OCTOBER 16, 2025 | SAN DIEGO
ATHENA'S 5th ANNUAL
LIFTING WHILE CLIMBING SUMMIT
POWERED BY
ResMed | 9001 Spectrum Center Blvd, San Diego, CAL
Summit to Scale: Navigating the Peaks of Progress
A Call to Courage. A Celebration of Collective Power.
At a time when women’s progress is under intense pressure, Athena is doubling down on its mission to elevate, equip, and embolden women to lead with purpose and power. Athena’s Lifting While Climbing Summit returns for its 5th year as a bold, unapologetic two-day experience in San Diego, gathering the fiercest minds and rising trailblazers in STEM, leadership, policy, and social change.
This year’s theme “Summit to Scale”—reflects the growing urgency to lead with resilience, mobilize strategic alliances, and protect hard-won progress. Through bold storytelling, cross-sector collaboration, and coalition building, we’ll explore how to rise even when the landscape is steep.
EVENT SCHEDULE | OCTOBER 15, 2025
VIP Networking Reception | 4:30–6:30 PM
Powered by BioMed Realty | 4570 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA
Join this inviting community of C-suite leaders, change-makers, and summit speakers for a curated evening of genuine connections and curated conversations. This VIP reception will set the tone for the LWC summit with a focus on partnership-building and shared resolve in the face of today’s headwinds.
Reception Features:
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Welcome remarks from Tim Schoen, BioMed Realty CEO and Athena CEO, Holly Smithson
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Fireside flash chats with summit speakers
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Women-in-STEM tribute wall
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Premium wine + bites with music
OCTOBER 16, 2025
Lifting While Climbing Summit | 4:30–7:00 PM
Powered by ResMed | 9001 Spectrum Center Blvd, San Diego, CA 92123
A high-impact, fast-paced summit that centers the stories, data, and lived experience of women and companies leading against the current. You’ll hear from AI innovators, anti-disinformation crusaders, equity champions, and corporate leaders—all committed to climbing higher and lifting others as they go.
WHY THIS SUMMIT MATTERS
In an era where women's equity and voice face systemic erosion, this summit becomes not just a conversation—but a movement. We are convening the doers, the defenders, and the disruptors committed to
reshaping what resilience looks like in leadership.
We invite our partners, sponsors, and speakers to stand with us—not in silence, but in strength as we summit to scale WORLDWIDE.
SUMMIT SHOW FLOW
4:30 PM | Doors Open + Networking | Signature Athena Mocktails + Music
5:30 PM | Opening Statement: Holly Smithson, CEO, Athena
4:50 PM | “Misrepresented” Short Film Preview
5:00 PM | Keynote: First Partner of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom (invited) on "California for ALL Women": The Moral and Economic Imperative to Close the Representation + Pay Gap
5:20 PM | Resilience + AI: Leading Through Disruption
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Claude Jones, CEO & Founder @ DoItWithAI
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Dmitry Shapiro, CEO, MindStudio
5:40 PM | Digital Integrity + Social Truths: How We Fight Back
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Imran Ahmed, CEO @ Center for Countering Digital Hate (invited)
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Eve Rodsky, Founder, Fair Play Institute (invited)
6:00 PM | Provocative Showcase: Lifting While Climbing Live Stories
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Jaye Connolly, Chairman & CEO @ RippleNami
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TBD, Biotech Pioneer
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TBD, Chief Technologist
6:30 PM | Lightning Panel: The Future We Refuse to Abandon A multigenerational alliance on what it will take to scale progress together
6:55 PM | Final Word: Call to Action | Summit Close