Power Your Potential
Saunders College of Business is pleased to host the Annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference.
Power Your Potential (PYP) is a half-day women's leadership conference that celebrates the upcoming National Women's History Month in March. The event invites area businesswomen to gain insights from their peers and engage in educational activities geared at helping women succeed.
Across industries and communities, women are navigating monumental change to spark movements and opportunities for future generations. This event gathers communities of innovative and inspiring women who lead boldly, challenge norms, and change their organizations.
This program is open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement.
Event information
Keynote Speaker Eva Ames
Eva Ames ’09 is passionate about building a future where supply chain and logistics are enablers for new mobility offerings and decarbonized transportation.
As Vice President of Global Key Accounts for the Automotive & Mobility Enterprise Vertical at DSV, Eva uses her diverse background and over 15 years of experience as a former automotive design engineer and US Federal regulator to challenge “the way things have always been done” for clients producing everything from micro mobility scooters to batteries, passenger cars, and heavy equipment.
Eva holds a BS in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is currently working towards an Executive MBA at the University of Michgan’s Ross School of Business. She is a Forte Fellow, recognized for her commitment to the advancement of women in the workplace.
Mistress of Ceremonies
Dr. Phillippa Thiuri is a visionary leader and educator with over 25 years of experience in higher education, student success, and global engagement. As the Assistant Vice President for Student Access and Success at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), she provides strategic leadership to a portfolio of programs that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion while enhancing student development and retention.
Dr. Thiuri is an advocate for underrepresented communities and a champion of innovative programming, ensuring equitable access to opportunities for success. Her global perspective has been shaped by planning and leading impactful study abroad programs to destinations such as Croatia, Dubai, and Ghana, enriching students' cross-cultural understanding.
With a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Boston College, Dr. Thiuri has dedicated her career to creating transformative educational experiences. She is known for her dynamic presence and commitment to empowering others.
Dr. Thiuri’s passion for leadership, mentorship, empowerment, and fostering inclusive communities continues to inspire those she serves. She embodies the spirit of possibility and excellence that defines the Power Your Potential experience.
Workshop Presenters
Dr. Suzanne M. Piotrowski is the founder and President of BadFish Consulting. Dr. Piotrowski is a trusted partner for leaders working to develop people and build organizational capacity for change. She is a seasoned professional with expertise in the areas of leadership, organizational development, strategy development, strategic change and innovation. Dr. Piotrowski is passionate about revitalizing individual, team and organization capacity. Suzanne received her BA in Communication & Group Dynamics from SUNY Geneseo, graduate certification in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University; an MS Human Resource Development from Rochester Institute of Technology and her Doctor of Management from Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management. She carries many certifications including Lego Serious Play Facilitation.
Chef Melanie is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Hospitality & Restaurant Management Bachelors of Science degree 2012. She is also a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute with a Diploma of Culinary Arts 2013. In her 20 years of culinary experience Chef Melanie has successfully planned and executed numerous events, parties, weddings, and community events. She has been a featured chef on the Food Network’s CHOPPED (season 32 episode 1), winner of the Very Local Show: Plate It Baltimore (Fry Fest Episode), DelMarva Live news, WBAL-TV 11 News & WJZ-13 News. She has also been an event chef for Coachella Music Festival serving +90,000 meals.
Panel: From Setback to Strength: Navigating Adversity with Resilience
Milagros Concepcion is the Controller and Assistant Treasurer at RIT, one of the largest private universities in the country with over two billion dollars in assets. She is also a proud RIT alumna having received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from her alma mater. Her 30-year career in finance and accounting spans the financial services industry, a for profit online corporation, and 25 years in higher education in a sequence of progressively broader roles.
Heather has over three decades of senior management experience encompassing Inside Sales, Customer Experience, Managed Help Desk, and Business Process Outsourcing. She began her professional career at Unisys where she led a global Inside Sales organization. This experience led her to Xerox where she initially led the Inside Sales teams and later assumed responsibility for the North America Customer Care outsourcing organization of over 35,000 employees following the acquisition of ACS, a large BPO provider. She most recently served as Vice President of Transformation and Customer Experience at Essilor prior to joining Velocitii in August of 2020 as Chief Operating Officer. She was appointed CEO in spring, 2021 and purchased Velocitii with her business partners in August of 2023. Under her leadership, Velocitii was awarded the Top Workplace award for 2023 and 2024, was named to the Top 100 in 2024 and made the “Most Loved Workplace” list for 2024.
