Jenny Abramson
Founder and Managing Partner, Rethink Impact
Session: Barbie, Taylor, and Beyoncé: Women Driving the Economy, 35+ track
Jenny Abramson (WTW ‘18) of Washington, D.C., is the founder and managing partner of Rethink Impact, a venture capital firm that invests in female entrepreneurs using technology to tackle challenges in health, education, environmental sustainability, and economic empowerment. She has been covered by Forbes, The New York Times, and CNN, spoken at SXSW, Code, the United Nations, and beyond, and was recently named a Tech Titan. Previously, Jenny served as CEO of LiveSafe, a mobile security company focused on preventing school shootings and sexual assaults. She also held leadership roles at The Washington Post, Personal (a data tech company), The Boston Consulting Group, D.C. public schools, and Teach for America. Jenny received bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors from Stanford and an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School, and was a Fulbright Scholar at The London School of Economics.
*Jill Basinger
Chief Legal Officer, Discovery Land Company
Session: Advocating for Yourself, 35+ track
Jill Basinger (WTW ‘23) is the chief legal officer at Discovery Land Company, a world-renowned real estate developer and operator of private club communities and resorts, where she oversees all litigations and develops corporate legal strategy and compliance programs. Jill’s origin story is the American Dream: After she and her family immigrated from the former Soviet Union when she was six years old, Jill became so proficient in English that she helped lead her UCLA debate team to win the Cross Examination Debate Association National Debate title – twice. (As a bonus, she met her husband there.) After earning her B.A. in political science from UCLA, Jill graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, clerked for a federal court judge, and began her legal career at Quinn Emanuel. Jill became a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, then at Glaser Weil, where she specialized in general commercial litigation, crisis management and response, and employment discrimination and harassment. Jill has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named a California Top Women Lawyer by the Daily Journal, a Power Lawyer by the Hollywood Reporter, a top litigator by Variety, and a Super Lawyer. Jill was previously the litigation section co-chair on the board of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, and currently serves on the board of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League.
Sarah Boldin
Director of Leadership and New School Development at Student Leadership Network
Session: Advocating for Change, 35+ track
Sarah Boldin is the managing director of leadership and new school development on the Girls' Education Team at Student Leadership Network, a 501c3 educational nonprofit organization in New York City serving girls and gender-expansive youth in public secondary schools nationally. Sarah has worked in girls’ education for more than nearly 20 years. She taught in girls’ secondary-school classrooms, including at the flagship The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) in East Harlem, and has been delivering Whole Girl Education-focused professional development to educators and school administrators for the past 15 years. Sarah also guides the opening processes for new national Young Women's Leadership affiliate schools, and provides ongoing consultative support to the full national network of 25 girls' schools. In a prior role as the senior assistant director of admissions at Dartmouth College, Sarah's recruitment territory allowed her to work with students from TYWLS and other NYC public schools, along with a large national territory. Sarah holds a BA in English and sociology from Rutgers University and an MAT from New York University. She lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband, son, and daughter, where she has supported her community by serving on local boards for a community library and an educational theater.
Kerry Brodie
Founder and Executive Director, Emma's Torch
Session: Advocating for Change, 35+ track
Kerry Brodie (WTW ‘22) is the founder and executive director of Emma's Torch, a nonprofit restaurant, café, and catering business in Brooklyn that provides culinary training and job placement services to refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking. Emma's Torch was named one of Time magazine's 100 Greatest Places in the World in 2018, and has been featured in The New Yorker, "The Rachael Ray Show," The New York Times, Vogue, and others. Kerry herself was named one of City & State’s 40 Under 40 in 2018. She previously worked as the global press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign and as the director of communications at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. Kerry served on the board of JWI's D.C. Young Women's Impact Network before moving to New York and founding Emma's Torch. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and holds a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University.
*Eileen Filler-Corn
Representative and Former Speaker, Virginia House of Delegates
Session: Advocating for Change, 35+ track
Eileen Filler-Corn (WTW ‘23) served as the 56th Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. She was both the first woman and the first Jew to serve as speaker in the 400-year history of Virginia’s legislature. Filler-Corn rose to this role after serving in the House for a decade, making her ascension to the post the fastest ever. Today, she continues to serve her community and commonwealth in the House of Delegates, fighting on behalf of her constituents and all Virginians. Representing the 41st House District, which includes portions of Fairfax County. Eileen’s passion for service shines through her tireless work to make the Commonwealth of Virginia a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Her commitment to improving the lives of her neighbors is what drove her to run for the House of Delegates. She has spent her time in the legislature as a listener and problem-solver, delivering results that move her community forward and advocating for everyone equally regardless of background, circumstance, or ideology. She has introduced, championed, and passed legislation that has made Virginia a safer, stronger, and more equal Commonwealth.
