The Women Who Built Us: A Reflection on Women’s History Month

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re sharing reflections, and the women behind them, from the very beginning. It’s a reminder that before becoming leaders, innovators, mentors, and changemakers, every journey starts somewhere.

Behind every professional milestone is a personal foundation. For so many of us, that foundation was poured, framed, and reinforced by women. The mothers, grandmothers, guardians, teachers, and mentors who shaped our character long before we ever built a career. They taught us resilience before we faced our first deadline and instilled confidence long before we entered a boardroom. They showed us that integrity came from character, not a job title.

This year, we’re pausing to recognize the women who built us. To understand how their influence continues to shape the way we lead, we asked several leaders at Insource Services to reflect on the women who made them who they are today. Their stories are a testament to the strength, influence, and lasting legacy of women’s leadership.

Lessons from the Original CEO: The Women Who Led First

For many, the first and most formative leader they ever knew was a mother or grandmother. These women modeled strength not in an office, but at the kitchen table, in the community, and through sheer force of will.

Saleha Walsh, our Chief Business Officer, points to her mother, a “powerful force of nature” who taught her tenacity and the importance of living life to the fullest. “She did whatever it took to build the life she wanted, including going back to school while I was in middle school to become a practicing attorney,” Saleha shares. That balance of a fierce work ethic and an intentional pursuit of peace and beauty is a philosophy Saleha strives to embody today. “Her strength and perseverance are in my DNA,” she says, “I am sure never to ask more of anyone else than I am willing to give myself.”

The values of hard work and dedication were instilled in Karynn Needel, Team Lead & HR Director, by her grandmother, a business owner at a time when few women were. But it was her grandmother’s leadership style that left the deepest mark. She treated her all-women staff like family, creating a workplace that felt like home and often cooking for them. Karynn carries that legacy of leading with heart forward in her own way. To show her team she cares for them as people, she has been known to make meals and bake cookies, a personal touch inspired by a woman who knew that the strongest teams are built on genuine connection.

Elizabeth Stasiowski, Team Lead & Associate Finance Director, found her ultimate blueprint for leadership at home. She watched her mother operate with the inspiring (and massively stubborn) idea that she could do anything she put her mind to, a principle she applied to every facet of her life. While working full-time as a teacher, she was also the engine that kept the entire household running, a feat of seemingly boundless energy. “As an adult, I realize she was likely exhausted,” Elizabeth reflects, “but all I ever experienced was her steadiness and her determination.” It is that calm resolve, no matter the circumstances, that she strives to bring to her own work every day.

For Jessica Scopelleti, Director of Administration, her mother’s example was a masterclass in ownership and reliability. That drive was forged in her mother’s own upbringing; raised by a single mother with four kids, she wasn’t handed many opportunities, so she made her own. She went to college in her 30s while Jessica and her siblings were young, determined to earn a degree in culinary arts. “She taught me that leadership isn’t about a title; it’s about how you show up every single day,” Jessica says, a lesson she now carries forward in everything she does.

And for Shavon Andrews, Team Lead & Associate HR Director, her grandmother, provided a “Caribbean backbone” that remains unshakeable. She carried the spirit of the Caribbean with her, a warmth that filled every room, a resilience built from knowing how to make something from nothing, and a pride in hard work that was about dignity, not just survival. This conviction was instilled early: “You don’t wait for the door to open, you build your own,” Shavon reflects. Today, she carries that forward by advocating for others fiercely and without apology. “When I fight for fair treatment or someone who doesn’t have a voice in the room, I hear her.” That influence shows up in how she leads, grounded, warm, and unwavering when it matters most.

The Power of Mentorship: Finding Your Compass

Influence also comes from the women we meet along our professional path, the mentors who see our potential and invest in our growth.

Tracy Poliseno, Marketing Manager credits two forces: her mother, who taught her selfless empathy, and a group of professional mentors who showed her grace under pressure. “They showed me that competence and composure aren’t opposing forces,” Tracy explains. “Together, these women taught me lessons no textbook ever could, that kindness is a leadership tool, not a weakness.” Now, Tracy consciously mentors others, asking herself, “What would they do?” and paying forward the guidance she was so generously given.

That transformative power of a single mentor shaped the career of Stephanie Vaz, Team Lead & Associate Finance Director. As a college intern, she met a woman who would become both a mentor and a best friend. “She had this precious mix of being direct and in your face without ever being judgmental,” Stephanie says. “She was never satisfied with ‘just okay.’ She pushed for excellence, and elevated my expectations and standards without ever losing sight of the fact that we are all human.” Today, Stephanie aims to be just as embracing, inspiring other women to reach their goals the same way her mentor did for her.

These stories remind us that leadership is never created alone. It is a legacy shaped and passed forward through acts of strength, sacrifice, kindness, and unwavering belief.

Today, we honor not only the incredible women leading our Insource teams but also the generations of women who paved the way, both at home and in the workplace. We encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the women who built you.