Conference Panels and Speakers

Pawneet Abramowski, MBA ‘08 came to the boardroom through the FBI.

As an Intelligence Analyst specializing in terrorism financing and financial crimes—authoring reports for the Director of the FBI and the U.S. President—she developed a risk instinct that no corporate training program can replicate. She understands not only how financial systems are meant to work, but also how they fail, how they can be exploited, and what true protection looks like versus what only creates the appearance of it.

That foundation carried her through 25 years of executive leadership at Morgan Stanley, RBC Capital Markets, CIT Group, and The Bancorp. As MD and Interim Chief Compliance Officer at The Bancorp, she led a team of 100+ professionals through a regulator-mandated AML transformation, introduced AI-based monitoring systems, and reported directly to the Board as the designated BSA/AML/OFAC Officer.

Today, Pawneet serves as Independent Director of Titan Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: TACHU), President-Elect of the Financial Women’s Association (FWA), and Founder of PARC Solutions, a strategic advisory firm supporting financial institutions, FinTechs, and technology companies on risk governance and regulatory strategy. She has served on two NASDAQ boards, chaired compensation and audit committees, and brings rare technology governance fluency as AI Committee Co-Chair at the FWA.

A former Distinguished Lecturer at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, a global speaker across the U.S. and Middle East, and a multilingual executive fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu, Pawneet Abramowski brings to every room the clarity of someone who has seen risk from the very beginning of its chain.

Ron Guirguis is co-founder at Maximon Tech, an AI transformation company that helps Fortune 500 companies integrate AI into their marketing and communications organizations, while keeping humans at the core. Maximon’s clients include Travelers Insurance, GM, Intuit, Vizient, Generac Power Systems, and others.

Before launching Maximon, Ron spent more than two decades leading global communications agencies, including serving as North American CEO of MSL (part of Publicis Groupe), running Corporate and Public Affairs for Edelman, and serving as Deputy GM of FleishmanHillard’s New York office. Throughout his career, Ron has advised some of the world’s largest brands on reputation, corporate communications, and marketing strategy.

Ron believes that real proficiency with AI is what gives professionals the ability to shape how it impacts their careers, their organizations, and their communities. That conviction drives Maximon’s approach: working directly with teams to build the workflows, tools, and behaviors that make AI adoption stick, with a focus on augmenting human capability rather than replacing it.

Jax Dolly helps organizations and executives adapt to change and navigate complex human relations to restore confidence and increase trust, resulting in respectful, engaged, productive and humane work environments. Dolly leverages more than 25 years of communications, public relations and people development expertise to support organizations and professionals elevate the quality and impact of their interpersonal interactions and communication, strengthen their leadership effectiveness, and empower employee engagement. Dolly lets authentic leadership style shine—a style that empowers employees to be their best selves, enabling them to do their best work and generating profitable results for all. Learn more at bedohaveresults.com.

Evangelia Papacostas ’12, MA ’13 is an account manager on the LEGO Education team at The LEGO Group, where she drives regional strategy and partnerships with school districts across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Before moving into the education technology space, she spent nearly a decade as an ELA teacher and instructional coach in the New York City Public Schools. That experience continues to shape how she approaches her work and supports educators navigating change in their careers.

In addition to her full-time work, Papacostas is a career coach who helps women navigate their career journeys with clarity and strategy.

She earned both her Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Arts in Education at Adelphi University and later completed her MBA through Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Humera Qazi ‘93 is a managing director at Morgan Stanley, serving as head of Wealth Management Operations’ Client Service and Reporting Group (CSRG), responsible for developing and delivering service and reporting strategies and support to wealth management advisors and clients. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Qazi was a managing director in KPMG’s Management Consulting practice.

Qazi is a vocal advocate for diversity in the workplace. She is the co-chair of Morgan Stanley’s Woman’s Business Alliance, the largest employee networking group at the firm, and co-lead of Americas D&I for Morgan Stanley Operations before that. At KPMG, she served as co-chair of KPMG’s Network of Women for Long Island and launched the ATHENA Awards in the New York region. She is co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Conference for Adelphi University and has served on the board of directors of the Women’s Bond Club.

