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Athena on Boards Series

Fueling the Boardroom Pipeline

In Progress | AOB Cohort 11

Athena On Boards is a 5-month workshop series that prepares women with their boardroom placement strategies. Central to the program’s success is the assignment to a smaller cohort of 4-6 women and led by an executive female mentor that helps mentees:

  1. Design your board bio that captures your governance capabilities and specific value-add for targeted companies; 

  2. Articulate and role-play your boardroom superpower pitch with your peers and mentor, and

  3. Stay accountable in activating your network on your boardroom intentions and executing on your board search strategy.

 

Each participant completes an application detailing the types of board, the targeted sector and other relative info as we assign the dedicated mentoring cohorts accordingly.  These smaller mentor groups meet on alternate months of the AoB workshops and are announced during workshop #1.

AoB Curriculum 

Workshop 1 | Introduction to Athena on Boards

Legal overview of roles and responsibilities and corporate landscape of boardroom compliance

Workshop 2 | How to Join the Winner's Circle

AoB alumni share their entire journey in landing their board seats

 

Workshop 3 | Women With A Seat & Voice In The Boardroom

Female Board Directors share their experiences on how governing actually works inside the boardroom

Following graduation, Athena publishes each alumnae profile on a dedicated webpage and promotes them in The Athena Effect newsletter and on social media throughout the year. 

To secure your spot on the next cohort waitlist, contact Athena CEO, Holly Smithson

and launch your boardroom journey among Athena's pioneers.

“Athena On Boards program profoundly increased my boardroom knowledge, motivation to serve others, and confidence, resulting in my first board appointment two months after completing the program. I appreciate the mentoring and encouragement from the invaluable Athena network.”

Sharon Schwab 

Global Senior Portfolio Manager | BD

"AOB helped me target the areas where I can meaningfully contribute and how to best market those strengths. I highly recommend the networking, educational guidance, and solid preparation that AOB offers and look forward to driving success in my new board seat at CREW San Diego."

Julie Kilpatrick 

Director, Real Estate | UC San Diego

"AOB was truly empowering and provided me with valuable knowledge to aid me in my Board journey. I gained confidence and felt empowered to showcase my value in the boardroom."

Vanessa Small

Senior Director, Biologics

Cue Health, Inc.

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Amara Siva, Ph.D.

VP, Laboratory Operations

Epic Sciences

BOARD APPOINTMENT

June 2022

Alimentiv

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Karen Davies

Chief Development Officer

Sherlock Biosciences

BOARD APPOINTMENT

January 2022

The Bright App

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Jaye Connolly-LaBelle

Chairman & Chief Executive Office

RippleNami, Inc.

BOARD APPOINTMENT

November 2021

Caelum Resources

October 2020

RippleNami Uganda

February 2020

Complete Patient Care Group

April 2015

RippleNami, Inc.

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Dr. Sara Zaknoen 

Principle

Zed Strategic Consulting

BOARD APPOINTMENT

May 2021

aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ: LIFE)

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Ida Khodami

Partner

Two Bear Capital

BOARD APPOINTMENT

January 2021

Athena

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Sharon Schwab

Global Senior Portfolio Manager

BD

BOARD APPOINTMENT

December 2020

Project Management Institute (PMI)
San Diego | VP, Outreach

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Sita Lowman

VP and General Manager, Platform Services Integrated Practice

DXC Technologies

BOARD APPOINTMENT

June 2020

One Stop Systems
(NASDAQ: OSS)

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Rachel Ford Hutman

Founder and CEO

Ford Hutman Media

BOARD APPOINTMENT

June 2022

dbaPlatform

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Carmen Rene

CFO

EnergySource, LLC

BOARD APPOINTMENT

December 2021

CSUSM Corporation Board

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Vanessa Small

Senior Director, Biologics

Cue Health, Inc.

BOARD APPOINTMENT

July 2021

Digital Dx Ventures

October 2020

Together Estranged

2020

EDNA.LIFE

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Susan Miller

Sr. Director, Global Product Security

Oracle

BOARD APPOINTMENT

April 2021

BrightApp Inc.

August 2021

Gary Sinise Foundation

January 2022

Palomar College Foundation

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Shirin Alipanah

Principal

Avasant

BOARD APPOINTMENT

January 2021

Oakstone Homeowners
Association | Treasurer

September 2022

Project Management Institute - SD Chapter VP