In a world the place we’re experiencing a lot change politically, economically, socially and within the shopper market, there’s one fixed that retains us going: girls. It doesn’t matter what, girls are rising to the event and paving a path for his or her successors. With grace and dignity, they conquer setbacks and challenges—reminiscent of cash woes, divorce, loss, grief and parenting—and one way or the other persevere. Ladies are extremely resilient in all areas of life. In a nutshell, they kick ass.
Ladies have additionally at all times demonstrated a exceptional capability for resilience—whether or not balancing careers and households, navigating systemic boundaries or overcoming private hardships, they discover methods to maneuver ahead. Regardless of the obstacles they face, girls proceed to guide with empathy and imaginative and prescient. Their perseverance is a testomony to their power and willpower, proving again and again that it doesn’t matter what life throws their means, girls will rise, thrive and lead the cost for a extra inclusive and equitable world.
These days, extra girls are taking up entrepreneurial roles, pushing boundaries and rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a frontrunner in enterprise, philanthropy and past. At SUCCESS® journal, we’re proud to rejoice these girls by means of our annual Ladies of Affect awards marketing campaign, recognizing trailblazing girls who aren’t solely shaping the current however are additionally laying the groundwork for future difference-makers to thrive.
The rise of girls entrepreneurs
The rise of girls in management roles is without doubt one of the most inspiring and transformative shifts in as we speak’s enterprise world. Extra girls than ever are breaking by means of the glass ceiling and getting into positions of energy throughout industries, from CEOs and entrepreneurs to political leaders and philanthropists. This development displays not solely their skilled capabilities but in addition their capacity to adapt, innovate and persevere within the face of adversity.
What’s driving this development? For a lot of, entrepreneurship is not only about making a profitable enterprise—it’s about creating alternative. Ladies are more and more launching ventures in industries starting from tech to well being care, schooling to trend, and every little thing in between. They’re tackling complicated challenges, fixing real-world issues and, within the course of, creating jobs and driving innovation.
However their success is not only about enterprise—it’s additionally about goal. Feminine entrepreneurs are infusing their firms with a way of mission, whether or not it’s advancing sustainability, advocating for social justice or prioritizing wellness and inclusivity. They’re not simply constructing companies; they’re constructing a greater world for future generations.
In keeping with current research, the variety of female-owned companies has skyrocketed, and girls have launched startups quicker than their male counterparts. Ladies entrepreneurs had a 41% year-over-year development charge from 2023 to 2024, and girls now maintain 10.4% of CEO positions in Fortune 500 firms, in line with Women Business Collaborative—a gradual enhance that highlights their rising affect throughout industries.
Making vital strides
The next statistics show the rising tide of feminine entrepreneurs and enterprise leaders who aren’t solely thriving but in addition are creating pathways for future generations of feminine entrepreneurs and CEOs. We needs to be extraordinarily pleased with our progress, and that’s why we proceed to rejoice excellent people from around the globe.
1. Growing variety of girls entrepreneurs
In keeping with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2020/2021 report, girls account for about 33% of excessive development entrepreneurs globally, a major rise lately. This development is particularly seen within the tech, well being and shopper items industries, the place girls are main the way in which in creating new options and creating thriving companies.
2. Ladies in startups
A report by PitchBook revealed that female-cofounded firms within the U.S. raised a report $64.4 billion in enterprise capital funding in 2021. Whereas girls are nonetheless underrepresented in comparison with their male counterparts, this development is critical in growing the visibility and affect of women-led firms within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
3. Progress in women-owned companies
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that the variety of women-owned companies grew by 21% from 2014 to 2019, outpacing the expansion of all U.S. companies, which grew by simply 9%. This development development is anticipated to proceed, pushed by girls entrepreneurs throughout all sectors.
4. Ladies entrepreneurs and innovation
In keeping with the American Express 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, female-owned companies now account for about 42% of all U.S. companies. And in line with the beforehand talked about World Entrepreneurship Monitor report, 1 in 3 feminine entrepreneurs within the U.S. is concerned in high-growth sectors like know-how, which reveals that girls are making vital strides in reshaping industries which can be historically dominated by males.
5. Ladies within the tech {industry}
Ladies are making notable inroads in tech entrepreneurship. PitchBook’s earlier report additionally discovered that feminine tech firm founders noticed over $30 billion in investments in 2021, a rise of 82.9% from 2020. This highlights the rising recognition of the worth girls carry to innovation-driven sectors.
6. Entrepreneurial success and gender parity
In keeping with Bizee, women are over 20% more likely than males to achieve constructing worthwhile companies within the early phases, a statistic that underscores the resilience and development mindset girls carry to entrepreneurship.
Celebrating the SUCCESS girls of affect
This yr’s Ladies of Affect honorees exemplify the facility of growth-minded management. They’re visionary entrepreneurs, dedicated advocates, resilient enterprise girls and compassionate caregivers—girls who’ve demonstrated that they will do all of it. Their tales are a testomony to the power, versatility and tenacity of girls across the globe, and their collective impression is a robust reminder of the transformative power girls are in shaping the way forward for enterprise and society.
On this situation, we’re proud to announce our prime 50 nominees, in addition to introduce our WOI winner, Carey Lohrenz, who demonstrates precisely what our SUCCESS mission is all about: main with authenticity and provoking others to be resilient, irrespective of who you’re or what you do. As you’ll be taught, Lohrenz is a world-class chief, creator, speaker and changemaker who’s a pioneer on the earth of aviation.
Ladies as leaders, caregivers and visionaries
Some of the exceptional issues concerning the girls we honor by means of the Ladies of Affect marketing campaign is their capacity to stability the numerous roles they play—leaders in enterprise, caregivers within the dwelling, advocates of their communities and position fashions for future generations. Ladies as we speak are sporting a number of hats, they usually achieve this with persistence and unwavering dedication.
Lots of the girls are moms, caregivers and companions—people who, regardless of the calls for of their skilled lives, make household and group a precedence. They perceive that true success isn’t nearly profession accomplishments; it’s additionally about fostering robust relationships, making a optimistic impression and being current for the individuals who matter most. These girls show that it isn’t solely potential to be a frontrunner in enterprise but in addition to construct deep connections and depart a legacy of affection and help for these round them.
Along with their roles at dwelling, these girls are actively shaping the way forward for industries, nonprofits and advocacy work. They perceive that management isn’t nearly making choices—it’s about lifting others up, sharing data and creating pathways for many who come after them. Whether or not it’s mentoring different girls in enterprise, main philanthropic efforts or talking out on points that matter, these girls are making their mark throughout a number of spheres of affect. Their capacity to stability each private {and professional} commitments is a testomony to their power, self-discipline and keenness for development.
Progress-minded trailblazers
Some of the defining traits of those girls is their development mindset, therefore the theme of this situation. These girls aren’t content material with merely sustaining the established order—they’re relentlessly pushing ahead, regularly evolving and searching for new alternatives to develop. Their entrepreneurial ventures and management roles are rooted in a deep perception that there’s at all times extra to be taught, extra to realize and extra methods to make a optimistic impression.
A development mindset isn’t nearly having ambition; it’s additionally about resilience within the face of challenges. These girls have confronted adversity, whether or not of their private lives or skilled journeys, and have overcome it with willpower and beauty. They view obstacles not as roadblocks however as alternatives to be taught, develop and turn into even stronger leaders.
At SUCCESS, we acknowledge that development is not only about particular person success—it’s about collective progress. The ladies we honor by means of the Ladies of Affect marketing campaign are constructing networks of help and collaboration that empower others to succeed. They perceive that true management is about creating area for others to thrive, and in doing so, they’re fostering a tradition of innovation and inclusion that advantages everybody.
World attain
As we encourage on the worldwide scene, I may also go one step additional. The Ladies of Affect marketing campaign isn’t nearly recognizing the accomplishments of a choose few—it’s about celebrating a worldwide motion of girls who’re main change in entrepreneurship, philanthropy, advocacy, and private {and professional} growth. At SUCCESS® journal, our attain extends worldwide, and we’re proud to honor girls from various backgrounds and industries who’re making a long-lasting impression on the worldwide stage.
These girls are utilizing their platforms to advocate for vital causes, drive significant change and supply options to a number of the world’s most urgent points. From launching worldwide companies to main grassroots campaigns, the ladies featured are demonstrating that management is aware of no borders. Their affect is felt throughout continents, and their impression is shaping the way forward for industries, communities and societies around the globe.
Finally, we perceive that true success isn’t a solitary achievement—it’s a collective effort. That’s why we’re dedicated to recognizing girls who aren’t solely excelling of their fields but in addition lifting others as they rise. These Ladies of Affect are constructing legacies that can resonate for generations to return, and we’re honored to share their tales with the world.
Architects of change
As we mirror on the unimaginable achievements of the ladies we function on the next pages, we’re reminded of their unimaginable contributions. These girls aren’t simply leaders of their industries—they’re additionally changemakers, paving the way in which for future generations of girls to comply with of their footsteps.
Their impression goes past the numbers and accolades; it’s concerning the lives they’ve touched, the boundaries they’ve damaged and the communities they’ve constructed. They’ve proven us that girls can do something. Whether or not it’s launching a enterprise, main a nonprofit, advocating for social change or just being a job mannequin to others, these girls have confirmed that with ardour, dedication and a development mindset, there is no such thing as a restrict to what could be achieved.
At SUCCESS® journal, we’re proud to honor these girls and share their tales with the world. They’re the epitome of what it means to be a Lady of Affect—and their journey is simply starting. As we rejoice their achievements, we stay up for seeing how they’ll proceed to encourage, lead and create a brighter future for all.
These girls are paving the way in which for the following technology of leaders, and we will’t wait to see the place their paths will lead. And, by recognizing them, we reaffirm the reality that girls can—and do—excel in each side of life. They aren’t simply shaping the way forward for enterprise. They’re remodeling the world itself.
Congratulations to everybody!
Meet our winner

