The International Alliance for Women

The TIAW World of Difference Award recognizes women whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally or worldwide.

Saida Agrebi is a truly outstanding woman leader whose work for women is recognized worldwide. In the political arena, Saida is a member of the Tunisian Parliament, as well as a member of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union, representing North Africa. She has consistently lobbied for gender mainstreaming in African politics, and her successes include being included as one of the five women elected to the African Union Commission. Her work for the empowerment of women and support of the family structure is not only most admired in Tunisia itself, but also throughout Africa and on the international scene. You only have to visit the Centre of the Tunisian Mothers Association that she has built in Tunisia with all the departments in micro credit, in legal advice, in education, in health and accounting to name a few. Saida has also published various articles on women in the work place, Arab women, rural women, and family planning in English, French and Arabic.A truly remarkable woman of many achievements; she is also a champion for the business advancement of women as a founding Board member of the Arab International Women’s Forum.

Afnan Al Zayani is a champion of women’s advancement in business in Bahrain. She is a Board Member of the Bahrain Businesswomen Society as well as President of the Al Zayani Commercial Services. She is a highly visible leader, representing the business association in a variety of forums. From the outset, the leadership of Afnan was instrumental in setting the agenda and tone of the group's programs which now include advocacy on women's issues with the government. Most recently, she has powerfully pushed for the passage of new legislation to improve the status of women in her country. Afnan has worked for twenty-seven years in the entrepreneurship community of Bahrain. She has served on the boards of the Bahrain Businessmen’s Association, Bahrain Businesswomen Society, and the Bahrain National Competitiveness Council. Additionally, she has been featured in many cook books, on many cooking shows, and has been a judge at many major food competitions.

Raja Easa Al Gurg is a mentor to many women entrepreneurs has demonstrated her entrepreneurial flair and dynamism in the corporate, educational, non - profit and public service sectors. In her business role as Managing Director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group LLC - a firm with 18 divisions, over 3,000 employees, and revenue in excess of $2 billion - her business acumen is evident. For 11 years, Raja contributed significantly to education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and was awarded best principal of the year in 1982. Today, she continues to visit and lecture in schools and colleges, as well as speak in various forums to encourage aspiring young entrepreneurs. In her leadership role as a member of several boards, in representing the UAE at global conferences and forums, and through business delegations from many countries to UAE, she has changed the way the western world perceives Arab Muslim women and she has made a positive impact on their economic empowerment.

Ingrid is an entrepreneur, Founder and President of ADIN S.A., a private investment fund focusing on startups, innovation, and the development of local resources. She is also a professor of "Business Design and Evaluation" at the Universidad de Chile, one major state university, she shares with her students her gained experience throughout her professional career, allowing permanent feedback.

Ingrid was Finance Manager during the electoral campaign of the current Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet. She faced a difficult challenge while working in the "Reform for the Funding of Politics", when she formulated a new way to attain the required funds, in a legal and transparent process. She became Minister of Economy in the first government with gender parity. She was also a member of the Committee for Nuclear Electricity Generation, and is part of the National Council of Innovation for Competitiveness.

Her permanent concern about the role of women in society and business is the motivation to give talks and lectures in Chile and abroad to strengthen female leadership and entrepreneurship. Ingrid is a role model to all women in Chile. She is founding member of the Women's Federation Businesswomen of Chile (FEMECH) and member of the Asia Pacific Economic Council - Women’s Leadership Network.

Juliet Asante is the CEO of Eagle Productions Limited, a film production house which she started 10 years ago, and which has helped train numerous actors and actresses in Ghana through its training arm, the Eagle Drama Workshop. Juliet is also the editor of the magazine Entertainment Today, president of Women in Film and Television in Ghana, executive producer of the drama series Secrets and producer/director/host of a talk show and an actress. Yet her professional involvements are matched by her involvement in causes related to women’s empowerment. She has advocated on women’s empowerment issues as a member of the entertainment council of the World Economic Forum, and alumni of the State Department/Fortune Mentorship Program. Her mentors include Pat Mitchell, who is the President of the Palay Media Centre, and Andrea Wong, CEO of Lifetime Television. Juliet has served on the marketing boards of the National Theatre and Our Music Awards. Juliet is also the founder of Save Our Women International, which raises public awareness and educates on the dangers of undergoing unsafe abortions and bad practices that lead to HIV/AIDS contraction.

Gaetane Austin has taken the success of her business and leveraged it to support the economic security of women and communities in Fiji. Pure Fiji is one of Fiji’s most recognized exporters, producing three brands of face and body care products. After being featured in the Emmy and Golden Globes gift baskets, the products have become a hit with Hollywood names. About 75 percent of Pure Fiji’s 55 employees are women and the company has helped create income for an additional 500 people in rural areas through its handmade paper project; village communities that supply raw materials such as cold pressed coconut oil, natural papers and woven baskets. The paper making project is run almost entirely by women, some of whom are widows, providing them with income, opportunity and greater self-confidence. Communities have used their new income to purchase water tanks, pay for school fees, provide a more balanced diet, and help strengthen children’s health. With women at the forefront, the papermaking village recently opened a library, to which the Austin family donated desks and chairs. The company also funds scholarships for some of the village children.

With 30 years in estate planning under her belt, and 30 years of effective leadership in professional associations, Irene Bailey has owned and operated Irene Bailey Insurance Agency as an independent broker/agent since 1978. Irene is an outstanding example of a woman who through her entrepreneurial activities and professional associations has advanced the empowerment of women, and made a world of difference. Her professional associations and community work include, serving as a mentor for the original Step-Up program sponsored by the Ontario government and the former Federal Business and Development Bank (now BDC); founding member and director of the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada; director and active member of the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs, including Chair of the Legislative Committee; active member of the Toronto East Business & Professional Women's Club; member of the Launch Committee of the Canadian Women's Foundation; and board member of the Legal Education Action Fund (L.E.A.F.) Foundation.

Susan Baka has been a tireless champion of women entrepreneurs and exporters for over a decade. As a professional writer and communicator, she has written about hundreds of dynamic women business owners in many publications and websites - both through her own business and as a volunteer. She has presented on women’s entrepreneurship and global trade opportunities, helped lead trade missions and has shared contacts and resources worldwide. She is on the SME Advisory Board for the Canadian government’s Minister of International Trade and is an active leader in women’s business organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. As a founder of the Overseas Women In Trade’s first Canadian chapter in Toronto, and as part of its International Board since 2000, she has spearheaded trade missions for women to Australia, Mexico and the U.S. and has nurtured many chapter start ups. A protégée in the Step Ahead Women’s Mentoring Program in the early ‘90s, Susan has volunteered with the organization since that time on its executive board. She was an early champion of WEConnect Canada and among the first 10 women business owners to become certified in Canada by the organization.

