Back for a fifth year, the CYP Club is proud to present the Women of Inspiration Summit Experience (WISE) - now as a QUARTERLY summit experience - in July, October, January, and April! WISE brings together dozens of women (and a few men) for an uplifting and inspirational three-hour event to connect and grow while hearing from outstanding speakers and thought-leaders. Event features include light breakfast & coffee, spectacular speakers, compelling workshops, inspirational interviews, meditation sessions, and a whole lot more. Our full agenda and speaker bios are below.
On July 27, 2023, our focus will be on WISDOM; followed by INSPIRATION on October 26, 2023; then SPIRITUALITY on January 25, 2024; and EMPOWERMENT on April 18, 2024! On each of these dates, WISE will be hosted from 8:30-11:30am at Wild Goose Creative in Franklinton.
Cost: A summit pass is $15 per person (or $10 for premium members). Light breakfast & coffee are included, along with a WISE journal, access to speakers & sessions, and plenty of networking connections for all!
Thanks to our amazing sponsors Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Discover Financial, Wild Goose Creative, The Confident Woman, and Buckeye Vodka, we are able to offer tickets to WISE this year for just $15 per person!
THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023 from 8:30-11:30am @ Wild Goose Creative
8:30am: Arrival, check-in, and networking with coffee & light breakfast
8:55am: Opening Remarks
9:00am: Inspiration Chat featuring Paula Haines, Founder and CEO at Freedom a la Cart
9:20am: Q&A Session with Paula Haines, moderated by WISE Host Committee member, Siana Talley
9:40am: Open Networking/Coffee
Select one 40-minute session:
10:00am (Main Room): Inspiration to Action: A Panel Discussion, moderated by Aditi Bhatiya, CEO at The Spice Age Group and Founder of Passport 2 Fashion; Alison Marker, President + CEO at Marker Construction; Niyah Walters, Esq., In-House Counsel and Legal Analyst at Columbus City Council; Page Thorson, CEO at Benchmark Biodiesel; Perla Martinez, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Administrator at Franklin County Board of Commissioners; and Sarah Barr, Executive Director at Wild Goose Creative.
10:00am (Lounge): Stuff the Backpacks Volunteer Activity, powered by EASE Logistics and NBC4
Select one 20-minute session:
11:00am (Main Room): ”Hot Seat” Interview with Sophia Fifner, CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, moderated by WISE Host Committee member, Lexi Petrella
11:00am (Lounge): Networking/Meditation Session with Rachel Brooks, Founder of The Confident Woman
WISE Wrap-up:
11:20am: Giveaways (including two bottles of Buckeye Vodka, tickets to Opera Columbus, a pair of tickets to the Emerging Leaders’ Summit on Sept. 29 at Franklin University, and more) & Announcement of next summit theme for October 26, 2023
11:30am: Dismissal
*Speakers and sessions are subject to change. If you have any questions about this event, please contact us.
Summit Speaker Bios & Session Descriptions
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CEO at Freedom a la Cart
Paula Haines is Chief Executive Officer at Freedom a la Cart, a Columbus, OH-based nonprofit catering social enterprise and workforce development program that serves and supports survivors of human trafficking. On their journey toward economic self-sufficiency, participants in this comprehensive, community-based treatment focus on recovery, rehabilitation, and restoration.
Freedom a la Cart (recognized as Social Enterprise of the Year in 2019) makes meals more meaningful by deliciously combining fresh, from-scratch cuisine with workforce training and supportive services for survivors of sex trafficking. Whenever possible, they choose ingredients from local sources in our community.
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Department Manager - Cardmember Assistance Recovery at Discover Financial Services
Siana N. Talley is a dedicated professional who has been the Department Manager of Collections for Discover Financial for 10 years. She leads the Professional Women Impacting Results (PWIR) Employee Resource Group at Discover, where the focus is creating an empowering environment for members to pursue their ambitions at each stage in their careers.
Currently, Siana is working on a leadership team to successfully transition Discover Call Centers from New Albany to Whitehall, where the new community-based contact center will be located; this transition includes not only the physical relocation but also community engagement. Siana is responsible for leading the establishment and cultivation of relationships with community-based organizations, such as Columbus Young Professionals, Dress for Success, Women Just Like Me, and more.
Outside of her professional life, Siana enjoys making a positive impact in the community through coaching high school Varsity volleyball, using her skills and experience to mentor and guide young athletes. Siana believes in the power of small actions and lives by the motto, “Do something that makes you happy every single day - big or small!” She recognizes life as a precious gift and believes that while here on earth, everyone needs to collectively do better for ourselves and our communities.
