Agenda - June 12, 2025

Elizabeth J. Altman is an associate professor of management at UMass Lowell's Manning School of Business. She is a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School and a research affiliate at MIT. Altman is a nonresident fellow in the Economic Studies Program of The Brookings Institution and has been a visiting professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Altman's research focuses on strategy, innovation, platforms, ecosystems, AI and future of work. Before academia, Altman spent 19 years in industry, in leadership roles at Motorola and Sony. Altman is lead author of the book "Workforce Ecosystems: Reaching Strategic Goals with People, Partners, and Technologies" (2023, MIT Press) and co-author of "The Innovator's Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work" (2008, Harvard Business Press). She holds a doctorate in business from Harvard, master's of science degrees in mechanical engineering and management from MIT, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.

Mary Azzarto Ciampa is an ironman, serial entrepreneur and women's advocate. Being dyslexic, she understands deeply that nothing great can be accomplished without hard work and a talented team.

Ciampa's Northeastern University education and practical work experience catapulted her career and fed her passion for entrepreneurship, giving her the confidence at 28 to launch her first startup, a software company. She co-founded WomenX, an online leadership platform that curates education programs for women, on the anniversary of Title IX, June 23.

Over a career of more than 30 years, Ciampa has helped national and international startups. Her board and advisory roles at Boston Museum of Science and Berklee College of Music Online inspired her to tackle the growing number of barriers that women face in advancing in their careers and obtaining leadership roles.

Julie O'Brien is the CEO of OpenBiome, an award-winning nonprofit accelerating microbiome science to improve health for all. OpenBiome's work has proven that microbes can treat incurable illness and has laid the foundation for a new field of medicine and biotech innovation.

O'Brien began her career in the coffee industry and transitioned to global health after witnessing the profound impact of extreme poverty on coffee farmers and their families. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, O'Brien was one of the earliest advocates for investing in health systems and played a vital role in bringing a successful resolution on universal health coverage to the United Nations.

A distinguished lecturer at Yale's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a guest lecturer at Boston University's School of Public Health, O'Brien holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. from the University of San Diego. She serves on global boards and is a co-author of several articles. Her advisory roles include contributions to the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Bank and NAFTA's Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Stephanie Bourdage-Braun is executive vice president of customer success and delivery at SS&C Intralinks. In her role, she leads a 300-person team and is responsible for the daily operations of the Intralinks products. She also oversees the post-sale client experience: Onboarding and supporting clients and ensuring the software services are secure, available and reliable. Previously, Bourdage-Braun worked at Seagate Technologies and at IBM for 19 years in various leadership roles, including as vice president of IBM Watson Health SaaS Operations. Originally from Quebec, Canada, she holds a bachelor of business administration degree from the Universite de Sherbrooke and an MBA from Bentley University. Outside of work, she is an avid baker, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons and her Labrador Retriever.

Meet Julie Brown, a dynamic speaker with a penchant for dropping truth bombs on the intricacies of networking, from the nuances between introvert and extrovert to the golden era of '90s hip-hop. Imagine a fusion of Gary Vee's entrepreneurial spirit, Kristin Chenowet''s charisma and Snoop Dogg's laid-back coolness, and you might just envision Brown.

Brown is not your average new business development strategist; she's a seasoned coach and consultant whose insights transcend the conventional. As the bestselling author of "This Shit Works," her wisdom extends beyond the pages of her book to the airwaves with a podcast of the same name.

In the realm of people power, Brown stands as a beacon, offering strategies to turn up the volume on your new business practices. Channeling the spirit of Warren G, she's not just calling all business regulators to mount up; she's orchestrating a symphony of networking tactics that resonate in the ever-evolving landscape of professional connections. Julie Brown is a force to be reckoned with, blending business acumen with an eclectic mix of influences that make her approach truly one-of-a-kind.

Read Julie's Book:
This Shit Works: A No-Nonsense Guide to Networking Your Way to More Friends, More Adventures, and More Success

Check Out Julie's Podcast:
https://juliebrownbd.com/podcast/

Tiffany Bullock is a justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and sustainability advocate dedicated to creating career pathways for women and people of color. Her work in diversity and professional development was inspired by her experience practicing at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, where she actively participated in the firm's diversity recruiting initiatives and in affinity groups supporting working parents, women and Black lawyers. During Bullock's subsequent tenure at SEO Law, she developed partnerships and fellowship opportunities to support underrepresented law students and attorneys. She holds a B.A. degree in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She continues to mentor Black law students through her role with the Afro Scholars Program.

