Last week, two events showcased how top women in business create and inspire change in people, projects and our city.
In a moderated discussion, the Center City Business Association held a forum called “Women Changing the City” moderated by Brandi Baldwin, CEO of Millennial Ventures Holdings.
The audience first acknowledged the recent promotion of one panelist, Valerie Camillo. She just became the president and CEO of Comcast-Spectacor Sports & Entertainment.
The 48-year-old, formerly the president of business operations, will oversee the Wells Fargo Center and the business operations side of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Philadelphia Wings, the Maine Mariners, and other Spectacor special events. She said
“The future of our country looks different. Companies need to reflect that,” she said.
Other panelists offering their insight into the work world were: Dr. Jayatri Das, director of Science Content and Chief Bioscientist at The Franklin Institute; Romana Lee-Akiyama, executive director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement; Mia Mendoza, president and CEO of Mendoza Group Inc.; and Leslie Patterson-Tyler, vice president of Program Communications and Partnerships at The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc. and also first lady of Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church.
The Public Relations Society of America-Philadelphia Chapter also hosted dynamic speaker Felicia Blow last week. She addressed how to promote and support diversity, equity and inclusion in businesses. Blow added that DEI has an $8 trillion impact.
“We need to try to elevate the discussion on DEI,” she said. “It’s not ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ DEI affects everything we do.”
Blow is national board chair for the Public Relations Society of America. The Philadelphia chapter is celebrating its 70th anniversary just as the national organization observes its 75th anniversary this year.
Blow, an award-winning leader with extensive organizational, strategic planning, leadership and management experience, spoke at the Congregation Rodeph Shalom.
She emphasized that as the world comes out from the coronavirus pandemic and things begin to open up “we’re not at the ‘new normal,’ we’re at the ‘next normal’.”
Blow said that there are various dimensions to diversity and that can be seen by looking at who is sitting in C suites and on boards of companies and nonprofits. She said that employee engagement is critical to DEI and auditing progress will help keep everyone on the same page.
Blow also noted in her presentation how public relations and communications professionals have been at the center of all major movements and events throughout history and cannot be discounted.
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