2026 LeadForward Summit / Day 2 / Keynote / From Survival to Leadership

From Survival to Leadership: The Power of Reinvention Nicole Haratani in Conversation with Jazmine Haratani February 19, 2026 / 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM PST SESSION DESCRIPTION: What does leadership look like when it begins with survival and is forged through courage, reinvention, and relentless learning? In this deeply personal and professionally rich keynote conversation, Nicole Haratani shares her journey across countries, careers, and identities — in dialogue with her daughter, Jazmine. Their mother–daughter exchange brings warmth, honesty, and vulnerability to the leadership stage, revealing the human side behind achievement and impact. Born in Lebanon and educated during a time of civil war, Nicole learned resilience and adaptability early. She continued her path in France, becoming an ICU cardiac surgery nurse and serving nearly a decade in high-intensity clinical care. Driven by growth and curiosity, she immigrated alone to the United States — navigating language barriers, credentialing challenges, and cultural transitions while rebuilding her professional standing from the ground up. After re-establishing herself as an ICU nurse in California, Nicole made a bold pivot into clinical research and the medical device industry, starting over in an entry-level role. Over the next 25+ years, through continuous education and deliberate reinvention, she advanced across multiple leadership levels. Today, she serves as Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Supira Medical and is a committed mentor to women, immigrants, and professionals navigating non-linear career paths. In this candid conversation, Jazmine — who followed her mother into clinical research — asks the questions only a daughter can ask: about sacrifice, doubt, risk, identity, and the unseen costs and rewards behind a leadership journey. Together, they explore what it truly means to move from survival to purpose-driven leadership and meaningful impact. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Leadership journeys are rarely linear — reinvention is often the turning point. Immigrant and career-transition experiences can become leadership strengths. Growth accelerates when you step toward discomfort instead of away from it. Continuous learning compounds opportunity across decades. Mentorship, especially across generations, multiplies leadership impact. Personal stories and vulnerability build more authentic leaders. This keynote offers an honest, cross-generational leadership story — one that will resonate with immigrants, healthcare and clinical research professionals, career pivoters, and anyone building leadership through courage and reinvention. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Mentoring Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide a mentoring community for aspiring and seasoned leaders. Anywhere in the world, we help working people find mentors who can guide them to develop skills they need to achieve their career and life goals. We help mentees fulfill their goals through meaningful work that creates positive impact in the world. As mentees become leaders, our dream is for them to become mentors to others. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #TheMentoringClub #MentorsAndLeaders #Leadership #LieselMendoza #CareerDevelopment #MentoringMatters #Mentoring #Happiness #Success #MeaningfulWork #MakeTheWorldBetter #PassionAndPurpose #Vision #Execution #MentorsAndLeaders #LeadershipDevelopmentMentoring #GiveBackLeadForward #leadforwardsummit --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a mentee: https://www.thementoringclub.org/get-... Become a mentor: https://www.thementoringclub.org/be-a... Donate: https://thementoringclub.org/ Volunteer: https://thementoringclub.org/contact/