The Honourable Sue Barnes has an abiding interest democratic and parliamentary development, the role of women in politics, and areas of ongoing advancement within the First Nations/Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, where the economic empowerment of women is a critical issue. Sue is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law, has instructed and been a graduation speaker for the Law Society of Upper Canada Bar Admissions Program and taught Business Law and Banking Law courses for Western's Department of Part-Time and Continuing Education. The hallmark of her five terms as Member of Parliament for London West from 1993 to 2008 was her passionate advocacy for aboriginal Canadians. She held a large variety of roles both in Government and as a member of the Official Opposition and is a recipient of The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.

Meisa Batayeh Maani is a trailblazer and an accomplished businesswoman, leading the way for women in her country and region. She is the president of the Business and Professional Women’s Association in Jordan. She is the founder and principal architect at Maisam Architects and Engineers. Over her long and distinguished career, Meisa has led multi-disciplinary teams on large-scale international and regional projects in the US, Pakistan, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and UAE. She has also acted as a consultant on projects for members of the Royal Family in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. She is actively involved in reform processes through numerous national and international commissions and boards. She is committed to supporting the advancement and success of other women in their careers. Through her involvement in the Business & Professional Women of Amman, she has helped design and champion leading innovative programs to encourage women's entrepreneurship in a country where women remain under-represented in the labor force. She is a true champion of women's empowerment and a highly inspirational businesswoman in the Middle East.

Wanda Bedard's moment of inspiration happened five years ago, after reading a newspaper article on the plight of women in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. She realized the privilege of being born in a country that offers women a chance to succeed through education and employment, a chance that is never offered to many girls, 60 million of them, throughout the world. Wanda then turned her talent and energy to this cause by volunteering for UNICEF, becoming Volunteer of the Year in 2004 and heading the organizing committee for the 50th anniversary of UNICEF Canada in Montreal. Encouraged by a successful fundraising gala and project to build a school in Burkina Faso Wanda decided to start a new venture with the encouragement of a small group of like-minded women who also believe in a better and fairer world, establishing the 60 million Girls Foundation in 2006 to support access to education to girls in developing countries, thus supplying the essential tool of education to help them transform their life economically and socially. Wanda's lives by the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”.

Lili Campbell has been a tireless supporter of women’s economic empowerment through her volunteer activities both in the developed world where she is principal in the leading Corporate Identity, Design and Strategy consultancy, Profis Inc. and in the developing world where she has put her considerable communications skills to work supporting the economic progress of girls and women in Africa. In 2008, at her own expense, Lili accompanied UNICEF ambassador Elizabeth Dallaire on a mission to Rwanda and Kenya as an observer. But she went far beyond that role using the video footage and photos she shot on location to create a short documentary at her own expense that demonstrated how work was being done to educate girls in Kenya so that they could pursue careers and become economic and social leaders in their communities. Lili has also donated countless hours of her highly specialized expertise to Canadian and international organizations as a member of the board of women’s microcredit organization Gems of Hope in Canada, as a key member of the marketing and technology committees for TIAW and as a strategic communications advisor to Canadian Women in Communications. She is by definition a woman who makes a world of difference.

Reviving local crafts and cultures is a passion for Claire Chiang, founder of the Banyan Tree Group which runs hotels and spas in 23 countries. Ms. Chiang has been championing village-based entrepreneurship since 1994. From working with a single women-run cooperative in Thailand nearly 15 years ago, the Banyan Group now supports 50 communities in seven countries. Supporting local communities is one of the two pillars of the company’s work on corporate social responsibility, along with environmental conservation as many of their hotels and resorts are situated in areas close to tropical forests or are by the sea, where the impact of damage to coral reefs and fish stock is keenly observable. Claire is also on the boards of a large number of working groups and non-profit organizations in Singapore. She is a strong advocate of corporate social responsibility and advancing women in business; she was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2001 and is currently a Justice of the Peace. She also advocates for family friendly policies in the workplace as the head of the Employer Alliance, an organization championing work-life balance.

Eniola Dada is the kind of person you turn to when you need to get things done. Since 2007, she has headed the Nigerian Network of Women Exporters of Services (NNWES). She established the organization to support the economic empowerment of Nigerian women and has built an association with a strong track record, three chapters and a myriad of international connections for its members. Through regional trade events and other programs, she brings hundred of women together to network, learn, share and partner as they developed their entrepreneurial skills and learned to take advantage of opportunities for international consulting. NNWES serves both women business owners looking to export and women in service organizations who are considering entrepreneurship. Ms. Dada’s work is not confined to Nigeria. She has connected her members to women entrepreneurs in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa while traveling to Geneva and elsewhere in Europe to represent the NNWES at important international trade meetings. Ms. Dada’s work is considered a model of success in leading businesswomen to new global opportunities, as she says “to ensure that women get money into their hands and their husbands, children and families also gain from it.”

Carol Fabbri isn’t a name that you’re likely to recognize. She is a teacher, coach and advisor who has helped empower women economically by teaching and promoting financial education in the Denver community and elsewhere in the U.S. Her work began in her role as a financial advisor, when she was shocked and frustrated by the fear and insecurity that many women feel about finance, and committed herself to improving the situation. Through individual meetings, lunch and learn sessions, national webinars, and speaking engagements, Carol has helped hundreds of women reframe their relationship with money to one of respect instead of fear. She has shown them that money is a powerful tool to be harnessed to achieve their dreams and has helped them create their own lifetime plan. Carol is also active in the nonprofit community. She works tirelessly with the Colorado Women’s Foundation whose mission is to achieve economic self-sufficiency for women and girls of Colorado and has helped to bring a Denver location for individuals affected by cancer to receive support. Through her generous spirit and insight, to women in so many places, she has all the difference in the world.

