Meet Our Women In Leadership XXIII Graduates

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Turning Downtime To Upside: WIL’s First 100% Virtual Cohort

This spring, we kicked off our 23rd Women In Leadership program, with high expectations for the 25 women participating. 

Already making waves in the Greater Pittsburgh region, the participants of WIL XXIII came in ready to double-down on their commitment to continual growth and the professional advancement of local women.

That’s exactly what they did.

Since April, our leadership accelerator helped them access the tools, connections, and support needed to continue knocking down barriers, gain greater influence, and maximize their careers.

Over 12 weeks, the members of WIL XIII:

  • Received expert insights from top women leaders
  • Mastered key techniques in negotiation, facilitation, partnerships, networking and more
  • Worked one-on-one with professional coaches
  • Built valuable connections across our region 
  • Leveled up their leadership through collaborate capstone projects

As our latest graduates, they now join hundreds of alumni trailblazing locally and nationally in business, government, nonprofit, education, and beyond since 1997.

Stepping Up To The Digital Challenge

WIL XXIII also made history as our first ever 100% virtual cohort. Under the brilliant leadership of Lead Trainer, Britnai Nunley, we were able to seamlessly pivot our traditional in-person model into a dynamic online experience in the wake of COVID-19. Our participants quickly embraced this challenge – they mastered Zoom on the go, thought outside-of-the-box to complete rigorous projects, and were remarkably intentional about building chemistry as a collective.

Their unwavering confidence, excellence, and dedication to growth continues to inspire our team as we work to unveil new digital learning experiences.

Quick Look At WIL XIII By The Numbers:

  • Average participant age of 37.4 years old
  • 72% participants self-identify as a person of color or multi-racial
  • 23 Organizations Represented
  • Residents of 17 Pittsburgh-Area Neighborhoods

And Here They Are, Our WIL XIII Graduates:

Tia Baker, Crown Cut Concierge

Alicia Blackburn, Allegheny Health Network 

Lois Bower-Bjornson, Clean Air Council

Ja’Lisa Brown, UPMC

Sarah Callahan, Aetna

Lashaun Davis, Allegheny County DHS

Torie Day, Berkshire Hathaway 

Kayleigh Del Cotto, Partner4Work

Olukemi Esan, Allegheny Health Network

Renée DeMichiei Farrow, Architectural Innovations 

Latoya Hamm, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Erika Hedin, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Shauntaya Hester, Foundation of Hope 

Kimberly Kaplan, ISACA

Kayla King Scott, South University

Gina McMillan, Operation Better Block

Elysia Newman, Style 412

Jarita Oliver, PNC Bank

Rebecca Oreto, Carnegie Mellon University

Stephanie Peterson, Youth Enrichment Services

Angela Reed, UPMC Enterprises

Mitra Saeidi, Chatham University 

Amber Thompson, Leaders of Change LLC 

Amie White, A+ Schools

Cerée Wilkerson, The Midwife Center

About Women In Leadership:

Coro Pittsburgh created Women In Leadership (WIL) to provide a defined opportunity for engaged and committed professional women from all sectors within the Pittsburgh region to collaborate, network, and train together to expand their reach and impact. The WIL program is designed to help participants more successfully navigate and manage leadership challenges at three levels: self, communities, and systems. 

WIL XXIII Contributors:

The success of WIL XXIII would not have been possible without the behind-the-scenes work and leadership of the following Coro Staff members:

Britnai Nunley, WIL Program Manager + Facilitator

Selena Schmidt, Coro Pittsburgh Executive Director + Guest Trainer

Throughout WIL XXIII, these 13 Leading Voices, in various ways, devoted their time and wisdom to our participants’ success. We are thankful for their investment, kindness, and transparency.

Heather Arnet, President & CEO, Women and Girls Foundation 

Lynn Banaszak, Executive Director, Digital Transformation & Innovation Center at Carnegie Mellon University

Sarah Boal, Assistant Vice President for Disaster Response & Strategic Initiatives, Brother’s Brother Foundation

anu jain, Executive Director, Gender Equity Commision, City of Pittsburgh

Demi Kolke, Senior Program Manager of Corridor Revitalization, Neighborhood Allies

Kyshira Moffett, CEO, The Power Collective

Angela Reynolds, CEO, YWCA Pittsburgh

Sabrina Saunders-Mosby, CEO, Vibrant Pittsburgh

Selena Schmidt, Executive Director, Coro Pittsburgh

Michael Sider-Rose, Senior Director of Training, Coro Pittsburgh

Tammy Thompson, Executive Director, Circles Pittsburgh 

Jennifer Van Dam, Digital & Community Engagement Manager, Innovation Works

Yvonne Van Haitsma, Associate Director, Covestro Center for Community Engagement, Robert Morris University

We also thank the following career coaches for being a source of clarity, direction, and accountability for our participants during their WIL journey:

Christy Bondi

Jennifer Craig

Stacey Etherson

Susan Hockenberry

Natalie Iannone

Mo Kazemi

Terese Kurkul

Kim Manigault

Angelina Petrarca

Jane Rahenkamp

Pamelia Robinson

Terrie Sackett

Christine Stack

Christy Stuber

Kathleen Sullivan

Kumar Vijayendra

Erroline Williams

We also thank The Grable Foundation for their gracious support and funding.

Join Our Next Cohort:

Applications for WIL XXIV will open on December 1, 2020. Email “WIL XXIV” to recruitpgh@coropittsburgh.org to receive an email notification when the application goes live.