Laura Rebell Gross
Senior Managing Director of Girls’ Education for Student Leadership Network
Session: Pursuing Purpose, 22-34 track
Laura Rebell Gross (WTW ‘16) is the senior managing director for the Girls’ Education National Team — comprising The Young Women’s Leadership Schools (TYWLS) and Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN) — which serves more than 10,000 students every year. A leader in the education field for decades, Laura’s expertise is widely recognized and she has been honored by Jewish Women International and The Center for the Women of New York. Laura is a national speaker and expert on girls’ public education. To impact the lives of girls beyond New York City, Laura co-founded the Young Women’s Charter Prep School of Rochester, a YWLN affiliate, and takes the lead in identifying and establishing new school affiliates nationwide. In addition to the JWI board, Laura currently serves on the Riley’s Way Foundation board and the advisory board for Rattlestick theatre. Notably, Laura’s path to leadership started as a public school teacher, including serving as an English teacher at SL Network’s flagship school in East Harlem for six years. She earned a BA from Tufts University, an MAT from Brown University, and has completed coursework toward an Ed. D. in curriculum and teaching at Teacher’s College, Columbia University and the Warner School, University of Rochester.
*Barbara Guterman
Entrepreneur; Women’s Mentor; Board Member of KEEN Greater DC
Session: Paths and Passion, 22-34 track
Barbara Guterman (WTW ‘23) is a seasoned entrepreneur, passionate business executive, and a veteran community organizer with a desire to create powerful change. In the last 35 years, Barbara has launched companies and managed businesses in telecommunications, retail, franchising, manufacturing, fine jewelry, and in Internet-based start-ups. Her experience ranges from small business to large-scale public corporations and covers management, operations, sales, investor relations, public relations, community relations, and external affairs. At just 23 years old, Barbara co-created one of the nation’s first competitive local phone companies – the first in its industry to go public, raising more than $80 million and growing to 5000+ employees. Barbara was featured in Forbes' September 1995 issue as a “Woman with a Mission,” and she was the first person to don the cover of Reader's Digest as a distinguished woman entrepreneur. She was also recognized as Ernst and Young’s 1997 Florida Entrepreneur of the Year. Barbara received her B.A. in telecommunication from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of South Florida, where she was named USF’s 1993 Entrepreneur of the Year. She is currently a mentor and partner in several startup businesses and runs the Teach Give Inspire Fridays women’s speakers series. Barbara has served as VP of the board of KEEN Greater DC for the last 12 years, is an entrepreneur-in-residence at The Bullis School in Potomac, Md., and is the current president of Congregation Bna’i Tzedek in Potomac. She is a devoted wife and mother to three grown sons who share her passion for business and for giving back.
*Tiffany Harris
Chief Program Officer, Moishe House
Session: Advocating for Yourself, 35+ track
Tiffany Harris (WTW ‘23) is the chief program officer at Moishe House, where she oversees a global program team that engages hundreds of thousands of Jewish young adults each year. Before Moishe House, Tiffany oversaw a global education program focused on accelerating IT and cloud-related learning at Amazon. Previously with the Peace Corps, Tiffany served as the organization headquarters’ public affairs specialist; was a founding member of both Shalom Corps (Peace Corps’ Jewish employee resource group) and the Peace Corps diversity board; and sat on the chief of staff’s diversity governance council. The National Peace Corps Association honored Tiffany on its Decennial "40 under 40" lists. Tiffany is a former board member of Moishe House and the Jim Joseph Foundation. Her undergraduate degrees are from Seattle University, and she has an M.A. from Tel Aviv University. A former leader of JWI’s Young Women’s Impact Network, Tiffany led the creation of JWI's 1-on-1 mentoring program. She earned an Executive Certificate in Project Management from Georgetown University, she completed the Board Member Institute for Jewish Nonprofits at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and she is currently pursuing an executive certificate in applied business analytics from MIT.
