A Seat at the Table; BossMom advocates for women in business

Last Thursday evening, thirteen women took their seats around the boardroom table at MDS for the latest installment of BossMom Boardroom Conversations, a growing leadership and business development series designed for women navigating the realities of entrepreneurship, leadership, parenting, and professional growth.

The featured session, The Business of People, was led by Human Resource Professional Semone Williams, who guided attendees through a framework on leadership, self-awareness, people development, and organizational purpose. But according to BossMom Network Founder Michelle Gordon, the true value of the series extends far beyond any single presentation.

Michelle Gordon, founder of BossMom Network, remarked that, “These conversations are about much more than networking. Networking often ends with exchanged business cards and LinkedIn requests. What we’re building is access — access to experience and to expertise. These conversations offer access to women who have already solved the problems another woman in the room may be facing right now. Every woman around that table brings years of knowledge, lessons, relationships, successes, and failures. The magic happens when they share them.”

Among those attending the session were media entrepreneurs Debbie Bissoon and Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson, two of Jamaica’s most recognized media personalities, attending simply as participants, both noting an appreciation for the rare opportunity to sit, listen, and learn without a microphone, a moderator’s role, or a stage. Just a seat at the table, like everyone else.

Also in attendance were physician Dr. Karen Phillips, entrepreneur and brand architect Norma Williams, financial services professional Tracy Cowan, wellness entrepreneur Natalie Murray, attorney-turned-life coach Angel Beswick Reid, interior decorator Shaniqua Russell, entrepreneur Queen Simone Maghanza, HR professional Stephanie Murdock, and corporate strategist Sophia Bernard-Fairman, women drawn from across Jamaica’s professional landscape.

Intimacy by Design

The BossMom Boardroom Conversations model is intentionally different from traditional networking events. Each session is kept deliberately small, with attendance capped at the number of seats available around the boardroom table.

Michelle Gordon, further remarked that “This is not for hundreds of people in a ballroom. We want twelve to fifteen women in a room where everyone has a voice, everyone participates, and everyone leaves having formed meaningful connections. The intimacy is intentional.”

That approach has resonated with both speakers and attendees. Past presenter Nadeen Matthews Blair, who led a previous session on Artificial Intelligence and innovation, reflected on her experience:

Nadeen Matthews Blair, past presenter stated that “In the midst of busy careers, family responsibilities, and competing priorities, these conversations provide an opportunity to intentionally pause, reflect, connect, and be reminded that we are more alike than we are different. Michelle has created something truly special.”

Former guest speaker Rochelle Cameron echoed the sentiment stating that “One of the things I appreciated most about the BossMom Boardroom Conversation was how real the room felt. There were no perfectly packaged ‘I have cracked the code on balance’ speeches. Just honest conversation from women trying to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round while building careers, raising children, managing businesses, replying to emails they forgot to send two days ago, and trying not to lose themselves somewhere between the school run and the boardroom. The conversations are smart, honest, and necessary. Spaces like this matter because sometimes the most powerful thing for women is being in a room where nobody expects perfection.”

What’s Coming: 2026 Calendar

The 2026 Boardroom Conversations series runs through November and features an exceptional lineup of speakers and topics:

• JUNE – Branding & Visibility:  Tina Matalon, Marketing Director, Restaurants of Jamaica
• JULY – Money, Money, Money:  Sheree Martin, Interim CEO, NCB Financial Group
• AUGUST – Vision & Audacity:  Senator the Honourable Audrey Marks, OJ, Minister with Responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation & Digital Transformation and former Jamaican Ambassador to the United States
• SEPTEMBER – Structure & Legacy: Alveta Knight, Attorney-at-Law and Bahamian Consul General to Jamaica
• OCTOBER – Relationship & Revenue:  Kimala Bennett, Filmmaker and Entrepreneur

Each session is designed around specific challenges commonly faced by women in business, ensuring that attendees leave with practical insights and actionable solutions.

The series is currently hosted at MDS, whose boardroom has served as its home since inception. Organizers envision the conversations expanding into boardrooms across Jamaica, with future sessions hosted by companies that share the vision of creating meaningful spaces for women to connect, learn, and grow.

According to Gordon, the long-term vision is to evolve the BossMom Network into a true intra-network, where membership extends well beyond events and into tangible professional benefits. The organization is currently exploring group insurance opportunities, strategic partnerships, educational resources, mentorship initiatives, and collaborative business opportunities.

“Women in business face many of the same challenges. Sometimes the answer isn’t another webinar or another course, sometimes the answer is sitting beside you at the table. Our goal is to create the room where those conversations happen,” stated Michelle Gordon.

The 2026 series is sponsored by Select Brands. Registration for upcoming sessions is now open. Attendance remains limited by design.