Over 30 years, Anne Day has created a remarkable legacy in her support of women’s economic empowerment and success on their own terms. From working with abused women at a women’s centre she co-founded, to helping teen mothers finish high school to an award-winning program to train women in the skilled trades, she has enhanced the economic empowerment of women. Six years ago founded Company of Women, an organization that supports, connects, and promotes women in business and it is one of the fastest-growing women’s organizations in Southern Ontario. In 2005, she launched Company, a free, digest-size magazine that is aimed at women in business and is distributed across Canada through women’s organizations, providing information and inspiration to women business owners. She serves on the Governor’s Council of Opportunity International, a charity that provides micro credit financing to women in developing countries. As a volunteer, she compiled and edited a book of stories – Faces of Opportunity – that is being published and launched this fall. Anne received the ATHENA Award in 1999 for assisting women achieve their leadership potential and went on to be the 2nd Canadian representative on the ATHENA International Board. She received the Rotary Centennial Award for Professional Excellence in 2005 and the Oakville Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009.

Teresa Correia Lacerda attended a strategy meeting for European Women in Management Development (EWMD) in Stockholm in 2007 and has never looked back since. She told the group that she would like to create a women’s business group in Portugal. With support from EWMD she offered to run a full international conference. At the time, she had only five women to support her, but she made it happen in November of 2008 when she staged a successful and highly-regarded conference with speakers from Portugal and across Europe. This was the just the start for her and she founded EWMD Portugal only two months after the conference. She is quickly building up membership and has started to develop a strategic alliance with a leading business school in Lisbon. Not only that, she offered a six-month program curriculum for women on how to develop and make a career. She has endless energy and she plans to run a local conference in Lisbon again this year, exactly one year after the inaugural meeting. She runs all her events in English and attracts participants from all over Europe who appreciate the region but who like to think outside of the box.

As the President and CEO of Runnymede Healthcare Centre, Connie Dejak has positively impacted the economic empowerment of women within the hospital. Seven out of nine members of the Executive Advisory Committee (Senior Management) of the hospital are women, nine out of twelve members of the Operations Group are women, and under her leadership, the number of women on the board of directors has increased substantially. In 2005 when Connie was first appointed as the CEO, there were twenty directors on the board, and only four of those directors were women. In 2009, the board consists of sixteen members, and ten of those directors are women. She is dedicated to providing leadership and oversight for all hospital operations, and was integral in obtaining the approval and funding for the construction of a new state-of-the-art hospital facility which was completed in August 2009 under budget and two months ahead of the original completion date. Her professional accomplishments and community experience demonstrate her extensive knowledge in board governance and leadership. Connie has received numerous awards, including being inducted into the Millennium edition of Chatelaine's Who’s Who of Canadian Women.

Sabra Desai is steadfast champion of women’s advancement and education, a survivor of apartheid South Africa after being raised on a small farm in Kwa-Zulu, Natal. Told she was aiming to high in her wish for higher education, Sabra went to to earn a graduate degree from the University of Toronto with honours. Since then, she has turned her attention to encourage and support the young, and not so young, to pursue their dreams of higher education. A transformative educator, she has spearheaded several initiatives at Humber College, Institute for Technology and Advanced Learning, winning the 2009 North American League for Innovation in a Community College. She won the Distinguished Faculty Award at Humber College in 2003. In a number of ways, she has supported education to help women overcome barriers to economic self-sufficiency, by founding the first shelter for women escaping violence in Peel county, or working with South African Women for Women, Skill for Change, Microskills Community Development Centre, the Canadian Council of Muslim women or taking on human rights and HIV/AIDS work in South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Guyana and the U.S.

Ann Diamond founded an innovative program for the Financial Women’s Association that helps economically challenged adults develop financial literacy skills such as budgeting, credit repair, and saving for education, home ownership and retirement. Cultural sensitivity marks the interactive eight week training course which has graduated forty students annually for five years. She customized the content to make personal financial management concepts more accessible and relevant to the Chinese and Hispanic working poor who took the class at the University Settlement House in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. She convinced corporate supporters to fund stipends, child care, meals, and paid peer tutors. She tapped government agencies and the New York Public Library for information resources in Spanish and Mandarin. Ann expanded FWA’s reach to include Non-Traditional Employment for Women whose clients are in the building and construction, utilities and transportation industries. She helps women make the most of wages and benefits offered by union employment and imparts a new understanding of needs versus wants and fostered good habits like deferring discretionary purchases and minimizing credit card use. The program helps FWA volunteers sharpen their presentation and financial advisory skills and has been featured on the PBS TV special “Your Life, Your Money”. Ann has also written No More Fear of Finance for corporate employees.

Dianne Dinkel is the President and CEO of ATHENA International, a non-profit organization that supports, develops and honors women leaders and emerging women leaders through the ATHENA Award Program and the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Program. Just under 6,000 ATHENA Awards have been presented in over 500 communities in the United States, Canada, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, India and the United Kingdom to individuals who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession; contribute time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential. Dianne has demonstrated her commitment to the economic empowerment of women through the ATHENAPowerLink Program where woman business owners receive advice and support from professional advisors on how to grow their businesses and establish invaluable networks during the course of the program. Women who complete the year-long mentor program show an average 88 percent increase in overall sales and 38 percent increase in net income in the twelve months following completion of the program.

Patricia Foley Hinnen is a thoroughly remarkable advocate for women’s economic advancement through microcredit. She is co-founder and leader of the TIAW Microenterprise Program which has funded 100 village banks for women in more than 23 developing countries. Patricia is also Executive Director of Capital Sisters International. a non-profit organization that also supports microcredit through grants, loans and loan guarantees. She is the Co-founder of Colorado Microcredit, the Micro Business Development Center, the Friends of Microcredit and is an Advisor to the Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute. Patricia’s 25 years of contribution include her role as the Microcredit and Gender Issues Advisor to the U.S. State Department for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, an organization of 21 countries, and has led the US delegation to the annual meeting of the APEC Women Leaders Network since 2002. The State Department asked Patricia to create and lead two workshops on microcredit at the 2009 APEC meeting. Patricia serves on the boards of the Women’s Forum, the International Fund of the Colorado Women’s foundation, the Colorado Alliance of Professional Women, and TIAW. She is a frequent a guest lecturer at the Graduate School of International Studies at Denver University.

