Glennon Doyle, activist and bestselling author of Untamed and other works, is coming to the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Davis, headlining a public symposium on women, philanthropy and leadership, 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16. Tickets are on sale now.

In addition to a one-on-one conversation with Doyle, the event sponsored by UC Davis Women & Philanthropy will feature a panel discussion with three notable UC Davis alumnae: Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, chief justice of the California Supreme Court; Diane Bryant, information technology executive; and Adriana Gascoigne, founder of Girls in Tech.

Women & Philanthropy, which aims to ignite connections, nurture curiosity and generate contribution for good, will announce the winner of the organization’s inaugural Women & Philanthropy Impact Award.  The award, honoring a UC Davis faculty or staff member for contributions to the advancement of women, exemplary leadership, and significant impact on local and global university communities, comes with a $25,000 prize to be directed to the UC Davis fund of the winner’s choice. 

Doyle’s impact

Doyle, who strives to support and empower women to be themselves, has written two No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, Untamed and Love Warrior; hosts the We Can Do Hard Things podcast; and is the founder and president of Together Rising, an all-woman-led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy — raising more than $40 million for women, families and children in crisis. The UC Davis School of Law is one of Together Rising’s beneficiaries.

Her other works include New York Times bestseller Carry On, Warrior and Get Untamed: The Journal. She shares personal stories illustrating the transformative power of women working together to make an impact.

Wisdom of Women panel

The alumni panelists are:

• Diane Bryant ’85, a global technology leader in the semiconductor industry, cloud computing services, artificial intelligence applications, and technology-based health care solutions. She is the chair and CEO of NovaSignal and was named one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2015. She serves on the Chancellor’s Board of Advisors and the College of Engineering’s Dean’s Executive Committee.
• Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye ’80, J.D. ’84, chief justice of the California Supreme Court for 11 years, one of the country’s leading advocates for equal access to justice, civic education, and reform of court-funding models and procedures. The state’s 28th chief justice, she is the first person of color and the second woman to hold the position. She has announced she will retire at the end of her term, in January.  
• Adriana Gascoigne ’00, the founder and CEO of Girls in Tech, or GIT, a nonprofit organization that empowers, educates and engages women in the tech industry. She is also an author and a board member of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program. CNET named her one of the 20 most influential Latinos in technology in 2018.

Event moderator Pamela Wu is the director of Public Affairs and Marketing for UC Davis Health. Her career spans the fields of broadcast journalism, public relations and communications training. In 2021, she received an Emmy award in the category of health/medical long-form content. She continues her work in broadcasting as a substitute host for Capital Public Radio, Sacramento’s NPR station.

Women & Philanthropy

The Doyle program is part of Women & Philanthropy’s Wisdom of Women series. The Women & Philanthropy initiative is changing the landscape of philanthropy by celebrating and recognizing women’s generosity and their role in improving communities and the world.

“We are building a community of women who want to contribute their time, talent, experience and financial gifts to help create a better world,” said Margaret Lapiz ’89, a founding member of the Women & Philanthropy Advisory Council and a member of the UC Davis Foundation Board. “Women & Philanthropy has the potential to be the most visible demonstration of how to grow an inclusive culture of philanthropy throughout UC Davis.”

Lapiz added that she is especially looking forward to honoring the winner of the Women & Philanthropy Impact Award.

“I see the impact award as a source of inspiration for us all,” she said. “With it, we’ll pave the way for future leaders and honor how others have paved the way for all of us.”

Ashley Han is a communications specialist in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.