Crossing the Divide: Making an Impact in Career and Community

Join us for the last webinar in our Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series, featuring two outstanding Utah women leaders in business.
About this Event

The Utah Women & Leadership Project invites you step into a world of inspiration and empowerment by joining our 2025 ten-part webinar “Women in Leadership Executive Speaker Series.” This series is a celebration of dynamic and influential women who have shattered the glass ceiling landscape in Utah.

For our last webinar in this series, Dr. Susan R. Madsen will moderate a discussion with Jennifer Smith (Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Zions Bancorporation) and Lavonya Mahate (Entrepreneur, Restauranteur, and Community Builder). This conversation will begin with a focus on the panelists’ career development and advancement journeys, and how they—and women more generally—must redefine their identities along the way. This panel discussion will also focus on a variety of topics that relate to foundational skills and abilities that advance women’s careers and the positive impact they can have in community work as well. This includes such topics as how to claim your achievements as women, build rather than leverage relationship, enlist allies from the start, and bring other women along in the process. Next, guests will share their passions and work in the community and the causes and efforts they are involved in that lift and support other women. This will include a discussion of how women can build bridges across communities and cultures. Join this webinar to learn about crossing the divide through making an impact in your career and community!

Sponsors: Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University & Utah State University Extension

Panelists

Jennifer Smith is an executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer for Zions Bancorporation. has a commitment to community service. She has been an active leader in United Way's collective impact initiatives creating improved community outcomes in education, health, and income. She is a member of the YWCA of Utah's Board of Directors and has previously held positions on the United Way's board of directors and as a chair of their Women's Leadership Council. She is an active Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Utah mentor. In 2011 she received the Women's Philanthropic Network's Member of the Year award, and United Way's Heart and Hands award. She holds bachelor and master’s degree from the University of Utah. Jennifer serves as a Champion for A Bolder Way Forward.

Lavanya Mahate is a visionary entrepreneur who has made a significant impact in the culinary world with her innovative approach to Indian cuisine. Starting with her mission to share the flavors of Indian spices, she has expanded her portfolio to include multiple successful restaurants. Alongside her business ventures, Lavanya has been recognized for her leadership and dedication to empowering entrepreneurs, earning numerous awards and sitting on multiple boards. Her commitment to giving back is evident through her non-profit organization, RISE Culinary Institute, which provides free culinary training to refugee and immigrant women from low-income families. With her passion for food and expertise in entrepreneurship, Lavanya continues to inspire and uplift her community through her diverse ventures.

Moderator

Dr. Susan R. Madsen is considered one of the top global scholars and thought leaders on the topic of women’s leadership, has authored or edited nine books, and has published hundreds of articles, chapters, and reports. Her research has been cited in the U.S. News and World Report, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Chronicle of Higher Education, and The Washington Post. She is also a regular contributor to Forbes and other local and state newspapers. Professor Madsen is the Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and serves on many nonprofit and community boards. She is also the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, the visionary behind Utah’s A Bolder Way Forward, and her passion is to strengthen the impact of girls and women in Utah and worldwide.