Celebrating the Women of Impact
Editorial
In 2019, BusinessWest created a new recognition program, one to recognize a large and significant constituency, and one whose accomplishments often went unrecognized.
We thought about calling it Women in Business, but then we decided this didn’t fit the bill, as we didn’t want to recognize only individuals’ accomplishments in the business world.
Rather, we wanted to celebrate women of achievement, women who stand out, women who go far beyond what’s in their job description, women who are making a difference. So a name came about naturally: Women of Impact.
The plan was to honor those who excel in their chosen field, or fields, as the case may be, but who are also giving back in the community, who inspire others around them, who serve as mentors to others and especially younger women, and who, as one of our honorees is fond of saying, ‘show up.’
We’ve done that, and this year’s class continues that tradition, as the stories that begin on page W4 clearly show. They are:
• Tara Brewster, vice president of Business Development and director of Philanthropy at Greenfield Savings Bank. Her passion for connecting the community and boosting nonprofits is reflected in both her career and her activities outside the bank as she asks, “what are we here for if not to make a difference?”
• Ayanna Crawford, president of AC Consulting and Media Services. Her work spans her consulting business, numerous nonprofit boards, serving the public as chief of staff to state Rep. Orlando Ramos, and a flourishing organization called Take the Mic, which gives both young people and adults the confidence they need to be public speakers.
• Tracy Friedenberg, executive director of Bacon Wilson, P.C. Early on, she decided that she wanted to serve in roles where she could help team members thrive and drive organizational success. She’s been described as “a visionary leader, compassionate mentor, and an extraordinary human being” who is actively involved in her community.
• Rania Kfuri, vice president of Philanthropy, Sales, and Marketing at Glenmeadow. Showing up has been her credo, and the continuation of a pattern set by several generations of her extended family. Showing up means excelling at work, giving back to the community, mentoring others, literally showing up at events, and convening others to help solve regional problems.
• Chelsea Kline, executive director of Cancer Connection. She understood the value of this “lean, scrappy” nonprofit when her mother accessed its services two decades ago, and today, she and her team successfully build community support for a wide array of programs that bring calm, courage, and even fun to people dealing with the harshest challenge of their lives.
• Angelina Ramirez, CEO of Stavros Center for Independent Living. For the past 35 years, she has been dedicated to this critical nonprofit that helps people with disabilities secure resources and equipment, stay in their homes, access education and job opportunities, and otherwise achieve the kind of live they desire to live.
• Amanda Sanderson, executive director of the Resilience Center of Franklin County. Inspired by her mother’s resiliency in overcoming physical and sexual abuse, she has dedicated her life to leading nonprofits, which she calls the ‘glue’ of our society, and constantly raising the bar when it comes to serving clients and acting as a convener and collaborator.
• Sarah Rose Stack, lecturer of Public Relations at UMass Amherst — just the latest chapter in a compelling story. Inspired by music teachers, she overcame poverty in childhood to excel in music and the arts, and they remain a big part of who she is. Another big part is being a mentor and the kind of teacher who can change a life, as her teachers changed hers.
We at BusinessWest congratulate the Women of Impact class of 2025 and are grateful for their powerful example and inspiring stories.
