Beth Bengtson, CEO/founder, brings 20+ years of business experience in marketing and corporate social responsibility, combined with her life-long commitment to service, to Working for Women to get more women into the workforce and achieve economic independence. Her unique model engages business members to contribute skills and money directed to nonprofits focused on creating employment opportunities for underserved women.

Beth knew well before the COVID-19 pandemic that too many American women faced barriers to workforce participation and struggled to support themselves and their families. She kept questioning why so little was being invested in women to change the situation, and then she decided to be part of the solution to create an economy that works for and benefits everyone.

Each time Beth runs one of the Working for Women programs, she sees first-hand the impact of connecting business professionals with women aspiring to enter and stay in the workforce. Everyone sits a little taller and leaves with new skills and increased confidence.

Purpose has always been a touchstone in Beth’s professional career and her personal life. She co-founded and led a digital marketing firm from 2011 to 2017, serving Fortune 500 companies, and embedded a giving plan where one percent of revenue was donated to nonprofits advancing women’s causes, along with professional skill-based volunteer activities. In her consulting work, Beth pursued her passions for empowering women in business and the workplace, for corporate environmental and social responsibility, and for responsible digital marketing. When she served as Vice President for Positive Impact at imc2 in Dallas, Texas, she held the first-known position of corporate social responsibility in a marketing agency and was recognized as a thought leader in that field.

Beth’s long history of community service ranges from volunteering at home and overseas – in many cases for programs that support women. In addition to the contributions made through her consulting agency, she was a mentor for Raising HOPE in Kingston, NY, helping women develop and achieve educational and career goals to become financially self-sufficient. She participated in a mission trip to Guatemala supporting women and families living in poverty. Currently, Beth serves on an Advisory Board for New Start for Women, a SUNY Ulster program for women living in poverty to earn a no-cost, one-year business certificate. She also is the Board President of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, a conservation organization geared to preserving open space, farms and trails in Ulster County NY.

Beth speaks at business and social impact events for Working for Women’s business members and to national audiences through NationSwell; Key4Women; and Inspired Capital; among others. The Harvard Business Review published her article “Reimagine Your Corporate Volunteer Program” in 2020, and she’s been interviewed by The Financial Times, Women’s Wear Daily, Radio Kingston, and on podcasts reaching businesses and those interested in social impact. She also authored the publications “The State of Sustainability Communications, A Study of the S&P 100” and “Social Media Advances the Sustainability Dialogue” in 2008. Beth taught marketing with emphasis on social responsibility as an adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz from 2006-2007.

Beth earned an MBA from Schiller International University in Paris, France, and a BS in management from Penn State University. She is certified in empowerment design and facilitation through the Empowerment Institute. 

Beth’s work is strengthened by an energetic family – two teen boys, two dogs, and her husband. She spends free time connecting with nature – biking, hiking, skiing, and kayaking; and with family and friends.

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Kirsten Bunch believes that when women are financially empowered, entire communities thrive. Her commitment to Working for Women stems from a lifelong passion for creating opportunities that help women build financial security, confidence, and independence.

As Director of Partnership Development at Working for Women, Kirsten builds strategic alliances with companies across industries, from financial services to media to tech. She takes a whole-company approach to giving—helping businesses leverage their time, talent, and treasure in ways that reflect their values and deepen their social impact. Through our win-winSkillunteer™ model, Kirsten creates opportunities for employees to contribute their professional skills in meaningful ways, increasing their sense of purpose and investment in their company’s mission. Her work turns corporate goodwill into powerful, measurable change for women and communities.

With over two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, partnership development, and social impact strategy, Kirsten has dedicated her career to helping individuals and organizations navigate change. She has worked globally, supporting social impact initiatives including Aid to Artisans, Rainforest Alliance, VisionSpring, and Trickle Up. She also founded a coaching business empowering individuals and nonprofits to create transformative change, and authored the book Next Act, Give Back: Discover Your Personal Path to Go From Being Charitable to Being a Changemaker.

Kirsten holds a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Latin American and Caribbean Studies from New York University. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and a Professional Certified Coach.

