Burning Bright with OWN IT 2023
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” - Jennifer Lee
To encourage our young female professionals to burn as their most fiery selves, OWN IT steps up their game for 2023 with the theme, Burn Bright. DWIB’s mission has always been to empower young female and non-binary individuals in their professional journey and to foster friendship and diversity. With the idea of Burning Bright in mind, DWIB’s 2023 OWN IT Board curates a weekend of events that brings the community together in hopes of inspiring every individual in the community to ignite their passions, take risks, and pursue their goals.
What is OWN IT?
OWN IT is an annual professional conference organized by DWIB’s OWN IT Board, with the purpose of helping women and non-binary individuals find success in their careers by providing information and resources. The extravaganza embodies DWIB’s core values of friendship, diversity, and empowerment.
Attendees at the 2023 OWN IT Conference, with the OWN IT Board photographed in the center
Traditionally, the OWN IT kicks off with a keynote speaker who shares their unique story and perspective. Last year, the talented Niki Sun shared her journey as an Asian woman navigating the entertainment industry. The heart of the conference is a panel of diverse female speakers who will participate in a Q&A, provide tips on how to foster professional growth and offer advice to the attendees on how to drive a career into a success. These women are entrepreneurs and leaders in a variety of industries including Tech, Medicine, Entertainment, Law, etc. In addition, there are also categorized workshops and networking opportunities after.
Leveling Up OWN IT’ 23
This year, the OWN IT Board has decided to level up the conference by incorporating new features and events. Most notably, 2023 OWN IT will be a two-day event instead of one! Day two is the newly added OWN IT Festival, which is dedicated to self-care and flourishing within our community.
The first day is the OWN IT Conference will be following a similar schedule as the previous year. Maggy Krell, Special Advisor to the California Attorney General, is this year’s keynote speaker. The panel features Alana Mathews, Ashlie Bryant, Trupti Kalbag, Lynn Aguilera, and Rufaro Kangai, who are respected leaders in law, entrepreneurship, and business. We also saw tech, self-promotion, and business-focused group workshops.
Success is not only defined by professional achievement but also by personal growth and health. Acknowledging that the professional conference is jam-packed with information and can be overwhelming, the OWN IT Board created the Festival with the intention of providing attendees a chance to unwind and get active in the community in other ways. Some activities that took place included a group yoga session, meditation workshop, self-care prep-talk by an amazing speaker, and female-led entertainment. There was also a marketplace with female-owned businesses!
With the 2021 conference taking place via Zoom, and 2022 returning in person successfully, OWN IT has come a long way. Thanks to DWIB’s very own OWN IT Board and the outstanding selection of speakers, this year’s event was incredibly successful. A huge thank you to the turnout of attendees representing the DWIB community, because they are the main driving force behind this event's growth and success.
See you at next year’s OWN IT!
WRITTEN BY Andrea Kwong
Attendees in the yoga workshop during the OWN IT Festival, shot by Lauren Thai