Shayla Scott is currently a Senior Manager at MMB & Co. She became a Certified Public Accountant in 2018. She grew up in the city of Rochester and attended high school at School of the Arts, where she was a creative writing major. Shayla attended RIT from 2012 – 2017 as a Rochester City Scholar, receiving my B.S. and M.B.A in accounting and is currently the Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at MMB and also currently serves as the committee chair for the NYSSCPA’s Careers in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program. With this position Shayla gets to help spark interest in high school students about all the possible opportunities an accounting degree can create. Shayla is also a member of RIT’s Saunders Accounting Advisory Board and a member of the Rochester Area Community Foundation’s Professional Advisor Liaison Committee.
The Next Generation of Business
As part of our Women’s Leadership Weekend, Saunders is proud to be hosting this year's Power Your Potential in our new, state-of-the-art building expansion, highlighted by our featured event space, the Susan R. Holliday Center (in Max Lowenthal Hall). Learn more about the The Next Generation of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Parking
Please park in Parking Lot S. Once registered, external guests will receive additional instructions on how to access a parking pass.
Download Campus Maps: Interactive Campus Map
Power Your Potential Map: Parking Lot S to Max Lowenthal Hall
Map/Directions
RIT’s campus is conveniently located five miles from the Greater Rochester International Airport and the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90). GPS Link to: Parking Lot S, Reynolds Dr, Rochester, NY 14623
Sponsors
Interested in sponsoring this event? Inquire today by emailing communications@saunders.rit.edu
Past Events
Saunders College of Business was pleased to host the 15th Annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference on Friday, February 28, 2025. This year, our events theme being From Setback to Strength: Navigating Adversity with Resilience. The 2025 Power Your Potential keynote presenter is Eva Ames, who is passionate about building a future where supply chain and logistics are enablers for new mobility offerings and decarbonized transportation. She currently serves as Vice President of Global Key Accounts for the Automotive & Mobility Enterprise Vertical at DSV, Eva uses her diverse background and over 15 years of experience as a former automotive design engineer and US Federal regulator to challenge “the way things have always been done” for clients producing everything from micro mobility scooters to batteries, passenger cars, and heavy equipment.
Keynote speaker
- Eva Ames - Vice President of Global Key Accounts for the Automotive & Mobility Enterprise Vertical at DSV - One Hitchhiker's Thoughts on Getting Lost in the Galaxy
Moderator
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Phillippa Thiuri - Lecturer and AVP for Academic Access and Success at RIT
Workshop Speakers
- Sue Piotrowski - Founder and President of BadFish Consulting - Unlocking Potential: Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
- Melanie Kerr - Owner & Executive Chef at Chauncey's, in Baltimore, MD - Fermenting Strength: Patience, Adaptability, & Resilience of Women Entrepreneurs
From Setback to Strength: Navigating Adversity with Resilience Panelists
- Milagros Concepcion - Controller and Assistant Treasurer at RIT
- Shayla Scott - Senior Manager at MMB & Co.
- Heather Smith - CEO of Velocitii, a BPO company focused on job growth in the USSponsors
Sponsors
Lunch Sponsor
RIT’s NIH Award for Enhancing Faculty Gender Diversity
Supporting Sponsor
Saunders College of Business was pleased to host the 12th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference focused on Embracing Innovation Across Today's Changing Workforce. Join us again on Saturday, February 23, 2024, for the 4th annual Women's Leadership Summit (WLS) hosted by the Leadership Academy @ Saunders. The 2023 PYP Keynote Speaker Stacey Wronkowski, graduated from RIT with her bachelor's in 2003. Stacey serves as Vice President Digital Technology for United Airlines. Since starting her career at United in 2017, she has been a positive force for the organization in both her prior roles as the Director of Customer Contactor Center Technology and most recently the Managing Director of Contact Center, Crew, Catering, and Loyalty technology. She is known at United as a customer and employee advocate – seeking changes that drive efficiency but also has a vision for how we can reuse solutions across workgroups. This year the Power Your Potential Women's Conference hosts various speakers for different events. We had a workshop session with two influential speakers and a panel with three powerful speakers.
