WBC Action for Impact Summit
on LinkedIn
This was a weeklong virtual experience celebrating innovation, leadership, and equity in business. From September 15–19, 2025, we brought together trailblazing business leaders, changemakers, and innovators from across industries to spotlight the top business trends shaping the future for women in leadership. We are pleased to be able to share those sessions with you here to watch at your convenience.
Summit Themes, Agenda & Session Recordings
12:00 PM | Impact and Action: Workforce in 2025
A4I Kick-Off with Gwen K. Young, CEO, Women Business Collaborative
12:02 PM | Leading Companies and Workplaces in 2025
- Moderator: David Chun, Founder and CEO, Equilar
- Cheryl Rosario, Head of DEI and CSR, Munich Re
- Khalil Smith, Vice President, Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement, Akamai Technologies
12:22 PM | Building the Workplace of the Future
- Moderator: Dr. Rohini Anand, DEI Advisor, Author, Board Member, & Esteemed Speaker
- Subha Barry, President, Seramount
- Nadine Bullock-Pottinga, Senior Advisor, Paradigm for Parity
- Jennifer McCollum, President and CEO, Catalyst
12:42 PM | Impact Talk: Leveraging Technology and Community to Address Disparities in Care
- Interviewer: Gwen K. Young, CEO, Women Business Collaborative
- Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola, President Advocate National Center for Clinical & Community Impact & Senior Vice President Advocate Health; Professor, Wake Forest School of Medicine
12:52 PM | Corporate Responsibility in Crisis: How Businesses Lead Disaster Response
- Moderator: Cid Wilson, President & Chief Executive Officer, HACR
- Balaji Ganapathy, Sustainability Advisor, WBC Board Director
- Claude Zukowski, Senior Director, Community Impact, Procter & Gamble
1:12 PM | Leading Today’s Workforce: From Governance to Operations
- Moderator: Laine Gandy, Director, Adecco Group US Foundation
- Kendra Cato, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Advance Partners
- Molly Day, Chief Operating Officer, Moms First
- Megan Shattuck, Vice Chair and Global Managing Partner, Corporate Business, DSG Global
12:00 PM | Impact and Action: Innovation and Technology in 2025
Introduction with Gwen K. Young, CEO, Women Business Collaborative
12:02 PM | Building the New Operating Environment
- Moderator: Kevin Cirilli, Founder and President, Meet the Future
- Eries Mentzer, Colonel USAF (Ret.) Principal, The Freedom to Serve Solutions
- Mary O’Brien, Lt Gen USAF (Ret.), CEO, Mary O’Brien Strategies LLC
12:15 PM | Women Leading in Technology
- Moderator: Kurt Merriweather, Co-Founder and VP of Marketing, The Diversity Movement
- Christine Bongard, President, The WIT Network
- Rashmi Chaturvedi, Co-Founder and President, Kaygen, Inc.
- Joyce Hunter, Executive Director for Collaboration & Education, Mission Critical
- Melissa Moreno, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Lindsay Corporation
12:35 PM | From Startup to Scale: Funding and Exiting Women-Led Tech Ventures
- Erika Baez-Grimes, Certified M&A Professional & Founder of THE BPH Group
- Theresa Harrison, Managing Partner, George Street Services; Founder, Misinformant
12:50 PM | Demystifying AI: Practical Applications for Business Growth
- Moderator: Rona Bunn, Chief Information Officer, NACD
- Soribel Feliz, AI Governance Policy Advisor, US Dept. of Homeland Security
- Alicia Lyttle, Founder and CEO, AI Innovision
1:10 PM | Risk and Response: How Companies Are Protecting Our Future
- Moderator: Johanna Jones, President & CEO, ITSMF
- Mary Chaney, Chairwoman, CEO and President, Minorities in Cybersecurity Inc.
- Tara Giunta, Board Vice Chair, Invest Ahead; ESG and Sustainable Finance Lawyer; WBC Board Director
- Alexandra Whittington, Futurist, Tata Consultancy Services
- Meredith Wilson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Emergent Risk International LLC
12:00 PM | WBC Legacy Award – Edie Fraser
- Interviewer: India Gary Martin, Founder and CEO Leadership for Execs & Relucent Learning; WBC Board Chair
- Edie Fraser, Honorary Chair and Founder, Women Business Collaborative (WBC)
12:10 PM | Women Business Owners Fueling the Economy
- Moderator: Enid Doggett, CEO, INSPR Media
- Angela Dingle, CEO, WIPP
- Myla Skinner, CEO, C200
- Laura Taylor, Sr. VP, Strategic Financial Services & WBE Engagement, WBENC
12:30 PM | Scaling with Support: Women Entrepreneurs and Public Funding Opportunities
- Moderator: Mignon Clyburn, Principal, MLC Strategies
- Sima Ladjevardian, President, Women’s Entrepreneurship Institute
- Nicole Venable, Senior Vice President, Invariant
12:45 PM | Entrepreneurs of Purpose – Entrepreneurs, Driving Big Change
- Moderator: Edie Fraser, Honorary Chair and Founder, Women Business Collaborative (WBC)
- Brittany N. Cole, CEO, Career Thrivers
- Kathie Okun, President, Okun Financial Group
- Ciemone Sheppard, CEO, Ciemone Inc.
