Dr. Nancy O'Reilly

The Women Connect4Good Team

Dr. Nancy O'Reilly

Nancy D. O’Reilly

Founder/President/Board Chair
Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly is an international philanthropist and trailblazer for women’s empowerment, who believes women will hasten their progress to equality by defining themselves and others as leaders.

About Dr. Nancy

Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly is an international philanthropist and trailblazer for women’s empowerment, who believes women will hasten their progress to equality by defining themselves and others as leaders. A successful author, educator, and podcast host, she founded Women Connect4Good, Inc., a 501(c)3 foundation, to help support other organizations that work to advance women and girls. She also serves on the boards of several social-profit groups, including Take The Lead, Inc. She invites everyone to join her in reaching out to support women in the pursuit of leadership, equality, safety, and success.

Full Bio

Melissa Miller Young

Team Leader
Melissa Miller Young is a communications strategist and philanthropic leader dedicated to advancing gender equity and supporting women’s leadership.

About Melissa

Melissa Miller Young is a communications strategist and philanthropic leader dedicated to advancing gender equity and supporting women’s leadership.

As Team Leader at Women Connect4Good, Inc.—a 501(c)(3) foundation committed to empowering women and girls—Melissa plays a central role in driving mission-aligned initiatives, building collaborative partnerships, and amplifying the voices of women change-makers. She leads strategic efforts across content, programming, and advocacy to advance gender parity and foster inclusive leadership.

Melissa brings more than 25 years of experience in journalism, marketing, and communications, spanning corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial settings. Her work is rooted in a belief in the power of storytelling to inspire action and connect people across differences. Under her leadership, Women Connect4Good has launched several impactful programs, including the Lift Women Up, Did You Know, and When She Leads campaigns, as well as Connect4Impact, a program focused on cultivating the next generation of women leaders.

In addition to her programmatic work, Melissa is an outspoken advocate for constitutional gender equality and has supported national efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Through every endeavor, Melissa remains focused on empowering women, building community, and creating lasting social change.

Full Bio
Cathy Evans

Cathy Evans

Writer-Producer
Cathy joined the Women Connect4Good (then WomenSpeak.com) team in 2009 as a writer-producer.

About Cathy

Cathy joined the Women Connect4Good (then WomenSpeak.com) team in 2009 as a writer-producer. From those early days coordinating the podcasts with smart, amazing women and the contributing authors for Leading Women, she has been and continues to be awed by the passion of talented thought leaders and honored to help them make an impact for positive change. After nearly 50 years of writing about practically everything, Women Connect4Good’s mission remains the most worthy and fulfilling work she has ever experienced. If finding a cause bigger than yourself makes your life worth living, Cathy has found hers in serving Women Connect4Good.

Full Bio
Cory Goode

Cory Goode

Marketing Strategist
Cory possesses a keen interest in issues related to justice and equality, including gender equality.

About Cory

Cory possesses a keen interest in issues related to justice and equality, including gender equality. He takes great pride in promoting the work of the Women Connect4Good, Inc. foundation on social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. Cory also works in the advertising industry with a focus on email and digital marketing.

Full Bio

Claire Sakaoka

Social Media Strategist
Claire has 20+ years of experience in public relations, marketing, and digital media management.

About Claire

Claire has 20+ years of experience in public relations, marketing, and digital media management. She works strategically to help coordinate and support all existing marketing and content creation efforts for Women Connect4Good. Claire is passionate about assisting other women to be successful and reach their professional and personal goals while staying true to themselves. She has two teenagers at home, Thomas and Joanna, and enjoys spending time with them and her husband Tommy and their two fur-babies, Betsey and Axel.

Full Bio
Michelle West

Michelle West

Producer
Michelle West is a storyteller, communications strategist, and content creator with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations share ideas that inspire action and create meaningful change.

About Michelle

Michelle West is a storyteller, communications strategist, and content creator with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations share ideas that inspire action and create meaningful change.

As part of Dr. Nancy’s team, Michelle supports Women Connect4Good and Connect4Impact through podcast production, video editing, content development, copywriting, and program support.

Affectionately known by the team as their "Swiss Army knife," she brings a rare blend of creative, technical, and strategic expertise to every project.

A former, award-winning television news producer, her superpower is communicating complex ideas in ways that are clear, compelling, and human.

Michelle is the founder of Chamber Speak, a communications consultancy that helps chambers of commerce clarify their messages, strengthen engagement, and better communicate their impact.

At the heart of her work is a passion for helping people and organizations tell their stories with clarity, authenticity, and purpose.

Full Bio