In February, Lehigh Valley Style introduced five Influential Men of the Year. Now, the ladies are getting a well-deserved turn in the spotlight. Meet five women who are making waves in the community in their own ways—advocacy, outreach, healing and hope. The Lehigh Valley is a better place because of them.
Corinne Goodwin
Founder & President of the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project
Most people think nothing of flashing a driver's license or ID card when buying a bottle of wine or applying for a new job. But the mundane can quickly turn malicious for a transgender person. “If your ID doesn't match your gender presentation, you are automatically outed as a transgender person, and transgender people are subject to a rate of violence six times the national average,” says Corinne Goodwin, founder and president of the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project (EPTEP). “Literally you can be assaulted, attacked and even killed by having to out yourself.”
Founded in 2019, EPTEP (patransequity.org) is a nonprofit organization working tirelessly to support and empower transgender people across a 16-county region in Eastern Pennsylvania. “Our goal is to help them do more than just survive. We want them to thrive,” Goodwin says. The services offered include mentorship, financial assistance and support groups. Goodwin says EPTEP has also compiled the largest list in the state of trans-affirming resources, everything from doctors and lawyers to places to get your nails done.
Although advocacy work done on behalf of any group that is often underrepresented or marginalized is often exhausting and frustrating, there are tangible signs of progress for EPTEP. In March, both Allentown and Bethlehem observed International Transgender Day of Visibility by raising the transgender flag outside their City Hall—a first for both cities.
Goodwin says it's important to remember that while transgender is an adjective, it's not the only adjective when it comes to her or anyone else in the transgender community. “I'm a business owner, I'm a cook, I'm a parent, I'm a spouse, I'm a homeowner,” she says. “Trans is not the only thing that defines me and it's not the only thing that defines other transgender people.” Goodwin owns and operates a consulting business that develops training programs for companies around the world. She spends her free time with her family, on the bike trail or in the kitchen. “Cooking is sort of my therapy,” she says.
Genesis Ortega
Allentown Communications Manager
It becomes obvious that run-of-the-mill press conferences are a thing of the past when the host picks up a sledgehammer and goes to town on an old concrete bench. That was the scene in April as Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk marked the beginning of a new streetscape project. And it's one example of how things are being done a little differently at City Hall these days, says Allentown Communications Manager Genesis Ortega.
Technically, Allentown isn't Ortega's hometown—that distinction belongs to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. She moved to the Queen City with her family when she was nine months old. “I basically tell people I was born and raised in Allentown because I came here when I was so young,” Ortega says. A graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School and Moravian College (now University), Ortega worked in community outreach, politics and journalism before Tuerk came calling. “It was an opportunity I couldn't say no to,” Ortega says. “It was everything I wanted to do.” She's proud to be part of a vibrant new administration that values transparency, diversity and inclusivity. “City Hall is open for everyone,” says Ortega.
Over half of Allentown's population is Hispanic, so it makes sense that its communications manager would be fluent in both English and Spanish. But as Ortega settled into the role, she realized that language is only one part of bridging the communications gap. When it comes to reaching all residents, she says, “It's not a typical press release, it's not just focusing in on one style of communication. It's using every method we have.”
Ortega is married with a young son, and enjoys taking trips back to the Dominican Republic, where the majority of her extended family still resides. But Allentown, she says, is home, and she's excited to see what she and her fellow go-getters in the mayor's office come up with next. “It's awesome to be part of history in the making,” Ortega says.
Larissa Noto
Owner & Yoga Instructor at The Lovely Little Lotus
Yoga can be more than just exercise; in the right setting it can also double as therapy, and Larissa Noto has made it her mission to make that mindfulness and healing accessible to anyone who seeks it. She's worked with babies, octogenarians and everyone in between, a client base that spans all skill levels and physical abilities. “I want to provide them and empower them with things they can do, not what they can't do,” Noto says.
Even before she decided to go all-in on yoga, it was her go-to escape from the rigors of demanding careers in education, law and corporate America. “Yoga was my solace,” says Noto. She had taken her first class to fulfill a requirement while a student at Muhlenberg College. Over the years she came to appreciate it more and more as a balm for her body and soul. When she decided to step into the instructor role, she began slowly, offering classes for moms at her home. Since then, she's amassed hundreds of hours of training in various yoga modalities, with a specialty in trauma-informed movement, which, as Noto explains, has a therapeutic lens to it. “It's movement that is made so it doesn't trigger folks who might be experiencing a myriad of things at any given time.” Poses that could be triggering to certain populations—such as veterans suffering from PTSD, or survivors of domestic abuse—are eliminated.