Workshop Speakers
- Kim B Miller - Author & Prince William County, Manassas & Manassas Park, Virginia Poet Laureate Emerita
- Ushi Patel - Designer, speaker, and co-host of The Phoenix podcast
Embracing Innovation Across Today's Changing Workforce Panel
- Lindsay Connelly- Founder & CEO of Linden Digital Marketing
- Liz Vega - Vice President, Head of Americas Marketing, Xerox Corporation
- Tashanda Thomas - Chief Human Resources Officer at WXXI Public Media, including The Little Theatre and CITY Magazine.
Saunders College of Business is pleased to host the 13th Annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference as part of our first Women's Leadership Weekend! Join us again on Saturday, February 18, 2023, for the 3rd annual Women's Leadership Summit (WLS) hosted by the Leadership Academy @ Saunders. The 2023 PYP Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Kiehner is an award-winning author and renowned keynote speaker, who has delivered speeches to a variety of global audiences and has been fortunate to sit alongside other senior professionals on panels, discussing topics such as Artificial Intelligence, and envisaging use cases for human/machine collaboration. She is currently Chief Growth Officer of Nortal, a digital transformation powerhouse founded in Tallinn, Estonia with a US HQ in Seattle. Having co-founded an award-winning design and digital production venture, Thornberg & Forester, Kiehner understands complex business processes, shaping inventive strategies, and owning UX and digital engagements. Kiehner’s career spans non-profit, Fortune 500 companies, and the public sector and is fueled by a desire to transform organizations from the inside out, leading digital, business, and talent transformations with previous leadership roles at IBM and Capgemini.
Saunders College of Business was pleased to host the 12th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference focused on Taking Charge of Your Future, led by Women in Business club students Ann-Katherine Candelori ’22 management information systems, Maggie Dempsey ’22 management information systems, and Palak Wadhwa ’26 business exploration. The conference included a keynote presentation from Karen Putz, 14X Author, International Speaker, and Midlife (and Beyond) Life Coach, a session led by J’nez Thomas, Account Manager at Altria on the topic of “Subject to Change”, as well as 2 lively panel discussions featuring the following panelists:
"Finding & Feeding Your Passion" Panelists
- Sady Alvarado-Fischer – Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
- Hope Drummond - Community Advocate and Board Member
- Leah Shenandoah - Wolf Clan Member of the Onyo’ta:aká: – Oneida Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy; Ph.D. Candidate at Cornell University
Corporate Panel – First American Equipment Finance Panelists
Topic: Growing Your Role
- MODERATOR: Sarah Michael ( SVP, Marketing & Digital)
- Lisa Collins ( SVP, Director of Credit
- Marietta Smith (SVP, Operations)
- Jordan Cooper (AVP, Marketing & Event Manager)
- Betsy Truax (AVP, Payroll Manager)
The 12th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference was sponsored by First American Equipment Finance(Lead Sponsor), RIT Women’s Council and Manning & Napier (VIP Sponsors), and Consiliarium Group (Supporting Sponsor).
Saunders College of Business was pleased to host the 11th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference focused on Embracing Our Voice & Leading Boldly, led by Karen Magnuson, Saunders College Executive in Resident and Former Executive Editor at the Democrat and Chronicle (D&C). The conference included a keynote presentation from Melisza Campos, Marketing Manager at Wegmans Food Market, a workshop presented by Saunders lecturer and Director of the Leadership Academy at Saunders Molly McGowan, an education session led by Joanne Braeunle, as well as a lively panel discussion featuring the following panelists:
Joy Olabisi, Associate Professor, Management and Director of the Undergraduate Management Program, Saunders College of Business
Dinah Gueldenpfennig Weisberg, President/CEO, REDCOM Laboratories, Inc.
Denishea Ortiz, Director of Strategic Marketing and Retail Product Management, RIT
Enessa Carbone, Group Vice President, Lithia Motors, Inc.
The 11th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference was sponsored by Bergmann and First American Equipment Finance.
