Former Volunteers

Kate Hardy

Kate Hardy is a Director of Global Services at Arxspan in Boston, MA, coordinating and leading research data management software projects in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic research industries. She is passionate about connecting women in meaningful ways and believes that a strong community and social network can help women achieve their goals in all areas of life. She is excited to be working with the very talented people of Women Accelerators to help grow and strengthen their network,

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Kate moved to Boston in 2007 to pursue her Bachelor’s of Chemistry at Northeastern University. She has experience working as a research chemist for federal government agencies and biotechnology companies before making the move to the software technology industry. In her free time, Kate can often be found training for 10K and half marathon road races, practicing yoga, hiking, writing, reading, and playing video games. She especially loves winter days in the mountains on her snowboard, or leasurely summer days on sandy beaches.

Sneha Hariharan

Sneha Hariharan is currently a Field Application Scientist with PALL Laboratories. Sneha moved to the United States in 2011 to pursue Graduate Studies in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrated Biosciences at Pennsylvania State University. She started her career in Boston in 2016 when she worked as a Research Associate with Rubius Therapeutics. She loves traveling, reading books, and trekking.

She joined Women Accelerators later in 2017 after attending a couple of events with her colleague. After a few conversations with Susu, the co-founder of WA, she realized that she had found an organization whose goals and directions aligned with hers and wanted to contribute to its success. She hopes to help maximize the reach of this fantastic community of talented and driven women with the vision to set women, from all walks of life, up for success and to provide them with a much-needed support.

Angela Kaczmarczyk

Angela Kaczmarczyk received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley where she studied developmental biology and investigated regeneration of germline cells in crustaceans. After graduate school, she moved out to Boston and taught molecular biology lab classes at Harvard University and scientific communications at the Broad Institute.

She currently works at Addgene as an outreach scientist. In her free time she enjoys outdoor activities, serving on the board of directors for BosLab, and volunteering at Women Accelerators.

For leisure, she likes to travel, try new things and watch movies.

Pragya Rampuria

Pragya Rampuria is a volunteer at Women Accelerators. She is currently working as a Scientist (contractor) at Pfizer, developing biotherapeutics. She completed her Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2015. She is excited to join this team at Women accelerators because this organization is a great place to connect with brilliant women, and to learn from their experiences.

For leisure, she likes to travel, try new things and watch movies.

Huan Rui

Huan is a computational chemist at Amgen. She grew up in China where she studied bioinformatics at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She moved to the United States in her early 20s to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas where she embarked on her journey in computational chemistry. After finishing, she went on to the University of Chicago as a post-doctoral scholar to study membrane proteins involved in cell signaling. She likes physics and she hopes to understand how the world works with physics theories and computer simulations. She identifies as a gay woman and she is passionate about having more women and minorities in STEM fields.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, going on hikes, and reading books about strong women. She hosts a monthly book club for queer ladies on the Autostraddle Social Club Boston chapter.

Anna Welland

Anna currently serves as the HR Operations Manager at Platelet BioGenesis driving organizational design and scale-up of this startup. Her 20-year career of supporting and leading continuous improvement initiatives of human resources and finance functions include roles held at Cornell Medical College, MIT, NYU School of Medicine, Partners, The Gillette Company, among others. Anna is an active volunteer for Taproot and professional organizations she is also a member of. While Anna only recently joined WA she already feels a great sense of connection to the group and is looking forward to contributing her knowledge as well as learning from other great women.

Anna earned her MBA from Northeastern University and her BA from Clark University. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring Boston, networking, reading articles on every topic, and listening to live music.

Kana DeLuca

Kana DeLuca moved to Boston from Tokyo in 2015. She studied Government and International Relations at Clark University and returned to Tokyo to kick off her career in international real estate, facilitating business expansion for her clients. 

Kana joined Lightstone Ventures as an Investor Relations/Operations Manager upon her move to Boston. She is excited to tap into the Women’s Network in Boston and to learn from and grow with diverse, talented team at Women Accelerators.

