REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Sunday, Feb. 21
Join Berks Women2Women (W2W), a special program of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA), and more than 300 dynamic attendees on Wednesday, March 4, for a full day designed to elevate your personal and professional growth. Immerse yourself in powerful learning sessions, meaningful conversations and opportunities to build connections with women who are shaping our community through leadership, mentorship and collaboration. Find fresh inspiration, expand your network and explore an exciting expo of female‑owned businesses making an impact right here in Greater Reading.
Do you know a student that would benefit from attending the W2W Conference & Expo? Ask Katie Johnsen about our student pricing.
Keynote Speakers
Cory Varona and Nicol Varona Cancelmo are the sisters and co-founders of OCOA, a premium curly hair care brand redefining beauty standards. In 2025, the duo achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Dominican-American founded brand to launch nationwide at Ulta Beauty, scaling their mission from Reading, Pa., to shelves across the country. Recognized with the 2025 Shop TODAY Hair Award and the People en Español Star Product Award, Cory and Nicol combine their expertise in corporate finance and strategic marketing to build a brand rooted in high-performance, clean ingredients and cultural pride. They are on a mission to empower women to embrace their natural texture, reject assimilation and lead with authenticity.
Together, they are building more than just a hair care brand, they are driving a movement of self-love, economic empowerment and identity. From the heart of Reading to major retailers across the U.S., Cory and Nicol are proof that authentic leadership is the key to lasting success.
Cory Varona
Cory Varona, CEO, is the operational powerhouse behind the brand. Holding an MBA in Finance from Penn State and a Diploma in Natural Hair Formulation, Cory leveraged her background in corporate finance to build a scalable business model from the ground up. She leads product innovation, ensuring every formula is clean, safe, and effective, proving that high-performance business starts with a high-performance product.
Nicol Varona Cancelmo
Nicol Varona Cancelmo, CMO, is the brand’s creative soul and strategic voice. With a degree in Business Marketing and a Social Media Certification from Georgetown University, Nicol drives the brand’s visual identity and community growth. Her expertise in storytelling has not only built a loyal customer base but has created a movement of “sisterhood” that resonates with women across generations.
ATHENA® Leadership Award
& EmpowHER Award
ATHENA® Leadership Award
The ATHENA Leadership Award celebrates the exemplary leadership of a woman leader who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in their profession, provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community and actively assists women in achieving their full leadership potential.
Submit an ATHENA® nomination>
EmpowHer Award
The EmpowHER Award celebrates the next generation of women leaders in Berks County, recognizing a young woman who exemplifies the values of Women2Women: leadership, empowerment, community impact and the pursuit of excellence.
Submit an EmpowHER nomination>
BreakOut Sessions
Each breakout session will dive into wellness: physical, mental, financial and emotional. Attendees will have the option to attend 3 out of the 4 offered sessions throughout the day.
Befriending your anger
Anger is a powerful emotion—when understood, it can become a tool for clarity and growth rather than conflict. In this session, Kate Short, Licensed Professional Counselor, will explore how to recognize, understand and befriend anger in healthy ways that support emotional balance and personal empowerment
Katie Short’s Bio
Kate Short is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and EMDR-certified therapist with over 22 years of experience across a wide range of mental health settings, including geriatric care, inpatient treatment, group therapy, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), college-aged populations and private practice. Her clinical work is grounded in a trauma-informed lens and integrates psychodynamic therapy with emotion-focused therapy.
Short is deeply passionate about helping clients safely experience, feel and express their emotions as they arise within the therapeutic relationship. She believes the therapy space offers a unique opportunity for clients to develop greater self-awareness and more compassionate emotional regulation. Through therapy, she works both systematically and flexibly to help clients access, understand, and productively use their emotional experiences.
For her, there is nothing more meaningful than witnessing another person’s healing process. Each time a client’s sense of self-worth is strengthened, it is not only transformative for them — it is profoundly affirming and healing for her as well.
Using Emotional Intelligence to Navigate
and Solve Conflict
Conflict is inevitable, but how you navigate it can strengthen relationships and drive better outcomes. In this session, Brianna Campbell, Certified Strengths Coach with Gallup, will explore how emotional intelligence and strengths-based awareness can help you approach difficult conversations with clarity, empathy and confidence.
Personal Trainer for
Your Financial Wellbeing
“Personal Trainer for Your Financial Wellbeing” is an engaging, practical financial wellness presentation designed to help individuals build lasting financial strength through simple, sustainable habits—much like training for physical fitness. Led by Kate Hershey, CFP®, MLD, Senior Vice President at Fulton Private Bank, this session breaks down the steps to achieving meaningful financial progress in 2026 and beyond.
Kate Hershey’s Bio
As a Private Bank Relationship Manager, Kate works with clients to develop and execute comprehensive deposit, lending, investments and financial planning solutions.
Kate joined Fulton Private Bank in 2018 serving the Greater Philadelphia area and brings over 20 years’ experience in personal financial planning to the team. Prior to joining Fulton Private Bank Kate was with PNC Wealth Management, and Morgan Stanley.
Kate earned the Certified Financial Planner designation in 2016, she holds an undergraduate degree from Ohio Dominican University and a graduate degree in Leadership Development from Penn State University.
As an active member of the community, Kate has served on a number of boards including the Chester County Bar Foundation. Kate resides in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania with her husband John and 11 year old twins.
All-Day Coaching
NEW for our 15th Annual Women2Women Conference & Expo! Meet one-on-one with established professionals throughout the day to help you talk through career goals, explore next steps and get real-time guidance — including hands-on support with resume building. Coaches will be announced soon, so stay tuned for the professionals you’ll be able to learn from and connect with.
Expo
If you are a non-profit or woman-owned business, you can get in front of 300+ people as a part of our Conference Expo! Registrations are on a first-come basis, and only one company per industry can be represented.
Deadline: Friday, Feb. 13 or until space sells out
Time Capsule
Women2Women is collecting legacy photos and merchandise to celebrate our 15th Anniversary. These legacy items showcasing memories, milestones and moments will be on display at the W2W Conference & Expo. This will serve as a meaningful tribute to our history while celebrating how far the program has come.
interpretation
We will be offering Spanish interpretation through GRCA member Our Konnection for the Keynote session and the ATHENA Celebration. Please note in your registration if you would like to utilize this service so we can accommodate.
Ofreceremos interpretación al español a través de Our Konnection, miembro de GRCA, para la sesión principal y la celebración de Athena. Favor avisar al momento de registrarse si desea utilizar este servicio para nosotros poder brindárselo.
Relive the 2025 Conference & expo
