Women in Business Summit inspires resilience, collaboration at USF Sarasota-Manatee

• Jan Melnik, Strategic Academic Initiatives
• September 22, 2025
• Events

More than 200 business and community leaders gathered at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus for the second annual Women in Business Summit, where speakers shared stories of resilience, innovation and leadership.

The half-day program, presented by Bank of America, featured keynote speaker Lisa Krouse, president and CEO of First Tee and former chair of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, along with panels of executives, educators and community leaders.

"What made this summit so powerful was seeing women share their stories of resilience and leadership," said Marrie Neumer, associate vice president of advancement at USF Sarasota-Manatee, who organized the event. "Together, Muma College of Business faculty and Sarasota-Manatee business professionals showed how collaboration can drive real change and empower the next generation."

Keynote highlights

Krouse, whose career has included leadership roles with the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and the FCCI Board of Directors, urged attendees to embrace challenges as opportunities.

"If the ball is in the rough, play it. If no one expected you to show up, play anyway," Krouse said, drawing on golf analogies. "Walk into the room, even if you're not welcome-that's when change happens."

She also emphasized the importance of persistence, citing trailblazer Brenda Berkman, the first woman firefighter in the New York Fire Department. "Not with permission, but with persistence," Krouse said. "Don't look back-always move forward."

Collaboration across campus and community

The summit opened with remarks from Jean Kabongo, campus dean of the Muma College of Business. "This summit is about fostering leadership, resilience and innovation-values not only central to the program, but also to the work we do every day in the Muma College of Business as we prepare our students for success," Kabongo said.

Kristi Hoskinson, director of business strategy at Muma, served as program emcee. Jamie Kahns, market executive for Bank of America Sarasota/Manatee, welcomed the audience and highlighted the role of partnerships in strengthening the region.

The program included two panels: Women Who Build-Strategy, Innovation & Resilience in Action and Rooted & Resilient-Leading with Emotional Intelligence, Culture & Care.

Panelists included Muma faculty members Lisa Penney, Triparna de Vreede and Sandy Weiss, as well as Bank of America executive Stephenie Whitfield. They shared strategies for adapting to disruption, using artificial intelligence as a creative tool, and building leadership grounded in emotional intelligence.

Chamber of Commerce leaders Jacki Dezelski, Tarnisha Cliatt and Heather Kasten joined moderator Kristen Lessig-Schenerlein of CORE Leadership to discuss collaboration and member well-being in times of challenge.

Voices from the audience

The event also highlighted perspectives from students and community members.

Attendees at the summit shared how the day offered inspiration, new ideas, and opportunities to connect across the community.

Amanda Baxter, a registered nurse at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and a graduate student in the Muma College of Business, said she valued the chance to learn from her professor and panelist, Weiss. "She has been such an inspiration to me as I continue my graduate studies," Baxter said.

Karissa Campbell, a certified financial planner and financial advisor, said she hopes to see more women enter the finance field and explored ways to support students through internships. "In fact, I'd love to explore providing internships for students," she said.

SCORE Manasota (Service Corps of Retired Executives/SBA) mentor Jose Martinez said women entrepreneurs "fuel our economy."

Paula Pelaez, human resources manager at Sarasota-based Sutter Roofing, said she takes pride in being part of the leadership team at a company founded in 1902. She attended the summit to learn new ideas and left "feeling more empowered."

Other attendees reflected on the summit's collaborative atmosphere. "This summit fosters opportunities to engage, be motivated, and share in the inspiration," said Carlos Moreira, director of campus engagement for veteran success and alumni affairs at USF Sarasota-Manatee.

A lasting message

Throughout the day, presenters emphasized that progress often comes through persistence rather than dramatic breakthroughs.

"Not all breakthroughs come with fanfare," Krouse said. "Change does not have to be loud or dramatic to be meaningful. It is persistence that leads to transformative change."

That message, organizers said, resonates closely with USF Sarasota-Manatee's mission to prepare students and professionals to "Be Bold."