KNOW Women Announces 2023 Class of 100 Women to KNOW in America

Global Media Female Media Company Recognizes 100 Women to KNOW Across America

PHOENIX, AZ: – Sarah Benken, CEO and Publisher of the KNOW Book, has announced the honorees and honorable mentions of the 2023 100 Women to KNOW in America, presented by JPMorgan Chase, an annual award recognizing the top 100 female leaders across North America. Honorees were recognized at the Annual KNOW Women Summit, held April 23-25th at The FOUND:RE Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.

The 100 Women to KNOW Across America Award, presented by JPMorgan Chase is a recognition that showcases the most influential, achieved, and honorable women in our society. Following a nomination and interview process, these women entrepreneurs, executives, creatives, and philanthropists have not only grown their dreams, but have created boundless opportunities for the next generation of female leaders. These women exemplify what it means to be high-achieving and ambitious on the next level and continue to pour into their communities as they do so.

WINNERS

Candace Nelson – Sprinkles Cupcakes, Los Angeles, California

Merrilee Kick – BuzzBallz, Carrollton, Texas

Alison Stine – Stine Wealth Management, Scottsdale, Arizona

Alyse Maslonik – RedefinED Advisors, Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Amanda Pietrocola – Momentum Technology, Nashville, Tennessee

Amri Kibbler – HeyMama, Putnam Valley, New York

Belén Albuja – Albuja Law, Denver, Colorado

Bernadette M Pello – Florida Trade Academy, Tampa, Florida

Betty Hines – Women Elevating Women, Owings Mills, Maryland

Bridgette Bello – Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, Tampa, Florida

Carolina Aponte – Caja Holdings, Charlotte, North Carolina

Carolynn Smith Jones – Seven Marketing PR, Tampa, Florida

Cat Ford Coates – Atelier Unforgettable, Asheville, North Carolina

Celeste Ford – Stellar Solutions Inc and Stellar Ventures, Portola Valley, California

Charo Toledo – Charo Entertainment, Los Angeles, California

Cindy Eckert – The Pink Ceiling, Raleigh, North Carolina

Darleen Santore AKA Coach Dar – Performance Meets Purpose, Scottsdale, Arizona

Debbie Van Ooteghem – Doe-Anderson, Louisville, Kentucky

Deirdre Tshien – Capsho, Austin, Texas

Dena Patton – Dena Patton Coaching & Training, Phoenix, Arizona

Denise Wiggins – Visions of New Hope, Knightdale, North Carolina

Dr. Brendell Thomas Francis – Tamar Community Outreach, Long Island, New York

Dr. Jessica Chung – International Business Association for Nurses, Tampa, Florida

Dr. Mautra Staley Jones – Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Dr. MelindaJoy Mingo – Significant Life Change, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Dr. Sandi Webster – Sandi Webster LLC, Brooklyn, New York

Dr. Sharon Jones – Dottie Rose Foundation, Charlotte, North Carolina

Dr. Zabina Bhasin M.D. – In KidZ, Los Angeles, California

Elin Barton – White Knight Productions, Vestal, New York

Elizabeth McFadden – Novella Brandhouse, Kansas City, Missouri

Eve Logunova-Parker – Evenness, Atlanta, Georgia

Fabi Preslar – Spark Publications, Charlotte, North Carolina

Gloria Mensah – GK Folks Foundation, Salt Lake City, Utah

Heather Polivka – Awesome People Leaders, Richfield, Minnesota

Jaclyn Jackson – National Equity Fund, Chicago, Illinois

Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson – Heartwood Healing, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jaime Taets – Keystone Group International, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Janet Cussler – Janet Cussler Car Collection, Phoenix, Arizona

Janet Jackson-Gordon – Boss Chix ATL, Jackson Events & Entertainment and Moonlight Pizza, Atlanta Georgia

Janice A. Jones – Good Earth Minerals, Denver, Colorado

Jen Rogers – Hudson West, Scottsdale, Arizona

Jenny Sepulveda – Guaranteed Rate, Chicago, Illinois

Jenny Strebe – AIIR, Scottsdale, Arizona

Jill Osur – Teneral Cellars, Somerset, California

Jill Santa Lucia – Catering Works, Raleigh, North Carolina

JJ Ramberg – Goodpods, Los Angeles, California

Julie Cole – Mabel’s Labels, Burlington, Ontario

Kabisa “Coach Kb” Ceal Starks – Ready To Live Soaps and Ready to Live Coaching, Atlanta, Georgia