Melissa Clayton is CEO and founder of Tiny Tags, an online jewelry brand that designs and creates fine personalized jewelry for mothers. At the heart of Tiny Tags is Clayton's love of children and bringing people together. Tiny Tags has been featured in InStyle, Marie Claire, Oprah magazine and many more.

Clayton is a former CPA who is passionate about entrepreneurship and sharing the lessons she has learned along the way with other women. Tiny Tags has been on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies for 2023 and 2022, and Clayton was named to Inc.'s 2024 List of 250 Female Founders.

Rachel Dunham is an interior designer based in Arlington, Massachusetts. She studied residential interiors at Boston Architectural College and started her own business in 2016.

Dunham's style ranges from transitional and eclectic to modern. She loves a pop of color, mixing patterns and bringing interest through texture in her designs.

Kelly Dyer Hayes started playing hockey at age 11 and went on to have a 24-year playing career. Her ice hockey career started at Assabet Valley, and she played on the boys' team at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. She won back-to-back women's championships as a goaltender with Northeastern University, and after graduating, spent seven years on Team USA. She was one of the first women to play in a men's professional ice hockey league, spending four years with the West Palm Beach Blaze. Dyer Hayes is a member of the Massachusetts USA Hockey Hall of Fame and the Northeastern University Hall of Fame. More recently, she turned her passion for hockey into a successful business developing sticks, protective equipment and gear for some of the best male and female amateur and professional hockey players. She has been a distinguished athlete representative to the Executive Committee of USA Hockey, a member of the Girls/Women's Committee for USA Hockey and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. She also has been a representative for the Women's Sports Foundation, a spokesperson at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and the IIHF IOC Manager for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Karoline Evans is an associate professor of management in the Manning School of Business and a research associate in the Center for Women and Work at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her research focuses on team dynamics, leadership, and negotiation. Her recent work has examined how changing pay transparency laws affects women's propensity to negotiate. She has also written on the role of gender in workplace advancement and on how employees can enact social change in their organizations. She has consulted for companies in manufacturing, energy and product development as part of her work.

María Fernanda Ordóñez is a leader in advertising and marketing, renowned for her deep expertise in artificial intelligence. She has developed a prolific career working across Colombia, Latin America and the United States, in roles at Fortune 500 companies like Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Co., Colgate-Palmolive and Delta Airlines.

Currently, Ordóñez is the CEO and founder of 360AdMedia, an innovative advertising firm committed to integrating culture, media and brand connectivity. She is known for her strategic leadership and creativity in orchestrating multi-touchpoint campaigns, fostering innovation in digital and social media platforms. Her approach consistently challenges the conventional, introducing progressive solutions to her clients.

A certified AI expert, Ordóñez aims not just to elevate businesses through artificial intelligence, but also to educate and guide them in harnessing AI for exponential growth and success. Her unique blend of AI proficiency and advertising acumen positions her as a leading figure in leveraging AI for marketing and business development.

Mira Greenland is the chief revenue officer of INTOO, where she is responsible for the direction, strategy and growth of global sales, client support and marketing. She has worked in human resources for over 20 years, beginning as a recruiter at Green Hills Software in Santa Barbara, California. During her tenure there, she served as director of technical recruiting and ultimately as director of corporate well being. She spent the next decade at CareerArc, where she was a founding team member of the social recruiting division and senior vice president of sales.

Greenland has a passion for providing human resource professionals with the proper tools and services to compete in a modern workplace. She has been a frequent speaker and panelist at human resources, recruiting and brand management conferences.

She and her husband are proud parents to three young adults. She is an avid traveler, SCUBA diver and adventure seeker with her family. She holds a B.A. from The University of Connecticut.

Stephanie Guyotte is the associate director of the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub Haverhill, where she works with startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses to drive economic growth. Guyotte joined UMass Lowell in 2017 to launch the iHub, and leads operations, community engagement and program development. Previously, she spent 15 years in communications, journalism, public relations and community education. Active within the community, she is currently president of the Board of Directors of HC Media, chairs the organizing committee for the Feaster Five Road Race and is a youth soccer coach. When she's not watching her two sons play sports, Guyotte is out running to train for her fifth half marathon.

