Women to Watch Media® with Sue Rocco – Details, episodes & analysis

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

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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.

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.

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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.

Eylem Demir Sentürk, Founder of Women on Stage, shared the story behind her title with us on September 25, 2024.

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Of the interview, our founder and host, Sue Rocco, says: "Listen in as I sit down with Eylem this week to talk about Eylem's family having to flee Turkey as Kurdish members, the challenge of integrating into a new culture in Switzerland, her experience with workplace bullying by her manager in a large Pharma company that led to a mental and physical breakdown, and the founding of her new venture to help working women thrive."

ABOUT EYLEM:

Beginning her career in the banking world, Eylem swiftly transitioned into the Pharma Industry, leaving an indelible mark at renowned companies such as Actelion, Celgene, Vifor Pharma, Novartis, and Bayer. Over a span of 22 years, she not only led international teams but also collaborated with professionals from 40 different nationalities. Eylem’s commitment to excellence extended beyond corporate boundaries as she coached, and trained over 1000 individuals.

On June 12, 2022, we shared the true story behind the title of Dr. Robyn Graham, a Business and Mindset Coach, the Host of The Robyn Graham Show, and the author of You, Me, and Anxiety: Take Action Over Anxiety to Enjoy Being You, in which she shares her life-long journey with anxiety to help others navigate anxiety to live a joyful, peaceful, purposeful life.

Dr. Graham is passionate about serving others and helping high-achieving anxious women find clarity around their purpose, so they can build personal brands and strong foundations for long-term business success. 

Dr. Graham helps her clients overcome mindset barriers, create brand marketing strategies, navigate the challenges of tech, systems and processes, and take intentional effective action to build the businesses of their dreams. She saves her clients from investing time, energy, and money with no results.

Dr. Graham enjoys speaking about personal branding, mindset, anxiety, and faith to help women become confident in pursuing their God-led callings and navigate the digital world of entrepreneurship. 

Dr. Graham is a wife, a mom of three, and a woman of faith. She serves on the executive board of directors for Face to Face Germantown, an organization in the greater Philadelphia area that provides support and much-needed services to impoverished members of the community.

SUE SAYS

"Today's entrepreneur has a lot to think about and an enormous amount of 'to do's" to manage. Before any of it can be done effectively, you need to have the right mindset that comes from a deep dive of introspection into who you are and what makes you tick. Robyn Graham learned first-hand how to manage her own anxiety in order to build her dream business and she can help you too."

Karith Foster, Author, Speaker, Comic, Diversity Engagement Specialist and Founder of INVERSITY™ Solutions, shared the story behind her title with us on June 5, 2022.

For nearly two decades, Karith has taken her passion for entertaining and critical thinking nationwide- from the airwaves to organizations; from universities to corporations creating a seismic shift in mindsets to create a space for effective communication.  

​She is the visionary behind INVERSITY™ a philosophy and methodology intentionally designed to revolutionize and transform the way we address issues of diversity and leadership.

As the former co-host of controversial radio personality Don Imus and a former Fortune 500 human resources executive administrator, Karith draws inspiration from her vast experiences, creating the perfect blend of anecdotes, audience engagement, and expertise to convey the constant need to address diversity and inclusion. She builds a true connection to her audiences, providing individuals with not only information about diversity but simple ways to promote inclusion in their daily lives. Karith leaves each of her audiences feeling inspired and encouraged to commit to a journey to find mutual respect, acceptance, and a greater sense of belonging.

"Karith Foster grew up as the only black girl in her class and suffered an identity crisis in her early years. What she discovered later was that her experience actually became a benefit leading to her ability to not let others define who she is."

Sandra Clark, CEO of StoryCorps, shared the story behind her title with us on May 29, 2022.

As Vice President for News and Civic Dialogue at WHYY in Philadelphia since 2016 and a member of the executive team, Sandra led WHYY’s news operation across all platforms, including radio, TV, web, and digital, and works collaboratively with teams across the enterprise to expand and diversify local audiences and national program carriage, grow revenue and build membership, and amplify the station’s brand and positioning.

Sandra is a leading voice in journalism, challenging norms and practices that create barriers to building trust and meaningful, sustainable connections with communities. She is credited as the primary driver of the station’s diversity, cultural competency, community engagement, and trust-building efforts. Under her guidance, WHYY’s newsroom went from 19% to 45% BIPOC in four years. Her innovative mutual-aid engagement approach with local content creators and communities of color has drawn national recognition as models for stations across the country.

Angela Val, President & CEO of VISIT PHILADELPHIA®, shared the story behind her title with us on May 22, 2022.

Angela is charged with spearheading the economic engine for the region’s robust tourism industry, which supports local businesses, creates jobs, generates taxes, and ultimately enhances residents’ quality of life.

