Ann King Lagos, Founder + Designer REALM Fine + Fashion Jewelry, shared the story behind her title with us on December 23, 2024.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: “Listen in as I sit down with Maria to talk about her younger years growing up in Philadelphia, playing varsity soccer on a boy's team, the loss of her father to Colon Cancer, her best advice for women in sales, and why she loves her job so much!”

ABOUT ANN:

Ann began her career "at the bench," hand-forging precious metals using traditional fine jewelry techniques. A chance meeting at a trade show led her to love, marriage and LAGOS®. For over two decades Ann and Steven Lagos collaborated to create one of the world's top jewelry companies. When QVC came calling, Ann responded with the Ann King for QVC collection and sold it on air. Along the way her work garnered numerous awards, including Moore College of Art's Visionary Women Award honoring outstanding women leaders who have made a powerful impact in the world of art and design.

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Maria Grasso, the Chief Sales Officer at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), shared the story behind her title with us on December 4, 2024.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: “Listen in as I sit down with Maria to talk about her younger years growing up in Philadelphia, playing varsity soccer on a boy's team, the loss of her father to Colon Cancer, her best advice for women in sales, and why she loves her job so much!”

ABOUT MARIA:

Maria Grasso is the Chief Sales Officer at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), leading three business development divisions, the convention sales team and destination services team in growing convention bookings, while positioning Philadelphia as the premier destination for meetings, conventions and major events.

Actively involved in Philadelphia's hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Maria serves as the hotel accommodations expert, representing Philadelphia and the PHLCVB with FIFA and U.S. Soccer. She has served in similar capacities for other historic events including the 2015 World Meeting of Families & Papal Visit, 2016 Democratic National Convention and the 2017 NFL Draft.

A 25 year veteran of the organization, Maria joined the PHLCVB in 1999 as senior director of national accounts, quickly establishing herself as the organization's top-producing sales director. She most recently served as vice president of sales and convention services, a customer-facing role focusing on organizational growth in key industry verticals.

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Shauna Sweeney, Founder & CEO of Tender, shared the story behind her title with us on November 20, 2024.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "This interview with Shauna was a personal one for me. Having lost my mother, her two sisters and my grandfather to Alzheimer's, the new tech company Shauna founded would have been a Godsend.  Shauna talks about growing up with her single dad and the tight bond they formed, his later diagnosis with Alzheimer's and her decision to leave a successful job at Meta to develop an app that would assist caregivers as they maneuver the complex and frightening world of taking care of a loved one with chronic disease."

ABOUT SHAUNA:

Shauna's personal journey of caring for her father, who has early-onset Alzheimer's, inspired her to help millions of family caregivers like her through technology. Prior to Tender, Shauna was a tech executive and led a significant Employee Resource Group, Caregiving@, for aging parents and caregivers. Before that she was a professor of rhetoric at USC. Beyond her professional roles, she contributes to her community, having served on the boards of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the Asia Society. Shauna resides in New York in a historic, converted 1850s barn with her husband, daughter, two step-children, and their pet sheepdog, along with a small flock of chickens.

LEARN MORE:

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Allie Griswold, CEO & Co-Founder of Mayne & Co., shared the story behind her title with us on November 13, 2024.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "Listen in as I sit down with Allie to talk about her visionary grandmother, Jean Griswold, the Founder of Griswold Home Care, her competitive nature growing up as a Polo and Ice Hockey player competing with the boys, the dynamic of her relationship with her co-founder brothers, and why it is important to always be open-minded when faced with gender bias in the workplace"

ABOUT ALLIE:

Allie started her career in strategy consulting with a focus on consumer goods at McKinsey & Company where she led several global strategy and leadership projects, which ultimately introduced Allie to the beverage industry. While consulting for a large alcohol company, Allie was able to observe a high-level view on how different brands operate within a portfolio, how the three-tier and distribution models work, as well as the best practices for branding 

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Listen in as our founder and host, Sue Rocco, sits down with FOX News's Harris Faulkner, the anchor of The Faulkner Focus and co-host of Outnumbered, just before the 2024 election to get her take on women's role in politics and how all sides can come together to discuss important issues for America.

★★★★★

Harris is a multiple Emmy award-winning anchor. She joined FOX News Channel in 2005 and currently helms two top-rated daily daytime programs – The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11AM-12PM/ET) and serves as the co-host of Outnumbered (weekdays, 12-1PM/ET). She previously anchored Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner, which was number one in its timeslot since its 2017 launch.

DISCLAIMER: Guests of Women to Watch® do not represent the views of our Host, Sue Rocco, or the Women to Watch® brand.

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Mara Smith, Founder & CEO of INSPIRO Tequila, shared the story behind her title with us on October 30, 2024.

★★★★★

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "Listen in as I sit down with Mara to talk about motherhood, her career as an attorney in a large firm, her work as a corporate strategist at McDonald's Corporation, and going on emergency bedrest while pregnant with her twins, which led to the difficult decision to leave the corporate world and start something new."

