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About this event
We're thrilled to announce the continuation of our monthly salon series, featuring AMA fireside chats with esteemed board members. For our May edition, we are excited to present the remarkable Dawn Zier.Â
Dawn is an independent board director and accomplished public company CEO best known for engineering a remarkable turnaround of the iconic brand, Nutrisystem (Nasdaq: NTRI). During her six years as CEO, she created a multi-brand strategy, focused on digital transformation and innovation, resulting in a doubling of revenues, a 7-fold surge in operating income, and a 6-times increase in stock price. This performance earned Nutrisystem recognition as a Fortune Top 100 Fastest Growing Company.
Experts
Dawn Zier Board Director
Dawn Zier is an independent board director and accomplished public company CEO best known for engineering a remarkable turnaround of the iconic brand, Nutrisystem (Nasdaq: NTRI). During her six years as CEO, she created a multi-brand strategy, focused on digital transformation and innovation, resulting in a doubling of revenues, a 7-fold surge in operating income, and a 6-times increase in stock price. This performance earned Nutrisystem recognition as a Fortune Top 100 Fastest Growing Company.
Dawn has served on multiple public and private company boards and enjoys connecting the dots across industries. Her breadth of industry experience spans health & wellness, consumer packaged goods, fintech, food, media, direct-to-consumer, and airlines. She currently is Chair of the Board for The Hain Celestial Group and has chaired Nom Gov and Compensation Committees on other public boards. She has navigated CEO transitions, activist situations and M&A opportunities from both the CEO and Director seat.
Dawn also enjoys being a key advisor and mentor to Fortune 500 senior executives through her work with The ExCo Group, a firm of experienced CEOs, board directors, and global business leaders who bring real-world experience to leadership development.
Prior to Nutrisystem, Dawn held executive roles as President of International and President of Global Consumer Marketing at Reader Digest Association, a global data marketing and media company where she was responsible for 26 countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Throughout her career, Dawn has led enterprise-wide transformations that capitalized on high impact opportunities to drive turnaround and growth. She has architected product innovation and marketing breakthroughs that created noteworthy industry firsts and enviable shareholder value. She believes in the importance of data, company culture and the power of team to inspire high performance.
Dawn’s accomplishments have been chronicled in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, and Philadelphia Inquirer. She holds an MBA and MS degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She also received her Corporate Director Certification from Harvard and was honored as a NACD Director 100 in 2022. Additionally, she is a member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women.
Dawn is a frequent speaker at national conferences and major universities on future-focused leadership, corporate governance, shareholder activism, board readiness, culture and talent.
Hosts
Erin Essenmacher Chief Strategy and Experience Officer
Erin Essenmacher has 25 years of experience in media, education strategy and corporate governance. She has written, directed, and produced films for PBS, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the History Channel, and CNN, and worked with brands like Sony, Apple, Acura, and The Gap.
Over the last decade Erin served on the executive leadership team National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) where she was responsible for the design and delivery of board member training, new product development, organizational strategy and thought leadership innovation. In her role, Erin focused on helping directors make sense of the changing role of the board and how it impacts their mandate, including a deeper understanding of ESG, cyber security, regulatory risk, geopolitical disruption, diversity, culture and digital transformation. During her tenure, Erin helped double NACD membership and drove a 400% growth in education revenue.
Her new venture, The Brigh Group helps organizations develop or reimagine content strategy, growth through partnership and better corporate governance. She is also the founder of Feisty Aphrodite, which focuses on original content creation and advising organizations and other makers on media and content strategy.
Erin has been a frequent speaker on corporate governance, strategy and risk oversight, presenting at industry meetings and conferences and as a regular contributor to Directors and Boards magazine. She has served on boards across sectors including as director for the iconic clothing retailer EILEEN FISHER where she chaired the People and Culture committee and helped lead design of the CEO succession plan. She currently sits on the board of Docs in Progress and the Advisory Board for the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University
Wed, May 22 @ 12:00pm PT (0.75 hrs)
VIRTUAL (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
Invite Only
Salon
Upcoming 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
Introduction to the Audit Committee
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Katrinka McCallum, Carol Coughlin
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Shelly Morales
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
Fri, Jan 17 @ 11:00am PT (0.75 hrs)
Virtual (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
Open to Public
A Look Inside Athena
Discover Athena: Inside Look and Conversation
Host: Justin Reeves
Meetup
Member Gathering: Athena Walking Group in Mountain View, CA (12:00-2:00 PM PT)
Host: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Salon
The Power of Mentorship
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sheri Miksa
Salon
CHRO Perspectives with Karen Fascenda, CPO of Udemy: Cultivating an Inclusive and Future-Ready Workforce
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Karen Fascenda, Belen Gomez
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Salon
Receiving Feedback Well
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Elena Krasnoperova
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times with Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Coco Brown
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
Fri, Jan 31 @ 11:00am PT (0.75 hrs)
Virtual (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
Open to Public
A Look Inside Athena
Discover Athena: Inside Look and Conversation
Host: Justin Reeves
Salon
Experienced Board Director AMA with Sheila Bangalore
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sheila Bangalore
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Salon
CHRO Perspectives with Tami Rosen, CPO of Pagaya
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Tami Rosen, Belen Gomez
Salon
When To Quit Your Job
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Kelli Dragovich
Meetup
Member Gathering: Uncorked Conversations at Cooper's Hawk in Dania Beach, FL (6:30-8:30 PM ET)
Host: Lillya Nashanchik
Meetup
Member Gathering: Leadership Luncheon in Pleasanton, CA (12:00-2:00 PM PT)
Host: Christine Heckart
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Alice Brennan
Meetup
Athena Summit: Redefining Capital and Entrepreneurship in Boston, MA (5:00-8:00 PM ET)
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sarah Samuels, Karen Fang, Goodwin Procter
Peer Group
Strategy Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Judy Kopa
Meetup
Member Gathering: Mix and Mingle at Insight Partners in Burlingame, CA (4:30-6:00 PM PT)
Host: Eli Potter
Salon
WCEO Perspectives with Jill Evanko, CEO of Chart Industries
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Jill Evanko, Patricia Lizarraga
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times with Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Shelly Morales
Meetup
Member Gathering: Paint and Sip at Coco's Home in Moss Beach, CA (6:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Ethical and Responsible AI: A Governance Framework for Boards
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sonita Lontoh
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Nailing the Board Interview
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Nora Denzel
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Salon
Board KPIs and Data Governance
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Helen Lin, Eli Potter
Salon
Understanding Your Offer and Negotiating Salaries
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Cynthia Abbott Kerr
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Strategy Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Judy Kopa
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times with Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Shelly Morales
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Coco Brown
Salon
Sustainable Innovation: At the Speed of Light and at the Edge of Space
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Rika Nakazawa
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
Strategy Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Judy Kopa
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Shelly Morales
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times with Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Salon
Creating a Portfolio Life You Love
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Ali Kole
Orientation
Step into Athena
Host: Annie Dabrowski
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Cate Goethals
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Gavin Isaacs, CEO of Entain
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Gavin Isaacs, Sheila Bangalore
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Alice Brennan
Peer Group
Strategy Leaders
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Judy Kopa
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times with Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cata Chacon
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Peer Group