Letter from the Publisher
Josh Schimmels
The San Fernando Valley Business Journal was proud to celebrate many of the leading lights of business in the Valley for our newly expanded Women’s Leadership Symposium & Awards event at the Hilton Woodland Hills on Thursday, September 14th. This year, we brought the Valley’s Community of BusinessTM together, in person, for a half day of inspiration, education, and recognition.Our morning started with a series of TEDx-style speakers, discussing some of the most riveting and important issues impacting women with leadership roles in business today. Speakers included Roberto Barragan, managing director, ICON CDC; Sonya Kay Blake, president & CEO, Valley Economic Alliance; Precious Mayes, CEO and president, Pacifica Hospital of the Valley; Stacey McKinnon, chief operating officer, chief marketing officer and wealth advisor, Morton Wealth; and Kristen Walker, Small Business Institute director, MBA director, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, CSUN.
These inspiring talks were followed by a dynamic panel discussion that provided real-life examples and actionable takeaways on the topic of visionaries and leadership. Our insightful panelists included Sue Fries, owner/president, Ecola Termite; Jerri Hemsworth, chair, Echelon Business Development; Pegi Matsuda, MA, CFRE, owner, Onboard – Business & Community Consulting; Shandreka Niblett, chief operating officer, SPECTRUM Commercial Real Estate, Inc.; and HannahCamille Thomas, CEO, Zodella.
The event culminated with our Women’s Leadership Awards luncheon, where we celebrated the accomplishments of the Valley’s most talented executives. From an impressive roster of finalists, we presented eight standout honorees with awards. Across the next few pages, you will read inspirational stories about those local women who have achieved remarkable success despite various obstacles and challenges, as well as profiles on each of the finalists.
We are grateful to our sponsors, whose support and involvement made this event possible. Congratulations to all the finalists and honorees!
CEO OF THE YEAR
Honoree
DENISE BEAN WHITE – Consortium Media
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Honoree
HARRIET OBERMAN – JRRO LLP
WOMAN-OWNED FOUNDER OF THE YEAR
Honoree
JERRI HEMSWORTH – Newman Grace Inc.
CHAMPION OF WOMEN
Honoree
ALICIA BARMORE – Favour Consulting Group
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Honoree
ROSALINDA VINT – Women of Substance & Men of Honor
COMMUNITY IMPACT ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
Honoree
OLGA DURAN – Valley Community Healthcare
WOMAN TO WATCH OF THE YEAR
Honoree
MEEGAN KERMAN – Atara Biotherapeutics
NEXTGEN WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Honoree
KAYLA SINGER – Luna CX
For the list of Finalists:
click here
Inside This Supplement
Empowering Women in Leadership
As a woman in leadership, I understand the importance of embracing key elements
that contribute to professional growth and empowerment… Read More
Work-Life Balance Not Found in a Policy,
but Within Each Individual
In a fast-paced world, achieving a work-life balance has often felt like an abstract concept. We’ve all heard about those one-size-fits-all solutions that promise to… Read More
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
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To view last year’s virtual event, click here.
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