DIANE MCCLELLAND RECENTLY SELECTED AS EMPOWERED WOMAN OF THE YEAR BY IAOTP
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 13, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- Diane McClelland, Co-founder of Girls STEAM. Institute™ was recently selected as Empowered Woman of the Year for 2025 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for her outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry.
Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an honor; only a few women are chosen for this distinction based on their years of experience, professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, and contributions to their communities. These women empower others with innovation and compassion to reach their goals while creating change for future generations. Diane McClelland will be honored for this distinction at IAOTP's 2025 Annual Awards Gala.
www.iaotp.com /award-gala
The President of IAOTP, Stephanie Cirami, stated, 'We are honored to have Diane McClelland as part of the IAOTP family. She provides visionary leadership as a female entrepreneur, and her extraordinary accomplishments prove she will empower women worldwide. We look forward to celebrating all her merits at the Annual Awards Gala and cannot wait to see more amazing things from this woman.'
With four decades of industry experience, Ms. McClelland has firmly established herself as an expert in her field. A dynamic, results-driven leader, she is the Co-founder and CEO of Girls STEAM Institute™, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young girls ages 13–18 to explore entrepreneurship in STEAM fields through immersive technologies and global collaboration.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, the organization is expanding its programs to include young women ages 19–26. This next phase provides mentorship in immersive technologies and entrepreneurship, equipping participants with the tools to build wealth, increase their net worth, and thrive as STEAM entrepreneurs.
Through project-based and social-emotional learning, participants develop essential leadership and business skills. Mentored by successful women entrepreneurs and STEAM experts, they gain hands-on experience in areas such as leadership, technology, interpersonal communication, relationship-building, and business acumen—key components for success in the rapidly evolving STEAM landscape.
Prior to founding Girls STEAM Institute™, Ms. McClelland served for over 18 years as the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Astra Society International, doing business as Astra Women's' Business Alliance. Before that, she co-founded her first nonprofit organization, the Foundation for Women Business Owners, where she also served as President and CEO. This early initiative was dedicated to helping women business owners gain access to capital and funding—an area that remains central to her mission today.
Ms. McClelland's areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, strategic planning, program management, business development, leadership, and business strategy. Her career reflects a lifelong commitment to empowering women through entrepreneurship, education, and economic opportunity.
Before embarking on her career path, Ms. McClelland studied International Business, Trade and Commerce at Portland State University School of Business. She also received a Dartmouth Executive Education leadership certificate.
Throughout her illustrious career, Ms. McClelland has received many awards and accolades and has been recognized worldwide for her accomplishments. This year, she will be considered to be featured in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine. She will be honored at IAOTP's annual awards gala at the iconic Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas this December in recognition of her previous selection as Top Co-founder and CEO of the Year and her most recent accolade, Empowered Woman of the Year. Additionally, she was honored by Marquis Who's Who for her outstanding expertise and contributions to the nonprofit sector.
Looking back, Ms. McClelland attributes much of her success to curiosity, empathy, and a positive mindset, which has been instrumental in her leadership roles. Ms. McClelland is working on a new movement to increase the number of women business owners in the global supply chains who will mentor and hire GEN Z & Millennial Women STEAM entrepreneurs steeped in immersive technologies into their supply chains.When not working, she enjoys writing, traveling, and spending time with her family.
For more information, please visit: www.girlsteaminstitute.org
About IAOTP
The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization that handpicks the world's finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers, and help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.
IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals worldwide the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped build their branding empires. IAOTP prides itself to be a one-of-a-kind boutique networking organization that handpicks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals to one place.
