The 2027 WIBE Leadership Summit
Cleared for Your Next Level of Leadership
June 23-25, 2027  ·  Washington, DC Area
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Registration goes live in early September. Get on the launch list to be first.
WIBE members celebrating together at a conference
WIBE members visit the Adobe Headquarters in San Jose, California.
Why Launch
Not another room full of strangers and stages

A curated leadership experience for business education. We learn from leaders in cybersecurity, defense, aviation, technology, and innovation. We go places most conferences never do. We build relationships that last.

You will not leave with a stack of business cards. You will leave with people you can call.

The real value

The sessions spark it. The conversations carry it.

Great speakers set the table. What stays with you is the question over lunch, the honest answer from a peer in your seat, the introduction that becomes a partnership.

WIBE members in conversation
WIBE peers connecting
Your peer circle

Leadership can feel isolating. Here it does not.

Deans meet deans. Associate and assistant deans meet leaders with the same load. Chairs talk with chairs. Room to ask what is working, what is not, and what you need next.

An immersive site visit
We go where conferences don't

See leadership in action

The DMV opens doors most events never reach. Step inside organizations shaping national security, aviation, and technology. Then come back and ask what it means for business education.

In-person site visits

Meet senior leaders where the work happens

We take small groups inside organizations most conferences only talk about. Here are a few of our past visits.

Site Visit · 2023Adobe Headquarters visit

Adobe Headquarters

San Jose, California

Inside one of the most creative companies in the world. How Adobe builds culture, design, and constant reinvention.

Site Visit · 2025Amazon Headquarters visit

Amazon Headquarters

Arlington, Virginia

At HQ2, we looked at how a company scales talent, technology, and decision making at enormous speed.

Site Visit · 2025MM LaFleur Headquarters visit

MM LaFleur Headquarters

Washington, DC

A conversation with the team behind a brand built for working women, on leadership, growth, and building something new.

Your flight plan

Three days built around participation, not rows of chairs

01

Peer circles

Time with people who understand your exact role.

02

Curated introductions

Intentional matches based on your work and questions.

03

Site visits

Behind the doors of organizations shaping the future.

04

Interdisciplinary sessions

Ideas from cybersecurity, aviation, defense, and tech.

05

Honest conversations

The decisions that rarely reach a public stage.

06

Shared meals

Team dinners and themed tables that build real bonds.

Join the Launch List
Registration goes live in early September. Get on the launch list to hear first when we go live.
What attendees say

The room speaks for itself

“Thank you so much for including me in this amazing event. I am incredibly grateful for the experience, and I look forward to being part of this dynamic group moving forward.”
Terry Hinders
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Business Programs, Raymond A. Mason School of Business, William & Mary
“I liked that there was a small group at the conference. It was like staying at a snazzy, elegant, contemporary boutique hotel. The venue was lovely, and the food was wonderful.”
Dr. Lise Anne Slatten
Associate Dean for Administration and Quality, B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
“Being surrounded by higher education leaders all experiencing the turbulence of 2025 and higher education was inspiring.”
Mary Ann Scully
Dean, Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola University Maryland
“The personal reflections. Taking time to think about my decisions and values was extremely helpful. I will be sharing this conference with many of my colleagues. It was fantastic.”
Liz Cartier, Ph.D.
Dean, Katz School of Business, Fort Lewis College
Our themes

Focus areas that connect our world to what's next

Every WIBE Launch is shaped around a set of focus areas. We learn from the industries already living the questions now reaching business education.

Cybersecurity

How do leaders prepare for risks they cannot always see?

Aviation

How do teams build cultures of safety, trust, and constant learning?

Technology and AI

How are AI and automation changing work, talent, and leadership?

Defense and national security

What does leadership look like when the stakes are highest?

Talent and workforce innovation

What will employers need from the next generation of leaders?

Interdisciplinary exchange

What becomes possible when fields that rarely meet solve the same problem?

Join the Launch List
Registration goes live in early September. Get on the launch list to hear first when we go live.
Meet some of our former keynotes

Voices from outside our field

We pull thought leaders from industry to bring what is new in management and business education.

