Marrying a passion for writing and all things creative with a passion for working with youth, Renee Flagler, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Long Island lives her purpose daily and is creating a legacy of impact! When the pandemic hit, Renee led her organization in moving all their programming online within 2 weeks. How did she do it? She stuck to Girls Inc.'s mission of being strong - emotionally and mentally, smart - focused on academics, and bold - promoting life skills in being resilient.

As a solution finder for business, Mary Simmons, Director of HR Consulting at Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl and Associates, Inc., is supporting companies and motivating them to stay positive and keep going. She is transparent with her clients in outlining the pros and cons of options for their human resources initiatives and promotes kindness and compassion. Mary also encourages us to "keep moving" during this time as a way of taking care of ourselves.

Raised on a sixth-generation farm in East Texas, Scott Landers, Co-Founder of Figure 8 Logistics, began his lifelong fascination with water and food. From there, he studied Environmental Engineering at MIT and became fascinated with the business and consumer aspects of food and water. He took his learnings from his roles in the corporate world in launching Figure 8. He encourages us to learn from our mistakes or what he calls "choosing mistakes," to arm ourselves with knowledge and to embrace the power within ourselves. His perspectives and positive mindset have contributed to his success!

Her training in active listening and unconditional acceptance enables Renée van der Burg, Founder of Capricorn Consulting, to empower her clients and women around the world through her work with the Female Wave of Change and Inspired Women Lead. Renée talks about focusing on what we can control and influence and encourages us to trust ourselves and be kinder to ourselves. Such important advice!

What a journey! From being a refugee in the of 1948 in Israel to becoming a lawyer and PhD graduate, Alon Kaplan, Founder & Managing Partner of Alon Kaplan Law, embodies the definition of resiliency. He persevered through several personal challenges to go on to become a successful trusts and estates lawyer and Founder and President of STEP Israel, an international professional association for the trust and estates discipline. Alon encourages us to be focused, motivated, and patient.

From growing up on a farm to traveling and working in different countries, Regina Huber, CEO of Transform Your Performance, has learned how to adapt to different cultures and customs. Her curiosity and willingness to learn from others helped Regina to survive and thrive in the various environments that she found herself in. She's learned to face challenges by connecting with the power within and encourages others to do the same.

His career has spanned the accounting and entertainment worlds and he has overcome health challenges to build a successful company supporting business development for various executives. Bruce Stout, President of the Talk Show Factory, inspires us to empower ourselves through gratitude and visualizing what we desire in life to help make one's dreams come alive! Bruce shares that during these different times, it is important to be true to yourself, to be vulnerable, and to seek help in navigating through your challenges.

Her core values of making an impact, leading with authenticity, and finding cultures of integrity have guided Wendy Longwood, Chief Operating Officer of Dress for Success Worldwide, in her professional journey. With the challenges posed by the pandemic, Wendy has been working with her colleagues to deliver the important services of the organization in new and creative ways. Digital programming was quickly created that the network of affiliates could tap into and local affiliates also had the ability to develop programming catering to their regional needs. She very powerfully talks about being the change you wish to see!

Lea del Rosario, Senior Vice President & Head of Human Resources for the New York Islanders Hockey Club and New York Arena Partners, shares that building relationships with business partners and trust with employees are key factors to a successful people strategy. She mentors many young professionals and encourages them to own their career journey and advocate for themselves. Lea talks about being resilient by being focused on your vision and goals.

Who knew that having a knack for reaching out and making calls to people he didn't know would result in a 35+ year career in the insurance industry for Jeff Weiner, Founder and President of HKM Associates. He is dedicated to educating his clients and making himself available to them to answer questions. Jeff also has a core value of giving back to the community and is involved in many charities. He is inspired by his wife and daughter, who are both cancer survivors and thrivers!

Her love of and studies in psychology, forensics, and the law enable Jackie Harounian, Partner at Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C. to bring a unique approach to resolving divorce disputes and family conflicts. She talks about coaching clients to focus on their main priorities and what's within their control, such as their mindset and their decisions. Jackie emphasizes the importance of self-care during these challenging times and focusing on what we have vs. what we don't have during the pandemic. She is committed to supporting people as they navigate uncertainty in their family situations and is hopeful for a brighter future!

Who knew that reading Palomino by Danielle Steel as a college freshman would inspire Lisa Gatti, Founder and CEO of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, Inc., to start her non-profit? Pal-O-Mine Equestrian combines Lisa's passion for teaching and horses by providing therapeutic equine programs using horses to facilitate growth, learning, and healing for individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. Lisa is dedicated to making a difference in people's lives and her servant leadership approach is remarkable!

In founding the Harmony Program, Executive Director Anne Fitzgibbon has a strong belief in music as an agent of social change. To Anne, music education is about community, security, and purpose. The Harmony Program brings intensive after-school music programs to communities with limited access to instrumental music education. Anne talks about resilience during these challenging times in terms of how we respond to change - having back-up plans in place, being open to change, and re-imagining how you provide your services.

Resilience is a part of how Judith Gaffney, Founder and Designer of Culture Tree Designs, was raised. Her parents encouraged her and her siblings to embrace hard work and to never give up when faced by challenges. At the beginning of the pandemic, Judith sought out ways to support the essential health care workers and her company designed, made, and donated beautiful African-inspired scrub caps to the ICU nurses at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Judith has a strong value around making an impact and a portion of her company sales is given to help children from the Family Service League Transitional Housing attend the B.L.A.S.T. entrepreneurship camp for one week in the summer. What an inspiration!

From working in documentary television to working for BusinessWeek to becoming an accomplished independent writer and editor, Carl Winfield, shares his journalism journey. He talks about the impact of strong mentors and sponsors. Carl encourages us to embrace our differences and states that “your difference is your strength.”

In spite of his "other" abilities, Dani Kaplan, Principal of SMC Data Systems, has succeeded at everything he puts his mind to. As a child in Israel, he was wounded in a bombing. He suffered a fractured skull and impairment to his eyesight. Dani's persistence and determination has served him throughout his life - from being in the Israeli Air Force to putting himself through computer school to studying literature and publishing books to photographing as a hobby to owning an inventory management solutions company. Dani embodies what it means to be resilient and is an inspiration to us all!

Speaking to Katie Goepfrich Schafer, Senior Manager of Community Development for the American Cancer Society, caused me to reflect on how cancer has impacted so many - family members, friends, and colleagues. Katie reminds us of the importance of self-care, particularly completing various health screenings. She also talks about the power that we have in sharing our stories and contributing our efforts as a community in overcoming the health challenges that we are facing!

Inspired by her parents, teachers, and her involvement in her church, Dr. Corrinne Graham, President of GRAHAM International Consulting and Research Inc. and Designs by Dr. G, empowers people of all ages with her stories that show how to turn visions into possibilities. Corrinne encourages us to be authentic, stay true to our passions, constantly learn, and be empathic.

What a trailblazer! Almost 20 years ago, John Fetterolf, Founder and Owner of Quikchow, saw a way to provide dining options in an efficient manner initially for Wall Street firms. He has since transformed his business to support restaurants with their online presence. As a successful entrepreneur, John talks about staying focused, having written goals, putting in the hard work, and taking actions to maintain a positive attitude.

From teacher to educational administrator to photographer, Ellen Kaplan, shares her journey and what she learned along the way. With encouragement from her husband, Dani Kaplan, Ellen attended a photography workshop offered by the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Colorado. She then went on to take courses at the International Center of Photography, where she gained recognition, including an exhibition at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Ellen encourages us to keep at whatever we're doing, no matter the challenges!