Roots & Rise Leadership Conference
Date and Time
Friday Oct 9, 2026
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PDT
OCTOBER 9th 2026 from 8am-5pm
Location
The one-day conference will be hosted at the Holiday Inn in Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, California on October 9th 2026. The conference is set to merge diaspora leadership, technology-driven perspectives, and cross-sector dialogue.
Fees/Admission
Register for the Early Bird registration special $175.00 until August 30th 2026.
Registration Price will increase September 1st to $200.00
Contact Information
510 493-0484
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Description
An educational workshop and seminar -Roots & Rise Leadership Conference, the leadership conference will provide a transformative leadership experience for both emerging and established leaders and globally diverse communities. In today’s environment of uncertainty, cultural shifts, and evolving leadership challenges, the conference will offer a meaningful space for reflection, connection, learning, and growth
ROOTS & RISE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE PROGRAM
- 8:00 AM: BREAKFAST & REGISTRATION
- 8:15 – 8:40 AM: AFRICAN DRUMS
- 8:40 – 8:55 AM
- WELCOME AND OPENING MESSAGE: Dr. Nneka Chukwu
- 9:00 – 9:25 AM
- SPECIAL ADDRESS: Supervisor Otto Lee
- Council Member Bien Doan
- Supervisor Lisa Gauthier
- Congress Woman Zoe Lofgren
- 9:30 – 9:50 AM
- KEYNOTE SPEECH
- Chike Nwoffiah: Shifting the Center: What Leadership Means to the Global Majority
- 10:00 – 11:15 AM
- FIRESIDE CHAT: Resilient Leadership in Times of Disruption
- Anna Garcia • Dr. Michelle Hector II
- Anna Fernandez • Harbir Bhatia - Moderator: Dr. Ify Nwiwu
- 11:20 – 11:40 AM
- PODIUM PRESENTATION
- Dr. Chris Wachira: Leadership Legacy: Owning Your Journey While Building Enduring Impact
- 11:45 AM – 12:05 PM
- PODIUM PRESENTATION
- Deka Dike: Building Vision-Driven Enterprises in a Global Economy: The Journey of the Entrepreneur of the Year
- 12:15 – 1:15 PM: NETWORKING LUNCH
- 1:30 – 2:40 PM
- PANEL DISCUSSION: Decoding the Mystery of the C-Suite: How to Navigate the Political Climate at Work
- Tigist Awel • Dr. Nnamdi Ihenacho • Christelle Mombo- Moderator: Dr. Angela Ikeme
- 2:50 – 3:10 PM
- PODIUM PRESENTATION
- Dr. Gerardo Solorio Cortes: Leading from Your Root: Embracing Culture as the Foundation of Authentic Leadership
- 3:15 – 4:25 PM
- PANEL DISCUSSION: Transformative Leadership in the AI & Tech Revolution: A Strategic Blueprint for Today’s Leaders
- Dr. Alissa Erogbogbo • Dr. Thompson • Stella Ihenacho- Moderator: Nisha Kalema
- 4:25 – 4:45 PM: RAFFLE DRAWING
- 4:45 – 5:00 PM
- CLOSING REMARKS: Dr. Margaret Obilor
- 5:00 PM
