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About this event
For small to midsize diversity-owned businesses, finding the best-suited financing options and getting fully funded is a gateway to achieving significant growth and increasing market value. By focusing on scaling operations, obtaining the necessary certifications, and pursuing strategic acquisitions, these businesses can enhance their competitive position and drive long-term success.
Building a robust financial foundation through thoughtful planning and execution is essential for navigating the complexities of business expansion.
Experts
Yuriko Mita Managing Director
Yuriko is a dynamic executive with 30+ years of demonstrated success building innovative new businesses in the regulated
financial environment that deliver significant value to companies while working alongside a variety of stakeholders. She has
founded and co-founded three businesses that grew from zero up to $300mm in revenues.
She is adept at creating, assessing, and implementing organizational strategy, technology transformations, digital blueprints, values, goals, and long-term business plans and compliance in complex and evolving regulatory environments and with regulatory reviews. She has robust expertise working with broker-dealers, institutional asset managers, institutional investors, retail investor clients, wealth management firms, and equity derivatives. She has a strong track record of team building, product development, sales growth, devising and developing new products, pricing, and booking tools, and ensuring the long-term health and viability of businesses, generating billions of revenue over years.
She has served on the board of Luma, A fintech with a $250mm post-money valuation in 3 years and $3bn in sales annually, a fully customizable, multi-product, multi-issuer, carrier-neutral platform. There she served on the Compensation Committee and provided counsel on crucial equity investments, supporting two funding rounds that propelled the company’s valuation, and provided consultancy to the CEO, contributing to the company’s growth. She also served on the board of Third Avenue Music Settlement School, the nation's longest-running community music school providing music and dance instruction to more than 6,000 students each year, as chair of the finance committee.
Currently, she is founder and Managing Director of Hikari Projects a New York-based firm supporting companies in the financial services industry including a $70bn AUM asset manager, a $300mm AUM insurance company, prop-tech, and reinsurance companies. She leads a wide variety of strategic initiatives from identifying alternative investments to exploring
product placement at wealth management firms, strategic advising on growth, M&A, due diligence, product development, client development, financial guidance, and acting as interim Chief Revenue Officer.
Prior to that, she spent over 25 years with Bank of America, A $98bn multinational financial institution, holding significant roles with increasing responsibility. Her last role was as Managing Director, Equity Product Sales to Retail Distribution Platforms, where she led two businesses focusing on retail clients, accessing 40% of wealth management advisors in the US. And as Third-Party Distribution Sales, where she revived a business, that had been closed for 7 years, grew it from $0 to $75mm in three years, and set up the business to double by 2024.
As Head of GWIM/GBAM Relationship, she served as a senior relationship manager to executives across departments to help the wealth management division grow revenues and gain more clients via referral efforts leading to #1 in enterprise ranking for cross-selling, four years in a row. She also served as Managing Director, Co-Head of Americas Equity Derivative
Sales, where she led the #1 ranked equity derivatives sales desk in the United States, a $250mm-$300mm revenue per year business while navigating the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch merger.
Early roles included Director, Equity Derivative Sales, where she founded the insurance equity derivative sales group leading to growth of $150mm annually. As VP, Equity Derivative Sales she was the sole equity derivatives marketer in the Tokyo,Japan office.
She has a BS in Economics (Cum Laude) from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, and a BA in History (Cum Laude), from the University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts and Sciences. She also currently holds Series 3, 4, 7, 10, 24,56, 63, and 65 certifications.
Throughout her career, she has won several industry accolades. She is a mother to three children, and an avid skier, hiker, and tennis player. She frequent international traveler and actively invests in privately held companies that focus on areas like generative AI and fintech. She is fluent in Japanese.
Hosts
Coco Brown CEO
Coco Brown is the Founder and CEO of Athena Alliance. Athena has helped thousands of leaders build their Portfolio of Impact and grow and advance in their executive careers. The company has also brought almost 500 women to corporate boards from growth stage private companies to name brand public companies. Coco has personally worked with hundreds of top leaders, CEOs and boards to evolve modern leadership. She’s served on ten commercial and non-profit boards and advisory boards, and has led two notable companies (Taos, acquired by IBM, and now Athena). She is part of Nasdaq's Governance Insights Council, and is often called on to share guidance to the evolving focus and breadth of responsibility within the Modern Boardroom. Coco was recently named one of the 100 Most Powerful People of Silicon Valley.
Thu, Sep 05 @ 9:00am PT (1 hr)
VIRTUAL (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
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LEARN MOREUpcoming Events
Join us for a Salon or Meetup to get a peek inside our community! Peer Groups and Learning Circles are exclusively for members - log in here
- ALL events
- A Look Inside Athena
- Peer Group
- Salon
- Meetup
- Orientation
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena is held monthly for prospect members to come and understand how Athena works. They will learn more about the backstory of Athena, see a tour of our platform, and have the opportunity to discuss more of what they are interested in and ask questions about joining our community.
Salons
Learn about the most pressing topics facing executives today in an intimate, yet casual, virtual setting. Hosted by board directors and leaders from the world's top brands.
Meetups
Gather with Athena members in your area for a casual, in-person Meetup. These are planned by request and hosted by Athena members in various cities. If you're interested in hosting and/or joining a meetup in the future, reach out to the Member Success Team and let them know.
