3rd ANNUAL VIRTUAL CAREER PANEL

 
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Tuesday, April 7th

6:30 – 8:30 pm EST


This annual event brings together panelists from diverse industries to share their inspirational career journeys, provide mentorship, and connect with our student-athlete community.

Join us as we expand opportunities for the young women of Harlem Lacrosse, fostering mentorship and support to guide them on their professional and personal journeys.

 

What is the Women’s Impact Network?

The Women’s Impact Network (W.I.N.) addresses systemic and programmatic challenges, provides intentional opportunities for networking and mentorship and raises funds in support of the girls of Harlem Lacrosse.

OUR COMMUNITY

We are an inclusive network of thought leaders that represents a cross-section of professional experiences and backgrounds. We work in synergy to cultivate the academic, professional, and personal development of the girls of Harlem Lacrosse.

OUR GOAL

Building an impactful community of women is our top priority. We work to break down barriers of inequity while providing the girls of Harlem Lacrosse resources and pathways for fulfilling advancement.

OUR COMMITMENT

We aim to connect the girls of Harlem Lacrosse with inspiring role models who can open doors to opportunity, provide insight into educational and career paths, and support them on their journey to success.

 

MEet Our Panelists

Hover on image to read bio

Marguerite Adzick is the CEO and Founder of Addison Bay, a women’s elevated activewear company. Addison Bay was born from the idea that activewear should go beyond the gym and where fashion forward doesn’t mean less function. The Philadelphia-based company is a seamless merge of Marguerite’s passion for an active lifestyle as a former lacrosse player at the University of Virginia and her successful career in the fashion industry. Addison Bay is carried on its e-commerce site, at its two brick-and-mortar locations (Avalon, NJ and Philadelphia, PA), and in numerous national retailers such as Shopbop and Bloomingdale's. When not working alongside her team to continue the growth of Addison Bay, Marguerite enjoys spending time with her husband and four children.

Marguerite Adzick

Melissa is global head of the Office of Regulatory Relations, which is responsible for engaging with regulators across the firm, including as it relates to the management of exams and responses. She serves as a member of the Regulatory Oversight Committee, Deputy Regulatory Oversight Committee, Firmwide Compliance and Operational Risk Committee and Global Compliance Operating Committee.

Prior to her current role, Melissa served as chief operating officer for Compliance, Legal and the Conflicts Resolution Group, as well as head of Core Compliance and Employee Services. Before that, she was chief of staff for Compliance, head of Global Compliance training and held a number of roles within the Investment Management Division. Melissa joined Goldman Sachs in 1997 as an analyst, was named managing director in 2012 and partner in 2022. Melissa earned a BA in Business Administration from the University of San Diego.

Melissa Barrett Crandall

Kristin Noto has spent the past 33 years as a “career mom,” raising five children spanning 12 years in age. As the wife of a prominent business leader, Kristin naturally took on her own executive role at home serving as the self‑described CEO of the Noto Family.

A graduate of Marist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Kristin also attended Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia, studying toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. To support herself during school, she worked as a sales manager for Lancôme cosmetics, a role that honed her sales and marketing skills. Her professional career began at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, merging her passion for medicine with her sales and marketing experience as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

After welcoming her second daughter, Kristin chose to leave the corporate world to focus on motherhood full‑time. Over the next several years, her family grew to include three more children, twins being the youngest. She immersed herself in volunteerism across her children’s schools and her community. Her commitment to service extended nationally, as she served six years on the USALacrosse Foundation Board in Baltimore, Maryland, and earned certification as both a Connecticut State EMT and NREMT.

A move to California sparked the next chapter in Kristin’s journey where she began writing her first book, Live E.P.I.C. – Excellence Personified In Character: Embracing 7 Everyday Virtues to Increase Happiness and Personal Success, published after five years of research and reflection.

Inspired by the West Coast lifestyle, she also discovered a new passion, grilling and outdoor entertaining, which unexpectedly led to an invention. Her frustration with messy grill prep and

cleanup resulted in the creation of the Carve Smart Platter, a patented food‑prep and serving system that combines functionality with elegant grill‑to‑table design. Kristin now holds eight utility patents and three design patents for the product.

