The SkinLess Project is holding its 2nd annual conference.  Last year’s conference was a great success with 19 speakers.  This year, we have an even more exciting and diverse panel of speakers, including CEOs, activists, artists, educators and more!

When: October 21, 2012 8am – 6pm

Where: Ashyana Banquets - 1620 75th Street Downers Grove, IL

Buy your tickets now: http://slpconference2012.eventbrite.com/

2012 SkinLess Project Conference

8:00am – 8:30am – Registration

8:45am – 9:45am - Welcome and Commencement Address (Breakfast provided)

• Welcoming Remarks : Maaria Mozaffar , Founder, The SkinLess Project
• Commencement Address : Diane Overgard , Life Coach, CEO of 45 Degrees, President of Womens’ Committee of the Naperville Chamber of Commerce  - Balancing Your Life with Joy

9:55 am – 10:40am – Your Body, Your Power

• Dr. Sogol Jahedi , OBGYN – Womens’ Health- Knowing Your Body
• Christine Litwicki , Triathlon Trainer, Lifetime Fitness – Pushing Your Fitness Limits
• Anna La Tour , Founder of Beauty Revolution- Aging with YOUR Face

10:50am – 11:35am – Balancing Our Multiple Roles As Women

• Dr. Rand Diab , Ophthalmologist- My Motivating Mottoes: Staying Focused On Accomplishment and Happiness
• Jill Morgenthaler , Ret. Col. and Motivational Speaker – Leadership in a Man’s world: Balancing Perceptions Of Femininity
• Amy Lee Segami , Artist & Engineer – The Art of Balancing Your Mind and Soul

11:45 am – 12:30 pm  – Secrets of Success

• Virginia Clarke, Founder of Talent Optimization – Mapping Your Professional Future
• Tasneem Osmani, VP of Northern Trust Bank – Securing Your Personal Financial Future
• Masterchef Suzy Singh , Culinary Director/Entrepreneur - A Delicious Path to Success

12:45pm – 1:45pm  - Lunch Keynote Address (Lunch Provided)

• Pilar Gerasimo , Editor-in-Chief of Experience Life Magazine – Getting in Touch With Your Personal Power: A Healthy Daily Life .

2:00pm – 2:45pm - Living Your Passion as a Woman

• Tanesha Pittman , Executive Director of the Women’s Institute at Benedictine University – Living With Purpose
• Shebani Kulkarni, Founder of EQuest Global Group – Founder of Drishti, Co-Owner of Meadows Club – Following Your Passions and Making it Happen
• · Dr. Azra Haq, Pathologist – Living Life to the Fullest in the Retirement Years

2:55 pm – 3:40pm - Catalysts of Change

• Sana Khatib, Activist, Mother and Wife – Women as Political Catalysts
• Shireen Hafeez , Activist, mother, Wife, Fashion Designer – Women Leading the Cause of Awareness for Disabilities
• Samreen Khan , Senior Policy Advisor to Gov. Quinn of Illinois – Women Leading Public Policy

3:50pm – 4:20pm - Concluding Address

• Jackie Ruiz – Author, CEO of JJR Marketing, Inspirational Speaker – Reaching Your Dreams: Living Out Every Aspect of HER Life .

4:30pm – 5:00 pm – Networking Reception  (Appetizers Provided)

Pilar Gerasimo – Editor in Chief, Experience in Life ; Senior Vice President, Education, Life Time Fitness

Pilar Gerasimo is the founding editor of Experience Life , an award- winning healthy-living magazine that reaches more than 2.8 million people nationwide.

The concept for Experience Life was sparked by Pilar’s own desire for a progressive resource that offered more substance and balance than conventional health and fitness magazines, many of which seemed characterized by six-pack-ab promises and bikini-body obsessions.

A lifelong vitality-seeker, Pilar had spent years looking for a magazine that addressed the real needs of busy people intent on shifting their lives in healthier, more sustainable directions. In 2001, working with Life Time Fitness as publisher, she set out to create what she’d been searching for.

Jackie Ruiz – Author, CEO of JJR Marketing, Inspirational Speaker

Celebrated author, speaker and director of JJR Marketing, Jackie infuses a passion for her clients that is immediately recognized in JJR’s signature, blockbuster work. With a decade of marketing and public relations experience behind her, clients entrust Jackie with strategic planning, marketing planning and creative brainstorming. Her efforts have helped dozens of companies become vibrant, focused and growing entities.

Prior to JJR, Jackie successfully launched an internal marketing department for Sal & Carvão Restaurant and served as a sales executive for various Marriott properties. Since founding JJR, Jackie has earned several prestigious business awards, including EL Emerging Leader Winner by the CADM, Entrepreneurial Excellence Winner and Latina Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. She is the author of the hugely popular business book The Little Book of Business Secrets That Work! In addition, Jackie is trilingual, authors a weekly column for Ultimas Noticias Spanish newspaper, is the former radio talk show host for nationally syndicated radio show Livin’ the Dream, and has been interviewed by numerous TV, radio and print media.

