Keynote Speaker

Shachar Scott

Over the last two decades, Shachar has helped to build and scale global brands, including Meta Reality Labs, Bumble, Snapchat, and Apple.

After graduating from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Shachar turned to women’s politics, and helped to legalize emergency contraception through Planned Parenthood. That led her to develop the brand for the century-old women’s organization, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the group responsible for Head Start, Meals on Wheels, and Benchmark - preserving the Pro-Choice Bench. From there, she went to Columbia University in New York, where she led marketing and communication for student services while getting her Master of Science in Strategic Communications. She spent six years leading digital and marketing strategy at several media and creative companies in New York, including Digitas, Deep Focus, and StrawberryFrog.

In 2011, Shachar was recruited by Apple Inc. to lead market development strategy for Apple’s digital advertising platform. She left Apple in 2014 to become a Managing Director at a venture and creative capital firm, West, where she ran the company’s portfolio in New York before joining Snap Inc in 2017 to lead Global Brand Marketing. During her time at Snap, she defined the role that marketing plays in driving growth and revenue for the company.

At the end of 2020, she joined Bumble as Vice President of Global Marketing, overseeing brand marketing, product marketing, community marketing, brand partnerships, and their expansion into 150 markets.

At the end of 2021, she joined Meta’s Reality Labs as Senior Director of Global Integrated Marcom to lead the Centers of Excellence team, including: international marketing, digital marketing, creative + design, media, production and operations.

Workshop Hosts

Michele Equale

Michele Equale is a Relationship Manager in Government Markets for Empower. In her role, she is responsible for a subset of Empower's largest government clients and for delivering world-class service, supporting plan management, and creating meaningful engagement with clients and participants. She is adept at helping her clients manage complex issues and fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities while collaboratively driving results and milestones.

Michele joined the organization in 2020 through the acquisition of the MassMutual Retirement business. She has tremendous experience in the industry, including in product, investments, transformation, and project management.

Enthusiastic about closing the gap in women in leadership, Michele serves as the National Co-Chair of Empower’s Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN) with primary oversight of developing and executing WEN’s strategic plan and leading the various WEN committees towards short term and long-term goals.

Michele holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and her MBA from University of Massachusetts-Amherst Isenberg School of Management. She has the FINRA Series 6 securities registration and the Series 63 state securities licenses and is pursuing the ASSPA QKA certification.

Michele Burch

Michele Burch currently serves as Associate Chair of the Department of Operations & Information Management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. As a Senior Lecturer II, she delivers courses focused on lean systems, operations management, employee involvement, idea systems, and high-performance organizations.

In addition to serving as the Chair of the Departmental Curriculum Committee, she serves as the Faculty Advisor to the student-led Operations & Information Management club. Her twenty years of teaching experience includes time spent as an Adjunct Professor at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the Industrial Engineering Department. She earned both a Ph.D. in Management Science and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Within industry, Michele served as a Strategic Operations and Organizational Development consultant to FloDesign Sonics, a start-up in Wilbraham, MA. In the past, she served as Interim COO for FloDesign Wind Turbine, a clean energy company, and spent several years thereafter providing consulting services to the company as it grew. Immediately following her undergraduate studies, she worked as a product engineer and sales engineer at Springfield Wire in Springfield, MA. Michele was the recipient of the Isenberg Dean’s Faculty Fellowship in 2019 and recognized with the Isenberg Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.

 Shirley Shmerling

Shirley Shmerling, Ph.D.

For close to twenty years, Shirley has been a full-time faculty of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, teaching a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of Strategic Information Management, Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, Operations Management and Quality Management both in face-to-face and online formats.

Her experience and expertise are in developing strategies for incorporating technology and analytics into business processes and operations. Shirley holds an Engineering degree in Computer Science, a M.Sc. in Operations Research and System Analysis and a Ph.D. in Management Science.

 Melissa Baker

Dr. Baker is an award winning teacher having been recognized as a 2020 Poets & Quants Favorite Business Professor, the 2021 UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award (the first woman from Isenberg to every receive this award), and the 2023 International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education Award for Teaching Excellence (representing 350 institutions and 120,000 students worldwide).  She is an avid supporter of Women of Isenberg, having participated in almost every conference since the very first year! 

She is the Department Chair for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department and teaches classes ranging from first year RAP (Business in Global Society), customer experience management, leadership and organizational behavior, and human resources management.  She has also co-led many of Isenberg’s short-term study abroad programs including Business in Italy and Isenberg Culture and Tourism Management in Europe. Dr. Baker believes the “business of hospitality” and creating outstanding customer experiences is vital for every business and career and encourages students to take her class or double major to enhance their personal brand and competitive advantage!

