“Leaders should reflect and represent the communities they serve so the more we see various groups represented, the better for us all.”
– Adam Contos, CEO of RE/MAX

This event took place on December 7, 2023.

Join your Women’s Fund for a transformative virtual event, centered on our Leadership pillar, as we bring local mentorship nonprofit board members and leaders together to explore the profound impact of mentorship and board service.

According to our Gender Equity Index: Leadership Policy Paper, mentorship programs dedicated to advancing women’s leadership are essential tools for achieving systemic change in gendered structures. Additionally, a report by the Women’s Leadership Foundation highlights that including women positively impacts how boards perform their tasks, by improving communication, corporate social responsibility, and bringing a gender lens into the table.

During this conversation, experts will share their journeys and insights, shedding light on the importance of mentorship in nurturing future leaders, as well as sharing how effective board service can make a lasting impact in our communities—offering a roadmap for aspiring women and girls.

KEYNOTE

Natalie is a creative and proven problem solver with nearly 20 years of experience as a labor and employment attorney and HR/DEI practitioner.

Natalie partners with employers on DEI and HR strategies, conducts complex internal investigations, and provides coaching and training to Boards of Directors and other senior leaders.

Natalie believes there is no “one-size fits all” approach to HR or DEI initiatives. She uses a metrics-based model to help organizations develop policies, programs and goals that are customized to their needs.

Natalie’s career has touched on many areas of HR and DEI including having:

  • Served as the Chief Diversity Officer for multi-billion-dollar brands with responsibility for setting the strategic vision for all facets of each brand’s DEI initiatives.
  • Worked as outside counsel in large law firms and in-house for before starting an HR & Inclusion Consulting Firm.
  • Worked with employers around the world spanning across various industries including quick services restaurants, non-profit, education manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare.

PANELISTS

Jo’s primary focus includes portfolio management, marketing and new client development. She is well versed in estate and financial planning, including the comprehensive analysis of investment portfolios. Jo has been working at Morgan Stanley and its predecessor firms for over 22 years.

Her journey began back when she was born in the Philippines, after her parents emigrated from China. She is the youngest of nine siblings. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from University of Mindanao in Davao City and entered the world of finance. She worked at several different investment banks, but her incessant desire for success led her to pursue a career in the United States.

Jo continued her career in the US banking system and brokerage industry in 1984, joining Morgan Stanley in 1995. With over 30 years of experience in gathering assets as a Financial Advisor, Jo built a thriving practice. Due to her relentless dedication and diligence, Jo received the prestigious “Forbes 2018 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors”, “Barron’s Top 100 Women Advisors” award in 2008, “Barron’s Top 1,000 Financial Advisors in 2009″.

In her leisure, Jo relishes spending time with her husband Ralph Behr, a Criminal Defense Attorney, and her stepson, Michael. She indulges her family with her gourmet traditional Chinese cooking. In addition, Jo treasures traveling with her family, especially to Asia where many of her family members still reside today. She is a member of the Boca Raton Museum of Art and Hadassah of Boca Raton.

Claire began her career over twenty-five years ago in Sydney, Australia with one of the Big4 Management Consulting Firms now known as Accenture. By her mid-twenties she had taken the plunge into entrepreneurship and joined a colleague to grow a boutique Technology staffing company into one of Australia’s most successful recruiting firms. Over a decade she forged strategic partnerships with global companies including Boeing, HP, Sun Microsystems, and Red Hat Venture Capital to build out their leadership teams in the Asia Pacific Region during the first dot.com wave.
After a successful trade sale of Leaders in 2003, Claire relocated to the US, and before long established The Talent Source. Since then, she and her team have been connecting Digital transformation leaders to Fortune 500 companies and Private Equity backed firms across the US, generating over $30M in Executive placements.
Claire is a firm believer in community building and is widely known as a passionate advocate for the advancement of women across the technology industry. As the Chair of the Board for the ITWomen Charitable Foundation, she has spearheaded leadership programs for women, granted scholarships to 138 young women pursuing technology and engineering degrees, and facilitated hundreds of South Florida girls’ participation in tuition-free Robotics and Coding Summer Camps.
Throughout her career, she has served in advisory roles on boards for Australia’s largest research center, the Distributed Systems Technology Center, the Queensland Office of Economic Development, the Australian Information Industries Association, the Project Management Institute, Miami Dade’s NAF Academy, and Broward County Public Schools. She continues to serve Miami Dade College Women’s STEM Leadership Group and Broward College, Associate Degree in Project Management program.