Jasmine’Lee Martinez, Yaniely Rodriguez, and Elizabeth McGann speak amongst themselves during the Bronx Women in Business Empowerment Event. They were presented with an award for their essays, which described their perfect world. Photo by Alice Moreno.
Orange Bank & Trust Company hosted the second annual Bronx Women in Business Empowerment Event at the F&J Pine Restaurant, located at 1913 Bronxdale Ave on March 5.
Billed as an evening of “women elevating women,” the event celebrated their achievements throughout the years.
Guests were given goodie bags that said “Bronx Women in Business.” Photo by Alice Moreno.
Bronx Women in Business committee members listen in on Vanessa Baijnauth’s speech. Photo by Alice Moreno.
“I was blown away, inspired, not only to be part of the organizational process, but to be in a room full of women who are in different industry roles,” said Swannie Batista, co-founder of Paralegals FTC.
“Really discussing how they overcame the different challenges in trying to take on membership roles and being able to expose these young women that anything is possible.”
Senator Nathalia Fernandez honors Michael Gilfeather, President and CEO of Orange Bank & Trust, with a proclamation for his financial efforts. Photo by Alice Moreno.
Vanessa Baijnauth, Assistant Vice President of the Bronx branch of Orange Bank & Trust Company, welcomes members of the Bronx Women in Business committee. Photo by Alice Moreno.
The Keynote speaker of the event was Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the former Chancellor of New York City Public Schools. In her speech, she touched on the idea of sisterhood, reminding guests that they are not alone, and that they are important.
“Walk in your purpose, be the first in something, or stand on the shoulders of a first to do it even better, build legacy and grab a sister so she knows she has you,” Aviles-Ramos said in her speech.
At each table, guests were able to grab a rose that contained a special quote. For this activity, guests were to read the quote to the table and discuss. Photo by Alice Moreno.
“Light the world up, because right now there’s a lot of darkness, and what better time for us to all put our lights on and bring the world that light.”
The Bronx Women in Business event was founded by Vanessa Baijnauth, Assistant Vice President of Orange Bank & Trust. The bank has sponsored the event since its inauguration in 2025.