Conversations that Matter Speaker Series examines the pivotal role people play in creating inclusive workplaces and its impact on our well-being. Each episode weaves together storytelling and research-driven conversations with recognized authors, experts, students, faculty, and practitioners. Join us for the next Conversations that Matter Speaker Series event!
The Trailblazers Roundtable is a special component of Women: Leadership, Legacy, and Lessons, Learned, our inaugural program commemorating the 50th anniversary of Dartmouth’s first class to complete a full four-year undergraduate coeducational experience, presented in partnership with Women of Dartmouth. This roundtable was created around a simple but powerful belief: some of the most important lessons in leadership are learned through the stories we share with one another.
The Trailblazers Roundtable brought together six accomplished women whose careers have shaped medicine, public health, journalism, advocacy, and business. Moderated by Soledad O'Brien, the award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, philanthropist, the conversation centered leadership, resilience, mentorship, legacy, and the responsibility of those who break new ground. The discussion allowed for panelists and audience members to reflect on the moments that shaped their careers, the people who opened doors, the challenges that tested them, and the lessons they hope to pass forward.
Panelist:
Geeta Anand D’89, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and Professor at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
Ricki Fairley D’78, co-founder and CEO of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance
Lacey Horn, CPA, MSA, founder and CEO of Native Advisory
Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, FACOFP, President of the Educational Television Network
Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD, emerita professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and founding director for Women’s Health Research at Yale University
Antonia Coello Novello, MD, MPH, DrPH, HON ‘25, 14th Surgeon General of the United States
Panelists reflected candidly on the barriers they faced as women and, in many cases, as the first or only woman in the room. Their advice emphasized courage, self-advocacy, resilience, and the importance of embracing challenges as opportunities for change. As Novello reminded the audience, you must advocate for yourself, while Fairley encouraged leaders to see barriers not as limitations, but as opportunities to act.
The conversation also importantly explored women’s health, including how women in positions of influence can advance better health outcomes, address disparities, and expand access to high-quality care. These discussions are imperative. Women spend nearly 25% more of their lives in poor health, yet women’s health remains significantly underfunded with less than 5% of global health research funding directed to women’s health. From academia, business, finance, public service, healthcare, and journalism, our panelists brought diverse perspectives that explored the health issues that matter to us all. Events such as these, are a way to offer our attention, experience, and collective voice to celebrate our success and continue to create better outcomes for our communities.
Conversations that Matter Speaker Series Archive at Geisel School of Medicine