While most people don’t think of accounting as a “bold” or, as one of our contacts once put it, a “sexy” field, there’s more to the title than meets the eye. Foumberg, Juneja, Rocher & Co. (FJR) is our oldest partner, and they also happen to be one of the most highly-rated boutique accounting firms on the West Coast. After working directly with their CEO and head of HR, we wanted to know: who are the other faces behind that hard-earned reputation?
We talked to the women who choose to enter this line of work, and get to know their personal side as well - outside of crunching numbers!
Ten years ago Misha and Amit Gudibanda came to a realization - that their work in advertising and marketing for big brands and corporates was not really creating value or spreading joy. So they took a bold step and left their successful jobs to start an elevated paper crafts company called Sky Goodies in Mumbai, India. Their mission is to give people of all ages an opportunity to discover the joy of ‘Making’.
The Fem Word co-founder has loved following their journey for several years, and had the pleasure of speaking with them about a creating a global brand which proves that “craft is not an activity which is gender specific at all… anyone can enjoy craft; it is truly democratic and doesn’t even have any language barriers”.
Aida Murad is a D.C. based healer and artist with an incredible story. After a devastating diagnosis, Aida let art guide her out of despair and into a world of color, light, and healing that she never knew existed. Now she partners with amazing women like Ami Becker-Aronson and brings the power of art-as-healing to life through collaborative projects, personalized teaching, and uniquely moving works. This is part two of our series on the women behind the Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities program. You can read Ami Becker-Aronson’s story in part one!
Kirsten Quigley is the Founder & CEO of Lunchskins - a modern, eco-friendly, reusable, and affordable alternative to plastic baggies designed to reduce plastic pollution. The mission is to live a life less plastic - and since it was founded - over 3 billion plastic bags have been replaced with Lunchskins bags!
The Fem Word’s Monika Samtani sat down with Kirsten (her close friend of over 2 decades!) on Earth Day 2023 for a fun conversation about her journey as an entrepreneur, getting on retail shelves, and how it all started 15 years ago.
Ami Becker Aronson is a Feminine Design Strategist - someone who is looking at world problems based on feminine values. As the Managing Director of the Bernstein Family Foundation, she is helping to guide her family's historic legacy foundation, now in it's seventh decade in Washington DC. Ami is a cancer survivor, and after her Epic Climb for a Cause, she established the Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program which celebrates the power of art as a tool to heal.
The Fem Word's Monika Samtani talks with this incredible humanist about cancer, 'Adventure Philanthropy', and what's next in her life's journey.
If you were (or are) a Girl Scout - you know what it feels like to proudly wear your green sash full of leadership badges. The experience of selling (and devouring) the famous cookies is unforgettable…think Samoas, Thin Mints…what’s your favorite?!
Lidia Soto-Harmon has been CEO of the organization for 12 years. Girls Scouts has been around for 110 years, and she’s working to make sure that it continues to be a safe, inclusive place for young girls to belong, give back, and thrive.
As the Head of Privacy Policy at Instagram, Palak Sheth is uniquely positioned at the forefront of our current generation’s most pressing concerns. We had the privilege of sitting down with Palak to talk about social media, engagement, womanhood, the immigrant experience, and advocating for what’s important to her. Special thanks to our partners at Foumberg, Juneja, Rocher & Co. for supporting this interview.
WUSA9 News Anchor Delia Goncalves has covered it all - from shootings to homelessness, and everything in between. She shares stories with her audience about what’s happening in the world, but rarely do we get to see what’s happening in her personal world. During the pandemic, the discovery of uterine fibroids - and two months off from work - changed that.
Today, Delia is using her platform to share her own story with uterine fibroids. She’s become an advocate for those dealing with same condition - and is helping them to feel seen, heard, and empowered.
These four amazing teenagers are driving major real-world change in a variety of fields.
They work with The Knowledge Society (TKS), an international education program that empowers the world’s most promising teens to make real-world change. Aimed at helping to solve some of the world’s biggest current and future problems, the students engage with a wide range of contemporary topics including VR, AI, cryptocurrency and entrepreneurship.
TFW had the chance to sit down with these brilliant minds at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas - and we can tell you, these names are most definitely ones to watch in the future!
