The Inspire Awards recognize the commitment and contributions of
outstanding women leaders in the Cambridge community.
2025 Inspire Awardees
Lydia Shire
2025 Gilda Nogueira Lifetime Achievement
Renowned, Award Winning Chef and Restaurateur
Judy Belcher
Director of Sales and Events
Sheraton Commander
Kathryn Brown
Director of Real Estate
MITIMCo
Jodi Cook
Chief Executive Officer
Skylark Bio
Caroline Fernald
Executive Director
The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture
Rose Loughlin
Executive Vice President of Research
Moderna
Erin Muirhead McCarty
Executive Director
Community Art Center
Carrie Moore
Women's Head Basketball Coach
Harvard University
Tali Sason
Director of Engineering and Site Lead
2024 Inspire Awardees
Robyn Culbertson
2024 Gilda Nogueira Lifetime Achievement
Executive Director of Cambridge Office For Tourism
Robyn Arruda
Manager, Campus Services
BioMed Realty
Bonnie Bertolaet
Executive Director
Science Club For Girls
Manikka Bowman
Executive Director
The Nature Conservancy
Ruby Pierce Donohue
Community & Educational Leader
Margaret Faul
Vice President, Drug Substance Technologies & Site Head
Amgen Massachusetts
Nancy O'Brien
President & CEO
Cambridge YMCA
Maggie O'Toole
COO & Executive Vice President
LabCentral
Sarah MacDonald
CEO
Life Science Cares
2023 Inspire Awardees
Awardees: Gilda M. Nogueira, 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awardee Gilda, is the Chief Executive Officer at East Cambridge Savings Bank, Heather Henriksen, The Chief Sustainability Officer at Harvard University, Denise Jillson, The Executive Director at the Harvard Square Business Association, Emma Lees, The Senior Vice president at Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology Research and Site Head, BMS R&D Cambridge, Aisha Losche, The Chief Diversity Officer at Draper Laboratory, Miriam Ortiz, The Director of Education and Training at Just-A-Start Corporation, Tiffany Thiel, The Executive Director of Process Development at Amgen Inc., Kathy Watkins, Commissioner DPW For The City of Cambridge, Ayesha M. Wilson, MSW, Cambridge School Committee, Social Worker, and Advocate.
Meet our 2023 awardees by watching their introductory videos here.
2022 Inspire Awardees
Awardees: Jane Hirschi, Executive Director, CitySprouts, Helen Elaine Lee, Director of Program in Women's and Gender Studies, and Professor of Fiction Writing in Comparative Media Studies/Writing, MIT, Katie Lapp, Executive Vice President, Harvard University, Christine Elow, Commissioner, Cambridge Police Department, Joanne Smith-Farrell, CEO, Be Bio, Kendalle Burlin O'Connell, President & COO, MassBio, Colleen O'Connor, Senior Vice President of Leasing, BioMed Realty, Sumiao Chen, CEO & Founder, Sumiao Kitchen.
Meet our 2022 awardees by watching their introductory videos here.
Past Awardees
Awardees: Aine Hanly, Vice President of Drug Substance Technologies, Amgen, Dr. Carolyn Turk, Deputy Superindentent of Schools, Cambridge Public Schools, P.A. d'Arbeloff, Director, MIT Nord Anglia Collaboration, MIT Museum, Erin Lanciani, Head of HR and Organization Strategy, Sage Therapeutics, Kelly A. Flynn, Associate Director, Real Estate, Global Real Estate, Facilities, and Procurement, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Eva Martin Blythe, Executive Director, YWCA, Keynote Speaker: Jeanette Clough, Former President, and CEO, Mount Auburn Hospital.