Friday, June 20, 2025
Alissa Finerman
Wharton SoCal Women's Network Wellness Event – June 20th @8:15am PT, Santa Monica
The Wharton SoCal Women's Network is excited to host a special Wellness event for women to better manage stress with Dr. Narcis Valen. We will discuss and share best strategies to better manage uncertainty and stress which can stem from navigating career growth, feeling stuck, managing a team, caring for parents, running a business, juggling priorities and so much more.
Wharton grads have a very full life with competing priorities. Today’s leaders need to also focus on self-care, mental health and wellness to show up and be our best for our self, family and team.
Let’s use this time together to share best strategies to manage all that is on your plate.
Space is limited for this gathering and we expect it to sell out!
Event Flow:
8:15 to 8:45 am: Welcome, networking and enjoy a lite breakfast
8:45 to 9:45 am: Group Discussion
9:45 to 10 am: Networking
When: Friday June 20th, 8:15 am to 10 am PT
Where: Private residence in Santa Monica. Address will be shared after registration.
Cost: $10 Wharton SoCal club members.
$20 non-members.
Please note this is a Wharton SoCal Women's Event.
Parking: Street parking and metered parking is available. Please check the street signs.
About Our Speaker Dr. Narcis Valen, Ph.D.
Dr. Valen holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California and focuses on integrated adult mental health. She specializes in helping clients overcome painful past experiences and develop resilience, flexibility, and self-esteem so that they can live the lives they want to live. She focuses on client strengths as well as areas of challenge to bring positivity, warmth, and a compassionate push for the change people want to achieve.
As a former neuroscientist who spent over a decade working in developmental and biobehavioral research, Dr. Valen has a deep appreciation for the potential in science to improve our lives and well-being. Her research centered around understanding links between adversity and health to better serve individuals with experiences of trauma and those facing challenging life events. Dr. Valen was among the first ever team of researchers to conduct fetal neuroimaging to examine in-utero brain development in healthy and at-risk pregnancies using fMRI. In her research career, she studied the impact of trauma and adversity on the brain and behavioral development of adolescents in Detroit, MI; investigated the impacts of THC on symptoms of PTSD; and examined how men’s brains change as they transition to fatherhood for the first time.
Dr. Valen believes that knowledge is a path to empowerment, and is passionate about improving scientific literacy and psychological education.
For more information please visit, www.solace-clinic.com
Hosts:
Alissa Finerman WG98
Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She is a Facilitator/Guide for Chief, a private women’s network, and coaches teams, executives, managers and entrepreneurs. She is on the Executive Coaching team for the Wharton Executive MBA program and has guest lectured for several universities. Alissa was a VP on the Corporate Bond Sales Desk at Credit Suisse (now UBS) before she founded her Leadership Consulting & Coaching company. She is an angel investor (focused on impact and supporting women founders), advisor and author of the book, Living in YOUR Top 1%. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School and is a Board member for The Wharton Club of Southern California.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissafinerman/
Monisha Toteja G’09 WG09
Monisha Toteja is the CEO of Dynamic Speaking, where she advises, coaches, and speaks about communication challenges at work. She has over 20 years of professional experience, and focuses on empowering executives and rising stars to communicate effectively. She works across industries to assist leaders in improving their executive presence, confidence, and strategic communication, including navigating difficult situations, engaging key stakeholders, and creating a pitch for investors or clients. Monisha taught communication at The Wharton School for eight years and is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. She holds an MBA in Management from The Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from The Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in German Studies from Duke University. Monisha speaks German fluently, Hindi conversationally, and has a basic knowledge of Spanish.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monisha-toteja/
Jessica Pugh
Jessica Pugh (she/her) is the Head of People Strategy and Operations, leading a team responsible for Google’s Customer Sales talent investments for our 5,000+ person organization. Jessica joined Google in 2019 as an Account Executive and quickly matriculated to a Sales Manager, leading a team of 12 and managing a $500M business. Jessica is a proud graduate of California State University, Long Beach (B.S) and The Wharton School (MBA). Jessica is a California native who is a glutton for travel and immersing herself in new cultural experiences, having both studied and worked in the UK.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys traveling with her best friends, hosting friends for game nights (she’s overly competitive), making her 18-month old niece laugh and watching stand up comedy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-pugh-5b3b5316/
Sarah Chandler WG10
Sarah is the founder and principal consultant of Purposeful Impact, a consulting organization supporting leaders to increase equity in education through strategic planning and implementation, talent management, and leadership development. She has served as a strategic advisor, consultant, board member, and executive team member with mission-driven organizations across public and private sectors over the past two decades. Sarah has an MBA from The Wharton School, and is an Aspen-Pahara Fellow and Coro Women in Leadership Fellow.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahchandlerconsulting
Sing Ling WG22
Sing Ling has over 15 years of experience working with Fortune 500 brands in consumer goods and entertainment at award winning branding agencies in the US and China. She has a broad range of expertise in marketing including growth marketing, branding, design, content strategy, and creative development.
