JMK

The 2027 Women in Business Leadership Award is now available.

The Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award celebrates excellence and recognizes outstanding achievements by women between 18-35 years of age who are driving innovation and creating an impact in the business world. This prestigious award honors exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical conduct and significant contributions while addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice.

The program operates at the Zonta club, district and international levels. Zonta International offers 10 international awards of US$5,000 each and a complimentary one-year supporting membership in Zonta International for the next financial year.

Timetable:

• Clubs determine their own timelines for receipt of applications.
• Club recipient is selected and application is sent to governor by 30 November 2026 or date set by Chair.
• The district applicant selected and application received by Zonta International Headquarters by 2 January 2027.
• The official announcement of international recipients 28 February 2027

Who is Eligible? Women, aged 18-35 at the time of application, who demonstrate evidence of the following, are eligible to apply.  (The 2028 award will be offered without an age qualification based on the 2026 Convention vote.)

❑ Exceptional leadership in a business-related field of study or industry.
❑ Entrepreneurial spirit.
❑ Ethical conduct.
❑ Significant contributions to addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice.

Previous Zonta Women in Business Leadership Awardees are not eligible to apply to renew the Award for a second year. Club members and individuals with direct membership with Zonta International and employees of Zonta International and Zonta Foundation for Women are not eligible to apply for the awards.

Z club and Golden Z club members are eligible to apply. Recipients of a Zonta fellowship or award who have received a complimentary one-year supporting membership from Zonta International are eligible to apply during their complimentary membership year, provided that they are not applying for the same fellowship or scholarship they previously received from Zonta International.

Committee or jury members or any member involved in the selection process should follow the Zonta International Conflict of Interest Policy in the selection of awardees.

All information and supporting documents for the 2025 “Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award” can be found at zonta.org under Our Programs/Education.… Read the rest

Casey McDermott from District 1 was one of the 10 exceptional applicants selected for a 2025 Zonta Women in Business Leadership International Award.

Thirty–five (35) exceptional applicants from 26 countries were considered in the selection for the 10 international awards. The recipients will receive a complimentary one-year supporting membership in Zonta International starting in the next fiscal year (1 June 2026) and US $10,000 award. A biographical description of each recipient will be posted on the Zonta International website by the end of January 2026.

Casey McDermott was the applicant from the Quaboag Club selected by the District 1 WBLA evaluation committee to have her application/materials submitted to ZI. This is exciting for our District as it represents what collaboration and communication between District 1 Clubs can result in. Casey is from Nova Scotia and at the request of the Amherst Club, an ask was made of District 1 Clubs to accept her application as the Nova Scotia Clubs were not offering the WBL award this year. The Quaboag Club stepped up and agreed to accept Casey’s application and ultimately determined they would submit her name/application to District 1.
AND here she is the recipient of one of ten awards… such an accomplishment.
The Women in Business Leadership Award honors exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical conduct and significant contributions while addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate change. We believe Casey McDermott’s application exemplifies her commitment to these things and that she has and is taking action to build a better world for women and girls through service and advocacy.

Read more about Casey, including her essay, on ZontaQV.org/scholarships. Scroll to the bottom of the page.… Read the rest

District 1 winner for the JMK Women in Business 2023 award at the ZI level was Natalie Rais (UMass). Her application nwas submitted by the Zonta Club of Medford.

… Read the rest