Apart from women’s leadership initiatives, Qazi serves on the board of trustees at her alma mater, Adelphi University, as chair of the Audit Committee. She also served on the board of directors of Miracle Corners of the World, an organization dedicated to empowering youth leadership in Africa and around the world.

Bianca Jean Wesnofske ‘18, MBA ‘19 is a dedicated team financial advisor with more than eight years of experience in wealth management, client relations and business development. Currently serving as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Garden City, New York, she focuses on comprehensive financial planning.

Wesnofske began her career as a wealth management intern at Merrill Lynch and advanced through roles as a registered client associate and officer/relationship manager before becoming a financial advisor. She has a proven track record of supporting operational excellence, compliance and client retention, while driving team growth through marketing initiatives and prospecting strategies. Passionate about helping families achieve their life goals, she combines financial expertise with a client-first approach to deliver lasting results.

Wesnofske holds an MBA in Finance and a BBA in Management from Adelphi University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She also maintains multiple securities registrations, including Series 7, 66 and 9/10, and is a New York State notary public.

Beyond her professional role, Wesnofske is deeply engaged in her community through organizations such as the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, LPGA Amateurs, and the alumni associations at both Adelphi University and St. Anthony’s High School. She actively participates in networking events, mentorship programs and initiatives that empower women in finance and leadership. She is passionate about instilling ethics and diligence in today’s youth.

For more than three decades, Jacquette M. Timmons has explored the intersection of money, work and life through a cultural and behavioral lens.

A financial behaviorist, Timmons helps high-performing professionals reduce financial stress by understanding how culture, identity, expectations and pressure shape money decisions. Her work focuses on strengthening awareness and agency around financial choices, so people can engage with their finances more clearly and confidently—both personally and professionally.

Timmons is the author of Financial Intimacy, creator of the Pricing Made Human® framework and host of the podcast More Than Money. She is a trusted voice on the human side of money and is known for bringing insight, credibility and warmth to conversations that are often avoided or oversimplified.

Denise Nostrom ’90 first discovered her passion for finance as a teenager, when her grandfather gifted her a mutual fund. This early exposure to the power of investment sparked a lifelong fascination with finance. Although she initially pursued a foreign languages degree at Adelphi University, a realization about her true interests led her to switch her major to business management with a concentration in finance. This decision laid the foundation for a career defined by a passion for financial planning and a commitment to helping others.

In the early stages of her career, Nostrom made the bold decision to start her own firm, despite skepticism from her peers. Her determination and vision were soon rewarded when she had the serendipitous opportunity to acquire an established practice, significantly accelerating her business growth. Among her new clients were the iconic Village People, a surprising yet validating milestone in her journey. This experience underscored her ability to seize opportunities and navigate the complexities of the financial industry with confidence and skill.

Denise’s dedication to her profession extends beyond her practice. She is a prominent figure in her community, known for her willingness to help and connect people. She founded a women’s nonprofit organization, Power of Women Exchanging Resources (POWER). She provides scholarships and internships to high school students. Denise also serves on the Women’s Advisory Board in her town, supports Dress for Success, and participates in the Women’s Impact Network at her broker dealer. Her extensive community involvement reflects her belief in giving back and empowering others.

The pandemic presented Denise with a new challenge and opportunity: starting her own radio show, “The Financial Chick.” Launched in August 2020, the show has become a platform for her to educate a wider audience on financial matters. It has also enhanced her visibility and established her as a trusted voice in the community. This venture highlights her innovative approach to financial education and her ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

On a personal level, Denise lives in Medford, New York, with her husband, Rob, their daughter, Megan and their little rescue dog, Winnie. She plans to be a snowbird and spend winters in a warmer climate. Her journey is marked by a blend of professional success and personal fulfillment, driven by a mantra of perseverance: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Denise Nostrom’s story is a testament to her resilience, dedication, and unwavering commitment to her clients and community.

