Women's Leadership and Networking Day Spotlight : Linda LoRe

In her 20-year-career as a CEO of world-renowned brands, Linda LoRe is recognized as one of the top brand strategists in the world. Her extensive experience includes building consumer companies from the ground up, revitalizing storied brands, and breathing new life into consumer favorites. She has been a prominent leader in some of the country’s most successful corporations, including Avon Products, Proctor & Gamble, May Corporation (now Macy’s), Giorgio Beverly Hills, and Frederick’s of Hollywood. She is presently the CEO for InJoy Global, a company devoted to turning the workplace back into an engaged and profitable place of business.

Ms. LoRe became President and CEO of Frederick’s of Hollywood in August 1999, and immediately revitalized and re-launched the iconic Frederick’s brand. Soon after her arrival, she oversaw Frederick’s reorganization and brand turn-around, securing the company’s strongest growth period in more than 10 years. Prior to joining Frederick’s, she was President and CEO of Giorgio Beverly Hills. Ms. LoRe spent eleven years building Giorgio Beverly Hills into one of the world’s premier luxury brands, with sales exceeding $325 million. She made a name for herself in the world of branding when Giorgio successfully launched some of the industry’s top fragrances, including Giorgio, Giorgio Red, Wings, and Hugo by Hugo Boss.
Ms. LoRe serves on the Board of Directors of the Trusteeship of the International Women’s Forum, The Women’s Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Board of Advisors for the Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising (FIDM), the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Enterprise Institute, and the Executive Woman’s Alliance (EWA). She is also the< founding Board Member of the Youth Mentoring Connection, which serves at-risk youth in Southern California.

Ms. LoRe has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2012 George Award from Pepperdine University, 2009 Visionary Award for Youth Mentoring, 2003 Woman of Accomplishment for B’nai Zion, the 2002 NAWBO Women’s Hall of Fame Award.  In addition, Ms. LoRe is a member of both The Committee 200, an organization comprised of female decision makers for multi-million dollar companies, and the Trusteeship of the International Women’s Forum. Ms. LoRe earned her Presidential MBA from Pepperdine University.

To hear Ms. LoRe and other wonderful accomplished women speak at our Women's Leadership and Networking Day on May 29th, please register at http://www.ywca.org/WLND2015. You can also visit our website for more information on the days events.

Women's Leadership and Networking Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Cinthya Martinez

626-296-8433

cmartinez@ywca-pasadena.org

YWCA PASADENA TO HOST 4TH ANNUAL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP & NETWORKING DAY

(April 27, 2015) On Friday, May 29, 2015, the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley will host its 4^th Annual Women’s Leadership & Networking Day.  This exciting event will be held at the Pasadena Senior Center, located at 85 East Holly Street, Pasadena CA 91103. This informative day-long workshop highlights women who make a difference in public policy, civil rights, education, health, science, finance, business and marketing, and other fields that impact our community.

Each year we build a network of successful women and celebrate what it means to be a female leader in the workforce and the community. This year we will be celebrating what it means to achieve #LikeAGirl. This year’s special guest speakers will be discussing diverse topics ranging from intellectual property, business development, campaign management, career coaching, brand marketing, and more.

Guest speakers include: Linda LoRe – Co-Founder of Injoy Global; Ana Guerrero – Chief of Staff to Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti; Azucena Maldonado – Founder of Latina Golfers Association; Nicole Abboud – The GenWhy Lawyers Podcast;Marla Bleavins – CFO & Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles; and Deborah Deras – Principal of Synergy Unlimited. The event also features Susanne Whatley of KPCC 89.3 FM as emcee.

This workshop gives women the opportunity to network, share advice about career fields, and further their personal and professional development through breakout activities, question and answer sessions, and unique presentations about career women. 

“We are excited to have such an amazing group of successful and enthusiastic women participating at the event. The Women’s Leadership & Networking Day welcomes women at all ages and stages of their careers, whether they are students, mid-career, or retirees,” said Jessica Kubel, Associate Director of the YWCA Pasadena.

Tickets for the event are $85. Tickets include breakfast and lunch served by KMR Gourmet Catering, featuring Chef Mario Rivas. The event will run from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, with a networking mixer immediately to follow. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ywca.org/WLND2015, or by contacting Cinthya Martinez at 626.296.8433.

Thank you to our committed sponsors: The Gas Company, Bella Sol the Salon, PCL Construction, Law Office of Angeline Chen, New York Life, Ellen's Silkscreening, Massage Envy, Pasadena Magazine, Pasadena Now, and the Pasadena Senior Center.

###

About the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley: The YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley began over 107 years ago to meet the needs of young women in Pasadena. Its programs address the mission of the national organization, “eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” More information about the YWCA is available at www.ywca-pasadena.org

2015 YWCA USA Leadership & Capacity Building Institute

Our Associate Director, Jessica Kubel took a trip to San Antonio, Texas for the YWCA's 2015 YWCA USA Leadership & Capacity Building Institute. It is very important for leaders to continue to learn and grow from each other, especially in the non-profit world where our sole mission is to serve our communities and adapt to their needs. Being able to attend a conference like this one allowed Ms. Kubel to speak with other YWs and see what was working at their locations, how they weathered problems, and simply get to know some of our sister Y's better. The conference kicked off with a Keynote speech by Dara Richardson-Heron MD, CEO of  YWCA USA.  She was also able to attend panels such as Financial Leadership, Mission Impact, and  Building Highly-Effective Board CEO Relationships and reflect on what sort of impact their advice could have on the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley community. 

