A conference series designed to empower minority women professionals is making its way to Columbus.

The national Minority Women Professionals are MVPs conference series will take place on Saturday at Ohio State University’s Hale Hall, drawing women from across the Columbus region. This will be the third stop of the multicity national conference series.

Hosted by Inspire Health Solutions, the conference will feature a series of guest speakers, workshops, networking and membership opportunities aimed to “inspire and empower minority women professionals” from diverse backgrounds and professions, while also teaching them essential tools and skills to thrive in their professions, according to the organization.

“The time is now,” said professor Nwando Olayiwola, the conference creator. “Minority women professionals are so essential to communities across the nation and the growing diversity in Columbus makes this the perfect city to energize.”

Scheduled speakers include Janet E. Jackson, former president and CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio, and Cheryl Taylore Lee, professor and chair of the Department of Urology at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center.

The conference is expected to host more than 100 professional women and students and will discuss not only strategies for succeeding in the workplace but also celebrate the achievements of career-oriented women of diverse backgrounds, including women of color, of non-dominant faiths, with disabilities, of diverse sexual orientations and ages, and of various national origins.

Additional speakers and workshop leaders include Aarathi Cholkeri-Singh, conference co-host; Rosaire Ifedi, associate professor at Ashland University; Kathy Chen, executive director at Asian-American Community Services; Melissa Day, advocate at Disability Rights Ohio; Minka Schofield, assistant professor at OSU Wexner Medical Center; Egondu Onyejekwe, faculty in Health Informatics at Walden University; Lilleana Cavanaugh, executive director at Ohio Latino Affairs Commission; and Ifey Chukwumah, owner of Klassic Edge Beauty and Barber Salon.

The conference also will feature local women entrepreneurs, innovators and special performances.

“This conference is an opportunity to position professional women, students and trainees for success and to channel our differences into strength for a greater Columbus,” said Cholkeri-Singh.

For registration information and to learn more about the conference series, visit the Inspire Health Solutions website.