When not working, Kirsten spends time exploring the outdoors with her dogs, reading, and enjoying plant-based cooking. She lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and frequently visits the North Georgia mountains.

Marjorie McCord’s work at Working for Women is her way of advocating for a lifeline that she knows can change lives, honoring the women who paved the way for her, and paying it forward to the next generation.

As Working for Women’s Marketing Director, Marjorie gets to combine her strategic marketing expertise with her passion for social impact. She crafts compelling narratives to resonate with businesses and individuals, aiming to launch initiatives and programs that drive social change. In each woman that Working for Women reaches, Marjorie sees a spark of potential and a desire for self-sufficiency, reinforcing the importance of Working for Women’s mission to advocate for and invest in marginalized women.

Marjorie McCord brings 25+ years of marketing experience that spans both consumer and business-to-business segments and a range of industries such as economic development, nonprofit, agriculture, government, hospitality, consumer products, and retail. Her work has encompassed planning and executing initiatives to meet her clients’ objectives, including brand development, advertising, public relations, promotions, internal communications, marketing research, change communications, grassroots marketing, and more. Her clients have included M&M Mars, IBM, Pepsi Co., Sears Roebuck and Co., Honeywell, NYC Economic Development Corporation, NYC Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Watershed Agricultural Council.

Marjorie earned her B.A. in Corporate Communications and Marketing from Manhattan College. In 2024, she was invited to represent Working for Women on the Steering Committee for the We Give Summit and has served on the Communications Peer Community of the Women’s Funding Network since early 2023. She volunteers locally for organizations including as the youth coordinator for the Stockade Football Club since its inception in 2016, and as a coach for an adaptive soccer league for children with disabilities.

Marjorie loves exploring, traveling, and finding inspiration in the world around her. She enjoys hiking, pickleball, rowing, and playing with her adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Auggie, and Cavapoo, Lilly. She lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York with her husband and three children.

Elizabeth Stanley has spent most of her life fighting for social good, both personally and professionally, as a champion of the underserved. Aligned with that, she strongly believes in empowering women.

As the Director of Programming for Working for Women, she strives to facilitate opportunities between Working for Women’s nonprofit partners and the companies invested in our Skillunteering(TM) initiatives – all to help women move toward financial independence, which also fosters the advancement of entire communities. 

Elizabeth brings over 10 years of nonprofit program management experience to Working for Women, specializing in effective planning, developing, and implementing programs that drive social change. Her hands-on experience in managing nonprofit programs has provided her with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in serving vulnerable populations, particularly women facing barriers to education, employment, and economic independence.

Elizabeth holds a BA in Communications from Worcester State University, and a BS in Public Health from Rutgers University where she graduated summa cum laude. She’s now working towards a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University. 

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Elizabeth moved to New Jersey in 2014 with her husband. Together, they have a beautiful son who is the highlight of her life. Though Elizabeth believes motherhood is her greatest accomplishment, she is also a seasoned marathon runner and fitness enthusiast. She serves as a board member on her school district’s education foundation, a member of the PTA, and a catechist for her church. Elizabeth also takes on small pro bono projects for nonprofits in her community.

Mary McKinley’s passion for supporting women-focused initiatives and empowering underserved communities led her to Working for Women. This organization aligns with her values for purpose-driven work and for using creativity and strategy to make a meaningful impact.

As Marketing Coordinator for Working for Women, Mary keeps the marketing engine running, developing engaging content, managing social media, and maintaining the organization’s website to ensure its message reaches and inspires.

Beyond W4W, she brings her creative drive to life as the founder and co-producing artistic director of Greenwood Lake Theater in New York’s Hudson Valley and as the founder of MVM Creative Design, where she helps clients build brands through thoughtful web design, content creation, and visual storytelling. A Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Mary channels that same energy and discipline into everything she does.

Mary holds a Master of Arts from Radford University and a Bachelor of Music from East Carolina University.

Based in Greenwood Lake, NY, Mary enjoys exploring her family’s genealogy—especially on visits to Scotland, one of her favorite places to travel.

