It was indeed an honor to accept the University of Maryland’s 2025 Elaine Johnson Coates Award and to dedicate this award to my mother.

Women Inspire showcases Maryland Smith’s fearless alumnae leaders excelling in business. This annual event celebrates women and seeks to inspire attendees and to challenge them to realize and reach their full potential.

Expected by some to be the ‘great leveller’, the COVID-19 crisis has ultimately laid bare the world’s persistent inequalities.

In this final decade for realizing the Sustainable Development Goals and in light of the yet unfolding economic and social impacts of the pandemic, it essential to take a multi-disciplinary and inclusive approach to the response and recovery discussions aimed at identifying strategic pathways for our global, national, and regional leaders.

The Berlin Solutions Summit brought together policy leaders from around the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkle delivered the keynote address on the first day of the Summit. Dr. Thomas, in her capacity as Co-Chair in the T-20 Task Force on Gender Economic Equity, participated in a panel discussion on Gender Economic Equity for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.

Project Description Under the 2019 Japanese Presidency of the G20, the Think 20 (T20) Engagement Group carried forward the work on women’s economic empowerment (WEE) through the Task Force on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. The ISBE conference is a catalyst for igniting a new type of innovative and dynamic entrepreneurial leadership necessary for unlocking entrepreneurial ambitions across businesses, support agencies and higher education not only in the North East of England, but also on the international stage.