Women in Law & Leadership Summit: West
Influence, Innovation & Leadership in the World’s Most Transformational Economy
In the Bay Area, leadership is defined by the ability to navigate constant reinvention. Industries are built and disrupted at unprecedented speed, technological innovation reshapes markets overnight, and organizations must make high-stakes decisions amid global scrutiny. In this environment, women leaders are not only responding to change; they are shaping the direction of entire industries.
The Women in Law & Leadership Summit: West brings together senior legal executives, in-house counsel, and corporate decision-makers for a candid exploration of leadership in one of the most innovation-driven markets in the world. The program examines how women leaders are building influence within organizations defined by rapid technological advancement, entrepreneurial culture, and shifting expectations around power, inclusion, and accountability.
Attendees will gain actionable frameworks for leadership in environments where transformation is constant, from establishing authority in fast-moving organizations to navigating emerging technologies, managing reputational risk, and sustaining long-term influence in highly visible roles. The summit focuses on executive presence, strategic decision-making, resilience in dynamic industries, and the evolving dynamics of leadership in technology-driven enterprises.
Designed for women leaders operating at the intersection of law, innovation, and corporate leadership, this summit convenes the voices shaping governance, strategy, and culture in the companies defining the future of the global economy.
*5 CLE Credits CA State
- Leading Through Disruption: Redefining Power, Purpose & Progress
- From Token to Trailblazer: Building Enduring Power for Women in Leadership
- The Currency of Advancement: Credit, Visibility and Compensation
- Who Opens the Door? Building Sponsorship Pathways That Last
- The Power of the Pivot: Reinvention and Resilience in Women’s Leadership
- Voice, Visibility & Influence: The New Metrics of Leadership Success
- Law, Leadership & Legitimacy: The Ethics Tightrope for Today’s Women Leaders
- Micro-Bias, Macro Impact: Rewriting the Culture of Leadership
- Chief Legal Officer
- C-Suite Executives
- General Counsel
- Deputy General Counsel
- Associate/Assistant General Counsel
- (Senior) Vice President, Legal
- (Assistant) Vice President
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Head of Legal Operations
- (Senior) Corporate Counsel
- (Senior) Counsel
- Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer / Head of Inclusion & Belonging
Agenda
Disruption has become the new constant—from global instability to AI acceleration to shifting social norms. Women leaders are at the forefront of navigating this complexity, redefining what resilience, innovation, and purpose mean in real time. This session examines the evolving skill set required to thrive amid uncertainty—how to lead transformation with empathy, future-proof decision-making, and a sense of purpose that inspires enduring progress.
This panel will explore:
• Turning disruption into opportunity and sustained influence
• Adaptive leadership techniques for managing volatility and complexity
• Balancing innovation with empathy in organizational transformation
• Reimagining leadership to align values with progress
Despite decades of progress, women’s foothold in senior leadership remains fragile amid DEI rollbacks and shifting corporate priorities. The challenge is no longer access—it’s endurance. This session examines how women can transform visibility into lasting influence, convert symbolic roles into structural power, and lead with authenticity in environments still calibrated for conformity. The conversation moves from representation to strategy, exploring what it takes to secure real authority, build trust, and create leadership pipelines that don’t regress with the next corporate trend.
This panel will explore:
• Turning representation into enduring authority and measurable influence
• Mentorship and sponsorship strategies that prevent leadership backsliding
• Navigating evolving expectations around inclusion and leadership style
• Building political capital and executive trust in uncertain times
Shahzia M. Rahman is the Head of Corporate Legal at Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ), the S&P 500 financial technology company behind Square, Cash App, Afterpay, and TIDAL. In her role, she advises executives and the board of directors on corporate governance, securities law, capital markets, and strategic initiatives. She also works closely with cross-functional leadership to navigate the regulatory and governance considerations that accompany the growing use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies across the business. Beyond advising on AI governance, she actively experiments with AI-driven tools to reimagine how legal work gets done.
Rahman brings more than two decades of experience spanning leading law firm and senior in-house roles in the technology sector. Her work centers on guiding organizations through periods of strategic transformation on a global scale while building resilient, high-performing teams.
She has also served as an adjunct professor at University of California Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), where she taught a practical skills course on representing startup companies.
Compensation tells only part of the story. The real equity gap lies in who gets credit, visibility, and advancement opportunities. Women in senior roles continue to encounter uneven recognition for comparable results—particularly in team-based or high-pressure environments. This discussion reframes equity as a holistic system encompassing pay, recognition, and opportunity flow. It examines how organizations can align compensation structures, audit recognition bias, and build cultures that reward impact, not just optics.
