Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1518140
T H E 2 0 2 4 WOMEN IN BUSINESS H O N O R E E S HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 1, 2024 B11 Dalaisé Hickey Founder & CEO BabyDonna D alaisé Hickey is an experienced social worker and entrepreneur who founded and leads BabyDonna, a purpose-driven company that creates safe and non-toxic sunscreen products for Black and brown children. She has over 15 years of experience in the child welfare, mental health, legal and forensic social work fields, and holds a master's degree in social work from Fordham University. She is passionate about making a positive impact in the world, especially for children and families impacted by systemic injustice, and is committed to utilizing her platform to create meaningful and impactful change in the world. What have been your biggest professional accomplishments? Since launching BabyDonna, one of my biggest accomplishments by far was having "The Today Show" list BabyDonna sunscreen as the best kid's sunscreen for melanated skin, and having BabyDonna sunscreen featured as part of Shopify's activation at the AfroTech Conference, as a new company. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? The next big goal for me is expanding BabyDonna's product line, getting into retail locations and partnering with local programs and organizations to help provide education and resources to families around the impor- tance of sun safety, and using sunscreens that are safe for our environment. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? Launching a skincare company was one of the biggest challenges I overcame. As a social worker, with no background or knowledge in chemistry, it took a lot of research and trial and error to finally find a chemist who saw my vision and to also learn the many regulations that come with launching a sunscreen. How are you involved in the community? It was crucial to me when I decided to start a company that we are purpose-driven. In only a few months, we have been able to make over $1,700 in in-kind and monetary donations to nonprofits working with youth and families, including offering a sponsorship for a local Connecticut nonprofit. My goal is to triple that amount this year. Sivan Hines Senior Director of College Partnerships and Scholar Success Hartford Promise D r. Sivan Hines is the senior director of college partnerships and scholar success at Hartford Promise, a college scholarship and support program serving over 1,000 Hartford students. Hines leads a team in operationalizing Hartford Promise's integrated college success model, providing students with the financial resources and support services that lead to college success and economic mobility. Prior to joining Hartford Promise, she was a pediatrician in Atlanta for over 20 years. Hines has witnessed the inextricable link among education, health and economic mobility, and has spent her entire career fighting to address the deep inequities in our educational and health systems. What have been your biggest professional accomplishments? I've been with Hartford Promise for 18 months, and I'm incredibly excited by the growth I've helped our organization accomplish on both macro and micro levels. We've built cohort models that help support more than 500 current college scholars and created strong career pipelines with many of Connecticut's top employers. But I'm most proud of the individual stories — helping talented young people graduate college, enter into great jobs, and change the trajectory for themselves and future generations. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? I'm determined to see the success of Hartford Promise and its benefit not just to students, but to Connecticut's workforce, become known throughout the state. I also plan to work tirelessly to see sustained diverse forms of funding secured to be able to promise a future college education to all of Connecticut's children, regardless of birthplace, race or economic status. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? Embarking on the journey of leaving a thriving medical career for a new profession while simultaneously relocating to Connecticut, was extremely challenging. But joining Hartford Promise and its commu- nity has been personally transformative. CONGR ATUL ATIONS BRITTANY ISHERWOOD CEO & PRESIDENT OF BURKE AEROSPACE on being honored with the Hartford Business Journal's Women in Business Award. From your friends at JEFFREY WHITE Partner | 860.275.8252 jwhite@rc.com JEFFREY ROSSI, CPA, CFE Partner | 203.641.1554 jeffrey.rossi@marcumllp.com Hartford Business Journal Women in Business Award! CONGR ATUL ATIONS BRITTANY ISHERWOOD for being recognized by the burkeaerospace.com Congratulations from the entire team at Burke Aerospace. We are so proud of you!