MadaMind 2024 : Women's History Month Conference + Celebration

For the second year, we are bringing women together for MadaMind — a ‘mastermind’ mini-conference focused on development for a diverse group of women. The timefr ame + format makes the event accessible to many women who may not be able to invest the time, funds or travel associated with many other conferences, but still want to benefit from personal + professional development.

Our experienced + dynamic speakers will cover topic areas, ranging from wealth to partnerships to adventure. MadaMind will culminate in a final hour and a half of celebration + interaction in honour of Women's History Month. Lunch + refreshments are included. All of the proceeds from MadaMind will go towards the annual ERNA Grant. This year, we are commited to providing three grants, of which 60% will be awarded to women + women entrepreneurs.

Speakers include :

Ishita Gaur, Urban Designer + Planner at Marvel

Ishita is an Urban Designer and Planner at Marvel, working on developing visions and master plans for large public projects. She is interested in the social, economic, and cultural conditions of cities and places, and their influence on urban interventions and concept development during the early stages of design. Ishita aims to incorporate community and stakeholder engagement processes in most of her projects and build consensus among the different groups for a transparent and inclusive outcome. She is on the Board of Directors for Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens in Staten Island, and the co-chair of the Junior Board for the non-profit Asia Initiatives, which promotes healthcare, education, sustainable development, and women empowerment in underserved communities through urban design. Ishita is also the recipient of the Urban Design Forum’s Forefront Fellowship for the year 2018, with a focus on homelessness in New York, and was a member of the Emerging Leaders Program with the Beverley Willis Architectural Foundation in 2019.

Bolanle Williams-Olley, CFO at Mancini Duffy

Bolanle Williams-Olley is the CFO and co-owner of Mancini Duffy, a national design firm with over 100 years of history and a tech-forward approach based in New York City, where she oversees the firm's financial and operational performance. She has over 16 years of experience working in the AEC industry with a strong background in financial analysis and strategic initiatives. She is also the founder of four impact organizations serving children in low-income communities in Nigeria, women, small firms and creating awareness about NGOs across Nigeria.

As the author of Build Boldly: Chart Your Unique Career Path and Lead with Courage, she is passionate about helping individuals lean into their full potential at each step of their career, from applying to the first job to becoming a leader who empowers others. She urges leaders to challenge the status quo of what the corporate world should look like, introducing new methods to foster space for open voices, collective growth, and meaningful connections.

She is married with two kids, passionate about service and is obsessed with throwing really fun themed parties.

Lauren LeBeaux - Certified Yogi + Healer

Lauren LeBeaux is a certified yoga healer, author, entrepreneur, marketing professional, content creator and the official Glambassador for the City of Newark, New Jersey. A cum laude graduate of Spelman College, Lauren received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where she was the Notes Editor for Rutgers Law Review. After practicing law for ten years, Lauren pivoted to a creative career.Lauren has worked as a festival producer and curator of art exhibits, pop-ups, and public art projects in her role as Director of Marketing and Artistic Initiatives for Newark Arts and former Executive Director of Art in the Atrium, an African American arts organization founded in Morristown, NJ.

Lauren is the founder of Brown Girls Bar Crawl, a popular social club for professional women of color and the author of "100 Things Newark," a tourism guide to the City of Newark which was featured in the New York Times, AP Travel and The National Magazine.

As a holistic practitioner, Lauren assists others to embody their highest selves using trauma-conscious yoga, somatic alignment, energy healing and creative practices, for an integrative and transformative experience. She shares her journey to inspire others to transcend learned limitations and experience the extraordinary.

Latoya Nelson Kamdang, Director of Operations at Ennead Architects

Latoya Nelson Kamdang is a U.S. Fulbright Senior Scholar, Registered Architect, Certified Interior Designer, LEED Accredited Professional, Adjunct Professor at Pratt Institute, and the Director of Operations at Ennead Architects.Latoya has developed her career in practice while maintaining a connection to academic research and teaching. She has a research focus on rapidly expanding urban areas, neighborhood gentrification, passive sustainable technologies, and indigenous architecture. Beyond teaching and research, Latoya is a practitioner with experience that spans architecture, planning, exhibit design, and industrial and interior design. She has executed projects in design and project executive capacities in hospitality, aviation, museums, education, and institutional. Latoya was on the design team for the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture. She was an interdisciplinary team member from RFP submission through construction documents. Her spatial focus was the Slavery & Freedom History Gallery. She has also worked on overseas federal projects while a consultant at the Overseas Buildings Operations. Latoya earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania Schoolof Design and a Certificate in Real Estate Design & Development from the Wharton School of Business. She has aMaster of Fine Arts degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from Georgetown University. She actively sits on the board of the American Institute of Architects Board of Directors, the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY, The Billie Holiday Theatre, and the Van Alen Institute. She is the Chair of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee..

