WORCESTER—Young professionals from across Massachusetts and beyond will converge on The White Room in the Canal District on Friday, June 20, for the second annual Career & Leadership Conference (CLC)—a one-day event packed with “real talk, actionable tools, and long-lasting community,” according to organizer Amy Mosher Berry, who told the Worcester Guardian the conference is growing into a must-attend event for early-career professionals.
Hosted by Berry’s company, Visions Internships, the conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is geared toward people aged 18 to 29—though organizers say the age range is more “29-ish” than firm. The day is designed to help attendees navigate uncertainty, sharpen leadership skills, and build meaningful professional lives.
“This Career & Leadership Conference could become the annual destination for purpose-driven young professionals,” Berry said, crediting CLC co-coordinator and colleague Susan DiClemente for helping her envision a larger, more ambitious version of the event after its successful debut last year. “We need to blow this thing up for next year!” DiClemente told her—so they did.
The 2025 conference lineup features two keynote addresses, a variety of skill-building workshops, and collaborative breakout sessions focused on timely topics such as AI, career pivots, and building resilience.
Morning keynote speaker Nancy Cantor kicks off the day with “Becoming Your Own Chief Dream Officer,” offering attendees a four-part framework for designing a life they love. In the afternoon, Glenn House Sr. of decisionMe Inc. delivers “Decide Smarter,” a talk built around a new decision-making support app.
Other highlights include a core values workshop led by DiClemente and a panel on effective networking moderated by Berry. That session, Berry said, is where some of the conference’s “real talk” philosophy comes to life.
“Instead of stressing about delivering your ‘perfect pitch’ or asking someone if they’re hiring… get a good night’s sleep and show up ready to ask questions that get people talking about themselves,” she said. “When they talk and you listen (authentically), you build rapport—trust and human connection—the real, and often overlooked, ingredient to effective networking.”
Breakout sessions—held four at a time—will be co-facilitated by industry experts and members of the planning committee, offering a peer-informed perspective on everything from leadership to mental health to project management. Berry emphasized that the session topics weren’t chosen in a vacuum.
“Something especially unique about the CLC is that it is co-created by and for young professionals,” she said. The 2025 planning committee included five young people chairing subcommittees in areas like programming, marketing, and outreach. “I really wanted them to feel it was a safe space to articulate how this conference could support them in their lives and careers.”
The day wraps up with a relaxed networking social upstairs at BirchTree Bread Co., where attendees can sip summer mocktails, enjoy appetizers, and connect with other purpose-driven professionals. While the core programming is aimed at younger attendees, the evening networking event is open to professionals of all ages.
Tickets are $95 through June 19 and include breakfast, lunch provided by Tacoborough, and access to the networking social. Need-based scholarships are available, and organizers encourage those who are employed to ask their workplace to cover the cost as part of their professional development budget.
More details, including registration and sponsorship opportunities, can be found at https://clc.visionsinternships.co.
Berry says her ultimate hope is that attendees leave with “clarity, confidence, and connections”—what she calls the “three Cs” essential to moving forward in life.
“I want them to know how important they are—as human beings before human doings,” she said. “Our world needs their best selves. I want them to feel proud about taking action in the direction of their goals and dreams and more equipped to lead purposeful lives no matter what comes their way.”
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
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