Julia Jassey
Founder of Jewish On Campus
Session: Social Media and Mental Health, 14-21 track
Julia Jassey is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish on Campus, where she heads a staff from around the world as they respond to growing levels of antisemitism on college campuses. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as CNN and Forbes Magazine, and she has been recognized as a young voice leading the fight against antisemitism. Due to her advocacy work, she was an Honoree at the Anti-Defamation League’s 2021 Concert Against Hate. Julia was also awarded as one of Algemeiner Magazine’s “Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life in 2021.” Julia has proudly served as a Brume and Allen Scholar at the American Sephardi Federation as well as the host of the “Nice Jewish Girls” podcast with Opendor Media. She does this while also attending the University of Chicago, and she is expected to graduate in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in political science and Jewish studies.
Erica Keswin
Workplace Strategist; Speaker; Author of Bring Your Human to Work, Rituals Roadmap, and The Retention Revolution
Keynote Speaker
Erica Keswin (WTW ‘17) is an expert in the business of relationships, helping top-of-the-class businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their performance by honoring relationships in every context, always with an eye toward high-tech for human touch. She is the author of Bring Your Human to Work: Ten Sure-Fire Ways to Design a Workplace That is Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World, Rituals Roadmap: The Human Way to Transform Everyday Routines into Workplace Magic; and, most recently, The Retention Revolution: 7 Surprising (and Very Human!) Ways to Keep Employees Connected to Your Company. Erica has worked extensively in organization and leadership development, and in the human capital space. She was a consultant at the Hay Group and Booz Allen & Hamilton and worked as an executive director at Russell Reynolds Associates. She also served as an executive coach at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Erica received her MBA from Northwestern University, and her BA from the University of Vermont. She recently finished a six-year term on the boards of the Anderson Ranch Art Center in Aspen, Colo. and the Rodeph Sholom School in New York City, where she also served as vice chair. Erica was honored as a JWI Woman to Watch in 2017. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband, Jeff, their three children, and their dog, Cruiser.
Stephanie Kaplan Lewis
Co-Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief, Her Campus Media
Session: Advocating for Yourself, 35+ track
Stephanie Kaplan Lewis (WTW ‘19) is the co-founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Her Campus Media, the #1 media company for college students and Gen Z, which she co-founded in 2009 as an undergraduate at Harvard. Her Campus Media empowers the next generation of student journalists, marketers, and creatives through its community of 50,000+ college students across thousands of campuses, and powers college marketing programs for some of the world’s largest brands. Stephanie has been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. 30 Under 30, and Her Campus Media has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies among other accolades. As a leading force for women's empowerment, Stephanie and Her Campus have partnered with First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, and received the Office on Women's Health’s first-ever Partnership Award. Stephanie is also an Innovation Fellow at Harvard and a Boston Marathon finisher. She lives in Newton, Mass. with her husband, two young children, two rescue dogs, and cat.
Robin London
Head of Worldwide Display Ad Policy, Amazon; Co-Chair, Next Gen Board, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Session: Paths and Passion, 22-34 track
Robin London (WTW ‘22) of Washington, D.C. is the head of worldwide advertising policy at Amazon, where she is responsible for advertising compliance for Amazon’s advertising programs such as targeting, custom ad campaigns, and Twitch. She spent 18 years at AOL (Verizon Media) as the director of the company’s global advertising policy group. For many years, Robin has been a mentor to young women in the adtech industry. In the community, she spends her time working on event and fundraising committees at local Jewish organizations and her children's schools. She most recently was co-chair of the Next Gen Board at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and board member at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington. Born and raised in New York City, Robin moved to Washington, D.C. in 1994. She received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and has lived in the area ever since. Robin and her husband, Jeremy London, have three children: Sammy, Casey, and Cooper.
*Tamar Manasseh
Rabbi, Anti-Gun Violence Activist, and Community Leader
Session: Advocating for Change, 35+ track
Tamar Manasseh (WTW ‘23) is an anti-gun violence activist, community leader, mother of two, and rabbi. In 2015, Tamar founded MASK, Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings, on the south side of Chicago. MASK’s purpose is to put eyes on the streets, interrupt violence and crime, and teach children to grow up as friends rather than as enemies. MASK’s primary mission is to build stronger communities through a focus on violence prevention, food security, and housing; the organization also creates partnerships to ensure that community members have access to necessary city services, opportunities for education and professional skills growth, and economic development. Tamar has also helped launch MASK initiatives in other Chicago neighborhoods, as well as in cities throughout the United States, including Evansville, Ind., Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Memphis. She was named Chicagoan of the Year in 2016 and has received awards from Ebony magazine, NOW Chicago chapter Vernita Gray Community Advocate Award, and a citation from the City of New York for her work in the community. She is a member of the Elluminate Collective, Cohort II, and of JWI’s Jewish Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable. In 2023, she founded Shachar, an organization that serves as a bridge between Black Jews, the larger American Jewish community, and African Americans.
