PROVIDENCE – Maria Gemma-Corcelli, executive director of the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, has been selected by Providence Business News as this year’s Career Achievement winner, headlining a group of 34 top local businesswomen to be honored in the 2024 Business Women Awards program.
The annual program recognizes leading women in various business, government and nonprofit sectors and their work for their respective organizations. Gemma-Corcelli and this year’s Outstanding Mentor, Day Pitney LLP Managing Partner Renée A.R. Evangelista, are among 22 industry leaders and women to watch, along with 12 achievement honorees, unveiled on Monday.
The honorees will be recognized May 23 in a lunchtime ceremony at noon at the Providence Marriott Downtown for their work in their respective organizations. Tickets for the event can be purchased on
PBN.com. A special section highlighting each honoree will be published as part of PBN’s May 24-June 6 print edition.
Career Achievement: Maria Gemma-Corcelli
Gemma-Corcelli has led the foundation, named after the late Gloria Gemma, since 2008. In her time, she stewarded the development of various innovative programs and services to combat breast cancer. Prior to becoming executive director, Gemma-Corcelli worked at Gem Property Management renting affordable apartments in Rhode Island.
Outstanding Mentor: Renée A.R. Evangelista
Evangelista, a 2022 PBN
Leaders & Achievers honoree, takes her past role as a female athlete and current role as a lawyer seriously and has had the luxury of mentoring and advising many athletes during their careers on how to set up their estate planning. She also has spoken to female college student-athletes, and served on the finance committee for the Women's Sports Foundation, founded by former tennis star Billie Jean King and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.
Along with Gemma-Corcelli and Evangelista, the other 2024 PBN Business Women Award honorees are:
Creative Services Industry Leader
Megan McGuinness, McGuinness Media & Marketing owner and chief marketing officer
Creative Services Woman to Watch
Lauren Greene, New Harbor Group managing director
Education Industry Leader
Rosemary A. Costigan, Community College of Rhode Island interim president
Education Woman to Watch
Ezenwayi Amaechi Ejiribe, Johnson & Wales University professor and entrepreneur
Financial Services Industry Leader
Eliza Lavergne, Navigant Credit Union first vice president of operations
Financial Services Woman to Watch
Amber Bichun, Citrin Cooperman & Co. LLP partner
Government Industry Leader
Bianca Policastro, City of Pawtucket director of planning and redevelopment; Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency executive director
Government Woman to Watch
Chelsea Siefert, Quonset Development Corp. chief operating officer
Health Care Services Industry Leader
Anitra Galmore¸ South County Health chief operations officer and chief nursing officer
Health Care Services Woman to Watch
Daisy Bassen, Thrive Behavioral Health Inc. medical director
Legal Services Industry Leader
Dana Horton, Robinson & Cole LLP partner
Legal Services Woman to Watch
Emma Becker, Day Pitney LLP partner
Nonprofit Industry Leader
Carol Malysz, RI Bio executive director
Nonprofit Woman to Watch
Victoria Heimer-McGinn, Brain Waves Rhode Island president; Roger Williams University professor
Professional Services Industry Leader
Kerry Evers, ProChange Behavior Solutions co-CEO and president
Professional Services Woman to Watch
Michelle Carr, Leadership Rhode Island executive director
Social Services Industry Leader
Linda E. Hurley, CODAC Behavioral Healthcare CEO and president
Social Services Woman to Watch
Amy Vogel, Dr. Day Care CEO
Technical Services Industry Leader
Shelley McInnis, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport mission capability manager, customer advocate and tech program manager
Technical Services Woman to Watch
Kathryn Strumolo, Gilbane Inc. New England support operations manager
The 2024 Achievement Honorees are (listed alphabetically):
- Alison Bologna, Shri Studio Inc. founder and owner
- Angela Conte, Structural Stone LLC co-owner
- Ruth DiGiovanni, RemiPBX Inc. co-owner
- Kathi Graham-Leviss, XBInsight Inc. president
- Lindsay Kuhn, Wingspans Inc. founder
- Brandi Morgan Raupp, East Coast Capture LLC owner
- Judy Rametta, StarTrak Studios Inc. president
- Rosalind Rustigian, V. George Rustigian Rugs Inc. owner
- Megan Sheehan, Green Path Legal founder
- Mariana R. Silva-Buck, Little Maven Lemonade co-owner
- Tiesha Sinouthasy, Peace of Mind Nannies founder
- Charise Wilson, Workforce Ready Solutions owner
Navigant Credit Union is the presenting sponsor for PBN’s 2024 Business Women Awards program. Amgen Rhode Island is the partner sponsor.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
