In honor of Women’s History Month, we recognize great women of impact in our network who lead three of our partner organizations. Join us as we uncover their experiences, challenges, and valuable advice. These powerful insights serve as a reminder that, as we grow, illuminating the path for others does not diminish our light but rather makes the world brighter for all.
Kelly Lyles – President and CEO at KLT Group
With a career spanning over 18 years in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, transportation planning, policy process development, and sustainability management, Kelly has earned multiple accolades such as the 2024 Women in Transportation Employer of the Year, the 2022 I-95 Woman of Influence award, the 2020 Women in Transportation Woman of the Year, and the 2019 Maryland Department of Transportation’s Environmental Excellence Award for outstanding leadership and innovation. Besides leading the KLT Group, she is a published author, a proud mother, and an active member of a variety of Boards and Committees.
What has been the biggest challenge in your role as a business leader, and how have you overcome it?
While I’ve had many wonderful male mentors, it has been a challenge to establish myself as a leader in a male-dominated industry. Breaking through the stereotypes and bias frequently meant that I had to work smarter and harder. I had to focus on strategic thinking and innovation to make a name for myself and my company, alongside others who may not have felt that same pressure. Many women have to work harder to prove their expertise, secure funding, or gain project manager roles, and I was not an exception.
As a working mom, I felt that I needed to downplay the needs and demands of my family. One example is that there was no dedicated room for pumping at one of my client’s offices, so I walked to my car in the garage down the street twice a day to pump breast milk for twins. I felt pressure to conform to an office culture set by men rather than feeling confident that my expertise would be assumed even when I needed to leave to take my kids to the doctor.
Looking back, I see how I was doing more of the family labor and working harder at the office, and this has been an ongoing challenge. For example, despite my husband being listed as the primary emergency contact at the kids’ schools, they still call me first. I already see that some of these dynamics are changing for women of younger generations, and I am hopeful that as more women advance to leadership roles, organizational cultures will evolve.
What key advice would you give to other women aiming to achieve principal or leadership roles?
The most important advice I would give to women aiming for leadership roles is to own their expertise, advocate for themselves, and take up space in leadership discussions. Too often, women wait until they feel fully qualified before going after opportunities—when in reality, they are more than ready. Build strong networks, find mentors who will champion your growth, and never hesitate to ask for what you deserve. Leadership also requires taking risks—whether it is stepping into a challenging role, negotiating your worth, or driving change. And finally, invest in learning beyond your core skills; understanding business strategy and financials will set you apart as an executive. Women belong in leadership, and the more we rise, the more we create opportunities for other women.
Ashley Dobson – Founder and Lead Storyteller at Through Narrative
With an insatiable curiosity about people and the world around her, the power of storytelling continues to be Ashley’s primary motivation. From small town newspaper journalist to social media manager to community engagement specialist to vice president at Avid Core, her experience over the past 15 years has been widely varied. She is a skilled project manager and a superb communicator, bringing strong leadership and efficient organization to every project she takes on while using her talents to make a difference in her community.
What has been the biggest challenge in your role as a business leader, and how have you overcome it?
As an oldest daughter, elder millennial, and former “gifted” child, decoupling my value, both as a person and as a woman, from my output is one of the great struggles of my life. I graduated college during an economic depression. I was a journalist during the VC-backed era of clickbait and media decline. Hustle culture is all I know.
I am definitely not alone in this. Most women I know, particularly women who have fought to climb the corporate ladder, face this same challenge.
However, over the past few years, I had some health setbacks, and my doctors basically told me that I was running out of medical interventions if I could not get my stress under control. My body made the choice that my mind could not.
Work-life balance is a myth. If you work all the time, there is no life to balance it with. As I was thinking about all of this, I read The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff, and there was one line that hit me like a punch to the gut: “What can you do to remind yourself that you exist on this earth to do more than produce economic value?”
It seems counterintuitive to start a business to get out of hustle culture, but a huge reason I founded Through Narrative and went out on my own was to give myself the freedom to answer this question.
I’m intentionally building a business where prioritizing health and wellbeing alongside passionate work is embedded in our DNA. This requires daily acts of resistance against our “rise and grind” culture—a continual process of unlearning that I don’t always get perfect, but that I’m committed to as both a personal necessity and a leadership philosophy.
I want to create space for a different kind of success metric, one that values sustainability and wholeness over the burnout culture that particularly impacts women in leadership positions.
