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Description
The ASID NY Metro DE&I Committee Presents: Empowerment Through Conversation – Women With a Story
We believe the human voice remains to be one of the most powerful forms of inspiration. We’re excited to offer an illustrious panelist of women with a story of empowerment. As we near the end of Women’s History month, we’ll spotlight 4 unique stories which personify overcoming diversity and bridge the inclusion gap. Each of their stories will encourage, inspire, and motivate the will to keep going regardless of the worst case of adversity.
Join the ASID NY Metro Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for a Women’s History Month exclusive in-person event.
This event will be moderated by Elizabeth Foster, the Immediate Past President of National Association of Women Business Owners, NYC. She sits on the International Committee of NAWBO and is a founding member of Association of Transformational Leaders in Europe and NYC.
MODERATOR
In 2014, Elizabeth headed to New York City and after seeing the need to support Women Business Owners she founded Fostering Connections. As an International Business Concierge, Elizabeth draws on her own start-up experience from different countries to support entrepreneurs globally in bringing their businesses to the U.S. Fostering Connections is proudly a ‘for women by women’ business.
Elizabeth combines her passion for travel with her commitment to making a difference in the lives of women business owners on an international scale.
Elizabeth is the Immediate Past President of National Association of Women Business Owners, NYC. She sits on the International Committee of NAWBO and is a founding member of Association of Transformational Leaders in Europe and NYC.
PANELISTS
Jaclyn M. Tacoronte is an award-winning marketing and publicrelations professional with over 20 years of experience in bothagency and client-side settings, serving Fortune 500companies, including Canon, Puma, Harley-Davidson andProctor & Gamble. She is frequently a public relations guestspeaker and panelist for New York State Council for the Arts,Staten Island Not For Profit Association, Center for Non ProfitSuccess and Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness.She is currently the CEO & President of JMT Media, LLC., aNew York certified M/WBE boutique marketing, public relationsand design firm that specializes in small business marketing andthe non-profit sector. Mrs. Tacoronte has spearheaded allmarketing and public relations efforts for the inaugural NewYork City Winter Lantern Festival and Winter Wonderland StatenIsland Festival garnering over 200,000 on and off-islandattendees. Mrs. Tacoronte is also the Executive Producer ofJMT the BEAT; a new online series featuring the best of StatenIsland’s Business, Entertainment, Art & Theatre groups (currentlyover 140,000 views).
Kim Avilez is a native New Yorker, wife, and mom. As a former Vice President for JPMorgan Chase Bank in their Commercial Bank & Small Business Banking Division, she led national achieving teams and managed portfolios for companies with revenues from $3 to $45 million.
After a successful career in banking, she now follows her passion as the owner and CEO of Glow Event Management & Glow Travel Group. Her company provides professional planning services for social and corporate events. With a particular emphasis on clients who desire to create group events from Destination Weddings, Conferences or Retreats domestically or internationally.
Kim is extremely passionate about seeing other women pursue entrepreneurship. She currently serves as President of the Minority Women in Business Association of Staten Island. A nonprofit organization of diverse minority women business owners who seek to educate and advocate for the pursuit of their M/WBE Certification. As VP of Alliances & Events for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), NYC, she actively supports the alliance between NAWBO & New York Women in Business. To provide women-owned businesses with the capacity-building tools, they need for success.
Dana Castillo has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience. She moved to New York from Detroit, Michigan in 2005 and never looked back. Serving the A&D community and their clients is a passion and she's been fortunate to work with some of the most beloved brands in the industry including her current position as an Account Manager at ShawContract specializing in projects in Education, healthcare, and government.
Dana earned her MBA from ESSEC Business School in Paris, France. She attended University of Michigan for undergraduate majoring in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She also holds an Associate's degree in Interior Design from Baker College.
In her spare time, she enjoys long walks with her husband and daughter in the Rockefeller Preserve nearby where they live in Tarrytown. She also is an avid dancer along with her daughter, Charlotte. They will be performing together at the end of March for The Rivertown Dance Academy.
Aina Picinic is a Senior Sales Rep for KnollTextiles, responsible for outside sales in New York/ New Jersey.As a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of education & experience in design and sales, Aina in known for driving the KnollTextiles sales growth, giving her the title of Top Sales Rep year after year .
Her design experience began in Vancouver, BC where she started off in high-end residential design, followed by a move to Toronto, Ontario which opened doors for her in retail and hospitality design. She spent her last 5 years in interiors focusing on
corporate design as Senior Interior Designer at SGH Design Partners, working as lead designer for projects such as TD Bank and ING Canada. Aina shifted her focus to sales shortly after, where she joined the largest Steelcase dealership in Canada, POI Business Interiors, as an A&D sales rep.
In 2002, Aina made her move to KnollTextiles where she accepted the position of sales rep for KnollTextiles Eastern Canada. A decade of successful sales in Canada paved the way for Aina to make her move to New York with her family, taking on her current position as Senior Sales Rep in the Manhattan office, where she continues to see opportunities throughout the A&D and end-user world.
Aina holds a Diploma of Interior Design from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver BC, and Certificate of Interior Design from The British Columbia Institute of Technology, BC.