Carey Lohrenz
CEO, Corridor of Fame Keynote Speaker, Creator, Former Navy Fighter Pilot
The primary feminine F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot within the U.S. Navy, Lohrenz is a management professional and creator of two Wall Avenue Journal bestselling books, Fearless Leadership and Span of Control. Her navy background in high-stakes fight environments has formed her right into a sought-after authority on management, technique and resilience. By leveraging her combat-tested insights, she has developed a contemporary, data-driven management model that equips enterprise leaders to excel beneath stress and adapt in as we speak’s aggressive surroundings.
Pushed by a need to share her experiences, Lohrenz has delivered impactful keynotes and packages to 1000’s of Fortune 500 and Forbes World 2000 firms, guiding leaders and groups on how you can navigate complexity, drive change and ship outcomes when it issues most. Her method focuses on sensible, research-based methods that yield each rapid and sustainable advantages, thus creating cultures of steady enchancment and resilience. Lohrenz has been acknowledged as a Nationwide Audio system Affiliation Corridor of Fame speaker and has additionally been featured on CNN, MSNBC and NPR, sharing her insights with international audiences.
Along with her company work, she is a devoted CEO, board member and mom who balances her skilled achievements with private commitments. Lohrenz’s experiences as a pioneer in a male-dominated area not solely encourage leaders to embrace fearless management but in addition contribute to broader conversations about variety, inclusion and breaking gender boundaries in difficult fields. A portion of the proceeds from her books helps veterans’ charities, underscoring her dedication to honoring those that serve.
Meet our finalists
Whether or not you nominated a colleague, a pal and even your self, you’ve sparked optimistic change and empowerment. Be part of us as we honor the exceptional accomplishments, actions and achievements of our Prime 50 finalists.
Congratulations to all of our finalists, and thanks to our nominees!

Naomi Ackerman
Founder, Govt Director of the Advot Challenge
Ackerman leads the Advot (“ripples” in Hebrew) Challenge, a California-based nonprofit that harnesses the facility of creative exploration to assist younger folks turn into daring, brave self-advocates. She primarily works with incarcerated and system-impacted youth, empowering individuals to seek out their voice and remodel their lives.
She can also be the creator of the groundbreaking ripple methodology, a transformative method that has taught 1000’s of younger folks essential communication and relationship-building expertise. This methodology conjures up individuals to beat the boundaries of their lives, enabling them to put in writing the following chapter of their story with confidence and hope. An skilled actress, advisor and facilitator, Ackerman is the author, director, producer and performer of the critically acclaimed one-woman present, Flowers Aren’t Sufficient.
For the previous three a long time, Ackerman has devoted herself to selling peace, fostering change and inspiring self-empowerment by means of the interactive workshops she creates and leads. Her work has impacted various communities and environments, bringing a message of therapeutic and transformation wherever she goes.

Rajinder Atwal, M.D.
Medical Director, Founder, CEO, Household Doctor, C.C.F.P., Ladies STEM Mentorship
An award-winning household doctor, medical director and CEO, Atwal leads a busy medical facility whereas serving on the board of administrators of 5 nonprofits. By means of Ladies STEM Mentorship, she created a platform that advances girls in STEM by means of advising, networking and academic workshops. As a medical clinic founder and director, she precepts medical, nurse practitioner and lab technician college students.
Atwal additionally cofounded Past Boundaries Soccer, which allows people with mental and bodily disabilities to benefit from the sport, and Inexperienced Teen Era, the place she mentors youth to turn into environmental leaders. Her accolades embody the Ladies in Enterprise Feminine Lifetime Achievement Award, 2023 Ladies of the Yr for Healthcare, 2023 The Waterfront for Science and Expertise Award and recognition as one of many 2023 Prime 100 Asian Ladies Energy Leaders. She was additionally named one of many 10 Most Inspiring Ladies Leaders to Observe in 2024 and a World Ladies Energy Chief in 2024.

Marva Bailer
Founder, CEO, Board Member of Qualaix
Bailer epitomizes fearlessness and innovation as a trailblazing tech chief and breast most cancers survivor. Acknowledged as a 2023 sport changer by Scarlett Abott, she disrupts norms and drives change throughout industries. With 20 years of expertise main billion-dollar groups at IBM, Amazon, Twilio and Splunk, her impression is huge and assorted.
As an skilled board member and classically skilled senior government, she has spent the final decade propelling unicorn tech firms, main P&Ls over $1 billion and managing groups of over 400. She excels in progressive go-to-market methods and has intensive experience in M&A, SaaS and ARR transitions. Bailer can also be the creator of the NIEA 2023 prime profession e-book, Be Unexpected, the place she emphasizes impactful communication and the distinctive idea of a private “walk-up track.”
As a purpose-driven chief, she fosters connections, conjures up others to innovate and builds distinctive cultures. Her deep expertise in cybersecurity and synthetic intelligence and her position as a sought-after speaker, adviser and award-winning creator underscores her dedication to driving success.

