Women in Business Panel - Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle

Women in Business Panel

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Downtown Seattle*

Cocktails and appetizers**

Join us for an evening of learning and connection with Jewish women in the Seattle area across generations!

In this inaugural event of the newly launched Women’s Philanthropy program, four incredible women will share their professional journeys, lessons learned, and experiences navigating different stages of work and life. From building careers to transitioning into retirement to juggling family life in between, this evening is for women of all ages, whether you’re working professionally or taking a career break!

*Location provided closer to the event. **Dietary laws observed.

Women in Business Panel

Tuesday, October 29, 2025
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Downtown Seattle*
Cocktails and appetizers**

Join us for an evening of learning and connection with Jewish women in the Seattle area across generations!

In this inaugural event of the newly launched Women’s Philanthropy program, four incredible women will share their professional journeys, lessons learned, and experiences navigating different stages of work and life. From building careers to transitioning into retirement to juggling family life in between, this evening is for women of all ages, whether you’re working professionally or taking a career break!

*Location provided closer to the event.
**Dietary laws observed.

Our Panelists

Dani Cone

Founder of Cone & Steiner
and Fuel Coffee

Meet Dani Cone

Dani has three great loves: great coffee, great food, and community. In 2005, Dani opened Fuel Coffee, expanding it to three locations by 2007 (since acquired by Ada’s Technical Books and Café, 2020). In 2008, during a troubled economy, Dani launched High 5 Pie to bring a little “delicious comfort” to tough times. Dani believes that people come together over good food and drink and creates places that offer this experience. This belief and mission led Dani to open Cone & Steiner General Store in 2014, a neighborhood market modeled after her great-grandfather’s store of the same name in Seattle over 100 years ago!

Dani’s businesses have gained local and national attention (CNN, MSNBC, Martha Stewart, Bon Appetit) and awards (GSBA Business of the Year, Nellie Cashman Business Leader of the Year, Puget Sound Business Journal Outstanding Voices), while creating a wide variety of speaking opportunities (TEDx, UW, City Chambers/Orgs) to share the power and importance of building community through good food and everyday places.

Love of community is a driving force for Dani, who co-founded Seattle Entrepreneurial Women, is a Founding Member of Seattle Made, and serves on the Boards of FareStart, Capitol Hill Business Alliance, Pioneer Square BIA, and Willamette University Alumni Board.

Dani holds a B.A. in Business Economics from Willamette University.

Aline Flower

Associate General Counsel,
Gates Foundation

Meet Aline Flower

Aline C. Flower is Associate General Counsel supporting Global Growth & Opportunity, Gender Equality, and U.S. Programs at the Gates Foundation.

Aline oversees all legal matters for foundation programs, including agricultural Development, Nutrition, Maternal, Newborn, & Child Nutrition Health, and Economic Mobility. She specializes in intellectual property management and global access to make sure that the results from foundation grants are made broadly available and accessible to those who need them most.

Aline drafts, negotiates, and analyzes a wide variety of bilateral and multilateral agreements with private and public sector partners (including sovereigns, non-governmental organizations, corporations, etc.), including collaboration, MOU’s intellectual property, and technology commercialization.

Aline has been actively engaged for over 16 years in the legal structuring of and governance for the world’s only publicly funded agricultural system designed to address hunger, poverty, and food security.

Aline is Editor-in-Chief and a contributing author of the legal treatise, Intellectual Property Technology Transfer (BNA 2006), now in its second edition. She received a B.A. from Smith College (1987), an M.A. from Yale University (1991), and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School (1996). She is a Fulbright scholar and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Aline serves on the Washington State Clemency & Pardons Board as an appointee of the Governor and on the University of Washington School of Law Gates Scholars Advisory Board.

Ellie Halevy

Former VP, Food & Lobby, Starbucks
Current: Sammamish High School Teacher

Meet Ellie Halevy

As a seasoned brand strategist and marketer, Ellie spent nearly three decades in marketing and product management, driving growth, innovation, and transformation at Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Pepsi, Kellogg’s, and Dreyer’s. With an MBA from the Tuck School and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, her career spans strategy consulting and investment banking.

Today, she brings that expertise and passion for the customer to the classroom as a teacher at Sammamish High School. Inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, Ellie blends real-world insights with hands-on learning, bridging the gap between industry and education while showing students how smart strategy can create lasting impact.

Judy Neuman

Former CEO, SJCC
Current: Jewish Community Lay Leader

Meet Judy Neuman

Now retired from full-time professional work, Judy adds value to the Jewish community by mentoring young Jewish professionals and volunteering at the grassroots level across a variety of organizations.

Judy was the Chief Executive Officer of the Stroum Jewish Community Center from 2009 to 2017. Growing up and starting her career as a camp counselor at the Long Beach JCC, she came full circle to lead the only JCC in the state of Washington. Prior to joining the SJCC, Judy spent 30 years in the consumer marketplace.

Judy was Managing Partner at CenterStone Executive Search. From 1999 to 2006, Judy was a Partner at Maveron LLC, a Venture Capital Firm in Seattle. From 1990 to 1999, Judy worked at Eddie Bauer and became Vice President of Interactive Media, launching the Eddie Bauer e-commerce platform in 1995.

Judy is most proud of her lay leadership in the Jewish non-profit sector. Currently, Judy holds the Vice-Chair role at Samis Foundation, becoming Board Chair in April 2026. Neuman also serves on the national board of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. She held numerous lay leader roles for the Jewish Federation, including General Campaign Chair, Co-Founder of the Young Leadership Division, Chair of the Planning & Allocations committee, and a member of the Board of Directors. Judy spent 15 years on the Board of Jewish Family Service, serving as Board President, Co-Chair of the JFS $25M capital campaign, and Co-Chair of Strategic Planning.

Judy is a Wexner Fellow, graduating with the first Seattle cohort in 1997, a member of JFNA Young Leadership Cabinet in the early 90s, and a member of Congregation Herzl Ner Tamid for the past 20 years.

Judy lives in Seattle with her husband, Nissim, and has three adult children – Daniel, Adam, and Maya.

Moderated by

Lynne Herer Smith

Strategic Advisor & Federation Board Member

Meet Lynne Herer Smith

Lynne Herer Smith is a strategic advisor to business and philanthropic organizations. During her career, she has guided business transformations for more than 40 organizations, primarily in the healthcare, technology, pharmaceutical, financial services, and social impact sectors. She has built and led teams internally as well as served as an advisor to design the infrastructure and cultural shifts that enable rapid growth, sustained scale, and positive impact.

Lynne has held senior leadership positions with The Gates Foundation, Jones Lang LaSalle, as well as finance and strategy roles with both privately held companies and Fortune 500 global corporations. She taught corporate finance at DePaul University in Chicago and has been a speaker on a variety of topics including venture integration, change acceleration, and building effective team cultures. Lynne’s experience as a Lean/Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Human Centered Designer, and Change Management expert, has enabled her to guide organizations in implementing practices that reduce the risk of strategy execution not meeting intended outcomes.

Lynne received her MBA in finance and strategy from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in finance and accounting from the University of Florida.

Lynne is an active board member for the Holocaust Center for Humanity, Jewish Family Services, and Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. She is an avid traveler and reader. She and her husband are the parents of three young adults, all of whom work in Seattle’s vibrant tech sector.

Ticket Tiers

Event Patron – $180

Includes reserved seating

Regular Admission – $54

Young Adult Admission – $36

Under 30

Questions?

Reach out to Marika Cohen, Associate Director of Development,
at marikac@jewishinseattle.org.

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