This panel will explore:
• How recognition gaps perpetuate pay and promotion inequities
• Concrete tools for auditing and recalibrating credit and compensation systems
• Negotiation approaches that reassert value and authority
• Embedding fairness through transparent structures and leadership accountability
Sue Bunnell is a pragmatic and results-focused legal leader for a global Fortune 50 company, and rounds out her days with non-profit work and career therapy. She leverages 20+years of experience in technology, IP, security/privacy, and regulatory compliance when counseling leaders in the Wells Fargo Chief Administrative Office related to operations such as incident management, properties, physical security, and safety issues. Ms. Bunnell is also an outspoken advocate for professional development, and serves as the President and Chair of the board of LWT: Advancing Women in Leadership (www.LWTleadership.org) as well as a Director at Large on the Board of the Professional BusinessWomen of California (www.pbwc.org). She enjoys speaking and facilitating workshops in the Bay Area on effective self-advocacy through resume creation, interview skills, social media presentation, and career negotiations.
Leadership trajectories are shaped by who gets invited into rooms where decisions are made. This session focuses on the mechanics of access: how sponsorship opens doors, transfers credibility, and builds durable leadership pathways for women. Rather than relying on informal networks or individual goodwill, the discussion centers on designing sponsorship systems that withstand leadership turnover, market shifts, and cultural pushback. It positions sponsorship as a long-term investment in leadership continuity and organizational strength.
This panel will explore:
- How access and advocacy shape leadership outcomes over time
- The role of senior leaders in transferring credibility and opportunity
- Designing sponsorship pathways that scale beyond individual relationships
- Preventing leadership backsliding by institutionalizing advancement support
Gauri Manglik is Vice President, Head of Legal, Privacy, and AI Governance at GoFundMe, where she leads the company’s global legal function, including privacy and AI governance. With nearly two decades of broad legal experience—including corporate, commercial, regulatory, and product counseling—Gauri is a strategic business partner known for her pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach.
At GoFundMe, Gauri oversees legal risk management, negotiates complex commercial agreements, and drives enterprise-wide privacy and AI Governance programs. Gauri is recognized for her cross-functional leadership and ability to build scalable legal frameworks that enable innovation while safeguarding trust and transparency. Her work is grounded in a strong commitment to integrity, accountability, and empowering teams to navigate complexity with confidence.
Leadership longevity requires reinvention. From economic shifts and corporate restructuring to personal transitions, modern women leaders are rewriting their narratives mid-career—and emerging stronger for it. This session focuses on resilience as a strategy, not a reaction. It offers insight into recognizing inflection points, reframing setbacks, and converting change into professional renewal. The conversation elevates reinvention as a defining skill of contemporary leadership.
This panel will explore:
• Recognizing when a pivot is strategic rather than reactive
• Transforming transition periods into opportunities for growth
• Cultivating resilience and confidence amid uncertainty
• Redefining success through adaptability and forward movement
Allison Lisbonne Amadia is a senior legal, compliance, and risk executive with more than 30 years of experience operating at the intersection of strategy, execution, and governance across technology, financial services, and professional services organizations. Known as a highly effective strategic operator, Allison partners with executive leadership teams to translate business objectives into scalable, resilient operating models—using legal, risk, and compliance functions as drivers of growth rather than constraints.
Throughout her career, Allison has intentionally pivoted across roles and industries— including academia, entrepreneurship, solo and fractional General Counsel roles, and C‑suite leadership—building a rare ability to see the business from multiple vantage points. Her distinguishing strength lies in developing business‑minded teams: leaders who understand not only the law and regulation, but also the commercial, cultural, and operational realities of the organizations they serve.
Most recently, Allison served as Chief Legal & Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary at Edelman Financial Engines, the nation’s largest independent registered investment advisor. As a core member of the executive leadership team, she led numerous areas critical to the success of the company including enterprise Legal, Compliance, Risk, Cybersecurity, Regulatory Affairs, Internal Audit, and Investigations. In this role, Allison helped shape enterprise strategy, modernized risk and governance frameworks, strengthened operational resilience, and partnered with management to navigate high‑stakes business events. She also architected and implemented an enterprise‑wide AI governance framework aligned with innovation, regulatory expectations, and business strategy.
Previously, Allison served as Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Titan Global Capital Management and as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Personal Capital Corporation, guiding the company through its high‑visibility unicorn acquisition by Empower Retirement. Following the acquisition, she was appointed to the Board and served as Head of Human Resources in addition to her original responsibilities and her role was central in partnering with leadership on integration, governance, and strategic initiatives.
Earlier executive roles include General Counsel and SVP of HR at Handle Financial and EVP, General Counsel at Extreme Networks, where she led global legal operations and the acquisition and integration of a peer‑size competitor that doubled the company’s scale in six months. Across these roles, Allison consistently focused on building teams that operate with commercial judgment, accountability, and a deep understanding of business priorities.