Among her proudest achievements, Kristin cites raising five children while supporting her husband’s professional pursuits. She is also deeply engaged in organizational leadership, serving on the Board of Trustees for Marist University, the Board of Directors for the Child Mind Institute, and as Co‑Chair of the Institute’s West Coast Advisory Council.

A lifelong learner and member of both International and American Mensa (San Francisco Regional Chapter), Kristin’s next goals focus on bringing character education to a wider audience through her Live EPIC platform and perhaps writing a series of children’s books based on her Live EPIC philosophy. She is also preparing for the commercial launch of the Carve Smart Platter in summer 2026.

Kristin Noto

Sherry Ramsay graduated from the University of Virginia in 1990 with a degree in Communications from the College of Arts & Sciences. She spent her first two years out of college teaching US History and serving as the Head Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach at the Gunnery School in Washington, CT. She went on to work in the Human Resources field at Grey Advertising and then joined Impact Recruiting New York City, where she spent nine years as a Job Recruiter.  Since 2001 she and her husband have lived in Darien, CT where she has been a powerful community volunteer and activist, “Super-Mom” and “Domestic Engineer Extraordinaire”, splitting her time between coaching, volunteering, and raising her three children: Katie, former Captain of the USC Women’s Lacrosse Team: Maggie, current player on the USC Lacrosse Team and Jack. a current student at the University of Virginia. Sherry has been the Varsity Field Hockey Coach at Darien High School since 2013 and currently serves on two boards, the UVA College Foundation and Harlem Lacrosse New York.

Sherry Ramsay

Heather Waters Borthwick is a partner in the Capital Solutions practice at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in New York. Her practice focuses on representing private credit investors, direct lenders, and other asset managers on complex financing transactions, including senior secured loans, cross-border financings, preferred equity participations, and other bespoke capital solutions.

Heather also has extensive experience in the broadly syndicated lending market, advising on leveraged buyouts, tack-ons, and dividend recapitalizations. She holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Heather Waters Borthwick

Michela Jones, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, graduated from Haverford College in 2025, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team and earned her degree in Public Health. In addition to her experience as a student-athlete, Michela worked within the athletic department and was actively involved on campus, serving as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), a Career Advising Intern and a student representative on the Alumni Association Executive Committee. Michela currently serves as a Human Resources Fellow with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, where she works across talent acquisition, talent management, and employee engagement. Her academic work and professional experiences have shaped her interest in the role sports can play in creating access and opportunity.

Michela Jones

Caroline O'Dea is a Recruiting Analyst at Five Rings in New York City, where she focuses on talent acquisition for Quantitative Trading roles. A Connecticut native, Caroline grew up in New Canaan where she first discovered her passion for lacrosse and was introduced to Harlem Lacrosse.

She went on to play goalie at Denison University, graduating in 2023. After college, Caroline made the move to New York City and launched her career in recruiting, bringing the same competitive drive and teamwork she developed on the field to her professional work.

Caroline is excited to deepen her involvement with Harlem Lacrosse in New York City, and remains passionate about the organization's mission of empowering young people through sport, education, and mentorship.

Caroline O’Dea

Penda Sarr is an Account Executive at Cisco and a proud alumna of Harlem Lacrosse (HL). She first joined the HL community as a freshman at Frederick Douglass Academy, where she was a member of the women's lacrosse team, and has been connected to the organization ever since.

Harlem Lacrosse played a pivotal role in shaping her journey — from college counseling to landing her first internship with Cisco as a college freshman. Nearly two years after graduation, Penda has turned that opportunity into a full-time career with one of the world's leading technology companies.

PENDA Sarr

Hannah Burgess is the Head of Business Development at Canton Strategic Holdings. In her role, she focuses on opportunities across the Canton Network drive utility, scalability ane advance the digitization of financial markets. She also helps expand the firm’s presence across capital markets.

