2025 LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Soaring Ever Higher

As we step into a new year, building on strong continued momentum of 2025, we’re deeply grateful to all who join us on this journey of fueling deeper growth, driving higher impact and lifting as we climb.

In celebration of meaningful outcomes that propel and inspire, we highlight below some of our favorite moments of 2025.

Heartfelt thanks to these dozens of “action leader” executives who were generous with their time and insights, making our fifth anniversary year such a remarkable one.

With appreciation,

Merline Saintil & Robin Washington

Co-Founders, BWOB

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

In celebration of Women’s History Month, our capacity crowd met in the historic boardroom and on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange for an epic day of actionable insights and network expansion.

NYSE GUEST SPEAKERS

LALIT GURNANI

Goldman Sachs

NICOLE IRVIN

Goldman Sachs

KARESHA MCGEE

Board Director

GAIL MOODY-BYRD

Board Director

MIRIAM ORT

Symbotic

DARIA WALLS TORRES Board Director

LISA WARDELL Board Director

LESLIE WIMS MORRIS Board Director

SUSAN CHAPMAN-
HUGHES

Board Director

SHARON BOWEN

NYSE

ACCELERATOR WEEKEND

For the fourth year, we hosted an intimate retreat in Hawaii for a cohort of current members to learn from accomplished leaders offering advice from their journeys.

ACCELERATOR GUEST SPEAKERS

KEN DENMEN Board Director

RHYS HUGHES GV

KIMBERLY JOHNSON Board Director

AKASH PRADHAN TPG

PETER SCHWARTZ Salesforce

KAHINA VAN DYKE Board Dirctor

YVONNE WASSENAAR Board Director

JAMES D. WHITE Board Director

URSULA BURNS Board Director

WANDA AUSTIN Board Director

ACCELERATOR SESSION MODERATORS

ALISSA ABDULLAH Mastercard

YEMAYA BORDAIN Daedalean AI

DONNA COHEN CarMax

JEAN HARVEY JOHNSON COO

TINA PERRY Board Director

BRANDI THOMAS Board Director

ANNUAL MEMBER SUMMIT

Our Super Bowl moment each year as we gather for an invite-only, off the record day of influential speakers offering perspectives on wide-ranging consequential topics.

SUMMIT GUEST SPEAKERS

ROZ BREWER

United Airlines Board Spelman President

HERMAN BULLS

Board Director

KEN CHENAULT

General Catalyst

KEN DENMAN

Board Director

SOLEDAD O’BRIEN

SOB Productions

JOHN PASMORE

Latimer AI

SUZANNE SHANK

Siebert Williams Shank & Co.

JENNIFER STEANS

Concentric Equity Partners

MARCUS STROUD

Sequence Equity

MARQUES TORBERT

5th Century Partners

CYNT MARSHALL

Board Director

COLIN KAEPERNICK

Lumi

SUMMIT MODERATORS & MCS

CYNTHIA BURKS

Board Director

KIMI ELLEN

Board Director

SHERINA MAYE EDWARDS

Board Director

MARK WILKINS

Private Wealth Advisor, UBS

NICOLE LAMB-HALE

Board Director

DEBORAH GRANT

Board Director

LIFT AS WE CLIMB AWARD HONOREES

This year our annual awards honored two trailblazers who have devoted their lives to opening doors for others, including their current work leading transformative nonprofit foundations.

SHARLEE JETER Turn 2 Foundation

ALANA BEARD 318 Foundation

COMMUNITY BUILDING AMONG MEMBERS

MEMBERS HOSTING COMMUNITY-BUILDING

From regional in-person meet-ups to online affinity groups based on industry, role or geography, we thank all who’ve raised their hand to coordinate these efforts for and with fellow members.

JANINE DAUGHTRY Board Director

KIMI ELLEN Board Director

LORI GEORGE Board Director

JOSETTE LESLIE Contentstack

CRYSTAL WILLIAMS RISD

KEMI AFONJA Anomali

SELINE MILLER CFO

MARY HENTGES Board Director

WEBINAR SPEAKERS & HOSTS

Given the number of time zones we serve, and the full schedules of everyone involved, a series of robust digital presentations and fireside chats allow us to be as inclusive as possible in our programming.

SUSAN ALBAN Renegade Partners

KEN DENMAN Board Director

MATRICE ELLIS-KIRK Ellis Kirk Group

RHYS HUGHES GV

DENISE SINGLETON Board Director

VANESSA STEPHENS BAG Ventures

CYNTHIA BURKS Board Director

JAMEEKA GREEN AARON Board Director

MEGAN HOLSTON-ALEXANDER a16z/CLF

JEAN HARVEY JOHNSON

COO

VALUED ALLIES YEAR ROUND

From hosting dinners and sourcing potential board opportunities, to career mapping and strengthening board bios, many allies including those shown here devote many hours to accelerating the journey of our members.