Individual Women Entrepreneur & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee

Chair:
Tânia Tomé, CEO, President & Executive Coach
ECOKAYA, Maputo, Mozambique, Africa & New York, United States

Tania Tomé is a highly accomplished and multifaceted professional, known for her exceptional achievements as an award-winning serial entrepreneur, international speaker, world-class performance coach, global ambassador, and author of the critically acclaimed book "Succenergy – Activate Your Energy and Discover Your Success Inside You." With an impressive track record spanning over a decade in coaching and business advisory, coupled with ten years of experience as a successful entrepreneur, Tania has established herself as an influential figure in the field of entrepreneurship and leadership. Currently serving as the CEO and executive coach of Ecokaya, a prominent advisory and corporate training company, Tania spearheads initiatives aimed at identifying opportunities, establishing businesses, and fostering valuable partnerships across Africa and CPLP countries. Her extensive networking portfolio has made her an influential figure in the business community, contributing significantly to the growth and development of countless individuals and organizations.

Passionate about empowering women and youth, Tania assumes the role of President of the Womenice Foundation. Through this foundation, she is dedicated to nurturing leadership capacity, connecting individuals with exponential growth opportunities, and fostering exceptional success within their communities. Tania's commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership within African countries is a testament to her mission of empowering individuals, entrepreneurs, and leaders. As an accomplished conference speaker, career mentor, and writer, Tania has graced the stages of major coaching, career, and leadership conferences across Africa and Portuguese-speaking countries. Her expertise has been sought after in numerous countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, and the United States, among others. Tania's exceptional contributions to entrepreneurship and leadership have been recognized on various platforms. She has been named to the United Nations-supported top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent list by MIPAD - New York and received the Portuguese Academic award from former Portuguese President Mario Soares through the Portugal-Africa Foundation. In addition, Tania has been acknowledged among the 100 Most Inspiring African Female Leaders 2022 by World Economic Mag/US. Known as an international "rockstar" of public speaking and a young networking guru, Tania Tomé has shared the stage and networked with influential figures such as award-winning Brian Tracy, Google Directors, Portuguese and Mozambican Presidents, Kofi Annan, Richard Branson, and Mandela's First Lady, Graça Machel. Her transformative work has earned her various titles, reflecting her impact in building, and transforming thousands of entrepreneurs and millions of people across Africa and around the world.

In her role as the Chair of the Entrepreneurship and Thought Leadership Committee for Women in Business, Tania Tomé brings her extensive experience, expertise, and passion for empowering women to drive change and create a supportive ecosystem for female entrepreneurs. Through strategic initiatives, mentorship programs, and thought-provoking leadership initiatives, Tania aims to cultivate an environment that fosters the growth and success of women in business. Her visionary leadership and commitment to excellence make her a key advocate for gender equality and empowerment in the entrepreneurial landscape.

Committee:

Committee:

Nawal Alhanaee, Director of Future Energy Department
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Eng. Nawal is currently the Director of the Future Energy Department in Dubai's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Head of Happiness and Wellbeing team. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the American University of Sharjah.

James Au Yang, General Manager
Gatekeeper Systems, Hong Kong, China
James has been the General Manager of Gatekeeper Systems since 2014. He has more than 20 years of experience in Operations Management and International Supply Chain. He is the holder of a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and Master's degrees in Finance, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, and Applied Business Research.

Poornima Badhan Subramanian, Digital Accessibility Technology Specialist
Holland America Line Concord, North Carolina, United States
A Digital Accessibility Lead and Subject Matter Expert with extensive experience in Information Technology Digital Accessibility space for the past 10+ years. As a digital accessibility evangelist and compliance advocate, she worked for diverse industry organizations. Poornima is a renowned coach and technical advocate who motivates aspiring IT professionals to create accessible digital platforms.

Katelyn Baxter, Strategy & Digitalization Manager
Shell USA, Houston, Texas, United States
Katelyn is a thought leader and dynamic strategic problem solver with experience leading sustainable and transformational change. She is skilled in governance, risk management, deal negotiation, commercial finance, strategy development, and operational excellence.

Michelle Beyo, CEO and Founder
Finavator Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Michelle Beyo is the CEO and Founder of FINAVATOR, an award-winning Payments and Future of Finance consultancy. She is also a TEDx Speaker, WEDO United Nations speaker, Money 20/20 Rise Up alumni, board advisor to Open Banking Expo and the President and Board Member at Open Finance Network Canada.

ElsaMarie D'Silva, Founder & CEO  
Red Dot Foundation (Safecity), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
ElsaMarie, Founder of Red Dot Foundation and President of Red Dot Foundation Global, created Safecity, a technology platform that crowdsources personal experiences of sexual violence and abuse globally. Since 2012, Safecity has become the largest crowd map on the issue. She is also a co-founder of Brave Movement and Beyond Black.