Tema Frank has for three decades dedicated her considerable energy and service orientation to improve and enhance the role of women in the workplace. As a skilled researcher, she has championed the need to encourage women-friendly workplaces. In 1994 she published the groundbreaking book, Canada's Best Employers for Women, an important practical resource for women planning their career moves. In 2001, she wrote a report on the progress of women in the communications field called Onward and Upward: A Study of the Progress Made by Women in the Communications Industry and updated it in 2006. Tema has also done important research on women’s advancement in traditionally male dominated fields, such as accounting. Her dedication to women’s economic empowerment hasn’t just been a function of her work. She has also worked tirelessly as a volunteer in her longstanding role as a member of the CWC Regional Board in Edmonton. She is the creator of one of the organization’s most successful events, The Key Communicators Lunch, which provides access for women to high profile members of the local business community. She has also been a keen supporter of the CWC mentoring program. As an entrepreneur, time is money and by that standard Tema’s contribution to advancing women in business has been worth a small fortune.

Nancy Gomez has taken innovation and support for women’s economic empowerment to a new level through her not for profit organization EVE-olution in 2004, an organization which builds on the coaching expertise of retired executives to provide women entrepreneurs from developing countries with the guidance and support they need to succeed. In addition to promoting EVE-olution across the globe, Nancy has also gone to bat for women in Chile, lobbying four years to ensure the necessary support from Government and private sector to hold the Global Summit for Women in Santiago in May 2009. Nancy’s involvement with various international organizations such as UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the UN Commission on the Status of Women well as the OECD and the European Union add to the incredibly extensive network she draws upon to ensure the success of her initiative. Nancy has been a participant in the UN Global Compact and has led activities in support of exporting and sustainable development to support women entrepreneurs in numerous countries, including Mexico, Columbia, China and Morocco.

Kate Grussing left behind the financial security and status of the corporate world after 18 years to give something back to other women. She founded Sapphire Partners in London in 2005 to promote the economic advancement of women by educating organizations to recruit, retain and promote women. In addition to advocating for flexible working with companies, Kate also coaches women (and men) re-entering the workforce or searching for flexible work. By matching companies with this hidden pool of female talent, Kate and Sapphire Partners show companies the benefits of investing in women. For years she has mentored women, run workshops/panels, and given career advice on issues facing women returning to work, in the midst of career transitions and managing work/life balance. She also conducts and promotes research on issues facing women and personally supports numerous women-focused charities. She consistently offers pro bona advice to women on how to negotiate a pay raise, ensure their job is held open after maternity leave, ask for a stretch assignment, return from a career break and navigate the many labyrinths of a modern woman's career.

Roswyn Hakesley-Brown has been a role model to generations of women making their careers in nursing. Leaving school with 3 “O” levels, Roswyn did a first degree through the Open University while she was working full time as a nurse tutor and becoming a mother to her two children. She went on to develop the first degree course for nurses in the West Midlands and the first Masters' program for advanced nursing practice in the UK. In addition to supporting women’s advancement in nursing careers, she has also encouraged many nurses to publish widely. A member of the Society of Authors, she herself wrote the first book in the UK for nurses to develop their own evidence-based portfolios. In 2003 she chaired the Task Force for Refugee Nurses and Midwives, and pushed to facilitate their assimilation into the UK healthcare workforce so that they could use nursing skills obtained in their native countries to achieve economic security in the UK. Roswyn is a member of the Women's National Commission's Migration sub-group representing the interests of female refugee healthcare professionals in the UK. She was President of the Royal College of Nursing in 2000 and spearheaded the campaign for nursing to become a graduate entry profession. This is now currently in place in three UK countries.

Kelley Keehn is a financial expert, speaker, media personality and author of six books, all aimed at empowering women, encouraging excellence and ensuring they take an active role in managing their finances. Kelley has been an indefatigable supporter of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards in Edmonton, helping to generate a record number of nominees. Through her website, she offers women free assessment and skill building exercises in areas such as The Woman’s Guide to Money, the Prosperity Factor for Women and She Inc. She provides facts about women and money and also offers without charge worksheets for women to do important personal financial planning. She encourages women to start a money group and provides advice on how to set it up. Her energy, enthusiasm and
continuous support is contagious and a blessing for anyone who is connected to her. A generous human being and although extremely busy building her business, Kelley manages to always make time for her family, friends and community.

Dr. Maggie Kigozi is a medical doctor by profession, determined and passionate advocate who has fought tirelessly for women's economic empowerment in Uganda and other parts of Africa. In 1999, Maggie was appointed Executive Director of the Uganda Investment Authority, the government body that promotes and facilitates investment in Uganda. Under her leadership, foreign and domestic investments have continued to increase and Uganda Investment Authority won the Corporate Location Prize for the best Investment Promotion Agency in Africa and the Middle East in 2001. In addition, Maggie is involved in a number of local and international organizations. She has particularly furthered women's rights by fighting to change gender discriminatory legislation in Uganda as well as advocating for women friendly banking products to enable women's increased access to financing for business loans and ultimately economic security. Maggie urges women and other young entrepreneurs to have a vision for the people in their countries, as well as the continent as a whole, to strive to ensure good governance and democracy. In addition to her championship of women, Maggie was a champion athlete who represented Uganda in lawn tennis, table tennis, squash and hockey.

Sung-Joo Kim is the CEO of Sunjoogroup, a world-class fashion business that she built despite tremendous challenges. After being disowned in Korea by her father for marrying against his wishes, Sung Joo scraped a living and wore down her health as a clerk in Bloomingdales, New York, until she returned to Korea to recuperate. Her father relented when he needed her help to do business with an American company. Although skeptical of her business ideas, he then backed a loan for Sung-Joo to acquire franchises for fashion brands like YSL, Gucci and MCM in Korea. Sung Joo turned the $300,000 investment into a business with turnover of $97 million annually, also acquiring the MCM global business, which turned over $200 million by 2008. Sung Joo is actively engaged in supporting women in business. She is a frequent speaker to women’s business organizations and is actively involved in the Global Summit for Women, the Women’s Leadership Board of Harvard University, the London School of Economics Women’s Alumni Network, The World Women’s Forum in France and Women’s International Networking in Switzerland. She was named one of the “Top Women to Watch” by the Wall Street Journal and is an Ambassador for the World Bank for the Global Private Sector Forum.

