How Leaders Tackle Today’s Business Challenges
Tackling the challenges of today’s business environment demands that leaders bring every tool and resource they have to the table. Human capital is critical, and no organization can succeed in an ever-changing business climate without its best talent at-the-ready. And yet recent events have heightened the already daunting challenge of developing and retaining our best leaders. Women Who Mean Business is designed specifically to arm already successful leaders with the tools and perspectives they need to not only stay and thrive in the workplace but to achieve their full potential.
Cohort 7 Session Dates
Session 1: Wednesday, September 16 – Thursday, September 17, 2026
Session 2: Thursday, November 5 – Friday, November 6, 2026
Session 3: Thursday, January 28 – Friday, January 29, 2027
Session 4: Thursday, April 1 – Friday, April 2, 2027
Applications are now open through August 1, or until the cohort is full. Space is limited, and spots fill quickly, so early application is strongly encouraged.
How It Works
4 Sessions
Completion
Program Duration
Apply or Nominate
Cohort Size
Model
Advice From Our Participants
Make Connections
Push Yourself
Get Inspired
Our Strongest Applicants Are:
Mid- and Senior-Level Managers
High-Potential Talent
Entrepreneurs
10+ Years Leadership Experience
Rising Leaders
Successful
“Absolutely amazing! The program adds a fresh perspective and a new sense of motivation and encouragement – do it! Instructors are legit (they really care about supporting the next generation of professional women)- not just impressive resumes. And the women in the room are truly there to lift each other up!”
—Graduate of Cohort 5, 2025
“I highly recommend this program to help position you for continued success in your career. The content is extremely relevant, the speakers are genuine and diverse, and the community you build with other women in your cohort is invaluable.”
—Graduate of Cohort 5, 2025
“You will come out of this program inspired and ready to make an impact.”
—Graduate of Cohort 4, 2024
Program Highlights
Overview
The Course is taught in-person at the University of Texas AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas, and participants will be expected to arrive in time for dinner Thursday evening and will depart after each session ends mid-Friday afternoon. Participants will be expected to stay on-site, with one overnight stay each session, and will have homework exercises to complete between sessions.
Harness Your Superpowers
Increase self-awareness and confidence, and instill personal accountability for your professional growth.
Topics
- Self-Awareness and Personality Types
- Building Your Personal Brand: What Makes You Unique and Authentic?
- Team Dynamics – Diversity and Shoring up Blind Spots
- Networking (Beyond the Cocktail Party; Currency and Coinage)
- Cultivating Your Personal Board of Directors
- Goal Setting (Again, and Again)
Create Value
Elevate your understanding of what it means to create value in a professional context.
Topics
- Value Creation
- Big Changes to Big Things
- Adaptability and Innovation
- Negotiation
- Professional Risk Taking and Ambition
- Decision Making
- Power: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Building Your Team: Courage and Compassion
Control Your Destiny
Build your personal development plan and a process for self-renewal.
Topics
- Build Trust
- Building a Kick Ass Culture
- Mentors, Sponsors, and Circles
- Know Thyself (Personal Values)
- Personal Risk Taking
- Having It All: Designing Your Life
Build Your Executive Presence
Probe the opportunity to build and leverage your executive presence in a modern context embracing diversity and inclusion.
Topics
- Executive Presence
- Understanding Bias
- Walking away from F.U.D. (fear, uncertainty and doubt)
- Grit and Perseverance
- Opting In (-or- the Cost of Opting Out)
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Gay Gaddis
Lynn Utter
Session Dates & Program Cost
Join forces with McCombs School of Business to prepare for a successful transition to senior leadership.
Program Dates
The program consists of four, two-day hands-on sessions conducted over an eight-month timeframe.
Session Dates for Cohort 7
- Session 1: Wednesday, September 16 – Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Session 2: Thursday, November 5 – Friday, November 6, 2026
- Session 3: Thursday, January 28 – Friday, January 29, 2027
- Session 4: Thursday, April 1 – Friday, April 2, 2027
Cost
The Women Who Mean Business Program costs $8,350.
Course Completion
CEU/CPE Credit
Participants earn 1.4 CEUs and/or 14 CPEs for this course. A certificate of completion will be presented from Texas Executive Education.
Certificate Course Credits
2 credits towards the Texas Executive Education Managerial Leadership Certificate.
