50 regional leaders share their secrets of success during the 12th annual event
In celebration of Mentoring Monday, thousands of women in more than 40 cities are taking part in events designed to showcase top businesswomen and female leaders as they share their secrets to success.
Mentoring Monday recognizes the incredible power of key relationships that can transform career trajectories and empower women as they navigate their professional paths. A mentor that can show you the ropes and share advice, give honest feedback, and cheer you on can make a significant difference in one’s career goals.
Tahra Goraya, President & CEO of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), is among the regional leaders participating in a Mentoring Monday event today hosted by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Goraya, who has held top leadership posts in nonprofit management, business and government, says mentors — male and female, of all ages and backgrounds — have been instrumental in her own career.
“Mentoring is important and critical in growing personally and professionally,” said Goraya. “Wisdom from others can help empower us to learn in beautiful ways to impact growth and success.”
President and CEO of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership since January 2022, Goraya is an experienced leader who has worked on diverse issue areas across multiple sectors including nonprofit management, business, and government. She is adept at leveraging strategic relationships, building cross-cultural and cross-sector coalitions, crafting public policy, and organizing multi-faith and grassroots communities. She is a recipient of the Barbara Jordan Award for Women’s Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School Woman and Public Policy Program, Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year by the California State Senate and Assembly, and the co-founder of Monterey Bay Muslim Neighbors. In 2024, Goraya was appointed by Speaker Robert Rivas as Commissioner for the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA). Learn more about Goraya here.
Goraya is among 50 influential women leaders highlighted at the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Mentoring Monday.
She joins an elite group of women of influence in the Mentoring Monday event: Founders of companies dedicated to women’s healthcare needs and advancement of women in science and health industries, leaders of firms that can transform once-vacant warehouses into research and development labs or tackle large housing projects in urban areas; and heads of organizations that help us rethink the way people and goods move through autonomous vehicle technology. They include women helping change public policy, transform learning experiences for young people, and reinvent the worlds of manufacturing, technology, and leadership itself. They are inventors, urban planners, founders, patent-holders, authors, and thought-leaders, each passionate about uplifting other women.
Goraya’s advice: Wherever you are in your career, always retain a growth mindset and a willingness to listen; never stop seeking advice.
While women continue to make progress in leadership roles, gaps in pay and career development persist:
- Women make up 42 percent of the global workforce, but only 31.7% of senior leadership, despite the fact that diversity in leadership teams improves innovation, decision-making, and financial performance.
- The impact and presence of mentoring can significantly improve performance at enterprise organizations run by female CEOs.
- Global gender parity could take 131 years to achieve because of various political, socio-economic, and cultural issues, according to the World Economic Forum.
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP):
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.