Centers and Institutes
The People’s United Center for Women & Business is dedicated to bringing together a community of women and their allies who are focused on achieving their professional goals and sharing their wisdom and experiences with each other through skill-building workshops, motivational events and networking opportunities.
The center brings together women at all stages of work and life, and with varied backgrounds to learn from and support each other. In recent months, the center has offered virtual events focused on topics such as hope, resilience and healing during adversity. These events focused on ways to increase skills, improve self-awareness and build resilience while preparing for the future. As the pandemic stretched into the fall semester, the center conducted events centered on mindfulness, networking and inclusion.
A variety of center events with speakers and more intimate coffee chats are listed below.
It’s no secret that women are struggling during an unprecedented global crisis. Personal stories of hardship from friends and family, viral articles on society’s betrayal of working mothers and global research on labor market trends have all demonstrated the pandemic’s significant social and economic impact on women. Join our panel of DEI experts and women’s rights advocates as they discuss the year in review and share practical insights for better-supporting women in the workplace in 2021 and beyond. You’ll learn best practices in inclusive leadership, forward-thinking organizational policies, how individuals can self-advocate in their current workplaces and tips for job-hunters seeking supportive work environments.
Social media has become the most powerful community building tool ever created.
With careful planning and a strategy, you can learn to rally a large and engaged
community around your business. This leads to more sales and better brand
awareness.
We will explore your social media goals and objectives:
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What are the best tactics and techniques to drive real social media results?
- How do you manage it all?
By attending this event, you will also receive a social media marketing PDF toolkit with resources, bonus tips, and more
Kristen Anderson '21
PUCWB Student Engagement Intern
Victoria Tuttle '21
Empower Her Intern
Topic: Supply Solutions on Strategies to Maximize Your Impact at Work
This event was co-hosted by the People's United Center for Women & Business, the People's United Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Empower Her.
With over 30 years at EBP Supply Solutions, Meredith Reuben has been leading the company since 1990 and continuing the company’s culture of iintegrity, accountability, commitment, and being a true business partner. She remains customer focused, continually looking for ways to better serve and partner with our customers to help them shine.
“Growing younger...with age.”
Anna Jakubowski is an engaging public speaker whose appearances include TEDx events, keynote addresses at corporate events and international conferences. She has over 25 years of professional experience in global companies, across developed and emerging markets in Europe, North America and Africa. During this time, she has successfully developed businesses and organizations having held various positions in the areas of strategy, sales, operations and business development, working for companies such as Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, The Coca-Cola Company and Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits.
The People’s United Center for Women & Business is pleased to offer free virtual salary negotiations training sessions designed for students and professionals, presented in partnership with the Women’s and Gender Studies Department with support from the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, the Office of Academic Innovation and Effectiveness, the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center and the Collaborative for Interdisciplinary/Integrative Studies.
The People’s United Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Speaker Series will commence on March 3, 2021, at 6 p.m. with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who will offer his perspective on the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in Connecticut. This virtual program will include an interactive discussion. Participants are encouraged to ask questions live or submit in advance during registration. This event is co-sponsored by the People’s United Center for Women & Business.
Featured Speakers:
Knowledge is power — and when it comes to your career and business, harnessing the power of financial know-how can make a difference. Whether you are a college student or a small business owner, the financial choices you make now will affect your life for decades.
Featured Speakers:
Knowledge is power — and when it comes to your career and business, harnessing the power of financial know-how can make a difference. Whether you are a college student or a small business owner, the financial choices you make now will affect your life for decades.
Speaker: Catherine Coleman Flowers
Catherine Coleman Flowers shared her journey as an Environmental Health Advocate and discussed her book about the basic human right to water and sanitation.
Co-Sponsored by:
Inclusivity and Diversity Council
Medical Students for a Sustainable Future
The Kathleen Simione PUCWB Women in Business Scholarship has been awarded to School of Business students Danielle Kladerman and Natalie Roussina. This program helps women pursue undergraduate and master's degrees in business that will further help to develop skills that are focused on enhancing characteristics associated with forward thinking leadership, conscious communication skills, authentic, ethical and honest self-reflection.
Danielle Kladerman will be receiving her Bachelor's in Accounting in May 2021 with a minor in Business Analytics. She will be getting her Master's in Accounting in May 2022. On campus, she was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, volunteer with the VITA program, and the former president of the Accounting Society.
Natalie Roussina is a third year 3+1 student who will be receiving her Bachelor’s in Marketing in May 2021 with a minor in Applied Statistics and Data Science. On campus, she is the Communications Leader for American Marketing Association and is the Registration Chairwomen for Quinnipiac GAME Forum. She will be returning for her MBA in the fall, which she is anticipated to receive May 2022.
To provide opportunities for women to achieve their professional goals as well as to build a community focused on achieving those goals consistent with their personal values. This community of women and their allies is committed to lifelong learning, is eager to share, and includes the external community, students, alumni, faculty and staff. Our center is devoted to preparing our community for enlightened and engaged citizenship.
The center, as part of a thriving, 3-campus university, provides programs designed to educate and inspire women focused on achieving their personal and professional best through lifelong learning. The center also facilitates connections and thereby builds and develops an engaged community, where wisdom and experience are shared with each other to educate, inspire and foster growth.
Ambitious women and their allies coming together to engage in learning to empower themselves and others.
The center is part of a dynamic and growing university with a commitment to academic excellence and to building a strong sense of community enlightenment and engagement. It serves the needs of women professionals by providing opportunities for lifelong learning, professional development and community-building and citizenship.
