Women's Leadership Summit (WLS)

Saunders College of Business was ecstatic to celebrate the 3rd annual Women's Leadership Weekend! The Leadership Academy at Saunders was pleased to host the 5th annual Women's Leadership Summit as part of Saunders College of Business's Women's Leadership Weekend, centered around Inclusion & Empowerment. The conference included a keynote presentation from RIT alumna Kim B. Miller BS '85 (business administration), Award Winning Spoken Word Poet, Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, Host, PWC VA Poet Laureate Emerita, Author, Haikuist. 

RIT Alumnae Leadership Panel

• Kendra Evans - Director of the Spectrum Support Program and the Neurodiverse Hiring Initiative (NHI) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
• Melissa Murphy - '12 (graphic design, communications, and fine art) - Senior Creative Director at NVE Experience Agency
• Jackie Nicholson -  Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at RIT
• Elizabeth Stone - Associate Ombuds for the Department of State

Presenters

• Sammy Boyd & Amy Sadler - Sammy is a Copywriter who develops written content across social media, email campaigns, websites, and more to resonate with diverse audiences. Amy is the Creative Services Lead, Production at the digital marketing agency, Helen + Gertrude
• Garland Nichols - Vice President of the Optical Systems Business Line at IDEX Health & Science, she leads teams to deliver critical optical components for life-saving instruments in the life sciences sector
• Maggie Dempsey - '22 (MIS), MBA '24 - Portfolio Management Analyst at Mattel, Inc.
• Merrill DiPonzio - Human Resources Assistant in Talent Development at RIT
• Terri Monsees - Passionate advocate and champion for neurodiversity, dedicated to fostering inclusive learning environments where all minds can thrive.

• Kelly DeFranco - CEO of the Gates Chili Federal Credit Union

Seminar Speakers

• Breeann Wilson - Founder of Pure Podiatry of WNY, PLLC
• Amanda Jackson-Scott - '09 (EMBA) - global productivity program manager at Praxair Inc., adjunct faculty member at SUNY Brockport in Business Administration and Economics
• Christina Gullo - Co-owner & Partner of True North Executive Solutions, LLC

• Ruth Starr - Interdisciplinary program manager who has worked with many museums and government organizations including the Smithsonian, MoMA, NASA, and NSF

View the 2025 photo gallery >

Saunders College of Business was ecstatic to celebrate the 2nd annual Women's Leadership Weekend! The Leadership Academy at Saunders was pleased to host the 4th annual Women's Leadership Summit as part of Saunders College of Business's Women's Leadership Weekend, centered around "Owning Your Voice" The conference included a keynote presentation from RIT alumna Erin Sarofsky BFA '98 (graphic design), MFA '00 (computer graphic design), Executive Creative Director and Owner of Sarofsky Corporation

RIT Alumnae Leadership Panel

• Jernee Bramble '00 (biology) - Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Professional Development at Miles & Stockbridge, P.C.
• Ushi Patel '00 (graphic communications), MBA ’01 - Founder and CEO at USHI
• Amy Stornello 96' (criminal justice) - NTID Deputy Title IX Coordinator at RIT
• Stacey Wronkowski 03' (management info systems) – Vice President of Digital Technology at United Airlines

Ted Talks Speakers 

• Laura Hild '00 (mechanical engineering) - Director of Global Technical Support at Cambridge Mobile Telematics
• Ann-Katherine Candelori '22 (MIS) - Engineering Product Management Specialist at Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Claire Candelori '20 (industrial engineering), '21 (MBA) - Process Improvement Analyst at Navy Federal Credit Union
• Peggy Tirrell '95 (human resource management) - Senior Associate Director of Graduate Business Programs at RIT Saunders College of Business

Seminar Speakers

• Linda Kerrigan ’02 (biotechnology), MBA ’03 - Associate Director, Sourcing Excellence at Bristol Myers Squibb
• Rawan Alsukairi '17 (biomedical science and diagnostic medical sonographer) - ARDMS sonographer double boarded in Abdomen and OB/GYN specialties

Workshops

• Trisch Axsmith Tavolette ’93 (photo process & finish mg), MS ’95 (instructional technology), ACT ’08 (project management) – Team Lead, Technical Publications/Training at Alstom Transport
• Bethany Collins '04 (MIS) - Senior Director, Global Information Technology and Data Protection Officer at Oceana
• Ashley Mason - Senior Communication Specialist at Helen & Gertrude 
• Becca Post '09 (new media design and imaging, communication) - Founder & CEO at Helen & Gertrude

View the 2024 photo gallery >

The Leadership Academy at Saunders was pleased to host the 3rd annual Women's Leadership Summit as part of Saunders College of Business's 1st annual Women's Leadership Weekend, centered around "Be the Future YOU Want." The conference included a keynote presentation from RIT alumna JoAnne Ryan MS '04, President & CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities. 