Dana Marlowe
Founder, Support The Girls and Accessibility Partners
Session: Finding Meaning Outside the ‘Meh,’ 22-34 track
Dana Marlowe (WTW ‘16) is a social entrepreneur and internationally-known disability advocate who founded Accessibility Partners – an advocacy IT consulting firm that makes technology more accessible to people with disabilities – and Support the Girls, a non-profit that has donated more than 20,000 bras and 53,000 tampons, pads and other hygiene products to women in need around the world. Dana’s efforts have been showcased in national news outlets including The Today Show, Newsweek, and The Washington Post. She has been recognized with the Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Woman Award, The Maryland Daily Record’s Top 100 Women Award for 2016, the Maryland 40 Under 40 VIP List, SmartCEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year, and more. She has also won the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 35 Under 35 Award and was a finalist for the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council’s Women in Technology Award.
Kim Oster-Holstein
Food Entrepreneur, Co-Founder, President & Chief Alchemy Officer of Twisted Alchemy
Session: Yes, Chef: Women and the Food Industry, 22-34 track
Kim Oster-Holstein (WTW ‘10) Kim Oster-Holstein is the Co-Founder and Chief Alchemy Officer of Twisted Alchemy, providing award winning cold pressed juices and craft mixers for the hospitality industry and home cocktail kits for craft cocktail enthusiasts. Twisted Alchemy partners with world-renowned restaurant hospitality groups, hotels, and event venues, with the mission to elevate spirits. With COVID19, the company pivoted to elevate people’s spirits at home with the Quarantine Cocktail Hour and other virtual gatherings, from client cocktail hours and team virtual huddles to the virtual holiday party, offering a Toast of Inspiration. Kim is a passionate entrepreneur, Tedx speaker, mentor, business & wellness coach with a mission to help others create and live their best lives. She and her co-founder Scott started, built, and sold Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels to a public company in 2012. She was named the Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year 2009 by Chicago’s Womens’ Business Development Center and was recognized with the Womens’ Business Enterprise National Council Star Award in 2010. She was an inductee in the 2011 Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Kim was honored as a JWI Woman to Watch in 2010. She is former board chair and on the board of trustees of JWI, and is programming chair and member of the executive committee of Northwestern University’s Council of One Hundred. Kim graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a MSA in 1990, and received her BBA in marketing from the University of Texas School of Business in 1989.
Dee Sanae
Social Entrepreneur, Community Activist, Writer, On-Camera Talent, Music Industry Veteran, and Founder of Mosaic Visions, LLC
Session: Finding Meaning Outside the ‘Meh,’ 22-34 track
Dee Sanae (WTW ‘22) is a social entrepreneur, community activist, writer, on-camera talent, and music industry veteran based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She served as the first Jewish woman of color and community service chair for B’nai B’rith International’s BBI Connect. Dee is also the vice president of the Asian Pacific American Film Festival Board. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, equality, and women's empowerment, she is active in promoting diversity and inclusion within the Jewish, Asian, and Black spaces. Dee created Mosaic Visions, LLC to support and strengthen alliances for Jews of Color as well as Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and their communities. Mosaic Visions' mission is to unify communities through advocacy, community activism, and action-oriented programming that impacts lives. A proud alumna of Virginia Tech, Dee holds a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies and is an executive MBA candidate with a focus on global business, leadership, governance, and entrepreneurship innovation. She is a member of the Asian/Pacific Islander/Desi American Caucus of Virginia Tech and is the diversity and inclusion director of the Northern Capital Region Virginia Tech Alumni Association. She is a Sixth&I congregant in Washington, D.C., resides in Arlington, Va., and is the mother of two wonderful children.