When not working or coaching, Siana’s most important and rewarding life-work is being a mother to her 10-year-old son, Channing. They bond over sports tournaments, cool kicks (also known as shoes), and Tik-Toks, although Channing sometimes teases her for not being cool enough. Siana cherishes her role as a mother and finds joy in the everyday moments shared with her son.
Overall, Siana is a driven and compassionate individual who brings her expertise and passion to both her professional and personal life. She is dedicated to making a positive impact in her community and empowering others to pursue their dreams.
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CEO at The Spice Age Group; Founder of Passport 2 Fashion
Aditi Bhatiya is an accomplished professional with two decades of experience in various domains, including business and research operations, marketing & communications, strategic planning, space & occupancy planning, and regulatory compliance. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong ability to drive results and lead teams toward success.
She is also an entrepreneur who believes in offering transformative experiential solutions to small businesses and nonprofit organizations to help them achieve their goals. Her teams at The Spice Age Group integrate data, compelling content, and technology to design and execute impactful digital marketing campaigns and elevated event experiences. Her teams specialize in the conceptualization and management of virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
A passionate changemaker, Aditi is the founder of the non-profit Passport 2 Fashion - a platform that strives to empower those with diverse cultural backgrounds, different gender identities, and body types to celebrate their individuality through creative expression. Her team works towards increasing representation to promote belonging and inclusiveness through fashion.
As a leader, her approach focuses on fostering empathetic communication strategies and building streamlined processes and workflows resulting in a long track record of success. She constantly strives to evolve as an individual and professional.
Awards & Recognition:
• 2023 Next Up Columbus Award
Presented by the Columbus Young Professionals Club to emerging leaders who are connectors and cheerleaders in central Ohio and who are making a positive impact on the future of Columbus.
• 2023 Women WELDing The Way Honoree
Presented by the Columbus Chapter of Women for Economic and Leadership Development to women in the central Ohio community who are high-impact leaders within their organizations, support the leadership development of other women, give time, talent, and resources to their community, and invest in the growth of women-owned businesses.
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President + CEO at Marker Construction
Alison Marker began her career not in construction but as a psychotherapist, practicing for ten years in the mental health industry. She joined Marker Construction in 2012 as the head of Human Resources and Marketing. Her background in working with people on their growth and development provided a strong foundation and perspective for the organization’s focus on recruiting and development during a time of growth and expansion into the central Ohio market. Known for being thoughtful, compassionate, and committed to the business, Alison was named President of Marker in 2018.
Alison is a life-long learner, exemplified by a multitude of degrees. She graduated Cum Laude from Miami University with a double-major in Psychology and Women’s Studies before attending graduate school at The Ohio State University and receiving her Master’s in Clinical Social Work. As if that wasn’t enough, she recently began her pursuit of a Master’s in Business Administration from Capital University and is expected to graduate in early 2023.
Besides formal education, Alison gravitates to opportunities that enhance her leadership skills, always striving to be the best. She completed a three-year post-graduate training program in Gestalt Psychotherapy at the Gestalt Institute of Central Ohio, an Executive Leadership Program through the Mahler Advanced Management, as well as the Executive Leadership Experience at the Builder’s Exchange (BX) of Central Ohio. This intense, 11-session course is built for senior-level executives in construction companies. After completion, Alison has continued to stay involved with the BX as a presenter on leadership skills and now serving on their board of directors.
Alison believes that our responsibility to our communities reaches far beyond our construction projects, our clients, and our team members. Through sponsorships, volunteer efforts, local school involvement, donations, and contributions of time and material, she strives to lend a hand to help those in need and help grow vital and vibrant communities all around us. She is active on many boards and committees, including the following:
• Builder’s Exchange of Central Ohio, Board Member (2020 – present), Cornerstone Committee (2019), Scholarship Committee (2021)
• Associated Builders and Contractors – Ohio Valley Chapter, Board Member (2020 to present)
• OSU Construction Systems Management – Industry Advisory Committee, former Chair of the Diversity Committee (2016 -2020)
• United Way of Logan County, 2019 Campaign Chair and Board Member
• Community Shelter Board, Women Leaders Member (2015 – present), Event Co-Chair, Wine Women & Shoes (2017 – 2020)
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CEO at Benchmark Biodiesel, Inc.