Anjana Pursnani believes that women are still trailblazing their way to meet individual career and work goals and need more help than they are receiving. Without structures in place to support and encourage them, she worries that the disadvantages will only grow deeper. 

In her Board role with Working for Women, she aims to tap her women’s leadership and marketing expertise to elevate the status of all women. This is her way of expressing gratitude for the opportunities she has been given.

Anjana credits her personal and professional success to her parents for creating a circle of support and a pathway that gave her and her sister the freedom to pursue advanced education, and to believe they should be financially independent women. Her  family moved from India to the United States when she was eleven years old.

Anjana has worked for more than 25 years as a marketing professional, and as a consultant for organizational effectiveness and marketing team management. In tandem, for the past 10 years, she runs an executive coaching practice that focuses on enabling women to achieve whatever they set their sights on – and on their own terms. She also serves as a volunteer mentor to women in her community who aspire to move into workplace positions with growth opportunities by helping them see their own potential, grow their networks, and build out the tools to achieve their goals. 

She holds an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, and a BA in Economics from Rutgers University in New Jersey. She trained in Leadership Coaching at Georgetown University, and is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach (PCC). 

Anjana and her family love to travel to places where they can be exposed to other cultures. These experiences remind her how much there is to learn about other ways of life and other perspectives. Anjana lives in Northern California with her husband, two teenagers and extended family.  

Beth Jones is committed to raising people up – especially women. In her Board role with Working for Women, she is determined to give back and help families overcome their financial challenges by supporting financial literacy for women and girls. Having grown up in a home with financial insecurity, she personally knows the stress and pain it can bring.

Christina Hirth Vuleta believes that when you move women forward, you move the world forward. She joined the board for Working for Women (W4W) to help close the opportunity gap for women from under-resourced communities by creating new pathways to economic independence through workforce opportunities.

Seeing first-hand how today’s employees and consumers are making more decisions based on their values, she’s excited to help W4W connect with corporations that want to blend corporate good with social good.

Christina is a global brand strategist and marketing executive with 20 years of experience building brands and bringing them to life through content, community and commerce. As Group Strategy Director at VML, part of the WPP global advertising network, she leads strategy for Hill’s Pet Nutrition and global Colgate Palmolive. Before this, she created and ran Break the Future, a brand strategy consultancy, helping purpose-led brands accelerate their impact. She also partnered with social impact agency WRTHY on global initiatives with nonprofits such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Malala Fund, and the Elevate Prize. At prior marketing firms, she consulted for iconic brands such as Olay, Diageo, Lexus, and Dell.

Earlier in her career, she created an online platform to facilitate cross generation mentoring for women, which led Forbes to engage her to relaunch their women’s editorial channel.  Under her leadership, the channel’s female audience grew 32% year-over-year and became the most diverse channel for the media company.

Christina has spoken at Forbes Summits, SXSW Interactive, and Social Media Week about women’s leadership, mentorship, startups, and gender gaps in the tech and venture capital fields.  She also served on the steering committee for Smart Cities Expo Atlanta.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing at Miami University.  Christina is based in New York City, where she actively volunteers with God’s Love We Deliver.

Debbie Botwick’s involvement on the Board of Working for Women stems from her desire to bring her passion, experience, and skills to bear for social good. Equally significant is that it pays tribute to all her female role models, leaders, colleagues, and friends who have provided a lifetime of support and guidance. She believes that everyone deserves that kind of support.

Debbie used to fall asleep as a young child to the sound of an old-fashioned electric typewriter. Her mother had returned to college for a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Women’s Studies. This left an impression on Debbie, along with two significant life lessons: she realized her mother had the financial means and support to make that happen while many other women do not have that luxury; and she learned the importance and value of women supporting women as her mother’s female network grew via her college experience.

Debbie’s 20+ year business career at a Fortune 500 company has encompassed a variety of Marketing and Learning & Development roles that have allowed her to pursue her personal mission to “empower people through my life and my work.”

