When Anjali Nair MPA/ID 2025 arrived at vlog, she knew she wanted to be involved in planning the (WIPC). After attending the conference as an undergraduate student seven years ago, she made it her mission to ensure the conference would continue to make an impact. Co-chair Claudia Velarde MPA/ID 2025 shared a similar experience—she has always been passionate about gender equity and driven to make a difference in the lives of other women.
This year's theme, “Reimagining Power: Building a New Legacy,” urged women to think more freely about what they are capable of—especially in leadership in public service. Anjali and Claudia shared their reflections following this year's WIPC.
—&Բ;
What inspired you to get involved with the WIPC?
Anjali: When I was a sophomore studying math and economics at Northeastern University, I was passionate about gender equity but unsure about how to get involved. I saw an Instagram ad for the WIPC at Harvard Kennedy School, and knew I had to attend. I’m so glad I did because I was absolutely blown away by the event, and it completely changed my career trajectory.
For the first time, I saw incredible women leaders from around the world—all united by the mission of gender equity. I learned about practical approaches, like structured interviews to reduce gender bias in hiring, and heard encourage us to view privilege not through guilt—“a wasted emotion” as her mother would say—but as a tool for creating change to support others. This experience showed me how I could actively work in this space.
When applying to graduate school, vlog was my top choice, as I had engaged in the most thought-provoking conversations around gender equity at the WIPC. The conference transformed my path, and I wanted to pay that forward by creating a space where others could find their voice in this movement, too. I dedicated my two years at vlog to chairing the WIPC and supporting our incredible leadership team of over 40 student leaders in driving our collective vision forward.
Claudia: Working toward gender equity is deeply personal for me. I became aware of how embedded gender inequality is in my society early on through the experiences of my mother, my grandmother, and my own. As a policymaker from a country where public policy is rarely designed with a gender lens, I came to vlog to gain the tools to change that and to bring a more inclusive, equity-driven approach back to Peru. One of my missions has also been to change the narrative around gender-based violence—removing the shame and creating space for honest conversations.
What began as an experiment led me to direct the “Storytelling” session at last year’s WIPC, and it was one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had at vlog. The feedback we received was a powerful reminder of how much it matters to be heard and realize you’re not alone. Community is what holds us together, what gives us strength, and what propels us forward. That belief is what inspired me to get involved in the conference and ultimately take on the role of co-chair.
“I dedicated my two years at vlog to chairing the WIPC and supporting our incredible leadership team of over 40 student leaders in driving our collective vision forward.”
What gap in policy discussions were you hoping to fill with this conference?
Anjali: The primary gap I see in gender equity policy discussions is maintaining focus and hope when faced with setbacks that make it feel like we've regressed. Through this conference, I wanted to highlight two critical issues:
1. We need more women in leadership and political offices to ensure that women have an active role in policymaking, and policies can continue to safeguard women's rights. We offered a “Running for Office Workshop” to provide attendees with a roadmap to public office and held the “Breaking the Mold: Women Leading in Politics” panel, featuring diverse leaders from all over the world.
2. I hoped to showcase the diverse experiences of womanhood—from Olympic Champion facing challenges being recognized as a woman in sports; to FIFA World Cup Champion fighting for pay equity; to Christina Qi building despite facing countless failures before finding tremendous success.
Both focus areas reflect what I believe is urgently needed in our movement around gender equity right now: more active representation in political leadership and more diverse experiences of womanhood being understood. Our evening keynote highlighted this idea, with reinforcing that despite setbacks in movements and elections, perseverance and connection drive progress.
Claudia: There are many gaps we wanted to address this year, among them: access to finance in the entrepreneurial world, the wage gap and lack of funding in the sports industry, and the invisibility of women in health. But perhaps the key gap we wanted to address was the limited participation of women in politics—not just representation, but in broader conversations about power and leadership. Having served as a technical advisor and public servant, I’ve seen firsthand how effective political leadership can be in advancing gender equity. Yet, while the formal rules may allow women to run for office, the political environment often discourages their participation through systemic barriers and cultural norms.