Benjamin Kenyon ‘06 is a veteran NBA performance coach turned executive performance coach, author and high-energy speaker. With more than 20 years in human performance, including 11 seasons in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Philadelphia 76ers, he has coached MVPs, Hall of Famers and elite athletes to reach peak performance without sacrificing their health.

As CEO of Climb Performance Coaching, Kenyon leads a multidisciplinary team focused on improving executive health through data-driven performance protocols. Using his Prepare, Perform, Recover framework, Climb delivers programs centered on sleep, recovery, exercise and nutrition, including the company’s flagship Nutrition Reset, a 90-day inflammation-reducing system designed for high performers.

Climb Performance Coaching is evolving into a next-generation corporate wellness company that helps individuals and teams reset their health, optimize performance and build the capacity to thrive under pressure.

Heena Arora ‘14 is an associate general counsel at Sikich, where she advises across a broad range of legal areas, including litigation strategy, contracts, compliance, data privacy and risk management, supporting the company’s diverse and growing client base.

Previously, she served for more than three years as compliance counsel and data privacy manager at Pall Corporation, a Fortune 150 subsidiary of Danaher Corporation, where she focused on global compliance and privacy initiatives. Arora began her legal career as a prosecutor, first as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, New York, and later as an assistant state’s attorney in Chicago, Illinois. In these roles, she gained significant courtroom experience, litigating more than 20 cases a day and handling criminal appeals.

She earned her JD from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and is a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) through the Compliance Certification Board. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Illinois.

Arora has been recognized as one of Modern Counsel magazine’s “35 Under 35 Legal Trailblazers” and by her alma mater, Adelphi University, as among its 2024 10 Under 10 Young Alumni. She remains actively engaged in the legal community, serving on the board of directors of the New York Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and regularly speaking on compliance and ethics at continuing legal education programs through the Practising Law Institute.

Corrie LoGiudice helps women in the workforce become confident leaders and entrepreneurs by identifying and addressing their “Overwhelm Culprit.”

As an inspirational keynote speaker, coach and facilitator, she has been featured in major media outlets such as TEDx, Girlboss, Business Insider, Thrive Global and the Mighty.

A fourth-generation entrepreneur, LoGiudice spent more than 15 years as senior vice president of her family’s male-dominated regional distribution business. Following a series of traumatic, pivotal life events over a span of five years, including miscarriage, abuse, divorce and loss by suicide, she made the decision to transform her overwhelm in balancing it all into action by stepping down from her role and taking risks to create her own inclusive opportunities.

Now, through her keynotes, workshops and coaching programs, she shows women how to transform overwhelm into extraordinary action, no matter their circumstances, and validate they can confidently step into leadership roles that allow them to have a lasting impact too.

She, her husband, their four children and two cats live 45 minutes from midtown Manhattan and 10 minutes from the beach on Long Island.

Kendra Bracken-Ferguson is an award-winning entrepreneur, venture investor and visionary leader known for building purpose-driven companies and helping founders turn bold ideas into scalable businesses. With more than two decades of experience across brand development, digital media and consumer products, she has guided over 200 brands to generate more than $500 million in revenue and raised over $20 million in capital.

A four-time founder with multiple successful exits, Bracken-Ferguson is co-founder of LumiNicole Beauty, a next-generation retail marketplace bringing beauty and wellness brands to high-traffic destinations through automated retail and pop-ups. She is also the founder of BrainTrust, a consultancy and venture platform that supports founders and emerging brands, and previously co-founded Digital Brand Architects, the pioneering influencer management agency.

Her leadership career includes executive roles as CEO of a publicly traded bio-aesthetics company, chief digital officer at CAA–Global Brands Group, and Ralph Lauren’s first director of digital media. Today, she serves on the boards of LYS Beauty, Iced Media and Blushington.

Bracken-Ferguson hosts the acclaimed podcast Business of the Beat and is the bestselling author of The Beauty of Success: Start, Grow and Accelerate Your Brand (Wiley, 2024).

