WOMEN LEAD Florence Women's Retreat:
Global Perspectives on Women in Leadership
Join us April 27-30, 2025 at Gonzaga University's campus in
Florence, Italy for this intimate event.
Your ticket includes:
- An intimate, small-group retreat setting with plenty of time and space for creating connection over shared meals and new experiences
- All speakers and workshops
- Eight meals over 3 days, which include light breakfast (3), lunch (3), dinner (1), appetizer social (1), and snacks
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Excursions that include: a visit to the Accademia Gallery and a local woman-owned business, plus an Italian cooking class
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Transfers to/from Gonzaga in Florence to the Antinori Winery
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A unique headshot (picture a gorgeous vineyard or the cobblestoned streets of Florence as the backdrop!)
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Plenty of opportunities to build your network and make connections in the heart of Italy!
*Registration does not include travel or accommodations
*A limited number of scholarships are available! Please email womenlead@gonzaga.edu for details.
*Registration closes February 28, 2025
Conference Agenda
| Sunday, April 27th | Monday, April 28th | Tuesday, April 29th | Wednesday, April 30th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appetizer social | Workshop: "Leadership Challenges for Women in Italy" with Sasha Perugini | Antinori Winery: Conversastion with Albiera Antinori, President of Antinori Wines | Workshop: "Cultural Considerations for Women in Leadership" with Mirjeta Beqiri |
| Walking tour of Florence | Excursion: Female-owned local business Excursion: Italian cooking class |
Tour of Antinori Chianti Classico | Excursion: Accademia Gallery Closing Dinner |
Please note: This is not designed to be ADA-accessible. Expect a good amount of walking and stair climbing, sometimes within tight spaces.
Our Speakers & Panelists
Sasha Perugini - Program Director and Director of Global Innovation, Syracuse University
Meghan Gaebe - Head of PR for International Events and Product, Amazon Ads (Luxembourg)
Meghan Gaebe is the Head of PR for International Events and Product at Amazon Ads. With a 7-year tenure at Amazon, she leads a communications team covering Europe, APAC, LATAM, and Canada, driving strategic communications for product launches, thought-leadership initiatives, and events worldwide.
Meghan's diverse background spans both agency and in-house roles. She previously managed executive, consumer tech, and B2B communications at WE Communications for clients like Microsoft, and led campaigns for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program.
Her passion for communications was sparked in childhood, where press releases were as common as breakfast cereal in her home. Meghan grew up at her mother's PR and consulting firm—Alliance Pacific, Inc—where she cut her teeth stuffing envelopes, placing yard signs, and editing copy. She later returned to API as a consultant, advising on diverse issues and political campaigns.
Meghan holds an MBA from Gonzaga University and a BS in Business Administration from Oregon State University. She now resides in Luxembourg with her husband and two children, where they spend every free moment traveling and exploring new cultures.
Benedetta Albanese - Councilor for Education, Professional Training, & Equal Opportunities, City of Florence
Mirjeta Beqiri, Ph.D. - Professor of Operations Management, Gonzaga University
Mirjeta holds a BBA in Statistics from the University of Tirana, Albania and an MBA, & Ph.D. in Operations Management from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Mirjeta teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the field of Data Analysis and Operations Management. Moreover, in 2017, along with the Gonzaga in Florence faculty, Tamara Evans, Mirjeta initiated and successfully developed and carried out the first faculty led study abroad program at the MBA level – Doing Business in Europe: Gonzaga in Belgium and Italy. In addition to teaching in the School of Business Administration, Mirjeta teaches Inferential Statistics in the DNP program in the School of Health Sciences, as well as volunteers to teach in the Jesuit Worldwide Learning program. Prior to coming to the United States, Mirjeta worked as the Director of the Statistical Directory of the District Council of Shkoder, Albania, and as Assistant Professor and Department Chair at the Faculty of Economy, University “Luigj Gurakuqi”, Shkoder, Albania. Her research interests include perceived waiting times, service quality, outsourcing, business ethics, business education, and distance learning. She is a member of several professional organizations, such as Decision Sciences Institute, POMS, and EUROMA, and served as the member of “Ruane Award of Business Education Innovation” Selection Committee (2016, 2017), as well as the Co-Chair of the Instructional Award Innovation Competition, Decision Sciences Institute (2017).
In the Spokane community, Mirjeta serves on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest Board and supports other organizations as well.