About The Trinity Women of Color Summit
This Spring, Trinity Women of Color will host our first annual summit! The summit will take place at the Trinity School in New York City on April 27th from 9:30am - 3:00pm. The summit is open to all Women of Color identifying students from the interschool community who have registered. The day will start with prominent speakers discussing their experience as a Women of Color in their respective fields followed by a Q and A. We will also have a student panel and workshops to foster collaboration and conversation between Women of Color students. The aim of this summit is to connect Women of Color communities across New York City, share experiences and stories, and empower student voices to advocate for equality.
Our Speakers 2024
The Women of Color Business Panel
Akilah Crichlow
Akilah Crichlow is at Morrison as an Executive Director in strategy, product and growth! Prior to joining Morrison, she worked at Warburg Pincus, as a Director on the Value Creation team and was an Engagement Manager and M&A Expert in the strategy and corporate finance practice at McKinsey & Company. Previously, Akilah was an Analyst in the M&A group and Private Fund group at Credit Suisse.
She started her career as a Teach For America corps member based in New York. Akilah received a JD/MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and The Wharton School. She also holds an MS in Education from Hunter College and an AB in Economics from Harvard University.
Paayal Desai
Paayal Desai is a seasoned marketing professional with twenty years of experience in financial services and consumer packaged goods. Most recently, she was Director of Digital Product Marketing at American Express where she was instrumental in spearheading and subsequently managing a multi-billion-dollar referral marketing program across all consumer products.
Paayal’s previous experience at American Express included roles as the Director of Partnership Acquisition Marketing (launched new card portfolios such as Schwab and transformed the Mercedes-Benz and Morgan Stanley portfolios), Senior Manager of Lending Product Management (led development of Amex EveryDay, one of the largest launches in the company’s history) and Assistant Manager of Gold Product Management.
Paayal has an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania (double major in Economics and South Asian Studies and a minor in Psychology) and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a certified yoga teacher and remains active with her community and alma maters, including as a member of the Trinity Alumni Board, the UPenn James Brister Society, UPenn Professional Women’s Alliance Committee, UPenn Alumni Interview Program and the Harvard Business School Women’s Association Board. She recently resigned from American Express to pursue her passion in health and wellness.
Nitya Rajendran
Nitya Rajendran works in Business Operations at Plaid, a fintech startup that helps connect consumers’ bank accounts to financial applications. She previously worked as a Principal at Tribeca Venture Partners and an investment banking analyst at Lazard where she received the André Meyer Fellowship.
Nitya graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Classics and a minor in Economics.
The Women of Color Highlight Speakers
Alissa Mayers
Alissa Mayers is a positive and motivated professional with over 10 years of progressive experience in program design & re-design and project development and management for large organizations. She currently serves as the Director of Public Programs at Columbia's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute and has an additional 14 years of expertise and training in counseling and facilitation, and research and data analysis.
Tanya Ghani
Tanya Ghani '03 is a Gender Based Violence (GBV) Specialist with over a decade of professional experience in the field of gender equality and ending violence against women programming. She currently serves as the Grants and Programme Manager for the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, housed in UN Women. In this role, she is responsible for leading and executing the UN Trust Fund's grant-making strategy and managing its US$ 45 million grants portfolio. Tanya joined the United Nations in 2008, where she has worked in varying capacities within UN Women, including a brief assignment as Head of UN Women's Sub-Office in Rakhine State, Myanmar in 2019.
Zenobia Shroff
Zenobia Shroff has been an actor, writer, dancer, teaching artist and sketch comedian for over 30 years. She has taught drama and movement extensively throughout New York City and Mumbai, and has been featured in a range of award-winning films. In 2020, she was chosen to play Muneeba Khan in marvel Studios Ms. Marvel about the first South Asian Muslim superhero in the Marvel universe.
Zenobia holds a master's degree in psychology and has always held particular interest in the relationship of psychology and acting. she often speaks on these issues as well as women's issues as pertaining to racism, sexism, ageism, and the entertainment industry
