Women’s Leadership Summit 2025 Explores Ways To Elevate Female Voices

India-West Staff Reporter

ORANGE, CA – The annual Women’s Leadership Summit 2025, held on March 15 at the Santiago Middle School Auditorium, brought together a diverse group of professionals and change-makers with a shared mission to empower women and elevate their voices.

The event, themed “Empowering Women, Elevating Voices,” aimed to inspire, educate, and equip women with the necessary skills for leadership roles. Dr. Manorama Gupta, President of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) Long Beach and the Global Peace Foundation, played a central role in organizing the event. She shared her excitement, stating, “We were thrilled to bring together such a diverse group of trailblazers and changemakers as panelists, who shared their stories, strategies, and expertise to help attendees elevate their careers and leadership skills.”

Throughout the event, participants had the opportunity to network with leaders from various industries, gain valuable insights, and engage in meaningful conversations focused on overcoming barriers to women’s leadership. Panelists covered essential topics such as career advancement, entrepreneurship, leadership development, and fostering diversity in the workplace.

Among the distinguished panelists were Dr. Lisa Kaufman, President of the National Council of Jewish Women in LA and OC; Dr. Hanh Nguyen Clark, Chief Medical Officer of the Clean Water for Cambodian Project; Dr. Teri Tan, founding member of the Cambodian Health Professional Association of America; Sunny Chauhan, Senior Bank Manager and Vice President at Comerica Bank; and Sharon Giarratano, a vocalist, creative process coach, and frontwoman of the band Slushbox.

The event also recognized individuals for their outstanding contributions to leadership. Jadith Harris, former President of UNA-USA Southern California, received the Arnold Goodman Lifetime Achievement Award, while Dr. Angela Kung, Mrs. Asia USA 2025 and holistic healer, was also honored for her work.

The evening kicked off with a warm welcome speech by Dr. Sukrit Mukherjee, followed by remarks from Aparna Hande. Musical performances by Lynda Arnold and Andrew Yinn set a reflective tone before the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony.

Councilwoman of Artesia, Zeel Ahir, presented awards, certificates, and shawls to the awardees, panelists, sponsors, and members, adding a personal touch to the evening’s celebrations. The cultural segment, featuring music and dance by local talent, was enjoyed by all. Dr. Asmath Noor served as the event’s emcee. The event concluded with a sumptuous dinner provided by Pista House Restaurant.