The U of M Marketing Association (UMMA) hosted She Leads, a student-organized panel featuring women leaders from different professional fields including education, marketing and finance. The event was created to give students access to leaders whose work reflects the growing visibility and influence of women across industries.
The panel included four women — Maddie Thompson, the founder and CEO of MAD Social, Charlotte Vis Van Heemst, who leads student success and strategic initiatives at Asper school of business, Brenda Gibson, president and CEO of Red River Mutual and Chelsea Arns, who leads TutorBright Prairies.
The evening opened with remarks from UMMA co-president Sargis Sargisian, who explained the idea for the event came from ongoing conversations about how leadership, specifically women’s leadership, has shaped students’ experiences. He added that women’s leadership has played a major role throughout his career journey, and the event was designed to reflect that influence.
Sargisian explained that UMMA was hoping to create a greater impact within the lives of the students and community. “We thought that the new trajectory of UMMA should be about inspiring the younger generation and impacting the community,” he said.
Sargisian’s goal was to bring together women who could demonstrate how leadership develops across different sectors. “We all start basically from the same place, mainly university for all of us,” he said. “But then it’s up to you to fully explore your opportunities.”
Toni Shulman, a fourth-year marketing student and one of the moderators, said the event exceeded his expectations. He described entering the program without anticipating how strongly the discussions would shape his understanding of leadership.
I think, as a student, this is incredibly inspiring,” Shulman said.
Shulman also shared his main takeaway from the event. “Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We must understand who we are as individuals and how we want to carry ourselves,” he said.
Shulman expressed how the discussion emphasized interpersonal respect, self-reflection and personal values. He referenced one of the speakers’ pieces of advice. “Chelsea said ‘People will remember you not for what you did for them, but how you treated them,’” he said.
Arns offered practical advice to students navigating academic and career uncertainty. She advised students to view challenges as opportunities for reflection rather than signs of failure. “You need to look at every situation that you might think is a failure and [realize] that there is a blessing in it,” she said.
She encouraged students to stay committed even when the path ahead feels uncertain or when things do not go as planned. “Keep believing yourself,” she said. “Know that in the end, everything always works out for you, but you have to be able to be willing to see that.”
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session where students asked panelists about their achievements, networking and career direction. Students were also given time after the event to connect with the panelists and have one-on-one conversations.
Sargisian said he hopes the event will encourage students to step outside of their comfort zones. He emphasized that while university can feel like a contained environment, growth often happens when students look for opportunities outside their typical setting. “University is a bubble, but if you step out of that bubble, there are a lot of opportunities,” he said. “Take the risk, be courageous and go for it.”