Hannah attended Yale University, where she played Division I women’s lacrosse and earned a B.S. in Cognitive Science. Hannah began her career at Goldman Sachs as a U.S. Equities Sales Trader before pivoting into digital assets. She previously served as Head of Growth at Ostium Labs, a decentralized retail trading platform, and worked on the Institutional Sales team at Galaxy covering traditional and crypto-native clients across spot and options trading as well as structured financing.

Hannah is passionate about the role sports play in creating community, structure and purpose for young women and advocates for nutrition and mental health education that builds lifelong skills off the field. She is a member of the Associates Board at Harlem Lacrosse and lives in Westchester with her husband.

Hannah Burgess

Rochelle Jones is an attorney and Boston native who began playing lacrosse with Metro Lacrosse, which ultimately merged with Harlem Lacrosse, in seventh grade and continued through high school on the Varsity Bulldogs team. During that time, she also served as a Teen Ambassador with the program and worked as a summer camp counselor.

Rochelle attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where she played club lacrosse, and after graduating, found her way back to Metro Lacrosse as a coach to youth girls grades 5th through 8th grade. During this time, Rochelle worked at Boston Housing Authority in the Grievances and Appeals Department. What began as an internship evolved into a role as a Senior Hearing Officer, where she presided over public housing and Section 8 applicant appeal hearings as well as public housing resident grievances. Rochelle credits her time at BHA as a pivotal experience that inspired her to pursue a career in law. During this time, she attended law school at New England Law | Boston while balancing her studies with her work at BHA. 

After graduating from law school, Rochelle focused her legal career on litigation and direct client representation. Her legal experience includes insurance defense, eviction defense, divorce, and child custody issues and civil appeals. Rochelle served as the Housing & Appeal Supervising Attorney at the Volunteer Lawyers Project. In that role, she provided direct representation to tenants facing eviction and those at risk of losing their housing subsidies. She also supervised staff attorneys and paralegals while mentoring private bar attorneys on housing law and civil appeals. Rochelle is currently a Senior Staff Attorney with Veterans Legal Services, where she represents and advises veterans on a slew of civil legal issues, primarily focusing on housing and family law related matters. Rochelle also serves on the Supreme Judicial Court's Committee for Pro Bono Work as part of the Lawyers in Training Subcommittee, focusing on supporting new lawyers and law students engaged in pro bono work. Outside of work, you can find Rochelle at the gym lifting weights, taking a Pilates class or enjoying long bike rides. 

Rochelle Jones

Cindy Ramos is a hospitality professional with over a decade of experience in hotel operations, guest services, and team leadership. As Front Office Manager at Hilton Boston Park Plaza, she oversees daily front desk operations and lead cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional guest experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the University of New Haven and have grown my career through progressive leadership roles, including Assistant Director of Front Services at Encore Boston Harbor, where she managed large teams and supported Forbes-level service standards. She is passionate about operational excellence, team development, and creating memorable guest experiences while empowering others in the hospitality industry

Cindy Ramos

Megan (Ellis) Salvadore is the Director of Investor Relations at Arctos, as a part of the Capital Solutions team. Mrs. Salvadore is responsible for client services, investor inquiries and fundraising operations.

Prior to joining Arctos Partners, Mrs. Salvadore was on the Client and Capital Formation team at TPG. Throughout her six-year tenure, Mrs. Salvadore was the main liaison for cross-team coordination efforts between the fundraising team and firm services functions. Alongside the Client and Capital Formation distribution and the product teams, Mrs. Salvadore was head of the Investor Relations group in Fort Worth for four years. There she helped streamline internal processes across many workstreams and oversaw key technology projects to enhance communication between TPG and the firm’s investor base. She began her career at Barclays Investment Bank in New York on a trading desk, managing sales and trading relationships with private banks as well as other institutional clients on the Barclays’ Investor Solutions group. 

Mrs. Salvadore graduated with a BA from Georgetown University, where she was a member of the women’s Lacrosse team.

