The New Jersey Business & Industry Association hasn’t opened the doors yet on this year’s Women’s Business Leadership Forum, but it’s already stacked the stage.
The event, held Sept. 23-24 at Bally’s in Atlantic City, is the premier women in business event of the year, annually attracting hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders. (To register, click here)
The two-day forum will feature workshops, leadership training, panels with statewide business voices and networking sessions.
WBLF draws from every corner of New Jersey’s economy — corporate, small business, nonprofit and public sector — and includes an all-star list of honorees:
This year’s honorees:
Christina Renna and Kim Guadagno, Caren Franzini Leadership Award: Renna, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, previously served as director of intergovernmental affairs under Gov. Chris Christie and sits on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CCC100 Committee. Guadagno, New Jersey’s first lieutenant governor, is now recognized for her work at Mercy Center NJ, which runs a tuition-free middle school for girls from underserved communities.
Chrissy Buteas, Women for Change Award: Buteas, the CEO of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, is being recognized for shaping policy across life sciences, home care and business advocacy. She sits on numerous boards, including Middlesex College, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges and the New Jersey Innovation Institute, among others.
Reshma Saujani, Women in Advocacy Award: Saujani, the founder and CEO of Moms First and founder of Girls Who Code, is being honored for more than a decade of work advancing women’s and girls’ economic empowerment, including pushing STEM education and a diverse tech workforce in New Jersey. She’s also the author of the bestseller “Brave, Not Perfect.”
Rick Thigpen, EmpowerHER Award: Thigpen, the senior vice president for corporate citizenship at PSEG, recognized for building inclusive workplace initiatives including the company’s Women’s Leadership Alliance.
Briana Vannozzi, Women in Media Award: Vannozzi is the anchor of NJ Spotlight News on NJ PBS, an Emmy winner who has covered New Jersey politics since her start at New Jersey Network News and has interviewed every governor dating back to Jon Corzine.
