By: Julia Fain; Photos by Brooke Dennis and Justin Hackworth for Alt Summit
In June we opened our Summer Conference with four speakers. It wasn’t a panel. It was four stand-alone speakers. Four Internet powerhouses. Four women. Each one with a brilliant message.
And it turns out, that Opening Keynote was so good, that before it had even ended, the decision was already made: we would invite another four amazing women to open our Winter Conference as well.
Would you like to meet them? We are delighted and honored to introduce the Alt Winter 2016 Opening Keynote Speakers:
Sarah Michelle Gellar is an Emmy-winning actress, who is best known for her role as Buffy on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Gellar recently stepped into a new role as entrepreneur by launching Foodstirs along with her business partners, Galit Laibow and Gia Russo. Foodstirs is a culinary lifestyle brand that offers convenient, delicious, and healthier ways to bring families together in the kitchen. From creative cooking kits to premium signature baking mixes Foodstirs inspires creativity and curiosity, while emphasizing the importance of a healthier lifestyle.
Luvvie Ajayi is an award-winning writer, digital strategist, and speaker who thrives at the intersection of comedy, technology, and activism. A 12-year blogging veteran, she covers all things pop culture on her blog Awesomely Luvvie. Luvvie is also the Executive Director of The Red Pump Project, a national nonprofit that raises awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls, using red shoes as a symbol of empowerment. Her first book I’M JUDGING YOU is to be published in 2016 by Henry Holt and Company.
Jihan Zencirli has one goal: to delight the world! As the founder of Geronimo! Balloons she has found a way to be both the “queen of surprise” as well as secure her place as business influencer as she leads her world recognized, trend-setting creative design atelier. Her distinctive style has been featured in countless magazines, lifestyle and fashion catalogues, websites, international advertising campaigns, and commercials.
Mariam Naficy is Founder and CEO of Minted, a community of independent artists that produces stationery, art, and home décor. Mariam invented Minted’s unique, crowdsourced and curated marketplace model with the mission of building an e-commerce platform that continuously offers fresh goods across limitless categories. Minted enables independent artists around the world to design original work, then provides them with an operations platform that handles fulfillment and customer service.
Can you handle all that awesomeness? We seriously can not wait to hear these women speak at Alt Winter 2016! And keep getting excited, because there are more Keynote Announcements coming in upcoming newsletters.
Mark Your Calendar: Dinner Signups + Refunds
Two things to note. First, Alt would not be Alt without our Opening Night Dinners! On Wednesday night of Alt Winter, attendees gather in intimate groups at sponsor-hosted dinners all over Salt Lake City. We will be opening dinner sign-ups on this upcoming Monday, December 21st and they will be open through December 23rd. Which is just 3 short days!
We know next week is busy, and right smack dab in the middle of holiday festivities–some of you may even be off work. We are not trying to make it difficult, we promise! This is the earliest date we can make the sign-ups happen and we want to give sponsors as much time as possible to prepare for their guests (guests = you!). So please put Alt Dinner Signups on your calendar for this upcoming Monday, the 21st, then take a few minutes to check your email that day, and choose your Opening Night Dinner. It will be worth it, we promise!
Second, the deadline for refunds and cancellations is approaching. If you have a ticket and you find you are unable to attend Alt Winter 2016, please let us know by December 28, 2015 so we can honor your refund. For more information, please take a few minutes to read through the full refund policy.
