Our Strategic Advisors and Advisory Board form a powerful network of champions who amplify our mission open doors to opportunity, and accelerate progress for the women's small business economy.
Advisory Board
Dorri McWhorter
Co-Chair
Dorri McWhorter
Dorri McWhorter is Co-Chair of the First Women's Business Advisory Board. Dorri McWhorter is the CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. Dorri leverages her largescale change experience from working over 20 years in management consulting to the work that the YWCA does to create social change. Dorri led the process for the YWCA to develop an exchange traded fund (ETF) for women’s empowerment (NYSE: WOMN) in partnership with Impact Shares, which is the first non-profit investment advisor to develop an ETF product. Previously Dorri was a partner at Crowe Horwath LLP. She has also held senior positions with Snap-on Incorporated and Booz Allen Hamilton. Dorri serves on the Board of Directors for Lifeway Foods, William Blair Funds and Skyway Concession Company (Chicago Skyway). Dorri is also active in the accounting profession having served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the current Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Illinois CPA Society.Dorri is dedicated to empowering women as a member of the Women in Entrepreneurship Institute at DePaul University and Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University. Dorri’s civic and philanthropic leadership includes the Board of Directors for the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology, 1871, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Civic Consulting Alliance, and the Civic Federation. She is also a member of the Illinois Charitable Trust Board. Dorri received a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master of business administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lake Forest College.
Meredith O'Connor
Co-Chair
Meredith O'Connor
Meredith O’Connor is Co-Chair of the First Women's Business Advisory Board. O’Connor is Executive Managing Director and Co-Chair of the Headquarters Practice Group at JLL. She manages the real estate portfolios for Toyota Motor North America, Aon Corporation, Takeda, HCSC, State of Illinois, CTA and Alight Solutions. Prior to joining JLL, O’Connor was Managing Director at World Business Chicago and spent more than 10 years at the City of Chicago as Deputy Commissioner. O’Connor served on the founding team of 1871, is a founding member of Chief and DMDII (formerly UI Labs), and serves on the boards of mHub, YMCA, JDRF, and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
Colleen Tunney-Ryan
Co-Chair
Colleen Tunney-Ryan
Colleen Tunney-Ryan is Co-Chair of the First Women's Business Advisory Board. Most recently, Colleen served as Americas Chief Communications Officer at EY. With more than 30 years of experience in strategic communications, marketing, and brand leadership, she has helped build and strengthen the reputations of leading global organizations.
Previously, Colleen served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at First Women's Bank, where she helped establish the bank's brand and mission to support the women's economy. She has also held senior leadership roles at The Kraft Heinz Company, Gap Inc., the Archdiocese of Chicago and spent more than 20 years at TransUnion.
Colleen holds a bachelor's degree in Communication from Purdue University.
Amanda Marshall
Families4Families
Contact
A critical step toward achieving gender equality is creating economic parity and financial inclusion, which requires closing the racial and gender gaps in access to capital. I look forward to joining First Women’s Bank as we work to bridge those gaps and empower women from all walks of life to reach their full potential.Billie Jean King, Strategic Advisor
Sophia and Nia are experienced entrepreneurs, activists and advocates for equality and passionate about closing racial and gender gaps in pay, in leadership and in the lesser-known gap in access to capital. As advisors to First Women’s Bank, they will help amplify the power and challenges of the women’s economy, educate/activate women business owners and help connect small businesses to accessible, affordable funding.