Notre Dame College is inspiring a new generation of female entrepreneurs with a special Women’s History Month panel discussion.
The College is presenting “Latinas in Leadership” on Thursday, March 23, from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Great Room on the third floor of the Administration Building on the Notre Dame campus. The program in celebration of Women’s History Month features three Northeast Ohio female entrepreneurs and is moderated by an African American female who has founded and directed multiple businesses and organizations.
The panel will discuss entrepreneurship in general as well as address diversity. The program is offered by the Notre Dame entrepreneurship program in partnership with the College’s Latino Student Union and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP online.
Panelists are Shakyra Diaz, chief of federal advocacy for the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a national organization focused on reforming the criminal justice system; Alysha L. Ellis, M.B.A., creator of MasLaRae.com; and Myra Rosario, founder of Latino Cleveland, now LC Media + Marketing.
Sheila Wright, M.B.A., J.D., a partner and president of Frontline Development Group, a real estate development firm, will serve as moderator.
Notre Dame Entrepreneurs
An all-women College nearly 80 of its 100 years, Notre Dame has graduated numerous alumnae who have become proprietors of their own businesses, including Andrews McMeel Media Syndicate, which publishes popular comics, and David and Arlene Brown & Associates, operating sales for Cisco Systems networking, among other tech giants.
The Sisters of Notre Dame also are entrepreneurs, founding the College in 1922.
Women in Leadership
Women are underrepresented in corporate leadership and entrepreneurship. They are half as likely to start a new business compared to their male counterparts. Female entrepreneurs are financed at lower rates than men, too. Women across ethnicities are underrepresented in executive roles, with only two Fortune 500 companies having had Latina CEOs.
March is national Women’s History Month, an annual commemoration to support the celebration, observance and study of women in American history.
About Sheila Wright
While working in real estate development, Wright is president of the Good Community Foundation, a privately owned charitable organization and founder of the CREW Foundation, dedicated to racial equity in workforce development.
She serves on numerous boards, as well: The City Club of Cleveland, Karamu House and Growth Opportunity Partners, among others. She earned her M.B.A from Case Western Reserve University and her law degree from Cleveland State University.
About Shakyra Diaz
Before her current position with the Alliance for Safety and Justice, Diaz served as chief of staff for the State of Ohio director and managing director of partnerships. She is policy director, and former education director, for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Cleveland.
Diaz earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in communications science and sociology with a concentration in social justice at Case Western University, where she previously worked as an education specialist with their Upward Bound program.
About Alysha Ellis
In addition to starting Mas LaRae, a multi-media platform, Ellis is co-founder of FutureLAND, a multi-day conference celebrating diversity. She serves as lead visionary for IGNITE With Light, a partnership supporting and serving innovators, entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Ellis operates her own consulting firm focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and strategic planning.
About Myra Rosario
Rosario started Latino Cleveland, a media group highlighting Hispanic communities in Northeast Ohio, which has become LC Media + Marketing, which is a certified, full-service multicultural ad agency.
She is a client relations video producer with 216 Studios and has worked as an executive producer and on-air talent with WKYC Channel 3 Cleveland. Rosario also has been a national account executive and sales coordinator for several radio stations in Northeast Ohio. She has an associate’s degree in communication and media studies from Cuyahoga Community College.
March 2023
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.