Panelists

Claudia Mott

Claudia E. Mott, CFP®, CDFA™ Epona Financial Solutions, LLC

Claudia is the Principal at Epona Financial Solutions LLC, a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm which she founded in 2010. Her 13 years of Wall Street experience enable her to offer unique skills in developing custom solutions for her clients. As a sell-side analyst, she regularly appeared on CNBC and was frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Investors’ Business Daily and Money Magazine. She has published research in the Journal of Portfolio Management and was named to Institutional Investor magazine’s All-Star team for nine consecutive years.

As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner, Claudia is a regular contributor to the financial website NJMONEYHELP.com and NJ.com. She is also licensed as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and has been specially trained to assist individuals in all stages of the divorce process.

Claudia earned her undergraduate degree cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her MBA from Boston University. She is a founding member and past-President of the Long Hill Library Foundation and holds the Treasurer position for the Blinknow Foundation and the Lame2Fame Horse Rescue. She is also a member of Impact100 Garden State, a women’s giving circle.

She is a member of the Financial Planning Association, National Association of Personal Financial Planners (NAPFA) and the New Jersey Center for Collaborative Divorce and Mediation.

She lives in Millington, New Jersey, is the mother of three adult children and two horses. Her other interests include a golf and gardening.

 Jacqueline Tatarzycki

Jackie Tatarzycki is the owner of JET Finance Company, a consulting company fulfilling finance and accounting needs for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies ranging from pre-launch to public filers. Jackie’s more than 10 years of experience spanning both private and publicly traded companies include building and leading finance functions, raising capital and leading strategic financial planning. Prior to consulting, Jackie was an Assistant Controller at Syros Pharmaceuticals, where she led the transition from private company to IPO. Jackie began her career at Ernst & Young LLP in Boston, where she worked with a variety of public and private audit clients.

Jackie received a B.B.A in Accounting and a B.S. in Sports Management from UMass Amherst in 2011. In 2019, Jackie started the Tatarzycki Family Endowment Fund to fund scholarships to Isenberg students in financial needs.

 Nina Carrara

For nearly three decades Ms. Carrara has held leadership roles in the events/experiential marketing industry, creating dynamic, compelling, and engaging experiences for audiences, fans, and sponsors. Her work on iconic events such as Macworld Expo, Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit, COMDEX Fall and Anime Expo - the largest North American anime convention – has provided the opportunity to collaborate with world-class speakers, well-known brands, legendary venues, and incredibly talented event teams.

Additionally, Nina has held executive positions inside experiential marketing agencies supporting companies such as IBM, AbbVie, Qualcomm, and Oracle. As the head of events for both a Fortune 500 corporation and unicorn status SaaS startup, she shaped and reimagined their corporate event portfolios through experiential activities, sponsorship activations and innovative event elements.

Outside of her professional life Nina enjoys cooking, kayaking, yoga, pickleball, reading, and volunteering for PittieLove Rescue. #adoptdontshop

 Maria Sucher

Maria Sucher is a Field Marketing & Events Manager at Wiley working with campaign development, project management, event ideation, social media management, and revenue generation. Aside from her full-time role, Maria is involved in several board and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. She is part of the Association of Latino Professionals for America board in Boston as the Director of Student Affairs, the UMass Amherst Alumni Association Board as Member-at-Large on the executive committee and the Commonwealth Honors College Advisory Board.

She has a knack for customer service, event planning, and relationship building. Her passions include empowerment of Latinos, fostering community, and creating connections.

Debra Wein

Debra Wein is the visionary Founder and CEO of Wellness Workdays, a leading provider of measurable workplace wellness programs that produce quantifiable reductions in healthcare costs and improved employee productivity. With over two decades of experience providing employee wellbeing solutions to both large and small organizations, Wellness Workdays has helped its clients generate greater business value through improved employee health.

As CEO, Debra oversees a staff of 50 employees and works to meet client needs worldwide. With a clear focus on mental health and nutrition, as well as a customized hands-on approach, Wellness Workdays utilizes a unique four-step process to provide its clients with measurable results. Clients have included New Balance, Putnam Investments, BJ’s, Turner Construction, Merck KGaA, Brown University, as well as many other easily recognizable firms.

Wellness Workdays also created and manages one of the largest accredited Dietetic Internship programs in the country, ensuring that all accreditation standards, policies and procedures are met by the US Dept of Education. Wellness Workdays has placed interns with Fortune 500 corporations, major sports teams including the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, as well as universities such as Notre Dame and Duke.

