Dr. Natalie Nixon – Keynote
Creativity Strategist, CEO, Figure 8 Thinking, LLC
Creativity strategist Dr. Natalie Nixon is the creativity whisperer to the C-Suite. Marketing guru Seth Godin has said that “she can help you get unstuck and unlock the work you were born to do.” Natalie is the author of the forthcoming book Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining productivity and Our Relationship with Time and the award winning The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work. She has been ranked in the 2024 Thinkers50 Radar cohort and among the top 50 keynote speakers in the world by Real Leaders, valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work and innovation.
As CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC she advises leaders on how to catalyze creativity’s ROI for inspired business results. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. and her clients have included Google, Meta, Deloitte, Salesforce, Coursera and Cooley. Natalie’s experience living in 5 countries combined with her background in anthropology, fashion, academia, and dance distinguish her as a one-of-a-kind creativity expert.
She received her BA (honors) from Vassar College, and her PhD from the University of Westminster in London. She lives in her hometown of Philly with her husband, John Nixon, is the proud stepmother of Sydney and loves ballroom, hip-hop dance and open water swimming.
Judy Sailer
Professional Speaker & Director of Learning & Development at Primepoint HRMS & Payroll
Judy Sailer is the Director of Learning and Development for Primepoint HR & Payroll. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management & Organizational Leadership from Springfield College, received her Human Resources Cert from Rutgers University, and is a certified SHRM CP and PHR. She has presented for NJBIA, CCSNJ, NJACP, Tri-State SHRM, and Garden State SHRM and has been featured in Forbes and Jersey Matters. She is well-versed in all aspects of management and leadership; her passion is staff development.
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Committee
The TCNJ Women’s Leadership Summit Committee consists of: Stephen Tomkiel, Assistant Dean, School of Business; Stephanie Horner, Assistant to the Dean, School of Business; Ro Multari, Program Assistant, School of Business; Quiana Starr, Program Assistant, School of Business; Gavin Farber, Coordinator for Undergraduate Advising, School of Business
Student Session Information
A free student-only fireside chat with Keynote speaker, Natalie Nixon, will take place from 11:15 am – 12:00 pm. The room is TBA. The session is open to TCNJ students of all majors. Email horners@tcnj.edu to register.
TCNJ Career Center Career Closet
Clothe a Lion, Change a Future!
The Women’s Leadership Summit is proud to partner with the TCNJ Career Center to stock their Career Closet!
At the 2025 WLS, we will be collecting new or very gently used professional clothing and accessories to ensure every TCNJ student has the confidence they need to succeed!
All donations must be clean and in good condition. We will have space set up for you to leave your donations at the summit.
Would you prefer to drop them off before the summit? Email business@tcnj.edu, and we can help!
Judy Sailer
Judy Sailer is the Director of Learning and Development for Primepoint HR & Payroll. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management & Organizational Leadership from Springfield College, received her Human Resources Cert from Rutgers University, and is a certified SHRM CP and PHR. She has presented for NJBIA, CCSNJ, NJACP, Tri-State SHRM, and Garden State SHRM and has been featured in Forbes and Jersey Matters. She is well-versed in all aspects of management and leadership; her passion is staff development.
Dr. Natalie Nixon
Creativity strategist Dr. Natalie Nixon is the creativity whisperer to the C-Suite. Marketing guru Seth Godin has said that “she can help you get unstuck and unlock the work you were born to do.”
Natalie is the author of the forthcoming book “Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity and Our Relationship with Time” and the award-winning The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work. She has been ranked in the 2024 Thinkers50 Radar cohort and among the top 50 keynote speakers in the world by Real Leaders, valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work, and innovation.
As CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC, she advises leaders on how to catalyze creativity’s ROI for inspired business results. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc., and her clients have included Google, Meta, Deloitte, Salesforce, Coursera, and Cooley. Natalie’s experience living in 5 countries, combined with her background in anthropology, fashion, academia, and dance, distinguishes her as a one-of-a-kind creativity expert.
She received her BA (honors) from Vassar College and her PhD from the University of Westminster in London. She lives in her hometown of Philly with her husband, John Nixon, who is the proud stepmother of Sydney and loves ballroom, hip-hop dance, and open water swimming.
FAQs
Questions?
Questions? Contact Assistant to the Dean Stephanie Horner, horners@tcnj.edu or 609-771-3050.
When is the Conference?
The 15th annual Women’s Leadership Summit will be held on October 29, 2025. Keep checking back for tickets to go on sale!
How long is the Conference?
9:00 AM to 2:30 PM (exact times subject to change) (exact times subject to change)
Where is the Conference?
The College of New Jersey
2000 Pennington Road
Ewing, NJ 08628
Education Building, Room 212
How much is a ticket and what does it include?
In-person tickets are $100. TCNJ faculty, staff, and alumni tickets are $80. A discounted table of eight is available for $640.
Your ticket includes:
- Keynote address
- A choice of one, out of two, breakout sessions
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Autographed keynote book
- Closing activity
What is your refund policy?
