The “Women in Retirement” podcast is powered by the American Retirement Association (ARA), which champions women’s initiatives. Through its ARA Council for Women, ARA is a comprehensive resource for women working in the retirement plan industry.
These 60-to-90-minute podcasts have a unique vibe and feature industry presentations and attendee interaction.
Each Third Thursday’s experience focuses on one of the four core topic areas: leadership, marketing, practice management, or personal growth.
Building Something of Your Own: Insights from Women Leaders in Retirement
Starting and growing a business is both exciting and challenging—and there’s no substitute for learning from women who have navigated that journey firsthand. From navigating uncertainty and overcoming self-doubt to establishing governance structures, finding a niche, attracting clients, and managing growth, our panelists will offer candid insights into the realities of entrepreneurship. Whether you're considering starting your own business, recently launched a firm, or looking to grow an exis...
29 May 2026
Execution to Strategy: Redefining Work in the Age of AI
2 Dec 2025
Care Costs, Career Costs: The Hidden Price Women Pay As Caregivers
Decisions made throughout your lifetime can have a big impact on your future financial security. Women especially face unique challenges that put them at greater financial risk, including longevity, lower lifetime earnings, out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and unpaid caregiving. From navigating savings options to managing debt, caregiving responsibilities, and long-term care, this session will highlight common retirement planning “pitfalls” and specific actions you can take at every stage of y...
28 Aug 2025
The Gang's All Here
Think you know the ARA sisters? Join us for an interactive panel discussion featuring representatives from the five powerhouse organizations under the ARA umbrella—ASPPA, ASEA, NAPA, NTSA, and PSCA. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow within the retirement industry, this engaging session will spotlight what each group does, how they collaborate, who they serve, and how you can get involved. Explore career-advancing certifications, volunteer opportunities, and real-world insigh...
24 Feb 2025
Unlocking the Potential of Women-Led Mentorship
Get Involved: Thrive Mentoring Program Get Involved: NOW Mentoring Program Looking to take your career to the next level while building connections that matter? Join us for a dynamic virtual event on the importance of mentoring in shaping successful careers for women in the retirement industry. A panel of three accomplished women professionals will share their personal experiences with mentoring—both as mentors and mentees. They’ll discuss how mentoring has influenced their career trajec...
25 Nov 2024
Crush it on LinkedIn: Attract More Prospects & Win More Business
LinkedIn expert Lindsay McMillian-Steeman shares revolutionary strategies to elevate LinkedIn presence, attract prospects, and win more business for women in the retirement industry.
25 Sept 2024
Not Just a Pretty Face
Sponsored by: Commonwealth Financial NetworkIn this episode of Women in Retirement: Third Thursdays, the vital role of how branding plays in both personal and corporate success. Featuring insights from Jennifer Lawrence, Director of Retirement Operations at Element Financial, Kelli Beckstrom, Brand Manager at Legacy Planning, Valerie McClendon, Financial Advisor with Boston Wealth Strategies, and the dynamic team from Commonwealth Financial Network—Angela Streba, Patricia Marcel, and host Kar...
9 Jul 2024
Retirement Reality Check: Gender & Wellbeing
When it comes to saving for retirement, women face a different set of challenges. In this fireside chat with Carrie Schroen, BlackRock’s Head of the US DC Intermediary Business, and KC Boas, BlackRock’s Head of Retirement Marketing and Thought Leadership, we unpack the retirement gender wealth gap. Part- retirement content, part- career development convo, we’ll cover a range of topics in this Third Thursday session.
Speaker Bios
Carrie Schroen
Head of the US DC Intermediary Business
BlackRock
Carrie Schroen, Managing Director, is the Head of the US DC Intermediary Business within BlackRock’s Retirement Group. Carrie and her team develop and execute strategy to accelerate the defined contribution client business in partnership with plan advisors, recordkeepers, and insurance platforms in the US and Canada
Previously, Carrie was the National Sales Manager of the Independent Broker Dealer business at BlackRock and led the Southern Region across the broader USWA Segmented Sales client teams.
Carrie was integral in the founding of our BlackRock Model Portfolios for Women, our innovative model portfolios built on the core factors that may alter long-term portfolio construction for women investors. She is passionate about financial literacy and closing investment access and educational gaps.
Carrie received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, where she was a Captain of the Varsity Swim Team. She received her MBA from the University of Phoenix and participated in the InvestmentNews Women to Watch Think Tank.
KC Boas
Head of Retirement Marketing and Thought Leadership
BlackRock
KC Boas is Head of Retirement Marketing for BlackRock. In this role, she oversees thought leadership, content strategy, and execution to differentiate BlackRock within the industry and amplify our brand. Within BlackRock, KC serves on the Financial Inclusion Network’s Leadership Team. Outside the firm, she serves on the Advisory Board for the American Savings Education Council.
28 Mar 2024
The Evolving Workscape
With the aging population growing so rapidly and birth rates declining, many industries could be up against labor shortages. As many employers face a coming wave of baby-boomer retirements, the resulting gaps in unique skills, experience, and institutional knowledge may be difficult to fill. Keeping mature workers engaged may help ensure that your company retains the employee knowledge necessary to compete.