*Samantha Saperstein
Managing Director, Global Head of Women on the Move Center of Excellence at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Session: Barbie, Taylor, and Beyoncé: Women Driving the Economy, 35+ track
Samantha Saperstein (WTW ‘23) leads the Women on the Move Center of Excellence at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she manages programs designed to fuel female ambition and ensure women have equal access and opportunity. She collaborates with internal teams and external partners on initiatives that support women entrepreneurs, educate female consumers, and empower female employees. Previously Samantha spent five years as chief marketing officer of Chase Commercial Banking; she joined the bank in 2012 as head of credit card strategy for Chase Consumer & Community Banking. Prior to joining Chase, Samantha was group head of U.S. Core Products at MasterCard, responsible for the development and rollout of all U.S. credit, debit, commercial, and prepaid card programs, and management of the U.S. loyalty platform. Earlier in her career, Samantha was a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company, and also worked in journalism covering the U.S. Treasury market and macroeconomics for Dow Jones Newswires, The Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s. Samantha serves on the board of Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest agency supporting victims of domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and youth homelessness, as well as the board of advisors for Catalyst. She has a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and lives in Westchester, N.Y., with her husband and three children.
*Jennie Schaff
CEO of the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation
Session: Paths and Passion, 22-34 track
Jennie Schaff, Ph.D. (WTW ‘23) is the CEO of the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation in Rochester, N.Y., where she oversees the strategic distribution of the foundation monies to both Jewish and secular causes. Prior to her role at the foundation, Schaff served as the president and CEO of Jewish Family Services of Rochester. During her tenure there, she oversaw the growth of barrier-free mental health services, developed holistic programming for affordable housing residents, and ensured the agency was serving the community throughout the entire lifespan. Schaff earned her Ph.D. in education from George Mason University, which prepared her for nearly 20 years as a professor of education. Thirteen of those years were spent at Nazareth College, where she helped to shape K-12 educators in and around Rochester and gained a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the current educational system. Jennie lives in Brighton, N.Y. with her three children, two stepchildren, and her husband, David Clar.
Rachel Braun Scherl
Marketing Strategist and Business Builder for Female Sexual Health Companies
Session: Women's Health, 35+ track
Rachel Braun Scherl (WTW ‘16) is a strategist, entrepreneur, and speaker. She is managing partner and co-founder of consulting firm SPARK Solutions for Growth and previously worked as an executive at Johnson & Johnson, principal at Marketing Corporation of America, and president of Semprae Laboratories, Inc., which develops women’s sexual health products. Rachel is a frequent speaker at universities, Fortune 100 companies, and national conferences. She been interviewed and featured for her work in The New York Times, Forbes, and on CNN, ABC News, CBS, Lifetime, Oprah Radio, and more platforms. Rachel has penned 60+ articles for The Huffington Post and Inc. She is a board member of illumai and advisory board member at Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, The Fuqua School of Business.
Sierra Schnitzer
JWI Senior Director of Survivor Supports and Initiatives
Session: Setting Boundaries for Healthy Relationships, 14-21 track
Susan N. Shankman
Senior Rabbi, Washington Hebrew Congregation
Session: Finding Meaning Outside the ‘Meh,’ 22-34 track
Rabbi Susan N. Shankman (WTW ‘06) is the senior rabbi at Washington Hebrew Congregation. Along with officiation at services, life cycle events and pastoral care and counseling, Rabbi Shankman coordinates the confirmation program, and focuses on programming for families with young children, sisterhood and women’s issues, social action, and outreach to interfaith families. She was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2001. As a rabbinical student, Rabbi Shankman served student pulpits in Valparaiso, Indiana and Columbus, Mississippi. Upon ordination, she received the Ferdinand M. Isserman Prize for her contributions to the development of community relations. Rabbi Shankman earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s in religion from the University of Chicago Divinity School. She is immediate past president of the Washington Board of Rabbis, and serves on the boards of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. She is also a member JWI’s National Clergy Task Force on Domestic Abuse, and was honored with the Women to Watch Community Leadership Award in 2006 and the Matthew H. Simon Rabbinical Award from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington in 2014.
Pam Sherman
Leadership Coach and Consultant; Creator of The EDGE™: Explore, Dream, Grow & Excite Programs
Closing Session Speaker
Pam Sherman (WTW ‘17) is a nationally-syndicated columnist (the Suburban Outlaw), actor, recovering lawyer and leadership consultant. Today Sherman coaches and conducts programs for leaders all over the world about leadership communications and how to find their EDGE: Explore, Dream, Grow, & Excite™. She is a keynote speaker, has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, law firms, advertising agencies and is a highly rated global resource for leadership groups, including, EO, Vistage Worldwide and YPO. Her portrayal of legendary columnist Erma Bombeck in “At Wit’s End” played to sold-out audiences around the country. Sherman was recently quoted in the New York Times regarding leadership and emotional authenticity.
