GINEVRA VENTRE

Ginevra Ventre was a new associate at Reed Smith in 2014 when Casey Ryan, her boss and Women’s Leadership Council Co-Chair at the time, brought her to the annual Women’s Leadership Council Breakfast. “I was blown away by this amazing group of talented women coming together,” Ginevra says. She was so impressed by United Way’s “combination of structured programs that actively engage our community” that she joined the Women’s Leadership Council and volunteered to review proposals during United Way’s competitive funding process.

Programs funded through United for Women, a United Way initiative that helps women in financial crisis due to a life-changing event, resonate with Ginevra. “There are moments in time when [crises] just happen. All of us have had that experience at some level or know a loved one who has,” she says.

Ginevra appreciates the rich experience of Women’s Leadership Council membership. “It’s refreshing to meet women who are leaders in the community, who have had unique paths to success. As a young professional with a non-traditional background, it gives me something to work toward.”

She sees parallels in the decision points all women face in their personal and professional lives. “The Women’s Leadership Council provides a nurturing mentoring environment,” she says. “It provides tools for growing personally and professionally.”

To learn more about United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, contact Lynne Popash in Allegheny County, at lynne.popash@unitedwayswpa.org, or Alyssa Cholodofsky in Westmoreland County, at alyssa.cholodofsky@unitedwayswpa.org.