 Sumeit Aggarwal

Sumeit Aggarwal is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Finhive, a social enterprise dedicated to doing business while doing good. She works with women-owned startups on financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financial reporting. She is actively involved in providing financial education to women and young adults.

Sumeit is deeply passionate about embedding her personal values into business. She frequently presents on topics including sustainable investing, the financial health spectrum and narrowing the gender wealth gap focused on improving the financial capability of individuals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

Prior to starting Finhive, Sumeit was a senior executive at leading software and healthcare companies working on consulting, corporate and sales strategy. She is a Certified Scrum Master and has developed a unique Agile approach to business and personal finance.

Sumeit is a board member of the American India Foundation and the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. Sumeit recently earned an Outstanding Women of the Year Award for Entrepreneurship, a community leader award from Pepperlane in 2018 and was a finalist in the Northeastern University’s IoT competition for her innovative virtual reality financial design in 2018.

Sumeit earned her MBA from Babson College and was featured by Babson for fighting the gender investment gap. She holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Delhi University. She is a Nearpod Certified Educator, actively working with this award-winning student engagement platform.

Eliza Pesuit

Eliza is the founding executive director of Global Glimpse, a leading nonprofit that works to make transformative travel, leadership, and global learning accessible to young people from low income and underrepresented backgrounds.

Under Eliza’s leadership, Global Glimpse has grown more than ten-fold and expanded to served over 8,000 students across the US in partnership with public high schools and youth development organizations. Global Glimpse is the only travel and leadership organization in the USserving majority low income and underrepresented students at scale and Eliza has built powerful partnerships with high profile companies including United Airlines, Expedia Group, Marriott International, Snap Inc., and Away that are transforming the travel industry and she was named one of the Top Women in Travel and Hospitality in 2024.

Eliza is bilingual in Spanish and English and has lived and worked across the US and Latin America. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Eliza lives in Springfield, MA with her partner, 16 year old stepson, and 2 year old daughter. When she's not doing gamechanging work with Global Glimpse, you can find her painting, going on outdoor adventures, traveling, gardening, hosting gatherings, and volunteering to support fundraising and development strategies for local organizations.

Angela F. F. Davis

Angela F. F. Davis is Assistant Undersecretary for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice in the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An accomplished leader in higher education, government, and the political sphere her career focus has included threat assessment and crisis management, program development, leadership coaching, human trafficking and sexual violence, police reform and student development. In 2015 Governor Baker appointed her as Executive Director for Research and Grants in the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, leading the annual distribution of millions in federal and state dollars related to homeland security, criminal justice, law enforcement, and highway safety issues statewide. Soon after she was promoted to Assistant Undersecretary for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

Prior to public service she was Associate Dean of Students at Berklee College of Music. She received a series of outstanding service awards for her contributions to the student experience and was selected as a Susan Vogt Leadership Fellow by the Boston Consortium of Higher Education.

She received her undergraduate degree from UMASS Amherst, where she was Homecoming Queen, and earned an MBA from Suffolk University, serving as President of the MBA Association.

In her spare time, she has served as advisor to many successful campaigns, including U.S. Senator Scott Brown, leading his women’s coalition. She has coached emerging leaders in higher education at Wellesley College, M.I.T. and B.U. Presently, she volunteers on the Board of Directors for the Y.M.C.A., the UMASS Women into Leadership Program, and the UMASS Building Authority.

 Dr. Jacqueline Johnson

Dr.Jacqueline M. Johnson, has over 20 years of experience leading diverse teams and community-based organizations across the education and healthcare sectors. Dr. Johnson is the Chief Facilities Expansion and Sustainability Officer of Caring Health Center, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves Massachusetts' largest refugee communities. She began her career at the health center in 2008 leading HIV prevention and health insurance navigation programs. Dr. Johnson has also served as a faculty member for Bay Path University for over seven years, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Prior to her work in the healthcare sector, Dr. Johnson’s earlier focuses included youth development, social justice, and the prison industrial complex. Her ability to understand and address injustice is informed by her lived experiences with inequity as a woman of color in the United States. Dr. Johnson’s upbringing motivated and instilled in her an unwavering determination that has guided her educational and professional journey. She has been recognized on state and national platforms, and was the recipient of BusinessWest’s 2017 “40 Under 40” award.

Dr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science and Urban Development from Mount Holyoke College, a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Studies from Bay Path University. Dr. Johnson believes that education is an essential pathway to building a more just and equitable society, and her mission is to create equitable education and employment opportunities that support underserved and underrepresented communities to thrive.