For more information on IAOTP, please visit: www.iaotp.com
Stephanie Cirami
IAOTP
+1 212-634-4427
email us here
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Tesla's Autopilot system is in the spotlight at a Miami trial over a student killed while stargazing
NEW YORK (AP) — A rare trial against Elon Musk's car company began Monday in Miami where a jury will decide if it is partly to blame for the death of a stargazing university student after a runaway Tesla sent her flying 75 feet through the air and severely injured her boyfriend. Lawyers for the plaintiff argue that Tesla's driver-assistance feature called Autopilot should have warned the driver and braked when his Model S sedan blew through flashing red lights, a stop sign and a T-intersection at nearly 70 miles an hour in the April 2019 crash. Tesla lays the blame solely on the driver, who was reaching for a dropped cell phone. 'The evidence clearly shows that this crash had nothing to do with Tesla's Autopilot technology,' Tesla said in a statement. 'Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cellphones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver.' The driver, George McGee, was sued separately by the plaintiffs. That case was settled. A judgement against Tesla could be especially damaging as the company works to convince the public its self-driving technology is safe during a planned rollout of hundreds of thousands of Tesla robotaxis on U.S. roads by the end of next year. A jury trial is rare for the company, which often settles lawsuits, and this one is rarer yet because a judge recently ruled that the family of the stricken Naibel Benavides Leon can argue for punitive damages. The judge, Beth Bloom of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, issued a partial summary judgement last month, throwing out charges of defective manufacturing and negligent misrepresentation against Tesla. But she also ruled plaintiffs could argue other claims that would make the company liable and ask for punitive damages, which could prove costly. 'A reasonable jury could find that Tesla acted in reckless disregard of human life for the sake of developing their product and maximizing profit,' Bloom said in a filing. The 2021 lawsuit alleges the driver relied on Autopilot to reduce speed or come to a stop when it detected objects in its way, including a parked Chevrolet Tahoe that Benavides and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, had gotten out of near Key West, Florida, to look up at the sky. The Tesla rammed the Tahoe at highway speeds, causing it to rotate and slam into Benavides, tossing her into a wooded area and killing her. In legal documents, Tesla denied nearly all of the lawsuit's allegations and said it expects that consumers will follow warnings in the vehicle and instructions in the owners' manual, as well as comply with driving laws. Tesla warns owners in manuals that its cars cannot drive themselves and they need to be ready to intervene at all times. —— Former AP auto writer Krisher reported from Detroit.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'We Were Not Planning On This Kind Of Expenditure At This Point In Our Lives,' How These Parents Are Dealing With Their 'Boomerang Kid'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Two parents from Sherman Oaks, California, moved their 24-year-old daughter back into the family home in early 2024. In their mid-60s, the parents, who asked to remain anonymous when speaking to CNBC, expected that they'd be closing in on retirement at this point in their lives. Instead, they're canceling vacations and delaying retirement in order to accommodate their daughter's $5,000 a month living expenses. "We were not planning on this kind of expenditure at this point of our lives," the mother told CNBC. "The reason we do it is because we don't want to see her on the street." The family isn't alone in having their plans upended by the unexpected return of an adult child. The phenomenon, which experts have termed "boomerang kids," has been steadily growing over the last few years. Don't Miss: In terms of getting money back, . Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." A Thrivent study on boomerang kids released in 2025 found that 46% of parents report that their adult children, ages 18-35, have moved back home at some point. The reasons for these moves vary from economic factors like debt, stagnant wages, and rising housing costs to personal factors like divorce or illness. While many parents say they are happy to provide a safety net for their children, there's also recognition that it often has a significant and negative impact on their own finances. According to the survey, 38% of boomerang parents say that having their children move back in has impacted their ability to save for long-term goals like retirement. The Sherman Oaks parents say they are feeling that pinch, to the point that it has caused tension in their relationship with their daughter. So they've turned to parenting coach Kim Muench for help navigating their new situation. Trending: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — The move is a great first step in healing the rifts that boomerang situations can create, Muench told CNBC. "Parents sometimes hesitate to get help for themselves and invest in their health ... because they're already spending more than they would like to support their adult or emerging adult children," she says. Ultimately, though, Muench says open and honest conversations about money and timelines are the only way to ensure the familial bonds won't be permanently affected by a return home. She suggests starting with small financial boundaries, like asking your child to contribute towards a bill or put a set amount of money away in a savings account to mimic paying rent. "When their son or daughter is not taking [financial responsibility] on incrementally, [parents] actually get very worried that they will be financially providing for the rest of their lives," Muench told CNBC. "It takes consistent conversations, because it's probably not going to happen in the first conversation," she continued. "And it takes an emotional maturity level on both the parents and the emerging adult side to figure out how they can work together." Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . With Point, you can Image: Shutterstock This article 'We Were Not Planning On This Kind Of Expenditure At This Point In Our Lives,' How These Parents Are Dealing With Their 'Boomerang Kid' originally appeared on
