Amy Weisman, Managing Director, Sterling Investment Partners I Forbes 50 Women over 50

Amy Ludwig Weisman is currently a Managing Director at Sterling Investment Partners, a middle market private equity fund, where for over 20 years she developed and managed an extensive network of deal sources and cultivated investment opportunities.  With 30+ years of experience on Wall Street, Amy has a deep understanding of how to invest capital to create value for investors and build world class business platforms. Amy is well-known in the deal making industry and is recognized for her leadership in business development and diversity.  In 2021, Amy was named to the prestigious Forbes 50 Women Over 50 in the investment industry.  For 2020, she was named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the “Women to Watch in Private Equity” and was also selected to be on the prominent “DealMakeHers” list comprised of 50 top female founders, CEOs and partners at VC/PE funds.  In 2020 and 2021, Amy was honored as one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A, by M&A Magazine.  As a co-founder of Exponent Women, a platform for women in the PE/IB/VC eco-system, Amy mentors and connects with hundreds of women in various career stages. After graduating The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan, Amy began her career as an M&A analyst at Smith Barney.  Amy then was Vice President of Equity Research at Drexel Burnham Lambert covering the apparel and retail industries. Amy leveraged her experience in the public markets to embark on a successful career in the investor relations industry where she advised dozens of newly public companies on market positioning and implemented communications strategies to build value. Outside of work, Amy enjoys skiing, golfing and international travel with her family.

Heather Cabot, author, award-winning journalist, keynote speaker and former ABC News correspondent and anchor

Heather Cabot is a critically acclaimed author and award-winning veteran journalist. A former ABC News correspondent/anchor, Cabot has reported on the fight for gender and racial equity in the tech industry, entrepreneurship, and emerging markets. 

Cabot taught on the adjunct faculty of Columbia School of Journalism from 2012-17, currently, serves on the J-School Alumni Board, and is a part-time Masters candidate at Columbia School of Social Work.

She is writing her fourth book with Hopi journalist and FRONTLINE filmmaker, Patty Talahongva. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD will be published by Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group in the fall of 2026.  

She is a mom of teen twins and resides with her family and two dogs outside New York City.

Joelle A. Murchison, CEO & Founder, EMG LLC 

Joelle A. Murchison is the Founder and Principal of EMG, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and leadership consulting practice. Murchison has worked in DEI for more than two decades. In particular, she served as the Chief Diversity Officer at both Travelers Insurance and the University of Connecticut, before launching EMG. Additionally, Joelle serves as the Executive Director of Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD) and as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business at the University of Connecticut. She is a board member for College Possible, a national nonprofit focused on college access and is a trustee and chair of the equity diversity and inclusion committee of the Corporation of Brown University, the university’s decision-making body. She is also a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, an international public service organization, and currently serves as the president of the Hartford (CT) Alumnae Chapter. Joelle is the recipient of numerous awards; she most recently was recognized by the Life Insurance industry as a DEI Industry Partner and is a graduate of the Fall 2023 Cohort of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business program

Marie Rocha, Founder Realist Lab/Ventures, VC Investor, On Boards at Greenwich Academy, StamfordNext (Economic Empowerment, Hayvn Co-Working

Marie Rocha is the founder of Realist Ventures, a venture fund based in Connecticut, funding early-stage biotech and software startups. She has over 20+ years of experience in business and technology as a software engineer and serial entrepreneur. Marie's first startup was a candidates matching platform for staffing agencies. She later co-founded a sustainable e-commerce store in 2010, followed by IMAK software, a startup building software and platforms for small businesses and nonprofits. Marie founded Realist Lab, a tech incubator to support entrepreneurs seeking help with funding, technology, and practical tools to scale their businesses and startups. In her spare time, she serves on several boards and mentors underrepresented founders with their businesses and startups.

Nikia Bowman, Global Brand Director, Cantu at PDC BRANDS

Nikia Bowman is a brand architect. A Wharton School grad who built a career that mirrors her personal passions. Having accelerated growth for brands like Philips Sonicare, Cuisinart and Dr Teal’s.

Bowman currently is turning her skills inward as Cantu Beauty’s Global Brand Director where she is shaping the very brand that she grew up using. At every touchpoint, from product ideation to development and retailer placement, she leads with authenticity.

Driving brand availability and product development with a hyper focus on addressing consumer needs, Bowman innovates the multi-cultural hair category ensuring any and all consumers see themselves and have their needs answered at each brand touch point.