Jess Bailey
Founder, Managing Legal professional of Bailey Legislation Agency
As a pioneering managing legal professional and the founding father of Bailey Legislation Agency, Bailey has remodeled the authorized panorama along with her progressive flat-fee mannequin, which boosts transparency and accessibility for purchasers. She focuses on mergers and acquisitions, actual property, banking and finance, and outdoors common counsel companies, her dedication to constructing a strong skilled community allows her agency to offer purchasers with entry to a variety of experience and sources.
Past being a consumer advocate, she is an educator whose ardour lies in offering her purchasers with strategic steering, considerate recommendation and actionable steps, which helps them obtain formidable objectives with confidence. She and her agency have been honored with a number of accolades, and Bailey speaks nationally 10 to 12 instances all year long, sharing her insights on management, negotiations, greatest practices, and variety and inclusion within the authorized and enterprise group.

Daybreak Belamarich, Ph.D.
President, CEO of Collaboratory
Belamarich operates Collaboratory, a group basis with an developed mission to coordinate the decision of the area’s greatest social challenges by 2040. Belamarich is an skilled chief and alter agent who’s captivated with advocating for mission-driven organizations and communities. Her management expertise spans the social companies and behavioral well being fields in each for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Her earlier roles embody senior vice chairman of scientific and operational excellence, chief government officer and government director at Restoration Facilities of America, a nationwide habit remedy supplier.
Belamarich is a licensed psychological well being counselor and master-level scientific habit skilled in Florida and a licensed skilled counselor and licensed scientific alcohol and drug counselor in New Jersey, and she or he holds certifications in playing habit and trauma remedy. She additionally serves as a board member for the ARCHway Institute, a nationwide group that’s dedicated to offering schooling and sources for these impacted by habit.

Sarah Bencie
CEO, Managing Companion of Safety Administration Worldwide
As the bulk proprietor, CEO and managing accomplice of Safety Administration Worldwide, a Washington, D.C.–primarily based safety consulting and protection contracting agency, Bencie oversees all day-to-day operations for the worldwide consultancy, manages non-public sector and overseas authorities tasks, and supplies strategic path for the group. Since 2021, she has closed appreciable authorities contracts for SMI with the U.S. Division of Protection and the U.S. Division of Justice. Her purchasers additionally embody a number of Fortune 500 firms and a handful of overseas governments.
Previous to getting into the world of world safety, Bencie, a serial entrepreneur, was an internationally acknowledged inside designer. She based and operated her personal profitable inside design consulting agency in Manhattan for almost a decade, along with publishing some of the common inside design blogs in america. Bencie has been featured in quite a few prestigious publications and has served as a model ambassador for the Baldwin {Hardware} Design Council. She can also be the creator of CONFIDENCE!: Decoding Your Decorating DNA.

Gogo Bethke
CEO of Gogo’s Actual Property, brokered by eXp Realty
After immigrating from Csikszereda, Romania, to the U.S. in 2003, Bethke labored numerous jobs—babysitting, warehousing, waitressing and promoting jewellery—earlier than incomes her actual property license in 2011. She shortly turned a prime producer and based Gogo’s Actual Property, LLC. She’s since constructed a world group, #teamgogo, with over 1,500 brokers who generated $2.1 billion in gross sales in 2023. Often called the “Social Media Queen of Actual Property,” she created Gogo’s Bootcamp, a a number of Two Comma Membership award-winning program. Her podcast and TV present, Gogopreneur, which airs on Your House TV community on Roku, garnered over 36 million views in its first yr.
Bethke is a mom to 2 teenage sons with Hungarian names. She and her husband of over 20 years, Duane, started investing in actual property as a shared ardour for the long run. She loves serving to different like-minded entrepreneurs obtain their objectives, which led her to start out the GoGet’Em Group, the place she is constructing an unlimited data library to show others.

Dedorah S. Brown
Private Progress Guide, Creator
A local of New Orleans, Louisiana, Brown is a loyal spouse, mom, grandmother, U.S. Military veteran and revealed creator with a dedication to advocacy and philanthropy. Impressed by the charitable actions of girls in her group, she has devoted herself to serving to others, from supporting veterans by means of the Division of Veterans Affairs advantages course of to offering compassionate support to households in disaster. Her efforts have earned her honors, together with Dillard College’s Native and Nationwide Group Service Unsung Hero Awards and Tulane College’s Ellen Gates Starr Group Service Award.
Brown is a featured speaker on the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Medical Middle’s annual Women Night time Out occasion, the place she shares her journey of resilience. She’s captivated with wellness and private development and thus donates her books and shares her private story all through Better New Orleans and past, empowering others to beat challenges and discover power in therapeutic. Brown, a resilient disabled veteran, continues to heal from previous hardships and finds power in utilizing her story and literature to encourage others towards peace and development.

April Callis-Birchmeier
CEO of Springboard Consulting
Callis-Birchmeier is CEO of Springboard Consulting, a frontrunner in making ready mission and HR professionals to guide change successfully by incorporating change administration actions into mission plans. A fascinating speaker, she has been acknowledged as a Licensed Talking Skilled by the Nationwide Audio system Affiliation. She is captivated with speaking the optimistic impression of her READY framework to make sure that sponsors, stakeholders and mission groups expertise larger adoption and profitable initiatives.
The recipient of the 2024 Change Awards Lifetime Award, a World Guru in Organizational Tradition (2020-2024) and the bestselling creator of READY, Set, Change!, Callis-Birchmeier is a Licensed Change Administration Skilled™ and Challenge Administration Skilled. She has led organizational change implementations for presidency, larger schooling and well being care purchasers for greater than 20 years. As a creator of the worldwide commonplace for change administration, Callis-Birchmeier leverages her experience and expertise to work with organizations to make sure profitable mission outcomes.

Jaymee Chan
Cofounder, Vice President of Honor Well being Sciences
Chan, a psychiatric psychological well being registered nurse, is founder and professor at Honor Well being Sciences, the primary and solely non-public nursing faculty in Imperial County, California. She additionally cofounded assisted dwelling properties Serene Greenfield Manor and Serene Richview, in addition to Healthpeak House Well being. After being awarded the inaugural Imperial Valley WOW Ladies of Surprise as Enterprise Lady of the Yr, Chan has been acknowledged by the California Senate and California Legislature and has been given the Soroptimist Ruby Ladies Serving to Ladies Award.
She turned the fourth prime group contributor of the American Nurses Affiliation’s Wholesome Nurse, Wholesome Nation leaderboard, in addition to an autism spectrum dysfunction scientific specialist. Chan is on the board of administrators for the Imperial Valley Group Basis.

Heidi Clarke
Govt Director of the Sandals Basis
Born and raised on the island of Jamaica, Clarke has a deep connection to and love for the Caribbean. As government director of the Sandals Basis, she has applied a number of the most impactful and transformative initiatives in Caribbean communities. From her dwelling in Jamaica to the 9 different islands by which Sandals and Seashores Resorts function, Clarke has labored with native and nationwide organizations to carry sources, develop curriculums and supply sustainable options throughout three key pillars: schooling, group and surroundings.
From growing entry to scrub water in faculties to creating marine sanctuaries and artisan packages, Clarke is repeatedly creating methods for tourism and philanthropy to intersect. She appears for the gaps the place assist is required most and seeks out companions and stakeholders that align to fill these areas successfully and sustainably. By means of her strategic imaginative and prescient and hands-on method, she is main the change within the Caribbean, mission after mission.