Diane Overgard - Life Coach, CEO of 45 Degrees and President of Womens’ Committee of the Naperville Chamber of Commerce

Diane is a Certified Coach, Certified Family Life Educator, and the author of two books, Let’s Talk Parenting and Let’s Talk Teens, which have been used by groups in 17 states to strengthen families. Parent Coaching is second nature to her, especially for families navigating the teenage years. She also coaches extensively with married couples and divorced people, empowering them to add more energy and satisfaction to their relationships. With a background in Adult Education and professional training in Life Coaching, she understands what motivates people to make decisions and change behaviors.

She is a member of the National Council on Family Relations, Naperville Speaker’s Bureau, Past-President of Board for KidsMatter, and Chair for Naperville Women in Business.

Dr. Sogol Jahedi – OBGYN

Dr. Jahedi has a genuine love for teaching and was the recipient of multiple teaching awards during her residency. She participates in the residency teaching program at Lutheran General Hospital and takes an active role in teaching medical students and residents, and her own patients! She believes strongly that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Being educated about your health leads to more informed decision making in every aspect and stage of your life . Dr. Jahedi is a Chicago native. She grew up as the oldest of seven children in the Bridgeport neighborhood. She currently lives in Barrington with her husband and daughter. Like most working moms, she juggles the challenges of family and career. She is fortunate in that she enjoys doctoring- and motherhood- both very much. In her free time she likes to read, write, cook and travel.

Christine Litwicki – Personal Trainer, Lifetime Fitness

Christine Litwicki is a Certified Personal Trainer at Life Time Fitness.  She has completed a marathon and numerous triathlons.  With this experience, she has helped her clients train for and complete triathlons, and has inspired many members of Life Time to achieve their personal health and fitness goals.  Her philosophy is that health and fitness are very specific to the individual.  Using her undergraduate in Psychology combined with her fitness experience, she believes in educating her clients about health and fitness to make them successful for a life time.

Anna La Tour , L.E. – Licensed Esthetician, Regional Esthetic Educator for LifeSpa in Illinois, Owner of SkinWorks, Inc. and the initiative, Beauty Revolution

Anna La Tour , owner and founder of SkinWorks, Inc., aims to educate and empower women to be healthy and beautiful inside and out! As a skin care practitioner and as someone who struggles with imperfect skin herself, she has come to learn that skin conditions are not just skin deep. Skin issues and their solutions encompass the whole person. Beauty doesn’t come in a jar, there is no magic potion or a time machine that can erase damage done, but rather, it comes from a lifestyle that includes proper diet, good skin care habits, and a healthy self image. She hopes to encourage women to redefine beauty for themselves and to feel good about themselves by promoting a healthy approach to beauty and self care habits.

Dr. Rand Diab – Opthalmologist

Rand Diab is a mother of three and practicing physician, specializing in ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgery.  In addition, she is a community worker, in particular, organizing events for girls in various capacities.  Some of her past projects include girls clubs and community service events.  Her recent project is a local Quran school for girls of all ages, named the Carriers of Light, for which she is a co-founder and co-director.

Col. (ret.) Jill Morgenthaler

Retired Colonel Jill Morgenthaler is a woman of many firsts.  She was one of the first women to enter ROTC and train as an equal with men.  She was the first woman battalion commander in the 88 ^th Regional Support Command; she was the first woman brigade commander in the 84 ^th Division; and she was the first woman Homeland Security Advisor for the State of Illinois.

The Colonel handled disaster recovery during the San Francisco earthquake, worked as a peacekeeper in Bosnia, and sheltered Kosovar refugees.  For her performance in Iraq in 2004, she received the Bronze Star.  Upon retirement, the Army awarded her the Legion of Merit.   Jill is a motivational speaker, thrilling audiences with her presentation “Winning at Work:  21 Secrets to Lead and Succeed” and conducting workshops “Leading from the Front.”

Amy Lee Segami – Artist & Engineer

Segami, an engineer and artist, is an inspirational keynote speaker. She weaves her background in art and science with the perspectives from the east and west. Her entertaining program is a unique experience: innovative, interactive, and insightful.  During her former corporate careers as an engineer and VP of an international firm, she has worked with business owners, community leaders and government officials in 17 countries. As an entrepreneur, she ran her own artist studio gallery in downtown Chicago.  After she earned her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, she studied many Asian traditional art forms: Ikebana, Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy, Taichi, and Martial Arts.

Virginia Clark – Founder of Talent Optimization Partners, LLC

Ginny Clarke is the founder of Talent Optimization Partners, LLC, as well as the author of the book “ Career Mapping: Charting Your Course in the New World of Work.” Talent Optimization Partners, LLC (TOP), is a talent and career management solutions firm offering products and consulting services for organizations and individuals. The firm provides talent management strategies, diversity recruiting solutions, and live and web-enabled career management programs. TOP has worked with numerous corporations including Bank of America, Freddie Mac, Dell, Microsoft, CDW, Navistar, Hyatt and Marsh.

