mPowering You: MBA's Summit For Women in Real Estate Finance
Saturday, October 18, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Continental Breakfast
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer

Sponsored by GridBase.
	
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Gravitas Confidence Closet
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer

GRAVITAS uses fashion to empower women to be their best selves. Shop the confidence closet and sign up for a consultation with “dress whisperer” Lisa Sun, Gravitas CEO and Founder.
	
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Headshot Café
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer

Stop by our professional photographer for a new headshot with makeup and hair touchup. You'll receive the image file to update your social media presence. No additional fee. Sponsored by Zillow Home.
	
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	LinkedIn Profile Consultation
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer

Sign up for a 15-minute LinkedIn Profile consultation with an expert coach. Find out what your profile says about you, learn strategies to build your social media presence and engage your network. Book your appointment in advance: https://calendly.com/dwcs/mba-annual25
	
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	mPowering You Book Shop
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer	
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Registration
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer	
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Strike a Pose at the Affirmation Mirror

Step up to the Affirmation Mirror Photobooth for a moment of positivity and connection. Snap your photo and watch as inspiring affirmations appear on the screen—reminders of your strength, confidence, and potential. Leave with a keepsake photo that celebrates both your presence at mPowering You and the power you bring to the industry.
	
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Musical Entertainment with DJ Graffiti
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

Our opening act sets the tone for the day with an energetic style and keeps it going throughout the day. Feel the power!

Speaker
DJ Graffiti, The Keynote DJ™️	
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM	OPENING GENERAL SESSION: Ten Years and One Truth
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

Hear from mPower Founder, Marcia Davies, as she marks the 10-year anniversary of mPower with a look back at the past and talks about the lessons learned over the past decade.

Speaker
Marcia M. Davies, mPower Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Mortgage Bankers Association	
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM	GENERAL SESSION: Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight: A Leadership Conversation
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

Leadership today requires more than just vision — it demands adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the courage to drive meaningful change. In this candid conversation, industry leaders unpack the values, strategies, and hard-earned lessons that have shaped their approach to leading through uncertainty, developing talent, and creating lasting impact. Leave the session with new approaches to navigate crises and cultural shifts, develop high-performing teams, and embrace transparency to boldly drive progress. Sponsored by Optimal Blue.

Speakers
Christine Chandler, 2026 MBA Chair; Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer & Chief Operating Officer, M&T Realty Capital Corporation
Maria Fregosi, Executive Vice President, Lennar Mortgage
Sara Karam Holtz, Chief Marketing Officer, Optimal Blue, LLC
Laura Hopkins, AMP, Senior Vice President of Membership, Meetings and mPower, Mortgage Bankers Association
Taylor Potter, COO, Ardley Technologies, Inc.
Neena Vlamis, Chief Executive Officer and President, A and N Mortgage Services Inc.	
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM	GENERAL SESSION: Digital Disruption and the Future of Work: Empowering Women in a Technology-Driven World
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

The world is in disruption! You are at the forefront of rapid change. The continued accelerated pace of technology and competitive forces is causing workplace environments to become more volatile—demanding disruptive leaders, employees who challenge the status quo, and managers who ensure teams are equipped for the future. This engaging multimedia presentation explores the trends reshaping the workforce, the essential skills needed to remain relevant, and how to navigate your career in a digital-first world. With a focus on empowering women, it highlights bold strategies for leadership, growth, and resilience. Attendees will walk away with insights to help them adapt, lead, and thrive in the evolving world of work. Sponsored by Docutech.

Speakers
Pam Forrester, Senior Vice President of Division Operations, First American Mortgage Solutions
Tracey Wilen, Ph.D., Researcher, Speaker	
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Spark Joy at the Permanent Bracelet Station

Celebrate 10 Years of mPower with a sparkling keepsake you can wear every day. At the Permanent Bracelet Station, choose from delicate gold or silver chains that are welded on your wrist for a lasting accessory—waterproof, worry-free, and uniquely yours. Personalize your piece with custom mPower charms that symbolize your connection to the community and your experience at mPowering You.
	
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM	Networking Lunch
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer

Take time to connect with other attendees while enjoying lunch. Sponsored by Essent.
	
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM	GENERAL SESSION: Grace Under Fire: Turning Workplace Conflict into Opportunity
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

Conflict is inevitable—and how you handle it defines your impact. In this dynamic and engaging session, executive coach Nicole Provonchee helps you reframe conflict as a normal, necessary part of high-performance workplaces - and navigate it with improved skill. We start by unpacking your earliest conflict frameworks—often formed at home—then build a stronger model: respond, don’t react. Drawing from the groundbreaking work, you’ll explore common conflict triggers, identify your own, and learn how they hijack your responses. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to navigate conflict with more grace, confidence, and clarity—making you a stronger communicator, a better teammate, and a more effective leader. Sponsored by Cotality.

Speakers
Terri Davis, Vice President, Product Management, Cotality
Nicole Provonchee, Chief Coaching Officer, Founder, Bright Blue Consulting	
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM	GENERAL SESSION: All in Her Head
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an internationally sought-after clinician and physician-scientist, shares insight from her research to bring women’s health out of the shadows and into the light. A USA Today bestseller, her book “All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today,” works to right the wrongs of centuries of what she calls “insidious incuriousity” about women’s health. Sponsored by ICE Mortgage Technology.

Speakers
Elizabeth Comen, M.D., Physician-Scientist, Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Historian; Co-director, Mignone Women’s Health Collaborative,, New York University
Kerri Girouard, ICE Mortgage Technology
Dawn Williams, AMP, Vice President, Conference Programs and Experiences, Mortgage Bankers Association	
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Networking Refreshment Break
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer	
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM	GENERAL SESSION: A Conversation with Sharon Stone
Location: Cobalt Ballroom

Join us for an extraordinary conversation as Marcia Davies sits down with internationally recognized actress, artist, producer, humanitarian, and New York Times bestselling author, Sharon Stone. As one of the most visible and celebrated actors of her generation, Stone's notable films include Basic Instinct (1992), The Muse (1999), Alpha Dog (2006), and Casino (1995), for which she won a Global Globe for Best Actress in 1996 and an Academy Award nomination for her leading role. Her memoir "The Beauty of Living Twice" proves that it's never too late to raise your voice and speak out to make a difference in people's lives. Stone will discuss her life, career and her advocacy work where she is a powerful activist for the rights of women in an industry that has historically undervalued them. Stone is also a long-time philanthropist garnering such awards as the United Nations Global Citizen Award, Nobel Peace Summit Award, and a Harvard Humanitarian Award, among others. Sponsored by Arch Mortgage Insurance Company.

Speakers
Marcia M. Davies, mPower Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Mortgage Bankers Association
Nikki Krukovsky, CMB, AMP, VP, Divisional Manager, Sales Regional West, Arch Mortgage Insurance Company
Sharon Stone, Actress, Artist, Producer, Humanitarian and New York Times Bestselling Author	
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM	Connections & Cocktails
Location: Cobalt Ballroom Foyer

Wrap up the day by networking with fellow attendees. Enjoy your favorite drink and appetizers while making meaningful connections. Sponsored by Lereta.