Welcome to the 54th Annual Leader Luncheon
Welcome to the 2026 Leader Luncheon, Unapologetic. Unwavering. Unfinished., as we celebrate 150 years of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago advancing opportunity, championing equity, and strengthening communities.
This milestone is both a celebration of our legacy and a reminder that our work is far from finished. For 150 years, we have stood alongside women, families, and communities, breaking down barriers and creating pathways to greater well-being, economic opportunity, and possibility.
Today, we honor extraordinary leaders whose vision, courage, and commitment reflect the spirit of our mission. Their leadership reminds us that meaningful progress requires bold action, enduring partnerships, and a shared commitment to building a better future.
Thank you for joining us, investing in our mission, and helping shape the next chapter of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago's impact. Together, we remain unapologetic in our purpose, unwavering our commitment, and unfinished in our pursuit of a more equitable future.
With gratitude,
Nicole Robinson
Chief Executive Officer
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
Anna May Trala
Board Chair
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
Chief Financial Officer & Managing Director, GTCR
Program
UNAPOLOGETIC. UNWAVERING. UNFINISHED.
Julie Scott, 150th Anniversary Leader Luncheon Co-Chair
President, CEO & Founder, CTS Impact, past Leader Luncheon honoree
150 YEARS OF BOLD ACTION
Yolanda Ambriz, 150th Anniversary Leader Luncheon Co-Chair
Group HR Director for Test & Measurement and Electronics, ITW
PARTNERS IN PROGRESS
Fellicia Foster
Chief Human Resources Officer, U.S. Banking, BMO, Presenting Sponsor
Vice President, YWCA Board of Directors
LUNCH INTERMISSION
A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
Anna May Trala
Senior Advisor, GTCR
Board Chair, YWCA Board of Directors
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Nicole R. Robinson
Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
OUTSTANDING ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADER
Toi Salter
CEO and Founder of Salter Financial Management LLC
CORPORATE INNOVATION AWARD
Ulta Beauty
Aimee Bayer-Thomas
Chief Operations Officer, Ulta Beauty
YWCA Board of Directors
150 YEARS OF IMPACT
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Impact Video
THE WORK IS UNFINISHED
Dr. Carol Adams
Call to Action
OUTSTANDING CIVIC INNOVATOR
Jessica Sarowitz
Managing Partner, 4S Bay Partners and Founder, Miraflores Films
OUTSTANDING SOCIAL JUSTICE LEADER
Ai-jen Poo
President, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and Executive Director of Caring Across Generations
UNWAVERING IN OUR PURPOSE
Nicole R. Robinson
Closing Remarks
YSHOP REOPENS
Wifi Information
Network Name: Hyatt Conference
Password: ywcalunch
Menu
MAIN COURSE
Autumn Salad Baby Greens, Quinoa, Roasted Pear, Butternut Squash, Cherries, Goat Cheese, Salmon With Maple Vinaigrette
DESSERT
Hazelnut Dacquoise, Maple Cremeux, Milk Chocolate Mousse, Hazelnut Crunch with Chocolate Happy Birthday piece
S'mores Tart
Graham Chocolate Ganache, Toasted Meringue, Graham Tart Shell with Chocolate Happy Birthday piece
BREAD & BUTTER
Bread and Butter Presentation with Pumpkin Butter*
BEVERAGES
Coffee, Decaf, Hot Tea Selection, Iced Tea
Meet The Pastry Chef
Sophie Evanoff, President has served as Owner and Operator of Vanille Patisserie, a premier provider of luxury French pastries in Chicago. A classically trained pastry chef, Sophie acquired the business in 2011 and oversees business planning, new product development, sales and marketing. She rebuilt the fledgling bakery into a thriving business built on hospitality and giving, one that brings French delicacies to Chicagoland while improving the communities in which she operates.
Sophie is passionate about upholding the French standard of technique, quality and taste while providing the best customer service. Vanille was awarded #1 Retailer of Lincoln Park in 2015 and recognized as one of the best bakeries in America by Time Out Magazine. A dedicated and active entrepreneur, Sophie was the first female business owner to win the James Tyree Emerging Business Leadership Award in 2016 and was honored as a Women of Influence by the Chicago Business Journal in 2019. Sophie was awarded the prestigious rank of Ordre du Mérite agricole by the French Government in 2021. Most recently, Sophie has been recognized By Enterprising Women as one of the Women of the Year Award winners of 2023.
