Laura Belmont

Laura Belmont is General Counsel of Civis Analytics, Inc., a data analytics technology company, where she leads legal, compliance, and privacy functions as an executive team member. Laura has transformed legal operations through practical, solutions-oriented approaches, building enterprise-wide compliance frameworks from the ground up and implementing streamlined systems that enable rapid business growth.

Prior to Civis, she was in-house counsel at Comcast, an associate at Latham & Watkins, and a staff attorney at the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs where she litigated cases advancing disability rights. Her civic engagement includes serving as Regional Voter Protection Director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party during the 2020 election and her current appointment to Montgomery County's Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence for Public Good. She has been recognized as one of Attorney Intel's Top 25 Attorneys of Pennsylvania (2024) and is a sought-after speaker on AI governance and legal innovation.

Laura holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from American University's Washington College of Law, and enjoys spending time with her spouse and two children.

Debbie Buchwald

Debbie supports more than 250 members of the Women’s Committee for the 250th in transformational legacy building benefitting women for the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Her legal career in corporate reorganizations became a launchpad for supporting the formation, growth, and repositioning of impact-driven organizations. Debbie launched and led the first enterprise-wide, donor-centered sponsorship program at Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. She transformed a traditional bi-national chamber of commerce into an industry-based network that facilitates business development for U.S. and Israeli businesses in multiple industry sectors.

She served as Drexel University’s Executive Director of Corporate Relations, working closely with academic units, the technology commercialization team, and the University’s innovation district to acquaint new industry prospects with opportunities to engage along the commercialization continuum and forge reciprocal, income-generating partnerships.

She has seen and experienced firsthand the challenges women face to achieve financial equality and she is committed to institutional solutions that change this dynamic.

Tamara Cobb

Tamara M. Cobb is a lifelong Philadelphia resident and dedicated community advocate with more than 20 years of experience serving children, families, and vulnerable populations through nonprofit organizations, higher education, and healthcare institutions.

Tamara’s commitment to community service began with her first job at a neighborhood nonprofit organization that encouraged residents to become employees and volunteers. Although the organization is no longer in existence, the experience shaped her career and inspired her lifelong commitment to being an agent of change within her community.

Tamara was introduced to WOMEN'S WAY in 2022 through the Gender Wealth Institute. Her experience with the Institute deepened her understanding of gender and financial equity and strengthened her commitment to advancing opportunities for women and families. She later joined the WOMEN'S WAY Board, where she brings her professional experience, community perspective, and passion for equity and empowerment.

Professionally, Tamara is a Certified Community Health Worker and Diabetes Lifestyle Coach, supporting individuals and communities through health education, resource navigation, and wellness promotion. She is also a Certified Perinatal Doula and the founder of Sacred Seasons Birth & Beyond Doula Services, LLC, providing perinatal, postpartum, and family support.

Across her professional and community roles, Tamara is committed to building stronger communities, expanding access to resources and opportunities, and helping individuals and families achieve greater stability and independence. Her work reflects her belief that meaningful change begins with listening to communities, recognizing their strengths, and creating pathways for people to thrive.

Dr. Charles Coe

Dr. Charles Coe, CPNP, MSN, MPH, MSW, LCSW, C-ACYFSW

Charles Coe is an accomplished leader and advocate with over a decade of dedicated service to social justice, women, and children. As the Executive Director and Founder of the Incredible Kids Learning Center Organization, Charles has positively touched the lives of over 15,000 children, providing essential early childhood educational development, early intervention, scholarship, and supportive services. His visionary leadership has driven the organization to success while ensuring equitable access for underserved communities and empowering women within the workforce to take on leadership roles. Charles serves as the coach, cheerleader, and mascot for children, women and the community. His personal quote is: “Having belief in someone is a very powerful thing and will have a very profound impact on the person to whom we are blessed to work with. This level of responsibility should never be taken lightly but held in such high regard.”

With a passion for advocacy, Charles also founded Creating Opportunities for Empowerment (COE) Inc., a Social and Human Services Organization servicing both Philadelphia and Atlanta that focuses on crisis intervention, family advocacy, and intensive clinical case management for women, children, and families. Under Charles' leadership, COE, Inc. has expanded its reach, leading a team of over 100 clinicians and family advocates to deliver personalized care to individuals facing complex challenges. His work in addressing gender disparities, championing wage equality, and promoting early intervention services for women and children showcases his commitment to driving social change and empowering marginalized populations. Charles creates opportunities for advancement when opportunities are not available.