Paula Shoyer
Chef and Cookbook Author, including The Kosher Baker and The Healthy Jewish Kitchen
Session: Yes, Chef: Women and the Food Industry, 22-34 track
Paula Shoyer (WTW ‘15) is a French-trained pastry chef who teaches cooking and baking classes all around the world. She does demonstrations as fundraisers for synagogues from Reform to Orthodox, Jewish Community Centers and organizations. She has taught 250 virtual cooking classes since April 2020. She is the author of five cookbooks: The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook, Healthy Jewish Kitchen, The New Passover Menu, The Holiday Kosher Baker, and The Kosher Baker: 160 dairy-free desserts from traditional to trendy. Paula’s recipes have been featured in newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs and on radio and TV shows all over the United States, Canada, Israel and even Asia. She has appeared on TV more than 55 times, from the Food Network to i24 news in Israel; has two travel video shows - “Paula’s Hidden Tastes of Israel” and “The Kosher Baker in Paris”; and launched her first food tour to Israel, Savor Israel Tours, in summer 2022.
*Natalie Silverstein
Author of Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back and Host of the Simple Acts, Big Impact: Celebrating Teen Changemakers Podcast
Session: Pursuing Purpose, 22-34 track
Natalie Silverstein, MPH (WTW ‘23) is an author, speaker, consultant, nonprofit founder, and passionate advocate for family and youth service. Her first book, Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back, was published in 2019 and was named one of the Top Books for Parents Who Want to Raise Kind Kids by HuffPost. Her second book, Simple Acts: The Busy Teen’s Guide to Making a Difference, was published in July 2022. She is the host of the award-winning "Simple Acts, Big Impact: Celebrating Teen Changemakers" podcast. As the New York coordinator of Doing Good Together, a national nonprofit helping parents raise kids who care and contribute, Natalie curates a free monthly email listing of family-friendly service opportunities for thousands of subscribers. Her essays and interviews have appeared in Katie Couric's Wake-Up Call newsletter, Good Housekeeping, Medium, Zibby Mag, TeenInk, Grown and Flown, and Motherwell. Along with her husband Jonathan, she is the co-founder of The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson’s with GBA, a nonprofit committed to finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease in GBA mutation carriers. As a philanthropist, Natalie is a founding member of Impact 100 NYC, a women’s giving circle, and a member of the Legacy Collective. Natalie holds a master’s degree in public health from Yale University. She lives in New York City with her husband and three children.
Ellen Stone
Executive Vice President, Consumer Engagement & Brand Strategy at NBCU Cable Networks - Bravo, Oxygen, USA, SYFY, E!, Universal Kids
Session: Barbie, Taylor, and Beyoncé: Women Driving the Economy, 35+ track
Ellen Stone (WTW ‘11) of New York, N.Y., is executive vice president, consumer engagement & brand strategy at NBCU Cable Networks - Bravo, Oxygen, USA, SYFY, E!, and Universal Kids -, overseeing the development of brand strategy, consumer promotions, license/merchandising, and social marketing for the networks, with multi-million dollar campaigns for franchises such as Bravo’s "The Real Housewives” & “Vanderpump Rules”, “Chucky” on USA and “E!’s Live From the Red Carpet.” Ellen is the mastermind behind some of NBCU cable’s most successful ventures, including the recently held BravoCon 2023 in Las Vegas, two-time New York Times best-selling Top Chef cookbook series, "Top Chef: The Tour" and Oxygen’s entry into Crime Con. Additionally, under Stone’s watch, her team earned the 2010 Digital Publishing & Advertising Award for Best Social Engagement Campaign, an IMA Outstanding Achievement Award, multiple Cablefaxies and CTAM Mark Awards. Stone holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and a minor in French from Lehigh University School of Business and is a graduate of CTAM University at Harvard School of Business. She was a 2011 Women to Watch Honoree and recently featured in Variety’s 2023 Digital Marketing Impact Report.
