March 4, 2026

Celebrating Women’s History Month 2026: The Women Shaping NoMad

Women’s History Month is both a celebration and a reminder of how far we’ve come and how much leadership, creativity, and resolve women continue to bring to our community.

NoMad has always been fertile ground for women-led ideas. The neighborhood’s history is inseparable from women’s: from its role in the suffrage movement, centered at the former Martha Washington Hotel at 29 East 29th Street, to today’s women entrepreneurs redefining business, culture, and hospitality.

This month, we’re spotlighting just a few of the women shaping NoMad right now:

  • Miriam Dalaei Fodera, Executive Director, NoMad Jazz Festival.
  • Lisa Derman, Founder & CEO of Five Springs Infused Bourbon, blending craft, storytelling, and sustainability.
  • Dana Haddad, Founder of New York Admissions, guiding families through one of the city’s most competitive systems.
  • Holly Leicht, Executive Director, Madison Square Park Conservancy.
  • Janet Luhrs, Executive Director, The Jazz Gallery.
  • Sara Naghedi, Designer and Founder of Naghedi, known for modern craftsmanship and unmistakable design.
  • Patricia Nash, Founder of Patricia Nash Designs, whose globally recognized brand began with her singular vision.
  • Alyce Panico, CEO and Owner of Luxe Collective Group, a force in luxury real estate and development.
  • Ellia Park, who co-helms Atomix, the 2-Michelin-Star restaurant redefining fine dining in NoMad.
  • Rima Rabbath and Monica Jaggi, Founders of SOUK Yoga NYC, creating an inclusive, community-driven wellness space.
  • Kerin Rose Gold, a contemporary crystal art vanguard whose work merges spirituality and design.
  • Rio Sakairi, Artistic Director, NoMad Jazz Festival and Director of Programming, The Jazz Gallery.
  • Susanah Wade, Associate Minister at Marble Collegiate Church, offering leadership rooted in compassion and service.

You can read more about all these women and their organizations in NOMAD Magazine, thanks to Karen Giberson, Editor-in-Chief, who along with her team, celebrates the women of NoMad through her editorial work.

This list is by no means exhaustive – and that’s the point. Women are a boundless resource leading across every sector of NoMad, always with impact.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s continue to support women-owned and women-led efforts not only in March, but all year long. That’s how neighborhoods grow with intention.

Happy Women’s History Month!

Leslie Spira Lopez
President & Founder, The NoMad Alliance