Debbie has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Asian Studies and Women’s studies, and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

When not at work, Debbie spends her time in extreme climates – hot yoga all year, bike riding during hot summer months, and on the ski slopes in the winter. She and her family live in New Jersey.

Girija Venugopal believes that real opportunity can be created when technology and empathy work together. Along those lines, she joined the Working for Women Board to help amplify its impact and accelerate opportunities through the use of data and AI.

Girija’s passion for women’s advancement is deeply personal. She navigated her own path from rural India to leading global engineering teams and believes in opening doors for others, and that giving back is a fundamental responsibility. For more than two decades, she has been supporting underprivileged students in India who are pursuing higher education. She is committed to mentoring women in technology, and has championed women on her teams to move from engineering roles into leadership positions.

As a reminder as to why she mentors, supports, and creates opportunities for women to thrive, Girija often reflects on these words from Marianne Williamson: “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

As an executive at Comcast, Girija leads the Enterprise Business Intelligence (BI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering team, where she and her team build intelligent data systems that turn information into actionable insights. Her work focuses on utilizing AI to enhance human potential, enabling people to make better, faster, and more confident decisions.

Girija holds a B.E. in Electronics & Communication Engineering from Anna University, Chennai, India, and is pursuing an MBA in AI at Drexel University. She lives with her husband in Pennsylvania and enjoys travel and adventure sports.

Jill Vettese believes that investing in women means investing in a better future. She whole-heartedly endorses the perspective shared by Melinda Gates that “if you want to lift up humanity, empower women.”

Jill comes to the Working for Women Board through her professional role at ZS Associates – a global management consulting and professional services firm – where she is a Principal (Partner). At ZS, she serves as Global Client Services Lead for a top pharmaceutical company, and as the Global Chair for Women@ZS, an inclusion and diversity group geared to helping ZS women build and grown leadership skills.

In heading up Women@ZS, Jill has seen first-hand the positive impact of her company’s partnership with Working for Women, including its skill-based volunteering program.

Throughout her 20+ year professional career, Jill made it her mission to help women achieve their goals. She is a professional development coach, mentors many women, and has been involved in creating system changes and rolling out broad programs at ZS – each with a goal of ensuring ZS is enabling women to succeed.

Among the many lessons Jill learned in her professional journey are that representation matters, systems can change, and we have more power than we think to ignite that change. She tries to be a role model for young girls, especially her daughter and nieces, sharing the range of possibilities that await them.

While Jill expected to become a teacher, like her father, she landed in the corporate world, and eventually earned an MBA despite not having had “business” role models, nor initially knowing what an “MBA” was.

Jill holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Canada, and an Honors Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. Before joining ZS in 2010, Jill worked for a medical device company in Toronto.

Jill lives in Zürich, Switzerland, with her husband and two children. When not working, Jill can be found exploring the beautiful Swiss mountains with her family and reminding herself how lucky they all are for this international experience.

Kathleen Sack believes in “paying it forward” so other women can be successful and achieve financial independence. Throughout her career, she has purposefully developed and maintained relationships and offered guidance, mentorship, and friendship with other women to support their professional journeys. Her roadmap is embedded in the quote “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules and build a life you’re proud to live” from Anne Sweeney, American businesswoman and former co-chair of Disney Media.  

Kathleen has over 35 years of leadership experience in Human Resources (HR) for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.  She worked at American Red Cross, Korn-Ferry, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer), and others including her own consulting practice for four years.  Her unique blend of practitioner and consulting experience allows her to better understand the connection between HR and business challenges within an organization.  She aims to apply these skills towards the growth of W4W.  

Kathleen holds an M.A. degree in Human Resources Management from Marymount University and a B. S. degree in Business from Radford University.  She was an adjunct faculty member for several years at Webster University in Leavenworth, KS teaching a consulting skills course at the graduate level and at William Peace University in Raleigh, NC teaching a  variety of undergraduate courses in the HR curriculum.  She has prior board experience with a professional association and a leadership consulting firm, both based in the DC Metro Area. Kathleen earned certification in Essentials in Nonprofit Board Governance from BoardBuild and is a member of SHRM.  

