The 2023 Fordham Women Summit will feature a fashion-industry panel plus sessions on environmental research and the power of our personal consumption choices.
Each year, the fashion industry creates about 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2020 report. That’s about 4% of all emissions globally. But the report also found that consumers “are becoming increasingly engaged with sustainability topics,” and companies are rethinking how they do business.At this year’s Fordham Women’s Summit, to be held Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan, four alumni in the fashion industry will share how companies are looking to implement innovative practices to curb their environmental impact.
Barbara Porco, Ph.D., professor of accounting and head of Fordham’s Responsible Business Center, will moderate the panel, which will feature the following Fordham graduates:
- Stacey Ferrara, GABELLI ’10, director of strategic initiatives and operations at the Estée Lauder Companies
- Claudia Rondinelli, FCLC ’91, head of global materials: leather and trims at Ralph Lauren
- Georgeanne Siller, GABELLI ’17, assistant buyer, women’s apparel at Macy’s Inc.
Beyond Fashion: Sustainability Across Industries
This year’s women’s summit—“Beyond Green: Investing in a More Sustainable World”—is inspired in part by the University’s environmental action plan and aims to highlight how Fordham women are helping to lead charge across many industries. Speakers will share ideas for how everyone can take bold action in their own lives to live more sustainably.
Jeannette Ferran Astorga, GABELLI ’96, executive vice president of corporate affairs, communications, and sustainability at Zoetis Inc., will deliver the keynote address. She’ll share how her values-driven career started at Fordham and has led her to Zoetis, a global animal health company. In addition to setting long-range environmental and social impact goals for the company, she started the Zoetis Foundation, which aims to advance opportunities for veterinarians and farmers, including those in sub-Saharan Africa.
The day will also feature a conversation on how the food, wine, and other products we consume affect us, and how we can become better consumers for our own benefit and the health of the planet. Other sessions include a look into environmental research happening at Fordham and a discussion of the ways Fordham is taking action to support our common home and inspire change in its communities.
Learn more about the Women’s Summit and register at fordham.edu/womenssummit.
