Next week Wright State University will hold its 15th annual Leader to Leader Conference for students to attend and improve their leadership skills.
The conference is planned and hosted by Omicron Delta Kappa students, a leadership organization at WSU.
This year’s theme for the conference is ‘The Purpose of Leadership’ with speakers presenting on topics surrounding this topic.
The conference is held on campus during the day on Feb. 8 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the speakers will be in varying rooms of the Student Union such as the Apollo Room, Discovery, and Atlantis.
This event is free to Wright State students, sign up is available until 11:59 p.m. Thursday night through the university Engage portal.
The conference sessions are designed to help students leadership skills and success within a rapidly evolving new world according to the event information page.
Speaker Line Up
Speakers range from Wright State alumni, staff and faculty at WSU, to those involved in the community. The keynote speaker of the day will be Dave Kelly.
Kelly is a professional speaker, trainer, motivator, and team builder.
Others that will holding sessions include:
Charles Nick – President at Third Wave Water, TEDx Speaker, & Shark Tank Contestant
Brandy Foster – Executive Director, ONEIL Center for Research Communication at Wright State University & TEDx Speaker
Jeremy Spencer – Investment Advisor Representative with Transamerica Financial Advisors (TFA) & Operations Officer in the Army National Guard
Kendall Goodrich – Marketing Chair and Professor, Wright State University
Lisa Eizenga – Assistant Director for Residence Life, Wright State University
Lance Salyers – TEDx Speaker & Coach, Forbes Contributing Writer, & Founder and IDEAS Evangelist at 5×5 Advisory
Vincent Lewis – Director, L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurship & President/Operating Manager of Arcade Innovation Hub, LLC
Nate Dillard – U.S. Air Force reservist, Founder/CEO of the National Black Business Directory, & Co-Director of Startup Grind Dayton
“As a senior, I’m most excited to learn about different skills outside the classroom and the wide range of speakers at this conference will be more than quench my thirst for that,” Ian Huelskamp, co-president of ODK said.
Networking and skill building
“I am excited to provide this opportunity of leadership development to any and all students who decide they want to take part. This conference is a great opportunity to learn and meet new people,” Markayla Clayton, co-president of ODK said.
Students who attend Leader to Leader Conference utilize the time to network and meet those in their career field.
For Wright State student and ODK member, Tyler Rupert was able to connect with one of the speakers at the conference. This connection lead to an eventual job with ONEIL and launching a student organization, Entrepreneurship Club.
“I attended the Leader2Leader conference for the first time in 2017. It’s hard to overstate the impact that decision has had on my life,” Rupert said. “In the world I’m in, it’s often said that you’re just one person away from meeting the right one. At L2L, not only do you get to hear from and pick the brains of incredibly accomplished leaders from the worlds of Entrepreneurship, Student Leadership, Higher Education, and Community Development, you might just meet that right person. For me, L2L 2017 was was one of those days. “
For others they find sessions inspiring and beneficial to their work as leaders in the community.
“The Leader to Leader Conference has enabled me to see leadership with a new perspective, encouraging me to reflect on how I can become a more effective leader in the future,” Andrew Bordner, ODK member said. “I distinctly remember Jason Moore’s presentation on finding your purpose, which helped me recognize my strengths as a leader and how I can best utilize them to connect with others. All in all, the conference was a phenomenal learning experience that I would recommend to any Wright State student without hesitation.”
