NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Speak Up Women (www.SpeakUpWomen.com), a one-of-a-kind conference designed to support women with understanding the importance and impact of speaking up in their personal, professional and philanthropic lives, today announced that Jillian Manus, a managing partner of Structure VC (http://structure.vc), a Silicon Valley early-stage venture capital firm, is its luncheon keynoter.
“Jillian is an impact-oriented business woman and philanthropist who has dedicated her life to not only speaking up for herself and others, but also helping other women identify their own personal currency and how to use their voice to reach their potential,” says Jennifer S. Wilkov, the founder of Speak Up Women. “She is emblematic of what the conference stands for, and her own personal story shows how the power of speaking up can change lives. I am so pleased and excited that she is participating.”
When in her twenties, Manus was the victim of domestic abuse by her then-fiancé. “He beat me to a pulp,” she noted in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News. After recovering, she became an advocate for domestic abuse survivors. Manus has built domestic violence shelters, family shelters, and women’s clinics all throughout the world. She speaks at women’s shelters; and has been an active fundraiser for women’s causes. Manus created the Manus Family Foundation whose mission is "to create paths of safety and self-sufficiency for women and children.” She served seven years as chair of The Woman's Conference, where she joined Maria Shriver to create the largest women's conference in the world - 15,700 women.
Professionally, Manus is the founder of three companies, Global Goal Sports Management, Manus Media & Literary Agency and Broad Strategy, a brand acceleration and investment company. As a managing partner at Structure Capital, she has built a portfolio of underutilized assets and excess capacity. Structure was one of the first investors in Uber, which represents one of the very best models of the sharing economy. Her mission is to build companies that do more with what we have as well as to create work forces through skills marketplaces. Although Structure Capital is not a designated impact fund, Manus has made a point of funding a multitude of female founders. She makes a point of noting that her fund is “not gender based, but merit-based.” She provides female founders with an equal opportunity to present and progress.
“I often tell women that they need to know who they are before they know what to say,” says Manus. “It is never a matter of ‘Leaning In,’ as I believe we are born in this posture. In fact, it’s a matter of ‘Turning Inward’ before speaking out.”
She continues. “Unfortunately, many women see themselves through a man's eyes undermining their ability to create a sense of self. Without that knowledge, our lives are fraught with uncertainty. If we doubt ourselves, we doubt our thoughts, our words. Find yourself…find your confidence…and you will find your most powerful voice.”
Speak Up Women will be held on Saturday, March 5th at the United Nations (46th and First Avenue). Register at https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=147502&.
Group tickets can be purchased at event_office@glowmediaNY.com. Registration fees cover breakfast, lunch, a networking after-party, as well as panels and breakout sessions featuring over 20 speakers.
Seating is limited. Registration closes on Thursday, March 3rd.
About Speak Up Women
Founded by Jennifer S. Wilkov, Speak Up Women is a grassroots collaboration between attendees and a roster of thoughtfully selected presenters, vendors, sponsors, and partners. Speak Up Women is an event production of Speak Up World, LLC. To learn more, visit www.SpeakUpWomen.com. For more information about Wilkov, visit www.JenniferSWilkov.com.