Women's Business Conference

Friday, March 6, 2026

8:00 am - 1:30 pm

CSU Channel Islands

In honor of International Women‘s Day, the West Ventura County Business Alliance and CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) join forces for the third consecutive year to host Ventura County's only Women's Business Conference, an inspirational half-day event with guest speakers, networking opportunities, and more.

2026 Sponsor Packet

2026 Featured Speakers

Sylvia Acevedo is a transformative leader, rocket scientist, and visionary strategist whose career has been defined by breaking barriers and driving impact at scale. She began her journey at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a young engineer, contributing to space exploration before rising to executive leadership roles at Apple, Autodesk, Dell, and IBM, where she led global teams and advanced innovation across industries. From 2016 to 2020, Acevedo served as CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, modernizing the organization’s programs to emphasize STEM education, entrepreneurship, and digital readiness for the next generation of leaders. She is the bestselling author of Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist and The Trailblazers Playbook: Practical Tactics to Rise Against the Odds and Achieve Excellence, highlighting resilience, leadership, and the power of women who change history. A passionate advocate for women and girls in STEM and business, Acevedo continues to inspire audiences worldwide to lead boldly and chart their own path to success.

Graciela Casillas is a trailblazer in martial arts - a four-time World Champion honored in nine national and international halls of fame, including the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame and Black Belt Hall of Fame. In 2023, she was recognized as “Woman of the Year” by California State Senator Monique Limón. Beyond her undefeated fighting career, Casillas has spent over 40 years teaching and mentoring. She holds advanced degrees in education and physical education, is a certified defensive tactics trainer, and has guided countless students as a professor and academic counselor at Oxnard College. Her book The Lioness Within: A Personal Guide to Self-Defense for Women and the Amazon documentary of the same name extend her impact globally. Today, through Casillas Martial Arts, she continues her life’s purpose: empowering students of all ages to find their inner strength, live with confidence, and carry themselves with dignity in every aspect of life.

Lindsey Carnett is the CEO and president of Marketing Maven, an award-winning global marketing and public relations firm she founded in 2009. After leading integrated communications campaigns for firms and private industries worldwide, she launched Marketing Maven to deliver measurable results and strategic brand growth for clients across diverse industries. With more than two decades of experience, Lindsey has earned national recognition for her leadership, innovation, and impact in the marketing and PR space.

Lindsey will lead an interactive session to give you tools for Mastering Your Personal Brand. From LinkedIn to thought leadership, SEO to storytelling, she is a marketing, branding, and PR expert, and highly sought speaker and consultant who has been helping business leaders reach their goals for over 20 years.

Originally from the UK, Nicki Parr is CEO of WEV - Women’s Economic Ventures, where she leads one of the region’s most impactful nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing women in business. She spent more than 20 years in corporate finance and operational management before pursuing postgraduate studies in Somatic Psychology, bringing both analytical expertise and human-centered leadership to her work. Nicki joined WEV in 2018 as a Business Recovery Specialist, supporting entrepreneurs in the aftermath of the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow. Her career reflects a deep commitment to resilience, access to opportunity, and building sustainable pathways for women business owners.

Nicki will guide a dynamic panel conversation featuring business leaders whose global journeys have shaped their success, highlighting diverse perspectives and the power of cross-cultural experience.