Shruti Jain-Lynch thrives on challenges, embraces them and transforms them into opportunities. With a diverse background in product management, software engineering, teaching and research, she is a product leader who combines strategic thinking, technical expertise and user empathy to deliver innovative solutions that address user needs and opportunities. Jain-Lynch's accolades include prestigious leadership, innovation and strategic awards, and she has been prominently featured by Dell and UMass Lowell. She is a Career Pillar Lead within the Asians in Action ERG, shaping career strategies and championing the groundbreaking Shakti Sisters program—an initiative aimed at shattering the glass ceiling. Beyond her professional achievements, Shruti is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM. She actively mentors aspiring talent, amplifies underrepresented voices and shares her thoughts as a sought-after speaker on product management, innovation, leadership and career development.

Katerina A. Kalabokis is the founding partner at Kalabokis Law, PLLC, and specializes in family law. She is currently serving on the Board of Selectmen in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and is a professor of law at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she teaches family law to undergraduate students.

Prior to founding the firm, Kalabokis worked in a distinguished family law firm in the Boston area and then as in-house counsel at a large corporation. While attending law school, Kalabokis was chosen to be a Rule 3:03 student attorney at the school's nationally ranked Family Law Clinic, where she represented individuals in domestic violence and restraining order cases.She also wrote her first publication and was awarded for her pro bono work.

Nicole's passion for eliminating gender expectations and redefining "Woman's Work" is both what keeps her up at night, and what gets her up in the morning. Well that, and an abundant amount of coffee.

An in-demand speaker, author of Validation is For Parking, leadership strategist, respected coach, and host of the "This Is Woman's Work" Podcast, her stalker-like obsession with confidence sets her apart from the constant stream of experts telling us to BE confident. She actually shares HOW you build it, and gives actionable tools you can implement immediately.

A fugitive of the C-suite at a Fortune 100 company, she has coached hundreds of women in business, which has given her insight as to what - structurally, systemically and socially - is and isn't serving both women and leaders within an organization.

Maintaining some semblance of sanity in her different roles of wife, mother, and business owner is an ongoing challenge ... in whatever free time she has, she enjoys reading and wine guzzling, is an avid cheese enthusiast, a hotel snob, and a reluctant peloton rider.

Read Nicole's Book:
Validation Is For Parking: How Women Can Beat the Confidence Con

Heather Makrez Allen is executive director of alumni & donor relations and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education at UMass Lowell. She is an experienced higher education leader with a demonstrated passion for student access, alumni engagement, stewardship and community partnerships and has published articles on topics ranging from social media to fundraising. Prior to this, Makrez Allen ran the International Programs Office at UMass Dartmouth and held a position in Academic Affairs at the UMass System President's Office. Makrez Allen is a CASE member and serves on nonprofit boards within the community. She received a Ph.D. in leadership from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Alexa McGovern is strategy and operations manager at Salsify, a product experience management platform startup, where she has moved up the ranks in roles ranging from customer-facing to product development. She leverages this varied experience to craft and execute winning strategies for Salsify and its customers. A passionate manager with a unique background, McGovern brings a whole-self approach to leadership. She is known for tackling complex problems, thriving in ambiguity and fostering inclusive environments that celebrate individual strengths. Previously, she held several managerial positions at E. & J. Gallo Winery. Her entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond software, as she is also the owner and operator of a kelp farm, where she is working to develop innovative bioplastics. McGovern is also passionate about fundraising for breast cancer research, a cause close to her heart as she undergoes her own treatment. She is a graduate of Boston College, where she was captain of the women’s basketball team.

Marta McManus is a seasoned career consultant at ClearRock, driven by understanding people's motivations and career paths. With over 18 years in education, counseling and coaching, she excels in guiding professionals across diverse industries, from finance to technology.

Known for her empathetic, tailored approach, McManus builds trust effortlessly, emphasizing individual needs in career transitions. Networking is her forte. Before ClearRock, she advised college-bound students and served in higher education roles.

Maria Milagros is an award-winning keynote speaker, award-nominated author, two-time TEDx speaker, storyteller, personal growth and development expert, empowerment life coach and love activist. Whether sharing her life experiences and knowledge through impactful talks, workshops, leadership training, life coaching or videos, Milagros uses stories to bring encouragement, education and love to empower others to get out of their way and break free from hindering thoughts or beliefs, so that they can live amazing lives and leave their unique and positive mark on the world. She is passionate about living with intention, creating spaces of love, joy and fun, connecting with others, overall health, and empowerment.

UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney is a national leader in innovation in higher education. The first woman to lead the university since its founding in 1894, she was recognized in 2017 as one of seven prominent "Women Who Mean Business" by the Boston Business Journal. Since that year, UMass Lowell has been ranked in the top 15 of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe Magazine and the Commonwealth Institute.

In her 37 years with UMass Lowell—where she also earned two degrees—Moloney has served in a number of roles, including professor, researcher, dean and executive vice chancellor.

Tamara Montag-Smit is an assistant professor of management in the Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell. She researches timely micro-level workplace topics such as employee creativity, pay transparency, negotiation and work-life balance/satisfaction.

Montag-Smit has a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology and her work focuses on individual perceptions, attitudes and beliefs. She also teaches courses on human resource management and organizational behavior. She is an expert in multiple areas of human resource management, including talent acquisition practices, designing and evaluating effective training and development programs and designing equitable pay systems.

Prior to her career in academia, Montag-Smit worked as a leadership and development consultant and a training and development specialist.

Marisol Nobrega is a 25-year veteran of the Lowell Police Department. She is a captain currently assigned as the commanding officer of the Training, Recruiting, and Hiring Division.

Nobrega has lived in Lowell for most of her life and is highly committed to her community. She is married and has three sons, Justin, Christopher and Kaiden. She is also a grandmother to a 2-year-old granddaughter. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys participating in community service and events.

Nobrega served on the board of Girls Incorporated in the past and currently serves on the boards of the Lowell Athletic and Activities Foundation and the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership. In addition, she is an advisor to the board of Fortaleza.

Her work with student officers earned her the 2013 Mentoring Award from the Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement. Nobrega has provided recruitment and in-service training to other police departments in Massachusetts. She recently joined Middlesex Community College as an adjunct professor.

She received an associate degree from Middlesex Community College and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice with Leadership and Policy Development and Forensic Criminology certificates from UMass Lowell.

Heidi Perry is responsible for the development of MIT Lincoln Laboratory Laboratory's long-term technology strategy and the coordination of collaborative research with MIT. Prior to leading the Technology Office, she served as an assistant division head for the Division Office for Air, Missile & Maritime Defense Technology. Before joining Lincoln, Perry worked for over 20 years at Draper Laboratory in a number of senior leadership roles, including director of systems engineering, director of algorithms & software, and director of internal R&D portfolio. She also served as technical lead in guidance, navigation, and control sensors and systems; autonomous systems for air, land, sea and space; mission-critical software; and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. Heidi has been affiliated for more than 15 years with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, serving as a Naval Studies Board member and chairing numerous studies on autonomous systems and emerging technologies to address strategic DoD needs. She holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and an M.S. in computer engineering.

Tania Philipp brings more than 15 years of experience helping early-stage life sciences companies grow and progress. As a member of the senior leadership team at Vor Bio, she is responsible for building a skilled and experienced team that will help the company achieve its objectives.

Philipp has a passion for creating a collaborative company culture and for fostering team dynamics that support individual and organizational growth. Before joining Vor Bio, she was vice president and head of human resources at Tango Therapeutics, where she was responsible for developing and implementing the strategic human resources vision that supported the company's objectives and defined its culture.

Karyn Puleo has over 20 years of experience overseeing various fiscal, personnel, administrative and procurement services that support businesses in achieving superior performance and customer service. Puleo is currently the executive director of business operations for facilities management at UMass Lowell and also serves as adjunct faculty, teaching Negotiation Strategy & Process.

Alison Quandt Westgate has been a member of the athletic leadership team at UMass Lowell since 2017. She oversees academics and student services, demonstrating a passion for working with student-athletes to achieve their full potential as students, athletes and citizens of the greater community. Quandt Westgate spearheaded the River Hawk Degree Completion Program and works extensively to support first-generation students through the River Hawk Scholars Academy and the International Students and Scholars Office. She was selected for the 2021-2022 cohort of the prestigious NCAA Pathway Program, designed to elevate senior-level athletics administrators to the next step as directors of athletics or conference commissioners.

Prior to UMass Lowell, Quandt Westgate was at Impact Performance Group LLC, where she designed and facilitated sales, leadership and coaching development programs for organizations across a range of industries. Previously she spent eight years as the director and then assistant athletic director of student-athlete development at Boston College.