Megan (Ellis) Salvadore

With over three decades of experience at the forefront of the hair industry, Susanna Burns is a premier celebrity hairstylist whose artistry has left an indelible mark on Broadway, major motion pictures, and the global music scene. Known for her versatility and precision, she has shaped the iconic looks of legendary performers, including The Jonas Brothers, Blink-182, Mark Ronson and many others. Beyond her high-profile clients Susanna operates a bespoke private business, traveling to provide elite, personalized service to her international clientele. Her enduring career is a testament to her creative vision and her reputation as one of the most trusted names in professional styling.

Susanna Burns

Layla Lisiewski is the Founder and CEO of the Local Moms Network (LMN), a national media platform connecting 3.5 million mothers across 30 states to trusted local resources, experiences, and brands. Layla is a mom of four.

A graduate of Brown University, D1 lacrosse player, and former private wealth advisor at Merrill Lynch, Layla launched her first site, Greenwich Moms, after recognizing how fragmented and time-consuming it was for mothers to find reliable local information. What began as a single community hub has evolved into one of the largest hyperlocal parenting networks in the country. In January 2026, LMN celebrated its 10-year anniversary — marking a decade of community building, brand partnerships, and measurable impact.

Since 2018, LMN has partnered with more than 15,000 businesses, delivering authentic connections to one of the most powerful consumer demographics in the U.S.

Audience & Impact
3.5M moms nationwide
1.4M+ social followers
5M+ average weekly social impressions
220K+ average weekly engagements
90% female audience
Core demographic: ages 25–54

Mothers influence 85% of household purchasing decisions, and U.S. women represent $2.4 trillion in annual spending power. Through trusted, community-driven content and national scale, LMN offers advertising partners a rare combination: hyperlocal credibility with broad, measurable reach.

Under Layla’s leadership, LMN continues to empower mothers while creating meaningful opportunities for brands to connect where trust matters most — at the local level."

Layla Lisiewski

Katie Ramsay is an Account Executive within Creative Artists Agency’s Brand Consulting group, where she helps manage Google’s sports and entertainment partnerships across some of the world’s largest sporting stages, including the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, and the National Women’s Soccer League. In this role, she supports end-to-end partnership strategy and execution, working cross-functionally with internal teams, leagues, athletes, and rights holders to deliver brand activations that connect authentically with fans and culture.

In addition to her work in Brand Consulting, Katie brings experience from CAA’s venture arm, Connect Ventures, where she supported the firm’s $400M venture capital portfolio. Leveraging the connectivity and scale of the CAA ecosystem, she helped enhance portfolio company strategy, identify partnership opportunities, and support investment growth by bridging talent, brand, and business resources across the agency.

A former Division I student-athlete and two-time team captain at the University of Southern California, Katie went on to compete professionally as a lacrosse player with Athletes Unlimited. Her experience as an athlete deeply informs her professional approach, bringing an athlete-first perspective and a nuanced understanding of how brands can meaningfully support and elevate sports communities—particularly in women’s sports. Katie’s passion for advancing women’s sports is central to her work.

She is motivated by the opportunity to help brands invest intentionally in female athletes and leagues, ensuring representation, equity, and long-term growth are embedded into partnership strategy rather than treated as moments or one-off initiatives. Her background across agency, venture, and brand environments allows her to bridge strategy with execution while keeping cultural relevance at the forefront.

Katie Ramsay

Brianne Theodorou is a Principal at Blackstone based in New York City. She was drawn to Harlem Lacrosse’s mission for its comprehensive approach to youth development, using lacrosse as a gateway to academic support, mentorship, and formative relationships that prepare students for success.

As academic gaps widen for students in under-resourced communities, Brianne is motivated to give her time because she believes deeply in consistent mentorship. Having seen students she met as teenagers graduate from college and become peers in the industry, she values access to opportunity and long-term investment in student growth.

Through her participation, Brianne hopes to help empower more young people to envision what’s possible and to gain the tools and relationships needed to make that vision real.

Brianne Theodorou