Earlier in her career, Allison founded Amadia Pritchard LLP, serving for over a decade as a trusted advisor and outsourced General Counsel to technology companies, following prior roles at Morrison & Foerster, Novell, VeriFone, Seagate Software, and as a federal judicial clerk. Allison also taught a technology licensing course at Santa Clara Law School as an adjunct professor for several years. Widely respected for her integrity, clarity, and ability to lead through disruption, Allison has been recognized as one of the 10 Most Disruptive Women Leaders to Watch (2023) and among the Top 25 Women Leaders in Financial Technology (2021). She brings a distinctive, experience‑driven perspective on leadership, resilience, and career pivots—grounded in the belief that the most durable impact comes from building business‑aligned teams that enable organizations to move faster, smarter, and with confidence.
In today’s landscape, authority is measured by influence, not title. Women leaders are leveraging their voices, ideas, and platforms to shape industries, policies, and culture. This session explores how to build authentic visibility that drives impact—transforming expertise into thought leadership and leadership into advocacy. It’s about mastering presence, expanding reach, and using influence to open doors for others while defining success on new terms.
This panel will explore:
• Building authentic executive presence across physical and digital spaces
• Expanding influence through thought leadership and storytelling
• Managing visibility with confidence and credibility in high-profile roles
• Using one’s platform to drive advocacy, mentorship, and systemic change
Linda Nyberg is a Senior Product Counsel at Google and an experienced technology lawyer specializing in artificial intelligence. At Google, she provides strategic advice on generative AI product launches in Google Cloud and model serving infrastructure, navigating complex legal and regulatory issues related to data governance, ethics, copyright, and privacy. She collaborates closely with cross-functional legal and product teams and is passionate about the responsible and ethical use of AI to drive innovation and transformation across industries.
For women at the helm of law firms, corporations, and public institutions, every decision is magnified through a sharper lens of scrutiny. In an era of political division and amplified media narratives, ethical leadership has never been more complex—or consequential. This session tackles the tension between authenticity, responsibility, and reputational risk. It examines how to lead decisively without compromising integrity, uphold principles amid political or institutional pressure, and transform scrutiny into strength.
This panel will explore:
• Navigating heightened ethical and reputational pressures in leadership
• Building credibility through consistency and transparent decision-making
• Leading through controversy without sacrificing core values
• Turning public challenge into an opportunity for institutional trust-building
Even as organizations champion equality, subtle cultural forces still determine who gets credibility, visibility, and opportunity. Small biases—how ideas are received, who’s invited to lead, who gets second chances—create massive downstream impact. This session confronts those hidden dynamics head-on, unpacking how they manifest in senior leadership and what practical reforms dismantle them. It highlights actionable systems that replace passive awareness with measurable equity and accountability.
This panel will explore:
• Identifying and addressing “second-generation” bias at the leadership level
• How micro-inequities shape team trust, culture, and client outcomes
• Building accountability into evaluation, promotion, and pay systems
• Converting cultural awareness into sustainable structural change
Khadeeja is a seasoned legal counsel with over a decade of international experience. Currently, as Associate General Counsel (Director), Technology Transactions at Rivian Automotive, she specializes in complex technology & strategic partnership agreements and provides legal counsel across business teams. Her expertise spans diverse sectors, from startups to publicly traded companies, encompassing roles in commercial & technology transactions, intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures & various product launches. Holding a master’s in law (Intellectual Property and Technology Law), Khadeeja has been honored as one of 100 inspiring women by Rising Beyond the Ceiling, highlighting her dedication to professional excellence and community upliftment.
Interactive discussions hosted by a topic expert.
RT 1: Leading with Data: Using Metrics to Drive Equity, Performance & Cultural Change
RT 2: The Mentorship Multiplier: Building Generational Bridges in Law and Leadership
Speakers
Shahzia M. Rahman is the Head of Corporate Legal at Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ), the S&P 500 financial technology company behind Square, Cash App, Afterpay, and TIDAL. In her role, she advises executives and the board of directors on corporate governance, securities law, capital markets, and strategic initiatives. She also works closely with cross-functional leadership to navigate the regulatory and governance considerations that accompany the growing use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies across the business. Beyond advising on AI governance, she actively experiments with AI-driven tools to reimagine how legal work gets done.
Rahman brings more than two decades of experience spanning leading law firm and senior in-house roles in the technology sector. Her work centers on guiding organizations through periods of strategic transformation on a global scale while building resilient, high-performing teams.
She has also served as an adjunct professor at University of California Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), where she taught a practical skills course on representing startup companies.
Sue Bunnell is a pragmatic and results-focused legal leader for a global Fortune 50 company, and rounds out her days with non-profit work and career therapy. She leverages 20+years of experience in technology, IP, security/privacy, and regulatory compliance when counseling leaders in the Wells Fargo Chief Administrative Office related to operations such as incident management, properties, physical security, and safety issues. Ms. Bunnell is also an outspoken advocate for professional development, and serves as the President and Chair of the board of LWT: Advancing Women in Leadership (www.LWTleadership.org) as well as a Director at Large on the Board of the Professional BusinessWomen of California (www.pbwc.org). She enjoys speaking and facilitating workshops in the Bay Area on effective self-advocacy through resume creation, interview skills, social media presentation, and career negotiations.