Peer Groups
We have an incredible community of female leaders at Athena and we want to bring you closer together! Join a Peer Group and build a network of peers you can engage with for guidance, lessons learned and insights around a shared interest. Choose a topic that most interests you or drop in and out of multiple peer groups as it suits you best. You’ll find at least one peer group available to join every week. Each live session goes for one hour, no preparation is needed, just show up as you are. We look forward to seeing you there!
Learning Circles
A Learning Circle is an opportunity to connect with a small group of other Athena members in a focused yet casual setting, creating accountability around targeted learning to assist you in achieving your goals. Over the course of 6 sessions, club members will meet every 2 weeks to participate in an organic, peer-led discussion of the session's "chapters" consisting of 1-2 Athena salons which are to be reviewed on your own prior to the group session. When joining, members are committing to completing all 6 sessions.
Guided Networking
Typically led by one of Athena's coaches, networking events provide members an opportunity to meet one another in a smaller intimate and virtual setting.
Partner Events
These are typically in-person events led by Coco and our partnering companies on topics that are relevant to the industry and audience of our business partners.
Workshops
A workshop is an interactive session for members to actively practice something, such as their pitch. These sessions typically involve breakout rooms, member to member feedback and are not recorded.
Orientations
For members new to Athena looking for ways to engage, these bi-weekly orientations led by an Athena Member Success Manager, provide a live tour of Athena, member success insights, and a chance to get questions answered.
Enterprise Events
Athena customizes virtual learning events with expert business leaders tailored to a unique company’s needs. These events cultivate cross-functional community, development, and learning across the partner organization.
Other
Athena listens and we're always adding new event types and opportunities for members to engage. See what new events we are currently offering members.
No Upcoming Events Found.
Salon
Navigating Messy Conversations: Strategies for Constructive Dialogue in Today's World
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Alalá Linda, Nakisha Hicks
Peer Group
Building a Company with Guest Speaker Jeanine Wright
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Jeanine Wright
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Salon
The 3 S's of Success Session 5: Putting it all Together
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Julianna Hynes
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Salon
Getting Real About Public Boards: What Makes the Most Sense for You?
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Amy Karn
Salon
Navigating Career Transitions
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Ashley Rudolph
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading "Co-intelligence: Living and Working with AI" by Ethan Mollick
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Tom Leighton, CEO of Akamai
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Tom Leighton
Meetup
In Person: Sunset Sail in Seattle, WA (5:30-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Coletta Vigh
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Salon
Corporate Leadership in AI: Navigating Media Challenges and Building Trust
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Neeha Curtis
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Salon
Unleashing Your Philanthropic Impact
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Alissa May, Holly Copeland
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Meetup
In Person: Athena x Proofpoint in Sunnyvale, CA (4:00-6:00 PM PT)
Host: Q. Kim Sullivan
Experts: Coco Brown
Meetup
In Person: Poolside Dinner in Sacramento, CA (6:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Cheryl Dilley
Experts: Coco Brown
Meetup
Dinner and Connections in Austin, TX (6:00-8:00 PM CT)
Host: Hema Ramaswamy
Experts: Rochelle Campbell
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Meetup
In Person: An Intimate Dinner in Alpharetta, GA (6:00-8:00 PM ET)
Host: Marva Bailer
Meetup
In Person: Accoutrements And Artificial Intelligence in Los Angeles, CA (6:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Jeanine Wright
Experts: Erica Mandy
Salon
The Role and Impact of Advisory Boards
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Betsy Atkins
Salon
Leading Under Pressure: How to Master Stress for Executive Success
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Cindy Montgenie
Peer Group
Sales and Marketing Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Meetup
In Person: Impact Circle in Seattle, WA (5:00-7:00 PM PT)
Host: Gavriella Schuster
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Audit Committee
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading "Co-intelligence: Living and Working with AI" by Ethan Mollick
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Salon
Standing on Bigger Stages - Auditing Your Readiness
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Shelley Dolley
Peer Group
Compensation Committee
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Salon
Soft Power: A Sustainable Approach to Leadership
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Elizabeth Raynor, CHPC, BCHN
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Shelley Zalis
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Salon
Miracles, Mysteries, and Motivation
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Maryann Bruce
Salon
Financing for Small to Mid-Cap Diversity-Owned Businesses
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Yuriko Mita
Peer Group
Sales and Marketing Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Salon
CHRO Perspectives with Tina Jones, Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources at Cadence Design Systems
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Belen Gomez, Tina Jones
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading TBD
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Salon
Learning to Take Risks as a Woman
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Karen Bulluck
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Richard Ridinger, Chairman of the Board at Brenntag and Recipharm
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Richard Ridinger
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Experienced Investors
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Lilia Shirman, Shauna Turner
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Meetup
In Person: Connect with Coco in Moss Beach, CA (5:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Audit Committee
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum
Peer Group
Sales and Marketing Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading TBD
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Compensation Committee
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Salon
CHRO Perspectives with Sheri Bronstein, Chief Human Resources Officer at Bank of America
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sheri Bronstein, Belen Gomez
Peer Group
Sales and Marketing Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading TBD
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Experienced Investors
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Lilia Shirman, Shauna Turner
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Audit Committee
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum
Peer Group
Sales and Marketing Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading TBD
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Compensation Committee
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
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