Possibilities. UNLIMITED.
The Women UNLIMITED series is built on one defining belief: true leadership emerges when we are free to redefine possibility, unbound by limits.
In February 2026, join us for a landmark event that challenges leaders to expand their vision – personally, professionally and across society. Women UNLIMITED: Redefining Possibilities invites you to explore new ways of thinking about leadership in a world where boundaries are constantly shifting.
Featuring two global leadership icons, Kamala Harris, 49th Vice President of the United States and the Hon Julie Bishop, this event offers unparalleled insights from those who have shaped their careers through courageous optimism, resilience and a bold commitment to progress.
This is your opportunity to be inspired, to elevate your leadership and to help redefine what is possible.
2026 theme: Redefining possibilities
Watch out our summit video below
Our speakers in
Melbourne 2026
Kamala Harris
The Hon Julie Bishop
Leigh Sales AM
Annabel Crabb
The Hon. Jennifer Coate AO
Janet Whiting AM
Roshena Campbell
Hon Clare O’Neil MP
Melbourne Public Sector 2026
The Women UNLIMITED Summit provides two days of insights and strategies, plus two post-summit online seminars forming a three-month learning journey.
All times are shown in AEDT.
Welcome to Country
Welcome from The Hatchery & MC
With legacy in our bones and leadership in our hands
- Honouring those who paved the way by recognising the legacy of those before you and building on their strength
- Leading with purpose to inspire and empower others
- Creating a legacy that opens doors for future generations
Behind the leader: Personal narratives & insights into leadership
- Sharing pivotal personal experiences that challenged and shaped their leadership identity as women
- Reflecting on defining moments of resilience, breakthrough, or transformation that influenced their rise to leadership
- Uncovering the unseen emotional and cultural layers behind their leadership journey that often go untold
Aspirational leader
This engaging, reflective exercise invites each table member to nominate an aspirational leader, a woman whose leadership journey they deeply admire. Each person shares one standout quality that inspires them and explores how they can cultivate that trait in their own leadership pathway. Blending visioning, storytelling, and peer coaching, this activity sparks meaningful conversation, shared wisdom, and a reminder of the powerful role models that shape us.
Morning tea
In Conversation with Kamala Harris: Breaking barriers, redefining possibilities & leading in public service
Kamala D. Harris has dedicated her career to public service, from her roles as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California, to her time as a U.S. Senator, and ultimately as the Vice President of the United States. She has made history at almost every stage of her career, most notably becoming the first woman, first Black American, and first South Asian American Vice President. Born to immigrant parents, her journey embodies her mother’s sage advice: “Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last”.
In this exclusive interview moderated by Leigh Sales, discover her advice on how to fight for your values, build strong coalitions, and lead with impact to redefine possibilities for those who come after you.
Networking UNLIMITED
Join your fellow attendees for a networking experience curated by Women UNLIMITED. With a set of intriguing questions in hand, you’ll engage in casual conversations and discover new connections as you work your way through your Summit Bingo card. It’s a great way to break the ice and start building valuable connections from the very beginning.
Lunch
Power in place: Women leading the cities of tomorrow
- Redefining city leadership and how women leaders are influencing the priorities, policy and design of modern cities
- Navigating power and finding purpose in a leadership journey from the corporate sector to politics
- Examining the future of cities post-COVID and designing the cities of tomorrow
Perspectives on Leadership
Annabel Crabb is an award-winning ABC writer, broadcaster and political commentator with nearly 30 years covering Australian politics and society. Creator of Kitchen Cabinet and Ms Represented, and author of the bestseller The Wife Drought, Annabel brings unique insights into leadership, gender and power drawn from her deep experience observing Australia’s leaders up close.
Afternoon tea
Breaking the silence: Mental health, burnout & wellbeing in leadership
- Destigmatising mental health in high-performance environments
- How to foster a culture of care that prioritises psychological safety and open conversations around wellbeing
- Identifying early signs of burnout and encourage proactive steps to seek and offer support within teams
Ambition and clarity in leadership
- Embracing opportunities as catalysts for growth and reinvention
- Embedding ambitious scope for future relevance
- Encouraging innovation in thought and culture
Closing remarks
Networking & refreshments
Welcome from The Hatchery & MC
Building a strong legacy in spaces not built for us
- Owning your voice and authority in male-dominated space where women have been underestimated
- Turning resistance into resilience
- Redefining leadership by bringing empathy, inclusion and courage to the table
Ministerial Address
Unwritten rules of leadership: What no one tells you about rising to the top
- Navigating invisible expectations, building influence, trust, and credibility beyond formal titles
- Mastering the art of networks that quietly shape career opportunities
- Balancing authenticity with strategic self-presentation in male-dominated spaces
Morning tea
Leading with an intersectional lens
- Empowering employees to feel safe to show up as their whole selves
- Embracing the lived experience of people navigating leadership with intersecting identities
- Leveraging visibility, representation and lived experience to foster inclusion and support for neurodivergent employees
- Overcoming invisible cultural barriers and driving paradigm shifts
- Reclaiming your voice in a room where you feel like an outsider
Managing large operational teams and delivering the right things, in the best way
- Developing strategies to lead organisations that deliver on-ground works
- Building trust and inclusion across different work environments and locations
- How a focus on wellbeing and growth serves performance and long term success
Interactive Session: Leadership Legacy
This session will encourage delegates to think deep about their own leadership style. Delegates write their answers, then share with their table or a nearby partner. It’s a quiet but powerful way to reflect on leadership and purpose to see the collective wisdom around them.