Gauri Manglik is Vice President, Head of Legal, Privacy, and AI Governance at GoFundMe, where she leads the company’s global legal function, including privacy and AI governance. With nearly two decades of broad legal experience—including corporate, commercial, regulatory, and product counseling—Gauri is a strategic business partner known for her pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach.
At GoFundMe, Gauri oversees legal risk management, negotiates complex commercial agreements, and drives enterprise-wide privacy and AI Governance programs. Gauri is recognized for her cross-functional leadership and ability to build scalable legal frameworks that enable innovation while safeguarding trust and transparency. Her work is grounded in a strong commitment to integrity, accountability, and empowering teams to navigate complexity with confidence.
Allison Lisbonne Amadia is a senior legal, compliance, and risk executive with more than 30 years of experience operating at the intersection of strategy, execution, and governance across technology, financial services, and professional services organizations. Known as a highly effective strategic operator, Allison partners with executive leadership teams to translate business objectives into scalable, resilient operating models—using legal, risk, and compliance functions as drivers of growth rather than constraints.
Throughout her career, Allison has intentionally pivoted across roles and industries— including academia, entrepreneurship, solo and fractional General Counsel roles, and C‑suite leadership—building a rare ability to see the business from multiple vantage points. Her distinguishing strength lies in developing business‑minded teams: leaders who understand not only the law and regulation, but also the commercial, cultural, and operational realities of the organizations they serve.
Most recently, Allison served as Chief Legal & Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary at Edelman Financial Engines, the nation’s largest independent registered investment advisor. As a core member of the executive leadership team, she led numerous areas critical to the success of the company including enterprise Legal, Compliance, Risk, Cybersecurity, Regulatory Affairs, Internal Audit, and Investigations. In this role, Allison helped shape enterprise strategy, modernized risk and governance frameworks, strengthened operational resilience, and partnered with management to navigate high‑stakes business events. She also architected and implemented an enterprise‑wide AI governance framework aligned with innovation, regulatory expectations, and business strategy.
Previously, Allison served as Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Titan Global Capital Management and as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Personal Capital Corporation, guiding the company through its high‑visibility unicorn acquisition by Empower Retirement. Following the acquisition, she was appointed to the Board and served as Head of Human Resources in addition to her original responsibilities and her role was central in partnering with leadership on integration, governance, and strategic initiatives.
Earlier executive roles include General Counsel and SVP of HR at Handle Financial and EVP, General Counsel at Extreme Networks, where she led global legal operations and the acquisition and integration of a peer‑size competitor that doubled the company’s scale in six months. Across these roles, Allison consistently focused on building teams that operate with commercial judgment, accountability, and a deep understanding of business priorities.
Earlier in her career, Allison founded Amadia Pritchard LLP, serving for over a decade as a trusted advisor and outsourced General Counsel to technology companies, following prior roles at Morrison & Foerster, Novell, VeriFone, Seagate Software, and as a federal judicial clerk. Allison also taught a technology licensing course at Santa Clara Law School as an adjunct professor for several years. Widely respected for her integrity, clarity, and ability to lead through disruption, Allison has been recognized as one of the 10 Most Disruptive Women Leaders to Watch (2023) and among the Top 25 Women Leaders in Financial Technology (2021). She brings a distinctive, experience‑driven perspective on leadership, resilience, and career pivots—grounded in the belief that the most durable impact comes from building business‑aligned teams that enable organizations to move faster, smarter, and with confidence.
Khadeeja is a seasoned legal counsel with over a decade of international experience. Currently, as Associate General Counsel (Director), Technology Transactions at Rivian Automotive, she specializes in complex technology & strategic partnership agreements and provides legal counsel across business teams. Her expertise spans diverse sectors, from startups to publicly traded companies, encompassing roles in commercial & technology transactions, intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures & various product launches. Holding a master’s in law (Intellectual Property and Technology Law), Khadeeja has been honored as one of 100 inspiring women by Rising Beyond the Ceiling, highlighting her dedication to professional excellence and community upliftment.
Linda Nyberg is a Senior Product Counsel at Google and an experienced technology lawyer specializing in artificial intelligence. At Google, she provides strategic advice on generative AI product launches in Google Cloud and model serving infrastructure, navigating complex legal and regulatory issues related to data governance, ethics, copyright, and privacy. She collaborates closely with cross-functional legal and product teams and is passionate about the responsible and ethical use of AI to drive innovation and transformation across industries.
Venue
TBA
San Francisco, CA