Sade Luwoye

Sade Luwoye is a distinguished engineer with a remarkable track record in the fields of Aerospace and Defense. She currently holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from UMass Amherst and a M.S. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University.

Since graduating from UMass Amherst in 2015, Sade’s career has been filled with numerous experiences having worked with companies like General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and now L3Harris Technologies where she serves as a Senior Specialist Systems Engineer. In 2022, Sade’s outstanding contributions to engineering were recognized when she was awarded the prestigious 2022 Outstanding Young Alumni award from UMass Amherst, a testament to her dedication and influence in the engineering community.

Beyond her engineering feats, Sade is a strong advocate for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and diversity. She channels this advocacy through her "Win In STEM'' podcast, where she highlights successful people of color STEMinists to show others how to get a seat at the table and win in STEM. Sade is also the Co-Founder of TribeMeets, a startup that's pioneering new ways to connect and build community within the African diaspora.

Lauren Humphreys

As a Wealth Advisor at UBS, Lauren helps founders and executives simplify and optimize their financial lives and build a lasting personal legacy. She focuses on business development efforts for the team, hosting and curating events, and leading all investment and financial planning engagement with her client base. Driving Lauren’s passion for relationships is her deep-rooted value in supporting financial independence and education. Lauren joined UBS in 2018 as a member of the firm’s selective rotational program. The two-year program gave her firsthand experience with various products and services and the opportunity to work with clients and UBS professionals across the firm. After that, she spent two years on UBS’s Equity Advisory Group, supporting portfolio management and providing actionable equity and ETF ideas to Financial Advisors. Lauren is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM Professional and holds her Certified Investment Management Analyst ® Designation.

Lauren volunteers at a local animal shelter and is a member of Family Reach, a non-profit organization that supports families with the many costs of cancer. For two years, she was Head of Communications for All Bar None Americas, UBS’s women’s affinity network.

Kokui Adesokan

Kokui Adesokan ‘09 is a Program Manager at Bridgewater Associates—the largest hedge fund in the world, where she oversees a portfolio of software projects. She crafts strategies to deliver intricate and impactful software solutions. Prior to joining Bridgewater, Kokui was an associate director at Pratt and Whitney. Kokui’s passion for supporting the economic welfare of local communities in Africa, where she grew up, led her to create an online boutique featuring handmade head wraps and natural body butters.

She has been recognized with the UMass Amherst College of Engineering Young Alumni award; the Professional Achievement in Industry Award at the Women of Color STEM Conference; a Trailblazer Spectrum Award at the Black Engineer of the Year Conference; and a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production (STEP) Emerging Leader Award. Kokui earned a BS in chemical engineering from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Kokui serves on the UMass Amherst College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and enjoys spending time with her husband and her two daughters, exploring various cuisines, and traveling the world.

Roubina Surenian

Roubina Surenian is the Vice President of Partner Development and Engagement at Meet Boston (FKA Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau), based in Boston.

Roubina brings over 25 years of live entertainment, ticketing, tour marketing/promotions, branded content and destination marketing expertise to Meet Boston to support and expand our partner relationships across the 23 neighborhoods of Boston to help drive economic development via the tourism economy.

Prior to joining Meet Boston, Roubina was Vice President, Strategic Projects and Partnerships at True Tickets, Vice President of Partner Development for Entertainment Benefits Group (EBG), and held Development roles at Ticketmaster and Live Nation where she worked with Ticketmaster’s venues, theatrical producing clients, and directly with the artist community to maximize revenue for top earning domestic and global artists. Her experience as Head of Client Service at Leaf Group and Global Client Engagement at Cornerstone OnDemand brings another vantage point in branded content, technology, and product development.

Roubina is a graduate of University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she earned her B.A. in Communications, was a licensed Realtor in California and now working on her Massachusetts license and is Board of Directors member for the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Alumni Association, and a Member at Large of the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center in Watertown. Roubina has competed in many endurance events, including two (2) full marathons, and a Half-Iron distance triathlon

Lauren Katz

Lauren has several years of experience working with companies in the Tech, Media, and Telecom industries across go-to-market strategy, digital customer experience, and marketing & sales effectiveness.

She spent the first four years of her career in EY’s Business Transformation Management Consulting practice helping Fortune 500 companies launch, scale, and optimize B2B and B2C products and services. In 2022, Lauren joined Amazon as a Product Marketing Manager for Amazon Publisher Services (APS), an organization within Amazon Advertising that helps global online media publishers build, monetize, and grow their programmatic advertising businesses. At APS, Lauren is responsible for owning the development and execution of all go-to-market activities for a number of products, including the value proposition and positioning, external communications, internal training sessions, marketing collateral, and more.

