Women’s Leadership Summit Features an Afternoon of Inspiring, Informative Talks

More than 200 Silicon Valley and Bay Area leaders were treated to an exhilarating afternoon of informative, insightful and inspiring conversations Tuesday (Oct. 28) at the Bay Area Council’s 2025 Women’s Leadership Summit presented by Kaiser Permanente. Thank you to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for his opening remarks reflecting on the city’s leadership in championing a culture of inclusion that enables women and others to succeed, and how inclusionary practices are a major driver of innovation that defines our region and Silicon Valley.

Held in the shining Janet Gray Hayes Rotunda—named for the first woman mayor of a major U.S. city—at San Jose City Hall, the summit featured conversations with leaders like PG&E CEO Patti Poppe, who gave a dynamic presentation on the utility’s progress in advancing clean energy infrastructure, making its system safer through undergrounding of key high-voltage transmission lines and meeting the growing demand of industries like AI and data centers that can also bring down costs for all consumers.

Anne Bakar, CEO of Telecare Health, one of the nation’s largest behavioral health providers, talked about her journey in taking over the company from her father and the importance of prioritizing mental health both individually and societally. The audience also heard from Carrie Owen Plietz, President of the Northern California Region for Kaiser Permanente, on the leadership values she prioritizes and how women can support and lift each other up in their careers. We also featured panel discussions on women leading in technology and another on public policy that included Assemblymember Buffy Wicks.

San Jose State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson was our closing keynote speaker and talked with Annie Freyman, Vice President of Corporate Strategy for PayPal, about the university’s leadership in AI education, creating opportunities for women and her leadership style. More than 20 young women leaders from SJSU attended as our guest.

Thank you to our Summit Committee Co-Chairs Kristina Lawson, Hanson Bridgett Managing Partner and Bay Area Council Chair, Mary Huss, former President and Publisher of the San Francisco Business Times, and Janet Lamkin, former top executive at United and former Council Chair. Thank you again to Kaiser Permanente and all of our generous sponsors.

Videos from the 2025 Women’s Leadership Summit have been published on our YouTube channel.