Women | Leaders of Today | March 2024

WOMEN Leaders of Today

Stephen

No Bull !

Samantha Mitchell - Hope Trailblazer

Samantha Mitchell-Hope, Senior Manager of Mission Advancement at the Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ), is a trailblazer in the fight against hunger. With a Masters of Public Administration from Seton Hall University and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Rutgers University, Samantha is dedicated to advancing social causes.

At FBSJ, the area’s leading provider of emergency food assistance, Samantha plays a pivotal role in helping to address the pervasive challenges of food insecurity. Her profound understanding of nonprofit dynamics and strategic acumen are imperative to the Food Bank as it works to serve more than 170,000 neighbors in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem counties each month. A guiding voice on the

organization’s Fund Development team, she empowers individuals to join in the journey to change hunger in South Jersey. Samantha leverages her expertise in fundraising and strategic leadership to drive tangible impact across the re-

gion, including on the board of directors for the Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce. As co-chair of the Emerging Leaders Network, Samantha nurtures future leaders and fosters community growth.

Rooted in her Caribbean-American upbringing, Samantha’s personal mission is to imbue the world with kindness through daily acts of compassion. In her spare time, Samantha finds solace in music and cherishes moments spent with her family and friends.

The Food Bank is proud to celebrate Samantha’s remarkable achievements, including this addition to the Women Trailblazers 40 under 40 list. FBSJ hopes you’ll adopt Samantha’s mission to do more every day to make a positive impact in our region and beyond.

Game Friendzy – A Woman-Owned Business

Most days, Bernadette Hennessy May is at Game Friendzy in Cherry Hill directing a bridge game, running a mah jongg session, or teaching a pinochle lesson. Or she might be at a public library or community center facilitating game sessions, conducting bridge lessons online through area adult schools, or hosting a canasta dinner at a local restaurant.

Offerings include social and competitive bridge games and mah jongg, canasta, pinochle and Dungeons & Dragons sessions. Also, online and in-person bridge lessons, plus “learn to play in a day” meets for each of the games and special events such as an annual mah jongg party.

The facility is available to rent for birthday parties, family gatherings, game nights, corporate team-building events, and camp visits.

“How lucky am I that I get to play games for a living,” says Hennessy May, one of the 39.6% of women business owners in New Jersey. “I made a career out of things I like to do.”

Hennessy May has a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s in music. Her creative and eclectic career has included stints as a tech instructor, corporate trainer and documentation specialist, couture clothing designer, and voice instructor.

richment programs.

In 2019, Game Friendzy moved to Barclay Farms Shopping Center, where it also became home to the South Jersey Bridge Club. Game Friendzy moved online during the pandemic, later reopening at 7 Carnegie Plaza.

“We offer a welcoming space that encourages socialization opportunities through brain-engaging games, activities, and crafts,” says Hennessy May, who runs Game Friendzy with the assistance of three other entrepreneurial women – her mother, sister, and daughter.

She opened Rhinoceros, an educational toy store in Haddonfield, in 2011, but soon changed the name to Game Friendzy and the focus to experiential, offering game classes, Lego and chess clubs, crafting, sewing lessons, and school en-

The space features free parking, gaming rooms, a kitchenette, and complimentary coffee and snacks, along with a full roster of games, lessons, special events, and a game lending center.

“Our goal is to develop a community of lifelong learners where trying something new is encouraged and not knowing how to do something is an opportunity to explore and learn.” Call 856-795-PLAY (5729), email info@gamefriendzy.com, or visit www.gamefriendzy.com.

Paige M. Bellino, Esquire

McNally & Bellino, LLC

I have been practicing law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for well over a decade. I focus my practice on transactional matters, including residential and commercial real estate; landlord/ tenant issues; estate planning; business formation and continuity; and contract negotiation. In addition, I also handle litigation matters, and have ample experience in the area of title insurance defense. I worked as an associate at other South Jersey law firms before opening my own firm, McNally & Bellino, LLC, with Attorney Stephen McNally in 2021. Based in Cherry Hill, the firm has a local presence and a passion for giving back to the community. Steve and I often speak at conferences and seminars, providing continuing education credits to attorneys, title insurance producers, and land surveyors, and the firm hires and mentors law interns from local

law schools every summer. I am an active member of the Camden County Bar Association, the Cape May County Bar Association, the New Jersey Land Title Association, the Pennsylvania Land Title Association and is an Affiliate Member of the Cape May County Association of Realtors and the NEXUS Board of Realtors. I also volunteer as a board member of the Cherry Hill Football Club. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family – my husband of 13 years, Patrick (without whose support none of my success would have been possible), and our two sons. My family and I live in Cherry Hill, and I enjoy supporting my children at their various school and sporting events. I am proud to live and work in South Jersey, and I look forward to many more years of providing high-quality legal services to this thriving community.

