East Bay Women's Conference 2026

Save the Date: Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026! Seats on Sale Soon!

MIND Your Business. Listen to Your BODY. Feed Your SOUL.

Presented by the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau in association with Kaiser Permanente, the EBWC remains the only conference of its kind in San Francisco’s East Bay that provides women opportunities to come together and participate in programs of personal and professional enrichment and development. This distinctive conference blends multiple premier keynote speakers, an exhibitor marketplace, a fully stocked bookstore, speaker meet and greets, author signings, and networking opportunities. Conference highlights include continental breakfast, lunch, and afternoon reception with wine, hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, and more. Complimentary parking.

Last Year's Event Photo Gallery

Keynote Speakers

MIND Your Business

Vera Jones

“The Empathy Coach”

About Vera Jones

Vera Jones, “The Empathy Coach,” is an inspiring, funny, and relatable Motivational Speaker, Author, Professional Development Trainer and Coach. She offers resilience, empathic leadership, communication, public speaking, team building, wellness, and conflict resolution keynote speaking and training services. A Syracuse University Hall of Fame scholar-athlete with a master’s degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications, and an MTI Certification in Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Vera is also a former ESPN, Fox Sports, MSG, WNBA, and Big Ten Network Basketball Analyst. She has coached Division 1 college basketball, performed on stage as an actress with the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company, and even entertained “inebriated hecklers” as a stand-up comedian!

Vera is an Adjunct Public Speaking Professor at the University of North Florida and the Founder of the Perseverance Speakers Academy. Thus, her “spare time” is often dedicated to helping professionals build confidence and credibility through polishing their public speaking skills. In all her endeavors, her faith-based mission is to promote the power of empathy to inspire, educate, uplift, and unite.

Listen to Your BODY

Dr. Jennifer Ashton

Founder and President, Ajenda

Double Board-Certified OB-GYN and Obesity Medicine Physician
Former Chief Medical Correspondent, ABC News & Good Morning America

About Dr. Jennifer Ashton

Dr. Jennifer Ashton is the founder and President of Ajenda, a multimedia company centered around Weight management, Women’s Health and Nutrition. One of the only physicians with a national platform who is credentialed in nutrition, obesity medicine and gynecology, Dr Ashton is the former ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent where she was the first woman and only the third physician to hold this position in the history of the network. For 4 years, she was the co-host of GMA3, the third hour of Good Morning America. Since joining ABC in 2012, she reported on a full-range of medical topics including the maternal mortality crisis, mental illness and suicide, and heart disease. When the Coronavirus Pandemic began, Dr. Ashton became fully immersed in the world of Infectious Diseases, public health and epidemiology and began her daily communications with the leading experts in these fields in order to provide analysis on Covid-19 for the American public.

Dr. Ashton is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University and Columbia Medical School, where she also received her Master’s of Science degree in Nutrition. She is board-certified in Ob-Gyn and Obesity Medicine, is a 4-time Emmy Award winner for her work in medical reporting and has received the Columbia Alfred DuPont Award for Excellence in Journalism for her work in television covering medical topics. She is a Board member of the American Heart Association and the author of six books, including the national best-seller, The Self Care Solution, as well as Life After Suicide and The New Normal. In 2023, she launched her own national magazine, which was the highest-selling new magazine debut from the publisher in the past 3 years, and in 2024, launched a popular free weekly newsletter, Ajenda, which boasts an open rate of 66.7%.

Feed Your SOUL

Amanda Gore

CEO The Joy Project

About Amanda Gore

Amanda Gore is an author, USA Hall of Fame Speaker, businesswoman, CEO of The Joy Project and a Huffington Post Columnist, she has won many awards, including Educator of the Year and Keynote Speaker of the Year from the National Speakers Association.

She works with organizations of different sizes to help boost engagement of teams, create cultures of joy and joyful people, manage change fatigue and bring humanity back into leadership and work.

With the rise of mental health issues, Amanda believes that joy is the antidote to burnout and has been shown to increase productivity, sales, and well-being. In her presentations, she blends humor, science, and life experience to teach practical tools and skills for personal and organizational growth. She focuses on helping people feel good about themselves, which leads to positive changes in all areas. She is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating lasting change while people laugh and learn.

Nicole Hankton

Event Emcee and EVP, Visit Walnut Creek

Nicole Hankton is a proud San Francisco Bay Area native with over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, and public relations. As the Executive Vice President of the Visitors Bureau for Visit Walnut Creek, Nicole leads the organization’s marketing, public relations, sales, and community partnership strategies.

Her career includes a strong background in retail and hotel marketing at notable Bay Area properties, which she now leverages to position Walnut Creek as a premier destination for leisure travel, small meetings, conferences, social gatherings, and weekend getaways.

Nicole studied Business Administration at the University of Phoenix and has earned the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation from Destinations International.

Large Web Headers and Banners (1600 x 350 px)

2nd Annual Women Making a Difference Awards.

The Women Making a Difference Awards celebrate the extraordinary women whose contributions are transforming the East Bay. Presented by Kaiser Permanente in partnership with the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, these prestigious awards honor local women in three impactful categories: Innovation, Leadership and Empowerment, and Rising Star. Beyond recognition at the East Bay Women’s Conference, these awards highlight the remarkable talent, resilience, and transformative power of women who are paving the way to a bolder, brighter, and healthier future for all of us.

Nominations open October 6th till October 31st!

The three winners will be recognized and receive their awards at the 21st Annual East Bay Women's Conference on March 3rd, 2026, at the Lesher Center for the Arts! Be sure to save the date!

Nominations Open Now!

Crowd networking at the 2023 East Bay Women's Conference

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who has spoken at this conference in years past?

What does event registration include?

What can I expect for the check-in and event registration process?

How can I get to the conference?

The conference will take place at the Lesher Center for the Arts, located at 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, California 94596.

Driving:

From Oakland/San Francisco
- Take Highway 24 to 680 North
- Exit at Ygnacio Valley Road
- Turn Right off exit
- Turn Right onto California Blvd.
- Turn Left onto Civic Drive
- Turn Right onto Locust Street, the parking garage is on your right
From San Jose
- Take Highway 680 North
- Exit at Olympic Blvd.
- Turn Right onto Olympic from exit
- Turn Left onto California Blvd.
- Turn Right onto Civic Drive
- Turn Right onto Locust Street, the parking garage is on your right
From Concord/Sacramento
- Take 680 South
- Exit at Walnut Creek/North Main Street, go toward South Main Street
- Go straight, staying right toward California Blvd.
- Turn Left onto Civic Drive
- Turn Right onto Locust Street, the parking garage is on your right

Public Transportation:

The Lesher Center for the Arts is conveniently located near the Walnut Creek BART station and is also serviced on the free downtown Walnut Creek trolley service via County Connection.

Parking:

A parking garage is located adjacent to the Lesher Center on Locust Street (off of the corner of Civic and Locust.) Spots are limited; carpooling is highly encouraged.

How are cancellations, substitutions, and refunds handled?

What time should I arrive for the conference?