Denise Cumella
Founder, CEO of The Boss Books, Libri d’Impresa and One Hour Advertising
By means of her pioneering work within the publishing and advertising industries, Cumella has not solely constructed profitable companies however has additionally empowered numerous entrepreneurs to show their concepts into impactful narratives. An Italian entrepreneur, creator and keynote speaker, Cumella is the founder and CEO of The Boss Books, Libri d’Impresa and One Hour Advertising. She can also be a TEDx speaker and a member of the governing board of ebbf, a worldwide studying group comprising enterprise executives from over 60 international locations. She is a bestselling creator and Le Fonti Award winner for main essentially the most progressive editorial advertising firm.
Cumella developed the favored BookCamp Methodology to assist entrepreneurs and professionals flip concepts into books and books into advertising instruments. With over 20 years of expertise in advertising and creating high-value content material for a wide range of firms, Cumella and her company, One Hour Advertising, have labored for Lush Cosmetics, Bottega Verde, Yves Rocher and Riso Scotti and helped them considerably acquire market traction.

Nio DiPietrantonio
Board President of Serving Up Help: Maine
Performing because the board president of Serving Up Help: Maine, a pioneering initiative devoted to offering psychological well being help for hospitality employees, DiPietrantonio is making a transformative impression on the psychological well being panorama throughout the hospitality {industry}. With a deep-rooted ardour for fostering optimistic relationships and group empowerment, she has turn into a number one advocate for psychological well-being within the hospitality {industry}. Because the board president, DiPietrantonio leads with empathy, energetic listening and authenticity, guaranteeing that the group’s values are mirrored in each side of its operations.
Below DiPietrantonio’s steering, Serving Up Help: Maine is increasing its attain throughout New England and providing sources for disaster administration, substance use and private development. Her dedication to difficult stigmas and selling mindfulness has been instrumental in making a supportive community for hospitality professionals. With a concentrate on collaboration and steady studying, DiPietrantonio is devoted to constructing lasting connections and offering entry to important sources, paving the way in which for a more healthy, extra empowered workforce.

Debola Deji-Kurunmi
CEO of IMMERSE Teaching Firm
Deji-Kurunmi is the CEO of IMMERSE Teaching Firm, knowledgeable teaching follow; government director at Ideation Hub Africa, a public coverage and impression advisory agency; and founding father of the Future-Ahead Feminine Motion. Throughout these organizations, she leads greater than 100,000 international communities of visionaries. As a extremely sought-after speaker, adviser and creator of 25 titles, Deji-Kurunmi is an Oleg Konovalov visionary management coach, Gallup-certified strengths coach and an Worldwide Affiliation of Teaching–licensed mastery practitioner.
Deji-Kurunmi has been acknowledged for her excellent management impression, and her transformational work has been featured in worldwide media. She has been honored as a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow and one of many 100 Most Inspiring Nigerian Ladies in 2019 and 2022.

Lisa DesBoine-Murray
Founder, President of Duchess Nannies & Domestics
Performing as an exemplary educator and mentor to scores of aspiring leaders, DesBoine-Murray is the founder and proprietor of Duchess Nannies & Domestics, a luxurious family administration and personal service placement company that focuses on tailor-made home workers options. It is usually the dad or mum firm of The Herbert Alfred Company and Nannies From The Coronary heart. DesBoine-Murray’s experience in high-end placements spans nearly 25 years and locations emphasis on coaching, advocacy and continuous help.
She is a present board member of the Property Administration Community; a member of the Worldwide Nanny Affiliation; a former volunteer with the Affiliation of Premier Nanny Businesses Variety, Fairness and Inclusion Job Committee; an APNA Accelerator Program mentor; and extra. DesBoine-Murray additionally cofounded the Alliance of Minority Owned Nanny Businesses & Skilled Nannies, a nonnprofit group whose mission is to make sure that companies and nannies align collectively for the aim of transferring the {industry} ahead beneath one umbrella of requirements.

Cindy Dodd
Cofounder, COO of PEMA.io
Dodd is an award-winning marketer and international speaker who has emerged as a trailblazer for Black girls within the lead technology {industry}. She has remodeled her firm into a worldwide powerhouse, executing over 100 million reach-outs and serving over 1,000 companies worldwide. Her unwavering dedication to data-driven methods and distinctive consumer service has propelled PEMA.io to the No. 526 spot on the Inc. 5000 listing of fastest-growing non-public firms within the U.S. and the No. 40 fastest-growing advertising company within the U.S. in 2024. Her exceptional achievements have been featured in main publications and on TV, highlighting her impression and affect within the {industry}.
As a Black lady within the lead technology area, Dodd is captivated with paving the way in which for future generations of girls of coloration in advertising and entrepreneurship and continues to encourage others whereas driving PEMA.io towards even larger success.

Tasneem Dohadwala
Founding Companion of Excelestar Ventures
As a founding accomplice of Excelestar Ventures, Dohadwala and her crew actively spend money on founders who exhibit compelling medical know-how, deep know-how and extra. Her earlier expertise consists of working as an affiliate at Lehman Brothers and Matrix Companions, the place she leveraged her expertise to make notable investments: Excelestar Ventures, Augmenix (acquired by Boston Scientific), nVision Medical Company (acquired by Boston Scientific), Conformal Medical, Diesel Labs, Instylla and Altiostar Networks. Below her management, Excelestar Ventures was named one of many prime 100 women-led companies in Massachusetts by The Boston Globe in 2023.
After beginning as a younger, energetic member at Lehman Brothers and later serving as president of Wellesley School Alumnae Boston (Wellesley School’s largest alumnae group), Dohadwala has been dedicated to furthering girls’s management in enterprise. She passionately and intentionally mentors and searches for female-led firms and believes that investing in girls is one of the best ways to carry extra girls into management roles.

Cicley Homosexual
CEO, Board Chairwoman of The Amplifiers and Black Lives Matter World Community Basis
Dedicated to advocating for the lives of these in underinvested communities, Homosexual is a seasoned chief with over 20 years of expertise in nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Because the visionary founding father of The Amplifiers, a pioneering social enterprise on the intersection of trigger and communications, and chairwoman of the board for the Black Lives Matter World Community Basis, Homosexual brings intensive experience to social justice initiatives. Her decade-long dedication to the Ladies’s Sports activities Basis displays her dedication to uplifting marginalized communities.
As GoGirlGo! program director and later nationwide director of schooling and alliances, she led initiatives to increase bodily exercise entry for younger girls in underserved areas. Her ardour for empowerment additional propelled her to function the director of nationwide initiatives on the Nationwide CARES Mentoring Motion, the place she performed a central position in establishing a multimillion-dollar nationwide mentoring initiative for youngsters, incomes the endorsement of the U.S. Division of Justice.

Paula Gean
Cofounder of Africa Tradition Journeys
Gean is an award-winning enterprise chief and group organizer with a private story of overcoming poverty and utilizing know-how and advertising to create alternatives for others. She based a grassroots group that helps asylum seekers combine into their new communities, and her work has been widely known in Chicago media. With greater than 20 years of expertise in strategic advertising, model administration and built-in advertising campaigns throughout international markets throughout the tech and journey industries, Gean has a confirmed observe report of main high-impact advertising initiatives to drive income development, market enlargement and model positioning.
In 2021, she and her husband based Africa Tradition Journeys (ACJ), a tenting safari enterprise in Botswana, Africa. Her objective with ACJ is to offer soul-stirring experiences, each in individual and digitally, and to doc and spotlight the similarities between her South American roots and Southern Africa, her future.

