“So many situations are not gender equal. Through persistence and resiliency, I tried to chip away at the ceiling.”

- Carol Hamilton

Moderator

Audrey DEL PRETE

Community Engagement Director

Junior Achievement of Southern California

Audrey Del Prete is an MSW graduate from USC and a dedicated social worker, actor and health and fitness coach. She has supported diverse populations, including domestic violence survivors and unhoused veterans. Del Prete now manages volunteer and donor relationships with Junior Achievement of Southern California, supporting the mission of empowering young people towards economic success. Her personal mission in life is to share stories of power and resilience to empower others to reach their full potential.

Speakers

Elise BUIK

President & CEO

United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Elise Buik is the president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. She has held the position since 2005 and has been instrumental in transforming the organization from its historical fundraising role into a community impact organization focused on partnerships around the issues of poverty and homelessness.

Elizabeth ENGLISH

Head of School

The Archer School for Girls

Elizabeth English is the head of school at The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles. She has served as an educational leader in both independent and public schools across the country for over 25 years, with a focus on building ethical school culture and excellence in teaching and learning through research. She earned her Master of Arts in teaching from Tufts University and her Master of Education in school leadership from Harvard University. She began her career as an English teacher at the Emma Willard School in New York and is a passionate and devoted advocate for girls’ schools everywhere. English writes and speaks about education, parenting and the issues facing girls today.

Carol HAMILTON

U.S. Group President, Acquisitions & West Coast Headquarters

L’Oréal

Carol Hamilton, group president of acquisitions, business development and West Coast headquarters at L’Oréal USA, has a 40-year legacy of building iconic beauty brands. She propelled L’Oréal’s flagship brand to global No. 1 and tripled Luxe portfolio sales through key acquisitions like IT Cosmetics and Urban Decay. A champion for women and children, Hamilton spearheads philanthropic initiatives, including work with UNICEF, and mentors extensively. She drives L’Oréal’s West Coast presence and shapes its innovative hybrid work culture.

Araksiya NADJARIAN

CEO & Co-Founder

ConnectTo Communications

Araksiya Nadjarian is the CEO and co-founder of ConnectTo Communications, a Los Angeles-based telecom company with satellite offices in Armenia. With over two decades of experience, she specializes in communication services and custom software, integrating AI-driven solutions with SaaS CRM (ConnectToOwl), IPTV, VOD and streaming. Holding a computer engineering and computer science degree from USC, Nadjarian is also the STEM academy director at AESA, managing programs that empower youth through coding, robotics and AI education.

ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE RESILIENT

Elise Buik: It’s about adaptability – the world is changing so fast and what makes me resilient is the ability to adapt.

Elizabeth English: It’s a kind of wisdom that you know that when things go awry, that it will pass. It’s having enough perspective that when things go wrong, it doesn’t undo you.

Carol Hamilton: It’s the ability to bounce back without wasting energy or time. There are so many mental hurdles thrown at you and you have to put a moat around it and go forward without things weighing you down.

Araksiya Nadjarian: When you are faced with a challenge, you have to move forward and overcome the obstacles that come your way. You have to have enough preparation with tools in place, you have to do your best to move forward.

Audrey Del Prete: For me, it’s about being able to persevere through adversities and then having growth after a certain event.

ON A SPECIFIC GLASS CEILING THAT PARTICIPANTS BROKE THROUGH

Hamilton: I think of it as a plexi-glass ceiling because I don’t think that it will ever be shattered. So many situations are not gender equal. Through persistence and resiliency, I tried to chip away at the ceiling. At L’Oreal, I wanted to focus on the strategic core of the company, which was the hair color category. I realized that embracing the fight helped eliminate gender bias. I became the first woman on the company executive committee and then the first to run our biggest subsidiary in the world.

Nadjarian: In a male dominated tech field, I never let anyone discourage me. I wouldn’t have had all of the successes that I had and would be trapped in a glass house. I am focused. It’s a virtual barrier. I can’t let a virtual thing get in the way of my success.

Buik: I put a glass ceiling over my own head. My aspiration was to be the COO at United Way. Our CEO left and encouraged me to apply. I didn’t see myself as a CEO. I saw a lot of male leaders, but I had been at the organization for 10 years and I applied and had mixed emotions. I was upfront about my vision, but also my weaknesses. I told them about that and they got me a coach. We have to believe in ourselves and then get the support and coaching we need to develop as leaders.

English: When I realized that 75% of people who work in schools were women, but only 25% of the principals were women. I felt discouraged and instead of busting through the ceiling, I decided to leave the public school sector. I knew that there were a disproportionate level of high level leadership roles that came from all-girl schools. I wanted to change the trajectory for the next generation to make sure they understand the gender bias and make changes earlier.

ON THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A WOMAN IN A POSITION OF POWER

English: One of the most frustrating things is what employees expect from a female leader that they would never expect from a man. There’s always a little bit of projection when you don’t fulfill a motherly role in a way that a male supervisor wouldn’t be.

Hamilton: I had a big challenge when I got a new boss. It became clear that he didn’t like me and I had a dilemma about being there for 25 years and I wanted to stay. This could be true with a female boss as well. I outlasted him and I’m here to tell the story.

ON ADVICE FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Nadjarian: Mentorship doesn’t have to be in a classroom or structured setting. You need someone on a daily basis who encourages you to move forward and supports you. I would encourage young women to surround yourselves with successful professionals, and also look for opportunities to help others.

Buik: We talk about having a mentor and my advice with young female leaders is to have a board of mentors. We should be in debt to leaders who paved the way. Look for multiple mentors and have people who you don’t always agree with. Take the long view because you build capital in an organization.

English: We have a whole new generation of women who are seeking a well-being that we didn’t have the luxury of seeking. If you have a partner, make sure that there are conversations about what it takes to be supported as you seek the highest positions.