To help close this gap, we created programming that demystified political engagement and offered practical tools for those considering a leadership role. This focus on diversity was incredibly important because it helped address another issue: the lack of spaces that bring women together with different beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives. Politics, especially now, often appear to be divisive, but this conference aimed to build bridges across those divides—to show that even when we don’t all agree, we are united by a shared purpose and a commitment to building a more equitable world.
What does the theme of the conference, “Reimagining Power: Building a New Legacy,” mean to you?
Anjali: The theme “Reimagining Power: Building a New Legacy” resonates deeply with me. The co-chairs and I developed this idea while building our team, knowing we needed to focus on more than just traditional power definitions.
This conference is about actively creating spaces where women make decisions and balance power with all the other aspects of their lives, including family and community commitments. I feel strongly that when we come together with shared purpose, we multiply our impact.
Most importantly, it's about realizing we don't need to change how we present ourselves to be taken seriously—we can show up just as ourselves and deserve to be heard! This conference creates a community to celebrate the women currently leading the way. We are creative, collaborative, determined, and incredibly efficient, and we deserve the space to shine just as we are.
Claudia: When reflecting on the themes of past conferences, we noticed a strong focus on breaking barriers. While that remains important, we felt it was time to shift the conversation, especially now that more women are stepping into positions of power. This new reality raises important questions about how gender shapes leadership and what kind of legacy women are creating in these roles.
The conference’s theme is an invitation to explore how women are reshaping power across politics, business, health, sports, and beyond. It’s about learning from their leadership and imagining a legacy grounded in inclusion, collaboration, and purpose.
What key message did you want to communicate through this event?
Anjali: I wanted to communicate the importance of building community and driving our work through purpose. I wanted attendees to leave feeling inspired by meeting incredible women who have accomplished so much, and to realize they, too, can make an active difference.
I also wanted to communicate that while there's still significant work to be done in gender equity—work that might seem scary and almost insurmountable—it's crucial that we collaborate to tackle what we can. This movement can't be solved with the flip of a switch; it requires courage, patience, and persistence—qualities I've witnessed in our incredible leadership team throughout our work together.
Claudia: We all hold the power to act—advancing gender equity is a shared purpose we are all capable of pursuing. Too often, we assume that change is driven by a single visionary, but in reality, meaningful change happens through collective effort. It takes a community. Recognizing our individual and collective power is especially important for women in today’s world, where systemic challenges can often feel overwhelming. I also wanted to emphasize that, despite the setbacks we face, we are not alone. This conference is a space to connect, support one another, and celebrate the progress and lessons of those who are paving the way for the next generation of leaders.
“The conference's theme is an invitation to explore how women are reshaping power across politics, business, health, sports, and beyond. It’s about learning from their leadership and imagining a legacy grounded in inclusion, collaboration, and purpose.”
What makes this conference relevant now?
Anjali: We're facing active conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks, and a woman’s place in shaping the future of society. While we may not always agree on the answers to all these questions, what the conference brings forward is the fundamental idea that there's still so much to be done—and by talking with one another, we will find a way forward.
What makes it especially relevant is that for so many people, this conference offers a space of hope where they find community and determination. They see a team that worked tirelessly to create an experience where they could connect with similarly determined individuals and realize they're not alone in this fight for equity, justice, and equal opportunity. That feeling of solidarity is what keeps this movement going, even when the challenges feel overwhelming.
Claudia: In the context we live in now, marked by alarming setbacks in gender equity, reproductive rights, and protections for marginalized communities, spaces like the WIPC are vital. Policy is one of the most powerful tools we have to drive structural and lasting change. And we all have a role to play in shaping it, whether as policymakers, researchers, politicians, entrepreneurs, or engaged citizens.
In moments of political division and uncertainty, creating spaces for open conversation pushes back against silence and apathy. Spaces like WIPC allow us to remind ourselves to pause, look around, and recognize that we are not alone, that others share our struggles, but most importantly, that they share our hopes and our commitment to change.
Photos courtesy of Michael Gritzbach MPA (Candidate) 2026