Subi Ghosh
EVP of Strategic Partnerships Stream Firms
A dynamic chief with over 15 years of expertise advocating for shopper expertise and tradition throughout the automotive {industry}, Ghosh started her profession in automotive retail. She rose from a advertising assistant to gross sales and e-commerce director of Vendor Teams, the place she championed change and shopper advocacy. Presently, Ghosh serves as the chief vice chairman of strategic partnerships at Stream Firms, the place she drives development by means of progressive options and strategic partnerships. Her management has been instrumental in launching new departments, increasing the corporate’s partnerships and elevating its presence throughout a number of automotive unique gear producers.
Ghosh can also be a key advocate for variety and inclusion, having been a founding board member of Ladies in Automotive, and actively contributes to bettering girls’s experiences within the {industry}. Ghosh’s dedication and affect have earned her recognition, together with being named one of many prime girls in media and AdTech and one in all Auto Remarketing’s 40 Below 40. Her journey displays a dedication to innovation, collaboration and enhancing the automotive {industry}’s method to advertising and shopper expertise.

Mohaimina “Mina” Haque
CEO, Normal Counsel of Tony Roma’s and Legislation Workplace of Mohaimina Haque, PLLC
As a trailblazing CEO, legal professional and educator, Haque has damaged boundaries as the primary lady CEO of Tony Roma’s in its five-decade historical past. Whereas she spearheads the worldwide restaurant chain, she can also be actively engaged within the authorized sphere, serving because the founding father of the Legislation Workplace of Mohaimina Haque, PLLC, primarily based in Washington, D.C., and as an adjunct professor of regulation follow administration at American College’s Washington School of Legislation. In her authorized follow, Haque’s experience spans numerous areas, together with company regulation, immigration regulation and litigation.
Past her roles in enterprise and regulation, Haque is a pioneer in regulation follow administration. She is an educator on constructing digital companies and managing distant operations with the most recent technological developments, guaranteeing that her college students are geared up for the evolving panorama of authorized follow. Her exceptional achievements, management and dedication to excellence have earned her recognition as a real pioneer in each the authorized and enterprise communities.

Christa Hill
Cofounder, CEO of Tacit Edge Product Management
Hill is a cofounder of Tacit Edge Product Management, the place she makes use of her {industry} experience to gasoline our economic system with empowered, progressive and various product leaders that embody the entrepreneurial spirit. She can also be on the forefront of making award-winning product administration curricula by means of academic establishments like Southern Alberta Institute of Expertise and Athabasca College, in addition to company establishments like TEKsystems and the New York Federal Reserve Financial institution.
Since know-how is on the coronary heart of each enterprise and {industry} sooner or later, Hill and her crew attempt to teach future generations on product administration roles that would be the international follow commonplace. She is an ICF PCC-level government coach who’s most identified for supporting early and established product managers, in addition to their government leaders, and serving to them deepen their experience and thrive of their careers. She brings empathy and humor whereas tackling the grey areas of the position to create future product leaders for our more and more digital world.

Katie Hornor
CEO of The Flamingo Benefit
Hornor is a world keynote speaker, enterprise proprietor, mother of 5, expat and the award-winning creator of greater than a dozen best-selling books, together with The Flamingo Advantage: How to Leverage Unique, Stay Relevant and Change the World, and has been featured on main tv networks.
After overcoming excessive poverty, Hornor turned the founding father of three companies and a scholarship fund for entrepreneurs. A millionaire by age 45, she is at the moment half proprietor of two companies grossing seven-plus figures and majority proprietor and CEO of two which can be grossing 5 and 6 figures. Solely 12% of women-owned companies, 0.002% of all companies worldwide, gross over six figures in a yr, and solely 3% of these girls are mothers. Hornor has completed each whereas home-educating her 5 youngsters. Her mission is to empower entrepreneurs and enterprise house owners to design companies which can be in service of their distinctive life goal to allow them to have extra pleasure, gross sales and impression.

Nicole Hullihen
COO of OnTheClock
After embarking on a profession journey that started within the automotive {industry}, Hullihen pursued entrepreneurship earlier than returning to a extra company keep in pharmaceutical, biotech and luxurious items, the place she excelled in numerous roles that required management, analytical skills and problem-solving. She at the moment serves because the chief working officer at OnTheClock, a quickly rising SaaS firm that gives an progressive resolution for workforce administration to over 150,000 folks.
Since becoming a member of the corporate 5 years in the past, Hullihen has performed a pivotal position in rising the crew from eight to 23 staff and main them by means of two consecutive years of recognition as one in all Crain’s Finest Locations to Work. She’s led the corporate to operational excellence, turning into a trusted supplier to 1000’s of companies, and works along with her crew to realize an formidable objective to increase to 1 million customers. With almost 20 years of expertise spanning a number of industries, Hullihen brings a deep understanding of enterprise analytics, operational effectivity and organizational growth to her management position.

Tabassum Khan
Public Speaker for the Authorities of Canada
A dynamic human sources program and coverage adviser with a distinguished report in tradition, variety, fairness and inclusion throughout the Canadian authorities and the Workplace of the Superintendent of Monetary Establishments, Khan is a proud Canadian Muslim lady of South Asian heritage. She isn’t solely a acknowledged public speaker however can also be a devoted mentor within the GC mentorship group. Her impression within the DEI area is critical, marked by her position as a speaker in authorities boards, cochair of her division’s multiculturalism stream and her pioneering efforts in launching department-wide affinity teams that foster connection and help amongst staff.
Famend for her inclusive management model in her many volunteer actions, Khan is deeply dedicated to cultivating a welcoming surroundings for all public servants. By means of her unwavering dedication and visionary management, Khan continues to be a robust advocate for a extra inclusive and equitable office, making her a pivotal power in shaping the way forward for public service in Canada.

Ginger King
President of Grace Kingdom Magnificence
A rare chemist who has revolutionized the wonder {industry} along with her progressive and entrepreneurial spirit, King is an award-winning beauty chemist and the founding father of Grace Kingdom Magnificence, a New Jersey–primarily based beauty product growth agency that focuses on creating magnificence manufacturers from idea to launch, together with formulation. King holds a number of patents and awards within the magnificence {industry} and has been featured in numerous publications and quoted by over 40 magnificence magazines. She can also be a keynote speaker for model launches and has spoken at quite a few commerce conferences on product growth and innovation.
Moreover, King is a daily TV magnificence phase contributor on GoodDay Sacramento and has been not too long ago named the “Queen of Beauty Chemistry” by Elle. Along with consulting, her newest enterprise is FanLoveBeauty, a clear vegan magnificence model impressed by mentor Daymond John of Shark Tank that takes care of entrepreneurs’ look to allow them to maintain crushing their objectives.

