The Power of Mentoring: A Spotlight on SHU’s Nalani Rios and FWA Mentor Stephanie Hauge

July 25, 2024

Mentorship is a powerful force that can often shape careers, inspire personal growth, and create lasting impacts. Within the Financial Women's Association’s Seton Hall University Mentoring Program, the relationship between mentee Nalani Rios and mentor Stephanie Hauge exemplifies the profound benefits of such connections. Their journey together highlights the importance of mentorship in nurturing future leaders in finance and beyond.

Stephanie Hauge: A Seasoned Leader and Dedicated Mentor

Stephanie, though officially retired, remains active as the Principal of The Non-Profit Helper consultancy. Her distinguished career in accounting and finance spans pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and telecommunications, culminating in senior leadership roles before transitioning to the non-profit sector. A Past President of the FWA (2009-10), Stephanie has been an FWA mentor since 2010, inspired by the programs' tangible impact. She currently serves on FWA's Development Committee and co-chairs the FWA NJ Committee, further demonstrating her ongoing commitment to the organization.

"I was inspired by the commitment of long-time FWA members and the impact that the mentoring programs were making," says Stephanie. Her extensive experience and passion for mentoring young women before they begin their careers have made her a treasure to the FWA-Seton Hall University Mentoring Program.

Nalani Rios: An Emerging Leader in Marketing

Nalani, a marketing major at Seton Hall set to graduate in December, joined the FWA mentoring program to connect with successful women and learn from their experiences. "I was drawn to the idea of a community dedicated to supporting and uplifting women in their career journeys," Nalani shares. Her enthusiasm for marketing, especially in digital and social media, has driven her to excel in various academic and extracurricular pursuits.

One notable achievement is Nalani’s participation in the Hult Prize Global Summit in Boston in June 2024. The competition, known as the world's largest student social entrepreneurship event, saw Nalani and her team present their innovative sustainable packaging solution, Naturefill Replenish. Competing against some of the brightest minds globally, this experience underscored Nalani's commitment to blending innovation with environmental consciousness.

The Mentoring Relationship: Mutual Growth and Shared Insights

Stephanie and Nalani's mentoring relationship is built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to growth. Stephanie has provided Nalani with the tools and affirmation needed to navigate her career path. "Through affirmation and practical skill sets, Stephanie has given me the space to embrace discomfort to grow," Nalani explains. This guidance has been instrumental in helping Nalani develop confidence and resilience in high-pressure situations.

Stephanie also emphasizes the importance of persistence, a lesson Nalani holds dear. "Stephanie’s story has been an inspiring example of the determination and persistence I will continue to nourish throughout my career," Nalani says. This resilience is crucial, especially in the face of gender-based challenges that women often encounter in the finance industry.

Looking Ahead: Goals and Aspirations

Nalani envisions leveraging emerging technologies and consumer insights to create impactful marketing campaigns. With Stephanie's support, she aims to refine her resume, improve her interview skills, and showcase her leadership abilities. "My mentor has played a crucial role in shaping this vision by providing guidance on industry trends and sharing real-world experiences," Nalani notes.

Stephanie’s belief in the power of visibility and contribution is a cornerstone of her advice to aspiring finance professionals. "Do not be intimidated by the fact that even in your finance classes you may be a minority. Be visible and make a contribution to your team," she advises. This encouragement aligns with her broader vision for the FWA mentoring program, which offers mentees exposure to a variety of successful women in different finance-related careers.

The Future of Women in Finance: The Role of Mentorship

Stephanie and Nalani illustrate the power of mentorship in shaping future leaders. Their relationship, forged through the FWA, showcases how experienced professionals can inspire, guide, and pay it forward to the next generation. This relationship not only fuels Nalani's career aspirations but also underscores the vital role of mentoring in empowering women in finance. By fostering knowledge-sharing, confidence, and network-building, such programs prepare women to lead with resilience and innovation, creating a lasting impact on the industry. On behalf of the FWA, Stephanie, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your enduring commitment to the SHU Program. Nalani, your successes are an inspiration, and we know the future that lies ahead for you is bright.

For those ready to mentor a promising college student navigating the business landscape, reach out to the program leads:

Baruch - Betsy Werley ([email protected]) or

Seton Hall - Donna Harris ([email protected]) or Lu Licciardello ([email protected])

Take the next step to become a mentor today!