Lauren graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Operations and Information Management (OIM). During her time at UMass she was a part of the Isenberg Undergraduate Consulting Group and a teaching assistant for two OIM classes. Lauren currently resides in New York City and in her free time enjoys exploring the city’s restaurant scene, going to live theater performances, cooking for friends and family, and curling up with a good book.

Xiomara Albán DeLobato

Xiomara is a dynamic and accomplished professional with over a decade of experience in both the public and private sectors. As Vice President and Chief of Staff for the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council (EDC), she is instrumental in facilitating the growth and development of the region's economy. In her role, Xiomara has focused on industry sector and workforce development, recognizing the full activation and support of community, entrepreneurship, and tourism as integral ingredients to the success and prosperity of an economy.

Throughout her career, Xiomara has been a change agent and advocate for equitable access to economic and academic opportunities. She has held leadership roles at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Elms College, Springfield College, and the University of New Hampshire. Xiomara has also worked with the Office of Mayor Domenic Sarno of Springfield, MA, and the Office of Congressman Richard Neal.

Xiomara is an active member of various boards and committees, Girl's Inc. of the Valley, Veritas Prep Charter School in Springfield, MA, Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the Wilbraham Finance Committee, and Governor Appointed Board Member of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA).

Margery Piercey

Margery Piercey, CPA/CGMA, is CFO/COO of Mass Insight Education & Research, a non-profit improving public K-12 education for historically marginalized students around the country. Prior to joining Mass Insight in this capacity, Margery was a Mass Insight Board member for eight years. Margery has spent most of her career in public accounting. She held many leadership roles, serving as Partner-in-Charge of a national firm’s Boston office and member of the firm’s Executive Committee and, prior to that, leading the Family Business Service Team and Broker-Dealer audit practice at a large regional firm. Margery has lent her experience as a financial expert and business leader to a variety of organizations. She is a Board member of Middlesex Savings Bank, a $6 billion mutual bank and middle-market lender. She is a past Board member of the Association of International Professional Accountants and the American Institute of CPAs, a past Board Chair of both the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and the United Way of Tri-County, and an active member of the Accounting Department Advisory Council of UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. Fun fact – Margery sang the Anthem at the Garden and Fenway.

Dunia Khudairi

Dunia Khudairi has a super power: she manifests a path for brands and brings it to life at the precise time to realize success. Inherently, that is because thinking differently and unrestricted is the only way Dunia Khudairi knows how.

She has spent her career manifesting and creating unexpected things for global lifestyle brands like Avon, American Airlines, Cole Haan and Hasbro.

Now at Pot + Pan in Portland, Maine, Khudairi is leading a team with the vision for what is building to become the most recognizable, highly respected and sought after brand of culinary edibles.

Ashley Scala

Ashley Scala is a Private Wealth Advisor at Goldman Sachs.

 Alaina Adams

Alaina is currently a Product Management Lead at Google focusing on data and technologies for sustainability and decarbonization of buildings and infrastructure. Prior to Google, Alaina was a Product Lead at Fitbit.

Additionally, Alaina has over a decade of experience starting and running technology start-ups with global scale. Alaina has deep expertise in developing and commercializing remote monitoring solutions across industries from healthcare to aerospace to climate change.

Alaina received her B.S. in Marine Systems Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy and M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Tyler Spellman

Tyler Spellman is an Audit Senior in the commercial services practice at Ernst & Young in Boston. She grew up in Pembroke, MA but currently lives just outside the city. Tyler graduated from Isenberg in 2021 and has been working at EY since then.

At UMass, Tyler was the Co-President of Isenberg’s Women in Business club her senior year and is happy to be back and providing her insight as a female professional in business.

Post-graduation, Tyler has the opportunity to work for a variety of clients in different industries, and also work alongside many influential women in business who have positively shaped her experience in the corporate working world.

In her free time, Tyler loves to listen to podcasts, take a spin class, or spend time with her friends and family.

 Cory Howe

After graduating from the Isenberg School of Management in 2010 with a bachelor of arts and master of science in accounting she began her career at RSM US LLP where she has garnered over 13 years of experience providing diverse accounting and advisory services to a variety of clients.

