{"id":1887,"date":"2026-11-05T21:21:15","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T21:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.holycross.edu\/business\/?p=1887"},"modified":"2026-11-05T21:21:50","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T21:21:50","slug":"celebrating-21-years-of-connection-growth-and-opportunity-at-the-annual-women-in-business-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.holycross.edu\/business\/2026\/11\/05\/celebrating-21-years-of-connection-growth-and-opportunity-at-the-annual-women-in-business-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating 21 Years of Connection, Growth, and Opportunity at the Annual Women in Business Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, Holy Cross hosted its 21st Annual Women in Business Conference. Nearly 200 students and alumnae attended the student-run event focused on networking, professional development, and creating space for meaningful conversations. Throughout the day, attendees participated in panels, connected with fellow alumnae, and exchanged ideas and experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

The day began with breakfast and opening remarks from Helen Boucher \u201986, former College board chair, and a \u201cConnection Cafe\u201d ice breaker led by Julie Palazini \u201989, co-founder of Idea4Action. The conference then moved into the keynote interview, where Marybeth Reilly-McGreen \u201989, senior writer for Holy Cross, interviewed Susan Jurevics \u201989, executive in residence at Pix Media. Jurevics drew on her 30-year career across media, entertainment, and technology, including senior leadership roles at Nickelodeon, Sony, Mattel, BareMinerals, Pottermore, and Audible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A central theme of the conversation was that careers do not have to follow a predetermined path. Jurevics emphasized that “your first job is not your last job,” and encouraged attendees to take chances, build meaningful relationships, develop foundational skills, and remain open to opportunities that may not have been part of the original plan. A memorable part of Jurevic\u2019s story was how rediscovering an old paper that unexpectedly inspired her to return to graduate school, illustrating how unexpected experiences can shape one\u2019s career path and lead to new opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jurevics also highlighted how relationships played an instrumental role in many of the major opportunities throughout her career. She encouraged attendees to focus on doing excellent work wherever they are, even when their responsibilities may seem small, and to invest in relationships with colleagues at every stage of their professional journeys. “Opportunities come to you,\u201d Jurevics shared, \u201cbut foundationally, under any of those opportunities, you actually have to do the work that makes that possible, and part of the work is maintaining those relationships.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The conference also brought together 26 alumnae speakers for five panels covering a wide range of industries, career experiences, and professional skills. Topics included:<\/span><\/p>\n