Shaila Lakhani Ohri is the Assistant General Counsel at Exelon, the nation's leading competitive energy provider. As a practicing attorney for almost 25 years, Shaila is recognized as a national ‘Rising Star’ for her dedication to the advancement of women and diverse leaders in the legal profession.
The Fem Word spoke with Shaila about growing up as an Indian immigrant in West Virginia, her life as a busy attorney and mom of three, and the beautiful realization “that my identity is the value proposition I bring to work and everything I do.”
Survivor and advocate Chessy Prout has been working with her family on her organization I Have The Right To over the past several years to create a place where those who have experienced sexual assault can come together and form a community of support. Chessy and her parents now revisit The Fem Word to give input on how sexual assault and domestic violence exists in a world stricken by a pandemic. Thumbnail Photo: CreativeWell
Kate Goodall is the brains behind the operation of a radical startup incubator based out of Washington, D.C. She and her team bring together entrepreneurs from all over the world and facilitate a live-in, 24/7 experience that guides them toward financial viability. We sat down with Kate and learned about her values, Halcyon, and the unique wisdom behind her organization’s strategy model.
Patrice Brickman comes from a long line of service-oriented women, and she’s now leading the way for a new generation of philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and impact investors. Through her work at Inspire Capital, she and her team are demonstrating the power of women-first investing and its incredible impact on communities of all backgrounds and demographics. Her insights point to the future of philanthropy - and her personal story is a reminder that all of us contain an ocean of untapped potential to do good in the world!
Writing up Julie Dobson’s resume would require several pages of space. Her widespread accomplishments include entrepreneurial firsts, record-breaking sales, and profound innovation in numerous industries and sectors of society. Her work as a mentor and leader is equally impressive, and she’s an inspiration to girls and women everywhere. Join us as we talk with Julie and explore her work, life, cancer journey, and her values.
For women looking to escape the sex trade, opportunities are often few and far between. Colleen and Maggies Clines - two sisters with a penchant for design and a shared passion for women’s empowerment - are seeking to change that reality for countless women and girls in India.
The Fem Word talks with these trailblazers about all the intersections they’ve discovered between craft, culture, and the potential for lasting social change through their non profit, The Anchal Project.
From an early age, Lisa Friedlander was taught the value of hard work, financial responsibility, and independence. Today, Lisa is passionate about investing in women-led and social impact companies. She co-founded - and sold - her own startup, and as an angel investor, admits she’s not a ‘math person’…but loves “digging into the numbers and watching companies take investment dollars and scale a company.” Lisa tells The Fem Word what it means to “venture” past expectation–and how taking risks can bring major payoffs for bold women who dare to lead.
You might recognize this amazing lady…she spent many years on-camera as a television news anchor and reporter focused primarily on healthcare, most recently on WUSA9 - the CBS station in Washington, DC. Today she is the Senior VP of Communications and Public Affairs at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and the Executive Director of CHPA’s educational foundation.
The Fem Word spoke with Anita about her important leadership role, and being “devoted to providing the most critical and vetted information necessary for people to take control of their healthcare decisions and personal wellness.”
In the 1990s, Pashtana Durrani grew up in a refugee camp after fleeing from the Taliban in Afghanistan. As a child, she constantly heard her dad talk about the importance of girls’ education and women’s equality. Today, Pashtana credits her dad for her strength and resilience, and for being the kind of person who “sees a problem and has to find a solution.” At age 23, she’s now the founder and executive director of LEARN, a non-profit organization aimed at empowering girls in Afghanistan through education. The Fem Word spoke with Pashtana about running an underground school for one hundred girls in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan…and giving them everything they need for a sustainable future.
Margaret Miller is a world-renowned economist and activist with a passion for spreading the power of financial literacy to those who need it most. She won a World Bank innovation award for her work to leverage entertainment media for financial literacy.
Margaret shares her insights, experiences, and hopes for the financial future, and tells The Fem Word how her globally-recognized financial activism grew from her own personal––and humble––roots.
Having served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, and right here in America, Colonel Eugenia Guilmartin has shown a dedication to duty that goes beyond any of the specific initiatives she has led toward success.
On this Veterans Day, The Fem Word had the honor of speaking with COL Guilmartin about the experience of service as a female leader in the U.S. Armed Forces, and her perspectives offer a simple wisdom all of us can apply to our lives here at home.
