DARIEN – For women executives and entrepreneurs in Westchester and Fairfield counties, innovation drives success and survivability in today’s dynamic business world.
Just ask Stacia Morris and Virginia Turnbull, two of the 20 women honored by Westfair Business Journal during Thursday’s “Women Innovators in Our Region 2025” at The Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s in Darien.
“When I came to the U.S. I gave up my teaching job in the Bahamas,” said Morris, founder and CEO of Norwalk-based TrireMIS Solutions DBA Your Life TREK. “I got my master’s degree in accounting, but it was longer than my pockets would allow, and I couldn’t get a student loan, which turned out to be a good thing.
“So, I switched from accounting to information technology, and I had never seen a computer in my life. I was at Pace University. My colleagues were IBM programmers. I spent the nights at the Pace Pleasantville lab and before I completed my MBA, I got a job with IBM.”
For Virginia, the story was more of a lesson learned early on in her career.
“As part of my job I am required to do presentations,” said Turnbull, who is senior vice president and team leader at Fairfield County Bank. “During my very first presentation I had to do as a lender, I was terrible. I was technically correct and all the information that I had was correct. But the presentation was awful.
“During my presentation, another women executive said, ‘I think that you should leave and you should think about if this job is for you.’ I remember walking away. I went home and thought about it and it really made me mad about what she said.”
Under the category of turning a negative experience into a positive one, Virginia didn’t give up. She got back “in the saddle” and gave it another try.
“I practiced and worked on my presentation and came back two weeks later and did the presentation,” she said. “And it was good. I think people were so embarrassed about what happened (previously) that they gave me a standing ovation when I completed it.”
The annual event honors the amazing women who lead the way, making positive changes and shattering glass ceilings in every industry. Westfair, which owns the Westchester Business Journal and Fairfield County Business Journal, put on the awards event with the help of judges Cherese Jervis-Hill, CEO and founder of Hastings-on-Hudson-based Events To Remember + PR To Remember – Divisions of Events by Cherese Inc. – and Valerie Jensen, founder and visionary of The Prospector theater in Ridgefield.
The event’s MC Christina Dufour, corporate wellness consultant and executive coach of her company Carnelian Connection, ruminated about the definition of innovation among women business executives and owners.
“I think it’s the courage to find new solutions to meaningful problems and to be bold enough to persist to add your unique value to the world,” she told the crowd of more than 160 people at the Women Innovators event.
“When we honor each other’s accomplishments, we create space for even greater possibilities,” she added. “Innovators have always shaped our communities and industries and the spirit is alive in every one of us tonight.”
The honorees included women from many walks of life. There is a state senator, a deputy mayor, a senior vice president of operations for an affordable housing nonprofit, and owners of such businesses as a roving show of comediennes, a candle-making bar, a behavior consultancy and a consulting firm.
The event was sponsored by Bank of America, Whitaker’s Garage Door Store. Supporters included: Action Entertainment, The Bristal Assisted Living, Cuddy + Feder LLP, Fairfield County Bank, Rise Private Wealth Management (powered by Ameriprise Financial), Wartburg and the Yonkers Economic Development Corp. and Yonkers Industrial Development Agency. Other supporters included HoneyNotes, Let’s Play Mahjong, Mary Belle Books, Pole Position Dance & Studio, Support Connection, Saqina Art, Sharc Creative, Splendid Signs & Aesthetics, Tell a Therapist, Truffles by Dez and Casa Cherrywood Carvings.
The 2025 honorees
CARLA ALFIERI
SVP, Director of private banking, Orange Bank & Trust Co.
THAMARA BARBOSA-TIRRI
Regional VP of operations, The Bristal Assisted Living, Ultimate Care
PEGGY BOYCE
Founder, executive producer, Ladies of Laughter
ROSE CAPPA ROTUNNO
VP of institutional advancement, Wartburg
SHYNAE DAVIS
CEO and owner, Honey Notes Affirmation & Cadle Bar
JENNY DELORBE
Clinical billing liaison, adjunct professor, Yale University, Sacred Heart University, College of Westchester
GERI EISENMAN PELL
Private wealth advisor, co-founder, Rise Private Wealth Management practice of Ameriprise Financial Services
SUSAN GERRY
Deputy mayor of City of Yonkers
SHERYL HATWOOD
Owner and founder of TRUCE by SH LLC and S.H.E.
JULIE KUSHNER
Connecticut state senator
MINERVA MARTINEZ
Sr. VP, CT Housing Partners
LATA MCGINN
Co-founder and co-director, Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants
STACIA MORRIS, MBA, CAGS
Founder and CEO, TrireMIS Solutions LLC dba Your Life Trek
MICHELLE NICHOLAS
Founder and CEO, The NICO Consulting
KRISTEN OKESSON
SVP, GM, Connoisseur Media CT, Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce
NAHEED QUAISAR
CEO
Health Products for You
CHRISTINA RAE
President
Buzz Creators Inc.
VICTORIA SHEYKO
Marketing Associate, Valitana
VIRGINIA TURNBULL
Sr. VP, Team Leader, Fairfield County Bank
MARIALISA ZYWOTCHENKO
Owner and president, Cyrus Contracting Corp.
