Letter from the Publisher
Josh Schimmels
This year’s 2023 Women’s Leadership Symposium & Awards, which took place Wednesday June 28th at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown, was a half day event of inspiration, education, and recognition. The top businesswomen in Los Angeles shared their wisdom through a series of dynamic discussions during the breakfast symposium covering topics such as making a mark in your respective industry, achieving effective leadership, expanding the talent pool, work/life balance, supporting our nonprofit community, supporting other businesswomen, and much more!
The afternoon portion was a spirited luncheon awards program where we honored outstanding achievements by women who make a difference throughout Los Angeles.
With hundreds of incredible nominees, there are clearly many accomplished and impactful leaders to draw inspiration from. This year, we named honorees in the following categories: CEO of the Year; Executive of the Year; Innovator of the Year; Emerging Woman-Owned Business Leader Award; Champion of Women Award; Mentor of the Year; Community Impact Advocate Award; Woman to Watch Award; and NextGen Woman of the Year.
We honored achievements by a number of powerful women who have made a difference throughout Los Angeles. Each of these remarkable honorees and finalists are described in these pages.
Many thanks to our sponsors, who help to make this event possible, and once again, congratulations to the honorees – Los Angeles area women who “lead by example,” successfully blending effective business vision with a passionate commitment to positively making a difference, both in the world of business and in the communities they serve.
CEO OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Johnese Spisso – UCLA Health
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Rainy Hake Austin – The Agency
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Kalika Yap – Citrus Studios Inc.
EMERGING WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Kayla Singer – Luna CX
CHAMPION OF WOMEN
Honoree
Cynthia Jankowski – PNC Bank
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Maben Jimenez – The Aerospace Corporation
COMMUNITY IMPACT ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Denise Booth – LA Clippers
WOMAN TO WATCH OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Stephanie Lomibao – Bank of America Charitable Foundation
NEXTGEN WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Honoree
Elizabeth Capati – Colliers
For the list of Finalists:
click here
Inside This Supplement
Empowering Women in Leadership
As a woman in leadership, I understand the importance of embracing key elements
that contribute to professional growth and empowerment… Read More
Work-Life Balance Not Found in a Policy,
but Within Each Individual
In a fast-paced world, achieving a work-life balance has often felt like an abstract concept. We’ve all heard about those one-size-fits-all solutions that promise to bring equilibrium… Read More
Secrets of Effective Leaders
In a fast-paced world, achieving a work-life balance has often felt like an abstract concept. We’ve all heard about those one-size-fits-all solutions that promise to bring equilibrium… Read More
More Than Half of Women Small Business Owners Face Greater Obstacles Than Male Counterparts
With one out of every five small businesses failing before the end of their first year, opening and running your own business is an enormous challenge. According to a recent Groupon survey, it’s even tougher for female entrepreneurs with more than half of respondents…Read More
Study Reveals Attributes, Priorities and Career Paths of Women CEOs
Last year, Korn Ferry released “Women CEOs Speak Today,” a new study highlighting the career journeys of women CEOs and what has led to their successes and their ability to transform the role of CEO… Read More
Study Finds 75% of Female Execs Experience Imposter Syndrome
A majority of executive women across a range of industries identified having experienced feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, or imposter syndrome, at certain points in their careers and say they believe it is commonly experienced by women in corporate America… Read More
Federal Government Announces New Resources to Support Women Small Businesses Owners
During the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) second annual Women’s Business Summit in March, President Biden announced new resources to support women small business owners, and he reaffirmed the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to supporting all of America’s small businesses… Read More
Partnership Accelerates Gender Equity and Representation in Sports
This March, Endeavor and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) announced a new partnership to accelerate gender equity in women’s athletics. The partnership, which includes a $250,000 donation from Endeavor Impact on behalf of Endeavor and UFC, will focus specifically on creating pathways for women athletes, coaches, administrators and executives to enter and succeed at the highest levels of their industries… Read More
New Marketplace for Women Entrepreneurs Platform Launches
Bank of America, in partnership with Seneca Women, has launched a new online marketplace for women entrepreneurs, providing them access to new markets and opportunities for consumers to shop and support their businesses. The Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women features a wide range of women-owned businesses… Read More
A New Look at What Impacts Women at Work Today
CNBC and Momentive, maker of Survey-Monkey, in March announced the results of their joint Women at Work survey. The survey, which polled over 5,000 women in the U.S., finds that working women continue to feel increased stress and burnout amid tough economic conditions.… Read More
Training Program Initiative Seeks to Increase Number of Women in Construction
Late last year, The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Apprenticeship Standards, on behalf of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency, announced the availability of $25 million in funding… Read More
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
DIAMOND
PLATINUM
GOLD
View last year’s event recap here.
If you’re interested in sponsoring, speaking or partnership opportunities
please call (323) 549-5225 or email
Return to main 2023 events page here