Tasneem Osmani – VP of Northern Trust Bank

Tasneem is a Vice President at Northern Trust Bank, a leading investment management firm in Chicago. She is the program manager, responsible for the technology project portfolio for Risk and Data management groups. She has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years, having worked at PWC, Bank of Montreal, and ABN AMRO Bank. Ms. Osmani is a Certified Public Accountant who earned her BS. in Accounting from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Depaul University.

In addition to her role at the Council, Tasneem serves on the Board of Trustees of the Benedictine University in Lisle and KidsMatter, a non-profit youth empowerment organization in Naperville. She is also a founder and board member of Educate India Fund, an organization focused on providing educational opportunities to the impoverished students in India. At Northern Trust, Tasneem participates in the various programs related to leadership , diversity, mentoring, inner city high schools, and others. She is passionate about empowering women and youth by providing them opportunities to help them reach their potential.

Masterchef Suzy Singh – Culinary Director/Entrepreneur

Chef Suzy Singh is a Chicago Native that participated in a internationally broadcast reality show, MasterChef on FOX and wowed the judges with her spicy, delicious and smart dishes. She is now the Culinary Director of Ashyana Banquets/Catering, Shikara Restaurant, Sagar’s, and Viceroy of India in both Devon and Lombard. Chef Singh has done an amazing job fusing different styles of cuisine, where East meets West. In addition, to conceptualizing and creating some amazing spicy recipes, her personality is equally as spicy. With her outgoing personality, unique flavors used in cooking, and amazing drive, the Spicy Chef made it to the Top 4 in the competition, beating out thousands.  Suzy has partnered with gourmet sausage food truck, Haute Sausage, to bring the lunch crowds of Chicago Suzy’s Samosas, becoming the first collaborative Indian Food Truck in the City.Those sweet and spicy Samosas that Chef Singh creates are traditional Indian appetizers with a Western twist and  are served with a helping of Suzy’s delicious homemade chutney¹s paired to bring out the fllavors of the hearty pastry.

Dr. Tanesha Pittman – Executive Director of the Women’s Institute at Benedictine University

Tanesha is an educator, innovator, international inspirational speaker, spiritual life coach and budding author.  She has over 15 years of eclectic experiences in academic, government and corporate sectors.  Tanesha currently serves as an Executive Director for Benedictine University’s Moser College of Adult and Professional Studies.  She has developed and led a myriad of distinctive programs, including the unprecedented Master of Science in Leadership degree program for women.  Her expertise and passion for empowering women has now led her to pioneer and lead a Women’s Institute for Global Leadership for the university and establish her own education and business enterprises.

Dr. Pittman graduated from the University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and minor in African American Studies. She furthered her education by obtaining a Masters in Business Administration degree from Keller Graduate School of Management, Oak Brook Terrace, IL and achieved her doctorate in Higher Education and Organizational Change at Benedictine University, Lisle, IL.

Shebani Kulikarni - Founder of EQuest Global Group, Co-founder of Dhrishti and The Meadows Club

Shebani Kulkarni is the Founder and CEO of EQuest Global Group, and Co-Founder of Dhrishti and The Meadows Club.  She has been a popular host and director of television shows, fashion shows, global music concerts, national beauty pageants and national dance contests.  She is a certified trainer in yoga, kathak dance, modeling, business etiquette and grooming.  She is also certified in leadership training, cross-culture and diversity training.

Shebani serves on the Committee of NAWBO Chicago, and volunteers her services to promote women empowerment.  She has received several community awards, including the FIA President’s Distinguished Leadership Award, DDE Community Business ICON Award and Village of Rolling Meadow’s Community Enhancement Award.  Shebani is a sought-after speaker, popular host and innovative producer of multi-cultural events globally.

Sana Khatib - Mother, Wife, Activist

A mother, wife, teacher and political activist. The world is watching in horror as we witness the atrocities against humanity taking place in Syria. A daughter of a Syrian political activist herself, she follows her father’s footsteps in telling the world about Syria and how the international community needs to pay attention.

Shireen Hafeez -  Activist, Mother, Wife, Fashion Designer

A mother, wife, an advocate, an entrepreneur and a global student:  Shireen Hafeez.  She has lived all around the world, attended Purdue University to pursue her intellectual passions and become an advocate for individuals with hearing impairments after she navigated her own personal journey with her own son’s hearing impairment. She takes obstacles in her life as a route to educate others and chooses to think out of the box in every realm.

Samreen Khan – Senior Policy Advisor to Gov. Quinn of Illinois

Samreen Khan was appointed as the Governor’s Liaison to Asian and Muslims in November 2009, in addition to her role as Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Pat Quinn.  In this capacity, she advises the Governor on policy developments and initiatives to benefit the Asian and Muslim American communities in the State of Illinois.  She also establishes and enhances bilateral relationships between the State of Illinois and foreign governments to promote international relations and trade.  She serves as Chairwoman on the Governor’s Muslim American Advisory Council; a 26 member appointed Council.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Khan was a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of the Governor.  She provided strategic direction and policy and program coordination on the integration of immigrants and refugees in Illinois.  She holds a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.