Kamela Forbes – Pride Global, New York, New York

Kanika Chadda Gupta – That’s Total Mom Sense, Secaucus, New Jersey

Katya Libin – Katya Libin & Co., Armonk, New York

Kay M McDonald – Charity Charms, Phoenix, Arizona

Kelly Kolar – Kolar Design, Cincinnati, Ohio

Kimleigh Smith – Embrace Your Cape Enterprises, Los Angeles, California

Lachi – Lachi Music, New York, New York

Lauren Marturano – Zinnia, Charlotte, North Carolina

Laurette Rondenet – Edlong, Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Layne Lewis – Willowview Consulting, Eagle, Idaho

Lia Valencia Key – Valencia Key, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Marla Isackson – Ossa, Tenafly, New Jersey

Mary Schreiber Swenson – MyMedChoices, Inc & My Smile Choices, Hockessin, Delaware

Melinda Browning – Civic Center Pharmacy, Mesa, Arizona

Michele M. Smith – The West Event Space, Tampa, Florida

Michelle Cirocco – Televerde Foundation, Phoenix, Arizona

Molly Stockley – City of Hope, Phoenix, Arizona

Natalie McGrady – Cargill, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Natalie Ruiz – AnswerConnect, Portland, Oregon

Neerja Patel – Neerja Public Relations, Irvington, New York

Nicole Peternel – Rein Communications, Charlotte, North Carolina

Olalah Njengo – YellowWood Group, Raleigh, North Carolina

Omenesa Akomolafe – Pearls & Pauls International Foundation, New York

Rada Neal – Piano Passions, Green Valley, Arizona

Renate Moore – LadyRen’s Bakery & Books, Concord, North Carolina

Sarah Valentina Bondzie – Bonne Foundation, Brookhaven, Pennsylvania

Saya Doe Sio – Annie T Doe Memorial Foundation, Charlotte, North Carolina

Shael Norris – SafeBAE, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Sharon Lechter – Pay Your Family First, Paradise Valley, Arizona

Shereese Floyd – Witness My Life, Charlotte, North Carolina

Sierrah Chavis – Bossy Girl, Suffolk, Virginia

Sindy Zemura – Southern Africa Embrace Foundation, Brampton, Ontario

Stacie Baird – HRtoHX and Community Medical Services, Queen Creek, Arizona

Tara Williamson – Pink Ink Tattoo, Louisburg, North Carolina

Theresa Backes – Backes Wellness, San Tan Valley, Arizona

Tishamarie Strasser – Bring It-Push It-Own It, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Tracey Greene-Washington – Indigo Innovation Group & CoThinkk, Concord, North Carolina

Trisha Sakhuja-Walia – Brown Girl Magazine, Long Island, New York

Victoria L. Woods – ChappelWood Financial Services, Edmond, Oklahoma

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Bernice Feaster – The Scholar Mom, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina

Chasta Hamilton – Stage Door Dance, Raleigh, North Carolina

Davita Galloway – DUPP&SWAT, Charlotte, North Carolina

Kate Merrill – B-Lynk, Inc, Tampa, Florida

Kathy Scheil Pavlik – Johnny’s Pizza, Raleigh, North Carolina

Kristie Nystedt – Atlantic Brew Supply, Raleigh, North Carolina

Laura Grier – Andeana Hats, Los Angeles, California

Lilach Mazor Power– Mazor Collective, Phoenix, Arizona

Lorraine Tallman – Amanda Hope Rainbow Angeles, Phoenix, Arizona

Lynne Kimmich – Alliance Financial Group, Sarasota, Florida

Michelle Jewsbury – Unsilenced Voices, Tampa, Florida

Nicci Levy – Alchemy 43, Los Angeles, California

Shannon Keil – The Regent, Tampa, Florida

Tiawana Brown – Beauty after the Bars, Charlotte, North Carolina

The 2023 Annual KNOW Women Summit, presented by Industrious and 100 Women to KNOW in America Award Gala, presented by JPMorgan Chase will bring together dynamic women leaders and business owners from North America for two full days of workshops, panels, networking opportunities, and awards presentations. The celebration will shine the spotlight on honorees, with award presentations at the 100 Women to KNOW in America Award Dinner and Gala, presented by JPMorgan Chase.

The Summit is open to award honorees, KNOW Global members and their female guests, corporate supporters, and all women looking for inspiration and connections in business and career.

