Women in Business: Today and Tomorrow highlights women and their roles in business as leaders, their contributions to Northeast Ohio and their impact both to their organization and to the region as a whole.

For Monte Ahuja students, Women in Business: Today and Tomorrow provides opportunities for networking, potential career shadowing, mentorship, workforce development and support for our next generation of female leaders.

Past Events:

Thursday, March 22, 2018: Sales Careers 

Verizon sales professionals are in high demand at organizations throughout Northeast Ohio for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer positions. Join us to hear from two women working at Verizon who have held a variety of different career positions and roles and learn about the tremendous advantages that lucrative professional sales positions such as the ones offered by Verizon provide to their employees.

Panelists include:

• Melissa Moore, Verizon Senior Analyst, Retail Sales Operations
• Heather Griffiths, Verizon District Manager

Tuesday, November 7, 2017: Information Systems 

Nearly every business major at some point has involvement in Supply Chain. Join us to hear from women working in the field of Supply Chain Management who have held a variety of different career positions and roles and learn why more women are needed in this growing career field.

Panelists include:

• Mary Akcakil, Global Logistics Manager at Things Remembered
• Janet Newman, National Account Director at Quality Carriers

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017: Financial Industry

Nearly every business major can work within the Financial Industry. From banking and securities, to commercial real estate, investment management and insurance, the Financial Industry touches nearly all aspects of business.

Panelists include:

• Deena M. Rini, Practice Leader, Retirement Plan Services at Oswald Financial, Inc.
• Shante' R. Roddy , CEO, Small Business & Group Benefits Specialist, Intuitive RiskManagement International and Cleveland State University Executive MBA Alumna
• Cindy Kennedy, Regional Director, Investment Only Registered Representative, Principal Financial Group 

Tuesday, November 29, 2016: Information Systems

Information Systems is vital to every area of business and more female information systems professionals are needed. Join us to hear from women working in the tech industry and learn why more women are needed in this growing career field.

Panelists include:

• Olga Nagdaseva, MBA, Senior Test Technician at the International Quality Assurance Department at Hyland, creator of OnBase
• Jennnifer Yaeger, MBA, CBAP, Team Lead and ECM Business Analyst at The Lubrizol Corporation
• Kelsey Kilbane, Talent Acquisition Specialist for Blue Chip Consulting
• Abby Copenhaver, Talent Acquisition Specialist for Blue Chip Consulting

October 27, 2016: The Real Estate Industry

Hear from three women actively working in the Real Estate Industry who have held a variety of different career positions and roles.

Panelists include:

• Linda Kane, former Vice President at Forest City Enterprises
• Janet Menko, CPA and Director of the GAAP Center of Excellence at Forest City Realty Trust
• Mary Kay Brada, Transaction Manager at CBRE, Commercial Real Estate Group. 

April 12, 2016: Working in the Sports Industry - From Money to Marketing and Beyond!

Hear from three women actively involved in the business of Cleveland sports. All three are members of WISE - Women in Sports and Events Cleveland. The Cleveland Chapter of WISE consists of 140+ members who share a passion for Sports, Events, Entertainment, Media, Academic and supporting industries.

Panelists include:

• Brooke Cuevas Uehlein, Regional Sponsorship Sales Manager, Legends Sales & Marketing, President of WISE

• Megan Svat Rosey, Marketing Consultant, ESPN Cleveland/Good Karma Brands, Marketing Chair of WISE

• Laura Waters-Brown, Digital Business Coordinator, Cleveland Browns

February 2, 2016: The Tech Industry Wants YOU!

Information Systems is vital to every area of business and more female information systems professionals are needed. Join us to hear from women working in the tech industry and learn why more women are needed in this growing career field.

Panelists include:

• lga Nagdaseva, MBA, two-time Cleveland State University Alumna and Senior Test Technician at Hyland, creator ofOnBase
• Meg Merchant, SAP Security Architect at the Lubrizol Corporation
• Diane Wohlleber, CorporateDomain Manager for the Centralized Testing Organization at KeyBank. 

September 22, 2015: Entrepreneurial Experiences

Featuring three women entrenched in the Cleveland entrepreneurial ecosystem who have served, and continue to serve as champions for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Attendees learned what it takes to build a business and then networked with a variety of women business professionals in a number of different industries and career fields.

Panelists include:

• Reka Barabas, Director; Bad Girl Ventures
• Jennifer Smith, Director, Analytics & Technology, Media; ZIG Marketing, Inc.
• Katie A. Van Dyke, Director, Cleveland State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) within the Monte Ahuja College of Business
   

April 2015: Global Human Resources

Learn about the growing global human resource career field within all areas of international business from industry experts and Cleveland State University alumni and then had the opportunity to network with a variety of women business professionals in a number of different industries and career fields.

Panelists include:

• Daria L. Roebuck, Vice President of Human Resources at ERICO International Corporation, ERICO International Corporation

• Nancy Rodeno, Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness at Sherwin-Williams Company

• Marla Zarlenga, Global Account Manager, Xerox Services

Sherwin-Williams is an eleven billion dollar global leader in the paint and coatings industry with over 43,000 employeesglobally. Nancy Rodeno, our featured speaker is responsible for enterprise-wide global talent development, seniorsuccession planning, leadership education/learning, organizational development strategy, employee engagement andculture-building strategy. 

Marla Zarlenga, Global Account Manager, Xerox Services

September 2014: Marketing Research

This focused on Market Research and included a roundtable dialogue, question and answer session from students and networking. Panelists discussed the following questions:

Panelists include:

• Michelle Frietchen, Senior Manager, Market Research & Analytics at the Cleveland Clinic
• Deanna Trivisonno, Vice President of Market Vision Research
• Karen Fedchock, Small Business Owner, Marketing Strategist, previously with KeyBank and American Greetings, currently working with VitaMix

March 2014: Leadership

The inaugural Women in Business was held on March 20, 2014 and included a roundtable dialogue with Cleveland-area businesswomen in leadership positions at area companies that encompassed a variety of industries

FEatured Speakers:

• Lisa Boucher, Chief Development Officer at Northwestern Mutual, Northern Ohio
• Jessica Castellano, Executive Director of Recruitment at Northwestern Mutual
• Michelle Frietchen, Senior Manager, Market Research & Analytics for the Cleveland Clinic
• Linda Kane, Senior Vice President, Treasurer at Forest City Enterprises, Inc. 
• Daria Roebuck, Vice President, Human Resources at ERICO International Corporation