2024 Be Bold Hultberg Panel Discussion
2024 Be Bold UND Women in Leadership Hultberg Panel Discussion
The 4th annual Be Bold UND Women in Leadership Summit took place on Thursday, April 11, 2024, in the Henry Family Ballroom at the UND Memorial Union. The summit was developed through the passion and ideas brought forward by UND alumna Mary Fischer. It was built off the legacy of the Hultberg Lectureship Series, which was established thirty-six years ago with a gift provided by 1928 UND graduate Clara E. Anderson (Hultberg), who had an interest in addressing challenges and creating opportunities for women in business and public service.
The 2024 Hultberg Panel was moderated by Fischer and feature three distinguished panelists: Kristi Hall-Jiran, executive vice president and chief philanthropy and partnership officer at Altru Health System; Julie Fedorchak, UND alumna and commissioner of the ND Public Service Commission; and Sarah Horak, UND alumna, co-owner and CFO of three hospitality businesses in Grand Forks and founder of Real Good Cookies.
Mary Fischer drove the discussion on a number of key topics facing female leaders today, specifically the differences between mentorship and sponsorship. Fischer described mentors as being someone you can be vulnerable with and ask for advice, whereas sponsors are someone who can be an advocate for your career advancement.
Julie Fedorchak shared how she views a mentor as someone you admire and want to learn from, someone who is willing to give you advice. She then expressed how her sponsor, Former ND Governor Ed Schafer, was someone who was there for her at every key point in her career, someone who is 100% on your side. Fedorchak also noted that mentors and sponsors don’t have to be someone you don’t have to establish a formal relationship with, they can just be someone you turn to during different challenges.
Kristi Hall-Jiran is a mentor through the Pancratz Mentor Program, and her advice to young leaders was to be intentional with who you want as your mentor. She explained that taking time to do your research to find the right mentor is important.
Sarah Horak shared how her involvement in her community has helped her through various obstacles she has faced as a business owner. She expressed that meeting with broad groups of people within your community is important when connecting with other leaders and business owners in the industry. Additionally, Horak mentioned that having a sponsor, hers being Sandi Luck, Founder of Bully Brew Coffee, Owner and CEO of nine companies, especially someone who understands the dynamics of the industry is essential when facing challenges and overcoming obstacles.
Overall, the Panel Discussion was focused on how to seek advice, overcome challenges, and stand out to future employers. These topics were shared among students, faculty, staff, and friends of the Nistler College.