Leslie Roberson is co-founder of LumiNicole Beauty, a next-generation founder-led retail marketplace revolutionizing where and how beauty is discovered. A serial entrepreneur, model, military veteran and corporate leader, she brings a multifaceted perspective to building scalable businesses at the intersection of innovation, access and community.

With a career rooted in entrepreneurship and brand-building, Roberson has long championed inclusive growth in the beauty and wellness space. At LumiNicole Beauty, she is reimagining the traditional retail experience by helping premium, diverse-owned brands meet consumers where they are—in airports, hotels, universities, pop-ups, digital marketplaces and live events—through curated placements and a robust growth ecosystem.

Her leadership is shaped by her deep understanding of consumer behavior, market dynamics and the barriers that early-stage founders often face. Her work at LumiNicole reflects a bold vision: to deliver discovery, visibility and scale for ambitious brands—not through conventional channels, but through a new kind of retail that’s experiential, accessible and intentional.

By blending storytelling with strategy, Leslie is helping redefine the future of beauty retail—one that centers community, commerce and cultural connection.

Melissa Jean-Baptiste ‘09, MA ‘10, financial educator and author of So This Is Why I’m Broke: Money Lessons on Financial Literacy, Passive Income, and Generational Wealth, is a first-generation Haitian American and former New York City high school teacher. As the Beyoncé of personal finance, she paid off $102,000 dollars in student loan debt on a teacher’s salary while writing and producing the award-winning Millennial In Debt web series. She has since pivoted into personal finance and career development to help millennials and Gen Z build generational wealth and gain financial freedom in a shame-free environment. She can be found at millennialindebt.com and @millennialindebt on all social platforms.

Born in Egypt, raised between worlds, Marina Girgis is a personal branding expert and founder of Livin Vivaciously Inc, guiding visionary women who are ready to be felt, not just seen.

For over six years, she has worked with more than 200 entrepreneurs and leaders, integrating brand strategy with personal evolution. Her work moves beyond surface-level marketing, helping women translate their depth, lived experience and leadership into personal brands grounded in emotional authority and undeniable presence.

She is the creator of the Premium Presence Method, a body of work rooted in identity, messaging and sovereign visibility.

Today, her deepest work unfolds inside her in-person luxury retreats, hosted across the globe, where high-level women refine their voice, reclaim their authority and step into embodied leadership.

Her mission is to help powerful women stop negotiating with their truth and build brands that reflect the depth they already carry.

Monika Neufeld is global head of human resources for the Operations Division at Morgan Stanley. She has been at Morgan Stanley for more than 15 years, which she first joined as an HR analyst in 2010. During her tenure at Morgan Stanley, she has held numerous HR business partner positions, providing strategic advice on key people initiatives and HR priorities with business leaders across multiple divisions.

She attended Iona University, where she received her BA in Psychology and her MA in Organizational Psychology. Outside of her day-to-day role, she is a board member of a nonprofit home healthcare agency located in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York. She currently lives in Long Island and is the mother of three children, most recently, a baby boy born in September 2025.

Randy Moore MA ‘12 works at the intersection of workforce development, postsecondary education and philanthropy, with a focus on expanding economic mobility for untapped—and often underestimated—talent and communities. His experience spans corporate, nonprofit, educational and philanthropic settings.

He currently serves as Foundation President at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), a private investment firm, where he oversees the firm’s philanthropic strategy and investments in the United States and the United Kingdom to advance equity through employment opportunity.

Previously, Moore held roles at COOP Careers, The James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation/HERE to HERE, the City University of New York’s Guttman Community College, and Year Up, contributing to efforts that strengthen education-to-employment pathways and employer partnerships.

He is a graduate of Wilberforce University (an HBCU), holds a master’s degree in bilingual education from Adelphi University, and is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University.

He believes the work of building a more equitable society will be complete when roles like his are no longer necessary.

LeeAnn Black ‘83 is the chief operating officer of Latham & Watkins, where she oversees the firm’s global business operations, financial management and strategic direction. Under her leadership, Latham has expanded significantly while maintaining the culture that defines its success.