We do not offer refunds on ticket purchases at this time.
Who is speaking at the Summit?
The speakers are listed above under the “Speakers” link. They will be updated as they are confirmed.
What should I wear?
Attendees generally wear business casual attire.
How can I register?
Keep checking back for tickets to go on sale.
Seating
Seating for the entire event is on a first-come/first-served basis. If a table is purchased, the guests will be seated together unless otherwise specified.
Accessibility statement
TCNJ aims to offer inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including those with disabilities, to engage fully. If you require reasonable accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact arc@tcnj.edu two weeks ahead of the event.
How do I become a sponsor?
Contact Quiana Starr, starrq@tcnj.edu, 609-771-2566.
Dietary restrictions?
Contact, Stephanie Horner, horners@tcnj.edu, 609-771-3050.
Comments or Suggestions?
Contact Stephanie Horner, horners@tcnj.edu, 609-771-3050.
Bio Dima Ghawi
Dima is Middle-Eastern in her genes, American in her heart, and a global citizen in her spirit. Sheignites the untapped potential in individuals across the globe, empowering them to shatter limitations and become courageous, purpose driven leaders. Her own journey is one of escaping confinement, crossing continents, and transforming her life’s purpose. Harnessing the power of her story, Dima is committed to inspiring individuals to attain personal and professional growth.
Through keynote speeches, workshops, and executive coaching, Dima shares her unique leadership transformation journey with one goal in mind: motivate and activate those around her to reimagine their potential and grow into leaders.
Dima draws from two decades of corporate experience leading global teams and developing future leaders worldwide. She has worked across the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa for several Fortune 100 companies including IBM, Merrill Lynch, and Intuit. She has honed a keen expertise in developing leaders to meet the demands of the global workforce.
Dima’s memoir Breaking Vases received many awards including Writer’s Digest 2018 Grand Prize Award, Best Indie Book Award, Readers’ Favorite Award, National Indie Excellence Award, and Nautilus Book Award.
She has been recognized for her services with the 2014 President of the United States Bronze Volunteer Service Award, the 2019 Baton Rouge Business Report “Influential Women in Business,”2014 Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Forty Under 40” Award, and the 2016 Louisiana State University “Esprit de Femme Award.” She has been featured in numerous publications for her professional and philanthropic work.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimaghawi/
Elisa Torres
Elisa Torres is a commercial leader in the healthcare industry with passion and conviction for building those around her. She has held roles across Sales, Marketing, and Learning & Development functions both in the US and abroad in Asia. Elisa studied marketing at The College of New Jersey and has spent the past 16 years honing her craft, which has led to much innovation and transformative change in her workplace.
Elisa hails from the most loving and generous Puerto Rican family. If she can leave the world a better place for them, she will have fulfilled her life’s calling. Her youth was marked by significant financial and emotional loss, which inspired her to pursue greatness and cultivate it in those around her. Elisa serves her community by mentoring young professionals. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the not-for-profit, Strategies to End Homelessness. She is currently pursuing her Executive MBA from The Wharton School.
In her free time, you can find Elisa doting on her 7 nieces and nephews or traveling to experience a new culture. You can learn more about Elisa on her website, www.elisaspeaks.com.
Bozena Leven, PhD
Bozena Leven graduated from the Central School of Planning and Statistics, Warsaw, Poland with an M.A. in Economics (specializing in International Trade) and was awarded a Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University. Her primary areas of study included International Economics and Economic Development. She has interspersed her academic duties with consulting stints at the Ford Foundation, International Affairs division assisting in their Soviet-East European program, the United Nations, office of the Under-Secretary-General, Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, the William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan and the World Bank. Her publications and research focus on two areas: financial restructuring of Eastern and Central Europe and the welfare effects of macroeconomic reforms in that region. She is also the Executive Director of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America in New York and the Interim Dean of the School of Business at the College of New Jersey.
Dr. Kathryn A. Foster
Dr. Kathryn A. (Kate) Foster became the 16th president of The College of New Jersey in 2018.
A native of New Jersey and a scholar-educator with over thirty-five years of experience in public higher education, Foster comes to TCNJ from the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) where she served as president from 2012 to 2018. Prior to the presidency, she was a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, on research leave from the State University of New York at Buffalo, her academic home from 1993 to 2012.
Foster earned her BA in geography from The Johns Hopkins University, her MCP (city planning) from the University of California, Berkeley, and her PhD in public and international affairs from Princeton University.
An overarching aim of Foster’s first year at TCNJ has been to clarify the college’s institutional priorities and align the relevant pieces – strategy, budget, capital investment plan, and programming – to ensure that the institution is making the most responsible and wise choices for today and tomorrow. This has involved the introduction of a new budget process to better align investment plans with priorities, and the development of key performance indicators to monitor progress.
Foster has placed particular emphasis on building a more inclusive community at TCNJ. The creation of a Division of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; formation of a Bias Response Team; and the development of new education and advocacy programs are among the early achievements.