Going forward, successful workplaces will not only leverage the skills and institutional knowledge of mature workers, but also appeal to those whose talent they are looking to replace. And if younger workers are going to fill the shoes of those who will be transitioning out of the workforce, they’re going to rely on older generations to pass on their knowledge and expertise.
17 Nov 2023
Sometimes You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up
PenChecks COO Alexandra Gerritsen has been a hard charger her entire career, delivering exceptional performance for her employers. Her journey was full of eye-opening “Oh S@%$” moments that impacted her growth as a manager and leader. What started out as a metrics and performance-driven mindset evolved into one that builds relationships and team alignment to deliver outstanding business results.
Sometimes hard-driving leaders may move fast to get results, but in the process, they can alienate the team and build resentment. She learned that if you take a step back and slow down just a little, you can still get the desired results without sacrificing speed.
Ali will share her journey and highlight moments that provided key inflection points in her career so you can understand how they helped her become a better and more effective leader. There are a variety of approaches to growing your organization, driving change, and delivering results, many of which can yield success. But there is one approach that will deliver results while building a positive culture and greater engagement–even during difficult times.
Sponsored by PenChecks (https://penchecks.com/).
27 Sept 2023
The Naked Professional
In personal branding, we’re encouraged to be authentic and diverse but then criticized when we open up, making us wonder—what does the world really want from us? How can we express ourselves in a way that we’re comfortable with, that’s “real and true,” but not scare away our target audience? In what ways can we be vulnerable and strong? If creating content is tricky or has ever felt plastic, join this exploration on connecting all the parts of yourself in one cohesive message.
Speaker Bio: Faith Teope, CEO, Leverage Retirement, Inc.
Faith Teope is a multimedia journalist, children’s financial literacy author, and CEO of Leverage Retirement, a 40+ year-old TPA/RK firm. She is known for being the host of the weekly podcast, Pull to Refresh: Where 401k experts get curious. Teope is the editor of The Naked Professional LinkedIn Newsletter and a contributor to Safe in Harm’s Way as a financial abuse advocate.
Her new show, SAVVY, explores the systemic gaps in financial literacy and is scheduled to air in the fall of 2023. Teope’s debut title, The Monster Job, hits bookshelves in April 2024.
21 Sept 2023
Big Plan, Little Plan. Does Plan Size Matter?
Big Plan, Little Plan. What do they have in common, and what are their unique differences? What are the needs and resources of the plan sponsors of each? While it might be counterintuitive, even a “Mega Plan sponsor” who may seem like they command superior resources finds that they need the expertise of their service partners even more!
This lively discussion with two Plan Sponsors representing a Large Plan and a Small Plan as we learn what unites us and how we can be of greater value in our partnership.
Speakers:
Malika Terry, Head of Total Rewards, Invitae
Lisa Boss, Consulting Director, The HR Team
20 Sept 2023
SAFER Act: Retirement Savings Saving Lives
We discuss the Safer Act, which became a provision in SECURE 2.0 allowing penalty-free withdrawal from retirement plans for victims of domestic abuse. Given the breadth and scope of domestic violence, this educational session offers background information on the Safer Act and its importance. We look towards 2024 when the provision will go into effect so you can prepare yourself and your plans.
Download the PowerPoint presentation (https://www.napa-net.org/sites/napa-net.org/files/2023-WiR-ThirdThursday-August-SlideDeck.pdf) to follow along.
Speakers:
Sally Schaeffer, Principal Consultant, Uncorked Advocates
Catherine Beane, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Advocacy, YWCA USA
Caroline Frauman, Tax Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives
Sarah Gonzalez, Associate Director, Workplace & Economic Justice, Futures Without Violence
15 Jun 2023
Leading the Charge
How Advocacy and Leadership can Increase Women’s Participation in the Financial Industry with Rock the Street Wallstreet
Join Third Thursdays with Women in Retirement in a fireside conversation with Ashley Leftwich, Chief Operating Officer of Rock the Street, Wall Street.
Rock The Street, Wall Street is a financial and investment literacy program designed to bring both gender and racial equity to the financial markets and spark the interest of high school girls into careers of finance.
Key takeaways:
The importance of in increasing Women’s representation and equity within the financial industry.
Insights into building more equitable workplaces by exploring the challenges girls face and discussing the role of mentorship in driving change.
Learn from RTSWS, how women with the tools and skills needed to lead and advocate for themselves and others, can work towards creating a more diverse financial industry.
26 Apr 2023
Embracing Equity and Thriving
In celebration of March’s International Women’s Day and the theme of #EmbraceEquity, help us “give equity an embrace” and join us to learn how ARA is encouraging women to Thrive in financial fields through education, mentoring, and professional development!
Women continue to be underrepresented in financial services roles, above entry level, with women of color fairing even worse. Join us to learn what opportunities the ARA has available to embrace equity, support women working in the retirement industry, and to help close the retirement gap for underrepresented groups.
Hosted by: Third Thursday Committee Member Barbara Giesing, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPSP™
Owner/COO BAG HR Consulting
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