Innovation Women Newsletter #559

April 17, 2026

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INNOVATION WOMEN

Hi ala,

For many years I ran a monthly event in the Boston area called Mass Innovation Nights. (We also expanded to other states and ran events like Connecticut Innovation Nights and Maine Innovation Nights.) Then there was this thing in 2020. So, we stopped, although we kept the weekly newsletter going to support other local events.

Wednesday night we gathered at Boston's Museum of Science for the first in-person Mass Innovation Nights in more than 6 years. Hundreds of people came to help launch 13 new products for startups from a variety of industries. 

There’s something magical about an in-person event, isn’t there? Maybe it’s all the Zoom meetings we’re on. Maybe it is the AI. Or the constant phishing attempts, the scams and the robocalls. The wars. Maybe it is the global news cycle, spinning just out of earshot and around the corner, that makes everything feel so surreal.

But for a few hours, an in-person event allows you to talk face-to-face with another real-live human who believes passionately in something. It allows you to be that person too.

Bobbie and the entire Innovation Women team

EVENT MANAGER OR EXPERT?

SPEAKER FRIEND FRIDAYS

All are welcome!

Join us today (and every Friday) at 8:45 am ET for Speaker Friend Fridays on Zoom. You can also join us for West Coast Friendly Speaker Friends on the first Friday and third Friday (TODAY!) of each month at noon ET/9:00 am PT. Click the links below to RSVP and add the recurring links to your calendar. (Everyone is welcome at these events. Bring a friend, even if they aren't a member.) Event organizers? You're welcome too!

GET MORE SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES

We’re here to help you find EVEN MORE speaking opportunities.

Join Innovation Women founder and Speaker Friend Fridays host Bobbie Carlton, an industry veteran who has spent decades getting executives and experts onto high-visibility stages. You’ll get insider secrets and insights you can use immediately.

You know how speaking can drive business growth and dramatically boost your professional visibility, but do you know:

• What event managers, podcast hosts, and media are really looking for in speakers?
• How Innovation Women connects women and other underrepresented voices with speaking opportunities of all kinds?
• Ways you can uncover opportunities most others miss?

Plus, you’ll get a live tour of the Innovation Women speaking opportunity database, a look at our educational resources, and an introduction to our supportive online community.

Where other organizations stop short of delivering the real goods, Innovation Women always gives you the inside scoop.

Please join us: Tuesday May 12 at 2:00 pm ET

UPCOMING INNOVATION WOMEN WEBINAR

Behind the Red Dot: The Why, How and When TEDx Speakers are selected

Featuring Sybil Stewart

April 22, 2026, 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET

In this talk, Sybil will discuss expectations she holds as a TEDx organizer, what other organizers are doing and how to understand the TEDx process as an applicant.

By the end of this presentation, audience members will understand what it takes to get on stage, and what happens before and after a "great talk."

Build Your Big Back End: How To Add Revenue Streams to Your Speaking Business

Featuring Michelle Villalobos

May 6, 2026, 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET

The speaking industry is shifting in unprecedented ways, with massive uncertainty plaguing traditional speaker models that rely on cushy keynote fees and corporate contracts. If you've been affected or just want to diversify your offerings, consider adding back-end revenue streams that can supplement your speaking. Michelle Villalobos, CSP, has developed a simple framework to create a "Big Back End" using seminars, small events, and group coaching/mastermind programs (all without adding any cheesy or sleazy pitches to your speeches). In this session, Michelle will share a model that can drive both big revenues and big impact, as well as other game-changing strategies around scaling that she learned "the hard way.” Whether you ultimately choose to embark on this model or not, this presentation will have you thinking about YOUR business model and recurring revenues in a whole new way.

LIONESS MAGAZINE FEATURES

Lioness for the Female Entrepreneur is our digital magazine for women who are starting (or thinking about starting) companies. Get the latest news, tools and resources to launch and scale startups. This week you can read great articles like:

• Is Your Organization a House on Fire? How to Spot (and Stop) Business Crises
• Why Organizations Pick the Wrong Leaders

SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Every week our speakers get brand new opportunities and there are even more on our website. There are hundreds of open opportunities on the site right now and we added more than 60 new ones this week! Below are some of the NEW opportunities:

1. Utilities UGC2026 06/09/26 Montreal, QC, Canada Deadline 05/08/26 - Utilities
2. Community Behavioral Healthcare Association Conference 2026 12/03/26 Oak Brook, IL Deadline 05/08/26 - Mental Health Care
3. 2026 NAHRO National Conference & Exhibition 10/15/26 Denver, CO Deadline 05/08/26 - Housing
4. CO2 Storage Conference 2026 10/06/26 Aberdeen, Scotland, UK Deadline 05/08/26 - Oil and Energy
5. Linux Plumbers Conference 2026 10/05/26 Prague, Czechia Deadline 05/08/26 - Information Technology and Services



Get hundreds of opportunities like these, a profile on our site, education and more for only $159/year!

EVENTS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES