Keynote Speakers

Gloria Feldt is the best-selling author of No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power; a teen mom from small-town Texas who became president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a post she held from 1996–2005; and an expert on women, power, and authentic leadership. She teaches “Women, Power, and Leadership” at Arizona State University and is an inspiring keynote speaker and workshop leader whom Vanity Fair named one of “America’s Top 200 Women Leaders, Legends, and Trailblazers” and Glamour honored her as a Woman of the Year. Her previous books include The War on Choice: the Right Wing Attack on Women’s Rights and How to Fight Back, Behind Every Choice Is a Story, and Send Yourself Roses (co-authored with Kathleen Turner).

Feldt’s passion for social justice has propelled her career. She believes this is women’s moment to reach parity from the boardroom to the bedroom for good — their own, and society’s. She currently serves on the boards of the Women’s Media Center and the Jewish Women’s Archive, and co-chairs US Women Connect.

She and her husband Alex Barbanell have six children and 14 grandchildren between them, and live in New York City and Scottsdale, AZ.

Hamutal Gouri is Executive Director of The Dafna Fund, Israel’s only women’s foundation, and Founder of consult4good, a consulting practice specializing in program and leadership development for social change. As executive director of The Dafna Fund, Gouri works with the board to develop grant making strategies and priorities, and initiate proactive programs that promote women as effective agents of change, empowering them to transform Israeli society as a whole. She has more than 20 years of experience in leadership and consulting positions, and is committed to using her professional skills to promote social change, equality and justice, as well as to build effective and vital civil society groups. Gouri’s passion for storytelling is woven into many of the training modules and materials she develops, focusing on the idea that unleashing the power of storytelling will inspire and empower individuals and create effective social change.

Gouri holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Inter-disciplinary Studies from the Hebrew University, where she is now pursuing an master’s degree in cultural studies. Her research focuses on a gendered perspective on the Israeli Palestinian conflict.

Gouri was born and lives in Jerusalem, Israel.