100% Participation Policy
One of the cornerstones of the Women Who Mean Business program is the network we build within each Cohort offering support throughout and beyond our time together. Every session includes time to reflect, discuss and build trust with a Circle of participants within your Cohort. When a participant is not present, their Circle and Cohort suffers. Therefore, to be respectful of your fellow participates, we require 100% participation in every session to graduate and receive a certificate. Session materials can be found on Canvas following each session, but sessions cannot be made up at a later date.
Reunion
All WWMB participants will be invited to register for a Reunion after program completion. This 1-day, immersive experience offers a chance to continue learning and reconnect with past WWMB graduates.
Employer Reimbursement
Courses offered by Texas Executive Education often qualify for employer reimbursement.
Sample Justification Email/Letter
Need help convincing your manager to approve the time and cost related to taking this course? Use this customizable template as a starting point to help demonstrate the value of the program for your organization.
Dear [Your Manager’s Name],
I would like your approval to attend Women Who Mean Business, an immersive program for rising leaders. The program consists of four, two-day hands-on sessions over a eight-month timeframe (September 16-17, 2026; November 5-6, 2026; January 28-29, 2027; and April 1-2, 2027). Taught by two CEOs and University of Texas McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame winners, Gay Gaddis and Lynn Utter, the program brings entrepreneurial skills and corporate experiences together for a comprehensive leadership program for rapid career advancement. This program will offer me real-world experiences, and the tools needed to dramatically improve the [Add your products/services] we deliver and how we work internally.
This class is in-person and interactive at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin. It will include lectures, small group exercises, key speakers, and networking events as well as a McCombs School of Business certificate of completion.
Topics will include:
● Value Creation
● Difficult Decisions
● Risk-Taking
● Adaptability and Innovation
● Negotiation
● Power Dynamics
● Team Building
● Understanding Bias and Intentional Inclusion
● Executive Presence
● Grit and Perseverance
● Self-awareness and Personal Development Planning
After each session, I will be able to share tangible takeaways and learnings with our whole team. Additionally, I will be able to use these sessions to focus on strategies to grow our business and/or contribute to the profitability of the company.
Lastly, Women Who Mean Business isn’t just for emerging corporate executives. The program is also designed for entrepreneurs to offer a cross-pollination of ideas while networking on future innovations including invitations to annual WWMB Reunions for continued learning and professional development. I’m excited to apply our principles of [Add your current corporate initiative]
The total cost to attend this eight-month program is detailed below:
● Program Registration: $8,350
● Travel: [insert amount]
● Hotel: [insert amount]
● Meals: [insert estimate **Lunches & dinners during sessions included in Registration Fee]
● Total: [sum of above]
Learn more about the program [insert link].
Thanks for taking the time to review this request. I look forward to talking to you about it.
Regards,
[Your Name]
Curriculum
4 Sessions, One Goal: Rise with Confidence
Harness Your Superpowers
Objective: Increase self-awareness and confidence, and instill personal accountability for your professional growth.
Topics
- Self-Awareness and Personality Types
- Building Your Personal Brand: What Makes You Unique and Authentic?
- Team Dynamics – Diversity and Shoring up Blind Spots
- Networking (Beyond the Cocktail Party; Currency and Coinage)
- Cultivating Your Personal Board of Directors
- Goal Setting (Again, and Again)
Deliver the Goods
Objective: Elevate your understanding of what it means to create value in a professional context.
Topics
- Value Creation
- Big Changes to Big Things
- Adaptability and Innovation
- Negotiation
- Professional Risk Taking and Ambition
- Decision Making
- Power: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Building Your Team: Courage and Compassion
Build Your Executive Presence
Objective: Probe the opportunity to build and leverage your executive presence in a modern context embracing diversity and inclusion.
Topics
- Executive Presence
- Understanding Bias
- Walking away from F.U.D. (fear, uncertainty and doubt)
- Grit and Perseverance
- Opting In (or the Cost of Opting Out)
Channel Your Ambition
Objective: Build your personal development plan and a process for self-renewal.
Topics
- Build Trust
- Building a Kick-Ass Culture
- Mentors, Sponsors, and Circles
- Know Thyself (Personal Values)
- Personal Risk-Taking
- Having It All: Designing Your Life
Sample Session Schedule
View a sample of the session schedules and see what is covered during the program. The schedule is subject to change.
