Women in Business Wednesdays
Engaging interviews. By members, for the greater community.
WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY?
Powerful Women Sharing Their Career Journeys
Are you or someone you know interested in sharing experiences as a business owner or entrepreneur? If you are interested in sharing your story, please email najapazant@womensforumny.org . The Women’s Forum Credo is ”Women helping other women never gets tired.” Imagine how many women in our communities, and beyond, you may help just by sharing your experience!
Head on over to Instagram @womensforumnewyork to view our interviews and like our posts.
OCTOBER 2023
Leslie Abbey, CEO, Hot Bread Kitchen & Liz Neumark, CEO, Great Performances
Leslie Abbey, CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen and Liz Neumark, CEO of Great Performances joined together for the first in-person interview in our Women in Business Wednesday series, hosted at Hot Bread Kitchen in Chelsea Market. Leslie and Liz share a connected mission in their paths to success in their businesses. From social justice and empowering women, both Forum members share how food was their answer to solving social inequities.
Watch InterviewLatest Interview - February 2023
Anne Ackerley, Head of BlackRock's Retirement Group
Anne Ackerley has written and spoken extensively on retirement readiness and women's leadership – and has won awards for her leadership in the industry and her work advancing gender equity. She was named to Barron’s “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance” list in 2020 and 2021. In this Women in Business Wednesday interview, Forum member and Forbes 50 Over 50 Awardee Anne Ackerley, Head of BlackRock's Retirement Group, was interviewed by fellow Forum member Linda Basch, President Emerita, National Council for Research on Women. Anne discussed her career journey, BlackRock's company growth and the importance of women educating themselves on financial wellness and their retirement.
Watch InterviewOCTOBER 2022
Lauren C. Anderson, International Consultant Fellow, Geneva Centre for Security Policy and former FBI Executive
Anderson, a woman of many firsts, has had such an astounding career journey - from working with the FBI, to social and global activism for young girls around the world. During an FBI career which encompassed many “firsts”, including being one of the first women on an FBI SWAT team, Anderson led FBI Legal Attaché offices in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and spearheaded the FBI’s participation in the US Government/African Union Trans-Sahel Counterterrorism Initiative in Africa. Watch the interview to learn more. Hosted by fellow Forum member, Co-Founder of Take the Lead and social and political advocate of women's rights, Gloria Feldt.
Watch InterviewSeptember 2022
Linda C. Coughlin, Founder & CEO of Great Circle Associates
Lin Coughlin is no stranger to implementing innovative change for individuals and organizations. Coughlin has spent more than a decade coaching and mentoring high potential leaders and leadership teams on six continents. She has also assisted leaders in the public sector in the design and delivery of leadership training programs targeted to high potential leaders in North America, Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We are excited to share with you a special interview with our Forum member Lin, as she discusses the founding of her company, conquering imposter syndrome, and what she has learned in her career journey. Hosted by fellow Forum member, “The Serial Connector”, Susan Spector McPherson, and past interviewee.
Watch InterviewAPRIL 2022
Cheryl Wills, News Anchor & Author
Tune into this special interview with Forum members Cheryl Wills - a nationally recognized award-winning television personality for Spectrum News’ flagship national news network, author and distinguished speaker and Alyson Richman, USA Today bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels including The Velvet Hours, The Garden of Letters, and The Lost Wife. Cheryl gives us insight into her career, greatest life lessons, how she found her true purpose and the importance of speaking up about her ancestors. Both Cheryl and Alyson bond over discovering their family history and having the strength to share it on a global platform.
Watch InterviewMARCH 2022
Ilene Wachs, Founding President, Horizon Casualty Services, Inc.
Women’s Forum member Ilene Wachs, Founding President, Horizon Casualty Services, Inc. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey was interviewed by fellow Forum member Sigal Zarmi, Head of Transformation, Morgan Stanley. Ilene discusses her path to intrapreneurship and gives advice to other women looking to change their career paths and start their own businesses. " Be willing to push the envelope. It is important to feel the freedom to and successfully create and execute on new industry leading ideas. Present visionary ideas along with visuals– if you do not; nobody will. Hard work is important, but what really matters is results." - Ilene Wachs
Watch InterviewOCTOBER 2021
Gloria Feldt, Founder of Take the Lead
Women’s Forum member, best-selling author and Co-Founder of Take The Lead, Gloria Feldt , chatted with us in this #WomeninBusinessWednesday interview hosted by fellow Forum member Nina Boone, North America Diversity & Inclusion Practice Leader of Korn Ferry, for a deeply insightful conversation on her latest book, #genderparity, women’s relationship to power and much more. “Democracy begins in the home. Companies with more women in their leadership are more profitable. Countries led by women have been more successful managing the pandemic…These characteristics, such as empathy, collaboration, and listening, aren’t hardwired. They are culturally learned so available equally to all genders.” – Gloria Feldt
Watch InterviewJULY 2021
Susan Spector McPherson, Founder & CEO of MCP Strategies and Author
Women’s Forum member Susan Spector McPherson, also known as “The Serial Connector”, is one of the best connected people in the social good world. Whether she's speaking at industry events, writing for business publications or hosting a McPherson Memo Live Social Impact Chat, Susan brings warmth, knowledge and savvy to everything she does. Interview by fellow Forum member Nina Boone, North America Diversity & Inclusion Practice Leader of Korn Ferry.
Watch InterviewAPRIL 2021
Lori T. Marcus. Founder, Courtyard Connections, LLC.
