About Us
Brazen Acts of Generosity
In 1995, Les McNeill initiated a marvelously brazen act. With $5,300 and the unabashed belief that she could improve the status of women in the Greater Cincinnati area, she created the Women’s Fund. Today, we are designing a community where all women can participate, prosper and reach their full potential. We produce groundbreaking research that has changed the conversation in back yards and board rooms. Les started a movement that is now a force for women’s self-sufficiency.
We are proud to carry the torch.
Our mission: The Women's Fund's mission is to advance gender and racial equity for women by addressing systemic barriers to upward mobility.
Our vision: We are designing a community where all women can participate, prosper and reach their full potential.
Meet the Team
Rajani Menon
513-768-6117
Women's Fund Founder
Les McNeill
Women's Fund Leadership Council
Tammy Bennett
Leadership Council Chair, Development Committee Member
Adjunct Faculty at UC College of Law
Nicole Armstrong
Advocacy Committee Member
Founder & CEO, Ellequate
Karen Dudley Grissom
Development Committee Member
Public Relations Consultant
Jenn Dye
Civic Engagement & Leadership Committee Member
Director, Jones Center for Race, Gender and Social Justice, University of Cincinnati College of Law
Miranda Hamrick
Civic Engagement & Leadership Committee Member
Compliance Manager, Fifth Third Bancorp
Maureen Howard
Civic Engagement & Leadership Committee Chair
VP of Human Resources, Global Equity and Inclusion
Rickell Howard Smith
Advocacy Committee Member
President & CEO, YWCA of Greater Cincinnati
Whitney Owens
Research Committee Member
Chief Learning Officer, Cincinnati Museum Center
Sydney Pepper
Research Committee Member
Director of Advancement, Children's Law Center
Ann Schwister
Advocacy Committee Chair
Executive (retired), Procter and Gamble; Principal, Ann M. Schwister Associates
Annette Tice
Advocacy Committee Member
Managing Director, EY – Federal Tax Advisory (FTA)
Kyle Wynk-Sivashankar
Development Committee Member
Vice President of Human Resources Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Music and Event Management Inc.
Coalition Partners
Volunteer Committees
These volunteer-led and sustained committees come together every other month to help support and guide the mission of the Women's Fund in our various efforts. While most of the committee members, and their chairs, are made up of Leadership Council members, we welcome new members, outside of the Leadership Council, on an annual basis. For more information on how you can get involved please email [email protected] with your inquiry and we will connect with you.
Kelley Adcock
Olivia Ballard
Cierra Clymer
Meg Corwin
Leah Foxx
Sarah Gideonse
Sarah Gwiasda
Sally Lloyd (Chair)
Lisa Newton
Whitney Owens*
Sydney Pepper*
Allison Tepper
Jennifer Thomas
Annette Tice*
*Current Leadership Council Member
List as of 7/9/25
Community Partners
4C for Children
African American Chamber of Commerce
All-In Cincinnati
Amos Project
bi3
Brighton Center
Center for Closing the Health Gap
Charlotte Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank Trustee
Chatfield College
Children, Inc.
Cincinnati Preschool Promise
Cincinnati State
Cincinnati Union Bethel
Cincinnati Works
City Link Center
Co-op Cincy
Cohear
Community Action Agency
Community Matters
Cradle Cincinnati
Dress for Success
Easterseals
Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc.
Family Independence Initiative
First Step Home
Gateway Community and Technical College
Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Greenlight Fund
Groundwork Ohio
Habitat for Humanity Cincinnati
Hamilton County Job and Family Services
Healthcare Access Now
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Home Ownership Center
Human Services Chamber
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Joining Forces for Children
Learning Grove
Lydia's House
Mercy Neighborhood Ministries
National Fund for Workforce Solutions
Northern Kentucky Chamber
Ohio Justice and Policy Center
Ohio Women's Public Policy Network
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio
Project LIFT
Queen City Certified
Rahma Community Services
Santa Maria Cincinnati
Sisters for Charity Cincinnati
St. Vincent de Paul
Support to Encourage Low Income Families
Union Institute
United Way - Butler and Warren Counties
United Way - Greater Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Urban League
Women Helping Women
Women of Cincy
Women's Crisis Center
Women's Fund of Warren County
Workforce Innovation Center
YWCA