Born in Tokyo and raised in California, Michigan, Singapore, and Tokyo. Kana is passionate about interacting with varied cultures, values, and networks. In her free time, Kana loves to go on nature walks with her husband and dog, snuggle with her kitties, tag along on her husband’s craft beer adventures, and to try out anything life has got to offer!

Meng Tao

Meng Tao was a Project Manager with Central Maine Healthcare and is currently volunteering at Mass General Hospital. Prior to moving to the U.S. to pursue her MBA in Connecticut and transition to the healthcare industry which she is very passionate about, Meng holds a BS and an MS in Electrical Engineering and IT and has multiple years of cross-industry work experience in both Germany and China.

Meng started volunteering at Women Accelerators in summer 2019. As a career-oriented woman, she is thrilled to be part of a team that promotes women’s advancement and growth.

Besides, Meng likes to travel, explore the nature, learn different cultures, and take on new challenges.

Satoko Onozawa

Satoko Onozawa is from Tokyo, Japan. She studied Sports Management at Juntendo University in Japan. She moved to New Hampshire in 2017 for her MBA at Southern New Hampshire University. Upon completing her MBA, she moved to Boston in 2019.

She is excited to join the Women Accelerators team for the opportunity to meet wonderful women and to learn from them. She plays tennis and enjoys playing many other sports. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, traveling, and playing outdoor sports.

Herdeline Ardoña

Herdeline Ardoña is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Disease Biophysics Group at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. She is originally from the Philippines, prior to moving to the U.S. for pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. She is very passionate about participating in outreach activities that focus on science mentoring—especially for promoting science to children and encouraging more women to be a part of the scientific community.

Herdeline started as a volunteer for Women Accelerators in 2018 and is excited to join the team that keeps on inspiring talented women to succeed.

Shauna Corcoran

Shauna Corcoran is currently working at Jnana Therapeutics as a research intern testing therapeutic hypotheses for the of treatment inflammatory diseases. Shauna gained her bachelors in Genetics from University College Cork, Ireland in 2019 and moved to Boston soon after to launch her career in science.

She noted a lack of female mentors throughout her academic career and felt by becoming involved in an organization with a diverse group of inspiring people, she could help to encourage more inclusiveness in the world of business and science.
Shauna has a keen interest in travel and loves experiences and cuisine on her travels. She also had a passion for animals and agriculture stemming from her background in Ireland.

Julianna Joyce

Julianna graduated from Emmanuel College in May of 2019 and is currently working as a content specialist at a marketing agency called SocialMadeSimple in Newton. In this role, she curates and schedules content across a variety of different industries. Julianna also helps with the marketing collateral for SocialMadeSimple itself, such as blog posts and social media content. She is pursuing marketing as a career and is consistently learning new things and growing in her field.

Julianna is now the Communications Chair at Women Accelerators and is excited about this opportunity to share and utilize her expertise for a greater cause. She believes that connection is one of the most valuable assets in life, and Women Accelerators provides just that! She is excited for the opportunity to connect with other like-minded woman and help to provide a platform for women to succeed in their professional life.

Outside of work, Julianna runs a wellness and self-development blog where she provides valuable information to women who are looking to improve their lives. She also loves to read, exercise, and one her favorite things to do is explore Boston!

Stephanie Puzak

Stephanie is currently a consultant working on various projects globally. She moved to Boston in 2018 after serving almost a decade in the United States Air Force as a cyber operations officer. Her specialties included test, analysis, and tactical communications.

Stephanie felt the need for strong female mentors, in both a male-dominated industry (cyber) and profession (military). When she separated from the military, Stephanie sought a way to get involved with the network of smart and talented women in Boston. She joined Women Accelerators in 2018 and is excited to be part of a team truly passionate about empowering and helping each other succeed.

Stephanie received her BS from the United States Air Force Academy and holds an MS in Applied Psychology from Sacred Heart University. On a personal note, Stephanie was on a sky diving team in college and enjoys all forms of adrenaline sports. She also enjoys travel, cooking and almost any outdoor activity with her man and blue heeler pup, Frank.