Session 1
Day 1
- 4:00 pm: Registration and Welcome
- 4:30–6:00 pm: Introductions and Immersive Learning in Small Group Circles
- 6:00 pm: Cohort Group Photo
- 6:15–7:15 pm: Networking Social Hour
- 7:15–9:00 pm: Dinner and Keynote Conversation with Notable Special Guest
Day 2
- 7:30 am: Cohort Networking Breakfast
- 8:30–11:30 am: Lectures, Discussions, & Strategic Deep Dive on Session Topic
- 11:30 pm: Lunch
- 12:00–1:15 pm: High-Impact Speed Networking with Founders & Industry Leaders
- 1:30–2:30 pm: Off the Record | Unfiltered Conversations with Distinguished Guest
- 2:30-3:00 pm: Closing Insights & Departures
Session 2
Day 1
- 4:00 pm: Registration & Welcome
- 4:15–6:00 pm: Immersive Learning in Small Group Circles
- 6:00–7:00 pm: Networking Social Hour
- 7:00–9:00 pm: Dinner and Keynote Conversation with Notable Special Guest
Day 2
- 7:30 am: Cohort Networking Breakfast
- 8:30–11:30 am: Lectures, Discussions, & Strategic Deep Dive on Session Topic
- 11:30 pm: Lunch
- 12:00–1:15 pm: High-Impact Speed Networking with Founders & Industry Leaders
- 1:30–2:30 pm: Off the Record | Unfiltered Conversations with Distinguished Guest
- 2:30-3:00 pm: Closing Insights & Departures
Session 3
Day 1
- 4:00 pm: Registration & Welcome
- 4:30–5:30 pm: Immersive Learning in Small Group Circles
- 5:45 pm: Board Shuttle for Offsite Reception
- 6:00–7:00 pm: Special Networking Social Hour
- 7:15 pm: Board Shuttle for Offsite Dinner
- 7:15–9:00 pm: Special Dinner and Keynote Conversation with Notable Guest
- 9:00 pm: Board Shuttle for Return
Day 2
- 7:30 am: Cohort Networking Breakfast
- 8:30–11:30 am: Lectures, Discussions, & Strategic Deep Dive on Session Topic
- 11:30 pm: Lunch
- 12:00–1:15 pm: High-Impact Speed Networking with Founders & Industry Leaders
- 1:30–2:30 pm: Off the Record | Unfiltered Conversations with Distinguished Guest
- 2:30-3:00 pm: Closing Insights & Departures
Session 4
Day 1
- 3:45 pm: Registration & Welcome
- 4:00–6:00 pm: Immersive Learning in Small Group Circles
- 6:00–7:00 pm: Networking Social Hour with Special Guests
- 7:00–9:00 pm: Special Graduation Dinner and Keynote Conversation with Notable Guest
Day 2
- 7:30 am: Cohort Networking Breakfast
- 8:30–11:30 am: Lectures, Discussions, & Strategic Deep Dive on Session Topic
- 11:15–12:15 pm: Off the Record | Unfiltered Conversations with Distinguished Guest
- 12:15–12:50 pm: Closing Insights
- 1:00–2:00 pm: Special Graduation Lunch
- 2:00-2:30 pm: Graduation Ceremony
- 3:00 pm: Evaluations and Departures
CEU/CPE Credits
Download Reimbursement Kit
3 Ways to Grow Leadership Skills
Hear key insights from Women Who Mean Business instructors in this short video.
Hear Firsthand from Participants
“This is the best (and most actionable!) investment you will ever make in your career and professional development! You will leave with clarity and confidence in what your strengths and superpowers are, greater clarity in what you want to accomplish professionally and how to position those strengths and build a plan to successfully achieve it. Plus, you will build an invaluable professional network of incredible women peers in diverse industries” —Graduate of Cohort 5, 2025
“The program was empowering and helped me to realize that there is nothing wrong with leaning into my strengths even if that aspect of me does not seem like a strength to other people. I loved the idea of collaboration and integration, because single minded thinking won’t open as many doors to incredible possibilities.” —Graduate of Cohort 5, 2025
“The bonds formed during the circle groups and classroom discussions were invaluable in building my confidence and building a network of like-minded women who bring each other up rather than competing against each other.” —Graduate of Cohort 4, 2024