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Global Capital Leadership: Rethinking Strategy in an Uncertain World

May 14, 2026

By Sherree DeCovny Back in 1785, Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” The line still resonates today: even the most carefully constructed plans can be disrupted. What ultimately determines success is not perfect foresight, but adaptability and the ability to pivot when conditions change. That lesson was brought into sharp focus for this year’s International Business Conference. Originally planned for the UAE in April, the event had to be completely reimagined when conflict with Iran escalated in February. Months of preparation were set aside, and the format was rebuilt in a matter of weeks. The result was a hybrid approach: a virtual lunch panel on May 5, followed by a half-day in-person gathering in New York City on May 6 — hosted at Akin in partnership with ABANA.co, with hospitality from HE Amna Almheiri and the UAE Consulate in NY — bringing together nearly 100 participants.

Financial Literacy Isn’t Just About Money - It’s About Possibility

April 30, 2026

By Robert Brown The student stayed behind after the workshop. While others filtered out, she walked up quietly and asked for an extra set of materials. Not for herself, but for her mother, who didn’t speak English. She wanted to take the lesson home. That moment says more about financial literacy than any definition ever could. For many young people, the question isn’t just Can I afford this? It’s Do I understand how money works at all? And more importantly, Can I use that knowledge to shape my future? That gap between access and understanding is where confidence is either built or lost. The reality is, most students are never taught these skills in a meaningful way in school. And for many, this is the first time anyone has explained it in a way that actually sticks.

When the World Shifts, You Shift with It

April 23, 2026

For months, FWA Executive Director Alissa Desmarais and I had been building toward something incredible: a six-day International Business Conference in the UAE, complex and high-stakes, the kind of undertaking that requires you to hold a hundred things in your head at once while also holding your team together, your partners together, and yourself together. The FWA has more than 40 years of experience organizing international conferences around the world; what we were doing was not new. But as we stepped into our new roles as the conference organizers, with the support of a great IBC committee, this one felt different. More meaningful, because it was ours. We were proud of what we were creating. And then the world changed around us. I won’t pretend the decision to pivot was easy, because it wasn’t. There is a particular kind of grief that comes not from losing something you already had, but from letting go of something you had worked so hard to build and had not yet gotten to experience. We had to look at the geopolitical reality of the region, at what was happening, at what we could not control, and make a call. The kind of call that no planning document prepares you for. We chose to pivot. On May 5th and 6th, FWA will host the Global Capital and Leadership Forum in New York. A virtual lunch panel, followed by an in-person morning program at Akin, right in the heart of the city. Smaller in scale, yes. But not smaller in purpose. We kept the questions we had always meant to explore: how shifting alliances and energy transitions are redrawing the map of global capital, what resilient leadership looks like in a world that will not hold still, how women are shaping the future of finance across cultures and geographies. Her Excellency Amna Almheiri, Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York, will close our forum. The relationship did not end when our plans changed. The dialogue did not stop. It just found a different room. What I have learned from this experience is something I keep coming back to: a pivot is not the opposite of commitment. Done with clarity and care, it is one of commitment’s truest expressions, because it means you care more about the mission than about being right about how you planned to serve it. It means you can look at the people who gave months of real effort to a plan that changed and help them see that nothing they did was wasted, because it wasn’t. It means you can let go of the version of success you had pictured and trust that a different shape can carry the same substance. I think about the women in this community who have had to do this in their own careers and lives. Who had to walk away from something they had built toward for years, not because they failed but because the world shifted and they were honest enough to shift with it. That takes courage. It takes the kind of steadiness that is very easy to admire from the outside and very hard to practice from the inside. The forum is still taking shape. The work continues. And I am proud of what we are making, not in spite of how we got here, but because of it.

SAVE THE DATE: Global Capital & Leadership Forum

April 9, 2026

The MENA Capital Landscape: Risk, Resilience & the Road Ahead May 5–6, 2026 Join the Financial Women's Association for a timely conversation on sovereign capital, energy transition, AI, and the geopolitical forces reshaping global finance. When our UAE trip was cancelled, we immediately looked for ways to bring the experience to our community here in NYC - this forum captures the spirit, substance, and strategic importance of that journey. Registration details coming soon - save the date on your calendar now! Virtual Lunch Panel · Tuesday, May 5 In-Person Morning Program in New York City · Wednesday, May 6 One registration. Two experiences. One conversation.