Crystal R. Smith - Loc’d In Style

Crystal R. Smith has been diligently working her way to make a name for herself in the competitive beauty and fashion world for over a decade. She began her career as a freelance self-taught makeup artist and became a licensed esthetician before she landed at MAC Cosmetics in the early 2000’s.

She worked her way through fashion shows, indie television and bridal whilst familiarizing herself with other major beauty houses and artist to sharpen her skills as an artist and get a better understanding of the industry as a whole.

Crystal’s work has been published as both a makeup artist and wardrobe stylist whilst also maintaining a lifestyle presence for Afro-Caribbean Women via social media. Crystal resides in New Jersey with her two daughters, Amya and Madison.

Katmerka Ramic, Founding Principal of BLDG Projects

Katmerka is the founding principal of BLDG PROJECTS, INC. which is an architectural and engineering design firm that completes 150+ annual projects in Chicagoland, numerous other states and a handful of other countries. Growing up in the industry, Katmerka has 16+ years of professional experience in the architecture field. Katmerka graduated from UIC with a degree in architecture; her time in school reinforced her belief in the importance of not just education, but experience and hard work in the AEC fields. A refugee – Katmerka was born in Bosnia and migrated to the US at 2 years old. Growing up in Andersonville, a neighborhood of Chicago comprised of many immigrants, she seeks to help people through her work. Her passion is to help others, especially business-owners, by designing spaces that are both beautiful and functional. Positive or negative, she believes in learning something new every day, and applying that knowledge in a way to motivate yourself and others.

Rachel Hislop, Writer + Strategist

Rachel Hislop is a writer, editor, strategist, and native New Yorker. As vice president of content at OkayMedia and editor-in-chief of Okayplayer.com and OkayAfrica.com, Rachelspearheaded a dynamic editorial strategy to engage a youthful demographic and propelled both brands to new heights. Rachel led Beyoncé’s digital presence as digital content manager for Parkwood Entertainment and for the star’s self-titled album, “Lemonade,” “The Formation World Tour,” and the “On The Run Tour.” She also managed digital strategies for Chloe x Halle, Ivy Park, and more. She is currently consulting with purpose-driven businesses and brands on the art of storytelling in the digital realm and has helped brands like Vinyl Me Please, MIME Entertainment, and more re-imagine communication and content strategies in addition to her work on digital storytelling and branding with artists, creatives, and musicians. This year, Mozilla named her as one of their Rise25 25 individuals shaping the future of the internet, recognizing her work in inclusive storytelling.

Ilva Dodaj, Lighting Designer + Educator

Ilva Dodaj is a trained architect who transitioned to architectural lighting in 2007 when she joined Domingo Gonzalez Associates. In her time with the firm she has risen to Associate Principal and has built an extensive portfolio, leading and managing numerous challenging and diverse award-winning projects across the US and Canada. Her projects span transportation, infrastructure, historical preservation, schools, offices, public parks, retail centers, hospitality, and master plans, making her an invaluable asset to the firm.

Ilva splits her time between projects, mentoring new staff, volunteer work on various IES committees (educational, library, office, aviation, transportation) and teaching for the past 10 years at her alma mater as an adjunct professor in Architectural Lighting Design and Core Technology. For demonstrated excellence as a lighting designer, she has been awarded Lighting Designer of the Year 2021 from Lighting Design Magazine, Top 20 Young Professionals 2022 from ENR-NY, Global 40under40 Lighting Designers 2023, and North America 40under40 2018

Maritza Carmona, Director of Government Affairs at BRIC

Maritza Carmona is a leading voice in the arts & culture sector in New York City with over a decade of experience working with cultural, media and parks organizations.

Currently, she leads BRIC’s Government Affairs department, overseeing all city, state, and federal relationships and fundraising efforts, which bring in approximately $12M each fiscal year. Prior to her role at BRIC, Carmona oversaw the Government and Community Affairs portfolio at Friends of the High Line where she raised over $15M for repairs, renovations and expansion of the High Line park. Carmona began her career at El Museo del Barrio where learned the role that cultural institutions play in community development, the importance of representation in the arts and culture sector and the need for public-private partnerships.

As a proud Queens native & resident, Carmona serves on Queens Community Board 5 representing the neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, and Middle Village. She graduated from City University of New York. Carmona is a proud daughter of Colombian immigrants and believes in the power of cultural diplomacy to educate, empower, and connect our communities to one another.