Lunch
Rethinking gender equity through shared leadership at work & home
- Empowering male leaders and allies to take accountability for advancing gender equity in meaningful and sustained ways
- Challenging traditional gender roles and navigating shared parental leave, care, and domestic labour
- Creating workplace cultures that support men to take on care responsibilities without stigma
- How equitable leadership at home drives equity and success in the workplace
Take a Pause: The power of reflection in leadership
Reflection can be a game-changer. This pause at the close of the summit invites you to take time for yourself. This is a deliberate break to enable you to commit to your next steps and reflect on your intentions at the close of the event. We invite you to consider each question for a few minutes and then share with someone at your table why you chose those actions or intentions.
An Australian trailblazer for women
Join us for an inspiring keynote and Q&A with the Hon Julie Bishop — a trailblazer and role model for women leaders.
With a distinguished career spanning law, politics, and global diplomacy, Julie will share unique perspectives shaped by
her roles on the world stage.
Through candid reflections and lessons learnt from world leaders, she will explore the power of authentic leadership and the importance of building a strong personal brand. Her career insights offer practical lessons in influence, resilience, and leading
with purpose.
Afternoon tea
Defy, disrupt, and deviate: A new playbook for women in leadership
- Developing proactive strategies to outsmart the system and get ahead
- Silencing the noise with proven tactics for handling sexist behaviours
- Launching your own revolution and challenge the status quo by building a path to true gender equality
Leading with vision, purpose & values
- Strategies for advancing your career without compromising your values or personal identity
- Modelling balance and self-awareness to lead authentically and sustainably
- The importance of compassionate and ethical leadership in a rapidly changing environment
Closing remarks & close of the Summit
Communicating with influence: Igniting performance & engagement
Overview
In this highly informative and engaging seminar, you will develop greater awareness of how you can communicate with impact to build greater credibility and become a key person of influence in your organisation. Learn how to communicate a message that not only engages and inspires, but also one that mobilises and compels people to take action.
Attend & learn
- Establish yourself as a trusted and credible voice
- Accelerate change and buy-in with simple and practical communication strategies
- Capture and communicate your thoughts with greater confidence and clarity
- Extend your reach and influence within your organisation
- Mobilise people towards action both internally and externally
Emotional intelligence for leaders: Transforming teams & results
Overview
Previously referred to as a ‘soft skill’, emotional intelligence is now considered the critical skill you need once your experience and technical expertise have seen you promoted into leadership. In this engaging and insightful seminar, you will understand what makes emotional intelligence so critical to leadership success and how women at the forefront of emotionally intelligent behaviours can capitalise on this advantage.
Attend & learn
- Know how emotional intelligence underpins your ability to be a ‘Transformational Leader’
- Recognise combinations of EI competencies that support/derail leadership behaviours
- Discuss what the future of leadership looks like from an EI perspective
- Help you identify which EI competencies you need to excel
- Use a behavioural science technique to enhance personal emotional self-awareness
Why bring your team
Strengthen your team
Develop and retain talent
Enhance your visibility
Collectively learn and implement
Get discounted table bookings
Who should attend?
Download our Letter to Your Manager template to easily share the value of this event with your organisation and secure approval to participate.
The use of the term “women” across the event is inclusive of both cisgender and transgender women. We acknowledge the under-representation of non-binary people in leadership, which is also a result of gender inequality.
Melbourne 2026 | Pricing
Groups of 3-4 save 5%
Groups of 5-9 save 10%
Groups of 10-19 save 15%
Groups of 20-29 save 25%
Groups of 30-49 save 30%
Groups of 50+POA
These prices apply to federal & state government & agencies, universities & tertiary education, hospitals & health care
Save $1000 on the 'Standard Summit Experience' for non-government community service providers, local Councils & primary & secondary schools..
Call 1300 918 334 or email customercare@the-hatchery.co to book.
Hear from our community
FAQs
Do all the speakers present live in person?
All speakers at The Hatchery present live and in person unless specifically noted on the event program or circumstances prevent the speaker from appearing live.
Are there opportunities to network with other delegates?
The Hatchery provides a number of networking opportunities for all event attendees. Clearly printed name badges are provided to all attendees at registration. Attendees are encouraged to wear these for the entirety of the event to ease networking processes during all session breaks. Attendees are also encouraged to bring plenty of business cards.
Online attendees are encouraged to network and collaborate during break out sessions or via chat forum on the online platform.
How do I access the slides and resources?
Once the event has finished you will be given the opportunity to provide feedback which will provide access to the session resources which we have permission to share.
Are meals included in my registration?
The program will include morning tea, lunch & afternoon tea for all participants. Please refer to the agenda tab above for more details.
Do you cater for dietary requirements and other special needs?
Dietary requirements and special needs are to be communicated to event organisers minimum one week prior to the event commencing. Please identify yourself to The Hatchery staff upon arrival to ensure all your needs are met.
What if I cannot attend all sessions?
Some sessions are being recorded and will be made available after the event ends online (subject to speaker consent).
What happens if I am no longer able to attend?
All cancellations must be raised at least 2 weeks before the event. For cancellations received in writing more than 2 weeks before the event date, a credit voucher will be issued and valid for 12 months from the registration date to use for another The Hatchery event.
Cancellations must be made in writing to customercare@the-hatchery.co. The company regrets that no cancellations will be refunded. Course documentation will however be sent to the attendee.
A substitute attendee is always welcome at no extra charge, you must notify us in writing at least 48 hours in advance if you wish to send a substitute participant. Please email customercare@the-hatchery.co and quote your invoice number to arrange this. Delegates may not "share" a pass between multiple attendees without prior authorisation.
For an event cancelled by The Hatchery registration fees are fully refundable.