Beautiful Downtown San Antonio

One of the many informative panels at the conference

Associate Director Jessica Kubel with Katrena Prior, Development Director for YWCA San Francisco and Marin 

The Alamo

Talking the Talk

On February 25th 2015, the YWCA hosted our first Talking the Talk event at the CalTech Center for Diversity. The goal of the event was to provide a safe space for community members to voice their opinions on racial profiling and their interactions with the police. Ernst Fenelon Jr. from the Prison Education Project facilitated the conversation. The discussion was varied and productive and brought up issues that some participants had never encountered before. While the issue is complex, the discussion endeavored to stay solution focused and allow all those that wanted to speak to be able to say what they needed.  After the discussion was over, Tarek Shawky from the ACLU informed those present on their civil rights when questioned by law enforcement with a "Know Your Rights"  presentation.

TechGyrls

TechGyrls is off to a great start with more than a dozen girls from middle and high schools throughout Pasadena participating.

Week one was all about getting to know each other and the basics of electronics. After a fun ice-breaker the girls were able to make mini-robots called bristle bots. These fun little robots made out of toothbrushes, motors, and watch batteries are easy to make, and helped them understand the concepts of a simple circuit while being creative.

In their second week, the participants got an introduction to SCRATCH. This basic introduction to coding hosted on MIT's website allows kids new to the concepts of coding to learn them in a simplified manner. The girls learned how to add "sprites" or characters to their projects, animate them, and have them do specific actions on command.

In their third week, the girls continued SCRATCH and had some hands on experience with propulsion and engineering. The girls were tasked with creating a car that moved on it's own using cardboard, straws, bottle caps, skewers, and a balloon for propulsion.  They also continued their SCRATCH training by taking the sprites that they animated the week before and creating a game with them.

YWCA iPad Class at Villa Gardens

Jomie Liu instructs the participants 

The participants getting individual attention

YWCA Pasadena Welcomes New Associate Director and Program Staff

From Top Clockwise: Jessica Kubel, Cinthya Martinez, Katie Driscoll, and Jomie Liu.

The YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley is excited to announce Jessica Kubel as its new Associate Director. Ms. Kubel began her career in nonprofit work at the YWCA San Gabriel Valley location, first as an Administrative Assistant and later, as Outreach Coordinator with the WINGS domestic violence program. Prior to joining the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley, Ms. Kubel served as Volunteer Manager with the Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley, where she planned and implemented large scale volunteer projects throughout the region, such as Make A Difference Day and Days of Service with local cities. Her extensive volunteer work and community activism includes organizing fundraising events for the Logelin Foundation, Shoes That Fit, and Relay For Life. Ms. Kubel has also spent several years as an analyst in the Global Content Quality division at Yahoo, Inc. She joined the YWCA Pasadena in April 2013 as the Community Relations Manager, and is excited to take on a larger role as Associate Director.

Helping those in need and shining a light on issues affecting the most vulnerable members of our community is a driving force in Ms. Kubel’s life. “From as early as eight years old, I was marching with my mother for women’s equality and becoming part of a bigger picture – to be a voice for the voiceless and recognizing a responsibility to stand against injustice and inequality.”

Ms. Kubel has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications & Media from Thomas Edison State College, and is alumni of the Jeremiah Fellowship through Bend the Arc (formerly Jewish Progress Alliance).

The YWCA also welcomes Program Coordinators Katie Driscoll and Jomie Liu. Ms. Driscoll is an experienced counselor and professional educator with more than 10 years of experience. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Boston College, as well as an MA in Applied Women’s Studies and Higher Education from Claremont Graduate University. She is responsible for, along with her team members, the design, organization and implementation of new and improved Just for Girls and Girls Empowerment Summer Camp programs that serve young women throughout the Pasadena area.

Jomie Liu joined the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley in 2011 as a Program Associate, and is honored to move into the role of Tech Program Coordinator. Ms. Liu leads our TECHgyrls program and our Adult Computer Classes, where she helps to create innovative impacts in hands-on STEM education for youth and adults in our community. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Human Biology from the University of California San Diego.

Additionally, the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley is proud to welcome Cinthya Martinez to the Marketing & Social Media Coordinator position. Ms. Martinez started as a volunteer with the YWCA and eventually became a Program Associate for the organization. Her background in media, design, and social media management allowed her to develop into her new role as Marketing & Social Media Coordinator. Ms. Martinez graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with two Bachelor’s degrees, in Psychology and English Literature.

The YWCA Pasadena is pleased to have such a high caliber group of strong and diverse women within the organization. With their knowledge, skills, and experience, we look forward to successful programs and community events in the year to come. For more information about the YWCA Pasadena, please contact Cinthya Martinez at (626) 296-8433, or at info@ywca-pasadena.org.

About the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley

The YWCA provides programs that strive towards the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women and girls in Pasadena and throughout the Foothill Valley. Learn more and donate to the programs of the YWCA at www.ywca-pasadena.org. (626) 296-8433. The YWCA is located at 1015 N. Lake Avenue, Suite 205, Pasadena.