Professional BusinessWomen of California conference motivates, inspires generations of women

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- For the first time since before the pandemic, the Professional BusinessWomen of California held their annual conference in-person on the Peninsula.

ABC7 News is a proud sponsor, with Dion Lim and Ama Daetz serving as emcees.

"It's just nice to see such a diverse group of women, their experiences and that mindset of yeah, you can do it all," Josabeth Diaz, a Hayward resident said.

Generations of women uplifted, inspired and empowered after listening to a number of speakers.

MORE: 'Be You': Professional Businesswomen of California conference celebrates success and diversity

"I'm loving it, actually taking a lot away on self-care, making sure that I'm taking care of myself," Chazny Nunes, a Sacramento resident said.

The 35th annual PBWC conference was held at the historic Fox Theater in Redwood City on Thursday.

It sold out to 1,200 people and included a keynote address from entrepreneur and media mogul Martha Stewart, who candidly talked about the confidence behind posing for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot in her 80s.

"This year for their 60th anniversary, I posed again with those fabulous supermodels," Stewart said.

Katy Brown, PBWC Board President and Chair says the gathering is about networking, empowerment and self-confidence.

"Today's conference is 'Be You' which is really about authenticity, and being yourself and bringing your whole self to work and anything that you do or finding your passing, bringing other people along with you," Brown said.

The conference was an idea former Congresswoman and San Mateo Supervisor-Elect Jackie Speier first thought of 36 years ago.

With women now making up 56% of the workforce, she says their work isn't over yet.

"Women still suffer from imposter syndrome, and we've got to break ourselves from not thinking that we're worth it, that we're not able because we truly are," Speier said. "So there's a lot of work still to be done."

Cathy He, a 31-year-old from San Francisco, is motivated.

"I would love to eventually get to c-suite at my company," she said. "It's nice to be able to see people within your own practice, outside of your practice, all here because we're strong, beautiful, independent women who are doing really well in our careers and we want to continue to move up and bring people with us as we continue to climb that ladder."

The date and location for the 36th PBWC conference has not been announced yet.