Founder:
Susu Wong, Co-Founder
Susu Wong, MBA: Susu is the co-founder (along with Sze and Brandy) of Women Accelerators and the founder of Tomo360, a digital marketing company focusing on helping government, nonprofits, and small- to medium-sized businesses to promote their business. She was also an adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a speaker for local business workshops.
She is passionate about helping women to succeed in business, the boardroom, or wherever their career paths lead them. Before starting Tomo360, she worked in various fields, including Fortune 500, healthcare, universities, and technology transfer.
Susu received her MBA with a focus in Management in Information Technology from Lesley University and a Bachelor of Arts from Magdalen College. She loves the great outdoors and enjoys participating in triathlons, snowboarding, swimming, and biking. She is also a foodie who loves to explore different ethnic foods.
Executive Team:
Amba Nair, President
Amba Nair is an Associate Director, Program Management, Portfolio Management, R&D at Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals. She works on clinical and commercial programs that deliver drug and device combinations. She received her Bachelor’s in Biomedical Engineering from Manipal University, India, and her Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, focusing on Maxillofacial Implants, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY. Throughout her career, she worked at various Pharmaceutical and Medical Device companies on the East Coast.
Growing up in multiple countries, Amba was exposed to different cultures and thought processes regarding women’s issues. Amba has always prioritized supporting, mentoring, and learning from other women in and outside her field throughout her career in the Pharmaceutical/Med. Device & Non-Profit worlds.
As the founder of the Women at Medical Devices Centre of Excellence (MDCoE) at Takeda, she was able to create an organization led by women to deliver programs that contributed to the personal and professional development of members, enabling the success of the entire MDCoE by championing a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Kristen DeFranciso, People Specialist
Kristen currently works as a Supervisor in Process Development at T2Biosystems and was previously a Scientist in Molecular R&D at Becton Dickinson. She attended Hofstra University for her bachelors in biochemistry and Johns Hopkins University for a masters in chemistry with a focus in bioorganic chemistry. Kristen is passionate about her work to improve patient outcomes by providing fast and accurate diagnoses to help guide treatments. Kristen believes it is important to have strong female leadership in industry and is looking forward to the networking and mentoring opportunities that the Women Accelerators provides to empower women.
Colleen M Beaumont, Financial Advisor
Colleen M Beaumont is a Lowell Five Bank employee for 30+ years, joined as a Teller 1988 and has been the VP/Cash Management Officer since 2013. She worked at multiple branches in various positions including being a Branch Manager for 12 years, opening two new branch locations. Colleen enjoys working with local business owners, large and small, and learning about how they run their business. She finds it rewarding to collaborate with business owners on their goals and customizing solutions to fit their specific needs.
Colleen is a current member of the Lowell Transitional Living Center Development Committee and a past board member. She also enjoys volunteering with Lowell Five coworkers for the annual Alternative House holiday donation drive. Past associations include New England Safe Deposit Association – Board Member and Past President, Girl Scout Troop Co-Leader, AIB General Banking Diploma, New England School of Financial Studies graduate. She enjoys time with family, cooking, and cheering on the Patriots!
Ajeeta Dash, Programs Head
Ajeeta Dash has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and is currently Senior Director (Global Program Leader) at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Takeda, Ajeeta worked at Genzyme Corporation. She has 21 years of experience in the Biotech/Pharma industry.
Ajeeta believes her career success is due in part to the various mentors, advocates, well-wishers that have guided her along the way. She was drawn to volunteering at Women Accelerators as a great way to give back. Ajeeta likes to travel, enjoys cooking and hiking with her dog Lola. She leans on yoga and meditation to keep her grounded and got certified as a yoga instructor during the pandemic.
Emily Goh, Sponsorship and Fundraising Head
Dr. Suhasini M Iyengar, Project Manager
Suhasini M Iyengar, often referred to as “Suha,” is a skilled Computational Chemist with expertise in structure-based drug discovery and molecular modeling. Hailing from the vibrant city of Mumbai, India, she commenced her academic journey at the Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Arts, Science, and Commerce (VESAC), where she earned her B.Sc. with a focus on Chemistry. It was during her M.Sc. at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, that she discovered her passion for Computational Chemistry, working on a thesis project involving modeling heterocyclic sulfones as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
Suha’s academic pursuits led her to Northeastern University in Boston, where she finished her PhD in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology under the mentorship of Prof. Mary Jo Ondrechen. Her research primarily centers on structure-based drug discovery, with a specific focus on neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Simultaneously, she has actively contributed to the fight against COVID-19 by identifying novel inhibitors for various protein targets associated with the virus.