Her client base includes SEC filers, as well private equity backed and privately held companies. Cory served in London, UK from 2019 - 2023 as a member of RSM US LLP’s global expat team. The expat program assists in delivering the RSM client experience globally by improving cross-border communications, execution of global engagements, and building trust and working relationships throughout the world. Cory supports RSM’s internationally active clients by coordinating and executing audit engagements across Europe.

Noemi Santana

Noemi is a Senior Manager in KPMG LLP’s Trade & Customs practice in Boston. She has over 15 years of experience in international trade and customs related matters, and international logistics. Noemi has been a Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) since 2011. Noemi joined KPMG in 2019 and has worked with a variety of companies in various industries. Noemi’s experience at KPMG includes the following:

Advised companies on Harmonized Tariff Schedule (“HTS”) classifications for imported merchandise, inclusive of large-scale reviews of company classification parts databases; Implemented First Sale for Export (“FSFE”) programs for companies predominately in the apparel, robotics and consumer industries; Identified cost savings opportunities and assess return on investments through tariff mitigation strategies including Section 301 tariff exclusions; — Conducted various industry research on compliance topics including but not limited country of origin, valuation and assists, and Free Trade Agreements (“FTA”); Assisted clients disclose and quantify valuation and classification issues to U.S. Customs using prior disclosures, Post Summary Corrections (“PSC”), and Protests.

Prior to joining KPMG, Noemi was a Senior Manager for a large department store retailer and importer where she was responsible for all customs and import operations, broker management, and administration of the CTPAT and ISA (now Trusted Trader) programs. Noemi was also responsible for risk monitoring, social compliance, implemented a consolidated entry program, and has extensive HTS classification experience in apparel, textiles, footwear, automotive and medical devices. In prior roles, Noemi was responsible for international logistics and ocean freight contract negotiations. Noemi has also worked as an international freight forwarder and customs broker serving a variety of Fortune 500 companies and has practical experience in customs entry clearance and broker management. Noemi’s clients include companies in the retail and consumer goods, industrial manufacturing, electronics, life sciences, and medical devices industries.

 Alyssa Biscotti

Alyssa Biscotti is an Audit & Assurance Senior at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Boston, working primarily with Life Sciences clients. Alyssa graduated from Isenberg in 2021 with her Masters in Accountancy & Bachelors in Accounting. While at UMass, Alyssa was the President of Women in Business and an Isenberg Ambassador - she has a passion for empowering women in the business field and is incredibly grateful for her time at Isenberg.

At Deloitte, Alyssa is passionate about fostering a diverse and inclusive environment within the workplace, and enjoys being a part of and planning events for the LGBTQ+ employee resource group. She also participates in recruiting initiatives for Deloitte, as she hopes to spread excitement and enthusiasm to those graduating of the endless opportunities Deloitte and the business field have to offer, in a time that can seem quite daunting. Alyssa enjoys volunteering and is a proud member of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Alyssa believes that creating and nurturing strong relationships, working for a Company that encourages you to show up as your authentic self, and knowing what energizes you is the key to success.

Mikaela Hussey

Mikaela earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting at Isenberg. After graduating from UMass, she pursued further education and obtained a Master of Science in Accounting and Data Analytics from Villanova. Currently, Mikaela works at KPMG as an Audit Senior Associate in the financial services industry, with a focus on audit engagements of open-end and closed-end mutual funds, as well as real estate funds.

At KPMG, Mikaela’s role includes assisting with the planning and execution of financial statement audits, guiding, and coaching newer team members with audit procedures and documentation, and leading client communications.

Mikaela is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Carolyn Warger

Carolyn is a Partner in Grant Thornton’s Accounting Principles Group, part of the National Office of Professional Practice, out of the Boston office. In this role, Carolyn works with audit teams and clients as a subject matter expert in accounting areas such as leasing, revenue, segment reporting, and impairment. She recently completed Professional Practice Fellowship at the Financial Accounting Standards Board, where she worked on accounting standard-setting projects for revenue, leasing, goodwill, and digital assets.

Carolyn graduated from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in 2009 with an accounting degree, and began her career with Grant Thornton in the Boston audit practice, serving clients manufacturing, food and beverage, and not-for-profit industries. Carolyn has been an active leader of Grant Thornton’s Women@GT Business Resource Group throughout her career. This past year Carolyn was named one of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs’ 2023 “Women to Watch – Emerging Leaders”. In her free time she enjoys travel, scuba diving, and cross-stitching.

 Jenlian Chadwick

Jenlian joined Seaboard International Forest Products 19 years ago after graduation from Northeastern University in Boston where she received a bachelor's degree in business administration and supply chain management. Jenlian is a successful senior trader. She also has responsibilities which include recruitment, interviewing and training of new hires.

