International Women’s Day 2023
As a woman-owned business, we are proud to highlight and celebrate 23 women leaders across various industries for International Women’s Day. Our blog series explores what this global holiday means to them, what motivates them as a leader, advice for young women and more.
Jennifer Lynn Robinson, CEO/Founder at Purposeful Networking
“Never wait for opportunities or for your work to speak for itself. Be proactive about seeking opportunities and recognition for yourself.”
Andrea Berry, Executive Producer at NBC10 Philadelphia
“Be confident in yourself! Don’t let imposter syndrome win. Even the world’s most successful people don’t have everything figured out. They ask questions, learn from their mistakes and rely on a village to help them succeed.”
Natalia Framil, Head of UX and Creative Director at Amazon
“Being from a different country and continent, I had to break through many cultural and gender challenges and ceilings every step of the way, which gave me courage and feedback on what’s possible if you really want it and believe in yourself.”
Emily Maxie, CMO at Very
“By celebrating International Women’s Day, we are sending a strong message that women are valuable and deserve to be respected and have their rights and contributions recognized.”
Vinessa Pearson, Chief of Staff at Bristol Myers Squibb
“Never stop learning, build relationships and help others along the way. It doesn’t cost anything to show kindness and care.”
Dawn Abbamondi, VP of Marketing and Brand Development at SMB Franchise Advisors
“You do have to earn your future, but you do not have to start from scratch. Learn from others and from mistakes you make. Ask for help, be humble and always say thank you.”
Devon Winter, Chief Operations Officer at F. W. Winter Inc. & Co
“I am motivated by the fact that I know I am capable of being a source of inspiration and positivity for women, especially in the manufacturing industry. I hope to use my platform to show others that it’s okay to take up space in industries that are ‘nontraditional.'”
Karla Trotman, President and CEO at Electro Soft, Inc.
“It is important to celebrate International Women’s Day so that we may all pause and recognize the contributions of all women of all races and their collective contributions to society.”
Jessica Mandroc, Associate Director of Digital Marketing at BD
“Many of us, myself included, have experienced some disparity in the workplace – whether it was pay, discrimination, motherhood penalty, etc. International Women’s Day provides us the opportunity to push the envelope and continue making a difference.”
Dr. June DePonte Sernak, Statewide Leadership Diversity Officer at the Center for Family Services
“I am motivated by the work yet to be done in giving women the opportunity to not only have a seat at the table, but to build their own table and invite others to join.”
Christine Polite, Creative Strategist at Invisible Hand
“I love being a leader – especially one who dares to lead with empathy and kindness. We are teaching our future leaders a new way of being the “boss” and a new way of doing business.”
Suzie Hall, Founder and CEO at The Cornerstone Collective
“As women, we have a special bond that transcends age, geographic location and industry. Celebrating this bond together elevates our collective community and consciousness.”
Marianne Fray, CEO at Maternity Care Coalition
“I encourage young women to seek as many different experiences as possible while building their careers. As you challenge and broaden your perspectives, you expand your knowledge base which will increase your value inside and outside your organization.”
Erica Jenkins, Chief Product Officer at Crayon
“Be curious. Those who strive to learn, read, analyze and start to formulate proposals for a solution are highly valued by great managers.”
Leigh Labrie, Director of Corporate Communications at Novocure
“For me, being a leader isn’t about others following me or living life like I do. It’s about creating something meaningful that a group of people cares about and advocating for shared values to have fulfilling life experiences.”
Jennifer Leonard, VP of Brand Strategy at AIME
“I am a notorious rule-follower and my comfort zone is to play things safe, but every once in a while you need to be able to take risks. Looking back, it’s the risks I’ve taken that have defined and catapulted the course of my career.”
Theresa Hummel-Krallinger, Chief People Officer at High Five Performance, Inc.
“As the old Virginia Slims advertisement used to say, ‘We’ve come a long way baby!’ It’s amazing the strides we’ve made even during my lifetime. I think it’s important to look at where we’ve been, the progress made and what is yet left to do.”
Samantha Goldman, CMO at Mural
“Now more than ever women need to be recognized for the powerhouses they are and what they contribute to their communities, societies and to the world.”
Sivon Pichoto, Creative Director at Family First Funding
“Women rarely take the time to recognize themselves and their accomplishments, so the more that we can celebrate each other, the more we can inspire other women to become leaders, and the more connections we can create between us.”
Jennifer Dulski, Founder and CEO at Rising Team
“International Women’s Day is a way to shine a light on the remarkable intellectual, social, economic and cultural contributions of women everywhere, from inspirational leaders to everyday heroes.”
Valeria Maltoni, Narrative Strategist and Founder at Conversation Agent
“Be willing to do the work, and that includes building relationships with others. Competence only takes us so far, and learning to collaborate with and support others is critical to career success.”
Lauren Tropeano, Chief People Officer at Skillshare
“When you operate from a place of positivity and agency from within yourself you will show up as a natural leader, people will want to partner with you, and help you and opportunities will present themselves.”
Christine Nichlos, CEO and Founder at People Science and HireGate
“When you find what you LOVE doing, stay with it. I have yet to meet someone very successful that does not love their work.”
