The WCA Get Smart Conference
Austin’s Premier Conference for
Communications Professionals
Friday, October 16, 2026
This annual event brings members and peers together to learn trends and techniques in communications fields, marketing roles, media formats, and related professions. Join a community of people passionate about communications in a variety of industries and formats.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
KMFA Classical Radio Event Center
41 Navasota Street
Austin, Texas 78702
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
WHAT TO EXPECT
Networking — Speakers — Lunch — Collaboration — Door Prizes
Questions? Contact the WCA Get Smart VP of Special Programs. Investing in Get Smart as a sponsor is a great way to connect with a network of intelligent and forward-thinking professionals. If you’re interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact us!
REGISTRATION OPEN!
WCA Member Ticket Rates
Early-bird $70 / Late Registration: $90
Non-Member Ticket Rates
Early-bird $90 / Late Registration: $110
Student Ticket Rate
only $45
SPEAKER LINEUP & PROGRAM AGENDA
Here are some of our exciting plans! This page will be updated as more details shape!
TIME TO CONNECT
Morning Coffee & Networking
Doors open at 8:00 AM
Come early to check-in and network with fellow WCA members, peers and community leaders! Check-in table opens at 8:00AM with coffee and light breakfast snacks. Programming starts at 9:00AM.
CONFERENCE KICK OFF
Conference Welcome and Kick-off
9:00 AM Start
Remarks from WCA leaders to kick-start conference content.
CONFERENCE EMCEE
Jennifer Stayton, KUT
Jennifer Stayton was the host of NPR’s “Morning Edition” on KUT News 90.5 in Austin for over 22 years. She recently transitioned into another host role and is the producer and host for KUT’s “The Long View: Aging in Austin” project.
More About the Speaker
Jennifer Stayton was the host of NPR’s “Morning Edition” on KUT News 90.5 in Austin for over 22 years. She recently transitioned into another host role and is the producer and host for KUT’s “The Long View: Aging in Austin” project. Jennifer veered from her original professional path of Psychology to radio while an undergraduate at Williams College. She has a master’s degree in radio-television-film from Syracuse University. Jennifer was born and raised in Austin and lives here with her husband Charles and cats Tidbit and Durango.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Amanda Zamora, Founder, Agencia Media
A Third Way — Curiosity as a Path to Sustainable Leadership
9:15 AM
When we feel unseen, exhausted, or misaligned with what’s being asked of us, our instincts kick in: grind harder or shut down. This session offers a third option — getting curious enough to gather real data on how you’re spending your time and energy — and a live exercise to practice it, so you leave with a clearer read on what’s actually working and what needs to change.
More About the Speaker
Amanda Zamora is a writer, strategist and media consultant based in Austin, Texas, working at the intersection of storytelling, community and civic life. After two decades in newsrooms, she co-founded The 19th, then launched Agencia Media to help organizations better reflect the communities they serve. Off the clock: family history deep-dives and a Spotify top five to swear by (white noise radiance, Beyoncé, Shakey Graves, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves).
INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION
Right Message, Right Channel: Facilitated by Chidera Nwosu, Director of Software Engineering at VISA
9:45 AM
Chidera will lead the audience in a guided, interactive process that relates to communication skills, personas, and AI tools.
About the Speaker
Chidera is an accomplished leader including her positions at VISA and Walmart.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND INTERACTIVE CONTENT
Find the Friction: A Peer Audit for Your Sales & Digital Presence with Kelly Jorg, Co-Founder & Marketing Director of Nalo Seed
10:45 AM
In this hands-on session, entrepreneurs will pair up to audit each other’s digital presence and sales process, pinpointing exactly where friction is costing them customers. They’ll map out underused growth levers like email marketing, sponsorships, and networking, and leave with a clear list of fixes to implement right away.