Noto, a Bethlehem native, has worked with yoga studios across the Lehigh Valley. She's also a teacher, trainer and content contributor with ChildLight Education Company, and Pratyush Sinha Foundation. And, through The Lovely Little Lotus (thelovelylittlelotus.com), she offers her own classes and training opportunities. “I love being able to provide a form of movement that's accessible, but it's also healing to the folks who come and find me,” says Noto, who is also a wife, mother to three boys and a lover of travel, photography, gardening and reading.
Tiffany Sondergaard
Founder of ts PR & Event Planning
You name it, and Tiffany Sondergaard can sell it, promote it or plan it. She hit the ground running right out of college, working in public relations in New York City for big name brands like Bath and Body Works, Liz Claiborne and Reebok. Later, the Gary, Indiana, native moved to the Lehigh Valley to give her growing family a little more elbow room and learned the ins and outs of event planning. In 2019, she decided the time had come to branch out on her own, and ts PR & Event Planning (tspr-eventplanning.com) was born. She describes it as public relations with a purpose. “I like to align myself with organizations that are going to help change lives for people, help us all do better,” Sondergaard says. “It's turned into my company mission. I believe in helping our community.”
Among the groups in Sondergaard's portfolio is the nonprofit Business Women Networking Involving Charity and Education, also known as BW Nice, which was founded in New Jersey in 2009 and has expanded to include several chapters, including the Lehigh Valley. It provides resources and support to empower women with networking experience and professional skills, while championing the fight against domestic violence. “It's a great support system,” says Sondergaard. “We support all businesses, including small businesses and female-owned businesses. We all make sure to support each other's businesses as well as personally.” Sondergaard is the planning director for one of the group's signature events, the Red Shoe Luncheon and Fashion Show. It will be held at Northampton Country Club in October.
Even when she's not technically on the clock, Sondergaard says she's often still in “promotion” mode, volunteering in the community to help lift up local causes. Another client, Brooke Mitman, says she's seen Sondergaard sacrifice personal and family time to help businesses, ministries and missions take it to the next level. “If you can help, you do,” Sondergaard says.
Carol Andersen
CEO of Bloom
Difficult but necessary work is happening every day at Bloom (bloomforwomen.org), a Lehigh Valley nonprofit that offers a path forward for women survivors of sex trafficking. But there are good days, too, such as the day in May when one of those women became a graduate of Northampton Community College. She's one of Bloom's many success stories. “These women are going to be game changers for how the Valley ends this injustice,” says Bloom CEO Carol Andersen.
Andersen oversees an organization that maintains four homes for these survivors as well as two businesses (My Sister's Closet, a boutique in Bethlehem Township; and Bloom DIY, a creative studio in Bangor) that offer them a safe space to work during the recovery process. A volunteer with Bloom describes Andersen as a tireless advocate and a breath of fresh air to all who meet her. But Andersen is quick to commend the generosity of the many groups and people in the Lehigh Valley who have helped Bloom flourish, little by little. “I think that's how great work gets done,” Andersen says. “It's just one small step in the right direction.”
Andersen is a native of Upper Mount Bethel. She and her husband have three sons. She says, unlike the women who come to Bloom, she's had doors opened for her; she's had a seat at the table. Now, she wants to offer the same opportunities to the women of Bloom. It's not always easy, of course, but she credits an unusually positive outlook on life with helping her get through the hard days. “You hear stories every single day of hardship, incredible trauma and violence,” she says. “But what I also see is hope and a resilience and a strength in women who have seen the underside of bridges and alleys, places I've never walked. When I see strength come out of their sliver of hope, that maybe tomorrow could be better, that's what inspires me to do my work every day.”
The Location | Pocono Palms
Based in Cresco, Pocono Palms is owned by two sisters, Alyssa and Carolyn O'Leary. It features an intimate garden ceremony site nestled in the trees, an outdoor cocktail area, a large indoor reception hall with stunning archways, lush greenery and custom-built tables.