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fed Chair Powell's finally fighting back as the White House looks to fire him "for cause"
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell may finally have had enough of the White House's pressure campaign to have him either slash rates or resign. For months, Powell has resisted reacting to constant public berating from President Donald Trump, but the final straw may have come last week when White House advisers alleged Powell either lied to Congress about the Fed's headquarters renovation or grossly mismanaged it. Either of those, if proven true, could give Trump cover to fire Powell 'for cause.' Powell and the Fed are finally fighting back. Over the weekend, the Fed quietly posted a FAQ explaining what happened with the renovation of the Fed's headquarters, and Powell reportedly has asked the central bank's inspector general to review its $2.5 billion headquarters renovation project. A Powell firing could sow doubts over the Fed's independence and wreck the central bank's credibility to manage monetary policy unfettered by policy makers. 'Equities would likely sell off on impact, on a risk-off flight to safety trade,' said Padhraic Garvey, regional head of research, Americas, at Dutch bank ING. 'After all, this would be an effective forced exit of a reputable Fed Chair by the U.S. president, an unprecedented event for the market to get its head around. "But thereafter, equities could quickly reassess and choose to rally, on the theory that deep cuts in rates are a boon for corporates, as is a potentially steamy economy," he said "And inflation is not necessarily a bad thing for equities." The original cost of the renovation of the Fed's three office buildings overlooking the National Mall in Washington D.C. was estimated at $1.9 billion in 2019 but swelled to $2.5 billion. The more than 33% increase in budget was due to design changes, costs of materials, equipment, and labor and other 'unforeseen conditions' like more asbestos than anticipated and toxic contamination in soil, the Fed's FAQ said. Last week, Trump's budget director Russell Vought wrote a letter suggesting Powell either made false statements to Congress about the expensive renovation or failed to comply with permitting rules around capital-area construction. Trump also named three White House advisers to the National Capital Planning Commission, which must sign off on major construction projects in the area. Vought called out, among other things, luxe VIP dining areas and rooftop terrace gardens. However, the Fed's FAQ says 'no new VIP dining rooms are being constructed' and 'garden terrace' refers to 'the ground-level front lawn of 1951 Constitution Avenue, which serves as the roof of the parking structure beneath.' It also noted 'Green roofs are found on other federal government buildings, like the Departments of Justice, Interior, and many others, and are encouraged by the General Services Administration.' To some, Powell has already done damage, whether he stays on as Fed chair. 'It is easy to argue the market has lost confidence in the Fed,' said Nancy Tengler, chief executive of Laffer Tengler Investments. She noted some of what she sees as Powell missteps as Fed chair, including raising rates in 2018, which she says caused the 'intra-year bear market in response to Trump 1.0 tariffs. He was forced to capitulate months later.' Then in 2021, the Fed 'waited way too long to hike rates as inflation morphed from a controlled burn into a wildfire' that allowed consumer prices to soar to 9.1% by June 2022, Tengler said. Other economists say if Powell goes, the impact could be limited. 'Basically, it is likely that this would lead to a sizeable initial sell-off that could be calmed by the other governors forcibly reiterating Fed independence,' said Jim Reid, Deutsche Bank's global head of economics and thematic research. ING's Garvey said likely, 'an early departure of Powell would be followed quickly by a replacement super-dove as head of the Federal Reserve.' A dove is someone who leans toward keeping interest rates low to grow the economy, compared with a hawk who favors higher interest rates to keep inflation controlled. But even with a 'super-dove' atop the Fed, Garvey questions how much policy would change. 'We can acknowledge that the (Fed's policy-making arm) would swing more dovish than it has been. But we can't conclude that the Committee would then cut rates just because Trump commands it. In the end, it's a majority decision, and the Committee is likely to remain as divided as the latest minutes suggest, but with a bias to keep rates on hold until the coast is clear to cut them.' Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could renovations finally sink Fed chair and stocks? Experts weigh in Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