About the Speaker
Kelly Jorg is Co-Founder of Nalo Seed and VP of Marketing for Austin Women in Tech. A natural community builder, she connects entrepreneurs and creatives across Austin, turning genuine relationships into real opportunity. Kelly believes business grows fastest when people show up for each other, and she’s passionate about building spaces where women can learn, collaborate, and thrive.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND INTERACTIVE CONTENT
Better Questions, Stronger Messages: Cultural Competency for Communicators with Mariam Shahab, Chatterbox Consulting
10:45 AM
Today’s audiences do not just receive messages. They interpret them through identity, context, lived experience, trust and the media ecosystems around them. In this interactive breakout, Mariam Shahab will share a practical framework for spotting cultural assumptions, pressure-testing messages and reaching diverse audiences with more clarity and confidence before a campaign, statement, story or social post goes public.
About the Speaker
Mariam Shahab is founder of Chatterbox Consulting, a brand strategy and communications consultancy helping organizations reach diverse audiences with clarity, cultural intelligence and trust. Her work spans tech, healthcare, retail, CPG, sustainability and mission-driven brands, including cultural competency work for agencies, legacy brands, startups and nonprofits. She helps teams move inclusive communication and storytelling from good intention to sharper questions, stronger strategy and more intentional impact.
LUNCH AND LEARN CONTENT: PANEL SESSION
Working Smarter, Communicating Better: What Matters Now in Comms
Moderated by Jennifer Stayton, KUT with interactive Q&A
11:55 AM
Guests will grab a catered lunch and rejoin all attendees in the main room for this session. Guests will have the opportunity to submit questions to the panel. The panelists have a diverse array of backgrounds and roles, bringing different perspectives to the conversation.
Felicia Morales-Venegas, MBA, PMP, Panelist, United Heritage Credit Union
Felicia is a Certified PMP® currently leading strategic projects at UHCU Credit Union in Austin, TX. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, she brings a unique blend of creative strategy, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional leadership to every initiative. She is also the creator of Latina Cents, a platform focused on empowering women through relatable conversations around personal finance, wealth building, and financial confidence.
Rachel B. Lee, CEO and Co-founder, YOUmanize
Melissa Barragán Taboada, Editor-in-Chief, Austin Current
Melissa Barragán Taboada is the editor-in-chief of Austin Current, a local nonprofit newsroom that launched in January. She’s a veteran journalist who worked for more than 20 years as reporter and editor in Austin, followed by a four-year stint as editor of The Boston Globe’s Great Divide, an enterprise team that investigates educational inequities throughout Massachusetts. Taboada previously served as an adjunct journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, her alma mater.
CONFERENCE CONCLUSION
Closing speeches with WCA leaders, sponsors, and door prizes
12:45 PM – 1:00 PM
AFTER-PARTY
Meet Up + Network
Where: To be announced (at an alternate venue)
When: Right after The WCA Get Smart Conference
The networking continues after the main event! Join us at the meetup venue nearby immediately after closing speeches. There is no cost to attend this after party event, but drinks & refreshments are self-pay. Check your attendee registration email for details!
Please note that the conference agenda is subject to change without prior notice. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the schedule, speakers, topics, and session times may be updated or modified as necessary.
TICKET DETAILS AND REGISTRATION OPEN!
EPIC GIVEAWAYS
We will have some door prizes in store for our guests.
Stay tuned for fun items from our sponsors and the WCA crew.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
Event Sponsors
If you’re interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the VP of Get Smart or the VP of Sponsorships.
More Updates Coming Soon!
Patron Sponsor
Lunch Sponsors
Ask About Sponsor Opportunities!
Speaker Equity Sponsors
Coffee Sponsor
In-Kind Supporters
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Putting on Get Smart requires the support of sponsors. Sponsorship is a great way to support your local business community, reach a large audience, and build goodwill. Women Communicators of Austin has over 250 members and over 1,800 newsletter subscribers, over 5,100 followers on Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn combined. We expect approximately 100 attendees for the event.
Read About Sponsorship Levels Here
Our communicators have reach, authority, buying power, and influence!
We are offering companies the opportunity to be a Get Smart Conference event sponsor for a wide range of benefits:
- A hyperlinked mention on the event website
- A social media shoutout prior to the event
- An intro and thank you at the event
- A logo on shared screen with the next program topic/speaker at beginning and during transitions between sessions
- A mention in the invitation, reminder, and wrap-up email
If you’re interested in learning more about the Get Smart Conference and Sponsoring, contact the VP of Special Programs for Get Smart.