2023 Philadelphia Women in Leadership Symposium
March 14, 2023
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)
Theme
Rising in Resilience: Achieving Empowerment through Advancement & Adaptability
Sponsored By
Panelists
Ajoff-Foster
Patience Ajoff-Foster, PhD, CDE® serves as the Assistant Vice President for Inclusive Culture and Belonging at Drexel University, where she co-leads the operationalization and success monitoring of Drexel’s antiracism and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts to foster a sense of community and belonging. She co-leads the University’s culture of equity imperative, one of six imperatives of the strategic plan. A certified diversity executive, Patience is a long-time Dragon who joined the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture (EIC) from the Office of Faculty Advancement, where she served as the director of faculty development and diversity. Prior to that role, she was a program manager and graduate advisor in Education and Public Health. Patience is fluent in five languages and has worked with community-based and non-profit organizations in local communities here in the U.S. and Africa in a consultative capacity and leadership development. A DEI scholar-practitioner, Patience employs systems approach to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. She has published and speaks nationally on these topics, as well as delivered related training to thousands of individuals both in and outside of Drexel. Patience earned her Bachelor of Science in Social and Behavioral Science from Knoxville College, Master of Science in Nonprofit/NGO Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, graduate certificate in Student Development and Affairs from Drexel University, and PhD in Organizational Development from Cabrini University.
Longo
Ellen Yu Longo serves as Vice President of Freedom Mortgage, one of the nation’s largest non-bank independent mortgage lenders and servicers, providing mortgage loans through wholesale and correspondent channels. She oversees external communications, brand reputation management, and executive communications. Ellen has over 15 years of experience in developing corporate communications and social media strategies, building executive profiles, and handling crisis communications. She has worked in several different industries including tech, telecom, healthcare, and financial services to name a few. Ellen has ghostwritten articles for senior executives which have been placed in major business publications. In regard to media placement, Ellen has secured stories in top tier media outlets including WSJ, Washington Post, Fox News, and CNBC. Prior to joining Freedom Mortgage, Ellen worked at two leading PR agencies and Fortune 100 companies including Verizon and Comcast.
Petonic
Cara is Vice President of Strategy & Experience at Comcast. She leads a data-driven team, focused on enablement & optimization of the organization, with a strategic focus on mid- to long range planning, business impact, people development, and investment optimization. Previously, Cara served as Digital Experience Strategist at Comcast, and started with the company in Corporate Strategy where she focused on the overall growth strategy of Comcast. Cara worked directly with the CFO to construct a consolidated view of the long-range strategic plan, analyzed IP franchise origination, customer experience trends to pinpoint solutions, and identified international business development opportunities for the company. Cara worked with Accenture in Strategy Consulting, and prior to her MBA, Cara worked in both Investment Banking & Equity Research at Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC where she executed transactions totaling more than $1.5B, and covered research on eCommerce stocks. Cara holds an MBA from Cornell University and a BA in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. She currently serves on the President’s Advisory Council for Bryn Mawr College and is President of the Cornell MBA Club of Philadelphia. She enjoys running half marathons (completed 20), playing tennis, and supporting causes that affect women & children.
Quiñones
Elvita Quiñones is a diversity, equity, and inclusion champion currently working in the tech industry at Salesforce as their Director of Employee Advocacy and Belonging. Prior to joining Salesforce, Elvita served as the Association Director of Undergraduate Advising at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. For more than 15 years, she has served in higher education in a variety of roles including admissions, student services, research, academic advising, program management and adjunct teaching. A highlight of Elvita’s career was helping establish Esperanza College, the first Hispanic Service Institution in Pennsylvania. Throughout her educational and professional journey, Elvita has advocated for underrepresented communities, especially women and Latinos. In the spring of 2017, while working in student retention at Temple Univeristy’s Fox School of Business, Elvita helped the undergraduate students establish the Temple University student chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). After learning about the benefits of ALPFA, she decided to become active in the professional chapter and serve on the professional board. In January 2022, Elvita began her tenure as the President of the Philadelphia Professional Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) where she leads a volunteer team of professionals in providing professional development and networking opportunities for more than 1,900 local professional members. Elvita is a first-generation Puerto-Rican American born in Newark, New Jersey. The first in her family to attend college, Elvita graduated from West Chester University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. During her tenure at West Chester University, she became a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. In 2005, she obtained her Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University. Elvita has a son who is currently enrolled at Temple University's Fox School of Business.