Victoria Kisyombe is a leader who has used innovation, initiative and determination to empower women in Tanzania to become economically self-sufficient, focusing especially women who are heading families after being widowed by the rapidly spreading scourge of HIV/AIDS. In 1992 she started the Sero Women’s Business Association with five other widows to tackle these problems. Given women’s lack of collateral and resulting lack of access to capital, Victoria also began piloting microleasing as a solution. She changed the criteria of eligibility to enable women with no assets and little business experience to engage in commercial activities to support themselves and their families. The ability to generate cash flow, rather than collateral, became the determinator of whether an applicant would be considered. Sero Lease Ltd was formally registered in 2002 and has developed into a sustainable, for-profit operation providing microleasing to thousands of women clients in Tanzania. Victoria’s successful microleasing model has generated praise beyond Tanzania, and efforts are under way to expand the model to other countries in the region. Victoria has been a true innovator and pioneer in an important area, helping improve the livelihoods of thousands of impoverished women in her country, truly making a world of difference.

Mei Sim Lei has been a trailblazer throughout her business career. Of Chinese origin, she was born and educated in Malaysia, moving to London in 1970 to train as a chartered accountant. She was the first Chinese and the first female partner at a leading city accounting firm, Pridie Brewster. In 2005, she founded and became Managing Director of LeiPeters Limited, a management and business consultancy. In addition to being a business role model, Ms. Lei has also been a champion of greater cultural and racial diversity in business. She was appointed to the UK Department of Trade and Industry Ethnic Minority Business Forum and chaired their access to finance group. She has been since 2007 a non-executive director of the International Women of Excellence, an organization that supports women in their careers and encourages the attraction advancement and retention of women in corporations. As a champion of Diversity, Mei Sim Lai was appointed the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Equal Opportunities and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant and represents the Queen in the London Borough of Brent.

Kate Laneve is a tireless advocate for women’s advancement in the workplace. As President of the Women in NCR (WIN) International group within National Cash Register, she has fought for funding, new members and to develop new programs, such as the “Taking the Stage” program that helps women at NCR to present and communicate with confidence and impact. She has accomplished all this, despite the challenges and setbacks, including the loss of almost half of the WIN members from a spin-off of one part of the company in 2007. New WIN chapters have been established in India, Waterloo, and Australia. Kate’s most recent achievement is the creation of the WIN-sponsored MicroEnterprise bank initiative where WIN members and NCR employees invest in women’s businesses in poverty-stricken regions of the world. She has also served on the Board of The International Alliance for Women and is active in the Georgia Executive Women’s Network, where she was instrumental in awarding scholarships to women over the age of 24 who are returning to school to complete their education.

Carina Lundberg-Markow is Director of Responsible Investment in the Folksam Group in Sweden, one of the largest investment and insurance companies in the country. During the years in which she was a director, she has ensured that her company reviewed all stock exchange listed companies in Sweden on their success in promoting women into leadership roles and board directorships. Carina has been a vital and courageous voice on behalf of corporate women in Sweden, in times when this issue has faced resistance and criticism from a predominantly male group of corporate leaders. As a result of her strong leadership on the subject, she has been invited to speak at Centre for Corporate Diversity (CCD) conferences in Norway, and where she could be counted on to bring relevant perspective and keen insight, all supported by an impressive array of data and facts. She is a highly important and supportive voice for corporate women and in general also for bringing more diversity to corporate leadership in Sweden. In addition to champion women’s corporate leadership, she has pushed for stronger corporate social responsibility, sustainability and ethical standards, participating on behalf of Folksam in the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Runa Magnusdottir’s passion is to empower women entrepreneurs to achieve their personal success worldwide as she has done with her global community site Connected-Women.com where thousands of women entrepreneurs from over 60 countries are communicating, connecting and creating new business connections in an online format. The drive to start her business came from her observation women often hold themselves back and are afraid to make mistakes, having more doubts about whether they have the knowledge, the equipment and the financing to succeed. This struggle with similar obstacles led Runa to build platform for women entrepreneurs worldwide where they could share their thoughts and ideas, leading to stronger networks and broadened impact. In June 2009 she went further, creating an online Teleseminar series dedicated to empowering women worldwide in difficult times: "Women Supporting Women - Turning Crisis into Opportunity". In this inspirational project, she partnered with New York Times bestselling author Janet Attwood and 12 of the top transformational women speakers in the world who share their tools, insights and advice on how to create successful and passionate life. Keeping with her commitment to the economic empowerment of women, proceeds from the series will go right back to helping women entrepreneurs, in this case in Runa's home country of Iceland, to create new jobs in a country facing tremendous economic challenges.

Kim McArthur, celebrated and acclaimed entrepreneur, is President and Publisher of McArthur & Company, a Canadian owned and operated firm she founded in 1998. Her company is ranked as one of the top three Canadian-owned publishers of Canadian fiction in Canada. A strong advocate and supporter of women, Kim’s management team is all female. In 10 years of operation, McArthur & Company has had phenomenal success with 65 bestsellers, including 25 Number Ones, split between Canadian and International authors and between fiction and non-fiction titles. The company’s authors have been short listed for 14 awards in Canada, having won seven of them. Kim encourages women to tell their stories, and is the publisher of many female authors both in Canada and internationally. She travels extensively to international markets to promote her books and authors and has shared her stories and advice as a volunteer speakers to many women’s business organizations. The winner of numerous prestigious awards, she continues to mentor women in various capacities and is committed to fostering their success.

Leila Joy McKenzie is a remarkable humanitarian who has used her intelligence, connections and passion to work on behalf of the most vulnerable in society, focusing her efforts on supporting women and youth in health and education. For new immigrants, one of the most daunting challenges is finding a way to use the skill and education from another country to find meaningful work. Her interest in the economic empowerment of women and youth is reflected in her work for South African Women for Women. She led the effort to secure women’s residences at the University of the Western Cape so that young women could pursue their education and ultimately their careers secure from the threat of violence. South African Women for Women is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the empowerment of South African women - those who live in South Africa and those who have settled in Canada - by encouraging long-term systemic change. By ensuring that women are educated, the organization facilitates their ability to earn a living and develop economic self-sufficiency.