MORE ABOUT MARA:

Mara Smith, a former attorney in Chicago, started drinking tequila when she was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit into her active lifestyle. She and her friends enjoyed the versatile, carb-free and zero sugar spirit but they were not drawn to the traditional offerings. For years, Mara searched for a tequila brand that was additive-free with a look, taste and aroma that appealed to her and that she could share with her friends and family and proudly display on her bar. That perfect tequila simply did not exist, so she decided to create one.

Mara went to work studying the industry, and more importantly researching and testing what mindful consumers like her were looking for in a tequila. Her goal was to create a clean, smooth and sippable 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila without any of the additives often found in other tequilas, and with every detail thoughtfully crafted, from the meticulous production process to the sophisticated and sleek bottle that is easy to hold and pour.

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Liz Hirsh Naftali, Hostage Advocate & Podcaster, shared the story behind her title with us on October 23, 2024.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: “Listen in as I sit down with Laura to talk about the loss of her father when she was 8, why it led to a deep understanding of the fragility of life, how an internship at Madison Square Garden opened her eyes to her love of business and creativity and why becoming a mother was the best thing that ever happened to her career."

MORE ABOUT LIZ:

Liz Hirsh Naftali is the great-aunt of Abigail Mor Edan, a three-year-old who was held hostage in Gaza for fifty-one days. Abigail was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, from her community, Kfar Aza, after her parents were both murdered in front of her by Hamas terrorists. 

In the wake of that attack, Naftali became a fervent advocate working for the release of the hostages. Even after Abigail’s release on November 26, 2023, she remains dedicated to working for all those who remain in captivity in Gaza. Liz is author of “Saving Abigail: The True Story of the Abduction and Rescue of a Three-Year-Old Hostage”.

Liz is also businesswoman and the host and creator of The Capitol Coffee Connection podcast, a platform where she invites prominent, diverse leaders to talk about the common thread that binds us all together—our shared experiences, stories, and the very essence of our heart and humanity—leaving out politics and policy.

She was raised in Los Angeles where Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam were an important part of her upbringing. Her father, Stanley Hirsh, was the publisher of the Jewish Journal, president of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and chairman of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. Her mother, Anita Hirsh, was a leader in the Soviet Jewry movement and Jewish Family Service in Los Angeles. Naftali is the mother of five children and has lived between Israel and the US since 1992. 

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Laura Miranda, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, B. Partners, shared the story behind her title with us on October 16, 2024.

★★★★★

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "Listen in as I sit down with Laura to talk about the loss of her father when she was 8, why it led to a deep understanding of the fragility of life, how an internship at Madison Square Garden opened her eyes to her love of business and creativity and why becoming a mother was the best thing that ever happened to her career."

Laura started her career at just 19 years old with an internship at Madison Square Garden and went on to excel at selling sponsorships—generating millions for many preeminent sports properties within a global marketing agency. Having grown up in rural Middle America, it was a dream come true.

In 2014, she began applying sports best-practices to non-traditional properties, pioneering an innovative partnership-led solution that drove significant revenue and brand equity. Passionate about the art of possibility and driving success for her clients, Laura is a catalyst for growth.

Laura and her husband Bryan live in Westfield, NJ with their four children (two sets of twin toddlers) and what seems like an army of much appreciated childcare givers.

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Nora Barry, Managing Partner of Bridge View Media, shared the story behind her title with us on October 9, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "Listen in as I sit down with with Nora to talk about her life growing up outside of Philadelphia in a large Irish Catholic family, her love of the Girl Scouts, a time spent backpacking alone through France and the pioneering company she founded in 1997 called The Bit Screen."

ABOUT NORA:

Nora is the managing partner of Bridge View Media, a communications consultancy, and the author of "The Strategy of Story--Why Story Works and How You Can Make It Work for You".

Nora has written for the Wall St. Journal, Forbes, and Reuters and has written extensively about story and emerging forms of narrative across multiple platforms. Nora has been a jurist for a number of film festivals and she launched the first website for online film, The Bit Screen, in 1998. She coaches clients on story and presentation skills.

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Inge Smidts, CEO of Cable & Wireless Communications, shared the story behind her title with us on October 2, 2024.

★★★★★

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "Listen in as I sit down with Inge to talk about her early years growing up in Antwerp, Belgium, the personal adversity she and her family faced during Covid and why she's excited for the important work she is doing connecting the people of the Caribbean to the rest of the world."

Inge leads the Cable & Wireless Communication's team with vision and expertise. With a wealth of experience in the telecom industry, Inge is responsible for overseeing the company’s operational performance, including strategic planning, technology evaluation, product development and implementation, sales, operations, and customer service. 

Inge's previous experience includes serving as Senior Vice President of Residential Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer for Liberty Global in the Netherlands and holding various Marketing and Commercial positions with Procter & Gamble. 

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