Dominique Lewis- Dominique Paws

Dominique Lewis had a vision and a plan to be the first woman in her family to open a successful business. After working for over 8 years and for other companies in the pet industry, she decided to open her own dog grooming business. With the help of family, Dominique set out to fulfill her dream. Although she viewed other locations, she found the perfect location in Moorestown at 66 E Main Street. Dominique Paws has settled right into the community since April of 2023. This is only the beginning to Dominique’s journey and It all started with a vision and a plan.

Karen MorrisonSweetsboro Pastry Shoppe

The Sweet Smell of Success

Sweetsboro Pastry Shoppe is an old fashioned neighborhood bakery and that’s just how owner Karen Morrison wants it. “I wanted a bakery reminiscent of the days when people would walk to their local bakery for something sweet instead of going to the supermarket,” says Morrison. After 10 years in business, Morrison and her third generation baker step-brother have mastered making some of the greatest and sweetest creations around and almost everything is made in-house. One of the keys to the success of this community oriented Swedesboro bakery is the talent of its staff. Mor-

rison and her step-brother welcome their staff to collaborate and come up with new ideas for designs. “We also want our customers to bring us their ideas,” says Morrison. This sweet shoppe takes pride in a “non-cookie cutter” philosophy. Customizing a cake for a birthday, graduation, holiday or any occasion one could think of is where Sweetsboro Pastry Shoppe shines!

Sweetsboro Pastry Shoppe

1302 Kings Highway Swedesboro

856-241-7722

Sweetsborobakery.com

Agiliga Muomah - Living Water Behavioral Health LLC

We listen, act and transform, connecting the dots for a better you.

Agiliga Muomah is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, originally from a place called “Biafra” amalgamated into present-day Nigeria in 1914. She started her education here in the US at the then University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark and graduated with a certificate in medical technology, working for a couple of years at the laboratory department at Temple University Hospital. Then she went back for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from LaSalle University and worked as a registered nurse in a different setting before going back again for a Masters in Science – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C)

from Walden University, and Post Masters in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Maryville University (PMHNP-BC). And Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from

Grand Canyon University. Agiliga Muomah (Aggie) is proficient as a nurse practitioner and well-regarded, enthusiastically participating within her community as a provider and educator. She is the owner and CEO of Living Water Behavioral LLC, which Is located In Trenton in Mercer County, and Delran in Burlington County. She provides mental health care including psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and Cognitive behavioral therapy to diverse ethnicities including, Spanish, Turkish, Haitian, and Africans.

Living Water Behavioral Health

2906 US 130 Delran, NJ 609-228-6258

After

Political Trailblazer: Fatima Heyward

Trailblazers of Honorable Mention:

Media Trailblazer:

Jessica Reyes

• Rosy Arroyo

• Megan Balarezo

• Elizabeth Johnson

• Samantha Mitchell-Hope

Business Trailblazer: Avani Bharucha

• Paige Bellino

• Samantha Brodzik

• Christine Campbell

• Jeanine Cook

• Jasmine Moore

• Shira Katz Scanlon

• Carlie Strazzullo

• Julia Tittermary

Wellness Trailblazer: Neha Darjl

• Desiree Lara

• Kathryn Distler

• Caroline Dodig

• Holly Ferrara

• Allison Thompson

• Chelsea Valcourt

• Jessica Valloreo

• Megan Varrell

Charitable Trailblazer: Tara Mangold

• Kristina Hernandez

• Danielle Jackson

• Leslie Jespersen

• Biba Vernon

• Alexis Walsh

June E. Greenspan, MD

I am an adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. I have treated pa>ents for many years in both Jenkintown, Pennsylvania and Moorestown.

Since Covid, however, I am only treating patients in Moorestown.

Originally, I began my medical practice in pediatrics in Cinnaminson where I became fascinated by the curiosity and the ways in which children and adolescents think. This led me to return for residency training in adult, child and adolescent psychiatry. I also completed additional training to become an adult, child and adolescent psychoanalyst.

