Family Stewardship Council Hosts WLife Conference to Support, Lift, and Educate Women Across the Family Business Ecosystem

Graduate | Mar 22, 2026 | Gabelli School of Business

On 3/13, the Gabelli School of Business Family Stewardship Council hosted the WLife Conference, a high-impact event designed to support, lift, and educate women across the family business ecosystem.

Benjamin M. Cole, PhD, the William J. Loschert Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at the Gabelli School of Business, and managing director of the Family Stewardship Council, delivered opening remarks that set the tone for what would be a day of remarkable conversations.

Sara Arnell, author and co-founder of My Friend the Sea, delivered a keynote address about the many personal and professional challenges she overcame during her long and highly successful career as an advertising executive, in addition to a transformational mid-life crisis that ultimately helped to open the doors to reconnecting with a loving, healthy, and productive version of herself.

A panel titled “Rising Beyond Boundaries,” explored how women overcome barriers such as gender bias, imposter syndrome, and limiting expectations, to find their voice, build confidence, seize opportunities, and create new pathways for leadership. Laura Thompson Grondin, CEO & president of Virginia Industries; Meghan French Dunbar, author of This Isn’t Work and podcast host; and Claudia Marmolejo, head of international banking at Bci Miami, shared their insights and amazing life stories. The panel was moderated by Diana Franco, vice president of Women.NYC.

Dean Aksoy moderates Voices at the Table panel.
Photo by Bruce Gilbert

A second morning session “Voices at the Table” focused on practical ways women can step into governance and stewardship roles, navigate family and non-family board dynamics, and use their voice to influence decisions that matter. The panel was moderated by Gabelli School of Business Dean Lerzan Aksoy, PhD, and featured Merline Saintil, co-founder of Black Women on Boards and director at TD Synnex, GitLab, Symbotic & Rocket Lab; Christie Houlihan (Fordham Law), executive director, senior family office advisor, J.P. Morgan Private Bank & family advisory board member; and Alice Milligan, independent director at Varo Bank, advisory board member of SundaySky, and external advisor to Bain & Co.

Lunch and breakout sessions provided opportunities to network and share experiences.

Benjamin M. Cole, PhD with Loida Nicolas Lewis (center) and conference attendees
Photo by Bruce Gilbert

The afternoon, was kicked off by an inspiring fireside chat with Loida Nicolas Lewis, a Filipino-born American businesswoman, philanthropist, lawyer, civic leader, and author, who discussed her experiences as a trailblazer in her own career and as the CEO of TLC Beatrice International, for which she took over the reins following the death of her husband Reginald Lewis. The discussion was moderated by Rachel Melroy, senior vice president and private wealth advisor, Capital Group Private Client Services.

The “Juggling Identities” panel offered a thoughtful conversation about how women balance overlapping identities, manage expectations, and stay grounded while driving both family and business forward.

It featured Celine Fitzgerald (Gabelli ’09), a risingGen coach and peer facilitator at In Three Generations and a single family office member at Webb & O’Neil Capital; Maryam Banikarim, host of The Messy Parts Podcast, co-founder of The Longest Table, and chair of the WSJ Institutes CMO Council; and Carly Doshi, head of Family Advisory and Trusts, Private Banking and Wealth Management at Flagstar Private Bank. It was moderated by Stacie Hoffmeister, president of Hoffmeister Lundman & Co. and chief executive officer of Sumter Property Partners.

The event concluded with “She Talks” with Jean Santos, co-founder of the WLife Network and president & senior consultant, Business Consulting Resources, Inc. It was followed by a networking reception.

Thank you to all of the event’s sponsors Capital Group Private Client Services and Flagstar Private Bank, and co-organizers the WLife Network and Business Consulting Resources, as well as to Professor Cole, whose deep commitment to providing forums of discussion for women in business and family offices, is an inspiration to us all.

Written by Paola Curcio-Kleinman and Michelle Livingston