Suzanne Knight
CEO, Cofounder, CPO, Speaker, Trainer at mBolden Consulting and Be Uninterrupted
A dynamic chief with over 20 years of expertise driving transformational change, fostering enterprise development and advocating for gender fairness, Knight is at the moment CEO of mBolden Consulting. She works with firms worldwide to create efficient enterprise methods, interact high-performing groups and domesticate inclusive workplaces. In 2023, she cofounded Be Uninterrupted, a social impression group that helps girls overcome profession interruptions brought on by life occasions. By leveraging AI and human connection, Be Uninterrupted helps girls navigating challenges like maternity depart, job transitions or caregiving tasks.
Knight’s profession has impacted over 50 firms throughout 14 international locations, the place she led enterprise transformations at organizations like Walmart Canada and Philip Morris Worldwide. Her work focuses on delivering outcomes that not solely drive operational excellence, but in addition enhance variety, inclusion and fairness inside organizations. Knight can also be a TEDx speaker, a keynote speaker on the London Speaker Bureau and adjunct school at Schulich ExecEd, the place she teaches programs on management and organizational design.

Sandy Ko Fonseca
Founder, Principal of Buyer Contact Ladies Buyer Administration Follow
Ko Fonseca is the founder and principal of Buyer Contact Ladies (CCWomen), a pioneering group devoted to selling variety, fairness and inclusion within the buyer contact {industry}. Her journey started at Buyer Administration Practicec, the place she excelled as an analyst and producer of the world’s largest buyer contact occasion collection, Buyer Contact Week. After recognizing an important want for a supportive area for girls and their allies, Ko Fonseca established CCWomen in 2018. The group fosters networking, mentorship and profession growth and brings collectively girls leaders from numerous industries to deal with urgent challenges within the area.
Ko Fonseca is captivated with constructing relationships throughout various backgrounds and is devoted to empowering girls to thrive of their careers. She believes within the transformative energy of group and collaboration and views CCWomen as a catalyst for change. By means of her work, she goals to advocate for girls from all walks of life, highlighting their important contributions to enterprise and driving ahead the mission of CCWomen to create an inclusive future.

Melva LaJoy Legrand
Founder, CEO of LaJoy Plans
As a self-made entrepreneur acknowledged for her work within the dwell occasions {industry}, in addition to causes rooted in social equality because it pertains to girls, well being, race and identification, Legrand is a public speaker, occasion producer and director, group chief, and storyteller. Acknowledged nationally for her thought management, Legrand can also be a four-time award-winning CEO who has used her social impression to talk on subjects surrounding sexual assault, Alzheimer’s, dementia and entrepreneurship. She has been featured in numerous publications and speaks to the problems surrounding the gender pay hole, management relaxation, being an efficient chief, occasion preparedness and managing a wholesome work-life stability.
Outdoors of the skilled realm, Legrand is thought for her love of individuals, excessive vitality, culinary occasion experiences, distinctive snicker, creativity and tenacious work ethic. When she’s not planning occasions, she splits her time between Washington, D.C. and Paris and enjoys journeys along with her beloved husband, Emmanuel.

Melissa Maloney
Cofounder of All Ladies L.E.A.D. and AWL Companions
A dynamic, trailblazing chief with a mission to drive significant change by means of management, empowerment and inclusivity, Maloney is the cofounder of All Ladies L.E.A.D. and AWL Companions. She is a key architect in constructing a corporation the place empowerment isn’t only a objective—it’s a normal. She has cultivated an area the place management, fairness and private development intersect, creating pathways for people and organizations to excel.
With over 25 years of government expertise in gross sales and operations, Maloney’s strategic foresight and talent to guide by means of transformation are evident in each position she undertakes. Her dedication to fostering innovation and fairness within the office has positioned her as a trusted chief, famend for her capacity to encourage groups and organizations to achieve their fullest potential. By means of All Ladies L.E.A.D., she has turn into a pivotal power in advancing gender equality and inclusive management. Her dedication to gender fairness goes past conventional advocacy, although—she actively cultivates environments the place girls not solely lead however thrive.

Morgan Leigh Miller
CEO of Miller Co Medical Gadgets
After struggling a extreme again damage whereas repositioning a bedridden affected person, Miller got down to resolve a decades-old problem that well being care professionals face day by day. This led to her invention of the Flip Buddy System, a revolutionary medical machine designed to stop accidents like her personal. Her objective was to make sure that others would by no means endure the identical ache.
The Flip Buddy System is an progressive mattress overlay that, with the push of a button, gently repositions sufferers, eliminating the necessity for guide turning and guaranteeing well timed repositioning to stop painful mattress sores and ulcers. Patented in January 2023 and registered with the FDA, Miller’s machine is now in use at two main hospitals. Although hospitals have been the start line, her plan is to increase the machine into nursing properties and personal care amenities and supply it to clients for dwelling use.

Kelly O’Connor
Editor of the CSA Journal by the Society of Licensed Senior Advisors
Because the editor of the CSA Journal, a quarterly award-winning commerce journal revealed by the Society of Licensed Senior Advisors, O’Connor and her board have been shaping the imaginative and prescient of getting old and the getting old {industry} within the U.S. She has been working within the elder care area for the previous 14 years and can also be a TEDx speaker on longevity.
O’Connor has been awarded Lady of the Yr by the Unsung Heroes Basis and the Younger Skilled in Growing old Award by the Colorado Gerontological Society. She holds a grasp’s diploma in non secular psychology and knowledgeable development certification in gerontology. She can also be an authorized senior advisor, licensed dementia practitioner and licensed placement and referral specialist. Along with her work with the CSA Journal, she maintains a small elder care consulting and legacy life teaching follow.

Michelle O’Neil
Founder, Senior Shareholder of OWLawyers
Described by her friends as “a deadly mixture of candy and salty,” O’Neil exudes real compassion for her consumer’s difficulties whereas additionally relentlessly pursuing of her purchasers’ objectives. With over 30 years of expertise as a household regulation litigator, O’Neil focuses on complicated divorce points, significantly these involving property or enterprise points.
As essentially the most sought-after legal professional for Texas celebrities and well-known CEOs and executives, O’Neil is thought to be the lawyer to achieve earlier than your partner does. O’Neil has dealt with over 175 appeals in Texas, together with a number of which have influenced the regulation and reached the Texas Supreme Court docket. She has additionally authored 4 influential authorized publications. She is an adjunct professor at Baylor Legislation College and has gained certification from Harvard Legislation College in Ladies’s Management, which she makes use of to additional her ardour by mentoring younger skilled girls and attorneys.

Katrina Pratt Roebuck
Chief Govt Officer of Uplifme and Uplifme Useful resource Hub
With a profession that spans 25 years in government management positions, creating companies for Philadelphia’s most susceptible populations, Pratt Roebuck’s expertise consists of program and coverage growth in poverty, homelessness, inexpensive housing, schooling and behavioral well being. She has led giant groups of social service professionals and managed multimillion-dollar tasks, efficiently executing impactful, citywide initiatives. A lot of her work includes progressive programming, coalition constructing, group engagement and systems-level change. All through her profession, she has led the event of technological platforms which have related 1000’s to companies that improved their lives.
At present, Pratt Roebuck is CEO of Uplifme and the Uplifme Useful resource Hub. She launched Uplifme in 2021 to shut the hole in connecting folks to real-time data on obtainable health-related sources. Social service professionals may discover skilled growth by means of teaching and the Uplifme Institute. Pratt Roebuck’s background in low-income communities informs her work, fueling her drive to extend well being fairness for BIPOC and underserved teams.