Black has been instrumental in Latham’s rise as a top global law firm, overseeing its international growth and operational evolution. She has championed innovation and the early adoption of technologies to enhance efficiency and client service.

A Certified Public Accountant, she began her career as a senior auditor at Arthur Andersen & Co. and now draws on three decades of leadership experience at Latham. She has been recognized as a trailblazer in the legal sector and was named one of the Top 10 Innovative Individuals in North America by The Financial Times in 2017.

Black serves on the Adelphi University President’s Advisory Council, chairs the board of trustees of The Chapin School, and is a board member of Pro Bono Net, an organization dedicated to expanding access to justice.

Geraldine White is the Founder and CEO of IDENTITY & IMPACT and an organizational transformation executive known for driving systemic change that strengthens performance, trust and well-being. Her work helps individuals, teams and organizations understand how identity shapes decision-making, leadership and the ripple effects we create in our workplaces, communities and the world. Operating at the intersection of systems thinking, human behavior, change management and organizational transformation, she helps align values, culture and strategy to drive meaningful outcomes while maintaining organizational integrity.

In her last corporate role—as chief diversity officer at Publicis Groupe—White led the organization’s global inclusion and equity agenda across a network of more than 100,000 employees during a period of significant transformation. Drawing on her background in advertising, marketing, business transformation and identity-based dynamics, she built and operationalized strategies, systems and accountability frameworks that strengthened leadership alignment, workforce practices and organizational effectiveness.

White is a certified practitioner in the Intercultural Development Inventory and Gallup CliftonStrengths and coaches individuals and organizations on applying identity-based frameworks to strengthen leadership, mitigate risk and amplify impact. She serves on the boards of Bottom Line, Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program, the Institute for Corporate Productivity, and BRIDGE, a leadership community that brings together chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, and other senior executives to advance more accountable and sustainable business practices. She is also board president of A Call to Men, a national organization dedicated to promoting healthy masculinity and preventing gender-based violence.

Donna Mulligan is currently the vice president of human resources at Broadridge Financial Solutions, a leading full-service outsourcing provider to the global financial industry, with services in brokerage processing, investor communications, document management and proxy processing. She has more than 30 years’ experience delivering quality services to various financial firms, with a wealth of expertise in business transformation, executive talent development, compensation and strategic planning, performance and succession planning, and seamless acquisition transitions. Her passion is providing human resource solutions for her clients by helping them build their human resource infrastructure through technology, compliance and talent.

Mulligan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Elementary Education from Hofstra University. She has been an active member of several professional organizations, including KPMG’s Women’s Athena activities group, Women’s Bond Club and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). For the past year, she has been on the board of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. Additionally, she has served in multiple capacities at several volunteer organizations: Autism Speaks, Habitat for Humanity (board member), Junior League (board member), the American Heart Association and T1D (formerly JDRF).

Nancy Engelhardt is a notable community leader, certified coach and master facilitator with inspirational faith and wisdom. She brings decades of experience to her work as a consultant with executives, emerging leaders and high-performing teams, helping to maximize personal and professional growth. She is focused on helping women to create thriving lives, fulfilling careers and healthy relationships while embracing spirit, wisdom, creativity and joy.

As an entrepreneur, Engelhardt began her career as a managing partner of a successful database and direct marketing business. With the internet boom, she and her partner raised 6mm in venture capital, the company was acquired by a public company in less than two years. She embraced the opportunity to reassess her gifts, talents and desired future, reinventing her career and thus the quality of her life as a “servant leader.”

Engelhardt became passionate about developing leaders and engaging stakeholders who were invested in building community. After successfully growing the leadership program in Huntington, New York, Nancy sought to create a leadership program that would catalyze a shared vision for our region. She joined Molloy College and the Rauch Foundation in 2005 as the founding director of the preeminent leadership program, The Energeia Partnership, until 2017.