Additionally, for many years,

I have been involved in the training of residents in psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where I am a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. As a general rule, I have found most pa>ents respond to careful psychodynamic psychotherapy, and therefore, don’t require psychiatric medications. I do both individual, couples and family psychotherapy, depending on what is needed and indicated.

Currently, I am working virtually. I welcome your inquiry for evaluation and treatment. My office phone number is 856-2344800.

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No Bull Mattress & More

No Bull Mattress & More has the prices you have been looking for. They have something for everyone. Saving every customer 55 to 80 percent every minute of every day in a no haggle, no hassle, no pressure environment.

No Bull Mattress & More truly is the little guy the big guys hope you don’t find. That is their motto, and there may not be a more fitting one for any business anywhere.

Located in a little warehouse next to Dunkin’ Donuts at 2060 Springdale Road in Cherry Hill, take one step inside the front door and you will instantly realize it is un-

like any mattress store you have ever been in.

Carole Cutry is the owner and operator with family employees. With virtually no paid advertising, and operating out of a warehouse rather than a big expensive showroom, she simply does not have the overhead that all the others have and can therefore hit lower price points.

Not only has she taken all of the overhead out of buying a mattress, she also eliminated the deceptive advertising, phony sales and high pressure sales tactics that are unfortunately all too common nowadays.

“My goal is for my customers to have fun buying a mattress,” Cutry says. “And if they’re able to come here and find lower prices than any other place, and not have to haggle for those prices, that is a fun buying experience. I want every person that walks out of here to have a smile on their face. We want to be a breath of fresh air in the marketplace.”

No Bull Mattress & More can be found at 2060 Springdale Road in Cherry Hill, and can be reached at (856) 7511371 or www.nobullmattress. com Call or stop in. Open Mon – Fri 10-5pm, Sat 11-430pm, and Sun 12-4pm.

www.printingbypennylane.com

ginad@pennylaneprinting.com

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Lisa McDermottLewis Funeral Home

Lisa graduated from Paul VI High School and Neumann University, with a degree in Sports Management. She has been licensed in New Jersey as a Funeral Director since 2016. Lisa is an active member of her community and looks forward to getting to know her Moorestown Community, as well. Lisa has a teenage daughter and they are both sports enthusiasts.

After many years working with families through another local Funeral Home, Lisa was highly motivated to join a well-respected business with a commitment to engaging in the community it serves. Adding to Lisa’s unique approach to consoling families, she has a King Charles Cavalier, named Lucy. Lucy is a certified therapy dog and member of Alliance of Therapy Dogs. The families we serve find comfort with Lucy’s attendance during arrangement conferences, visitations, and services. Lucy and I enjoy visiting the Evergreens, Care One of Moorestown and the Tender together as she interacts with the patients.

Gaming

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Meet Ashley Rosser

Thank you for all you do to change hunger in South Jersey.

In the world of business, there are individuals who not only excel in their professional endeavors but also inspire through their resilience and commitment to making a difference. Meet Ashley Rosser, a woman of strength and determination, who has not only thrived as a Mullica Hill based financial advisor for the past 15 years but has recently embarked on a new venture aimed at empowering women in a different way.

For Ashley, the world of finance and retirement planning is more than just a career—it’s a family legacy. Working alongside her father for over a decade at Victory Wealth Partners, she has cultivated a deep understanding of the intricate details of retirement planning and investment management. As a fiduciary she is passionate about helping clients navigate the complexities of financial preparation and ensuring a secure future as they transition into their golden years.

Last year, Ashley faced a per-

sonal battle that changed the trajectory of her life—breast cancer at the age of 41. This experience became a catalyst for a new business venture that blends her expertise with her newfound passion for women’s wellness.

Understanding the significant toll that cancer treatment causes, Ashley discovered the power of cold capping. This innovative technique offers women under-

going chemotherapy the opportunity to retain their hair, fostering a sense of normalcy and empowerment during a challenging time. Her business “Compassionate Cold Capping” aims to provide not just a service but a source of strength and confidence for women undergoing chemotherapy. Ashley’s journey is a testament to resilience and the ability to turn personal challenges into opportunities for growth. In overcoming her battle with breast cancer, she not only emerged stronger but also found a new purpose in helping other women facing similar struggles. Ashley exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience. From guiding individuals through their financial future to empowering women facing the difficulties of cancer treatment, she has become a beacon of inspiration. Her story reminds us that even in the face of adversity, there is always an opportunity to create positive change and make a lasting impact on the lives of others.