“We felt it was important to continue to meet the needs of our community, especially during this time. We utilized virtual platforms to present our programming to ensure our community could continue its personal and professional development.”
PUCWB has announced that the 2021 research award program winner is Megan Laubner. Megan will be awarded a $2,500 grant to support her student research on the health needs of unhoused or marginally housed people in New Haven during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Quinnipiac's People’s United Center for Women & Business recently awarded $7,500 to support faculty and student research. Receiving $2,500 from the center’s new PUCWB Research Award Program were students Nabiha Nuruzzaman and Kathryn Reilly as well as Tracy Van Oss, clinical professor of occupational therapy.
Learn More
Professors Julia Fullick-Jagiela, right, and Kiku Jones were appointed co-directors of the People’s United Center for Women & Business.
Co-Director Press Release
Mindfulness is more than just something practiced in quiet monasteries by Buddhist monks. In fact, nowhere is mindfulness — the ability to focus awareness on the present moment and acknowledge thoughts and feelings without judgement — more necessary than in the fast-paced, highly competitive business world.
The People’s United Center for Women & Business hosted an interactive workshop on mindfulness in the workplace on April 20, 2017. The workshop, presented by Cheryl L. Jones, chief mindfulness officer at The Mindful Path, LLC, focused on lowering stress, managing distractions, cultivating emotional intelligence and improving relationships in the workplace.
“Mindfulness is about noticing what’s happening within you and around you with a gentle, open mind,” Jones explained. “I believe it is the key to creating healthy and sustainable business practices for individuals, organizations and communities.”
Jones has been a certified health and wellness coach and an authority on mindfulness for more than 20 years. Her inspiring workshop echoed the center's mission to empower women to achieve their professional goals.
“Cheryl is a skilled teacher with a real passion for helping women reduce stress, build resilience and improve poise through mindfulness,” said Judy Gedge, associate teaching professor of business law.
For Jones, mindfulness isn’t just a cognitive tool for practicing mental and emotional self-care, but a way to help an organization improve its workplace culture. Mindful leadership and increased employee well-being and performance, she says, enables a company to attract and retain talent, achieve business excellence, navigate change and improve employee engagement.
“Mindfulness teaches professionals to clearly see how their work aligns with the objectives of their organizations and how they can be accountable for their part in its success,” Jones said. “Practitioners learn how to transform the way they work every day.”
Judy Olian, Quinnipiac's president, and Sara Longobardi, senior executive vice president of retail banking at People’s United Bank, shared stories and tips from their distinguished careers to inspire more than 300 professionals and students in November 2018.
To celebrate Women Entrepreneurship Week, Quinnipiac’s People’s United Center for Women & Business and the Women Presidents' Educational Organization joined forces to present a panel of three successful Connecticut women business owners from different industries in October 2019.
Kathy McAfee, America’s marketing motivator, speaks to students and faculty attending the o “Defining You” program hosted in April 2019 by the PUCW&B.
Djuana Beamon, FVP Chief Diversity, People’s United Bank
Keisha Blake Harp, Executive Director, Women Presidents' Educational Organization
Lauren Castagnola, Chief of Staff, Westover School
Nancy Dudchik, President, Hamden Chamber of Commerce
Denise Fiore, Chief Operating Officer of Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, Senior Vice President of L+M Healthcare and Senior Vice President for Yale New Haven Health
Isaiah Lee, Fidelity Investments - LEAP Grad | Google LSI Scholar | Howard University School of Law
Karmela Malone, Senior Vice President, Claim Solutions, The Hartford
Henry Rondon, Assistant Executive Director of Unified Sports and Student Activities for the Connecticut Association of Schools - Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference
Sal Strazza, Manager, Human Resources & Team Member Relations at Terex Corporation
Alyssa Hyatt, Associate Athletic Director for Business and Administration
Danisha Collins, Secretary, Global Public Health and Service Learning
Mohammad Elahee, Professor of International Business
Stefano Fasulo, Associate Director of Graduate Student Affairs
Patricia Kelly, Senior Instructor of Management
Caroline King, MBA c/o 2022; FIN c/o 2021
Samantha Niblock, CIS+AC c/o 2023; MSA c/o 2024
Amy Rosen, Regional Development Officer, Development & Alumni Affairs
Jen Sacco, Professor of Political Science
Erin Sabato, Director of International Service and Learning, DCGE
Becky Spalthoff, Senior Director, Integrated Marketing Communications
Tamilla Triantoro, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems
Our School of Business People’s United centers completed another productive year with initiatives that had a measurable impact on the various people and communities they serve, despite the uncertainty and heaviness of the pandemic. Consistent with their missions, each provided exciting, engaging and provocative activities and opportunities for students, faculty, alumni and friends of Quinnipiac University.
We believe education doesn’t begin and end inside the classroom. We live in an increasingly diverse and complex world that demands the knowledge, collaboration and empathy required to deliver meaningful impact.
Whether it’s turning ideas into viable business applications, or digging through human history by analyzing ancient artifacts, each of our centers and institutes pairs our students and faculty to transform academic theory into real-world solutions.
Our broad liberal arts core complements deep expertise across more than 100 degree programs to provide an education that equips you for an extraordinary career. Whether you are in high school and ready to pursue your undergraduate degree, currently in the workforce and looking to advance your career through one of our graduate programs or have ambitions of becoming a lawyer or doctor, we have the schools, programs and faculty that will help unlock your potential.