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Formerly known as the NJBIZ Best Fifty Women in Business, this program has been expanded for 2024 to allow us to honor even more of the state’s top leaders. 

In fact, this year we are recognizing 60 professionals with our Leading Women in Business awards. These are the women who have made a significant impact on business in New Jersey as well as in their communities. 

For the first time, the program includes a Rising Star category, which is open to women under the age of 30 who are up-and-coming leaders with high potential to one day fill senior-level roles and shape the future. There are three inaugural recipients of this award category this year. 

After an open nomination process, a panel of independent judges selected this year’s honorees using a points system to evaluate submissions.   

The community is invited to celebrate these women in person Oct. 15 from 6-9 p.m. at The Palace at Somerset Park. Tickets for the event are available on the event page. 

The celebration, brought to you by Provident Bank, will feature a cocktail reception followed by the award presentation. After the ceremony, a dessert and networking reception will take place.

Congratulations to the 2024 NJBIZ Leading Women in Business! 

Anne Marie Almasi, owner and president
Almasi Cos. LLC, Woodbridge 

Farah Ansari, partner
Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP, Florham Park 

Tara Augustine, president and CEO
Youth Consultation Service Inc. (YCS), Newark 

Yael Averbuch West, general manager and head of soccer operations
NJ/NY Gotham FC, Whippany 

Stacey Bender, CEO and founder
Bender Group Public Relations, East Brunswick 

Wendy Blacher, executive director, market executive for Northern New Jersey
JPMorganChase, Saddle Brook 

Vanessa Broadhurst, executive vice president, Global Corporate Affairs
Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick 

Karen Campi, vice president, Marketing and Community Affairs
Campi Dental, Wall 

Tara Carver, partner
Saul Ewing LLP, Princeton 

Rebecca Cenni-Leventhal, founder and CEO
Atrium, Holmdel 

Karen Chopra, enterprise Hispanic-Latino business strategy executive
Bank of America, Iselin 

Laura Crothers, founder and CEO
Crothers Consulting, Randolph 

Stacie Curtis, president and founder
CW Solutions, New Brunswick 

Danielle Daly, chief marketing and communications officer
ConnectiveRx, Whippany 

Jennifer D’Angelo, chief operating officer and executive vice president of health care
New Jersey Innovation Institute, Newark 

Stephanie DeCotiis, senior associate, department manager–Water Resources
H2M architects + engineers, Parsippany 

Shobha Dhadda, chief clinical science and operations officer for neurology and oncology
Eisai Inc., Nutley 

Carolyn Dolci, partner
EisnerAmper LLP, Iselin 

Collyn Gilbert, executive vice president, chief strategy and marketing officer
Valley Bank, Morristown 

Balpreet Grewal-Virk, senior vice president, Community Health
RWJBarnabas Health, West Orange 

Rachael Grochowski, founder and principal
RHG Architecture + Design, Montclair 

Janelle Hall, CEO
United Passaic Organization, Passaic 

Andrea Hering, president and co-founder
Crisis Response Canines, Sicklerville 

Sarah Jane Jelin, president and CEO
Karnak Corp., Clark 

Al-Nesha Jones, founder
ASE Group, West Orange 

Noorus Khan, member of the firm
Smolin, Lupin & Co. LLC, Fairfield 

Dr. Vasantha Kondamudi, designated institutional official and chief medical officer
Holy Name, Teaneck 

Eleanor Kubacki, founder
EFK Group, Trenton 

Laura Lampron, director of marketing
Nisivoccia LLP, Mount Arlington 

Cecilia Lassiter, member of the firm, chair of the State and Local Incentives Practice Group
Sills Cummis & Gross PC, Newark 

Jessica Levin, CEO
Seven Degrees LLC, Somerset 

Lauren Lynch, chief marketing & culture officer
Mandelbaum Barrett PC, Roseland

M. Courtney McCormick, senior vice president of audit, enterprise risk and compliance
PSEG, Newark

Jackeline Mejias-Fuertes, regional director
NJ Small Business Development Center at Brookdale Community College, Middletown 

Alissa Memoli, president and chief development officer
Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation, Mountainside 

Erin Mills, CEO and founder
Strat House, Montclair 

Courtney Mulligan, vice president of marketing
Russo Development, Carlstadt

Erica Brown Oliver, interim vice president of advancement, executive director of marketing & communications
Mercer County Community College, West Windsor 

Angela Pandolfo Roy, chief marketing officer
Gibbons PC, Newark 

Jennifer Porter, practice group leader of Redevelopment, Land Use & Zoning Group
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, Roseland 

Shefali Raina, president and founder
Alpha Lane Partners, Montclair 

Janani Ramkumar, vice president of operations
CS Energy, Edison 

Karen Randall, partner and chair, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Incident Response Group
Connell Foley LLP, Roseland 

Fatema Raza, partner
WithumSmith+Brown PC, Princeton 

Melissa Rosario, regional director, NJ Small Business Development Center
William Paterson University, Wayne 

Lori Roth, global managing partner
Prager Metis CPAs, Basking Ridge 

Christine Royal, vice president, Companion Animal & Equine Business Unit
Merck Animal Health, Rahway 

Dorisse Shakir-Ullah, founder
Career Forward Coaching, West Orange 

Dr. Shefali Shastri, physician partner, clinical director, reproductive endocrinologist
Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA), Basking Ridge 

Rose Suriano, member
Brach Eichler LLC, Roseland 

Robin Tabakin, president
Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corp., Chatham 

Bhavna Tailor, executive vice president of operations
Eastwick College and the Hohokus School, Nutley 

June Toth, principal
WilkinGuttenplan PC CPAs, East Brunswick 

Judy Tucci, vice president, product management & sourcing
Berje Inc., Carteret 

Jennifer Turner, chief human resource officer, Northeast Region
Marsh McLennan Agency, Saddle Brook 

Kim Vaccarella, founder and CEO
Bogg, Secaucus 

Patrice Ventura, vice president, talent development
Hackensack Meridian Health, Edison 

Susan Wernick, chief marketing officer
Bederson LLP, Fairfield 

Melanie Willoughby, executive director
New Jersey Business Action Center, Trenton 

Jennifer Yager, executive vice president, head of financial crimes compliance
Valley Bank, Morristown 

Rising Stars: 

Julia-Marie Cassidy, chief operations officer
Salem Oak Vineyards, Pedricktown 

Amanda Karrenberg, outreach associate
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Paramus 

Brittany Steindl, physical therapist
BLS Physical Therapy, Harrington Park