2025Gary Shapiro
Gary Shapiro
Executive Chair, Consumer Technology Association. Owner and producer of CES, Las Vegas.
2023Shar Shahfari
Shar Shahfari
AI Transformation and Digital EX Lead, Accenture
2023Cia Parker
Cia Parker
Director of Engineering and Operations, Verizon
2025Sarah LaFleur
Sarah LaFleur
Founder and CEO, MM LaFleur
Join the Launch List
Registration goes live in early September. Get on the launch list to hear first when we go live.
On the launchpad

The room you'll want to be in

WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
WIBE Launch moment
More voices from the room

What people carry home

“The thing I will remember most is how I felt throughout the conference and on the way home, that the work I do matters and that I matter. I didn't realize how much I needed this.”
Jackie Rees Ulmer
Former Dean, Ohio University College of Business
“The session with Margaret Andrews was incredible, and the topic was very timely. Had a blast. Thanks for curating this event, Lisa.”
Ruben Adorno
Academic Partnerships Manager, Bloomberg
“I came back renewed and ready to tackle the everyday challenges, with a strong support system that reassured me I do not need to be perfect to be accepted. I loved every single minute.”
Sylvia Robles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Practice, Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, UTRGV
“It was quite validating. It's been a tough year, and I had the chance to pause and reflect on that, and on the relationships I built. I've already used what Margaret talked about when guiding my own team.”
Ruchi Watson
CEO, Goff Strategic Leadership Institute, University of Utah
The questions we'll explore

Questions no institution can answer alone

  • What will define a great business school in the next decade?
  • What should we teach when intelligence is everywhere?
  • What can we learn from cybersecurity, aviation, and defense?
  • How do leaders decide well during constant change?
Meet the crew

For current and future business education leaders

Deans and interim deansAspiring and future deansAssociate and assistant deans Department chairsFaculty leadersInnovation and strategy leaders
Boarding

Registration opens early September

Get on the launch list now to be first in line and lock in the early rate. Space is limited to 70. WIBE membership is required to register.

Early registration
$699
Through May 24, 2027
Regular registration
$899
Beginning May 25, 2027

This year is limited to only 70 participants. We sell out every year and hit a waitlist, so join early to hold your place.

Mission Control

The leaders shaping WIBE Launch

This group designs the conference with intention and connection. They also serve as ambassadors, making sure the right introductions happen for our members.

Tommy Aicher
Incoming Dean
Northern Arizona University
Liz Cartier
Dean, Katz School of Business
Fort Lewis College
Rachel Clapp-Smith
Dean, Mike Cottrell College of Business
University of North Georgia
Aarti Ivanic
Dean, Barney School of Business
University of Hartford
Priya Kannan
Dean, Lucas College and Graduate School of Business
San Jose State University
Liesl Riddle
Dean, College of Professional Studies
George Washington University
Tamra Connor
Associate Dean for Accreditation and Operations
Illinois State University
Jaclyn Jensen
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Driehaus College of Business
DePaul University
Amy McMillan
Associate Dean for Research and Regional Transformation
East Carolina University
Laurie Miller
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lan Nygren
Associate Dean, Norm Brodsky College of Business
Rider University
Cheryl Oliver
Associate Dean, Professional Programs, Carson College of Business
Washington State University
Wafa Orman
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, College of Business
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Ekin Pellegrini
Associate Dean, Graduate Programs
University of Missouri, St. Louis
Isho Tama-Sweet
Associate Dean
University of Montana
Qiumei Jane Xu
Associate Dean, College of Business and Technology
Northeastern Illinois University
Mirjeta Beqiri
MBA Programs Director and Professor of Operations Management
Gonzaga University
Emily McMahon
Associate Vice President, Marketing
Eduvantis
Kelly Richmond Pope
Barry Jay Epstein Endowed Professor of Forensic Accounting
DePaul University
Launch partners

Partnership is by invitation

We invite a small number of organizations to sponsor WIBE Launch. We choose partners we believe add real value and thought leadership for our members. Every partner is also a corporate member of WIBE.

Frequently asked questions

Good questions, answered

When and where is WIBE Launch?

June 23-25, 2027 in the Washington, DC area. Venue and travel details announced soon.

What makes this different?

It is built around people and experiences, not only presentations. Peer circles, small group discussions, site visits, and leaders from other industries.

Will it be a large conference?

No. Space is limited to 70, so people recognize one another and the conversations go deeper.

Who is it for?

Current and future leaders in business education. The experience is built for WIBE leadership members.

Ready for liftoff?
Cleared for Your Next Level of Leadership
Registration goes live in early September.