BCW Explores Leadership Development at “Leading Forward: Developing Leadership From Within and Beyond” Power Breakfast

Business leaders from across the region gathered at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown on June 16 for the Business Council of Westchester’s Tompkins Community Bank Power Breakfast program, Leading Forward: Developing Leadership From Within and Beyond.

As organizations continue to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving business landscape, the discussion focused on a critical challenge facing employers today: how to cultivate strong leaders from within while leveraging the expertise of external leadership advisors and coaches.

The discussion was moderated by Amanda DePalma, Senior Vice President of Events & Development at the Business Council of Westchester, and featured an accomplished group of leadership and business professionals, including Valerie Mason Cunningham, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Mason & Rice LLC; Jessica Nguyen, Founder of Feed Learning; Jennifer O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Élan Elite Inc.; Victor Rivera, Founder of Sunday Morning Leadership; James Schutzer, Senior Partner at Alera Group; Heidi Winslow, Partner at DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP; and Wendy Wollner, CEO of Balancing Life’s Issues, Inc.

Throughout the morning, panelists shared valuable insights on identifying and nurturing emerging leaders, building leadership pipelines at every level of an organization, and creating workplace cultures that encourage accountability, innovation, and continuous development.

A key theme throughout the discussion was that leadership is not simply hired, it is intentionally cultivated. Panelists emphasized the importance of mentorship, coaching, ongoing professional development, and creating opportunities for employees to grow into leadership roles. They also highlighted how strategic partnerships with external advisors can help organizations strengthen leadership capabilities and prepare for future challenges.

Attendees left with practical strategies and actionable takeaways for fostering leadership development within their own organizations while building stronger, more resilient teams.

The Business Council of Westchester extends its sincere appreciation to event sponsor Tompkins Community Bank and Matthew M. Farrell for helping make this important conversation possible. The BCW also thanks Amanda DePalma for moderating the discussion and all of the distinguished panelists for sharing their expertise and experiences with attendees.

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to an insightful and impactful discussion focused on developing the next generation of leaders across Westchester and beyond. Through collaboration, mentorship, and intentional leadership development, organizations can continue building the strong leaders needed to navigate the future.