She has a B.A. and an MBA from Boston College, where she was a member of the women's hockey team, setting many records. In 2015, was inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame

Abbie Romanul founded Raising the Bar, a zero-proof cocktail business, in 2020. Raising the Bar was created to provide celebratory and elevated alternatives to alcoholic beverages for those abstaining from alcohol for any reason.

Raising the Bar has been featured in outlets including NBC's The Today Show, the Boston Globe, Oprah Daily, Food & Wine, The Chronicle, GQ and more. In 2022, Romanul was granted Boston Business Journal's 40 under 40 award, an honor that celebrates the city's best and brightest young professionals each year.

Molly Slowe is a financial advisor with the Queally Waxman Angell Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley. With a desire to help individuals and families achieve their financial goals, she leverages her understanding of financial markets, investments and strategies along with the resources of Morgan Stanley to help tailor bespoke financial plans for her clients. Slowe previously spent time at SPDR ETFs on an internal sales desk. She is a member of the Boston College GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Leadership council and serves on the Young Professionals Board at Team Impact and the Junior Board at the Women's Foundation of Boston. Slowe earned a B.S. in management from Boston College, where she also played Division I ice hockey.

Amaka Ubaka is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. She anchors 7NEWS Today in New England and 7NEWS at Noon.

A Nigerian American, Ubaka was named one of Boston Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2022. Last year, she received an honorary doctorate from Regis College, where she was chosen by students to serve as Commencement speaker.

Ubaka was previously a reporter in Orlando, Florida, where her stories often received national attention. She also worked as a reporter in Omaha, Nebraska, and landed her first on-air job in Redding, California.

Ubaka often serves as master of ceremonies for charity events supporting organizations such as Project Hope, YWCA Cambridge, The One Mission Buzz Off, Rosie's Place, BMA TenPoint and the Igbo Organization of New England. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

A Florida native, Ubaka earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami.

Liseth Velez's transformative journey from dedicated U.S. Air National Guard veteran to the visionary founder of LJV epitomizes the American dream. As an immigrant, Velez turned challenges into opportunities, showcasing resilience across global missions.

With a background in risk management, compliance, budgets and scheduling, her expertise led to the creation of LJV, a firm that is a trailblazer in construction and government contracting. Velez has navigated federal contracts with the Department of Defense, the Veterans Administration, the General Services Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, undertaking notable projects at Wellesley College and Harvard Business School.

As vice president of global sales operations and strategic programs at UKG, Barb Vlacich manages teams across the world. Her focus is on innovating the buying experience, from reimagining business processes to supporting customer interactions.

Vlacich joined Kronos Inc. in 2003, which merged with Ultimate Software in 2020 to form UKG, as director of human resources and payroll services, and was later promoted to the role of vice president of presales operations. Previously, she held leadership roles at such companies as Delphia Consulting and Sage Software (formerly Best Software).

Vlacich, who attended Rider University, has presented at the Massachusetts Conference for Women and at the annual conferences of the American Management Association and the American Payroll Association. She founded the Kronos Women's Leadership Forum in 2009. For nine years, she received the Kronos SVP MVP award for the global sales organization. She serves on the board of the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Jessica Wenzell is vice president and general counsel at Brooks Automation, a leading provider of semiconductor manufacturing solutions worldwide headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Prior to joining Brooks, she was senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and chief people officer at CIRCOR International, where she led the legal, compliance and human resources teams. She was also the executive sponsor for the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. During her time at CIRCOR, Wenzell supported the business and board through the COVID-19 pandemic, several senior leadership changes and a strategic review process, which ultimately led to a go-private transaction. She previously was an attorney and compliance leader at General Electric Co., senior counsel at Hyundai Motor America and an associate at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP. She earned a B.A. in political science from University of California San Diego and a J.D. from University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco.

Emma Woodthorpe is the chief people officer at Brooks Automation, an innovative automation company. With over 25 years of experience in elevating businesses, Woodthorpe's unwavering commitment lies in enabling fast-growing companies to align their people strategy with the overarching business goals, thereby creating tangible value.

Before her tenure at Brooks, she was the chief human resources officer for Mercury Systems, a $1 billion defense electronics firm, where she was instrumental in shaping the company's people strategy, nurturing its culture and enhancing the overall employee experience.

Woodthorpe serves as president and a board member for the HR Leadership Forum in Massachusetts, where she continues to champion excellence and innovation in the realm of human resources. She is also a member of the I4CP CHRO board.