Jitendra Gokhale, CTO
Monetizely Inc., Berkeley, California, United States
Col Jitendra Gokhale, a Veteran of the Indian Army. Leadership position at Persistent Systems for 16 years, heading a technology Business Vertical. Charter Member of TiE, Pune. Mentor to multiple startups. CTO of Monetizely Inc., a startup looking to build the CPQ for the future.

Kristine Gross, Founder and CEO
World Tree Productions, LLC Dublin, Ohio, United States
Kristine Gross is the Founder of World Tree Productions and is filming a Gen Z reality TV show focused on entrepreneurial climate innovations (to air in 2024).

Anita Guha, CIO Talent Advisor & Recognition Leader       
IBM, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Anita has over 20 years of experience in Talent Management with IBM and Tatas, specialising in Learning, Diversity, and Leadereship Development. A graduate from Harvard University and Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics, Anita is passionate about women's empowerment.

Maham Haroon, Founder | Data Scientist
KuberSignal, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Maham, is a distinguished Data Scientist and Solutions Architect, with expertise in cyber intelligence. As a Founder and Data Scientist at KuberSignal LLC, her focus is on creating innovative tools to fortify individuals against cyber threats. With a background spanning machine learning, AI, and cybersecurity, Maham has made significant contributions to the tech industry.

Magdi Helbawi, HR & Admin Director           
Beta Egypt, New Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Andaleeb Jhatial, Lecturer
International Islamic University Islamabad, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
Andaleeb is a Professor of Economics with more than 15 years of teaching and research experience. She has also served as a Civil Servant in the Government of her country and has actively participated in academic and social activities. Andaleeb is a feminist who believes in the potential of women as professionals.

Tamika Johnson, Attorney & Work-Life Balance Coach
T M Johnson Law Firm, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Tamika M. Johnson has been an Attorney for over 15 years in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. She's also an Author, Magazine Publisher, and Work-Life Balance Coach & Speaker. She received her B.A. from the University of Georgia and her J.D. from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA.

Dr. Jo Jolliffe, Chair of Trustees
Manchester Youth Zone, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Jo has over 20 years of experience in Quality Assurance, policy, and strategy. She is a trustee of charities for young people and adult returners to employment.

Michelle King, Head of Client Services
Strong Force Innovation, Dresher, Pennsylvania, United States
Bringing decades of experience, Michelle’s current role is Head of Client Services for Strong Force Innovation Portfolios. Strong Force delivers strategic advantage by systematically innovating across technologies, use cases, and ecosystems and by combining innovative material from a wide range of perspectives to create large, comprehensive, category-influencing patent portfolios.

Le-an Lai Lacaba, Co-Founder and CEO
2xYou Executive Services, Cebu, Philippines
Le-an Lai Lacaba is the Co-Founder of 2xYou, a Remote Executive Assistant Service company that specializes in switching service-based entrepreneurs from owning a job to owning a business with a highly-trained executive assistant.

Theresa Lubowitz, Principal
Lubowitz Consulting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Theresa has over a decade of experience delivering high-quality strategic advice and communications support to leaders in government, business, and the non-profit sector. Since founding Lubowitz Consulting, Theresa has made it her mission to help small businesses grow their customer base and non-profits expand their reach and impact.

Roshan Lulla, SBU Head & Client Partner
Cognizant, Somerset, New Jersey, United States
Roshan Lulla is the SBU Head for Retail IT Services at Cognizant. Backed by his over 20 years of experience in the IT Services industry, he is known for his subject-matter expertise and passion to drive business growth. He also mentors upcoming IT service professionals on various industry forums.

Katherine Macaluso, President
KMAC Marketing Solutions, LLC, Stuart, Florida, United States

Venkatesh Varma Mandapati, Co-Founder
UpSquad, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Venkatesh Varma Mandapati is the Co-Founder of UpSquad, cutting-edge web and mobile platform that offers organizations an efficient solution for developing custom applications to manage their STEM and workforce programs. Venkatesh has 10+ years of experience in Data Science and Software engineering roles, working globally across several industries.

Ramzy Merrach, Head Of Innovation 
City Global, Beverly Hills, California, United States
Currently serving as the Head of Innovation for City Global, a prominent leader in the supply chain sector, Ramzy Merrach plays a pivotal role in driving the company's innovation agenda. With his visionary mindset and expertise, Ramzy leads transformative initiatives that optimize supply chain operations and revolutionize industry practices.

Deepa Nayak, Director
Capgemini Technology Services, Thane, Maharashtra, India
Deepa has 25 years of expertise in software development, architecture, cloud-native technologies, and private and public cloud infrastructure, with a focus on robust and scalable solutions. She is a TOGAF 9-certified architect.

Oladunni Olowoporoku, Software Engineer
JPMorgan Chase, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Oladunni, a Software Engineer at Chase, has made significant contributions to the AI industry, specializing in Machine Learning Intelligence Operations. With experience in Data and Analytics Engineering and Industrial Engineering, she is passionate about mentoring younger generations and has received awards like Diversity Equity and Inclusion from the Atlanta Business Chronicles.

