Past Cornerstone Conferences
Cornerstone Conferences are held each year in regions and markets critical to the future which provide access to leaders with insight on topics impacting international progress, business, economics, ecology, enterprise, and the sustainability of human endeavor. Women Leaders come together across national and international boundaries to share knowledge and ideas, to enrich each other’s lives, to provide a network of support, and to exert influence.
Helsinki, Finland
We discussed topics of critical concern to global leaders at the 2023 Cornerstone Conference, Thinking Differently, in Helsinki. Finland is consistently ranked in the top 5 best countries for women and has been ranked as the happiest nation on earth for 6 consecutive years. It’s a pacesetter in technology. It is a leader in design and sustainability and is a strategically important nation in the shifting geopolitical landscape of Europe. Experts shared their insights on these topics and more with over 550 members from around the globe.
Santiago, Chile
For the first time in two years, we convened to provide you with an opportunity to explore the most important issues to you as global decision-makers. Chile was a perfect venue for these renewed conversations. From deserts in the north to volcanoes in the south, it is a country celebrated for its exceptionally diverse and beautiful landscapes. However, Chile is about much more than natural beauty. It is about creativity, exploration, and transformation. Chile is pushing forward global conversations on how countries are governed, how the built environment becomes increasingly more sustainable, and how existing technology can be used to accelerate decarbonization.
Barcelona, Spain
In April, the 2019 Cornerstone Conference welcomed over 700 attendees to Barcelona, Spain. This year’s event programming addressed subjects with profound economic, social, and political implications. More than 50 expert speakers and moderators touched on topics including innovation in architecture, barriers for women in sports, sustainable fashion, the future of the European Union, and girls’ access to education.
Melbourne, Australia
The 2018 IWF Cornerstone Conference was a uniquely produced and professionally crafted idea exchange bringing together more than 600 women leaders from 30 nations to explore global issues in a local context through a women’s lens. In Melbourne, women leaders convened to discuss evolution and adaptation, the hallmarks of Australia. The conference delved into human origins, shifting geopolitics, frontiers in genetics, the evolution of work, and our changing oceans. IWF will spotlight Australian innovation, art, and diversity, and go behind the scenes to Melbourne’s most iconic institutions and celebrated sites.
Explore the IWF Flickr photo album below.
Stockholm, Sweden
The 2017 IWF Cornerstone Conference bought together more than 700 women leaders from 30 nations. IWF explored the massive shifts underway in migration and demographics; technology, artificial intelligence; privacy and sustainability; the rise of populism and nationalism; and, what can be done to create more sustainable societies, economies and environments in the face of dramatic change. IWF spotlighted the music and innovation of Sweden and went behind the scenes into Stockholm’s most iconic institutions and celebrated sites.
Explore the IWF Flickr photo album below.