Unlock Inspiration: Meet the Powerful Speakers of the 2025 WholeGirl+ Education National Conference
Student Leadership Network is excited to host our third annual national conference created for and by educators serving girls and gender-expansive youth (girls+)! The WholeGirl+ Education National Conference on March 16-18, 2025, will explore the crucial role of girls’+ education in fostering a more equitable world. This year’s theme, Future Pathways: Educating Girls+ in the New Digital Age, will guide discussions and strategies on how technology influences students, schools, and the information they encounter. We’ll explore how we can equip students with the tools to navigate these challenges.
We have an exciting and growing lineup of speakers who will share insights from their personal and professional paths. Educators and school leaders will come away reinspired, equipped with tools to enhance their classrooms and communities where girls+ are nurtured and empowered in an increasingly complex—and increasingly digital—world.
Dr. Tarika Barrett
CEO, Girls Who Code
With a career dedicated to addressing inequities in education and helping young women of all backgrounds succeed, Dr. Tarika Barrett is at the forefront of expanding the pipeline of women entering tech and removing the obstacles to their success. She is the CEO of Girls Who Code, an international nonprofit organization disrupting the tech industry and transforming perceptions of what a programmer can look like. Joining Girls Who Code in 2016, Dr. Barrett was handpicked in 2021 by founder Reshma Saujani to lead the organization’s future. She is focused on creating greater opportunities for women in STEM and advancing the ambitious goal of closing the gender gap in new entry-level tech jobs by 2030.
Before joining Girls Who Code, she spent two decades building educational pathways and holding leadership roles at iMentor, the NYC Department of Education, New Visions for Public Schools, and NYU’s Center for Teaching and Learning.
Dr. Barrett highlights disparities in education and the workplace, especially for women of color., sharing actionable steps to create more inclusive, representative, and supportive organizational cultures. Inspired by her Jamaican mother, who instilled in her the importance of education and mentorship, Dr. Barrett’s work drives meaningful change for women and diverse groups.
Lilly Workneh
Chief Content Officer, PushBlack
CEO, Abeba Media
Lilly Workneh is an award-winning journalist and narrative strategist who harnesses media to create social change. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in amplifying underrepresented voices through compelling storytelling. Currently, she serves as CEO of Abeba Media, a consulting firm helping mission-driven organizations create impact through strategic narratives. She is also the Chief Content Officer at PushBlack, the largest Black-focused media nonprofit in America, where she leads content strategy to boost civic engagement.
Her career includes leadership positions as Editor-in-Chief at Blavity and Shadow & Act, prominent Black news platforms, and Senior Editor at HuffPost Black Voices. In these roles, she tripled website traffic and published influential stories that shaped national conversations about race and identity.
Beyond her digital media work, Workneh is the author and editor of the bestseller 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018. She champions the transformative potential of media—not just to inform but to spark empathy, ignite imagination, and lay the groundwork for a more equitable society.
Additional Speakers and Partners
We are thrilled to have a robust group of educators and program partners hosting breakout sessions to share their expertise! Look forward to hearing from engaging speakers from organizations, including:
- Albany Leadership Charter School
- Arts Ignite
- Columbia University, Teachers College
- Diapers 2 Deposits
- Ed2Serve
- Funny Girls
- Girls Leadership
- Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW)
- Ivy Preparatory Academy
- Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy
- New Visions for Public Schools
- Revision Learning
- Riley’s Way Foundation
- Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX)
- Schools Consent Project
- Student Leadership Network
- The Social Institute
- The Texas Girls School
- The Young Women’s Leadership Schools
- Young Women’s College Prep Charter School of Rochester
- Young Women’s Preparatory Network
Register for the Conference
Educators and program partners can still register for the conference today. Immerse yourself in a community of fellow public school educators and program partners who are creating opportunities for girls+ to innovate, lead, and succeed. We hope to see you on March 16-18, 2025 in New York City!
