The Inspire Awards recognize the commitment and contributions of
outstanding women leaders in the Cambridge community.
May 21st, 2025
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
The Royal Sonesta Hotel
2024 Inspire Awardees
Robyn Culbertson
Our 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
Gilda M. Nogueira
Our 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
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.