While COVID-19 has put a damper on much of 2020, it was not able to limit the success of the recent 15th Annual Women in Business Conference hosted by the College of the Holy Cross. 

The conference, which provides networking opportunities for women in leadership and entrepreneurship positions, surpassed its greatest expectations when they had 423 participants, 300 of which were alumni. Participants hailed from all over the United States — from the New England area, California, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and more. There were even a few from Europe in attendance, making it a truly diverse conference despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic. 

"We were thrilled with the number of registrants from around the world," Cassie Gevry; associate director of the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society; said in a release published on the college's website. "The strong interest from alumnae is a testament to the strength of the Holy Cross network and something we will continue to foster through the Women in Business network, even when we return to in-person events. It seemed that now, more than ever, women were looking for a way to come together to discuss their careers in business, and we were so glad the remote format gave so many attendees the ability to hear our speakers."

The conference was hosted by the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society; which pivoted in order to present the event in a virtual capacity. 

Stephanie Linnartz explained in her keynote address that her time at Holy Cross as a student was invaluable.

"The critical-thinking skills that I developed while at Holy Cross fueled my curiosity, allowed me to evaluate different choices from multiple perspectives and helped me stay true to my morals and beliefs," she said in the release.

In the efforts of making the conference representative of all women, this year's event had a "Black Women Redefining Entrepreneurship" student-led panel.