CREATE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW
Empowering Girls for Life is committed to uplifting and inspiring the next generation of leaders through motivational conversations with student-athletes, coaches, Olympians and businesswomen.
By creating channels to meet, interact with and learn from diverse, high profile women, EGFL aims to inspire and enable personal and professional success for girls and women everywhere.
Each year, EGFL hosts an event where we invite speakers from various industries and backgrounds to share their barrier-breaking stories and inspire young girls and women that anything they dream of, they can achieve – no matter the obstacles.
Our 2018 – 2024 events hosted Olympic medalists, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, educators, national championship coaches, athletes, and more for a day of inspiration, fun, and scholarship giveaways. Together, we will create the female leaders of tomorrow by empowering girls today.
Empowering Girls for Life is committed to uplifting and inspiring the next generation of leaders through motivational conversations with student-athletes, coaches, Olympians and businesswomen.
By creating channels to meet, interact with and learn from diverse, high profile women, EGFL aims to inspire and enable personal and professional success for girls and women everywhere.
Each year, EGFL hosts an event where we invite speakers from various industries and backgrounds to share their barrier-breaking stories and inspire young girls and women that anything they dream of, they can achieve – no matter the obstacles.
Our 2018 – 2024 events hosted Olympic medalists, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, educators, national championship coaches, athletes, and more for a day of inspiration, fun, and scholarship giveaways. Together, we will create the female leaders of tomorrow by empowering girls today.
Location
The Westin - Lombard, IL
70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148, USA
70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148, USA
Date & Time
August 9, 2025, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Schedule
10:00 AM
coaches corner
Hear from two coaching duos who have changed the standard of the game of softball at Northwestern University and helped pave the way for future generations of coaches and student-athletes.
Kate Drohan & Caryl Drohan - Northwestern Softball Head Coaches and all-time wins leaders
Bonnie Tholl & Carol Hutchins - Michigan Softball Former Head Coach who is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA softball history and Current Head Coach
Kate Drohan & Caryl Drohan - Northwestern Softball Head Coaches and all-time wins leaders
Bonnie Tholl & Carol Hutchins - Michigan Softball Former Head Coach who is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA softball history and Current Head Coach
10:45 AM
RISING STAR
Hear from one of the rising stars in the game of softball who has earned the largest Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal for softball to date.
NiJaree Canady - 2024 NCAA Player of the Year, 2 time All-American, Softball Student-Athlete at Texas Tech (formerly at Stanford)
NiJaree Canady - 2024 NCAA Player of the Year, 2 time All-American, Softball Student-Athlete at Texas Tech (formerly at Stanford)
11:30 AM
League of LAdy leaders
Hear from a group of former softball student-athletes who used their time as student-athletes to shape their lives in different ways today.
Rachel Becker - Former two-time All American Purdue/Oklahoma St. Division I softball student-athlete; current Project Manager for CURVE Test Centers at Diamond Allegiance
Mimi Morris - Former James Madison Division I softball student-athlete; current Brand Partnership Manager at Motorola
Jackie Barbanente - Former Loyola Division I softball student-athlete; current Area V.P. of Sales for NCR Corporation; mother of two Division I softball and gymnastics student-athletes
Jenna Lilley-Weisberg - Former Bandits and Oregon two-time All American Division I softball student-athlete; former Team USA National team softball player; current Investment Banking Analyst at Greenwich Capital Group
Rachel Becker - Former two-time All American Purdue/Oklahoma St. Division I softball student-athlete; current Project Manager for CURVE Test Centers at Diamond Allegiance
Mimi Morris - Former James Madison Division I softball student-athlete; current Brand Partnership Manager at Motorola
Jackie Barbanente - Former Loyola Division I softball student-athlete; current Area V.P. of Sales for NCR Corporation; mother of two Division I softball and gymnastics student-athletes
Jenna Lilley-Weisberg - Former Bandits and Oregon two-time All American Division I softball student-athlete; former Team USA National team softball player; current Investment Banking Analyst at Greenwich Capital Group
12:15 PM
LEGEND
Hear from an Olympic softball legend as she shares her story of her time at Arizona and on the USA Softball National Team.
Leigh O'Brien-Amico - Three-time Olympic Gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004) and three-time NCAA National Champion Division I softball student-athlete at University of Arizona.
Leigh O'Brien-Amico - Three-time Olympic Gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004) and three-time NCAA National Champion Division I softball student-athlete at University of Arizona.