Welch Announces Mirna Valerio as Keynote Speaker for Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference

Sep 11, 2025
WEOC Held September 27th– Registration Now Open!
RANDOLPH, VT– Today,U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.)announced that best-selling author, ultramarathoner, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Mirna Valerio is the keynote speaker of this year’s annualWomen’s Economic Opportunity Conference. The one-day-only conference, which will also feature remarks from Senator Welch, will be held in Randolph on September 27th. Registration for this free event isopen now. Mirna will be joined in conversation with Julie Kelley, Rural QueenB Media founder and former reporter.
“We’re delighted to have Mirna at the Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference to share more about her journey and athletic story. Her inspiring adventures have made headlines across the globe, and it’s a privilege to host her at this year’s conference,”said Senator Welch. “This event is a great opportunity for community members across the state to convene, connect, network, and come away with new tools to grow their professional opportunities.”
The conference hall will open at 8:15 a.m. Keynote remarks will be provided at the beginning of the conference, starting at 9:00 a.m., followed by workshops. Learn more about the workshops and their presentershere.
Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, New York, a former educator and cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, cyclist and newish skier, DEI practitioner, and author of the memoir,A Beautiful Work in Progress.She began running in high school, recommitted to the sport after a health scare in 2008, and started her blogFatgirlrunning—about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner endurance athletes—while training for her first marathon. Mirna’s athletic story has been featured in theWall Street Journal,Runner’s World, onNBC Nightly News,CNN, and in the viral documentary short,REI Presents The Mirnavator. Her writing has been featured inWomen’s Running,Self,Outside, andRunner’s World.
In 2018, Mirna was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and has appeared on theKelly Clarkson Show,Access Daily, theToday Show, andGood Morning America. Mirna was also included as part of Will Smith’s training team for his first half-marathon! Her partners include L.L.Bean, lululemon, Salsa Cycles, Darn Tough Vermont, and Epic Pass. She currently lives and trains in Winooski, Vermont, and is wholeheartedly enamored and obsessed with downhill skiing.
The Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference was created by Senator Patrick Leahy and his wife Marcelle and has been a Vermont tradition for decades. Senator Welch and his wife, Margaret Cheney, are pleased to continue this tradition of bringing Vermonters together to learn, network, and build economic opportunity for Vermonters. This event is held in partnership with the Vermont Women’s Fund and the Vermont Community Foundation.
The conference will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on September 27, 2025, at the Vermont State University Randolph Campus in Randolph. Coffee and lunch are provided at no cost and will accommodate dietary restrictions. Registration for this free event is now open, and interested participants are encouraged tosign up in advance. Registration will remain open through the day of the event, but interested Vermonters are encouraged to register early as space is limited.
To receive updates on the conference details, registration, and other information, fill out the formhere. For accommodation requests, please emailweoc@welch.senate.govor call (802)-863-2525 by September 19, 2025.
###