Booth Women Connect Series Speakers

Swati Bharteey-Buck is principal of LeaderStages, LLC, an executive development, coaching, and succession planning company. Bharteey-Buck’s main areas of focus are executive coaching, high-impact learning programs, and human resources strategy. She also coaches executive directors and leaders of numerous Chicago-based nonprofits who are committed to improving access to services for disadvantaged populations and delivering high-quality education in Chicago’s inner cities. Swati is also a co-facilitator for the Interpersonal Dynamics course at Booth.

Tracy Brown is chief content officer at Chicago Public Media, where she oversees broadcast programming, podcasts, community engagement/events, and the music station Vocalo. A University of Georgia graduate, Brown is the current chair of the Grady College of Journalism alumni board. She’s also a board member of the Local Media Association and a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Network. A longtime member of the National Association for Black Journalists, Brown is a 2021 Sulzberger Executive Leadership Fellow at Columbia University.

Katie Callow-Wright is the executive vice president of the University of Chicago. She serves as a key representative of the university’s president and is responsible for facilitating and implementing strategic initiatives that require significant central coordination. Her broad portfolio includes campus master planning and oversight of facilities services. Her work intersects with all areas of a research and education enterprise that comprises the University of Chicago Medical Center, the Marine Biological Laboratory, global centers, and more.

Rohini Dey, PhD, is the founder of the Chicago-based restaurant Vermilion, which has been acclaimed a “best restaurant” for its unique global twist on Indian cuisine by numerous publications, including USA Today, Bon Appetit, and Esquire. Dey has frequently appeared on Food Network shows as a judge. A zealous champion of women, Dey is also the founder of Let’s Talk Womxn, a collaboration of women restaurateurs to build and scale together that hosts many initiatives and forums across Chicago and the nation. She holds a PhD in international business from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Erin Diehl is founder and CEO of improve it!, a professional development company that conducts workshops across the country using improvisational techniques to improve employees’ skills in corporate settings. Her work earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award.

Suzanne El-Moursi is the cofounder and COO of Brighthive, a public benefit corporation that helps organizations, networks, and communities responsibly link data to enhance impact, improve decision-making, and increase equality of opportunity. She’s also an active venture capital investor and partner with the W Fund, which focuses on venture investing at seed stage in underrepresented startups, and sits on the board of directors for technology startups in data governance and health remote monitoring startups.

Amy Hilliard is adjunct associate professor of strategy at Booth. Known as the “Reinvention Specialist,” she’s also an award-winning serial entrepreneur, senior corporate executive, board member, author, international speaker, and educator. For over 25 years, The Hilliard Group, her strategic marketing consulting firm, has helped a wide range of clients including Nielsen, IBM, HBO, PepsiCo, and others penetrate multicultural markets. In 2001, she founded The ComfortCake® Company, makers of “Pound Cake so Good it feels like a Hug.” 

Farah Mohamed is the CEO of Prince’s Trust Canada, which empowers young people and veterans to build resilient, future-ready communities. As a social profit entrepreneur who’s passionate about working with young people, Mohamed founded G(irls)20, which galvanizes girls and cultivates a new generation of leaders through education, entrepreneurship, and global experiences. She previously served as CEO of the Malala Fund, which is working for a world where all girls can learn and lead without fear.

Karen Passmore is a partner at McKinsey & Company. Based out of Chicago, she primarily serves MedTech companies on topics that unlock growth, including go-to-market strategy, omnichannel customer engagement, and commercial effectiveness. She also works closely with executive teams to set and drive transformation from the top. She is a champion within McKinsey for talent development and has helped shape the experience for colleagues in Chicago and in the global MedTech community.

Alyssa Rapp is adjunct assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Booth. She’s also CEO of Surgical Solutions as well as founder and CEO of Bottlenotes Inc., an interactive media company in the wine, craft beer, and artisanal spirit industries. She was twice named to Crain’s “Notable Women in Health Care” and has also been named one of the “Top 100 Healthcare Leaders” by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare.

Julianne Sitch is the head coach for the men’s soccer team at the University of Chicago and a former player for the Chicago Red Stars. In 2022, she became the first woman in NCAA history to lead a men’s team to a national championship.