Leader Luncheon 2026 Honorees
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Ulta Beauty is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the U.S. and a leading destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, wellness, and salon services. Since opening its first store in the Chicago area in 1990, Ulta Beauty has grown to more than 1,500 stores across the U.S. and redefined beauty retail by bringing together All Things Beauty. All in One Place®. With an expansive product assortment, professional salon services, and its beloved Ulta Beauty Rewards loyalty program, the company delivers seamless, personalized experiences across stores, Ulta.com, and the Ulta Beauty App – where the possibilities are truly beautiful. Ulta Beauty is also expanding its presence internationally through its subsidiary, Space NK, a luxury beauty retailer operating in the U.K. and Ireland, its joint venture in Mexico, and its franchise in the Middle East.
Through the philanthropic arm of the Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation (UBCF), Ulta Beauty is committed to empowering the holistic well-being of women and teens so they can unleash their possibilities. For more than a decade, Ulta Beauty has proudly supported YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, building a partnership focused on helping women and girls build confidence, strengthen their well-being, and create a greater sense of belonging. UBCF is also proud to partner with YWCA® USA and YWCA organizations across the country to inspire and empower the next generation of confident leaders. Through the annual YWCA® Pretty Empowered program, now in its 5th year, Ulta Beauty and YWCA have engaged nearly 800 girls ages 9–14 in hands-on experiences focused on wellness, cosmetic science, and store operations. Across eight cities, these experiences have helped girls build confidence, make new connections, and see new possibilities for their futures. Together, Ulta Beauty and YWCA are creating meaningful experiences that encourage the next generation to dream big and pursue their passions.
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Ai-jen Poo is a nationally recognized organizer, advocate, and movement leader dedicated to transforming how the United States values caregiving and care work. She serves as President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and Executive Director of Caring Across Generations, where she has spent more than 25 years advancing policies, systems, and cultural change that support caregivers, care workers, and families.
Poo began her organizing career alongside domestic workers in New York City and helped found Domestic Workers United, a multiracial coalition of nannies, house cleaners, and home care workers. The organization played a pivotal role in securing the New York Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (2010), the first law in the nation to guarantee basic labor protections and rights for domestic workers.
In 2007, she co-founded the National Domestic Workers Alliance, bringing together domestic worker leaders from across the country to build a unified movement. Under her leadership, NDWA has grown into an alliance of more than 70 affiliate organizations and a community of over 400,000 workers, helping advance domestic worker bills of rights in 13 states, two cities, and the District of Columbia.
Poo also founded Caring Across Generations in 2011, a national organization working to reimagine care in America and strengthen support for caregiving at every stage of life. The organization has advanced cultural representation efforts, driven policy investments nationwide, and helped secure historic federal action to expand care infrastructure.
A leading voice on the care economy, Poo is a MacArthur Fellow, has been named one of Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, and is the author of The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. She currently serves as a Trustee of the Ford Foundation and a Carnegie Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University’s Institute of Global Politics.
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Toi L. Salter is a respected leader in financial and business management and the CEO and Founder of Salter Financial Management LLC, where she oversees the financial and business affairs of professional athletes and media talent. With nearly three decades of experience in finance, she has built a career defined by strategic leadership, trusted counsel, and a steadfast commitment to protecting and growing her clients’ wealth.
Driven by a passion for serving professional athletes and addressing the long-term impact of poor financial guidance, Salter founded her firm to provide a higher standard of support and stewardship. Her client-centered approach, combined with partnerships across some of the industry’s most respected financial institutions, has contributed to lasting success for those she serves.
Raised in a family of entrepreneurs, Salter’s path to success was shaped by ambition, instinct, and a deep sense of purpose. That vision has fueled a distinguished career spanning entrepreneurship, leadership, and philanthropy.
A dedicated community advocate, Salter has devoted significant time and leadership to initiatives supporting youth, education, and the advancement of the African American community. She has helped raise more than $3 million for UNCF Chicago, earning recognition in UNCF’s annual report under the heading “The Power of One.” She also chaired the Chicago Urban League’s Golden Fellowship Dinner in 2024 and 2025, helping raise more than $7 million and break fundraising records. In total, she has helped generate more than $12.5 million for organizations across the Chicagoland community.