Page Thorson co-founded Benchmark Biodiesel, Inc. in 2007 to meet the need for biodiesel blending and infrastructure in Ohio. Since that time, Benchmark Biodiesel has grown from a start-up to a thriving business that provides reliable biodiesel blends to fleets all over the state, including the City of Columbus fleet. She is responsible for managing relationships with public and private customers, developing strategies to advance the business, and promoting the use of biodiesel as a sustainable fuel around the state.
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Executive Director at Wild Goose Creative
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During this break-out volunteer activity, powered by NBC4 and EASE Logistics, our goal is to stuff as many backpacks as possible with essential supplies to students in grades K through 12. Since 2018, NBC4’s Stuff The Backpack has served nearly 165,000 local students in Franklin and Licking counties. Join us to help our community!
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President and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club
As the president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, Sophia Fifner leads an organization that has served as a convening force for Central Ohio leaders for nearly half a century. By presenting weekly town hall-style forums where engaged citizens hear from speakers on a variety of newsworthy, relevant topics of community interest, the CMC brings together Central Ohio’s most influential leaders for non-partisan, civil conversation.
Sophia is a nonprofit executive with 15+ years of experience in public policy, government relations, and corporate philanthropy. She’s also an advocate, #metoosurvivor, pageant queen, philanthropist, and fierce activist for women’s rights. Sophia lives for everything that lies at the intersection of philanthropy, politics, and PR.
Over the course of her professional career, Sophia has become adept at leading and executing public affairs initiatives, handling media relations, and distilling nuanced policy issues into actionable messages for diverse stakeholder groups. She’s developed and launched successful reputation management campaigns while simultaneously overseeing fundraising strategies and securing private investments as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).
Sophia has worked across a number of highly-regulated sectors ranging from energy and insurance to healthcare and critical infrastructure. A few highlights include:
• Successfully launched the Columbus Recreation and Parks Foundation(501c3) and led the team’s approach to attract and retaining nearly 150 corporate and athletic sponsors.
• Consulted with 250+ companies and stakeholders across the U.S. on the refinement of their philanthropic strategy by highlighting public and mental health solutions.
• Drafted impactful communications for high-profile leaders ranging from U.S. Congress members to Fortune 100 executives.
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Founder of The Confident Woman, Author of “Chasing Perfection”
Rachel Brooks is the founder of The Confident Woman, a lifestyle and media brand that helps women reach their full potential and happiness. She has over four years of experience in creating and managing online platforms, content, and communities that inspire and educate women on personal growth, self-love, and wellness.
Rachel’s passion for empowering women stems from her own journey of healing, fitness, and transformation, which she shared in her 4x Global Award-Winning book “Chasing Perfection: A Journey to Healing, Fitness, and Self-Love.” Through her book, podcast, courses, events, and clothing line, Rachel aims to provide women with the tools, resources, and support they need to confidently pursue their dreams and purpose in life.
She believes that confidence is the key to success and happiness and that everyone deserves to feel and look their best. That's why she also founded I Am Athletics, a lifestyle apparel brand that promotes self-confidence and authenticity through high-quality and comfortable clothing and accessories. I Am Athletics is more than just an apparel brand; it's a movement that encourages individuals to embrace their true identity and power.
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WISE Host Committee, Co-chair
Rachel Will has experience teaching and performing various genres such as classical, musical theatre, jazz, swing, and contemporary church music. She is a music director as well as a creative arts director, overseeing arts marketing, creative design, production, and vocal/instrumental performance. She is passionate about helping individuals discover and explore their own voice through music and the arts. Rachel is a champion for others, passionately empowering women to find their creative purpose. In addition, she has extensive knowledge in career guidance, leadership development, and strategically fosters community and organizational partnerships to further support inclusivity through community connection.
Freelance Vocalist + Performer | Music + Creative Arts Director at Legacy Church | Private Studio Coach for Voice + Piano | Music Educator Multi Age PK-12 | HS Stage Director | Director of Advancement + Cooper-Bing Associate Producer at Opera Columbus | Leadership Development | Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration | Bachelor of Arts in Music Education + Vocal Performance | Women's Leadership and Empowerment Conference Chair + Communications Director
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WISE Host Committee, Co-chair
Daryl Griffith is Coordinator for Corporate Racial Equity and Equitable Economy team at PolicyLink, in addition to being part-time as an Event Coordinator for the CYP Club. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minors in Global Public Health and Business.
Prior to that, Daryl was Program Manager at The Women’s Place (TWP) at The Ohio State University. Her role with TWP included participating with the President and Provost’s Council on Women and TWP affinity groups on program planning and supporting central communication channels. Daryl has an extensive background in nonprofit and equity work.