RIT Alumnae Leadership Panel

• Chitra Sivanandam '98 (imaging science) - Chief Technology Officer at Rohirrim
• Rebecca Brubaker '93 (newspaper operations management) - Vice President of Manufacturing | Operations at Power Drives Inc.
• Elizabeth Del Valle '10 (international business) - Global Creator Marketing at YouTube
• Danielle Walters '12 (electrical engineering) - Principle Electronic Engineer at MKS Instruments
• Elizabeth Kiehner '22 (EMBA) - Chief Growth Officer at Nortal 
• Ebony Watson '04 (applied computer technology) - Software Engineering Project Manager at Apple

TED Talks:

• Janine Susz '92 (graphic design) - Instructor of Graphic Design at Bryant & Stratton College 
• Krista Vardabash '12 (EMBA) - Business Development Manager, Executive Education at RIT Saunders College of Business
• Karen Putz - 16X Author, International Speaker, Midlife (and Beyond) Life Coach
• Crystal Gallagher '20 (EMBA) - Corporate Manager of Organizational Development at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Seminars:

• Angelica Pilato '64 (food administration) - Public Speaker and Author of Angel's Truck Stop (a Memoir) A Woman's Love, Laughter, and Loss during the Vietnam War
• Kristen Jones Seymour '05 (biotechnology)

Workshops:

• Jennifer Gress - Professional Speaker. Mindfulness, Meditation & Yoga Teacher. Former CPA. Optimist.
• Jean Ellefson '98 (applied statistics) - Assistant Professor Analytics, Jon and Mary Tabor Chair in Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Alfred University
• Melissa Scrimo '90 (biotechnology) - President and Founder at Applied Intelligence Consulting 

View the 2023 photo gallery

The Leadership Academy at Saunders was pleased to host the 2nd annual Women's Leadership Summit, as they expanded their opportunities of offering interactive workshops, professional development seminars, RIT TED Talks, BE STEAM Challenge, and our most anticipated C-Suite Panel. The conference included a keynote presentation from RIT alumna Laurie E. Axelrod BS '86, co-founder and CEO of Wheelhouse Group Inc.

C-Suite Panelists

• Erin Crowley-Ellis '08 (mechanical engineering) – Co-Founder and Managing Director of ATVentureCenter
• Pooja Kapoor '04 (information technology)  - Managing Director of Google’s Corporate Strategy team
• Rosa Lee Timm '00 (social work) – biracial deaf queer innovation artist known mostly for her YouTube ASL music videos, her work as a solo performer of The Rosa Lee Show, and as a lead actress in ASL Films’ feature film, Versa Effect
• Sophie Schillaci '10 (advertising and public relations) –  seasoned entertainment journalist 
• Sheri Watkins '04 (information technology) - transformational nonprofit and small business leader

TED Talks:

• Anjeanette Agro '92 (graphic design) - Risk, Reward, and Roller Derby
• Dawn Aprile '14 - Small Business Leadership: Opportunities to Lead Change within the Small Business Environment
• Kimberlie Barrett '81 (marketing) - Path to Leadership & Success
• Jessica Carnovale, RIT Saunders College of Business Adjunct Faculty - Women in Supply Chain Management (WiSCM)
• Lindsay Connelly '11 (marketing), '18 (MBA) - "The First 3 Years" - The Top Digital Strategies and Key People to Build your Service Business. 
• Jane Elliot '88 (accounting) - Actively Managing your Career through the Process of Goal Setting
• Taylor Evans '15 (biomedical sciences) - How My Style Blog Made Me a Better Scientis
• Crystal Gallagher '20 (MBA) - Change Management: How to Effectively Manage the People Side of Change and How to Best Communicate Change in the Workplace
• Celia Garland '14 (glass and glass sculpture) - Leading through Storytelling - Parallel Passions & the Power of Public Speaking
• Rachael Gootnick '09 - Building your Personal Brand
• Kimberly Hill '09 (communication), MS '15 (media technology) - When Introverts and Extroverts Unite: A Story of Combined Leadership Growth
• Tara M. LoCastro '96 (environmental management), '98 (MBA) - The Value of Authenticity and Values-Based Leadership
• Christina Pierce '92 (hotel management), '96 (mechanical engineering), ME '11 (engineering management)  - Recruiting your own Personal Board of Directors
• Mona Samaan-Ockenden '94 (civil engineering) - Joy of an Entrepreneur: Knowing when it's Time to Jump and Fly and Becoming Comfortable, Being Uncomfortable
• Susan Stewart '98 (civil engineering technology) - Leadership Begins with You
• Peggy Tirrell MS '95 (Career & Human Resource Development) - Powerlifting as Leadership
• Lorena Valenzuela MS '12 (innovation management) - Turning Flames into Fuel

Fireside Chat:

• Arina Kotlyarskaya '06 (graphic media) and Kara Burns - Leading Outside of your Expertise

Seminars:

• Joanne Braeunle '96 (MBA) - The Pink Suit in the Blue Board Room
• Andrea Carpenter '17 (graphic design) - The Power of Goal Setting
• Shaunta Collier-Rankin '92 - Transparent Leadership through a Black and Brown Lens
• Kathryn Z Faulring, MPH, CHES '19 - Video Development: Telling Your Story & Creating a Concise Message
• Allison Frisch '16 (MBA) - Leading with Empathy and Supporting Purposeful Work
• Kim B Miller '85 (business administration) - The Assumption of Unworthiness
• Heather Riexinger '11 (marketing), '12 (MBA) - The Current State of the Professional Workplace

Workshops:

• Lindsay Connelly '11 (marketing, '18 (MBA), Michele Judkins '20 (new media marketing), and Elyse Mee '11 (new media marketing) - Workshop Title Marketing Essentials for Launching Your Business
• Melissa Scrimo '90 - Create Your Own Destiny by Thinking Like an Entrepreneur

View the 2022 photo gallery