Vivian Lee, FAIA, LEED AP

Driven by the belief that good design can and should inspire, Vivian encourages the team to balance creative vision with aesthetically practical solutions to deliver value to the client and end user. As a Design Director, she champions sustainability and human-centric spaces across commercial, residential, educational, and cultural sectors. With extensive experience leading award-winning projects of all types and scales, Vivian brings over 30 years of passion for the design industry to Gensler. She is the Past Co-Chair of the AIA New York Women in Architecture Committee, through which she develops programs and events to promote design and help advance women to leadership roles. Beyond her contribution to the AIANY Board of Directors, Vivian is a frequent design critic at universities in New York and a panelist at industry events, speaking on her work, the current climate, and what is to come. She has served in Design Award Juries for various AIA chapters, and in 2021-2022, she participated as a juror for the AIA National Latrobe Prize, a grant awarded for research in significant advances to the architecture profession. From her early life in Taiwan and Paraguay to her professional practice in the U.S., China, and Italy, Vivian’s experiences are a boundless collection of cultures, histories, and consciousness. Her exemplary design portfolio elevated her to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows.

Sidpasamde Tiendrebeogo, Designer + Advocate

Sidpasamde Tiendrebeogo NycobaNOMA, Assoc. AIA is an advocate for community cohesion and service. She strives to be a bridge for tighter and stronger bonds, believing deeply in the transformative power of mentorship to create community. With a profound commitment to purposeful work, she infuses every project and endeavor with soul. Currently a junior designer pursuing a Master in Architecture and Urban Design, Sidpasamde holds ambitious goals of developing her home country of Burkina Faso. Beyond her architectural pursuits, she serves as the NOMAS Outreach Committee Chair for Nycoba|NOMA, nurturing her deep-seated passion for fostering community, unity, and cultural awareness. Through initiatives such as Touch Some Grass, Black Men in Architecture, and 21 Questions/7 Women In Architecture, she actively champions diversity and mentorship in the field. As she navigates her professional journey, Sidpasamde ensures the integrity of her work remains steadfastly focused on partnership and community development, poised to make a meaningful impact.

Tammie Ramos-Crispino, Founder + CEO of Fire Me Up! Studio

After leaving her high stress VP position at Goldman Sachs in NYC and taking some time raising her young family, Tammie opened Fire Me Up! Studio in Cranford, NJ in 2013. After a successful seven years in business, in 2020, Tammie decided to expand her creative business portfolio and became co-owner of Craft Haus and Clay Haus in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Her purpose is to create a creative environment accessible to everyone and it makes her so happy to see people of all ages and walks of life come into her studios to create and decompress.

Tammie is not shy to jump on an opportunity and in 2019, she and her husband Todd decided to open F45 Training in Millburn, NJ. They both have a passion for fitness and wellness and they saw this as a great way to bring an amazing fitness program to the community. She is so proud of the community they have built and the lives they have touched in the five years they have been open.

Tammie is also a certified life and business coach and her true passion lies in helping others find their purpose and creative outlet. In addition to running her studios, she teaches pottery wheel classes in her NJ location.

Her supportive approach to business also resonates in her nonprofit work. Tammie is a mentor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and her enthusiasm for reaching out to make a difference is reflected in fundraising activities for the YWCA, NJ Community Food Bank, Big Big World and most recently founder of Art for Puerto Rico, which raised over $25,000 for victims of hurricane Maria. She also hosts retreats and empowerment workshops throughout the US and Puerto Rico.

When she's not busy working, she loves spending time with her beautiful family and two adorable pups.

Dr. Sherry Adjapong-Obeng, PT, DPT, COS-C

Doctor of Physical therapy and clinical review manager at the largest homecare agency in NY - VNS Health. Sherry reviews and ensures accuracy of documentation submitted to insurance for proper reimbursement. She treats patients with a variety of ailments affecting both physical and neurological function to achieve maximum rehabilitation and return to community. Sherry is a product of the Bronx, NY - born and raised- and attended the State University at Buffalo, where she received her bachelor’s in Exercise Science and NYU, where I receive doctorate degree in Physical Therapy. She is a wife, a mother to 3 young children and very much involved in her community in regard to scouting activities for boys and girls. Sherry is on a never-ending journey to learn and grow as a human being, from perfecting her method of braiding her daughter’s hair to improving her skill in various PT techniques. Her dream is to open an adult daycare facility to service her community in order to lighten the load of family caring for older adults and also give older adults a safe entertaining place to hang out.

Sponsors:

Marvel

Studio For

PJA Architects

LOEM

JAMB

By Poche Designs

MadaMind 3/25 Agenda

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

7 Lispenard St, 7 Lispenard Street, New York, United States