Saunders College of Business was pleased to host the 10th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference focused on Leadership in Action, led by Janet Lomax, Former News Anchor at News 10 NBC. The conference included a keynote presentation from Stacey Bain, previous Chief Financial Officer and General Manager for Hello Alfred, several education sessions led by Joan DeRoche and Kimberlie Barrett, as well as an energetic panel discussion featuring the following panelists:
- Nancy Bloom, Former Vice President of Finance, Pfizer Research
- Joanne Braeunle, Vice President of Corporate Strategy, St. John's
- Shal Khazanchi, Department Chair and Professor of Management, Saunders College of Business at RIT
- Courtney Laffler, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Investments
- Mary Kate Pettine, Employee Relations Manager, Paychex
The 10th annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference was sponsored by Bergmann.
Saunders College of Business rounded out National Women's Month with the ninth annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference, featuring Dorothy Farris, Vice President of US Sales for Veeam Software and 1973 Saunders College Alumna. Dorothy Farris' keynote presentation, along with educational presentations from Shal Khazanchi and Kathleen Whelehan, provided helpful insights into "Leading Your Life and Achieving Your Goals with Courage." The educational presentations were followed by a panel discussion, focused on "Bringing It All Together: Networking, Negotiating and Bridging the Gender Gap," featuring the following panelists:
- Devra Bevona, President and CEO of Bevona Business Solutions
- Kimberly Hamer, MBA, MHA, Vice President of Customer and Relationship Management for Visual Dx
- Aqua Porter, Vice President of Business Transformation Channels for Xerox
- Joanne Gibson, MBA, Owner, Capstone Park
Saunders College of Business welcomed Jane M. Elliott, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of at Global Payments, to the eighth annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference. Jane Elliott's keynote presentation, "What's in the BHAG," discussed her career and setting career goals. She stated, "You have to be a little uncomfortable. Get out of your comfort zone. Really work on whatever you are trying to achieve." In addition to Elliott's discussion, there were two educational presentations from Dr. Dena Swanson and Samantha Tassone, which was then followed by a panel about resiliency in your career. The panel discussion was led by:
- Holly Hillberg, Former CTO of Carestream
- Miranda Wilcox, Founder of Thrive Potential, LLC
- Deborah Stamps, System Vice President of Quality, Safety and Innovation for Rochester Regional Health
Saunders College of Business hosted the seventh annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference. This conference provided women an outlet to discuss challenges and opportunities in becoming an effective leader. Sarah Personette, VP of global business marketing at Facebook, headlined the conference. Sarah Personette, VP of global business marketing at Facebook, headlined the conference. Her keynote presentation was on the changing dynamics of leadership and communications. She offered some key advice, "Check your ego at the door and concentrate on working as a team to deliver results." Personette also encouraged women to speak up. "It might be uncomfortable at first, you may feel like you want to play it safe by keeping quiet, but just do it. It's the only way we can achieve gender parity in the workplace."
The event also included a panel discussion, "Leading Change Outside the Lines." This discussion showed women how to think outside the box, while building employee support for their ideas. Following the panel discussion, two educational sessions focused on providing women guidance in "Success: Creative Destruction" and "Navigating Complexity." Our 2016 Power Your Potential Panelists and Education Presenters included:
- Deborah Hughes, President and CEO of the Susan B Anthony Museum and House
- Kelly Mandarano, WW Director of Marketing and Communications / VP of Kodak Print Systems Division
- Dina Vazzana, Chief Human Resources Officer at Carestream
- Lori Van Dusen, CEO/CIO at LVW Advisors
- Jennifer Sertl, Business Strategist at Agility3R
The sixth annual Power Your Potential Conference provided women an opportunity to discuss firsthand the challenges women face and how to become more effective leaders. The conference featured a panel discussion and educational presentations targeted at empowering women to succeed in the workplace. The keynote speaker was Kathleen Buse, founder and CEO of Advancing Women in STEM. She presented on "Recognizing and Overcoming 2nd Generation Gender Bias." This presentation commented on the impact of women as leaders and how to overcome the generational gender biases women may face in the workplace. Other presenters included Jennifer Green-Wilson on "Assertiveness & Passion," Sandy Parker on "Leading in a Male World" and a panel on company culture. The panelists included:
- David Mammano, Founder and CEO of Next Step Education Group
- Cheri Copie, Director of Compliance & Regulatory Affairs at NeoGenomics Laboratories, Inc
- Kim Allen, Senior Strategic Communications Executive, Dixon Schwabl
- Kate Jacus, Director of Marketing & Communications at Harley School
Attendees, including prominent Rochester-area businesswomen, gained insights on how to build their organization and enhance their career.