A recognized trailblazer within Philadelphia’s tourism and hospitality industry, Val brings more than two decades of destination marketing experience to her role, which she assumed in June 2022. Her distinct track record of success and impact in destination marketing and organizational leadership will take VISIT PHILADELPHIA® to new heights of recognition among diverse regional and national audiences.

Val’s homecoming to VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is full-circle. She began her career at the organization 17 years ago, where she worked her way up from executive assistant to the c-suite. Her efforts helped establish the organization as a powerhouse, executing some of its most successful campaigns and initiatives, including With Art Philadelphia, Philly 360, Philadelphia Neighborhoods, and the Philly Overnight Hotel Package. Val significantly contributed to the organization’s growth and concluded her first tenure in 2016 as Chief External Affairs Officer.

Val is an effective leader, connector, and culture builder, always striving to lead by example with an approachable and earnest executive style. She is abundantly committed to bringing vibrancy to Philadelphia’s business and cultural communities and currently serves on the board of Horizons Greater Philadelphia. A Maryland native, Val moved to Philadelphia to attend Drexel University, where she received her bachelor’s degree and made the city her chosen home upon graduation. Thirty-one years later, she now resides in Point Breeze with her husband, Joe.

Renée Williams​, Executive Director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, shared the story behind her title with us on May 15, 2022.

In addition to being the Executive Director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, Renée also serves as the Director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association, an affiliate program of the National Center. Prior to taking the helm of the NCCV, Renée was the executive director of a legal services organization in Pittsburgh, which focused on the legal rights of victims of domestic violence and other indigent clients. Renée is seasoned in nonprofit leadership, also serving as a board member for several non-profits, most recently, Voices in Action and the Community Liver Alliance. Renée is passionate and stays connected to the community as well. She volunteers at Children’s National Hospital and Maryland Therapeutic Riding, and advocates for children as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA). For these efforts, she has been recognized as an Athena Young Professional Finalist, named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 under 40, and received a Jefferson Award. Renée completed her undergraduate studies in theatre arts at Point Park University and subsequently received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Law.

Renee grew up with educators as parents and a desire to go into the arts. Her aspirations would take a turn however when a family member became involved in a criminal case, and Renee saw firsthand how victims of crime are treated within our justice system. She would go on to become a leader for victims' rights across the country.

Priscilla Sims Brown, President & Chief Executive Officer of Amalgamated Bank, shared the story behind her title with us on May 8, 2022.

Priscilla is a multi-national board director and C-suite executive with 30 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Amalgamated Bank she was the Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she focused on rebuilding trust and pride in the bank with direct responsibility for end-to-end marketing, branding, stakeholder insights, government and public affairs, and environment and social policy.

Prior to Commonwealth Bank, Ms. Brown held senior positions at AXA Financial, Inc., Sun Life Financial, and Lincoln Financial Group. She has advised several digital startups and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Emerge.me, a digital health insurance broker.

She was a member of the AXA Financial US Executive Committee, serving as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), where she directed all aspects of US marketing and led global digital marketing initiatives. Prior to AXA Financial, Ms. Brown served as CMO at AmeriHealth/Caritas, where she developed a new go-to-market strategy for the largest Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicaid company in response to the Affordable Care Act. At Sun Life, Ms. Brown served as CMO and Chief Strategist, where she negotiated and managed Sun Life Stadium naming rights, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl and other major events with the Miami Dolphins NFL football team.

"Priscilla did not grow up in what society would describe as traditional. She was left by her parents in the U. S. and adopted so that her mother could return to Ethiopia as the first woman to serve as a Senator there. Priscilla describes herself as having both the genetic makeup of her biological mother as well as the influences of her adopted mother. Both shaped her and led her down the path of social justice."

Elissa Brown, Founder & CEO of Polite Tumor, shared the story behind their titles with us on May 1, 2022.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 31, Elissa launched Polite Tumor in 2017 as a response to the community that emotionally and financially supported her and that was critical in her healing process.

Polite Tumor’s mission is to provide financial assistance to women under 40 who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. When financial assistance comes with strings attached, the message is “we know what you need more than you know what you need.” Polite Tumor challenges that model. What we know is that cancer is expensive, that every woman’s needs are different, and that no one can foresee the financial obstacles that will be thrown their way. We’re giving women the opportunity to look beyond their diagnosis and their treatment, we’re providing the freedom to heal – however they define it.

"At 31 Elissa was diagnosed with breast cancer. A year later she set out to help other young women finance the high cost of beating this awful disease. As someone who always believed she could conquer anything, naive as that might sound she states, that her non-profit is unique, growing, and sure to become national in no time."