Women in Uganda struggle against major challenges and Julian Omalla knows what it is like to face adversity. Although now owner of Uganda’s largest juice processing factory, Delight Ltd, with 45% of the local market, over 12 years ago she lost everything when her business partner ran off with money earmarked to purchase stock. Everything except a wheelbarrow to take fruit to sell at the market and a red dress I would wash out every night. Through sheer hard work and determination, she traded her way back into the black and saved her profits to invest in a new business venture. Since then, she has diversified into a range of other business activities, including poultry, a flour mill and bakery, and a student hostel for 400. One of her most important initiatives is coordinating women’s farmer cooperatives that provide food aid into Sudan. As a member in the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Network Julian is also part of the Uganda Gender and Growth Coalition, a group of seven women’s organizations advocating for improvements in business regulation that works to circumvent obstacles to women’s participation in business such as mobility, complex registration, lack of cash and targeting for bribes. In 2004 she won the Uganda Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Gulseren Onanc is the chair of Kagider, a leading women's business association in Turkey which advocates for women in business and women's overall rights. For the past two years, Gülseren has spearheaded Kagider's engagement with the European Union through the opening of a new office in Brussels to engage EU leaders on issues of gender equality. In addition, Gülseren is the founder and general manager of Ticketturc, Turkey's second largest online entertainment and sport online ticketing company. She holds degrees in management engineering and business administration and prior to founding her own business; she was a partner at a marketing company specializing in database solutions and was a country manager at Ferrero chocolates. Her experience includes management work in the United States and Russia and her global experiences have given Gülseren a powerful advocacy platform for women's rights in a country where women remain disadvantaged in important ways. She has used her role at Kagider to expand women's entrepreneurship training, provide leadership support for women, and establish Turkey's first women's business incubation center. The association has also conducted research to increase awareness and information about women's entrepreneurship.

Kathleen M. O’Neill exemplifies the ultimate female corporate leadership experience as a former Executive Vice President of BMO Financial Group where she was accountable for major business units, including Small Business Banking, all Direct Banking operations, Consumer Finance, and Strategy and Planning leader on several major strategic initiatives, as well as a member of the senior management team. In addition to her own career success, she has fostered the career success of other women in her field as a role model, mentor and through her involvement in Women at The Top and Women in Capital Markets. She has sat on the boards of numerous corporate boards in Canada including Finning International Inc., TMX Group Inc., ABC Energy Group, Invesco Trimark Funds, and Canadian Tire Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Tire Corporation. Katheleen has also served as a director of MOS Inc. and Hydro One. In addition her board experience includes serving as a director of several publicly held companies in which BMO Bank of Montreal has had ownership including set up, strategic direction, restructuring, and start up of new ventures.

The qualities that led Shelly Price to the senior leadership team at xwave, a division of Bell Aliant, started at xwave are the same qualities that have made her such an effective champion and role model for other women aspiring to career success. Starting as a Project Manager, Shelly gained the respect of her peers through hard work, determination and her ability to build trust and loyalty with the members of the different groups she interacts with, both internal and external to Bell Aliant. As a member of the xwave Senior Leadership Team, Shelly has utilized her strong leadership skills, support and encouragement, to initiative and complete many process improvements that have allowed xwave ATS to manage and contribute to the company’s growth without increasing the operational head count. Those same qualities have made her an excellent role model and opened the door for other women to succeed within Bell Aliant. Shelly believes in recognition and knows how critical it is to shine a light on the achievements of women. She developed the ATS Spotlight Awards, a program to recognize individuals within ATS whose behaviour demonstrates our Corporate Values. Shelly was also the standard bearer for the Gender Equity Initiative in Ontario, not only championing the initiative that province, but also encouraging Bell Aliant to make it the standard across all regions. In working with women throughout Bell Aliant, Shelly makes sure that no matter what the area of expertise, that their excellence and contributions are always well acknowledged.

Candice Rice has been one of Canada’s most stalwart champions of women in business for more than 25 years. As a Trade Commissioner with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Candice has been instrumental in leading or supporting landmark initiatives that encourage women to expand their businesses through global trade and so advance their economic stability, security and progress. She was pivotal in staging the first Canadian businesswomen’s trade mission to Washington in 1997, helped establish the Canadian chapter of Organization of Women in Trade and the first virtual trade mission for businesswomen in Canada and Australia. The start up of the Toronto chapter of OWIT was her brainchild. After the successful Washington trade mission, she saw the need for Canadian women entrepreneurs to have a continuing network dedicated to international trade. She researched organizations, found OWIT, put the wheels in motion to form the initial board and for launching the first Canadian chapter, provided critical start-up support and has been an active member and supporter ever since. Candice’s championship was most recently in evidence from her role in supporting the development and launch of the WEConnect certification program in Canada that helps women-led businesses tap into global supply chains.

Virginia Robinson is an outstanding contributor to the economic empowerment of women and an exceptional woman of achievement, both nationally and internationally. Virginia has been a tremendous role model as the first woman senior executive in financial management in the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), establishing accounting and auditing standards agencies still use today. She was Executive Director of the US Joint Financial Management Improvement Program and she represented the US in providing governmental financial management expertise in Eastern Europe, Africa and South America. She was a co-founder of the TIAW Microenterprise Program and traveled to South Africa to observe operations there and her report led to the establishment of TIAW’s first microcredit village bank. In Ghana she met with the micro finance partner leading to expansion of TIAW’s micro operations there. From inception, she has led the TIAW Microenterprise due diligence team that recommends approval of microfinance partners and as the Program’s CFO ensures accountability for donor funds. As a past President of Executive Women in Government, she brought together women astronauts, other women scientists, economists, and educators to help influence the career choices of daughters and granddaughters preparing them to be future women leaders in their chosen fields. She continues to teach, mentor, and volunteer in her community to share her talents, wherever needed.

Diann Rodgers Healey is the Founder and Director for Centre for Leadership for Women, a non profit organization that focuses on women's leadership. She is an outspoken thought leader and advocate for women’s advancement who writes extensively on women’s issues. In 2001 CLW was short-listed for the Australian Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing and in 2002 it was selected to be archived in the National Library of Australia. Diann combines research skills with an in-depth knowledge of women’s leadership and workplace issues in her consulting and not for profit work on topics such as Leadership and Gender Auditing; Strategic Planning; Organisational Development with a goal to include women through systemic change; Issue Resolution and Collaboration. Diann has held leadership positions in business and in the educational sector in London and in Australia. In 1999 she produced and hosted a radio program entitled "Women as Leaders" for the Illawarra region of NSW. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sydney University, a Masters of Education from the Australian Catholic University, Diann received her PhD from the University of Wollongong in the area of women and leadership in 2009.