Leslie Quinton
Vice President of Communications at Ubisoft
With over 30 years of experience in communications and organizational management, Quinton is at the moment the vice chairman of communications at Ubisoft. Her various background spans multinational companies, companies and nonprofits, with a robust concentrate on company communications, CSR and DEI. Quinton is a frequent speaker on webcasts and at conferences in Canada and overseas, and she or he is devoted to mentoring rising communications professionals.
Enthusiastic about social change, Quinton volunteers her time to help a wide range of organizations. She is a part of the board of administrators for the Worldwide Ladies’s Discussion board (IWF), chair of the board of administrators at Medic-Alert Canada, previous president of IWF Canada and IABC Montreal, and director of Knowledgeable Opinions. She has beforehand served on greater than 30 different boards, together with Public Relations With out Borders, Equitas Human Rights and Oxfam-Quebec.

Tiffany Rose
Founding father of Butterfly FX Cosmetics
In a world the place extroversion usually takes middle stage, Rose emerges as a beacon of empowerment for introverts. An environmental advisor by occupation, she is the visionary behind Butterfly FX Cosmetics—a model devoted to serving to those that really feel neglected or misplaced in social settings discover their voice by means of the artwork of sparkle.
Since its inception in 2018, Rose has crafted merchandise which can be designed to assist people shine and construct confidence. Butterfly FX Cosmetics champions daring self-expression, believing that experiencing the “wow issue” in private look can catalyze development. Nevertheless, Rose’s dedication extends past a dedication to environmental sustainability. Butterfly FX leads by instance within the magnificence {industry} with moral sourcing and recyclable glass packaging, aligning itself with the rules of a round economic system and minimizing environmental hurt.
Rose’s impression reaches far past cosmetics. Her philanthropic spirit is obvious in her energetic involvement with native charitable organizations, notably the Northshore Meals Financial institution. By means of Butterfly FX, she orchestrates group occasions that remember individuality and help efforts to eradicate starvation in Louisiana.

Kimberli Scott-Nonetheless
Shareholder for Collum’s Lumber Merchandise, Director of Elysian Affect Collum’s Lumber Merchandise, Scott Woodlands and Elysian
Scott-Nonetheless is a multifaceted chief with a various background that spans the manufacturing, humanitarian, philanthropic and commerce sectors. She holds levels in finance, retail administration and inside design, bringing a wealth of experience to her roles. As director of philanthropy for Elysian Affect, Scott-Nonetheless champions initiatives that help girls, youngsters, the surroundings and animal welfare. She cocreated “CatWalk FurBaby,” a philanthropic trend present featured in New York Trend Week, in addition to its award-winning documentary and low desk e-book.
A dedicated board member, Scott-Nonetheless helps the Authentic Six Basis in addressing academic challenges in rural South Carolina and serves as a Tiffany Circle member with the American Crimson Cross. Professionally, she is a fourth-generation shareholder of Collum’s Lumber Merchandise and Scott Woodlands and serves on the boards of the U.S. Lumber Coalition and the Softwood Lumber Board. In 2014, she was named South Carolina Ambassador for Financial Improvement, reflecting her impactful group involvement.

Erin Stafford
Burnout & Peak Efficiency Skilled, Speaker, Creator, Hyper-Progress Enterprise Chief of The Stafford Firm
A burnout and peak efficiency professional, Stafford is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling creator, burnout survivor and Cambridge social psychologist on a mission to reshape how excessive achievers function. She’s carved out a profession working alongside the world’s prime performers and Sort A personalities throughout international manufacturers like Apple, Nike and MTV, in addition to main advertising for the biggest well being care staffing firm within the U.S.
Identified for her daring insights, easy methods and high-energy persona, Stafford crisscrosses the globe chatting with organizations like KPMG, Morgan Stanley, Nationwide and Siemens. Her dynamic keynotes and interesting teaching method encourage leaders to interrupt free from achievement habit and attain their subsequent degree of success—with out sacrificing their well-being.
Stafford’s insights have been highlighted by main publications, and her e-book, The Type A Trap: Five Mindset Shifts to Beat Burnout and Transform Your Life, is endorsed by powerhouse creator and podcaster Mel Robbins and Paralympian Amy Purdy.

Mautra Staley Jones, Ed.D.
President of Oklahoma Metropolis Group School
By turning into the eleventh president of Oklahoma Metropolis Group School, the fourth-largest larger schooling establishment in Oklahoma, Staley Jones marked historical past as the primary lady and first individual of coloration to guide the faculty. Her position additionally made her the primary Black lady to preside over any nonhistorically Black school or college school in Oklahoma, the place she serves over 18,000 college students.
Identified for her visionary management, Jones additionally serves on quite a few boards, together with BancFirst Company, the Oklahoma Corridor of Fame and the Oklahoma Medical Analysis Basis. She is a Salt and Gentle Management Fellow, a graduate of Management Oklahoma Metropolis and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Younger Presidents’ Group. Widely known for her contributions, Jones has earned honors reminiscent of Oklahoman of the Yr, Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO and a spot on Forbes’ 10 Prime Black Greater Training CEOs to Watch in 2023. She holds levels from the College of Oklahoma, the College of Phoenix and Vanderbilt College.

Suzanne Strassburger Reidy
President of Strassburger Steaks
Strassburger Reidy carries on her household’s legacy because the fifth-generation Strassburger within the meat enterprise. Presently, she serves because the president of Strassburger Steaks and Suzy Sirloin, each all-natural beef firms which can be obtainable in retail shops nationwide. She can also be the founding father of The Sirloin Report, an industry-leading day by day on-line report about beef. She is captivated with educating folks on the meat {industry} and has traveled so far as Hong Kong to advertise American beef.
She holds a Masters of Beef Advocacy from the Nationwide Cattlemen’s Beef Affiliation to be an on a regular basis advocate for the meat {industry}. She was additionally a part of the inaugural NCBA Prime of the Class program for graduates wishing to make a extra explosive impression within the beef group. To additional her experience, she accomplished the Harvard Enterprise College government program in Proprietor/President Administration and the Wharton Training Program.

Lauren Tedesco
COO of Automotive Components Producers’ Affiliation (Canada)
As head of the Way forward for Work portfolio on the Automotive Components Producers’ Affiliation, Tedesco pioneered the primary industry-wide digital studying program and launched the Variety, Fairness and Inclusion Fund to help traditionally excluded people’ careers. This initiative earned her the CADIA Affect Award for Champion for Various Expertise. Acknowledged as one in all WXN’s Prime 100 Most Highly effective Ladies, she additionally obtained the Reuters D.R.I.V.E. Award for girls in auto and quite a few different accolades.
Serving as an adviser to the Legislation Society of Ontario along with educating communications at Sheridan School, Tedesco’s expertise main public relations companies set the groundwork for senior roles within the public sector, together with director of communications to the president of the Treasury Board and Minister of Training. At every step, her perception and foresight guided the formulation and launch of main public coverage initiatives, underscoring the necessity for robust strategic planning for disruptive brokers of change. She can also be a member of the Board of Governors at Sheridan School.

Andreea Vanacker, Ph.D.
Founder, CEO of One Million Years Of Pleasure
Vanacker is a resilient visionary who turned a life-altering nine-hour mind surgical procedure through the pandemic into a worldwide motion for pleasure. She blends her highly effective private story with over a decade of analysis in neuroscience and optimistic psychology. Her TEDx Discuss launched the world to her groundbreaking Trilogy of Pleasure mannequin, inspiring 1000’s to seek out gentle in adversity and reclaim management over their lives.
Vanacker is an entrepreneur, four-time creator, speaker and a pleasure catalyst for leaders and organizations. Her insights have been featured in over 100 prime journal articles. Holding a Ph.D. in economics and intensive international expertise, Vanacker is fluent in 4 languages and has managed multimillion greenback companies. She is the founder and CEO of One Million Years of Pleasure, which features a podcast, a worldwide research on pleasure and an upcoming documentary. She additionally serves as cofounder and accomplice at Innate Movement’s Change Lab, the place she leads enterprise transformations with international purchasers.