- Judi Sheppard Missett, Founder and Executive Chair, Jazzercise
- Sue Watkins, President and CEO, Telecom Transport Services
1:05 PM | Fashion Forward: Equity and Innovation Fueling Sustainable Impact
- Interviewer: Lynda Erkiletian, President, T•H•E Artist Agency
- Felita Harris, Co-Founder and Executive Director, RAISEfashion
1:15 PM | Supplier Opportunity in Action: Building Partnerships with Entrepreneurs
- Moderator: Sharon Reynolds, CEO and Founder, DevMar Manufacturing; WBC Board Director
- Dr. Barbara Brown, Founder and CEO, CapitolHill Consortium for Counseling & Consultation (CCCC)
- Sharina Perry, Founder, Utopia Plastix
- Dr. Felicia Phillips, CEO, Heartland Solutions
- Diedre Windsor, CEO, Windsor Group LLC
12:00 PM | Impact and Action: Access to Capital in 2025
Introduction with Gwen K. Young, CEO, Women Business Collaborative
12:02 PM | Investing in the Future: Women as Catalysts for Scalable Change Fireside Chat
- Interviewer: La Keisha Landrum Pierre, General Partner and Co-Founder, Emmeline Ventures
- Erin Harkless Moore, Vice President and Managing Director, Investments, Pivotal Ventures
12:17 PM | Advancing Capital to Secure the Future of Business
- Moderator: Jen Earle, CEO, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
- Melissa Bradley, Co-Founder, New Majority Ventures
- Joy Fairbanks, Managing Principal, Fairbanks Venture Advisors
12:37 PM | The Future Is Funded: Working #FasterTogether
- Interviewer: Victoria Pettibone, CIO and Managing Director, Astia
- Jesse Draper, Founding Partner, Halogen Ventures
1:00 PM | Meeting Market Demand
- Moderator: Peter Abrahams, Director – New Business, Associates International
- Marianne Markowitz, President and CEO, First Women’s Bank
- Josephine Moran, President and CEO, Ledyard Bank
1:15 PM | Women Leading Markets: Early Stage Capital
- Interviewer: Kelly Ann Winget, Founder and CEO, Alternative Wealth Partners
- Joley Michaelson, Founder and CEO, The Sun Company
12:00 PM | Impact and Action: 2025 In the Arena
Introduction with Gwen K. Young, CEO, Women Business Collaborative
12:05 PM | Impact Talk: Women in Sports Leadership
- Lois Cook, CEO, FootballHer; Vice President, WFA D.C. Divas
- Rich Daniel, Owner and Team President, WFA D.C. Divas
12:15 PM | Game Changers: Advancing Equity in the Business of Sports
- Moderator: Thayer Lavielle, Managing Director – The Collective, Wasserman
- Peter Giorgio, Global and US Sports Practice Lead, Deloitte
- Danette Leighton, CEO, Women’s Sports Foundation
- Dr. DeRetta Rhodes, Executive Vice President & Chief Culture Officer, Atlanta Braves; WBC Board Director
- Nancy K. Stewart, VP, People & Culture, San Diego Wave Fútbol Club
12:35 PM | Title IX Beyond Compliance: Bridging Sports Equity and Business Leadership
- Sarah Axelson, Vice President – Advocacy, Women’s Sports Foundation
- Hon. Cheri Bustos, Partner and Co-Chair; Mercury Public Affairs; Former US Representative, IL-17
- Hon. Charles T. (Tom) McMillen, Partner, Moran Global Strategies; Former US Representative, MD-4
12:50 PM | Coaching Beyond the Game: Building the Next Generation of Leaders
- Moderator: Beth Twomey, Chief Operating Officer, USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation
- Paul Caccamo, Founder and CEO, Coach Across America
- Sandi James, Head Coach, Flag Football, Mount St. Mary’s University; Player, WFA D.C. Divas
- Katie Ritchie, Club Liaison, San Diego Wave FC; Girls Coaching Director, SD Force FC; Former Professional Soccer Player
- Kelsey Trainor, Consultant, Athena Global Advisors
1:10 PM | Here Comes the Boom: Investing in Women’s Sports
- Moderator: Gwen K. Young, CEO, Women Business Collaborative
- Monika Mantilla, Co-Founder, Altura Capital
- Anne Sempowski Ward, Chairwoman of the Board, SPS Commerce, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Curio Brands, and The Lip Bar; Minority Owner, WNBA Chicago Sky and USL Super League Fort Lauderdale United FC
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Gold sponsors
Silver sponsors
General sponsors
