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Marsha Firestone, Ph.D.
President
Dr. Firestone is founder and president of the Women Presidents'
Educational Organization which is a regional affiliate of
the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC),
the nation's premier third party certification organization
for women owned businesses. The mission of the WPEO is to
create increased access to business opportunities for WBEs.
WPEO provides full service third party certification to women
entrepreneurs in the New York, Northern New Jersey (including
Princeton and points north), Southern Connecticut and the
Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia areas.
Dr. Firestone was previously Vice President of Women Incorporated
and of Training and Counseling at the American Woman's Economic
Development Corporation (AWED). Prior to her involvement in
women's economic development, she oversaw all operations and
established educational direction as president of a for-profit
educational institution. Her career also includes positions
as National Executive Director of the Women's American ORT,
a volunteer organization with a membership of over 150,000;
a full-time faculty member of the American Management Association
Competency-Based Management Development Program; and a faculty
member at the City University of New York and Adelphi University.
Dr. Firestone has published research on adult learning theory,
nonverbal communication and managerial competency appearing
in both business and educational journals, and The Busy Woman's
Guide to Successful Self-Employment, an interactive, easy
to read resource. A frequent guest speaker, her most recent
presentations have been at Tulane University, New York Women's
Agenda Entrepreneurs Update, University of Syracuse, The Center
for Women's Business Research Roundtable, and Unicul International
in Tokyo, Japan. She is the recipient of a special achievement
award from Woman, Inc. of Jamaica, the Applause Award for
breaking down barriers for women in business from Women's
Business Enterprise National Council, The Hall of Fame Award
from Enterprising Women, the Outstanding Alumna Award 2003
from Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University, and the
2004 WMBE Outreach Award from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.
In March 2003, Dr. Firestone was appointed to the National
Women's Business Council, which reports to the President and
Congress on issues of importance to women in business and
was part of the official delegation to the Overseas Economic
Development Council in Istanbul, Turkey.
She earned a Master's degree in Communication from Teacher's
College of New York, as well as a Ph.D. in Communication from
Columbia University, where Margaret Mead sat on her dissertation
committee. Dr. Firestone is also involved in numerous community
activities including New York Women's Agenda, the Board of
Advisors of the Women's Leadership Initiative at Harvard's
Kennedy School, the Board of the Women's Business Enterprise
National Council, the Merrill Lynch Diversity Advisory Council,
the American Express Open Network Advisory Council, and the
advisory councils of Women's Financial Network, the International
Women's Forum and Enterprising Women. In 1998, Dr. Firestone
was Executive Director of The Women's Economic Summit whose
work resulted in a master plan for accelerating the growth
of women's business and was presented to Congress and the
public in March 1999.
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