have opportunities to hear from inspiring changemakers, explore ideas shaping our collective future, and connect with a community committed to advancing women’s leadership.
From powerful conversations to meaningful connections, the festival celebrates what becomes possible when women come together to lead.
Meet the Voices Shaping Our Future
The 2026 Women’s Global Embassy Festival will bring together an extraordinary lineup of women leaders, innovators, advocates, and changemakers.
Additional speakers and programming details will be announced soon.
Amy Ziering
Oscar nominated and two-time Emmy and Peabody award winning investigative filmmaker whose groundbreaking documentaries have single-handedly transformed and shaped our culture. She is the co-founder of Jane Doe Films, with documentaries that have aired globally on HBO, Netflix, PBS, CNN, Arte, Canal Plus and the BBC.
Dr. Vonda Wright
Orthopaedic sports surgeon with more than 25 years of experience, award winning researcher, NYT and International bestselling author and speaker. Dr. Vonda Wright aims to fundamentally change how we think about aging while activating people to age with power.
Sarah Jones Simmer
Executive, investor, board member and C-level operator. Jones Simmer joined the National Women’s Soccer League as its Chief Operating Officer in 2024, where she is responsible for league business strategy and corporate operations including finance, human resources, club business performance, strategy and technology.
Alexia Leclercq
Environmental justice organizer, scholar, and artist and Founder and Executive Director of Land Justice Community School. For over a decade, Alexia has led campaigns securing clean water protections, passing aggregate mining regulation and land use law, shutting down petrochemical projects, and strengthening international climate mechanisms, including the loss and damage fund and an equitable fossil fuel phase-out.
Soraya Chemaly
Award-winning author and activist. As a cultural critic, she writes and speaks frequently about gender norms, social justice, free speech, sexualized violence, politics, and technology.
Nika Kovač
Executive director of D-Hub and the Director of The Research Institute of 8th March, an NGO focused on addressing gender and economic inequalities. She has coordinated a national campaign for LGBTQ equality and Slovenian #MeToo campaign.
