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.