Women’s Forum member Lori T. Marcus is an independent board director, board advisor and the founder of Courtyard Connections, LLC, an advisory firm focused on marketing and leadership in consumer goods, retail, foodservice, and consumer technology. Lori is also a keynote speaker who focuses on helping women reach their full potential. “I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. I thought of myself as someone who wanted to continue to work full time, but I wanted to do it in a more self-propelled way. I no longer wanted a boss, and I no longer wanted to spend all my time in one company. When I decided to leave Keurig in 2015 to spend more time with my family back in CT, I knew it was time to build out the portfolio career I’d always dreamed about – corporate board service, executive coaching and keynote speaking.” - Lori T. Marcus
Read InterviewMARCH 2021
Rohini Dey, Owner and Founder of Vermilion Restaurants (NYC/Chicago) & Let's Talk Womxn
Women’s Forum member Rohini Dey, went into the restaurant industry “driven by the conviction that fine dining in the US was excessively Eurocentric (think 18 years ago) and that Indian cuisine was grossly misrepresented.” Intent upon breaking stereotypes, Rohini developed a unique cuisine experience blending Indian and Latin cuisines. 18 years later, the Vermilion has gone onto receive many accolades, launched the careers of many chefs and has been featured in Crain’s Business, Nation’s Restaurant News, NBC, CBS, the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and much more.
Read InterviewFEBRUARY 2021
Tracy McKibben, Founder & CEO, MAC Energy Advisors, LLC
Women's Forum member Tracy B. McKibben is an international energy and clean technology expert with more than 20 years of diverse experience in the energy sector. MAC Energy Advisors LLC is a consulting company that assists clients on alternative energy, renewable energy, water and clean technology investments. McKibben advises multinational corporations and financial institutions across the globe and has extensive transactional experience ranging from mergers and acquisitions, business development, valuation and deal structuring, financial strategy, sustainability metrics, and public policy analysis. Tracy B. McKibben is a powerhouse of knowledge and pure grit!
Read InterviewFEBRUARY 2021
Gina Gibney, Founder, CEO & Artistic Director, Gibney
Women’s Forum member Gina Gibney has created spaces for the expression of dance since its founding in 1991. Gibney has remained committed to supporting the artists who keep the heart and soul of New York City alive. In this Women in Business Wednesday interview, Gina Gibney gives us insight into the inspiration, hard work and strategy behind Gibney.
Read InterviewDECEMBER 2020
Sarah McNally, Founder & CEO of McNally Jackson
In the 16 years since Women’s Forum member Sarah McNally opened her first McNally Jackson shop on Prince Street, she has become a key player in New York City’s indie bookstore resurgence. Since the opening of her first store, Sarah’s shop has been profiled in the New York Times, Time Out and many other outlets. McNally has used a combination of traditional insight with cutting-edge literary practices and figured out a way for booksellers to succeed in a time when print has gone through seismic changes with retailers like Amazon pushing out bookstores, both indies and chains alike. In this Women in Business Wednesday’s Interview, we spoke with Founder and CEO of McNally Jackson, Sarah McNally and discussed her inspiration, the importance of support systems and much more.
Read InterviewNOVEMBER 2020
MiJong Lee, Founder & CEO, EMMELLE Design & MIJONGLEE
Mijong Lee, a Korean-American designer who has been in the fashion industry for over thirty years. Between her flagship boutique on Madison Avenue to directing her own studio-atelier-showroom in the Garment District, Mijong Lee is known for her design artistry and her unique feel for high-quality textiles from artisan mills all over the world, notably in Europe and Asia. "The enslavement of women through, beauty dictates, trends, and exclusionary, manipulation had to end. I applaud the back to basics of quality, originality and timelessness that support sustainability and long term value of clothing." - Mijong Lee
Read InterviewNOVEMBER 2020
Deirdre Quinn, Co-Founder and CEO, Lafayette 148
Deirdre Quinn at a young age fell passionately in love with making something out of a piece of fabric. Deirdre’s passion has turned into an outstanding career in fashion that has allowed her to create a fashion powerhouse for women, led by women. "One thing that makes us unique is we’re a company led by women, for women. Eighty percent of our team at the executive level are women, and that’s something I’m really proud of. So women are really at the center of everything we do. That’s reflected in our leadership, but also in the way we treat our community and our customers, and even the design of our garments. We cut fifty-eight sizes, and we’re committed to creating clothing for accomplished women everywhere, regardless of size or shape. We don’t say, if you’re not young and skinny we don’t want to dress you. We embrace all women. It’s part of our philosophy of putting women first." - Deirdre Quinn
Read InterviewOCTOBER 2020
Patrice Tanaka, Chief Joy Officer, Joyful Planet Inc.
Patrice Tanaka's goal is to help individuals and organizations discover and actively live their purpose to unleash greater success, fulfillment and joy in their personal lives, their businesses and their communities. "The idea for Joyful Planet is the result of being forced by my executive coach 18 years ago to “rethink” my life purpose when I came to her for help in the aftermath of 9/11. Like most New Yorkers and Americans, I was still reeling from the shock and horror of that day and I was also exhausted from building a successful PR agency with 12 partners over the previous 12 years and caring for a husband who had been battling a brain tumor for 16 years." - Patrice Tanaka
Read InterviewOCTOBER 2020
Sarah Kauss, Founder & Executive Chairwoman, S’well
Women's Forum member Sarah Kauss shares with us her insight as a businesswoman, providing valuable tips and motivation. "I was at a point in my career where I was looking for something more in my life. I had grown up with parents who were entrepreneurs and I saw firsthand how rewarding it could be. So S'well presented the opportunity to bring my personal vision to life – really doing something meaningful in the world tied to single-use plastic and the water crisis - while also being in control of my career." - Sarah Kauss
Read Interview