Women's Leadership Forum

Peer-to-peer interaction and engagement!

ACEC's Women's Leadership Forum brings together professionals from engineering firms for a day-and-a-half of open discussion and roundtables where they share best practices, explore problems and solutions, and gain valuable insights into industry trends.

Network with professionals in the A/E space

Attendees are connected to a network of their peers to share best practices, discuss emerging trends, and problem-solving in the workplace.

Roundtable Discussions

The Women's Leadership Forum agenda is built around interactive roundtables so attendees can dive deeper into session topics and share personal challenges and triumphs in their work.

Access to the Forums online communities

ACEC National members of engineering firms can join online communities and continue receiving valuable insight with their peers year-round.

Thank you to our sponsor!

“This event was AMAZING! I gained so much insight and confidence being around such a powerhouse of women.“

“I loved seeing ACEC female leaders in the room engaged and supporting women in this industry. The panel was very very helpful, I appreciate that they shared their experience and strength with us.“

"Loved being with such a diverse group of women! The interactive discussions were a great opportunity to learn from others about their experiences at their firms."

"There was a broad range of experience in attendees and as someone at the grey haired end of the spectrum, it was really great to hear from the more junior women."

Forum Highlights

Leadership workshop on navigating high-performance environments
Workforce development and building the leadership bench
Navigating menopause at work
Panel discussion on the path to leadership
Making flexibility work in client-driven environments
Supporting women across career stages
Open roundtable discussions

working agenda

Leadership Workshop

Strategic Leadership and Career Navigation in High-Performance Environments

As professionals advance in their careers, technical expertise and strong performance alone are often no longer enough to sustain long-term growth and leadership influence.

Expectations broaden. Environments become more complex. Communication, visibility, strategic relationships, decision-making, leadership presence, and organizational navigation begin to shape opportunity in entirely different ways.

This workshop explores how high-performing professionals can think more intentionally about long-term leadership growth, organizational influence, and strategic career direction before pivotal opportunities, transitions, and challenges arrive.

You will explore:

Leadership growth beyond technical expertise
Strategic visibility and organizational influence
Leadership presence and communication
Relationship-building and professional trust
Navigating growth within complex organizations
Preparing intentionally for future leadership opportunities

Designed for professionals across multiple industries and leadership levels, this session encourages thoughtful reflection, practical application, and meaningful conversation relevant to today’s evolving leadership environments.

Meet Your Instructor

Laurie Foster

President and Founding Partner
Foster Strategies Group

Laurie Foster is Founder and Principal Advisor of Foster Growth Strategies, an executive advisory firm that helps leaders and organizations move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and intention.

For more than 28 years, Laurie has advised executives, developed leaders, challenged conventional thinking, and helped organizations navigate growth, change, and opportunity. Today, her work spans executive advisory services, organizational strategy, executive career strategy, conference and event consulting, keynote presentations, leadership operating systems, and consumer education.

As creator of the FORWARD leadership platform, Laurie helps leaders increase their impact, strengthen organizational performance, improve decision-making, and create greater long-term value for both their organizations and their careers.

Recognized for helping leaders see around corners, Laurie combines strategic insight with practical execution to help organizations navigate complexity, strengthen leadership, and prepare for what's next, next.

Whether advising executive teams, facilitating leadership workshops, delivering keynote presentations, or building innovative platforms like VOW, Laurie brings strategic perspective, business acumen, and authenticity. Her audiences leave with practical strategies, renewed confidence, and a clearer path to creating greater impact, expanding opportunities, and increasing the long-term value of their leadership, their organizations, and their careers.

Registration

ACEC Member Rate

$599 Early Bird

$799 after 8/14/2026

Non-Member Rate

$999

Not an ACEC Member? Click here to join!

Hotel

Hilton Cleveland Downtown

The ACEC room rate is $259-289 per night plus tax for a standard or higher floor room. Reservations must be received by August 14, 2026. Reservations received after this date, or after the group block sells out prior to this date, will be on a space and rate available basis. The hotel is expected to sell out over our event dates so please reserve your room as soon as possible.

Reserve Your Room