Last week, we participated in the “Watermark’s Silicon Valley Conference for Women,” a full day event with 6,500 attendees and 100 speakers coming together to discuss equality in the workforce. The conference filled the San Jose Convention Center with passion, inspiration, and gratitude.

What made this conference stand out? The passion, candid and painfully honest discussions:

• Actress, author, director and producer Mindy Kaling shared an early career story of how she sold a TV pilot she’d written based on her life, yet had to audition for the part she created of herself. If that wasn’t infuriating, her agent encouraged her to lose 20 pounds and that she was “just one juice cleanse away” from the part.

• Athlete Abby Wamback shared her regrets and how she wished she did more when it comes to equal pay: “There will come a time in your life where you will turn the chapter and you will be angry that you didn’t rock the boat enough.”

  • This comes off the heels of a complaint that she wasn’t part of, when the Women’s U.S. Soccer Team filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over pay discrepancies.

• From political science undergrad to the Vice President and Chief Inclusion and Collaboration Officer with Cisco, Shari Slate opened up about how she forged her career to achieve her professional renaissance. She encouraged attendees to fill your life tangible moments that matter, recognize your difference, find your strengths (your true strengths, not what other people think you are good at) and round it out with a purpose.

About Watermark

Watermark is a community of executive women in the San Francisco Bay Area, whose mission is to increase the representation of women at executive levels to drive innovation, human development and economic growth. Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the Watermark vision is to ensure women are able to make their mark in and for their companies, their careers and their communities by providing programs focused on connection, development and advocacy.