Michelle Stravitz
CEO of 2Unstoppable, a national nonprofit supporting exercise among women with a cancer diagnosis
Session: Women's Health, 35+ track
Michelle Stravitz (WTW ‘22) is the CEO of 2Unstoppable, a national non-profit that helps women with cancer improve their own outcomes through exercise. When Michelle was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2015, her oncologist advised exercise to combat treatment side effects and improve her chance of survival. Recognizing a deep need in the cancer community, she co-founded 2Unstoppable to help every survivor benefit from exercise with a national model for delivering oncology exercise, coupled with social support, on the virtual platform. Michelle is also a PCI-certified parent coach, holds an M.S. from The George Washington University, and earned bachelor’s degrees in engineering and economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Michelle has served on the executive committees of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Gesher Jewish Day School, and The Glass Ribbon Project, and has volunteered with the Pozez JCC, Congregation Olam Tikvah, and Capital Camps. She is the CFO of Spectrum Management Consulting and enjoys occasional event planning. Michelle still finds time to counsel women with breast cancer privately and through Sharsheret and Inova Life With Cancer. She lives in Fairfax, Va., adores her husband and four children, and actively practices yoga, mindfulness, and gratitude.
Dr. Jennifer Verbesey
Transplant Surgeon; Director of Living Donor and Pediatric Kidney Transplantation, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Session: Women’s Health, 35+ track
Dr. Jennifer Verbesey (WTW ‘16) is the assistant professor of surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine, director of living donor kidney transplantation at MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, and surgical director of pediatric kidney transplantation at the Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. Verbesey was a fire control officer in the U.S. Navy from 1993 to 1995. After leaving the Navy, she attended Harvard Medical School, then graduated to general surgery residency at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. She has many honors and awards, including Sedgewick Research Award, Young Investigator Award from American Transplant Congress, Resident Teaching Award at Tufts Medical School, and more. Her local and national service includes chair of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, member of the Living Donor Committee, and serving in the American Transplant Congress.
*Audrey Wisch
Co-Founder and CEO of Student Mentoring Platform Curious Cardinals
Session: Pursuing Purpose, 22-34 track
Audrey Wisch (WTW ‘23) paused her studies at Stanford University to pursue Curious Cardinals, chasing her dreams to not only help K-12 students unlock their greatest potential, but also to provide college students with meaningful work. After teaching her first workshop on mass incarceration to high school students at the start of the pandemic, Audrey mobilized her most ambitious peers at Stanford and beyond to share topics they were passionate about to K-12 students. Since then, Audrey has spoken on CNN and in Forbes to share her vision to create a community of lifelong learners and doers. Curious Cardinals has now raised $6.8 million in seed funding led by Anthos Capital and Audacious Ventures. She was recognized in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Education and Youngest category. At Stanford, Audrey was a history major whose research on the history of sexual assault was published in the Stanford Historical Journal. When Audrey is not working or speaking to members of the Curious Cardinals community, she can be found running while listening to podcasts, reading, or in art museums.
*Amy Zitelman
Co-Founder and CEO of Soom Foods
Session: Yes, Chef: Women and the Food Industry, 22-34 track
Amy Zitelman (WTW ‘23), CEO of Soom Foods, earned a B.A. in communication from the University of Delaware in 2011 and spent the following year soaking up culture and teaching English in Israel. Amy is the author of The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal and in Between, and was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2018 for the food and drink category. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband Darren and young sons Henry, Jesse, and Miles.
*Jackie Zitelman
Co-Founder and CPO of Soom Foods
Session: Yes, Chef: Women and the Food Industry, 22-34 track
Jackie Zitelman (WTW ‘23), CPO of Soom Foods, graduated with a B.A. in government from IDC Herzliya and a master's degree in environmental studies from Tel Aviv University. Along with her sister Amy, Jackie was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2018. She is married to Omri and has three children – Liel, Eve, and Almog. They live on Moshav Shavei Tzion in the Western Galilee, Israel.
*Shelby Zitelman
Co-Founder and Board President of Soom Foods; Senior VP of Business Development at Zitelman Partners
Session: Barbie, Taylor, and Beyoncé: Women Driving the Economy, 35+ track
Shelby Zitelman (WTW ‘23) is board president of Soom Foods as well as senior VP of business development at Zitelman Partners. She graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007 and lives in Center City Philadelphia with her husband, Dan Stamm, and their three fun-loving boys, Malcolm, Julius, and Simon. Shelby sits on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia, the American Living Organ Donor Fund, and Twist Out Cancer, as well as the Jewish Relief Agency finance committee. She was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 list in 2019.