The Well Defined Women in Leadership Summit—founded by wellness industry veterans Julie Keller Callaghan and Heather Mikesell—will make its East Coast debut on April 21, 2026, at 140 Broadway in New York City.
Following two successful West Coast gatherings, the day-long event will bring together women from across the wellness ecosystem—including spa leaders, beauty professionals, hospitality executives, entrepreneurs, and wellness practitioners—for a program focused on leadership, longevity, and the evolving realities of women’s work and wellbeing.
Callaghan and Mikesell, longtime advocates for women’s advancement in wellness, first launched the summit as an extension of their broader mission to support women’s professional growth and visibility in the industry. The two worked together for more than fifteen years at American Spa magazine before founding their media and events platform, Well Defined.
“Well Defined’s Women in Leadership Summit is an opportunity to share insights, support one another, and rise together.”
“As we confront a world in which women’s rights are increasingly challenged, women’s healthcare remains underfunded, and women’s stories and accomplishments risk being minimized or erased from the public record, we’re also navigating the rapid rise of AI and its impact on our work, our sense of stability, and our connection with one another,” says Well Defined co-founder Heather Mikesell. “In times like these, coming together in community becomes essential. Well Defined’s Women in Leadership Summit is an opportunity to share insights, support one another, and rise together.”
The 2026 New York summit will explore topics including burnout, the invisible load many women carry in their professional and personal lives, financial wellbeing, women’s longevity and hormonal health, neuroscience, and emerging wellness trends.
Among the featured speakers:
Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something and author of When We’re In Charge, will explore how women can lead authentically while maintaining boundaries and protecting work-life balance.
Michele Novack-Abugosh, an entrepreneur who stepped away from the traditional corporate track to build her own venture, will share lessons in reinvention, values-driven decision-making, and leading through uncertainty.
Ruchi Pinniger, former Wall Street executive and founder of Watch Her Prosper, will address financial wellness and wealth-building strategies designed to help high-achieving women create long-term security.
Jennifer Walsh, founder of Walk With Walsh, will explore how nature-based wellbeing, neuroscience, and human connection can inform more grounded approaches to leadership.
The summit will also feature networking opportunities throughout the day, including a luncheon and closing cocktail reception.
“Our first two events left attendees feeling inspired and motivated,” says Callaghan. “It feels like the right time to bring our friends and colleagues together again to address the issues many women are facing right now—professionally and personally. Our focus on longevity—from your personal health to that of your business—is especially timely.”
Tickets for the Women in Leadership Summit begin at $325 and include access to the full day of programming, networking events, lunch, and a closing cocktail gathering.