BELLA Boss: March 2025 Women of Influence Issue
By Lynette Barbieri + Danielle Kiriakos
Success in business demands ambition, resolve, determination, and a relentless pursuit of goals. Here, we highlight successful entrepreneurs whose remarkable accomplishments demonstrate the importance of self-belief and daring leaps of faith.
If you’re looking to reshape your career journey, let their achievements inspire you to carve your path to success.
Photography Courtesy of moon d’elle
Chandra and Tabitha Perkins
New York, NY | Milan, Italy
moon d’elle Shoes, Co-Founders
moondelle.com
How have you empowered yourself to get to where you are?
We’ve stayed motivated by focusing on a bigger goal—creating a brand that makes women feel sexy, strong, and comfortable. Through the art of shoemaking, we also give back and continuously work to bring fresh ideas to our designs.
What traits do you think make a woman influential?
Self-confidence is key, along with just enough self-doubt to stay aware and accountable. Elegance, grace, independence, and a positive outlook also help a woman stand out and make an impact.
Photography Courtesy of moon d’elle
How do you balance the need for assertive leadership while still creating an inclusive and supportive work environment?
We keep an open mind to new ideas and encourage a workplace where creativity flows naturally. Mutual respect is key to fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
How can we teach women to stand in solidarity with one another?
Women today juggle so much, from careers to family, and the expectations can be overwhelming. By supporting each other and sticking together, we make those challenges easier and build real strength.
Can you share an instance where you had to change the status quo?
By adopting a non-seasonal approach to our collections, moving away from the traditional summer and winter launches. This decision, driven by our sustainability initiatives, allows us to create versatile, year-round footwear without limiting designs to specific seasons.
Photography by Ashley Long
Catherine Galasso-Vigorito and Gabriella Vigorito
The Ultimate Mother-Daughter Duo
Clinton, Connecticut
Reality TV / Smothered Season 5 on TLC | Content Creator
TheMotherDaughterDuo.com
How have you empowered yourself to get to where you are?
Catherine: I have empowered myself with a never-quit mindset. Regardless of challenges, I never give up and persevere and pursue my goals. The quote from Rocky resonates with me and describes my journey:
“It isn’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
Gabriella: I empower myself by being goal driven. My mom and I have a dream board of things we hope to achieve and accomplish. Visualizing our dreams keeps us motivated and focused on success.
What traits do you think make a woman influential?
Catherine: The ability to communicate effectively, show empathy, and maintain an optimistic attitude towards others. I always recall that people may not remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel.
Gabriella: A woman must be hardworking, inspiring, and relatable to capture an audience. To stay influential, she must be consistent, entertaining, and creative.
Photography by Ashley Long
How do you balance the need for assertive leadership while still creating an inclusive and supportive work environment?
Catherine: Leadership, to me, is about service to others. I believe we rise by uplifting one another. True success is often connected to helping others and encouraging them to be the best they can be in life.
Gabriella: Leadership is very important, but we can learn a lot from others. An extra set of eyes or an extra set of hands can only make a leader better. My mom and I are the perfect mother-daughter duo—we are powerful and dynamic. Together, we each bring different strengths to the table.
How can we teach women to stand in solidarity with one another?
Catherine: By supporting and uplifting each other. Celebrating achievements, showing kindness, and being a source of encouragement for other women strengthens our collective success. When one woman rises, we all rise.
Gabriella: We can teach women to stand in solidarity by fostering a culture of collaboration rather than competition. When women support women, incredible things happen.
Can you share an instance where you had to change the status quo?
Catherine: Throughout my journey, I have faced challenges that could have made me quit, but I never allowed obstacles to define me. I have always pushed forward, breaking barriers and proving that perseverance leads to success.
Gabriella: My mom and I constantly challenge traditional expectations by working together as a mother-daughter team. We’ve shown that family and business can thrive together, breaking the stereotype that personal and professional lives must be separate.
Photography by Sujata Setia
Sunaina Sinha Haldea
London, United Kingdom
Global Head, Private Capital Advisory, Raymond James
Cebile.com
How have you empowered yourself to get to where you are?
Meditation has been the greatest gift I could ever give myself. Finding Vipassana meditation early has made all the difference because it has taught me invaluable mind control techniques that allow me to flow through the vagaries of life.
What traits do you think make a woman influential?
The most significant trait that makes a woman influential is her ability to reset and center her mind as quickly and repeatedly as possible. My one and only superpower has been using Vipassana meditation to manage what I feel and for how long, allowing me to control my life's experiences rather than letting the vicissitudes of life rock me.
How do you balance the need for assertive leadership while still creating an inclusive and supportive work environment?
As you do deep inner work, you learn that kindness and assertiveness are not mutually exclusive. We can be kindly assertive and assertively kind in every interaction.
How can we teach women to stand in solidarity with one another?
Be the change you wish to see! Help another woman in your orbit to take a step forward, and whether she pays it forward or not, you’ve done your part.
Can you share an instance where you had to change the status quo?
My journey of founding Cebile Capital and selling it to Raymond James in 2021 was about challenging the status quo for women and people of color in finance, an industry notorious for lacking diversity. We proved that success and diversity could coexist, with both Cebile and now the Private Capital Advisory business at Raymond James being 100% female-led and over 50% diverse.
Photography by Joy Rahat
Mohaimina (Mina) Haque
Washington, D.C.
Tony Roma’s, Chief Executive Officer
Law Office of Mohaimina Haque, Principal Attorney/Founder
American University Washington College of Law, Adjunct Professor
AttorneyMina.com | TonyRomas.com
How have you empowered yourself to get to where you are?
I believe in continuous learning, pushing boundaries, and staying resolute in my commitments. My determination comes from both personal growth and a desire to create lasting change for future generations of girls.
What traits do you think make a woman influential?
Determination and a desire to create positive change are key traits that make a woman influential. When she is resolute in her ambitions and committed to uplifting others, her impact can inspire and empower entire communities.
How do you balance the need for assertive leadership while still creating an inclusive and supportive work environment?
Leadership can be both strong and supportive, fostering open communication and collaboration. By being approachable and assertive, I create an environment where challenges are addressed effectively, and every voice is valued.
How can we teach women to stand in solidarity with one another?
We can foster solidarity by celebrating each other’s achievements, amplifying successes, and creating opportunities for one another. Active listening, validation, and resisting narratives that pit women against each other help build trust and collective advancement.
Can you share an instance where you had to change the status quo?
Married at 18 and a mother by 21, I pursued multiple degrees while raising my children, challenging the notion that motherhood and an ambitious career are mutually exclusive. From working at the DOJ and HUD to founding my law firm and becoming CEO of Tony Roma’s, I’ve shown that women can excel in all areas of life without compromise.