Ayushi Agrawal

Ayushi Agrawal is currently working as an Associate Computational Biologist in the Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Sciences Program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. She moved to USA from India in 2016 to pursue her Masters’s in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University. Ayushi is inspired by the impact and power of data in the field of biology. She uses technology to explore new ways to look at data and drive decisions informed by them. Overall she hopes to find novel therapeutics to improve the quality of life for patients.

Ayushi started as a volunteer for Women Accelerators in 2019 and is excited to be a part of a diverse and inspiring team. She is passionate about promoting and supporting the representation of women in the scientific and computational community. In her free time, she likes to travel, read, and spend time with friends!

Ekaterina  (Kat)  Cleary

Ekaterina (Kat) Cleary, Ph.D., is a Professorial Research Associate at the Center for Integration of Science and Industry at Bentley University. She received her BS in Biology/Bioinformatics from UMass Lowell and MS degree in Bioinformatics from Boston University. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology from UMass Lowell, where her thesis work focused on discovering complex geomedical patterns in Alzheimer’s disease.

Her current research at Bentley examines the public sector’s contribution to the science underlying new drug discovery, as well as the public value created from this science. She also teaches Data Visualization in Bentley’s Graduate Business Analytics program.

Kat is the Ambassador for the Women Accelerator’s chapters.

Hagir Mohamed

Hagir is a PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology Program at UMass Lowell. Hagir enjoys working on her research, validating protocols and working on projects concerning new products. Her research involves collecting samples to test the efficiency of different cleaners. In addition, she’s working in the new microbiology lab at TURI to validate the devices. She has a sponsorship as a teaching assistant in the Basic Microbiology and Pathology Lab at UMass Lowell. She has a medical doctor degree in her home country of Sudan and she plans on taking the board exam to match for residency in US hospitals.

In her spare time, Hagir likes exercising in fitness group classes such as Zumba, spin, and strength classes, listening to motivational speeches, reading developmental books and cooking. She is excited to join Women Accelerators Lowell as the Communications Chair, to inspire and be inspired by a group of unstoppable women.

Michelle Fabiano, Marketing Chair

Michelle Fabiano is an Inside Sales Representative at GAP Promo which is a full-service promotions agency helping some of the world’s leading companies increase brand recognition and grow their sales. She attended Fisher College where she graduated with her Bachelor of Art in Communications and Media Studies. Prior to her role at GAP, Michelle worked in the Wedding and Event Industry and has planned hundreds of events creating unforgettable memories for her clients.

Michelle joined Women Accelerators in October 2020 to gain more experience in the marketing and social media industry as well as have the opportunity to meet and network with successful women while empowering others to do the same.

In her free time Michelle loves to hike, camp, explore new cities trying every oatmilk latte she can get her hands on, working out and spending time with family and friends.

Gianna Iantosca, President

Gianna Iantosca is an associate scientist at Atavistik Bio working on drug discovery and characterization of novel therapeutic targets. She received her bachelors from Emmanuel College with a distinction in the field of biology and a concentration in biochemistry. She has experience working in industry at Jnana Therapeutics, Agios Pharmaceuticals and Navitor Pharmaceuticals. She is also pursuing her MBA part time at Boston University. Her focus is bringing therapies to patients with rare disease.
Gianna was inspired to pursue a career in science at an early age, being a first hand witness to a family member with a rare disease. She was sparked to learn more about rare disease, which led to her education in biology and later career. She believes in order to be truly successful a person must be well balanced. She does this through her passion for fitness and well-being, which includes runs along the Charles. In the push to continue her career and be in a position to inspire others, she joined the team as the Event Coordinator in October 2019, hoping to bring the values and insight that she learned along the way to young women. From January 2020 to July 2021, Gianna was the President of Women Accelerators.

Razan Hadad, Vice President

Razan has diversified professional experience in the biotech and healthcare industries and has recently moved to Boston from Jordan. She is looking to combine her passion for science and business to find her next career opportunity. Razan has an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Kentucky and an MBA in management from German Jordan University.

Being inspired by women in STEM and in business, she finds her purpose by being a part of a network of women in leadership, while volunteering her time to be a valuable resource within her community. Her last position was a project coordinator with the Business and Professional Women Association, where she successfully implemented a project with the Embassy of Sweden on ‘The Challenges that Face Women in Jordan”. She led a research paper and presented outstanding results that generated extra funding for the association. She enjoys writing, networking, and being a source of inspiration and love for her family.