DETAILS:
For more information or to register to attend the 2023 Annual KNOW Women Summit, visit summit.theknowwomen.com.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
KNOW Women Facebook Page:
https://facebook.com/theknowwomen

KNOW Women Instagram Account:
https://instagram.com/theknowwomen

KNOW Women LinkedIn Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/theknowwomen

Press Release

KNOW Women Announces Top Women Across America to KNOW for 2023

Published: May 3, 2023 at 8:35 a.m. ET

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

KNOW Women Announces Top Women Across America to KNOW for 2023

May 03, 2023 (PRNewswire via COMTEX) -- PR Newswire

PHOENIX, May 3, 2023

Global Female Media Company Recognizes 100 Women with Prestige Award

PHOENIX, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarah Benken, CEO and Publisher of the KNOW Book, has announced this year's honorees and honorable mentions of the 100 Women to KNOW in America, an annual award recognizing the top 100 female leaders across North America. Honorees were recognized at the annual KNOW Women Summit, held last month at The FOUND:RE Hotel in Phoenix.

Advertisement

The 100 Women to KNOW Across America Award, presented by JPMorgan Chase, is a recognition that showcases the most influential, achieved, and honorable women in our society. Following a nomination and interview process, these women entrepreneurs, executives, creatives, and philanthropists have not only grown their dreams, but have created boundless opportunities for the next generation of female leaders. These women exemplify what it means to be high-achieving and ambitious on the next level and continue to pour into their communities as they do so.

This year's winners include Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Merrilee Kick, CEO and Founder of BuzzBallz. For the full list of 100 Women to KNOW for 2023, visit https://theknowwomen.com/know-women-announces-2023-class-of-100-women-to-know-in-america/.

The 2023 Annual KNOW Women Summit, presented by Industrious and 100 Women to KNOW in America Award Gala, presented by JPMorgan Chase, brought together dynamic women leaders and business owners from across North America for two full days of workshops, panels, networking opportunities, and awards presentations.

For more information on the KNOW Women, its publishing opportunities and its upcoming events, visit https://theknowwomen.com.

Media Contact:
Robyn Patterson
480-242-8001
358292@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/know-women-announces-top-women-across-america-to-know-for-2023-301814206.html

SOURCE The KNOW Women.

KNOW Women Announces Top Women Across America to KNOW for 2023

NEWS PROVIDED BY

The KNOW Women

May 03, 2023, 08:35 ET

Global Female Media Company Recognizes 100 Women with Prestige Award

KNOW Women Summit 2023

KNOW Women celebrates 100 Women to KNOW 2023

For more information on the KNOW Women, its publishing opportunities and its upcoming events, visit https://theknowwomen.com.