Beyond her scientific work, Suha embraces a rich tapestry of interests. Suha has actively engaged in personal and professional development, participating as a mentee in the Women Accelerators (WA) mentorship program in 2022. This experience proved invaluable, shaping her growth and inspiring her to pay it forward by becoming a mentor herself within the WA community.She’s a passionate reader and writer, finding solace in the world of words. Her photography captures the beauty of everyday life, and she enjoys the simplicity of hiking. Traveling offers her a chance to explore different cultures and landscapes, while journaling is her way of reflecting on her experiences and thoughts. In addition, Suha shares her adventures with her beloved Ausie pup, Sky, who joins her on hikes, providing companionship and adding an extra dash of joy to her explorations of nature’s wonders.
Nicole Boyson, Head of Communications
Nicole is the Marketing Manager for Solvus Global, an advanced manufacturing technology startup based in Worcester, MA. She is an alumna of UMass Amherst with bachelor’s degrees in both Psychology and Communication. Nicole finds marketing creatively challenging, where spreading the word alongside a good strategy can make all the difference.
Additionally, Nicole serves as a member of the Advisory Board for her sorority, Sigma Kappa. She believes that women’s organizations have an overall societal impact which is why Nicole is a proponent for networking and mentoring amongst women in the workplace.
Shruti Parikh, Events Head
Shruti Parikh is the Packaging Design Lead at Takeda Pharmaceuticals based in Massachusetts, USA. She is leading and building Industrial Design, Sustainable Design, and Patient Engagement Interaction Design capabilities globally. In practice, she uses design thinking for problem-solving to capture and amplify the user’s voice, never letting it get drowned out by conflicting interests or unnecessary features.
She believes in respecting diverse people’s experiences, identities, knowledge, and strengths and striving to empower all to realize their full rights. She is currently volunteering with the employee resource groups within Takeda to build a wellness culture and work-life balance. In her free time, Shruti loves to paint and pamper her beautiful 4 yr old Shih Tzu.
Volunteers:
Dr. Lakisha Brinson Thomas, Mentoring Volunteer
Dr. Lakisha Brinson Thomas is our 2023 Thrive and Strive Mentoring Program Mentoring Chair. Lakisha serves as the Director of Instructional Technology for Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), locally in Nashville TN. In this role, she oversees and supports the use of instructional technology, digital learning, and library programming across 150 schools. Dr. Brinson’s passion for teaching has afforded her a plethora of experiences and accolades including being a member of the 2022 CoSN Early Career Academy and 2015 School Library Journal National Librarian of the Year Finalist.
Akena Andonegui Segovich, Events Volunteer
Akena Andonegui Segovich was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She participated in many activities such as tennis, horseback riding, piano, theater, languages, music, and swimming, which she enjoyed doing in her free time and summer camps. She enjoyed winter sports in the US, Italy and Switzerland. She knew she wanted to pursue humanities, and after attending summer school in Switzerland, she knew it was the best fit. She completed an IB in humanities near a boarding school in Switzerland that her father attended when he was in high school. Her drive to better herself led her to become a NeuroptimalR trainer, encouraging her to help others and let people know about the benefits of Neurofeedback.
She continues to be a global ambassador for NeuroptimalR. She is a lifelong learner, continually looking to develop her skills. She enjoys teaching and is TEFL certified. She is passionate about helping support wellness and education. She has a blog to educate readers, promoting learning and teaching. She enjoys volunteering at her alma mater, supporting multicultural dialogue between cultures, and promoting advancement in the workplace. She is a role model and volunteers in conferences, networking, and mentorship groups to give back to the community.
Deusto’s Humanities program opened the door to another level of education in the Humanities field. She transferred to Umass Lowell’s BS in Business Administration. The program aligned with her humanities background and Entrepreneurial interests. The Global Entrepreneurship Program became a pivotal guide in her career development. The Master in Quantitative Management from Duke University gave her the skills to help manage company’s data, including ADV Source Biomaterials, HP Hood, and Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Cenyao Xiong, Website Management Volunteer
Cenyao was born in Shanghai and currently resides in Boston, where she is pursuing a degree in sociology and a minor in business administration and management at Boston University as an international student. The expectations and experience she had sparked her interest in gender issues, especially women’s roles within both the family and society at large. With a passion for making a positive impact, Cenyao is looking forward to pursuing a career in non-profits. Her journey towards this goal began with internships at an NGO in China. She has raised funds for visually impaired children and supported the operation of the first women’s bookstore in her hometown.
Throughout her college years, Cenyao has been deeply involved in campus activities, serving as a member of the Resident Hall Council and taking on the role of event coordinator for the China Care Fund. These experiences have honed her organizational skills while strengthening her commitment to social causes. Her previous internship experience at an IT company empowered her with knowledge and interest in website management, which is the current role she is volunteering for.
Venue Sponsors
Thank you for the generous support and sponsor of Broad Institute and Jnana Therapeutics.
Their tremendous support has helped to accelerate our organization and grow women’s careers.
If you are interested in participating in the Women Accelerators team, please contact us at [email protected].
