Featured Sessions and Speakers
Keynote Address
Building Capital: Creating Social, Financial, and Political Assets for a Livable World with Sarabeth B. Brockley ’10
Sarabeth B. Brockley ’10 is a leading voice in carbon markets and venture strategy, with deep expertise in sustainability-driven investment and corporate engagement. In her roles at Nasdaq and the United Nations, she spearheaded efforts to embed sustainability into capital markets, advancing transparency and accountability across the globe. Her career is marked by significant contributions to climate-smart investment strategies and the development of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.
Currently, Brockley leverages her investment acumen as a board director and advisor to Gigablue, Sinkco Labs, and Biome, where she accelerates climate-focused ventures through strategic funding and blended finance approaches. As a private capital allocator, she syndicates with Investors for Climate, where her leadership has helped scale groundbreaking sustainability startups, driving measurable impact in the carbon and built environment. She is also an active advisor with Women Moving Markets and Women and Climate, global communities accelerating climate investments.
A sought-after speaker, Brockley regularly addresses global forums on carbon markets, ESG reporting, and carbon removal technologies. Her compelling thought leadership shapes critical industry conversations, influencing climate finance and policy development. She is a RPCV (Peru 2011-2013) and holds an MA in Climate Policy from Lehigh University and a BS in Environmental Science from Moravian University.
Breakout Sessions and Presenters
Tell Me Why Not with Rebecca Decker Francis ’90
Rebecca Decker Francis ’90, leader of the nationally-ranked Rebecca Francis Team, will explore the impact of shifting perspective from ‘why?’ to ‘why not?’ This simple, yet transformative, change in mindset has shaped her decision-making, encouraged calculated risk-taking, and created new professional opportunities. Attendees will learn how this mindset can be applied to personal and professional growth, and participants will leave with practical strategies for adopting this approach to navigate challenges and serendipitously unlock potential pathways by simply asking, “why not?”
Francis leads the nationally ranked Rebecca Francis Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox & Roach REALTORS®, specializing in the Lehigh Valley luxury real estate market. Born and raised in Saucon Valley, she is an alumna of Moravian University and later earned her MBA from the Herbert Business School at the University of Miami. In 1996, Francis built a thriving advertising and marketing strategy business where she served as the owner and president for nine years before selling her business to relocate abroad. While residing in London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, she built global connections before obtaining her real estate license in 2015. Francis knows firsthand that taking chances and efficiently managing change can yield impactful results.
Francis's accolades include the top residential real estate agent award from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Leader in Residential Real Estate award from Lehigh Valley Business, and top residential realtor in the 2023 Reader Rankings. She participated in Lehigh Valley Style’s “Face of Luxury Real Estate” in 2020 and 2022. In addition, she was named one of America's Best Real Estate Professionals by RealTrends in 2022 and a 2023 Woman of Influence by Lehigh Valley Business. The Rebecca Francis Team is a member of the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate (LRE) network, a global network of over 130,000 hand-selected professionals.
Your DiSC Style & Achieving More Calm with Deborah Fosburg Tomkins ’86
Many of us yearn for calm—a peacefulness in both the workplace and at home. Some things are beyond our control, but learning more about your own natural tendencies can help you recognize which traits are sabotaging your efforts to achieve work-life balance and can motivate you to implement strategies to create margin. The Everything DiSC® suite of tools can help you take steps towards achieving work-life balance by improving both self-awareness and increasing your understanding of those you interact with every day. Though designed for the place of employment, the model can also offer insights into how those in your personal life view situations. Join independent Everything DiSC Authorized Partner Deborah Fosburg Tomkins ’86 for an introduction to Wiley’s Everything DiSC model. Participants will get an idea of what their own DiSC style is and learn how the tool’s personalized insights inspire behavior change.
Starting her professional journey as a teacher, Tomkins paused her career for several years to raise her children before returning to work part-time. In 2018, she took over Possibilities and Solutions, LLC, a business she inherited from her mentor, pivoting its focus to support executive coaches. As an authorized partner of Wiley's Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team and Everything DiSC, as well as a Certified Practitioner in DiSC, Tomkins helps leaders and teams enhance collaboration and performance. She especially enjoys teaching others how to administer and utilize DiSC products to improve communication within an organization.
Beyond her professional life, Tomkins has put her teaching degree to work through decades of church volunteerism, serving as the Director of Christian Education, a Sunday School teacher, and a volunteer youth group leader for over 20 years. Married in 1986, shortly after graduating from Moravian, Tomkins lives in Lake Arrowhead, Denville, NJ, with her husband, Greg, and their dog, Brody. She cherishes family time with her adult children and grandchild and finds joy and tranquility by the water—especially the Jersey Shore.
Grate Connections: Cultivating a Cheddar Network for Success with Abigail G. Hudock ’19
Networking isn’t just about making connections; it’s about leveraging those connections to create opportunities, inspire growth, and achieve professional goals. Abigail Hudock ’19 will share her journey from college to founding a thriving business.
Hudock is a proud Moravian University alumna and the founder of The Aging Moon, a Lehigh Valley-based business specializing in artisanal cheese boards and grazing tables. Drawing on her expertise as a Certified Sommelier and Cheese Monger, Hudock creates curated culinary experiences that bring people together.
Hudock's entrepreneurial journey is rooted in a passion for digital marketing, skills she honed while earning her bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy & Economics with minors in Management and Communications from Moravian. Hudock is thrilled to return to her alma mater to share insights from building a successful small business and inspire others to follow their dreams.
Fuel Her Fire: Wellness and Nutrition Unlocked with Susan Hurd, RDN LDN
Women’s health has gained significant attention in recent years, but what about women’s nutrition? Join us for an engaging session where we’ll explore the latest research on nutrition tailored specifically for women. Discover the evolving nutritional needs throughout a woman’s lifespan and learn practical ways to improve overall nutritional well-being at every stage of life.
With over 30 years of experience as a Registered Dietitian in college and university food service for Sodexo, Susan Hurd, RDN LDN brings a wealth of knowledge to this discussion. At Moravian, she collaborates with the Office of Disability and Accommodations to provide dining support for students with medical needs. She also works closely with campus departments such as health services, counseling, athletics, and human resources to offer nutrition wellness education.
Hurd's passion lies in supporting students with food allergies and Celiac disease. She conducts food allergy training and holds certifications in the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe™ Allergens program and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics food allergy program. As a MenuTrinfo® AllerTrain™ certified trainer, Susan teaches AllerTrainU™ to food service teams and has been recognized as a past Master Trainer of the Month.
In her role, Hurd leads the Sodexo University Dietitian food allergy team in developing operational and training standards for food allergen safety. She also worked tirelessly with Moravian Dining to achieve the prestigious Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) FARECheck Gold award—the first of its kind for a college or university in the nation.