Media Contact:
Robyn Patterson
480-242-8001
358292@email4pr.com

SOURCE The KNOW Women

Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide

Meet Charo Toledo

Local Stories August 4, 2021

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charo Toledo.
Hi Charo, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I’ve always admired Rita Moreno, Moreno is one of the few artists to have won all four major annual American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. So I told my folks I wanted to be an actress. Throughout High School, I won a lot of Performing Awards and wanted to go to acting school but my mother said I needed to get a college education, “just in case”. I attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania where I got a BA in Sociology and then got an MFA from American Conservatory Theater – one of the top Acting schools in the nation. I was on my way to become a famous actress in Los Angeles when I found out that there were no parts for a Latina like me to play. Huh? And the two or three parts available were playing maids and nannies. Nothing wrong with that, but as a light-skinned, 5’9″ Puerto Rican woman – I do not read submissive. I refuse to stop because of this. If the acting parts do not exist, then I will write them myself. That’s how I ended up falling in love with writing. My first play was “The Princess Within” – a series of monologues about all the personalities I developed with the different men I dated. The core message was, “I am the frog who became the Prince who rescued ‘The Princess Within’.” I casted my talented friends who also needed their talent showcase. Some of the cast included: Ashley Borden (a celebrity fitness guru), Luis Raul (a late, uber famous Puerto Rican comedian), Michele Lamar Richards (Nicky in “The Bodyguard”) and was directed by Joyce Guy (“Moneyball” and “This is Us”).
After that, I ended up writing for a variety of award shows, sitcoms and telenovelas. Then, I was accepted in ABC’s Drama Writing Program and ended up writing storylines for the soap “Port Charles”. After that, my mom got sick with cancer, and I took a year off to care for her in MD Anderson in Houston, TX. After I came back, I got a job as an intel analyst for the DEA while co-writing the GLAAD Award-winning film, “East Side Story” (Logo) and “Pop Star” (Lifetime). Afterwards, I ended up working as a Producer and Writer for Hulu’s Emmy nominated, “East Los High” Seasons 2 and 3 where I won a Sentinel Award. After that, I went to produce International Emmy Winner, “El Vato” (Netflix) as well as the high-rated reality competition show, “La Reina de la Canción” (Univision). I wrote, produced and directed FYI’s talk show, “The Kiki Mobile” and worked as a Consulting Producer for Facebook Watch’s highest-rated show, “Confetti Mexico”. Currently, I am developing a series of projects in order to pitch to networks. I also have started sharing my knowledge with young Latinx writers in my Writing Master Class: From Monologue to Short Film. I truly enjoy empowering Latinx writers to create their own stories. If we don’t tell our stories, who will? I want to inspire everyone to write their story by giving them specific techniques to build their own authentic narratives. I especially love to teach actors. Since I was trained as one, the way I teach writing is from a character’s point of view. If you know your character, you can tell your story. I believe anyone can write if they’re given the tools. Stories define our reality. I aim to encourage potential writers to get honest and start writing their stories. Remember, if I can do it, so can you!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Obstacles are part of the journey. The first obstacle I encountered was the realization that there were not enough acting parts for Latinas. The Hollywood narrative did not reflect me or authentic characters that I grew up with. This inspired me to create my own characters and not wait for someone else to write my story. When in doubt, pivot.
The entertainment business is extremely tough. You have to grow a thick, bulletproof skin against abuse yet your heart must be open in order to create. I have suffered my share of traumatic betrayals in this business. People who I thought had my back were only thinking of themselves. I have learned from those betrayals to look at the part where I was blinded by the illusion of fame and refused to face facts. The biggest gift you can give yourself is the gift of forgiveness – forgive those who have hurt you and forgive yourself for the mistakes you made. It’s the only way to grow and thrive in this business and be happy in life.
Rejection is brutal after you’ve poured your heart into a performance, pitch or script. Learning to manage expectations as well as learning from mistakes has been challenging. Also, it is super important to have a connection with God (or Higher Power of some kind), be of service and take care of yourself: financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. As creators, we must guard our energy from negative people and dream stealers. In hindsight, I see how rejection is God’s protection. There is a divine plan to serve others with our work. We just have to align with that divine energy in order to achieve it.
Don’t hang on too tightly. Be willing to let go. Hanging on to what we want creates a lot of unnecessary misery. Action and persistence are super important but so is God’s timing. We must be ready. Our audience must be ready. Our work must be ready. Be ready. Live in the moment and expect miracles.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a creator/writer, I bring authenticity and edge to every character and story I create. I specialize in Latinx stories. I have been blessed to work in both the Spanish and American markets in different genres and formats. Being bilingual has allowed me to write stories and shows in both Spanish and English. It is rare for a creator to have worked in reality competition shows, half hour single camera, multi-camera shows, feature films, game shows, plays, children’s shows, animation, soaps, telenovelas and thrillers.
As a collaborator, I bring energy, discipline, excitement, and edge as well as enormous amounts of work ethic and loyalty.
As a teacher, I enjoy inspiring new talent to write new stories. I love seeing the sense of accomplishment and empowerment from achieving something they never thought possible. I offer a “no judgement” attitude that allows the writers to create freely.
As a consultant, I am able to bring a fresh perspective to characters and stories to make the script pop off the page with excitement and authenticity.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is my summer vacation with my primos (cousins) in Cerro Gordo, Vega Alta Puerto Rico. Every June, my family would go to the beach house and spend the whole summer with my cousins in the beautiful beach town. We would boat, swim, ski, eat, fish, play paddle ball, volleyball, pool, dominoes and tan with baby oil (when we didn’t know it was bad for you). We would dance at jaranas (parties) and flirt with the boys at the beach. It was truly a joy being around our large extended family, smelling the ocean, listening to the stories when they were kids, eating my mom’s bomb food and just bathing in “las positas” – natural shallow swimming pools in the ocean. Summertime in Cerro Gordo, I will never forget.
Pricing:
6 Week Writing Class
– $250Script Consulting
– $100/hrScript Writing
– Fee upon request
Contact Info:
Email: charotoledomasterclass@gmail.com
Website: https://www.charotoledo.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charchartoledo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charotoledo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharoToledo2011

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