Jennie Garth stood before a ballroom at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows Thursday and told the crowd she spent half a century doubting her own value. “At 50, I spent 50 years of my life just not believing in myself and putting my worth into someone else's hands,” the actress said, as the sixth annual LA Times Studios Inspirational Women Forum and Leadership Awards brought a full day of panel discussions and an evening awards dinner to Santa Monica.
The event, presented by Yurman & Yurman, featured five panels before closing with an awards dinner honoring eight women, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. Garth, known for her role on Beverly Hills, 90210, discussed her book “I Choose Me” in a conversation led by LA Times Studios President Anna Magzanyan, who also serves as president of NantGames, according to the Los Angeles Times. Magzanyan described the gathering as a chance to recognize women shaping business and their communities, per the station's report.
Garth on Reinvention and Self-Worth
Garth encouraged women to embrace reinvention regardless of age, per the same account, framing her own journey as proof that it is never too late to start over. She said she eventually came to ask herself whether she liked herself, and decided that was all she needed. The message set the emotional tone for an evening built around career pivots, second acts and the obstacles women face while building lasting businesses.
Eight Honorees Across Eight Categories
The evening recognized women across eight award categories. Trial attorney Maro Burunsuzyan, founder of the Law Offices of Maro Burunsuzyan, received the Professional Services award; her firm has represented more than 150,000 California consumers, the Daily Press reported. Burunsuzyan founded her firm at age 26 and has built a legal career spanning more than three decades, handling three to six jury trials annually. She said her two sons now practice alongside her, and she credited listening more than talking with putting a person ahead of an opponent.
Collene Greenlee, managing director and West Region head of Commercial Bank at Citibank, received the Financial Services award after a career spanning more than three decades in banking and business leadership. Kathleen Abbott, chief revenue officer of Shawmut Design and Construction, took home the Real Estate & Construction award; her more than 25-year career includes helping oversee an Arcadis U.S. environmental business employing roughly 3,000 people, according to the outlet's reporting.
Victoria Thain Gioia, co-founder and CEO of Perelel, received the Healthcare & Life Sciences award after the company reported a $27 million funding round at the presentation. Laura Shaff, president and chief financial officer of Malibu-based Osea Malibu, earned the Consumer Goods & Retail award. Nancy Coblenz, president and co-founder of Stellenium, received the Future Systems award for expanding access to technology and artificial intelligence.
Brenda Brkusic Milinkovic, president of Growthday Entertainment, which offers a free, around-the-clock personal development streaming network in 195 countries, received the Sports & Entertainment award. Rosemary David Reyes, CEO of Central City Community Health Center, earned the Education, Nonprofit & Government award; her organization has logged more than 235,000 patient visits and recently opened its 18th clinic serving underserved communities across Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Panels on Women's Sports and Consumer Brands
The afternoon opened with “Playing to Win: The New Business of Women's Sports,” featuring Amy Taylor, CEO of Angel City Football Club, alongside Stacy Johns, president of the Los Angeles Sparks, and Alisha Childress, head of competition for Major League Volleyball. Moderated by LA Times Studios host Angelica Coronado, the panel examined increasing investment, sponsorship opportunities and fan engagement in women's athletics, particularly as Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A separate session titled “Creating the Precedent,” moderated by Los Angeles Times Assistant Managing Editor Angel Jennings, included Lara Shortz of Michelman & Robinson and Lauren Prince of Flamingo Estate. Another panel, on entrepreneurship and consumer brand development, was moderated by Melissa Magsaysay and brought together Chriselle Lim of PHLUR, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer, Sarah Gibson Tuttle of Olive & June and Clare Vivier of Clare V.
Founders Share Growth Stories
Lim said PHLUR's fragrance Missing Person, inspired by longing and emotional connection, generated a waitlist of 250,000 consumers. Gibson Tuttle described how Olive & June capitalized on pandemic-era demand for at-home nail care, growing from $2 million to $32 million in one year. Meyer, meanwhile, recalled beginning her jewelry company with a leaf design meant to symbolize new beginnings — a fitting echo of the reinvention theme that ran through Garth's remarks earlier in the day.
The forum's closing panel gathered lifestyle founders to walk through how they turned personal style and creative ideas into businesses that scale, according to the Los Angeles Times. Across the panels and the awards dinner, the sixth annual gathering tied together threads of entrepreneurship, sports business and caregiving, with the evening's honorees offering a cross-section of industries where women are increasingly shaping the bottom line.