Ekta Vyas, Ph.D.
Chief Human Sources Officer of Keck Drugs of USC
For over 20 years, Vyas has been main transformations at totally different ranges in organizations. In her coauthored e-book with Mission Issues, she talks about how you can be an efficient transformational chief by embracing the interconnectedness of a number of organizational and other people variables that want to return collectively to carry the emergence of a greater future. She does extra than simply writing and talking about transformations, although—she actively drives change. Her doctoral analysis examined the importance of emotional intelligence as key to a frontrunner’s success in driving workforce engagement throughout change.
As a methods thinker and powerful proponent of ecosystem consciousness, Vyas has been a Forbes influencer since 2017, writing and talking about management, tradition, technique, transformational change and emotional intelligence. At present, she serves because the chief human sources officer at Keck Drugs, the well being enterprise of the College of Southern California, and is a USC Marshall adjunct professor. Vyas’ private model as a transformational chief is “bringing gentle,” and her management manifesto is “reciprocate.”

Michele Walsh
EVP, Chief Philanthropy Officer of UNICEF USA
As a social impression chief with multidisciplinary experience, Walsh has constructed a profession targeted on addressing inequality and defending youngsters. As government vice chairman and chief philanthropy officer at UNICEF USA, she serves as principal adviser to the CEO and leads the philanthropy crew, aiming to ship $1B of impression yearly for youngsters.
All through her 15-year tenure at UNICEF USA, Walsh has pushed initiatives that reshaped the group and mobilized tons of of thousands and thousands in philanthropic {dollars}. Her capacity to forge alliances and partnerships whereas navigating an unprecedented political surroundings has ensured that federal advocacy for youngsters’s welfare stays robust.
Furthermore, Walsh’s efforts in leveraging information instruments, together with generative AI, have propelled the group towards larger operational effectivity. Beforehand, she utilized her social work expertise in foster care and later transitioned to early intervention and youth packages. She additionally held a number of director of growth roles, together with on the City Justice Middle, the place she catalyzed sources to help authorized companies and advocacy.

Mariette Wharton
Founder, CEO of NIMBLE Mindset Ventures
Wharton is a visionary chief and three-time founder with over 25 years of expertise in innovation. She based the first-to-market cloud video conferencing firm in 2008, which allows seamless integration between devoted video conferencing units and cellphones, tablets and computer systems, creating the class that Zoom entered three years later. She additionally developed a pioneering video voice mail system and garnered over a dozen {industry} awards.
After a profitable exit, she based the social enterprise Nationwide Institute for Mentoring Enterprise Leaders and Entrepreneurs (NIMBLE) Mindset, which supplies startup steering to over 1,000 feminine entrepreneurs yearly in susceptible communities throughout Africa, together with Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Rwanda, in partnership with the UN and U.S. Embassy, enabling feminine founders to seek out dignity and goal. In 2025, this system shall be delivered to over 500 Ukrainian professionals with companions Adobe, Salesforce and Logitech. Wharton has traveled to 57 international locations and is a speaker on innovation, together with on the World Financial Discussion board, UN, U.S. Embassy, College of Chicago and Northeastern College’s Roux Institute.

Kandy White
Chief Operations Officer of Athena
White serves because the chief operations officer at Athena, a number one group that focuses on enhancing delegation expertise for founders, C-suite executives and small-business house owners by pairing them with top-tier government assistants. She has pushed exceptional development and has achieved a 260% enhance in partnerships, quadrupling Athena’s international crew in lower than two years.
With a profession spanning 20 years, she has held senior roles in Fortune 250 firms and startups throughout telecommunications, human sources consulting, fintech and actual property, collaborating with each {industry} giants and rising disruptors. White, who holds two grasp’s levels in psychology, can also be a SHRM Senior Licensed Skilled and a Grasp Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.
White’s dedication to driving development whereas fostering a optimistic work surroundings highlights her management, innovation and dedication. She launched month-to-month management and wellness occasions to encourage peer studying, alongside periods for frontline staff to share greatest practices. She’s additionally launched a platform for purchasers to specific appreciation, share insights and encourage government assistants to realize extra.

Ramona Wright
Founder, Producer of WrightOne Media Group
A extremely achieved communication strategist, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, Wright obtained the President’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award, the very best U.S. civil honor for dedication to service. Her journey is marked by resilience—after overcoming childhood homelessness, she turned her household’s first school graduate. She is a TEDx speaker, a Telly Award-winning producer, an creator, a social media advertising pioneer and a former lecturer at Loyola Marymount College.
As founder and CEO of WrightOne Media Group, an award-winning multimedia and experiential company established in 2009 in Los Angeles, Wright and her crew have collaborated with Emmy-, Grammy- and Oscar-winning expertise, Dwell Nation, Oxfam America, Paramount World and Sony Music.
Wright has spoken at occasions for the American Coronary heart Affiliation, Cornell College and Google. An investor in tech ventures, her philanthropic work has been acknowledged by World Good Fund and Love My Neighbor Basis. She additionally serves on the board of Everyone Eats.

Vicki Wright Hamilton
CEO, Coach, Speaker, Creator at VWH Consulting
Wright Hamilton is an achieved enterprise strategist, management coach and keynote speaker with over 30 years of expertise in know-how and enterprise. Because the CEO of VWH Consulting, she focuses on guiding entrepreneurs and company leaders to realize development and innovation by means of tailor-made methods and digital effectivity. She has held senior government roles in prime 500 firms, the place she led transformative initiatives that resulted in vital income development and a $20 million ROI.
Devoted to giving again, Wright Hamilton has actively supported Ladies in Expertise (WIT) for over 20 years, spearheading initiatives to empower girls and main impactful packages just like the WIT Single Moms Program. As a sought-after speaker and creator, she hosts Ignite with Vicki, a podcast and tv present that shares management insights and enterprise methods. Her work and achievements have additionally been featured in CIO At present, Audio system Journal and extra.

Mary Yazdani
Founder, CEO of GenesisLink, RoboSafety
A visionary entrepreneur with a grasp’s diploma in laptop engineering with over 16 years of expertise, Yazdani initially cast her profession as an IT supervisor for a serious enterprise in Iran, the place she oversaw 10,000 staff. Her relocation to Canada in 2017 marked the start of a rare entrepreneurial journey.
In 2020, she based her award-winning firm, GenesisLink, and have become its sole shareholder. She has cultivated a strong community of specialists to boost service supply, guaranteeing custom-made, high-quality options that exceed consumer expectations. In 2023, she expanded her entrepreneurial efforts by establishing RoboSafety. This progressive enterprise is the one Canadian agency that gives a SaaS platform targeted on security engineering for threat evaluation and mitigation in autonomous methods, which underscores Yazdani’s dedication to integrating cutting-edge know-how to boost {industry} security requirements. Her journey from a talented IT supervisor to a pioneering entrepreneur and advocate for immigrant enterprise success exemplifies her relentless pursuit of innovation, management and group help.
This text initially appeared within the March/April 2025 situation of SUCCESS® journal
Photograph courtesy of Adobe Inventory
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