Opening and Closing Sessions
ASHP is thrilled to present a stellar line-up of presenters at the 2026 Conference for Pharmacy Leaders. Enjoy leadership-focused presentations from engaging plenary session speakers.
Scroll down for session details and speaker bios.
Opening Keynote Speaker
Amy Blankson
Author and Co-founder and Chief Evangelist of the Digital Wellness Institute
Monday, October 5, 2026
8:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Conscious Innovation: Leveraging Potential Through Creativity and Collaboration
This activity qualifies for live CPEL℠ recertification credit.
In the information economy, collaboration is the ultimate currency. Digital communities now enable us to “upsource” projects to collective wisdom, thereby tapping into vast reserves of knowledge and creativity. Yet at the heart of this movement are individuals, many of whom have ceased to believe that they can overcome systemic barriers to making a difference in their organization. The Ancient Greeks defined optimism as “the belief that our behavior matters,” which is a critical concept for helping individuals to remove limiting beliefs and to shift towards solutions-based thinking. In this talk, Amy will share inspiring stories of individuals who have mobilized their communities for positive change and will reveal core strategies for how to leverage the potential of teams.
Why attend: Using a combination of design thinking and experiential activities, Amy will show audience members how we can all be innovators if we act together with intention.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how “upsourcing” knowledge has fundamentally shifted the nature of collaboration in the Digital Era.
- Identify how leaders are leveraging collective wisdom to innovate faster and more effectively.
- Summarize why positive individuals are three times more creative than negative individuals.
- Discuss strategies that allow individuals to use a growth mindset to fuel innovation and create positive change.
Amy Blankson Biography
Amy Blankson is the Co-founder and Chief Evangelist of the Digital Wellness Institute and the bestselling author of The Future of Happiness. A graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Management, she’s the only person to receive a Point of Light award from two US Presidents. She is also a member of Harvard’s AI for Human Flourishing Council, a former member of the UN Global Happiness Council, and a featured professor in Oprah’s happiness e-course, and a regular contributor to Forbes. Her current work focuses on how to cultivate happiness and well-being in a hyperconnected world. Oh, and you might also know her as Amy the Unicorn, from her brother Shawn Achor’s infamous TEDx talk on the science of happiness.
Closing Keynote
Coaching-Forward Leadership: Focus on the Pharmacy Team
This activity qualifies for live CPEL℠ recertification credit.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
CE Credits: 1.00 contact hours
Jennifer Lara
Director, Center for Coaching and Mentoring
United States Naval Academy
Modern leadership requires a coaching-forward approach as pharmacy leaders navigate evolving organizational demands and diverse teams. This session explores practical strategies to strengthen leadership capabilities, address common barriers to growth, and apply coaching techniques in real-world scenarios. Participants will examine approaches to guiding teams effectively while maintaining the clarity and direction needed to inspire performance and professional development.
Why Attend? Strengthen your leadership approach with practical coaching strategies you can apply immediately.
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between coaching and mentoring to enhance leadership in any scenario.
- Summarize questioning techniques for a coaching-forward approach.
- Identify the common barriers that hinder leadership growth and professional development.
- Apply coaching principles to leadership strategies for immediate impact.
Jen Lara (also known as The Coaching Professor) is a professor of coaching and leadership. She is the Tig H. Krekel, founding director of the Center for Coaching and Mentoring at the United States Naval Academy. As a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Jen holds two graduate degrees in education from the University of Colorado and Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Telecommunications from Michigan State University. Prior to her work at the Naval Academy, she spent 25 years training educators and coaches at a college in Maryland.
Before her career in higher education, Jen taught in Colorado, on the Navajo Nation, in Ecuador, and in inner-city Baltimore. Her background is rooted in experiential education, having co-led programs for organizations like Outward Bound, Camp Highlander, The Rainbow Sky Ropes Course, and the Nantahala Outdoor Center. A Florida native, Jen enjoys her family, stalking peonies in her neighborhood, and traveling to new places. Jen believes coaching has the power to transform the world. Find Jen at www.jenlara.com.