LATROBE, PA — Saint Vincent College will host a panel discussion featuring local female business leaders as part of its annual Women’s Month celebration, which is held in conjunction of International Women’s History Month.
The panel discussion will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 26 in the Robert S. Carey Student Center lounge on the College’s campus. The event is free and open to all, and advance registration is not required.
The panel will consist of Abby Geisel, C’14, manager of video and email experience at FedEx; Taleesha Johnson, C’13, co-owner of Picturesque PGH; Victoria Piekut Bobak, CEO and co-founder of Wight Elephant Boutique; and Laurie Havrisko, C’04, assistant to the superintendent for student services of the Greater Latrobe School District.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Abby Geisel
As manager of video and mail experience at FedEx, Geisel leads a team to create and deliver breakthrough, helpful and integrated content that inspires customer engagement. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience in marketing and communications with large and small companies in the public and private sectors. Geisel has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Saint Vincent and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business. She was named to the 2021 Pittsburgh Business Times 30 Under 30 list and participated in the 2021 International Women’s Forum Global Conference.
Taleesha Johnson
Johnson is co-owner of Picturesque PGH. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Saint Vincent, an MBA from Point Park University, and a master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion from California University of Pennsylvania. Johnson is a committee chair for the Promise Legacy, an alumni organization that supports the mission of the Pittsburgh Promise program. She also is a member of the Saint Vincent College Alumni Council and was named to the 2021 Pittsburgh Business Times 30 Under 30 list.
Victoria Piekut Bobak
Piekut Bobak’s entrepreneurial spirit has flourished as the CEO and co-founder of her women’s fashion company, Wight Elephant Boutique. Started in 2016 out of her college apartment, Wight Elephant Boutique reached $2 million in sales in 2023. In 2019, Piekut Bobak was named one of Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Western Pennsylvania Chapter. In 2020, she won the title of Miss Pennsylvania and competed in the national Miss USA event.
Laurie Havrisko
Havrisko has worked in public education for 17 years, including the past 10 in support of the Student Services Department in the Greater Latrobe School District. As assistant to the superintendent for student services, her daily responsibilities include helping teachers with instructional and student behavior strategies, meeting with parents, collaborating with community partners and ensuring the needs of all students are met through equitable and inclusive practices. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a Master of Science in special education, a Master of Science in school administration, and is finishing a Ph.D. in community engagement.
PHOTO 1: The 2023 women in business panel
PHOTO 2: Abby Geisel
PHOTO 3: Talessha Johnson
PHOTO 4: Victoria Piekut Bobak
PHOTO 5: Laurie Havrisko