Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Kate James Made Chief Communications Officer at Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation appointed Kate James its Chief Communications Officer. Kate had been Senior Vice President for Global Corporate Communications at Citibank. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

CEO Kathy Giusti Wins Achievement Award from Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School honored Kathy Giusti, Founder and CEO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation with its highest honor, the Alumni Achievement Award. Kathy was honored for helping to breaking down barriers that impede medical research and accelerating the development of new treatments for multiple myeloma. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Carolyn Miles Named to Darden School Foundation Board

The University of Virginia's Darden School Foundation appointed Carolyn Miles to its Board of Trustees. Carolyn, who holds an MBA from the Darden School at University of Virginia, is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the international humanitarian agency Save the Children. Read more about it in the press release. 

Sandra Urie Named to 100 Women in Hedge Funds Assoc Board

"100 Women in Hedge Funds", a non-profit organization for professionals in the investment management industry, appointed Sandra A. Urie to its Association Board. Sandra, who holds a a Master of Public and Private Management graduate degree from the Yale School of Organization and Management, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge Associates LLC. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Mary Lynn Carver Made SVP at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital appointed Mary Lynn Carver Senior Vice President of Public Relations. Mary had been Global Head of Group Internal Communications at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Peggy Dyer Made Chief Marketing Officer at The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross appointed Peggy Dyer as Chief Marketing Officer. Peggy had been with the Allstate Insurance Company, where she oversaw marketing strategy and program management across multiple lines of business for the insurance firm's 13,000 agencies, call centers and the Internet. Read more in the Red Cross press release.

Anne Beal Made Head of Aetna Foundation

Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) appointed Anne C. Beal, M.D., M.P.H. as head of the Aetna Foundation, the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Anne, who holds a Doctorate in Medicine from Cornell University Medical College and a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University, had been with The Commonwealth Fund. Before that, Anne was an attending physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Women in Philanthropy - Karen Mathis Made CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America appointed Karen Mathis its President and Chief Executive Officer. Karen, who holds a law degree from the University of Colorado Law School, is currently on a one year assignment as the Executive Director for Central European and Eurasian Initiative Institute. She has a long track record of service, including as a past President of the American Bar Association, a $300 million organization, and as a Partner and Leader of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney and Carpenter. Read more about her career in the Big Brothers Big Sisters press release.

Jacqueline Novogratz Receives Social Entrepreneurship Award

Jacqueline Novogratz, Chief Executive Officer of the Acumen Fund, received the 2009 Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship's "Leader in Social Entrepreneurship" Award at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Jacqueline, who holds an MBA from Stanford University, founded Acumen to help bring basic goods and services to the poor around the world. Her book, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, was recently released. It's a great story that connects her life to her work in a way you wouldn't have guessed. Read more about her award, her book, and Acumen, the nonprofit global venture fund she founded.

Denise Durham Williams to be Executive Director One Family Inc.

One Family, Inc., a not-for-profit organization with a mission of ending family homelessness in Massachusetts, appointed Denise Durham Williams Executive Director. Denise had been Global Diversity Managing Director, Global Consumer Group at Citigroup. See One Family announcement.

Linda John Named to "Ovations for the Cure" Board

Ovations for the Cure appointed Linda John to their Board of Directors. Linda is President/CEO and Founder of Corporate Family Network (CFN), a nationally recognized employee assistance program based in New York City.

"Ovations for the Cure" is an organization whose sole purpose is to raise funds and awareness for ovarian cancer and the women who are fighting the battle. Their next fundraiser is a fashion show by Carmen Marc Valvo to be held in Boston. Read more about the fundraiser May2,09.

Margaret Bergan Davis Made CEO of Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation appointed Margaret Bergan Davis its President and Chief Executive Officer. Margaret is a longtime leader of non-profit organizations and a decorated supporter of Marine families. The Scholarship Fund has a goal to raise $50 million to provide scholarships for children of marines. Read more about it in the prnewswire press release. 

Megan Kirby Puts no Limits on her Dreams

Megan Kirby is a woman who doesn't wait for someone to ask. Megan started "Dance Beyond Limits", which teaches movement therapy and Ballroom Dance to persons with developmental disabilties and persons hard of hearing, and also runs an after school program for high school students in the inner-city of Atlanta. Here is what Megan had to say about starting her venture:

"The nonprofit business world is a world all on its’ own, a world defined by passion, extreme intensity, serious start-up failures and major success stories. As indicated by the definition, I am definitely immersed in the nonprofit world as I have experienced all of these to the fullest. My passion has and always will be, Ballroom Dance. It’s a joy that is difficult to describe, perhaps a place where the world disappears and everything makes sense, step-by-step. My second passion is serving persons with developmental disabilities. The idea of Dance Beyond Limits, Inc. was formed from these two passions and the longing to make this joyous art of Ballroom Dance available to persons with developmental disabilities. The only reasonable business venture was to form a nonprofit organization, so I researched and discovered that I could do this on my own. 6 months later, I had my nonprofit status and was on my way to fulfilling my dream…that was almost a year ago.