Kaushikkumar Patel, Director of Data Development
TransUnion LLC, White Plains, New York, United States
Kaushikkumar Patel is the Director of Data Development at TransUnion, a position he has held since 2013. With over 14 years of experience in data management and analytics, Patel is committed to using data to inform decision-making and constantly enhance data processes.

Audrey Pomier Flobinus, CEO & Chairwoman
Humanity For The World (HFTW), Sainte-Marie, Martinique, France
Audrey, an international humanitarian lobbyist and diplomat, is the President of Humanity For The World (HFTW). She is in charge of communication, public relations, advocacy, development, and international influence. The speaker, author, and expert in sustainable development is dedicated to promoting sustainable global economic and social development and fostering conscious leadership.

Anish Rege, Senior Manager, SAP Technical Applications
Align Technology, San Jose, California, United States
Anish has worked as a Senior Manager, SAP Technical Applications, with Align Technology for the last 5 years. He has over 14 years of experience in the information technology industry, covering implementation, rollout, maintenance, and support projects with several Fortune 500 companies. He has expertise in integrating SAP products with third-party applications.

Gagan Sarawgi, Cofounder & Product Director
NVISIONx, Fremont, California, United States
Gagan is a seasoned product management professional with more than 13 years of experience pioneering products for cybersecurity. As cofounder of NVISIONx, he led the creation of a groundbreaking Data Risk Intelligence solution merging data analytics and cybersecurity. An entrepreneur and techno-functional leader creates scalable, flexible solutions for modern business needs.

Amy Scarlino, President & CEO
Scarlino Speaker Strategies, LLC, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
As President and CEO, Ms. Scarlino is responsible for the strategic direction of Scarlino Speaker Strategies. Prior to forming the agency, she was President and CEO of The Catchpole Corporation. She has managed corporate speaker programs for companies such as VMware, PBS, UPS, Trend Micro, P&G, BASF, and P&G.

Katja Schroeder, Assistant Professor & Consultant 
St Francis College, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Katja Schroeder is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Entrepreneurship at St. Francis College. She is also the founder of the consulting firm Expedition PR, offering more than 15 years of expertise in leading award-winning marketing communications and positioning campaigns for companies and senior leadership executives.

Amit Sinha, CTO - SMB and Private Equity
Microsoft, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Amit is the Chief Technology Officer for SMB and Private Equity (PE) at Microsoft UK. He advises Companies and PE Houses on their technology roadmap from a technology, business, and innovation perspective, drawing on over 10 years of practical experience.

Heidi Solomon-Orlick, Founder & CEO
GirlzWhoSell, LLC., Henniker, New Hampshire, United States
Heidi is a BPO industry veteran with 35 years of global sales and executive leadership experience. The founder and CEO of GirlzWhoSell, a company aiming to democratize professional sales and build a diverse pipeline of early-stage female sales talent. She released the book "Heels to Deals: How Women Are Dominating in Business-to-Business Sales".

Dr. Renuka Thakore, Founder & CEO         
Global Sustainable Futures Network CIC, Wokingham, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Dr. Renuka, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons) PIEMA AFHEA, Founder of the Global Sustainable Futures: Progress through Partnerships, UK, provides leadership to a global Network, administering multidisciplinary activities and a research partnerships development platform. Renuka received the "Global Sustainability Award 2022" and the "Development Leadership: Governor Enrique Tomás Cresto Award 2022".

Margaret Tran, Owner/Manager/Technician
CK Nails LLC, Frederick, Maryland, United States
Margaret Tran is a 30-year nail artist and owner of CK Nails, an author, reiki master, and story-speaker about women who went through fantastic life changes after the loss of a loved one but found inspiration to go on and made a life mission to support others who are grieving.

Shankar Narayanan Viswanathan, Director, Head of Cloud Security
Credit Karma, Oakland, California, United States
Shankar, is a seasoned Cybersecurity leader with over 15 years of experience in the Cyber Security space. He is currently the Director, Head of Cloud Infrastructure Security at Credit Karma, overseeing the critical Cloud and Infrastructure security function, that safeguard the sensitive PII data of over 100 million US citizens.

Stacy Weil, Senior Vice President, Clinical Research          
Premier Research, Austin, Texas, United States
Stacy is SVP of Business Operations for Premier Research. She has over 25 years of leadership experience in project operations, technology, and data teams. She is a graduate of the University of Texas with a Doctorate in Health Informatics. She is active in the VC space as an advisor and board member.

Shunee Yee, President & CEO
CSOFT, Beijing, China

Dr. Ambreen Zaman-Riaz, Founder
Uppshot Lifesciences, Marietta, Georgia, United States
Dr. Ambreen is a medical doctor with an MPA from Harvard University and an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School's Edward S. Mason Fellowship for Public Policy and Management. She was nominated for the Civicus Nelson Mandela Innovation Award and the Stevie Business Award for her outstanding community development program.