The Power of Voice: A Fireside Chat on Reinvention, Storytelling & Showing Up

This event has passed. The recording is available to WICMA Community members. If you’re interested in joining, learn more here.

Join the Women in Content & Marketing Association (WICMA) for an intimate fireside chat hosted in partnership with The Persistent, featuring founder and Editor-in-Chief Francesca Donner in conversation with cultural expert, author, and advocate Jess Weiner.

Together, Francesca and Jess will explore the evolving relationship between storytelling, identity, leadership, and career growth, and what it means to build a meaningful career in today’s media and marketing landscape. From navigating reinvention and visibility to building your personal brand and embracing nonlinear career paths, this conversation will offer honest reflections and inspiring insights for women shaping the future of content and communications.

Designed for marketers, storytellers, creators, strategists, and leaders across the industry, this session is less about a perfect playbook and more about the conversations that help us grow.

Attendees can expect:

  • Real-world insights on building a career that evolves alongside your ambitions

  • A thoughtful conversation about confidence, creativity, and building your personal brand in a changing industry

  • Connection and inspiration alongside a community of women shaping the future of content and marketing

As a special bonus, attendees will also receive complimentary access to The Persistent.

This event is free and open to all. While anyone can attend live, access to the recording will be available exclusively to WICMA Community members.

Francesca Donner is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Persistent, a women-focused media company, which works with journalists around the world to amplify women’s voices, stories, perspectives and ideas. Launched in 2024, The Persistent examines politics, economics, business, art and culture through a women's lens.

Prior to launching The Persistent, Francesca was at The New York Times, where she was editor of ‘In Her Words’—a newsletter centered on women—and at The Wall Street Journal, where she focused on women and the future of work.

Jess Weiner [Wee-ner] isn’t just a cultural expert—she’s a change architect. For nearly three decades, she has helped the world’s most influential brands understand people more deeply and show up more authentically.

As the CEO + founder of Talk toJess, she leads a consultancy dedicated to helping people feel seen, heard, and understood, across media, marketing, and advertising. Her work has become a catalyst for cultural change, especially in areas that impact women and girls.

Her leadership on landmark initiatives—like Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and Mattel’s reinvention of Barbie—has reshaped entire industries. These efforts didn’t just spark conversation; they redefined how companies approach representation, inclusivity, and the stories they tell the world.

Jess is also an acclaimed speaker, best-selling author, podcast host, and national board member of She Should Run. She has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the “Most Creative People in Business” and by Inc. as one of the “Top 250 Female Founders in the US.”