AIF Global Celebrates 11th Annual Women Investors Forum in NY

By: GWL team | Tuesday, 30 September 2025

AIF Global hosted its 11th annual Women Investors' Forum at New York City's Yale Club
The forum is one component of AIF's annual women investor programming
AIF is a standalone economic think tank dedicated to exchanging best practices, ideas, and information

AIF Global celebrated its 11th year of women investor programming with the annual Women Investors' Forum at the Yale Club in New York City.

The forum, a highlight event for top women in institutional investment, offered a setting for investing, leadership, and networking discussions.

The 2025 AIF Institute Trailblazer awards were made to Margaret Belmondo (NEPC), Elizabeth Caldas (Rhode Island Employees' Retirement System), June Kim (CalSTRS), Julia Mord (Commonfund), Dana Johns (Private Equity Women Investor Network / formerly New Jersey Division of Investment), and Sondra Vitols (YWCA Retirement Fund).

The YWCA Retirement Fund was also honored for reaching its 100th anniversary, a century of serving women.

Since the sole pension system developed by and for women with more than 90 percent of plan participants being women, the fund has been more than fully funded since its establishment.

Elliott Buchholz, the YWCA Retirement Fund CEO, emphasized the mission of the fund to ensure safe retirement benefits and further the goals of the YWCA.

AIF President Melissa Waller underscored the significance of honoring these pioneering women and the YWCA achievement as a source of rich learning for the international investor community.

The event also included a keynote fireside conversation between Waller and Dr. Alison Fragale, an organizational psychologist and professor at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, titled "Strategies for Getting Noticed and Having Influence in Your Career."

Dr. Alison emphasized the need to show the worth of current achievements as opposed to seeking to be "better than they are." The conversation will be made accessible to AIF members via the organization's Investor Portal.