Salter’s many honors include recognition as a Chicago Defender 2026 Woman of the Year, UNCF’s Trailblazer Award, and the Chicago Urban League Lester H. McKeever Jr. Individual Service Award. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and resides in Chicago, Illinois.
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Jessica Sarowitz is an impact investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose work centers equity, community investment, and amplifying stories that have historically gone unheard. She is the founder of Miraflores Films, a documentary company dedicated to elevating historically silenced voices and communities pushed to the margins.
Through Miraflores Films, Sarowitz has served as Executive Producer on acclaimed projects including With This Light (2023), which chronicles the life and humanitarian work of Sister Maria Rosa in Honduras, and Freedom on Fire (2022), the Emmy-nominated documentary exploring the war in Ukraine.
As Managing Partner of 4S Bay Partners, Sarowitz leads investments focused on equity, inclusion, and long-term community impact. She is also the founder and leader of the development team behind Stocker Street Creative, a $400 million social-impact development project in South Los Angeles designed to bring world-class production facilities, workforce development programs, and economic opportunity directly to Black and Brown communities.
Sarowitz is the Co-Founder and Board President of the Julian Grace Foundation, supporting initiatives in education, health, the arts, and Indigenous rights across Central America and communities throughout the United States. An Afro-Latina and daughter of immigrants, she brings an equity-centered perspective to every aspect of her philanthropic and investment work.
Her leadership extends across the nonprofit and cultural sectors through service on the boards of The Field Museum, the Campanile Foundation at San Diego State University, and the Akko Center for Arts and Technology. She previously served on the boards of the Sierra Club Foundation and Interfaith America.
Sarowitz holds a B.A. in Economics from DePaul University and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by DePaul University in 2022.
Thank you!
Our heartfelt thanks to our Leader Luncheon Co-Chairs and Host Committee for their leadership, dedication, and commitment to making this milestone celebration possible. Your partnership honors 150 years of bold action and helps advance our unfinished work of creating greater opportunity and possibility for women, families, and communities.
Yolanda Ambriz, YWCA Board Member, Group HR Director for Test & Measurement and Electronics, ITW
Julie Scott*, YWCA Board Emerita, President, CEO & Founder, CTS Impact
Anna May Trala, 150th Anniversary Leader Luncheon Co-Chair, Senior Advisor, GTCR
150th Anniversary Leader Luncheon Co-Chairs:
Carol Lavin Bernick*
Kathy Bolhous*
Cindy Burrell
Denise DeMaio
Ryndy Ditmars
Kimberly Evans
Jessica Fairchild
Fellicia Foster
Glenda Henderson
Laticia Tolbert
Lori Lightfoot*
150th Anniversary Leader Luncheon Host Committee:
JoAnn Lilek
Manoj Mahenthiran
Cynthia McCafferty
Dorri McWhorter
Tracey Mendrek
Audrey Rone Peeples*
Julia Stasch*
Edward Taylor
Evette Williams
Joyce Winnecke
* Denotes past YWCA Leader Luncheon Honoree
Legacy Giving Society
Patti Barnett
Cindy C. Burrell
Gwendolyn L. Butler
Margaret A. Cartier, CPA
June Courtney
Yolanda Daniel
Venita Fields
Lisa W. Haag
Kimberly Hunter
Ubong E. Ituen
Nicole Johnson-Scales
Catherine A. Kelly
As we celebrate 150 years of advancing equity and opportunity for women, children, and families, we are grateful to the visionary supporters who have included YWCA Metropolitan Chicago in their estate plans.
JoAnn S. Lilek
Martha and Anthony Malana
Curt Matlin
Dorri C. McWhorter
Alissa Pagels
B. Pagels-Minor, MIS, MBA
Beverley E. Rohde
Donna N. Smith
Kiela Smith-Upton
Deborah Stevens
Karen Tulloch
Joyce Winnecke
For more information and to learn how to become a member of the Legacy Giving Society, please contact:
Morlie Patel
Vice President of Development
Morlie.patel@ywcachicago.org
312-762-2701
Sponsor List (copy LL last minute)