With advanced degrees in public health, leadership development, nursing, healthcare administration, and social work, Charles combines a strong academic foundation with practical expertise. In addition to founding the Incredible Kids Learning Center Organization and Creating Opportunities for Empowerment, He is also a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP), Clinical Trauma Specialist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), with additional certifications in children, youth, and family social work.

Beyond his day-to-day work, Charles has received numerous prestigious honors, including being a Presidential Freedom Scholar, Champions of Caring Ambassador, Coca-Cola Scholar, and an alumni and keynote speaker for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Entrepreneurship Program. He is also a recipient of the Philadelphia Governor’s Community of Service and Hope Award and CACFP Leadership and Visionary Award, reflecting his dedication to advancing equity and fostering change in his community. Through his commitment to advocacy, leadership, and personal growth, Charles Coe has truly become a "Champion" of our time, driving change for both women and children, and serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration in his community.

Lane Fabiano, MHA

Lane Fabiano, MHA, is an accomplished Associate Sales Consultant at Conner Strong & Buckelew, where she strategically manages benefit solutions to drive client satisfaction and sales growth. With a strong foundation in healthcare and insurance, Lane has held progressive roles including Associate Sales Analyst and Associate Program Manager, overseeing regional health insurance funds and cultivating vendor partnerships across New Jersey. Prior to this, she gained experience at AmeriHealth Administrators, supporting client initiatives and delivering data-driven presentations to brokers and clients in the Philadelphia region.

Lane holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration with a certificate in Leadership from Rosemont College, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from La Salle University. She actively contributes to this community as a board member of Moonstone Inc. Preschool and serves on the Downtown Camden Young Professional Council, reflecting her commitment to education, the arts, and civic engagement.

Orfelina Feliz Payne

As Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Puentes de Salud since 2022, Orfelina supports the health and wellness of Philadelphia’s Spanish speaking immigrants and combats social injustice through empowerment, education, and health services.

Emphasizing strategic alignment, capital development, and integration among Puentes divisions, Lina steered the organization through the end of the pandemic and now seeks to expand its reach. During her time with Puentes de Salud, Orfelina has been recognized by City and State Pennsylvania’s Power 100, a Power Player in Health Care by Philadelphia Metro, and recipient of the Crystal Award from Hispanic Media.

Orfelina has a bachelor’s degree in applied psychology from the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in Business from Gwynedd Mercy University. She has also earned a Business Process Management Certification from Villanova University and Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.

Lina joined Puentes after serving for almost 18 years in various positions at Community Behavioral Health (CBH), the primary contracted behavioral health provider for the City of Philadelphia and a key partner in Philadelphia-based health initiatives. As the first Latina Director within the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities, she most recently served as Senior Director of Member Services and the first Disparity Mitigation Co-Chair at CBH where she was responsible for a budget of $3M and supervised a staff of 51 people.

With a personal identification fostered by her real-life experiences of trauma, poverty, and discrimination, Orfelina brings a passion for applying strategic, yet thoughtful, initiatives that promote the empowerment and overall welfare of communities habitually treated with disregard.

Jocelyn Hastings

Jocelyn Hastings is a mission driven professional with 10 years of experience in higher education program management and evaluation. In her current role, she supports the Evidence Project at Pew Charitable Trusts. Jocelyn's work focuses on convening diverse stakeholder groups to reimagine how research can contribute to addressing long standing societal challenges.

Previously, Jocelyn managed a variety of leadership development and evaluation capacity-building programs at ImpactED at the University of Pennsylvania. Her experience includes designing learning environments and events that tackle real-world challenges and foster social capital among participants. She also coordinated numerous large-scale data collection projects in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia and other public sector organizations across the U.S.

Jocelyn is a lifelong learner who holds a Master's in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds Bachelor's degrees in Public Health and Spanish from Temple University. From studying maternal health in the Dominican Republic to advocating for safe drinking water in North Philadelphia, Jocelyn has explored the socioeconomic determinants of health and well-being for underserved populations.

She believes education and equity are powerful catalysts for positive social change. She is dedicated to curating safe spaces for diverse communities to build knowledge, capacity, and psychological safety.