Dalila Rodriguez is a leader and a role model, living in a small rural town where forming groups to solve problems is a way of life. She has been an ardent supporter of women’s empowerment through all her activities, but especially through the Caritas program from 1996 to 1998 promoting women’s self-sufficiency in eight communities. In 2008, she accepted the challenge of a train-the-trainer class to teach 14 illiterate adults to enhance their employment opportunities and to open doors to a better future. Her extensive volunteer work has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for her fellow citizens and certainly to women. She learned sewing in order to provide instruction on economic self-sufficiency. Since 1994, she has worked on projects such as improving the electrical system, paving main roads, and six years of organizing preschool duties enabling mothers to work while children are in healthy environment. For the past six years, she has worked in a fiscal role on Rural Aqueduct Committee, creating a water storage tank and new well with a turbine. Her contributions include environmental activities such as maintaining clean river banks and drainage areas, biointensive agricultural seminars to improve nutrition right down to organizing seven community vegetable gardens for 65 people.

Since 2008, Reeta Roy has held the post of CEO of the MasterCard Foundation, which has the global mandate to help alleviate poverty by providing economic opportunities for people worldwide. Since her arrival, the MasterCard Foundation has instituted three significant programs. In December 2008, the Foundation Partnered with MEDA to develop a groundbreaking microfinance program for poor youth in Egypt and Morocco. In February 2009, the Foundation partnered with Aga Khan Foundation Canada and CARE Canada to deliver savings program for the poor in Tajikistan and Rwanda. In May 2009, the Foundation awarded a grant to the Microfinance Information Exchange, a non-profit that assists in increasing the transparency of the microfinance sector, to develop a next-generation web platform that will assist in information sharing and building capacity for the microfinance sector. In a former role, Reeta worked at the United Nations in economic development, women’s rights and human rights. She spent 11 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. working on global health, social responsibility and private-public partnerships. She was also the divisional Vice-President of the Abbott Fund, a global healthcare and community foundation.

President, Founder and CEO of Atlanta-based Sanders Financial Management, Emily Sanders is a globetrotter, having visited 38 countries to enhance her professional skills and knowledge. She was an auditor in South Africa. Prior to starting her firm in 1994, Ms. Sanders held various financial positions with firms including The Coca Cola Company, Charter Publishing, The Home Depot, and Bell South. A frequent contributor to financial publications including the Wall Street Journal, Emily is a sought after national and international speaker and media consultant, and is ranked among the Top 50 Women in Wealth Management. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and expertise with women across a broad spectrum: improving their financial literacy, protecting them in retirement, after divorce or being widowed, strengthening their entrepreneurial acumen, and advising emerging affluent women to use and invest their resources wisely. Emily sponsored PINK Magazine’s Million Dollar Stock Market Challenge to promote financial literacy among women.

Geeta Sheker is an extraordinary champion for women in business for the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where Geeta is Director of the Initiative for Women in Business. In 2003 she oversaw the launch of the nationally renowned Judy Project, a high-impact annual leadership program for 25 of Canada’s most senior corporate women. She has been instrumental in expanding the forum’s curriculum, engaging additional corporate financial support, creating funding for two not-for-profit seats, and growing a powerful and productive network of alumnae. Since the launch of the Initiative for Women in Business in 2008, Geeta, with the support of an outstanding team of people at Rotman, has worked to create a rich portfolio of programs for women focused on helping them to build confidence and advance in their careers. Programs include Emerging Leaders (woman moving into senior leadership), Edge for Internationally Trained Women Professionals (for recent immigrants advance within their organizations); the Board Assessment Workshop; Business Leadership for Women Lawyers; Bright Beginnings (for up-and-coming professionals)and Make it Work (for senior women affected by downsizing offered this year in Toronto, Canada and London, UK) In addition, she has overseen the development of Personal Advisory Boards for program alumnae and introduced the Women in Business speaker series at Rotman.

Rita Singh came from India in 1979 with no friends, few dollars in her pocket and with a handful of college certificates. She worked tirelessly to became the well-known entrepreneur and founder of two companies; S&A Consulting Group LLP-a management consulting firm doing business worldwide & The Miraj Touch - event design and management company. She has used her success in these ventures to create unique projects for the economic advancement and leadership of women. She created The Best and The Most Powerful a project to create a worldwide platform for leadership and economic advancement & empowerment for women, greater collaboration among women’s businesses as well as to build alliances with other business organizations, offer education, insight and global opportunities as well as strategic networking among local, national and global leaders. Rita’s leadership is making a difference worldwide-while serving as Honorary International Development Director; she worked two years to establish The ATHENA Award in her country India to inspire other women to achieve their full potential. Rita is an exceptional leader who serves as a role model to others with her unconditional service to her community and worldwide. She has also been involved in Women Supporting Women, a platform for articles, forums speeches and conferences.

Marjorie Singley-Hall has been involved with helping women since she first entered the workforce 37 years ago, beginning her career in insurance as one of the first female adjusters. After nine years she formed her first company, Career Success Institute, Inc. to train agents, underwriters and adjusters in Georgia. CSI, Inc. was the only woman-owned insurance training school in the state and mentored many women in the insurance industry. Marjorie went into the search business in 1997, and she is currently CEO of Ampersand Associates Inc. She has placed many women in executive and board positions. Marjorie is an active member of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and she is the Atlanta Liaison for the Women’s Leadership Exchange, as well as a member of the Atlanta Advisory Board for WLE. She is Founder of the Atlanta chapter of Women’s Association of Venture and Equity (WAVE), a national organization supporting women in all areas of industry within the venture and equity business community. She is on the board of the Human Resources Society of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) and is a former board member of TAG. She is an active member of the Board of Directors Network (BDN).

Carol Stephenson is not only one of Canada’s most dynamic and effective business leaders but she is also one who has played a pivotal role in the career advancement of Canadian women as a role model, a champion, an educator, an unrepentant plain speaker and as someone who doesn’t just talk about change, but makes it happen. The Dean of one of Canada’s most prestigious business schools, Carol brings her CEO experience and many awards to the post, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Lucent Technologies Canada and President and CEO of Stentor Resource Centre Inc. In 1995 she was named the CWC Woman of the Year Award, 2001 she won the YWCA’s Woman of Distinction award and is a 2008 winner of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100. As a testament to her determination to support women and foster change, she was a founder of Women On Board, a board level mentoring program bringing together leading board Chairs and CEOs with executive women aspiring to sit on corporate boards. She has used her platform as a respected business leader to write about women’s advancement and also founded the Ivey Women Entrepreneurs Connect event to bring women together to forge strong business connections.