Kathleen is happiest at the beach and an avid walker.  She and her husband live in Fredericksburg, VA with their cheerful and enthusiastic basset hound.  

Kiva Starr believes every woman deserves the opportunity to build financial independence and chart her own path forward—no matter where she’s starting from. In her professional career helping brands find and activate their purpose, she’s learned that the most meaningful work happens when values and action align. Throughout her career, she has focused on engaging diverse stakeholders and building programs that open doors to economic opportunity. Kiva is eager to combine this experience with Working for Women’s efforts to ignite women’s economic empowerment.

As Vice President of Impact at Adtalem Global Education, a healthcare workforce education company, she establishes the company’s vision and strategy in expanding opportunity and access through programs and partnerships, and engages the company’s workforce to strengthen healthcare in the communities served. At PwC, as the Firmwide Communications Leader, Kiva guided strategy and storytelling to connect their 65,000+ people across the US, and strengthened their reputation in the marketplace. She also helped shape and advance PwC’s commitment to societal issues, developing strategy to reflect their values, and deliver sustainable impact in communities across the country. Having spent 17+ years on the PR agency side, Kiva partnered with C-suite leaders at brands like Visa, Kellogg’s and The Body Shop to craft purpose-driven strategies, platforms, programs and partnerships to drive measurable social impact while strengthening brand reputation and business value.

Kiva earned a Global MBA in International Marketing and a BSBA in Marketing, both at Suffolk University in Boston. Active in her local community, she focuses her volunteer work on youth development, education and service—including poverty alleviation efforts both locally and in Africa. Kiva lives in Maine with her husband and their two children. She loves being outdoors by Maine’s lakes and ocean, gardening, biking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Lisa Weiss believes that helping women achieve economic independence by tapping the desire of businesses to contribute in a more meaningful way is a win-win. For her, supporting the Working for Women model means boosting the likelihood for success for all participants. The approach mirrors her passion for fostering the potential of others, especially those typically overlooked.

The importance of focusing on women is best reflected for Lisa in a quote from the moderator of a UN Federal Credit Union Foundation conference for the Commission on the Status of Women: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime, but teach a woman to fish and everyone eats for a lifetime.”  She is thrilled to be on the Board of an organization aiming to create tangible and lifelong changes, which in her opinion are long overdue.

Lisa has been in the public relations field for 35+ years, working with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, with an emphasis in healthcare. She has conceived and executed award-winning communications programs and campaigns for many clients.

As a life-long reader, she is drawn to stories about overcoming obstacles and life challenges. She loves travel, especially meeting and learning from people from other cultures. She mentors young girls in high school and middle school who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the hope of helping them see their own strengths and promise.

Lisa earned her Master’s in Public Health from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and a dual degree in journalism and liberal arts from Syracuse University.

Lisa and her husband live in New York.

Michelle Mirchandani wants women to know it’s okay to want more for themselves. She says it takes self-love and self-assurance to dream big, but worries that too many women feel they should put others first and not be “selfish.” As a Board Director, Michelle wants to ensure that women have the confidence to take the first step on the ladder to success.

Michelle also dreams of a world where all women have access to affordable childcare and healthcare. She knows how difficult it is to juggle these types of care even with the advantage of a successful career. She realizes too that many women struggle with the basics and can’t break free from poverty to pursue education, careers, and dreams.

Michelle has over 20 years’ experience in marketing in the healthcare industry, currently as a marketing consultant. As an executive vice president at Digitas Health, and a partner at Rosetta, Michelle developed multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns for some of the largest brands in healthcare. She discovered it is best to work smarter, not harder, or longer.

She earned an MBA from Columbia Business School with a dual concentration in marketing and management of organizations, and graduated with honors from Harvard University with a degree in the history of science.

Having been born and raised in Kuwait, but considering herself a New Yorker at heart, Michelle currently lives in sunny southern California. She enjoys reading, hiking, and posting pictures of her ever-entertaining Papillon puppy on Instagram. Most of all, she values spending time with her husband and daughter, and is keenly aware it is a privilege she should never take for granted.