Catalight CEO Joins Forbes Summit in Abu Dhabi During International Women’s Day

For International Women’s Day, Catalight CEO Susan Armiger traveled to Abu Dhabi, UAE, for the annual Forbes Summit honoring the publication’s 30 under 30 and 50 over 50 women. The global gathering brought together women from more than 40 countries for idea exchange, learning and entrepreneurship.

The 2024 Forbes 30/50 Summit was centered around fostering relationships to empower women throughout their professional journeys. Conversations and speeches dived into themes of mentorship, collaboration and innovation – to explore the impactful role of today’s female leader. Led by Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and founder of Know Your Value, the summit asked honorees to share their insights to build cross-generational relationships while furthering effective leadership skills.

Last summer, Susan was recognized on Forbes’ 50 Over 50 List for the ‘Impact’ category. Having transformed the small Easterseals Bay Area organization in a matter of a few years into Catalight – one of the largest behavioral health networks in the nation – the honor highlighted her commitment to driving positive change in education, philanthropy, government and nonprofits. Under her guidance, the organization has made significant developments, both internally, by creating a more inclusive culture via values-based leadership and externally by dramatically expanding client-family impact. Her progressive contributions to the developmental disability community continue to be recognized on a global scale.

March 8 marked International Women’s Day, a dedicated time to honor women’s groundbreaking achievements in social, economic, cultural and political arenas. Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland were the first countries to honor the occasion in 1911, with women and men attending rallies advocating for women’s rights – including the right to vote, work and hold public office. In 2011, President Barack Obama elevated the recognition by declaring the entire month of March as “Women’s History Month.” International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month offer a moment for the world to reflect on the progress made and the continued journey toward gender equality.

“Of all the many conferences and events I’ve attended throughout my career, this was, without a doubt, the most remarkable,” Susan said. “Celebrating International Women’s Day in the company of so many amazing and accomplished women leaders was an honor.”

Speakers at the summit included financial expert Suze Orman, former President of Liberia Ellan Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad, Co-founder of BET Sheila Johnson, founding member of the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, author and advocate Molly Burke, mental health advocate Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, actress Meg Ryan and singer Shania Twain.

The Forbes 30/50 Summit mirrored the significance of International Women’s Day as a call to action to lift and support women around the world. Susan joined other trailblazers to strengthen women’s leadership and open doors to a more equitable world.