As the founder of Similar Circles, Dennie Theodore has made a significant difference in the lives of a diverse group of women. She is committed to helping women build personal communities that allow them to both extend their career (and earning potential) and to pay it forward to others. A recipient of the Canadian Women in Communications’ Volunteer of the Year Award and TD Bank Financial Group's Vision in Action award for outstanding business contribution, she uses her achievements to open doors and give credibility to whatever she is involved in. She believes in connections that support professional growth, and by extension, personal communities too. This approach makes her network authentic. Through Dennie, authors have met publishers, speakers, audiences and friendships are formed and cemented. Through her blog, Similar Circles, readers are coached on how to truly connect with people, and once a quarter she hosts an event, and smaller coffee/tea groups are gathered monthly to ensure these connections happen.

During a career of almost 50 years, Lavergne Turpin has been a trailblazer and a woman of many “firsts”. In 1956, she became the first woman real estate broker in Alexandria. Known for her telecommunications expertise, she opened LaVergne’s TeleMessaging in 1960, creating the area’s first “live” telephone answering service. In 1963, LaVergne’s TeleMessaging became the area’s first after hours Western Union Agent and in1966, added the first off-premise alarm monitoring service and became the first radio common carrier and in 1988 became the first radio-telephone service to vessels on the Red River. As voicemail and faxes came into use, she used new technologies to operate her “live” answering service statewide. A committed contributor to her community, LaVergne is a charter member of the Tioga Historic Society and founder of a telecommunications museum. Her dedication to helping other women succeed in their careers has been steadfast through her 20-year involvement in the Professional Women’s Network and Better Business Bureau, 50 years with the Chamber of Commerce and Board of Realtors and as a charter member of the Louisiana Radio Common Carriers Association. She is an active member of TIAW and a beloved role model for its many individuals and associations with her inimitable combination of southern charm and sharp business savvy.

As an Associate Assistant Administrator with US Environmental Protection Agency, TIAW Director at Large, Board member of Senior Executive Association, and past President of Federally Employed Women, Marylouise Uhlig is noted worldwide for INVESTING in women (professionals and students). As a mentor, she shares her talents and networks to benefit others. For 40 years, in one forum or another, she has helped many women to succeed and reach their dreams. For several years, Marylouise has Chaired EWG's Annual Summit and Training Conference, where 200 women executives attend to gain insight from cabinet-level policy-makers, authors and educators on relevant topics. The speakers, caterers, artists and poets are women--thus providing economic and social support, the hallmark of her philosophy and style. Participants benefit from the presentations and discussions along with tremendous networking opportunities. The Summit, which is reasonably priced, is considered training and is reimbursable for Federal employees.

Lucrecia Ulate Sanchez has been a robust champion of women’s economic empowerment for many years. She started by teaching women how to develop their abilities and talents to generate income for their homes. In the town of Boquete, she taught very low income women how to knit and crochet, preserve fruit and how to bake bread as a means to make income. Almost ten years ago, she also began conducing private seminars on making interior decoration accessories such as curtains, pillows, baby items, dolls and bedroom accessories so that women had the skills to start up micro enterprises. Following several years of occupational therapy for the elderly, she expanded her repertoire of training for women seeking to start businesses to include food preparation, upholstery, guitar, painting and recycling household objects into clothing accessories. Many of her senior participants found they were selling items to the friends of their grandchildren. In 2009, she launched project Entertain, which continues her work and expands to teaching women about e-business. In all, she has trained almost 1,000 women.

Kah Walla is the Managing Director of the international consulting firm, STRATEGIES!. Based in Cameroon, STRATEGIES! offers management and marketing consulting services to multinational private sector companies and international development organizations throughout Africa, in Europe and in the United States. Kah is an expert in leadership training, teambuilding, diversity and inclusiveness. She has worked for many years on women’s economic empowerment, with over 14 years experience in policy development, capacity development as well as innovative operational projects. Along with its corporate work, Strategies! has a development arm which works with local governments to promote women’s entrepreneurship in Cameroon.

What makes Betsy Weber unique is not her credentials (which are extraordinary), but her passion as an advocate of international women’s issues, especially entrepreneurship. Her capacity to give of herself and her experience is unsurpassed. She shares her wisdom with grace and professionalism. It is a joy and inspiration simply to talk with Betsy. As Co-Founder of Edge Development Group, Betsy has more than 25 years of international economic development experience. She has worked with major corporations and top government officials to formulate and implement international investment programs. Betsy has worked tirelessly for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), as founding member and past Chair of the International Forum. She is also a past national Board Member and Past-President of the Connecticut chapter of NAWBO. Since 2006, Betsy has served as President of the National Executive Service Corps (providing non-profits with solutions to their managerial and operational problems). Betsy is an appointed member of a prestigious OECD task force on entrepreneurship for women. She is the Founding Director of the Yale Alumni Chorus Foundation, which travels globally and uses music to bridge cultural divides. Betsy is also co-founder of the Art Society of Dubai. She even makes time to volunteer locally, having served as an Officer of the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk.

Described as a “go-getter,” Donna Zazulak has over 25 years experience in a broad range of industries including media, fashion, sales, event planning, sponsorships and retail management and has been a trail blazer and role model for her community. Donna wrote a weekly fashion column for the Edmonton Sun Newspaper, was Edmonton-area correspondent for Elle Canada Magazine, was a radio sales associate with Standard Broadcasting (now Astral Media) and for over seven years, was Fashion Director for West Edmonton Mall. She was also a Retail Sales Manager for Nygard International, in charge of its retail locations in Edmonton, Calgary, and Saskatchewan and organizing major fashion events in Toronto and Winnipeg. Donna uses her vast business experience, talents and professional contacts as the foundation for her activities in Edmonton's charitable community including a significant leadership role with the CWC for several years, serving in numerous capacities include Chair of the Edmonton regional board. She is an immensely respected woman in media, a woman that influences media, elevates professionalism in the world of media and uses that reputation to assist individuals, companies and not for profit organizations through media.

It is a pleasure to announce the 2009 Winners TIAW World of Difference 100 Awards

It is a pleasure to announce
the 2009 Winners
TIAW World of Difference 100 Awards