What key advice would you give to other women aiming to achieve principal or leadership roles?
Reject the scarcity mentality that our world often imposes on us. Too frequently, workplace culture (and pop culture!) pits women against each other, creating a false narrative that there are limited seats at the table for us. We have to actively push back against this narrative.
Instead, I try to move with a spirit of abundance. When I encounter opportunities that aren’t the right fit for me but would be perfect for another woman in my network, I make those connections without hesitation. Whether through social media engagement, testimonials, or collaborative projects, I make supporting other women leaders a priority.
The belief that there’s more than enough success to go around has been revolutionary for how I operate with my business. There have been plenty of projects and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that have resulted in a “no” but there are also so many projects that feel perfectly aligned for me that I wouldn’t have had space for if I had won those other ones. Every “no” has felt like it has turned into 2 or 3 “yes” responses. Recognizing what isn’t meant for you creates space for what is.
When we reject the competitive framework we’re often handed as women and instead operate from a place of abundance, generosity, and mutual support, we not only advance individually, but we can transform the leadership landscape for all the women following after us.
Anything else you’d like to share as it relates to women in business?
I want to encourage you to define what leadership means to you. Leadership doesn’t have to mean being in the C-Suite. Instead, it could be leading a community initiative, mentoring others, or bringing innovative thinking to any role you hold. There is space for all of us to be leaders in our own ways.
As women aspiring to leadership roles, we often wait for formal invitations to influential spaces. But I say invite yourself to the rooms you want to be in!
By identifying where you want to be and finding the specific ways you can contribute value in those spaces—whether through volunteering, presenting at events, or organizing community initiatives—you establish your presence and expertise on your own terms. This approach not only builds your network but also gives you the opportunity to showcase your leadership skills in the real world.
LaToya Thomas – Founder and Principal at Brick & Story
Trained in urban and regional planning, LaToya has more than 15 years of experience working with the built environment and the communities that inhabit it. With a focus in the areas of affordable housing, urban revitalization, and community development, she is committed to amplifying opportunities for marginalized populations through her firm, Brick & Story, and her involvement with The Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project and the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers. Her career has merged her policy and architectural knowledge with her talents as a strategic business developer, marketer, facilitator, and consensus-builder.
What has been the biggest challenge in your role as a business leader, and how have you overcome it?
Learning how to let go of some of the project day-to-day and let others (who are very talented and capable people) manage the work has been my biggest challenge as a business leader. Between years 2 and 3 of my company, that was a big shift I had to make in order to keep up with the growth. I would say that my role and success as a manager and effective delegator is still growing, but it’s 10x better now (8 years in) than it was in the early days. I think it is very natural for entrepreneurs who know every single detail of the business to also feel the need for control over everything, and that is an evolution that many small business owners need to make in order to continue to grow. The trick is to develop systems and strong communication practices within the team to make sure that the work is getting done to your preferred standards.
What key advice would you give to other women aiming to achieve principal or leadership roles?
I encourage everyone to look at ways they can be entrepreneurial in their own jobs to develop the leadership and management skills to move into principal-level roles (whether you are in a role within an existing company or are planning to start your own business). This can mean taking on a task in your company as a way of gaining a new skillset (hint: proposal or contract writing, while tedious and dry, is one of the most valuable skillsets you can get). I also encourage women, specifically, to not only identify the role that they want but also communicate that. If you are working in a company, communicate that to your management, and you’ll find out pretty quickly if the company you’re at is a place where you can grow further or if you need to think about making a pivot in order to achieve that next stage of professional growth.
Anything else you’d like to share as it relates to women in business?
It’s important for women in business to advocate for themselves and their work. It’s equally important for women to support each other in business and for men to advocate for women as well. Some of the traditional mindsets about women, our roles, and our work still permeate the business sector, so I encourage all women to be strong and persistent advocates for who they are and the value they bring to the work they do.
We are truly grateful to our incredible partners for sharing these insights. From setting new paradigms for leadership to catalyzing positive change with their passion and ingenuity, women inspire and empower us every day.
Celebrating Women’s History Month is an opportunity to recognize the courageous trailblazers who came before us and uphold the voices and perspectives of the women in our circles who are making a positive difference today.
By reaffirming the undeniable relevance of female leadership in business, underscored by innovative approaches, competitive results, and welcoming organizational cultures, we can set the stage for women to continue breaking barriers, speaking up, and creating opportunities for all.
