Keynote Speaker: Lindsay Roberts

A Topeka native, Dr. Lindsay Roberts is a coach, speaker, and advocate for workplace voices. Lindsay's journey includes a Master's in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver and a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University. She is also a Certified Strengths Coach through Gallup, using her expertise to help individuals and teams leverage their unique talents for maximum impact. With over a decade of experience, Lindsay is on a mission to champion psychological safety in organizations. It all started with her doctoral research exploring this vital topic in nuclear energy hybrid teams, igniting a passion to turn theory into action. She strives to boost employee engagement, safety, and company success.

Lindsay’s professional experience ranges from training resilience for the U.S. Army to shaping talent at a Fortune 500 company. Throughout it all, Lindsay holds onto one truth: relationships matter most. Whether she's crafting leadership programs or sending a heartfelt note, Lindsay's focus remains on building connections that truly count.

Lindsay Roberts

Afternoon Speaker: Rosie Sears

In the vibrant landscape of 1970s-1990s college and high school sports, Rosie Sears was a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for women's rights in sport. At a time when the sports industry predominantly reflected a male-centric narrative, Rosie charted her own path, spearheading initiatives that would redefine the role of women in sports. Rosie loved playing and teaching, but her passion was in coaching. Fresh out of college, she started the girls’ sports program at Jordan HS (Minnesota) and coached multiple sports for no salary in the first two years. She later negotiated equal pay for girls’ sports coaching, which started a wave of salary increases for girls’ sports coaches across the state at the HS level. Rosie went on to coach softball and volleyball at the U of Wisconsin-River Falls, Mankato State, Texas Wesleyan (also Athletic Director), and Eastern New Mexico U (also Athletic Director). During this time, she took multiple teams to national championship tournaments and was inducted in the St. Cloud State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. She culminated her journey in collegiate sports as the Director of Education Outreach at the NCAA headquarters.

Rosie came out of retirement to be the Wellness Hub Coordinator for the Derby Recreation Commission in January of 2023. During her time in this position, Rosie created the ExecuKIDS Entrepreneurial Academy, the container gardening program, and the Third Saturday’s Farmer Market working with a local farmer. She also worked with Wichita Transit to add Saturday and midday routes to the Oaklawn community. And one of the greatest impacts Rosie has had in this position, is partnering with The Lord’s Diner to serve free meals to the Oaklawn Community five days a week. Since the inception of the program in February of 2024, over 10,000 meals have been served! Rosie is a loyal, hardworking and motivated individual who has a passion for women in sports, leadership and recreation.

Rosie Sears