Dance Beyond Limits, Inc. is a dream come true, a living testimony that passion and dreams do become reality. I teach Ballroom Dance to persons with developmental disabilities and have since added not only Movement Therapy to the repertoire, but have expanded across other populations, including inner-city youth. Being apart of the nonprofit business world is extremely difficult. The start-up failures are inevitably around each corner, stunning me again and again. Through these failures, I find alternatives and through these alternatives, I find experiences that I never thought I would find and meet people who I would not have met otherwise. I believe that my success stories are yet to come but also believe that the real success comes from envisioning something great and making it a reality.

More and more, we find women in the nonprofit world, not as volunteers or as staff, rather as founders and executive directors. This spans across the nonprofit world, through grassroots organizations to major national and international nonprofit organizations. We are passionate, intense and focus driven individuals who channel great dreams into reality. We are driven by this passion and intensity to make the world brighter. Greatness comes from within, from the fires and the passion that stirs through us all, and with great conviction, women are the faces and the backbones of nonprofits, small and big throughout the nation."

Intuit SVP Nora Denzel Becomes a Trustee of Anita Borg Institute

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, located in California, appointed Nora Denzel to its Board of Trustees. Nora is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intuit's Payroll Business. Read more about Nora's career and about the other women named Trustees of the Anita Borg Institute in the Business Wire press release.

Starting Up on Your Own

Do you want to start up on your own but don't know where to begin? Susan Maddon, who started Minerva Non-Profit Management Consulting, faced the same dilemma, and here's what she had to say about it:

"Over the summer I made the decision to become a non-profit management consultant.  Great timing, eh?  Actually, I have been pleasantly surprised at the response I’ve received so far (touch wood!).  In making the decision to strike out on my own, I considered a number of factors – first, I love working with a variety of organizations and find it very satisfying to contribute to the growth and sustainability of all manner of not-for-profit institutions.  Second, I’m very comfortable managing my time and resources – critical skills for a successful entrepreneur.  Third, I had saved enough to get by if not in the “lap of luxury” then in the “knees of comfort” until the practice stabilizes.  Lastly, I have a pretty good understanding of my strengths and was able to recruit other “consultants” with complementary talents.

Minerva Non-Profit Management Consulting provides assistance with revenue generation, sound operational management and other activities vital to a healthy not-for-profit organization.  The consulting team comprises professionals with significant experience in the sector and who are either looking for work flexibility or a second income. Two of the team members are mothers of young children.

Examples of our work include: strategic planning, change management, leadership coaching and fundraising training, board member recruitment and orientation, public relations and crisis management services, major gift solicitation and foundation and corporate relations-grant writing.

Since I already had a home office set-up the start-up costs for my business have only run into the very low four figures – another very attractive benefit to starting a company where “you” are the chief asset!"

Susan has over 20 years experience in the non-profit settings serving as senior executive, development professional, marketing and public relations director, educator and trustee. Susan holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Association of Strategic Planning, Columbia Women in Business and the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York.

Eileen Daly Made President of Philip Graham Fund

The Philip L. Graham Fund, established in 1963 to honor the memory of Philip L. Graham who was Publisher of The Washington Post, appointed Eileen F. Daly President of the Fund. Eileen has been at The Washington Post since 2006 where she was Program Manager, with responsibility for planning and implementing the microzoning project, a strategic advertising initiative that is almost completed. Read more about Eileen in the Business Wire press release.

Nancy Brown Made CEO of American Heart Association

The American Heart Association appointed Nancy Brown its Chief Executive Officer, the first woman to ever hold this position. Nancy had been the Association's Chief Operating Officer. Read more about it in the AHA press release.

Emily Rauh Pulitzer Makes Major Gift to Harvard Art Museum

Emily Rauh Pulitzer, a Harvard Alumna, donated 31 major works of modern and contemporary art, including works by Picasso and Miro, and $45 million to the Harvard Art Museum. Emily is a former Harvard Art Museum Curator and longtime supporter of the Museum. Read more about the gift in the Harvard Gazette.

Gail Marcus Made New CFO at Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the largest source of non-profit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer, appointed Gail Marcus its Chief Financial Officer. Gail, who holds an MBA from University of Pennsylvania, had been President and CEO of Caris Diagnostics. Read more about Gail and her new job in the prnewswire press release on yahoo.

Carla Lewis made President of the Washington Women's Foundation

Former Microsoft Executive Carla Lewis was appointed President of the Washington Women's Foundation. Carla joins the Foundation following a 25 year career in senior managment roles at Microsft and Paccar Inc. Read more abot it in the prnewswire press release on marketwatch.com. Learn more about the Washington Women's Foundation which engages women in the power of collective giving.