She has been a member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association's Young Emerging Lumber Professional group, as well as a current member of Forest City Trading Group Trader Leadership board. Jenlian and her husband of 19 years, McGregor have one son, Jackson and a daughter Izabelle.

In her spare time, you will find Jenlian with her husband watching their son playing Hockey and Lacrosse, or at the mountain watching their daughter ski racing or at the field playing softball. Jenlian also loves to waterski, snow ski and spending time with her horse Roy.

 Katherine Ronan

Katherine is a manager in RSM’s Technology Risk Consulting practice. Over the past 6 years, she has provided compliance audit and consultation services to a variety of public and private sector entities. Katherine has experience in the areas of SOX, System and Organization Controls (SOC1, and SOC2), and both internal and external audit methodologies.

She has experience testing IT general controls across many industries, including banking, retail, and pharmaceuticals. She also assists in recruiting efforts for the risk consulting practice. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, eating sushi, and scuba diving (certified at UMass!).

Katherine graduated from the Isenberg School of Management with a Bachelor’s degree in Operations and Information Management and a minor in Information Technology. Katherine is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

While at UMass Katherine was a member of the Chi Omega sorority, and worked at UMass Transit as a Special Transportation driver. Katherine grew up in Hopkinton, MA, and lives in Medford, MA.

 Jennifer Belanger

Jennifer is a Managing Director in EY’s Financial Services Tax practice with over 20 years of experience in corporate taxation, tax accounting and auditing. Jennifer operates at the tax executive level on her accounts; she works with her clients to identify risks and opportunities in tax accounting, tax compliance and tax planning, and she holds overall responsibility for client service execution and delivery.

Jennifer focuses on federal corporate tax compliance and consulting, and she has extensive experience in financial institution specific transactions, merger and acquisition transactions, and tax credit investments. She leads a transformation team that has designed tax processes for the Banking Tax Practice and is part of the Firm’s Audit and Tax Quality Review network, and she is an instructor in the EY Tax training program.

Jennifer spent several years in corporate tax environments, where she was responsible for global tax accounting and compliance functions. She also has a deep knowledge of best practices related to the tax lifecycle, tax function processes, and internal controls/SOX 404 compliance. Jennifer is an IRS Enrolled Agent and holds a Master of Taxation and a Tax Law Certificate in Employee Benefits from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

 Molly Silva

Molly Silva is the Investments Director, overseeing Capital, Research & Development, and New Business Investment of ~$1.8B annually for Raytheon. She has been married to her husband, Jonathan, since 2010, has two children, Taylor (9), and Landon (6), and enjoys hiking and real estate investing.

Silva joined Raytheon in 2005 as a member of the Raytheon Financial Leadership Development Program (FLDP) where she held various financial roles. Upon graduation in 2007, Silva held program control and Financial Planning & Analysis roles before becoming AEGIS Business Manager in 2011. Since then, she has held various P&L and functional finance roles responsible for up to $1B of annual revenue, negotiated contracts with the government worth up to $0.5B, supported a major Cost Accounting Standards change for operations, facilitated closure of an international manufacturing facility, and led teams as large as 50 employees.

Silva also leads Diversity Equity & Inclusion initiatives and gave a webcast RED Talk at the RTX Diversity Conference in 2023 in front of 300 people. In 2023, Silva accepted her current role.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, with concentrations in Economics and Psychology. She received a Master of Business Administration from Boston University with concentration in Leadership and Organizational Transformation.

 Mary Costa

Mary Costa is a Tax Director at CBIZ Inc. in New England. She has been with the company since 2011 where she started as an associate. Her area of expertise is in private equity tax compliance. Mary works with large multi-national firms investing in media, communications, education, and technology.

Mary is also a leader of many of CBIZ's professional development programs including career advisement and CBIZ Women's Advantage (CWA). She is passionate about helping others grow their career and develop confidence in the accounting and advisory industry.

 Sarah Marsan

Sarah Marsan is a DVP, Merchandise Manager at TJX Corporation. TJX is the leading off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the U.S. and worldwide.

Sarah graduated from UMass Amherst with a B.A. in marketing from the Isenberg School of Management. Sarah was a member of the UMass Women’s rowing program and captained the team from 2007-2008. Sarah has spent 15 years with TJX in various roles and product categories.

Sarah is passionate about building strong teams and supporting her associates. She enjoys developing and executing long term strategic plans.