As a leader in her community, Jocelyn values board governance and has served in key roles on various boards. She previously served as the Vice President of Young Involved Philadelphia and as a board member of Temple University’s Young Alumni Association.

Leah Herman

Leah Herman is deeply committed to empowering and uplifting women. She is currently an Associate on the Sales Strategy & Analytics team at FS Investments, a leading alternative investment firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In her role, she collaborates with multiple teams, including distribution leadership, marketing, and data engineering, to develop analytics and decision support tools that drive sales growth and business performance. Leah also leads onboarding and training programs for new team members and supports the optimization of the firm’s Salesforce platform, helping to improve operational efficiency and sales strategy.

Beyond her professional achievements, Leah is deeply committed to community engagement, particularly in advancing women’s rights and gender equity. She currently serves as the Chair of the Community Engagement Committee for the FS Women’s Network, where she advocates for the empowerment and advancement of women in the workplace. Through this leadership role, she fosters initiatives that promote networking, mentorship, and career development opportunities for women in the finance industry and for women with lived experiences.

Leah is a graduate of Temple University, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems. She has volunteered extensively with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Independence Region and Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia.

As an advocate for gender equality in the workplace, Leah is passionate about using her skills to support and empower others, both professionally and in her personal life.

Helen Horstmann-Allen

Helen Horstmann-Allen is a nonprofit leader and mentor, as well as a former tech executive and business owner. She is passionate about women, money and power, and how they intersect in politics, entrepreneurship, and investing.

Helen has been on the Executive Committee of Represent PA, a PAC funding progressive women running for the Pennsylvania Legislature, since 2017, and currently serves as their vice chair.

She is a longtime entrepreneur and technology leader, and retired in 2023 as COO of Fastmail, an Australian-based email hosting provider. She works to build a thriving ecosystem to start and grow businesses in Philadelphia, and volunteers as a business mentor through PACT Mentor Connect and SCORE.

Her newest efforts focus on building a network of Philadelphia-area women with the impact investing group Invest For Better. They help women align their money with their values, and build a community of support to engage with their money.

Helen lives in Center City Philadelphia with her spouse, 3 children, and dog. She’s deeply committed to moving around on foot, and loves days that include more than 10 miles of walking!

Leslie John

Leslie has over 37 years of experience as an antitrust litigator. She is a retired partner of Ballard Spahr where she was the Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr's Antitrust and Competition Group and Co-Leader of its False Advertising Litigation Team. Leslie has been recognized for her antitrust acumen in Chambers USA and for years was among Benchmark Litigation’s Top 250 Women in Litigation nationwide. Leslie was honored as the “Best of the Bar” by the Philadelphia Business Journal, a “Top Women in Law” by The Legal Intelligencer, and “Litigator of the Week” by Global Competition Review. She is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Leslie volunteers with numerous organizations relating equity and inclusion and access to justice. Prior to joining the Board, Leslie served as General Counsel to WOMEN'S WAY for nearly 15 years. Leslie serves on the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group Board of Directors. She was PDLG’s Co-President (2019 to January 2023) and Vice President (2016 to 2018). She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation where she served as the President (2019-2020), Vice President (2017-2018) and Secretary (2013-2016). She is a member Forum of Executive Women. She is a past recipient of the Albert S. Dandridge, III Business Law Section Diversity Award, presented by the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Leslie is a member of the Bars of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of California. She holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from the U.C. Berkeley School of Law.

Waleska Maldonado

Waleska Maldonado is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit and government organizational development, specializing in creating and expanding impactful services for underserved communities. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the lives of individuals and families, particularly in Philadelphia. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Waleska is driven by a personal passion for helping families overcome the challenges they face when relocating to the United States.

Currently, Waleska serves as Chief Executive Officer of JEVS Care at Home and Chief Program Officer of JEVS Human Services (JEVS). In her role at JEVS Care at Home, she oversees and directs all home care services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, compassionate care. At JEVS Human Services, she is responsible for the strategic oversight of four key program divisions: Career and Technical Education (including Orleans Technical College), Workforce Development, Community Living and Home Supports, and Intermediary Services, which funds and provides technical assistance to over 50 nonprofit organizations serving youth.

Previously, Waleska served as Chief of Prevention Services for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families, where she was responsible for critical youth programs such as Community Schools, Truancy, Youth Workforce Programs and Out of School Time services. She also held the position of Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Human Services (DHS), where she developed and launched initiatives aimed at preventing youth from entering the foster care system, including the establishment of citywide Family Empowerment Centers.

