The S.H.E. Summit graced the 92nd Street Y again this year on Oct. 18 and 19, bringing a host of guest speakers for corporate change makers and influencers alike.

Some names you may recognize from the summit include Sarah Michelle Gellar, Wade Davis, Victoria Arlen, Chiney Ogwumike and many more.

Previous S.H.E. Summits have also drawn celebrity speakers, ranging from Kelly Clarkson and Nigel Barker to Matt McGorry and Sophia Bush.

Now in its seventh year, the annual summit is the flagship event for S.H.E. GLOBL and is intended to encourage and inspire gender equality in the workplace and throughout culture. This is best done through fostering connections and education for change, according to the event website. The company, started by Claudia Chan in 2012, also attempts to synthesize and drive social change and equality within the workplace and current society.

In the audience you will spot corporations such as Adidas, Audi and many others, sending their employees to the event. This year the summit was also broadcast online.

“S.H.E. Globl Media works with corporations seeking a strategic advantage to reach their potential by developing and engaging a diverse and inclusive workforce,” according to the company’s website.

This year the summit had a wide range of panels. One featured former NFL player and public speaker Davis, Chan, actress and entrepreneur Gellar and designer Rachel Roy discussing how to innovate and partner with others to achieve gender equality. Attendees were also able to tune in to “Breaking Barriers in Sports” with editor-in-chief of both ESPN, The Magazine and espnW Alison Overholt, radio host and ESPN television commentator Mina Kimes, WNBA player and co-host of SportsCenter ESPN Africa Chiney Ogwumike and Paralympic gold medalist and ESPN host and reporter, Victoria Arlen.

The panels focused on closing the equality gap in different work environments across the board. Speakers like Ogwumike have experience dealing with the gender gap in certain fields, as she operates as a broadcast basketball analyst.

“To me it’s because we don’t have as many people blazing a trail and understanding that being a woman in the sports world is okay and it’s normal and, actually, we might have more to contribute because we understand it’s not a level playing field,” Ogwumike said about being active in the sports broadcasting world. “[It’s about people] forcing people to recognize that ‘hey, women are actually valuable covering this sport because they will address the game in a unique, prepared and promising way.’”

Her advice to women trying to break into a male-dominated field? Don’t be afraid to be aggressive.

“Don’t be afraid to knock doors down,” Ogwumike said. “Don’t be afraid to be mean because being mean isn’t being mean, it’s being determined. A lot of people will say, ‘oh you’re a woman, why are you being so aggressive, why do you want this?,’ it’s because I claim it, I deserve it, I understand the game at a level that is different because I understand that it’s not a level playing field.”

A returning speaker from the 2017 Summit, CEO of A Call To Men and activist Tony Porter, took the stage to discuss the role men play in the era of the #MeToo movement, and how they can help move the world closer to equality.

When asked his opinion of how men at the college level can become more involved in the equality movement, he focused on the importance of activism.

“I would encourage young men who are involved, first of all to engage other young men,” Porter said. “Not to leave the burden on women. The women engage you, right, as a young man and you got it. Now you have a responsibility to reach in and grab other men and bring them along.”

The summit was full of anecdotes and experiences that were shared with the intention to better the world and inspire others to be more active and concerned with the world around them. This includes the workplace and society, and it even extends to college students, who will soon be entering the workforce themselves.

When asked about how students can be courageous in the face of all the changes occurring in our society and individual lives, Arlen had some advice to give.

“Follow you heart and follow what makes you smile, what makes you happy,” Arlen said. “I think it’s scary to do that sometimes because the path isn’t necessarily clear but to know that you need to follow what makes you want to get up every morning and jump out of bed and put your shoes on and go.”

Be sure to keep an ear out for the next S.H.E. Summit next fall. Check out the S.H.E. GLOBL website to find out how you can become a change agent for equality and social progress.