Sandra Quince, Chief Executive Officer, Bank of America Leader on Loan to Paradigm for Parity (P4P)

Sandra Quince is the Chief Executive Officer responsible for leading all elements of P4P’s strategic plan, financial, programmatic, and operational performance of the organization. She works with the coalition’s co-chairs and Board of Directors to oversee and execute the organization’s strategic vision and growth plan.

Prior to this role, Sandra was the Diversity & Inclusion Executive supporting the CEO and Chief Diversity Officer in delivering the global D&I strategy. Sandra’s work focused on growing diverse representation of the workforce, promoting an inclusive workplace where all employees can achieve their goals and meet the needs of customers. Sandra was also the head of D&I for the bank’s Global Human Resources, an organization of over 2500 employees.

Sandra’s role with Bank of America included serving as the Human Resources Leader for Oklahoma, responsible for driving employee engagement, retention and talent management for the Tulsa and Oklahoma City markets. Sandra has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources where she has driven work efforts in the areas of diversity and inclusion, talent management and development and learning across multiple organizations and industries.

Sandra was selected as one of 50 black women for the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Impact Grant. She was named as 2022 d&I leaders as one of this year’s most inspiring diversity and inclusion leaders as well as Oklahoma’s The Journal Record’s 50 Making a Difference list of honorees for 2021. Sandra has also been featured in Essence, CEOWORLD Magazine and Fast Company and interviewed on FinTech TV, BBC and Bloomberg Radio to name a few. She is a featured leader in the newly released book Women Mean Business.

Sandra serves the community through her contributions to the executive committee and board for Family & Children’s Services, a leading provider of behavioral health care and family services in Tulsa; A member of the Greenwood Rising inaugural board dedicated to educating Oklahomans and Americans about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and its impact on the state and nation. She is one of the newest board members for the National Council of Nonprofits a trusted resource and proven advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits. Sandra also sits on the Advisory board with AceUp, a leader in enterprise leadership development and the African American Leadership Academy an organization that strives to expand the number of African American Leaders in Tulsa who excel in their professions, engage in their community, and encourage the development of upcoming leaders through programming.

Simone Morris, Executive Coach, Professional Speaker, Inclusive Leadership Expert, Author, and CEO, Simone Morris Enterprises

Simone E. Morris is CEO of Simone Morris Enterprises LLC, a certified minority and women-owned business that provides transformative leadership solutions to help leaders create an inclusive workplace. She is an award-winning diversity and inclusion leader recognized by Diageo, Diversity Best Practices (now Seramount), Diversity MBA, Diversity MBE Magazine, and the Women's Business Development Council. Ms. Morris spent twenty-three years in Corporate America in the retail, consumer products, financial, pharmaceutical, and information technology industries. Her journey in the Diversity and Inclusion arena began with multiple leadership roles within an employee resource group, followed by her role as a Diversity Manager in Human Resources. Subsequently, she assumed the role of Director of Diversity for the Southern Connecticut Society for Human Resources, contributing significantly to advancing diversity initiatives in the region. Today, Ms. Morris dedicates her career to consulting, advising, speaking, training, and coaching leaders. She is committed to creating authentic, inclusive cultures. Ms. Morris is a lifelong learner who received her MBA from the University of Connecticut. She also holds an ICF PCC Coaching credential, the Project Management Professional certification, the DEI Certificate of Mastery in "Cultivating Cultures of Inclusion, Equity, and High Performance, and an AI Strategy Certificate from Cornell University. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at NYU Wagner and a Diversity and Inclusion course facilitator for eCornell. Ms. Morris has written 86 articles in her inclusive leadership column on Forbes. Her expertise also appears in Entrepreneur, Medium, American Management Association Playbook, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Glassdoor, Leadercast, SmartRecruiters, Social Hire, Professional Photographers of America Magazine, and Diversity Best Practices. She is also the author of Remember Me, Grammy P: A Story of How A Grandparent's Dementia Journey is a Child's Journey Too, 52 Tips for Owning Your Career: Practical Advice for Career Success, The Power of Owning Your Career: Winning Strategies, Tools, and Tips for Creating Your Desired Career, Achievement Unlocked: Strategies to Set Goals and Manifest Them, and Upward: Leadership Lessons for Women on the Rise. In addition, she is a featured contributor for A Collective Breath, Own the Microphone, and Redesign Your 9 to 5. She resides in Connecticut with her family.