Vanessa Chumbley, Events

After graduating with a BFA in Violin Performance, Vanessa began a career in Stage Management. She has worked for opera and dance companies all over the country for almost ten years, most recently with Houston Ballet. With COVID-19’s devastating effects on the performing arts industry, Vanessa is excited to bring her expertise and experience coordinating events to Women Accelerators and be a part of supporting women and bringing them together. Vanessa enjoys travel, salsa dancing and photography.

Hailea Palmer, Blogger

Hailea Palmer is a New England native; she is from Southern New Hampshire. She is currently halfway through achieving doctorate in Chiropractic in Upstate New York.

Hailea was brought on by Gianna after they connected through social media. Hailea will be writing our blog on a regular basis.

Hailea is passionate about helping others realize their own happiness. She enjoys spending time outside, hiking, reading in her free time, and cuddling her black lab.

Sandra Mohr, Mentoring Chair

Sandra Mohr is the Dean of Academic Resources and Administration at the New England College of Optometry. She is known for being a change agent in higher education institutions through engaging multiple stakeholders and investing in modern learning environments for the 21st century. She has proven talent for aligning institutional strategy and objectives with established departmental paradigms to achieve maximum faculty and student success. Sandra has earned a doctorate degree in Global Educational Leadership from Lamar University, a master’s degree in Higher Educational Leadership and Administration from West Virginia University, and a master’s degree in Counseling and bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California University of PA.

Sandra comes to Women Accelerators with a passion for mentorship and looks forward to supporting the mentoring program as well as furthering diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Hiral Kapadia, Event Co-Chair

Hiral Mehta is a graduate student at Bentley University pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Business Analytics. Prior to pursuing her MBA, she worked across various industries – Insurance and Food Manufacturing. She worked with General Mills as the Process Coach where she trained new hires and existing employees on new processes and changes to existing processes where she helped develop the training metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of learning initiative. She received her Bachelors in Management Studies from Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Management, India with a distinction and a concentration in marketing.

Hiral comes to Women Accelerators with a passion for empowering women, building opportunities to network and engage with other women; thus, paving way for women to rise to leadership positions. At Bentley University, she is the Vice President for Graduate Women’s Leadership Organization, Manager of Alumni and Inter-University Relations as well as the Manager of Events and Operations.

Hiral is a trained classical dancer and enjoys spending her free time hiking, exploring new places, traveling, creating her own art pieces, and socializing with friends and family.
She currently shares all her travel, food tales, and DIY tips via her lifestyle blog – My Bite of Life.

Divina Hernandez, Business Development and Operations Chair

Divina Hernandez is from Oceanside, California. She is an experienced community development programs professional with proven competencies in community outreach, program management, and program development. She earned her BA in Ethnic Studies and Theology from the University of San Diego. Divina has many years of experience serving her community in Oceanside, California. She specializes in program development and management for the empowerment of the Latino/a community. She has created and managed the Noche de Damas (Ladies Night) program, a monthly event that gathered 20 women in the community and focused on education, self-empowerment, and job development through interactive activities. She also created a resource, “Guide on how to accompany Migrant & Refugee families” specifically for vulnerable communities.

Divina joins Women Accelerators as a volunteer with a passion to empower individuals to reach their full potential. She enjoys singing, dancing, and inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves.

Debby Fowler: Vice President

Debby Fowler grew up in central Massachusetts and attended UMass Lowell for her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, which she received in May 2018. Currently, she is a graduate research assistant in the Structural Dynamics and Acoustics Systems Laboratory at UMass Lowell, where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Her research focuses on experimental nonlinear structural dynamics, test data expansion, and damping estimation. She is passionate about STEM outreach, as well as developing vibrant spaces for women to empower and support each other.

She is the founder and President of the Graduate Society of Women Engineers and a former Vice President of the Society of Women Engineers at UMass Lowell. She is excited to be involved with growing the Lowell chapter of Women Accelerators.