 Ashley Olafsen

Ashley Olafsen is a TEDx speaker and Forbes-featured 4x founder who is passionate about uplifting others and building impactful businesses. She became an entrepreneur at the age of 16, when she gave an empowerment workshop to a group of eighth grade girls. After realizing her passion for helping others, Ashley co-founded MOVE, where she directed over 100 workshops and 6 summer programs for teenage girls, focusing on self-esteem, body image, leadership, and more. Ashley ran MOVE for 8 years and is unbelievably proud of the impact her and her team made in the lives of young women. Ashley has experience working for startups, including IFundWomen: a crowdfunding platform for women entrepreneurs. At IFundWomen, Ashley led over 500 coaching sessions for women founders and delivered many impactful workshops.

Today, she is the Assistant Director of Women's Entrepreneurship at Northeastern. She is also the Co-Founder of The Wildflower Company: planner company and supportive community that helps you cultivate a thoughtful and meaningful life.

Lauren Aquilano

Lauren graduated from Isenberg in 2010 and has been working at TJX ever since. She started in Planning and Allocation and has been in Buying role as a merchant for 9 years.  

Professionally, Lauren is motivated by relationship building, working with a team and problem solving.. Personally, she enjoys discovering new places, running, gardening, and cooking with her husband.

Lauren’s favorite perks working as a Buyer for TJX is the ability to travel, meet new people and learn about new product and trends.

 Kathryn Holt

Kathryn (Kate) is an audit partner with BDO and is responsible for managing third party attestation engagements across the Northeast. Kate has over 20 years of experience in information systems and evaluating internal controls. Her areas of specialty include System and Organization Controls (SOC) examinations (including the AICPA’s SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3 and ISAE 3400 and 3402), custom criteria assessments, internal control audits, and operational and compliance audits.

Kate has served a broad range of clients, from startup organizations to multinational companies. In addition to serving as the executive in charge and quality executive for SOC reports, she has also supported multiple clients in establishing and deploying their third-party attestation program, including defining and establishing governance, supporting the development of a common control framework for use across a wide variety of reports, and drafting and deploying common sections of reports for use across the organization.

Prior to joining BDO, Kate held an executive position at a Big Four firm where she provided attestation services to many clients across the U.S. and globally.

Kate is a CPA in the state of Massachusetts.

 Catherine Moy

Cathy joined BDO USA, LLP in July 2002 as a principal with significant experience assisting middle market clients.

She has guided her clients through public and private financing transactions, numerous IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, implementation of emerging accounting rules and a variety of business advisory matters, focused on the technology and life sciences industry.

Cathy previously served as the managing partner of BDO’s Boston assurance practice.

In July 2014, Cathy became the firm’s first Chief People Officer, taking oversight responsibility for the Human Resources function to ensure BDO’s policies and practices are consistent with its culture and true to its core purpose of helping people thrive every day. She also oversees the firm’s marketing and business development functions, ensuring BDO’s brand promise is well represented in its approach to the markets it serves.

 Monica Lopez

Monica J. Lopez is a Senior Consultant within Deloitte’s esteemed Boston Engagement Financial Advisor Practice, where her expertise stands as a cornerstone in the financial advisory landscape. Graduating with honors from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst in 2014, Monica holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.

With over seven years of tenure at Deloitte, Monica has served numerous clients in the financial services industry, including prominent life insurance and asset management companies. Prior to her time at Deloitte, she spent two years honing her skills at Ernst and Young LLP’s Boston Audit Practice.

During her time at Isenberg, Monica held the role of Co-President of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA). Post-graduation, Monica's dedication to her alma mater persists through active participation in alumni endeavors and philanthropic ventures.

In her spare time, Monica loves to travel and is both an avid soccer player and runner. She cherishes time spent with her friends and family and giving back to the community. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Monica bridges divides and fosters connections, embodying the spirit of unity and inclusivity in all facets of her life.

 Tara O’Keefe

Tara O’Keefe, Senior Director, Finance

Tara O’Keefe is the Senior Director of Operations Finance at Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S). She is responsible for leading finance teams across multiple RI&S factories supporting all production finance activities including financial reporting, strategy, investment planning, forecasting and overhead budgeting.

During her career, O’Keefe has held various financial positions of increasing responsibility across multiple Raytheon business units and the global headquarters. Roles included Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Product Line CFO, Internal Audit and Program Financial Controls. She has also served in leadership roles for Raytheon Technologies Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives.

O’Keefe joined Raytheon in 2006 as a member of the company’s Financial Leadership Development Program. O’Keefe holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a master’s degree in business administration from Boston College. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons, Patrick (5) and Camden (2).

 Brittany Keller

Strategy & Growth at PayPal