Women in Business Summit
Celebrating Two Decades of Empowering Entrepreneurs
By Melissa Karen Sances
Published in Northampton Living | September 2025
Community Corner
Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank
Twenty years ago, the founder of the Women in Business Summit (WIB) was working in the hospitality industry in Connecticut when her world changed. A male coworker had shared his salary – and it was significantly higher than Kisha Zullo’s.
Her mind raced. Growing up in Jamaica as the eldest of four sisters, her mother – her steady heartbeat – had told her to work hard and do well. And she had. With a master’s in business administration from Johnson & Wales University, she’d thought that if she kept her head down and did great work, she’d keep moving up. “But there’s more to excelling in a career,” explains Zullo. She wondered if other women could relate.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women’s earnings were 83.6 percent of men’s in 2023. According to the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, it could take 134 years – or five more generations – to achieve full parity worldwide.
Moving Forward
Zullo decided to go solo – and create a community. After moving to western Mass and founding Events of Joy, she set out to wow her first client: herself. She gathered peers and mentors for the first WIB, hoping to share knowledge and inspire and educate women entrepreneurs and leaders to create equity for women.
“I had big expectations,” she says with a laugh. “I thought, ‘We’re going to have 150 women.’” Instead, 60 showed up to the Women in Business: Passing the Baton Today, Tomorrow and Beyond Summit to discuss communication, being a better leader, time management and imposter syndrome.
Zullo was focused on quality over quantity. “I just want to encourage anyone who’s going to start something, don’t let [attendance] be the reason why you stop,” she says. “You really want to hone in on why are you doing this in the first place, which is you want women to feel amazing. When you feel seen, supported and celebrated, you excel.”
During the inaugural summit, the first half of the day centered on career topics and allowed the audience to interact with a panel of experts, and the second revolved around image, complete with a fashion show that addressed personal image and how it can impact how you’re perceived.
Celebrating Community
For their 20th anniversary on September 25, Zullo expects up to 300 women at the Marriott Springfield Downtown. (In addition to the conference, there will be a VIP night on September 24.) This year’s keynote speaker is Endia DeCordova, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the Morgan State University Foundation. DeCordova was one of the first women Zullo sought out and served on the original advisory board.
“This year’s theme is ‘Community and Connection,’” says Zullo. “Looking back, I’m thinking about how grateful I am. Having sponsors and supporters that contribute means a lot to me, as well as those who show up and invest in their personal and professional growth. Having a partner like Greenfield Savings Bank is really empowering for my dreams and the dreams of other women who attend the Women in Business Summit.”
For more information, to contribute or to register, visit wibsummit.com or email hello@wibsummit.com. Registration closes in mid-September.
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