2024 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION
This year marks the inaugural Women of Inspiration Awards, and we are thrilled to announce the honorees! These incredible women, who embody our core values, were nominated by their fellow Women to Women Network members. Their presence in our community has been felt and appreciated and is now celebrated.
The Women of Inspiration Award categories include:
The Connector Award—This award is for the individual who lives for connecting others with each other, would be the first to speak your name in a room full of opportunities, and embodies our values of leading with relationships first.
The Entrepreneurship Award—This award is for the person who owns a company and is a true innovator in their industry. Their success and growth are truly to be admired, and as a leader in their company, they embody the mission and values of the Women to Women Network.
The Authenticity Award—This award is for the person who lives and breathes authenticity, isn't afraid to be their genuine self, and embodies our values of being welcoming to all.
The Award Recipients will be announced during the Inspire After Party at the 2024 Inspire Conference on September 27.
We extend a heartfelt thank you to each of these incredible women for being a part of our membership!
Here are this year’s honorees and what our members had to say about them:
Allison Keeley | Lioness Communication Coaching
“Allison lives and breathes the mission, vision, purpose of WtoWN. She is welcoming, inclusive and incredibly thoughtful. Her enthusiasm for helping women in our community is contagious. Allison makes it a priority to visit all [her local chapters] and get to know all people. She is amazing at recognizing who needs to meet whom and making introductions.”
Amber Dolphin King | HZCU- Horizon Credit Union
“I admire women who elevate others and forge meaningful connections. They uplift those around them, fostering a sense of community and support. Amber is the pillar of elevating other people’s names in rooms they are not in. I can’t count the number of times I have heard her say, "You need to meet... she is incredible." Something I admire is how she knows exactly who she is and doesn't apologize for the space she owns, and encourages other women to shine alongside her. Grace, kindness, a little New Yorker crass. What's not to truly love about this connector!”
Emily Romero | Castle & Cooke Mortgage
“Emily is sunshine personified - she embodies all of our core values in how she carries herself and in the way she makes an intentional effort to connect with every person at our events. Her smile and warmth always let me know that I am safe to be vulnerable around her - she is the rare 3 a.m. phone call friend, and I am so grateful she is a part of Idaho's leadership team.”
Jen Sharp Kornoely | Sharp Branding Photography
“Jen is truly an innovator in her industry. Speaking with her and watching her business grow and innovate in its space is truly a privilege. She is always stretching herself and investing in her business so that she can continue to provide expertise in her professional space. Jen embodies all of our core values and leads with such integrity, authenticity, and inclusion.”
Kelli Poindexter | Poindexter Corrective Exercise Center
“Kelli has always been an open book and so willing and able to share her experiences to help others. She always has a smile on her face, is open to collaboration, and truly roots for others to succeed. She is also fearless in her approach to business and pushes herself to stretch beyond her boundaries. Keli is a shining example of collaboration in action as she works with others for mutual benefit and elevates those around her.”
Kristen Winter | Wealthwave Financial Professional
“Kristen always leads heart-first, is easy to talk to, and is great about providing financial education. The information she shared with me really opened my eyes to saving differently and changed my mindset about money. It's been a huge win, both personally and professionally, to have met and become friends with Kristen. She is a phenomenal financial advisor.”
Lisa Donnellon | Employee Benefits Consultants
“Lisa lives, loves, and contributes in the most authentic and meaningful ways. Lisa is a breath of fresh air and leads with genuine compassion towards everyone. As the Treasure Valley Non-Profit Director for WtoWN, Lisa has created meaningful relationships in the community and has been a key pillar in successfully launching her role on Idaho's regional team. Lisa shows up as her genuine self at every single event, meeting, and social gathering; she elevates the regional team with her unique ideas and creative problem-solving. She is a heartbeat for us in the Idaho Region of WtoWN.”
Rachel Puljan | Idaho Central Credit Union
“Rachel leads every interaction and is able to command a room just by being her own authentic self. She is unapologetic about who she is, which allows members and guests to feel comfortable and at ease around her at events. Rachel is an incredible leader with the Idaho team and has a way of making you feel welcome and at home at any Women to Women Network event.”
Sarah Holtz | Epicure
“Sarah embraced the Women to Women Network with open arms and hasn't stopped brightening our events ever since. She is passionate about her work, but the relationships she's creating along the way are what really shine through. Her commitment to her clients and fellow WtoWN members is so special! Making our lives a little easier every day!”
Shar Banerjee | OneDigital
“Shar Banerjee is unabashedly real in her interactions with others. She shows up as her true self without pretense, and you are never left questioning her objectives or who she is as a person. She is open, kind, and generous, with a strong conviction in her values. She is genuinely curious to learn about others and understand their point of view and their needs. She welcomes open and deep dialog around topics that can be hot buttons but are the types of conversations we should be having in business and society. She is a wonderful sounding board to discuss ideas with and offers objective insight with careful consideration of the bigger picture. She is also a true connector and goes out of her way to facilitate introductions.”
Susan Beard | Northwest Nazarene University
“Susan is the ultimate connector. She lives to connect women inside and outside of our membership and is always connecting the Women to Women Network with women in her community. She is a relationships-first leader by nature and an advocate for WtoWN.”
Whitney Elliott | Bee Organized
“Whitney joined the Women to Women Network in January of 2023 and immediately sought ways to take advantage of her membership and all the opportunities. I met with her personally and was impressed with her thoughtful approach to her business strategy and how she was building sustainable operations that would allow her to scale efficiently. I have since been impressed with her company's growth around the region. She is ambitious, driven, and compassionate. She cares about her team. She is mindful of her own limitations (work/life balance) and makes prudent decisions to protect the health of her company and her own well-being. She is a great example of successful entrepreneurship.”
Zoe Batie | New York Life
“If I could use a word that could perfectly describe Zoe's energy, it would be fearless. She is unafraid to strike up a conversation with anyone and enter into a completely new industry with an attitude of "I can figure it out." Her example is one that is inspiring and could motivate the most uncertain person to take that leap they have been thinking about for so long.”