The Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit kicks off in Santa Barbara

Monday, October 12, 2026

Emma Hinchliffe

Most Powerful Women Editor

Profile

Fortune MPW Editor Emma Hinchliffe in conversation with Land O’Lakes President and CEO Beth Ford at the 2025 Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit.

Melissa Flynn for Fortune

Good morning from Santa Barbara, Calif., where we are about to kick off the 2026 Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. When I got in yesterday afternoon, after a winding, ocean-side Uber ride up from L.A., the sun was shining. (I heard it was raining at home in NYC!) This is always one of my favorite weeks of the year—and I can already tell this year won’t disappoint.

I’ll be interviewing some fascinating leaders onstage, from Kalshi cofounder Luana Lopes Lara to recently retired WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike. You’ll be in fantastic hands here with my colleagues through the rest of the week, who will be bringing you highlights from the Summit in this newsletter.

Programming kicks off this afternoon, so it’s not too late to send your thoughts or requests. What are you dying to ask any of the speakers on this year’s roster? If you have a question for the CEOs of Lean In or Lumen; for Ruth Porat or Jane Fraser; or even for Emma Grede or Hailey Bieber, pass it along. We’ll get it into the right hands.

You can livestream our mainstage conversations starting this afternoon PT at Fortune.com. The stream will be especially jam-packed on Tuesday, or busiest day of programming. Check out the full agenda here and thanks for following along!

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com

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