The Transportation First Series offers a platform to discuss the challenges faced by our region, with the input of experts and changemakers.
06/12/2025
2:45pm - 4:30pm
Hybrid | Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Hear from Senator Edward J. Markey, a consumer champion and leader on energy, environmental protection, and telecommunications policy.
06/16/2025
9:45am - 11:00am
Boston Marriott Long Wharf
This Women's Network event will offer an insightful conversation with Dr. Melissa Gilliam, the 11th President of Boston University and both the first woman and the first Black woman to lead the institution since its founding in 1869.
06/18/2025
11:30am - 1:00pm
Fairmont Copley Plaza
This program is in redevelopment. Click this page for DEI resources.
Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.
Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.
Join us on June 12 for a highly interactive virtual workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney.
City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.
We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).
Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.
BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.
For over 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.
The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.
Explore our mission and values to better understand how we are leading the business community forward.
Our member directory is your resource to discover, connect, and engage with Boston’s businesses from every industry and sector.
Celebrating Greater Boston’s Women in Leadership
The Pinnacle Awards is the premier event for women in business, and honors incredible leading women for their outstanding contributions to the workplace and commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the region.
This year, women in Greater Boston have once again shown their resiliency and commitment to success despite national and global crises.
On Friday, March 4, we celebrated some of Greater Boston’s outstanding women leaders. The 2022 Pinnacle Awards, which took place over two days, consisted of virtual workshops led by distinguished speakers as well as an in-person awards ceremony at the new Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport. With over 1,500 workshop viewers and more than 700 award ceremony attendees, the energy from the event was palpable both on screen and off.
The first day of the 2022 Pinnacle Awards offered four inspiring workshops. Workshop topics included Empowering Leadership, Overcoming Burnout, The Importance of Authentically Bringing With, Rather Than Leaving Behind, and Managing & Mentoring a Hybrid Workforce. These were some main takeaways from the workshops:
“Building a network is job number one when it comes to building a business. Networking is currency… I always make sure that those connections are followed up with significant conversations.” – Jennifer Harrington, President & Founder of HATCH the Agency; Empowering Leadership
“Everybody has a story, and everybody wants to share their story. Ask women what their passions are. Ask women what gets them up in the morning.” – Julie Livingstone, Senior Development Manager at The HYM Investment Group, LLC; Empowering Leadership
“Reports show that both men and women, especially parents of young children would like to see a greater proportion of their work take place in the home.” – Dr. Mekala Krishnan, Partner at McKinsey & Company; Overcoming Burnout
“We found that people were working more hours at home and there is a lot of reasons for it, it felt like our contributions weren’t felt if we weren’t in the office.” – Rosanne Williams, Learning & Leadership Development Director at Accenture; Managing & Mentoring a Hybrid Workforce
“Are you doing this by yourself? Or are you recognizing that even in spaces of competition, we can work together?” – Bernadine Desanges, Founder & CEO of Know Your Truths. Speak Your Truths., LLC; Moving Up: The Importance of Authentically Bringing With, Rather Than Leaving Behind
On the second day of the 28th annual Pinnacle Awards, the in-person ceremony was introduced by none other than Jim Rooney, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s President & CEO, who kicked us off by sharing, “As we learn each year at this event, women are making an incredible impact in Boston and Massachusetts. Our talented workforce is our region’s competitive advantage – and we know that fifty percent of that workforce is comprised of women.”
Our Women’s Network Advisory Board Chair, Susan Loconto Penta of MIDIOR Consulting, followed by emphasizing, “I am thrilled to continue to advocate for and support the journeys of women entrepreneurs at all stages of their business, and I invite you to also champion women businesses in your daily lives and in your procurement decisions.”
Mayor Michelle Wu joined us in recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of our ten honorees. She provided insight on the vast number of women who have dropped out of the workforce since the start of the pandemic (4 times more than the number of men). She stated that “we need a just system in order to ensure an equitable recovery from this pandemic. And working women must be at the heart of that recovery.”
Words of wisdom, inspirational stories, encouragement, and support poured off the stage from honorees as they accepted their awards.
“To quote Walt Whitman… and Ted Lasso quoting Walt Whitman: ‘Be curious. Not judgmental.’ Don’t judge yourself by what you don’t know. Let curiosity guide you to the place where you find out. And when you get there… and opportunities present themselves… Definitely SAY YES!”
– Lisa Hughes, Anchor at WBZ-TV News
“To the young women here today, my advice is this: believe in and cultivate your natural talents. Don’t fight it. Find your passion and follow it. And above all else, be relentless, tenacious, and never give up. Just like those ocean ebbs and flows.” – Vikki N. Spruill, President & CEO at New England Aquarium
“I would propose that ‘lifetime achievement’ is not an end point. There’s no ‘there’ there. Lifetime achievement is an ongoing way of being. There are days when you can be in the privilege of self-actualization and ask yourself ‘What else, what more, what’s possible…’ And there are days when you can be in the grace of self-compassion and congratulate yourself for making it through the day.” – Judy Habib, Founder & CEO of KHJ Brand Activation
Congratulations to our 2022 Pinnacle Award honorees. We admire and appreciate the hard work each of you has contributed to bettering the Greater Boston Region and cannot wait to see what you accomplish in the next step of your incredible journeys.
We would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who played a part in making the 2022 Pinnacle Awards such an amazing event! Thank you to our presenting sponsors, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Seyfarth, and The TJX Companies, past honoree sponsor, Morgan Stanley, and media sponsor, WBZ-TV.
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