Before her tenure at the City of Philadelphia, Waleska was Chief Program Officer at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, where she led education and workforce development services, including secondary education partnerships. During her time at Congreso, she also spearheaded the development and implementation of a Federally Qualified Health Center in North Philadelphia.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Waleska is highly engaged in state and local community and currently serves as a Commissioner on the Governor’s Commission on Latino Affairs. She has held board positions with several organizations, including PAN American Charter School, Planned Parenthood, YMCA-North, the Women’s Fund, and City Year. Her work has been featured in prominent publications, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Waleska holds a Master of Health Services Administration from Strayer University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University. She is inspired daily by her husband and three children and remains deeply committed to creating opportunities for underserved communities to thrive.

Daniela Mardarovici

Daniela Mardarovici is an accomplished asset management executive with more than two decades of experience in investment leadership, risk management and business transformation. She has held senior roles at Macquarie Asset Management and BMO Global Asset Management, where she oversaw multi-billion-dollar fixed income platforms, advised boards and investment committees across insurance firms, foundations, and mutual funds, and was recognized with awards for her consistently peer-beating performance, including as CityWire’s Top 20 Female Portfolio Managers. Daniela is also a frequent media commentator and industry speaker, offering thought leadership on macroeconomic, markets and asset allocation.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Daniela has been a consistent advocate for gender and racial equity in the investment industry. She co-founded the Cultivating Female Ambition group within the CFA Society of Chicago, launched the Race Equity Initiative at Macquarie, and has championed initiatives focused on promoting cognitive diversity and accountability in hiring and promotion practices. She continues this work through mentorship, board service, and community engagement, reflecting her deep commitment to building a more equitable world inspired by her family’s activism in her youth.

Ada Okafor

Ada Okafor, Esq. is an award-winning lawyer and DEI strategist with a track record of transforming organizations.

She currently serves as General Counsel and Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer for the American Board of Surgery, the national certifying body for general surgeons. She is the first person of color to hold these positions in the organization's 87-year history.

As a DEI and workplace culture thought leader, Ada delivers cutting-edge information, modalities, and best practices in order to infuse DEI into the fabric of the organizations she works with. She leverages data analytics, coaching, facilitated discussions, workshops, keynote speeches, and educational training to promote diversity, cultivate a culture of belonging, and foster employee well-being, innovation, productivity and retention.

Ada has received numerous awards including being named a “Top 50 DEI Professional” by OnCon, a “Top 100 Powerful DEI Leader” by Proven Base and a “Top 100 under 50 Diverse Executive Leader” by Diversity MBA. In addition, she has been recognized as a “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by City & State Philly, a “GC with Impact” by the Legal Intelligencer, “50 Women to Watch” by Corporate Counsel Business Journal, “Top 50 Women Leaders in Law” by Women We Admire, “Top 100 Lawyer” by the National Black Lawyers, United Nations “Most Influential People of African Descent (UN MIPAD)” Global Top 100 Health and Wellness Edition, “Best of the Bar” by the Philadelphia Business Journal, and a “Next Generation Emerging Leader” by Corporate Counsel Women of Color.

Ada is an active member of various professional organizations including the Chief Diversity Officers Network, the Women’s General Counsel Network, the Diverse Lawyers Network, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the American Board of Medical Specialties Bar Association, the National Association of Women Lawyers, the Leadership Development Committee of the DC Bar, the Steering Committee of the American University Washington College of Law Alumni Association (AUWCLAA), and the AUWCL Health Law and Policy Program Alumni Advisory Council.

She holds a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, a J.D. from American University Law School, and a B.A. from Southern Methodist University.

Outside of work, Ada enjoys spending time with her husband and their three young children. She also enjoys traveling, cooking authentic Nigerian cuisine, photography, graphic design, listening to podcasts, and hosting bespoke gatherings.

Meghan Pierce

Meghan Pierce joined the Forum of Executive Women in 2023 as its first President and CEO. At The Forum, she is responsible for supporting Philadelphia's premier professional women's network in the areas of member professional development, communications, philanthropy, and advocacy on women's issues.

She previously served as Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, where she navigated challenging election cycles and led critical efforts to protect the rights of Pennsylvania voters. Meg's career in nonprofit and government organizations has focused on women's advancement and advocacy in the areas of pay equity, political representation, and reproductive justice.