Engelhardt’s consulting practice has grown exponentially since then and One Purpose Performance continues to foster partnerships while elevating the capacity of leaders and teams doing critical work in their organizations and in our region. She leverages her expertise, relationships and influence to encourage, support and inspire others to create fulfilling lives with transformational impact. She continues to be an active member of Long Island’s philanthropic community, serving on multiple boards and advisory councils, including the New York Community Trust, Long Island Regional Planning Council, Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, Minority Millennials, Empire State Justice and Saint John’s Episcopal Church. She has been honored several times by the Long Island Business News, the Long Island Press LI Power List, Girl’s Inc., and Leadership Huntington and was the recipient of the International Women’s Athena Award. She is especially thrilled to be serving on this panel for and with professional women in healthcare. Never has there been a more critical role for and time to elevate the visibility, ability and impact of women in leadership!

Israa Nasir, MA ’13 is an award-winning keynote speaker, trained therapist and mental health counselor and the author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Energy in a World That Always Demands More. She is currently the director of clinical strategy at Anise Health, a therapy service designed for Asian Americans.

Nasir is the founder of @well.guide, a global digital mental health platform with a community of more than 350,000, where she shares evidence-based insights on emotional well-being, burnout and the psychology of achievement in a culture that often demands constant output.

She has been a featured speaker at global stages, including SXSW, the Mental Health America National Conference, and the Asia Society, and has led workplace well-being initiatives at companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and Bloomberg. She has also delivered talks and workshops at Yale University and other leading academic institutions. Her work has been featured in Time, Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, and on CBS, NBC and Axios.

Molly Dyson-Schwery, MSW ’14, is a licensed social worker and life coach, philanthropist, commercial and residential real estate developer, and entrepreneur. She serves as an executive and board member of Dyson Kissner-Moran, a private investment firm, and as vice chair of the Dyson Foundation, where she focuses on advancing human services, education and healthcare across New York’s Hudson Valley. She also serves on the Skidmore College Board of Trustees. Through her leadership at the Dyson Foundation, Dyson-Schwery is committed to improving quality of life, expanding opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals and families, and strengthening the region’s nonprofit sector. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors and volunteering. She lives in New York with her husband and their two young sons.

Renee McLeod-Sordjan, PhD ’23 is the inaugural dean and professor of nursing at the Morehouse School of Medicine and chair of the Division of Medical Ethics at Northwell Health. She is a board-certified ethicist as well as family, palliative, and acute care nurse practitioner specializing in HIV, gynecology, and critical care, celebrating her 40th year as a clinician. Dr. McLeod-Sordjan’s research focus is quantitative factor analysis of readiness for advanced care planning. She is president of New York’s Empire State Bioethics Consortium as well as president-elect of the American Bioethics Program Directors. She received her BS, BSN, MS and DNP from Pace University, a PhD from Adelphi University, completed a Postdoctoral Clinical Fellowship in Bioethics at Northwell Health and earned an MBA at Yale University. She is also a distinguished fellow of the National Academies of Practice, the New York Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Medical Educators, the American Academy of Nursing and the International Perinatal Society.

Irene Quarshie ’98 is Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Logistics Operations for Target, where she leads strategy and governance, operational excellence, design engineering and automation, facilities engineering and asset management, loss prevention, and capital planning and deployment. She is also responsible for a multi-billion-dollar resale business, as well as a global value organization based in India.

Previously, Irene was senior vice president of Indirect, Reverse and Third-party Logistics overseeing inventory management, supplier performance, transportation, and warehouse operations. She also served as vice president of Product Safety and Quality Assurance where she led a global team

responsible for private label manufacturing quality management. Throughout her 20 years at Target, she held numerous leadership positions including roles in Enterprise Risk Management, Government Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Assets Protection. Prior to Target, Irene spent five years in strategy and management consulting with Booz Allen Hamilton.

Irene serves on the board of Fastenal, a publicly traded distributor of industrial solutions and services. She is also on the board of the Executive Leadership Council.

Irene graduated from Adelphi University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She also earned a master’s degree in public policy from American University.