Conversations with Leaders - Women Leaders & Entrepreneurs

LEAD VIRGINIA hosted a panel of six women leaders as a part of our Conversations with Leaders speaker series on June 11, 2014. The topic, Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs, was addressed by a panel of five, moderated by Ms. Kathy Albarado, CEO of Helios HR, and included: Ms. Jennifer Arnold, Principal in the Business Development Center for Excellence with Booz Allen Hamilton; Ms. Bridget Bean, Chief Human Capital Officer and Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the United States Small Business Administration; Ms. Kristina Bouweiri, CEO of Reston Limousine, Dr. Sarah Nutter, Dean of George Mason University’s School of Management; and Ms. Dolly Oberoi, CEO of C² Technologies, Inc. Ms. Albarado is a current member of LEAD VIRGINIA’s Class of 2014 and Ms. Bean is a graduate of the Class of 2011.

The all-women panel discussed the events and mentors who helped shape their path to their current roles, the challenges and failures they encountered along the way, and left the audience with wonderful words of wisdom on how each person can continue to inspire those around them to excel. “This was a powerful panel of inspirational women, each of whom have traveled a different path to achieve career and personal success”, said Susan Horne, President & CEO of LEAD VIRGINIA. “Their honest and open responses to the most challenging questions allowed the audience to make a greater connection with each panelist.”

The panel conversation was held at the new offices of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, located in Tysons Corner. In attendance were over 80 senior-level men and women from throughout the region and Commonwealth, including a number of LEAD VIRGINIA graduates and members of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. “We were thrilled to partner with LEAD VIRGINIA on hosting this event in our new offices”, said Jim Corcoran, President & CEO of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. “As a 2010 graduate of the LEAD VIRGINIA program, I found the evening’s event to be a great opportunity to network with fellow alumni, leaders from around the Commonwealth, and the amazing panel of women leaders. We look forward to hosting more events with LEAD VIRGINIA in the coming years.”

LEAD VIRGINIA’s Conversations with Leaders speaker series is designed for LEAD VIRGINIA alumni and invited guests to simulate intellectual inquiry, stay informed on timely topics and continue to build social capital among its alumni network of high-performing leaders across the Commonwealth. Sponsors for the evening’s event included: Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Wells Fargo, Accenture, Allied Logistics, and Northrop Grumman.