She holds a BA from George Washington University and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kristen N. Ricci

Kristen Ricci is a passionate advocate for empowering women and driving meaningful change toward gender equality across all aspects of life.

Kristen is currently Senior Counsel in Holland & Knight’s Philadelphia office, where she focuses on data privacy and cybersecurity. She guides clients through the complex and ever-evolving privacy landscape, crafting practical, risk-adjusted solutions that drive innovation and sustainable growth. Kristen advises organizations across a broad range of industries, with deep experience in telecommunications and entertainment, financial services, digital health, and emerging companies. Kristen also dedicates time to pro bono legal services in support of children’s education and animal welfare.

Kristen resides in Wayne, Pennsylvania with her husband and their three children.

Roopa Seshadri

Roopa Seshadri is a quantitative social scientist whose work focuses on elevating the impact of human services programs on the wellbeing and economic mobility of vulnerable and underserved populations. She is the Head of Analytics at Magnolia Impact Solutions, working with workforce development organizations to drive outcomes and impact through evidence-informed design and decisions.

Roopa has served as the Director of Impact and Evaluation at Philabundance and has conducted research at PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Lurie Children’s Hospital. She partnered with stakeholders and policymakers in the public sector to evaluate and improve programs and policies that were designed to improve children’s health and wellbeing. This includes the Head Start program, teen pregnancy prevention initiatives, and health services for children and youth in the foster care system.

Roopa’s advocacy service includes volunteering at a domestic violence shelter for over six years in Chicago, and currently as a CASA/EDM volunteer in Philadelphia and as a board member for Families Forward Philadelphia. Her civic engagement includes volunteering with the pro-democracy and voter protecting efforts. Roopa earned a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and an A.M. in Public Policy.

Amy Wilson

Amy T. Wilson, CFA, is a Relationship Manager for Endowments & Foundations at Glenmede Trust Company. She provides strategic investment advice and portfolio management for endowments, foundations, and other not-for-profit organizations.

Prior to this role, Ms. Wilson served as the Director of ESG Investing and a Portfolio Manager for Glenmede Investment Management LP (GIM). Ms. Wilson guided the firm’s approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in public markets by leading the integration of ESG criteria across fundamental equity investment strategies and supporting the firm’s existing quantitative, ESG-oriented strategies. This oversight included serving as a co-portfolio manager on a Women in Leadership strategy which invests in large cap companies with women in significant roles and tilts towards companies which exhibit stronger gender equality policies, practices, and improving gender equity metrics.

Ms. Wilson previously served as a Research Analyst, supporting the President of GIM in client portfolio management and firm strategy. Before joining Glenmede, Ms. Wilson served as an Underwriting Officer managing a portfolio of Healthcare and Public Finance clients at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Ms. Wilson earned a Master of Business Administration with honors through the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated as Student Marshal, summa cum laude, of Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance, a minor in international business, and honors in finance and secondary education as part of the Schreyer Honors College. Ms. Wilson is a Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder.

Courtney Yeakel

Courtney Yeakel is the daughter of WOMEN'S WAY co-founder, and women’s rights activist, Lynn Yeakel. She spent her middle school summers drafting fundraising letters and stuffing envelopes at WOMEN'S WAY offices during the organization’s grass roots stage. In recent years, Courtney and her mother collaborated on various projects involving the Lynn Yeakel Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership and fundraising for various Democratic candidates. Courtney is grateful for the opportunity to serve WOMEN'S WAY and wishes to honor her mom’s legacy.

Courtney is Senior Litigation Counsel for PNC Bank. In that role, she manages consumer litigation for 25 states and advises various lines of business. Prior to joining PNC, Courtney was Of Counsel at Ballard Spahr, LLP, where she practiced in the areas of consumer financial services litigation and class action defense. She has proudly participated in the Pro Bono programs both at PNC and Ballard Spahr. Courtney graduated in 1985 from Amherst College (summa cum laude) and in 1993 from Boston University School of Law (magna cum laude), where she was a member of the Law Review. She is a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Courtney is proud of her three adult children: Max, Chloe, and Joaquin. She is an amateur poet and competitive tennis player.

Our fantastic staff & board members

Staff Members

Aathira Chennat

Diane Cornman-Levy

Caroline Jones

Jessica Muslin

Misha Rodriguez

Mary Scout

Kelly Sheard

Board Members