Waller
Leslie Waller was named Vice President of Marketing Innovation & Enterprise Marketing Excellence, in November 2022. She holds the strategic responsibility for building and executing Campbell Soup Company’s multi-year innovation pipeline. In her Enterprise Marketing Excellence capacity, Leslie will create a framework to elevate and codify Marketing capabilities across the enterprise. Leslie joined Campbell in 2018 as Vice President of Marketing, Chips, Nuts, and Popcorn categories and later Vice President of Marketing for the Beverages division. Previously, she led global snacking brands at Kraft/Mondelēz for more than a decade, in roles including Global Head of Trident Gum, where she was responsible for brand strategy, communications, and breakthrough innovation in more than 70 countries. She also served as Asia Pacific Category Marketing Director, North American Confectionary Communications Lead, and marketing roles on some of the world’s most best-known brands including Chips Ahoy!, Ritz, Planters, Wheat Thins, and Triscuit. She was recognized with President’s Award for top-tier performance. Before that, Leslie developed marketing strategies at Ford Motor Company for six years, leading Ford and Lincoln Mercury advertising. Additionally, through her own marketing and strategy consultancy firm, Fire Opal Communications, Leslie spent two years helping organizations transform their businesses and brands. In her spare time, she loves international travel, music, and reading. In 2021, she was honored as one of the Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business. Leslie earned both her B.S. degree in business administration and her M.B.A. degree from Florida A&M; University.
Werthauser
Judy Werthauser is a leader and strategist who helps organizations tap into the power of people to drive strong, sustainable business performance. Throughout her 30-year career spanning startups to Fortune 100 companies to complex global organizations, she has pushed to redefine Human Resources beyond traditional operations to strategic value creation with a focus on people. From her early days as an entrepreneur to her current seat in the executive suite, she has led customer and team experience, strategic planning, organizational strategy and redesign, human resource operations, technology organizations and major change initiatives. Judy currently serves as Chief Experience Officer at Five Below, where she is responsible for connecting the customer and crew member experience to deliver an amazing experience that brings to life its purpose to “Let GO and Have FUN.” Previous to Five Below, Judy served as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Domino’s, where she was responsible for building a scalable operating model to support Domino’s rapid growth. Judy also served at Target where she helped orchestrate Target Corporation’s transformation from a traditional big-box retailer to an omnichannel player. As Senior Vice President of Human Resources, she provided oversight and direction for significant organizational change within Target.com and mobile and Target Technology Services. She also established an enterprise business intelligence function and in-house management of all online-related strategies. Her background also includes experience with U.S. Bank, where she bolstered their organizational processes and capabilities, and Marshall Field’s Department Stores, where she helped transition the company from Target Corporation to May Company. In November 2018, Judy was named to BJ’s Wholesale Club board of directors. Judy attended school at the University of Minnesota, where she earned an M.A. degree in organization leadership and training in 1992 and a B.A. degree in industrial psychology in 1987. She and her husband, Al, live in St. Paul, MN, and have three grown daughters, a son-in-law and two Rottweilers named Mack and Biggie.
Moderator
Mosley-Williams
Juliana Mosley-Williams has served the field of education since 1997, with the last 20 years being dedicated to higher education. Juliana currently serves as the inaugural Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Salus University in Elkins Park, PA and previously served as the founding Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Community Relations Officer at Chestnut Hill College. She began her career as a business high school teacher in the Houston Independent School District, resulting in her personal adage of being “business-mined with an educator’s heart.” Realizing that she needed to fulfill her 6th grade goal, written in the inside cover of her dictionary, of obtaining a Ph.D. by the age of 28, Juliana enrolled in her doctoral program at 24 years old. Just 23 short months later, she was graduating with her Ph.D. at the young age of 26, making her one of the youngest doctoral graduates in Miami University’s history and the first Educational Leadership student to complete the degree in less than two years. After serving as the Executive Assistant to the President at Kentucky State University, Juliana became the Director of Multicultural Affairs at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio (her hometown). Shortly thereafter, Juliana had the opportunity to fulfill another professional goal when she became the Vice President for Student Affairs at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas at the tender age of 30 years old, making her one of the youngest vice presidents in the country at that time. After five years of service, Juliana continued in this role for several years at Marygrove College (Detroit, MI), Edward Waters College (Jacksonville, FL) and Lincoln University (PA). Juliana also serves as a consultant and trainer, having presented more than 80 times, to include a TEDx Talk, regional and national conferences, universities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and corporations. In these instances, she provided training and development workshops in diversity and inclusion, leadership transition, strategic planning, and student development. Affectionately called Dr. J. by her beloved students, Juliana’s commitment and service to education and the community is evident in her honors as a Philadelphia Tribune 2019 Woman of Achievement honoree; recipient of the Student Leadership and Success Award for Administrators (2015); Ohio Magazine’s Excellence in Education Awards for 2003 and an inductee to the Kaleidoscope Magazine 2004 Forty/Forty Club, which annually recognizes 40 people under the age of forty who make significant contributions in the Cleveland area. Juliana is also extremely committed to serving her local communities, currently serving as a board member of Philadelphia Education Fund; and former roles as grant reviewer for Chester County Fund for Women and Girls Grants Allocation Committee (West Chester, PA); board member for Girl Scouts of America (Gateway Council---Northern Counties of Florida); Steering Committee Chair for Save Our Sons (non-profit in Jacksonville FL); and 25+ year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Juliana received a B.S. degree in Business Education from Ball State University (IN), a M.A. in Curriculum and Teacher Leadership with concentrated studies in Urban Education, a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, both from Miami University (OH), and Certified Diversity Professional from the National Diversity Council. Juliana seeks to educate and train people to engage in difficult dialog through cultural humility to make the unconscious conscious.
Awardee
Sylva