Saunders College of Business welcomed JJ DiGeronimo, Founder and CEO of Purposeful Woman and Tech Savvy Women, to the fifth annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference. DiGeronimo is a global spokesperson for women leaders, women in technology, women entrepreneurs and young women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.), and has shared her insights and discoveries with many women's organizations. DiGeronimo’s keynote presentation, “The Power of No,” discussed how successful women use “no” and take specific actions in navigating their professional path to advance forward.
In addition to DiGeronimo’s discussion, the half-day conference included two educational presentations from Talya Meyerowitz and Betty Noonan on strategic business trends, as well as a panel discussion focused on “Owning Your Success.” The panel discussion featured prominent Rochester business women, who provided firsthand knowledge on challenges that women face and how to become a more effective leader. Our 2014 Power Your Potential Panelists included:
- Linda Murphy, Coach for Vistage International – Moderator
- Kate Turner Jacus, Marketing Manager for Genesee Regional Bank
- Lauren Dixon, CEO of Dixon Schwabl
- Aqua Porter, Experienced Business Transformation Leader for Xerox Corporation
- Christina Gullo, President and CEO of Villa of Hope
The fourth annual Power Your Potential Women’s Leadership Conference hosted Jennifer L. Pozner, Founder and Executive Director of Women in Media & News, who presented as keynote speaker on “Ladies First, Leaders Later…or Never? Media, Sexism and Power.” As a widely published journalist and media critic, Pozner works to increase women's presence and power in the public debate through media analysis, education, advocacy and reform. The conference also included an educational session with Linda Murphy and a panel discussion on gender and negotiation, featuring:
- Karen Magnuson, Editor and Vice President of News at the Democrat & Chronicle
- Margaret Bailey, RIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering
- Shalini Khazanchi, Associate Professor of Management in RIT’s Saunders College of Business
- Kathy Turiano, CoFounder and Owner of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
- Jennifer Posey, CoOwner of Hedonist Artisan Chocolates
- Zahra Langford, CoOwner of Hedonist Artisan Chocolates
- Leslie Berkowitz, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester
- Nancy Rencis, Senior Vice President for KeyBank
The conference concluded with ‘An Evening with Maya Angelou,’ an inspirational presentation for all attendees.
The third annual Power Your Potential Conference featured keynote speaker Michelle Berryman, founding principal and CEO of the design firm Echo Visualization, LLC. Berryman’s practice centers on interaction design and user experience for consumer, medical and industrial products, as well as software, websites and rich Internet applications. By combining insights from her impressive professional background and passion for traveling the world, Berryman presented on “Savoring the Journey,” encouraging women to look for inspiration and fresh perspectives in their surroundings.
The conference incorporated two educational sessions, led by Ann McCorvey and Mary-Beth Cooper, plus a panel discussion with connected local business executives, including:
- Sandy Rothenberg, Associate Professor in RIT’s Saunders College of Business – Moderator
- Ellen Brenner, Co-Owner of Fleet Feet
- Soma Chengalur, Director HSE Federal Policy for Eastman Kodak Company
- Nancy Rencis, VP and Commercial Banking Officer for Key Bank
Saunders College of Business welcomed Kitty Van Bortel, President and CEO of Van Bortel Groups, to the second annual Power Your Potential Women's Conference. The conference connected local business executives, entrepreneurs, alumnae and students, and gave women the opportunity to support and implement business with each other while learning innovative ideas and strategies for surpassing their business and professional objectives.
Followed by Van Bortel, a panel of experts shared the ups and downs of success, what defines an entrepreneur and the kinds of information, resources and the "pushes" a person needs to choose the path of greater risk, in the "Winning from the Bottom Up" panel discussion. The panel included:
- Suzanne Clarridge, President and CEO of MyBrands Inc.
- Laurie Broccolo, Founder of Broccolo Tree & Lawn Care Inc.
- Susan Butler, Partner and Co-Owner of Butler/Till
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Denise Williams, President of D.M. Williams Funeral Home
The conference wrapped up with various educational workshops, hosted by Sandra Rothenberg, Ann Johnson, Jennifer Cisney, and Mary-Beth Cooper.