“Always push yourself to go beyond what’s comfortable and what you think is possible.”
That was Kari Cooling’s advice for the business professionals, faculty, staff, and students in attendance at the seventh annual Ivy Women in Business Awards Ceremony, held on October 2 at the Iowa State University Alumni Center.
The Ivy Women in Business Awards honor women in business and those who work to inspire and advance the careers of women. The awards ceremony was sponsored by the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business and co-hosted by the student organization Collegiate Women in Business.
Leaders from Collegiate Women in Business presented awards to three women at different stages of successful business careers. The award winners shared personal stories and advice with the crowd gathered in the Reiman Ballroom.
“Don’t wait until you feel that you’re ready to take the leap or feel confident to make that jump,” said Cooling. “Whether it’s applying for a role that you think is out of reach, starting your own business, or even speaking up in a realm [where] you feel that other voices are louder than yours, go for it. You are much more capable than you probably think that you are.”
Cooling is senior vice president and managing director for brokerage services at Holmes Murphy, one of the nation’s largest independent insurance brokerages, based in Waukee, Iowa. She received the Women in Business Champion Award, which honors individuals, businesses, or organizations serving as champions to inspire, lead, and encourage women.
Nancy Mwirotsi received the Women in Business Inspiration Award, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact in their careers and have inspired other women in business to become leaders and reach their full potential. Mwirotsi is the founder and director of the Des Moines-based non-profit Pi515, which empowers underserved teens and refugees by offering free programs to develop essential skills in computer science, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and innovation.
“I had no intentions of starting a non-profit,” said Mwirotsi. “I didn’t even know what a non-profit was.”
Pi515 grew out of Mwirotsi’s volunteer work with immigrants and refugees in central Iowa. She was helping single mothers find jobs and housing but felt she didn’t have anything to offer their children. “The last 10 years has been about getting kids into good, secure jobs; teaching them entrepreneurship – which I love – innovation and technology, but most importantly learning to be a leader,” said Mwirotsi.
Brooklyn Treinen-Morris (’20 marketing and supply chain management) received the Outstanding Young Alumna Award, which honors Ivy alumni who have distinguished themselves early in their careers for their remarkable achievements. Treinen-Morris is a senior strategy development consultant at Principal Financial Group, where she co-chaired a multi-year effort to unite six diverse women’s networks from across the global organization.
“When we put empathy and understanding first, the collaboration followed,” said Treinen-Morris, a past president of Collegiate Women in Business. “We crafted a model that balanced the global synergies with local autonomy, preserving each region’s leadership and cultural identity while uniting under one powerful mission.”
The new Global Women’s Employee Resource Group is Principal’s largest employee network, with 1,500 members.
“Throughout this journey, I came to realize the transformative power of celebrating the small victories,” said Treinen-Morris. “Each step forward, no matter how small, became a testament to the progress we were making. It was through these small triumphs that we found the courage to keep striving for greatness.”
Learn more about this year’s winners and see profiles of past winners.
