Community
Align with a community of women, men and companies committed to elevating women into leadership.
There's a time and a place for change. It's here. And now.
We Can Rise offers extraordinary advantages to individual and corporate members. Better yet, you'll be a part of a growing movement that's actively working to change the world. Join Us.
Our Guiding Principles
We are a supportive community guided by the following principles:
Journey
Collaboration
Availability
Connection
Competition
Events
Follow Robin Toft on LinkedIn for upcoming events and programs
Leadership —
Robin Toft
My Work
To date, my career can be divided into four exciting 10-year chapters: (1) A decade leading medical laboratories, (2) 10 years as the chart-topping sales gal in commercial biotech roles, (3) 10 years building an executive search firm to change the way cancer is treated in my lifetime, and (4) YAY, I AM HERE!! I plan to spend the next chapter using my experience to help women elevate their careers while working with men to build stronger companies. Together, We Can Rise!
My Life
Growing up as a proud Michigander, (go Green!) I developed a strong Midwestern work ethic, thanks to many positive role models in my family. Today, I’m an adventurous dog-mom, a joyful exercise and yoga enthusiast, and a passionate global citizen honed by my love for international travel. I’ve lived all across the beautiful USA, from Michigan to San Francisco, from North Carolina to Oahu and Kauai, but I proudly call San Diego my home.
Why I Co-founded We Can Rise
I know from firsthand experience that the most competitive companies really want to employ women for a number of reasons. And there’s a talent shortage. I believe that helping women fast-track their careers is the answer. My goal is to build a movement that helps women - and men who care about women – to change the world.
My Favorite Quote
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs
Ron Giannotti
My Work
I’ve worked in the life sciences segment all of my adult life. Nearly half that time was spent in executive leadership positions, from CEO to Chairman and Founder. Through it all I had the good fortune of working with exceptionally talented and diverse teams in the US and internationally.
My Life
I was born in the San Francisco area and raised, along with my three siblings, by an incredible single mother. Now I’m the proud father of a son and two daughters, each starting their adult career journey. In my spare time, I enjoy sprint triathlons because I love the culture of the sport and the sense of personal accomplishment it brings. I’m driven to learn and I enjoy reading novels whenever I can. Oh, and I have a sweet tooth for caramels.
Why I Co-founded We Can Rise
Simply put, I want the business world to be a better place for you and for my son and daughters. While I have benefited from male and female mentors, I see this as a huge opportunity to give back. Please take advantage of the rare combination of experience and wisdom we’ve assembled in this WCR team.
My Favorite Quote
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Advisors —
Celia Harper-Guerra
Over 20 years of global Talent Acquisition experience in Hi-Tech, Healthcare and Life Sciences. I have had the opportunity to hold both Human Resource roles, Talent Acquisition and Talent Development roles including SVP of TA and Talent Development supporting C- level executives at Danaher, Illumina, Allscripts and Sprinklr.
In addition to my 15 years of HR experience at Cisco, I was asked to move into a sales leadership role in Cisco’s Channel Sales organization. I pioneered and lead Cisco’s Partner Talent strategy that developed Cisco’s top partners’ capacity for growth and developed the CEO leadership capabilities. This talent investment supported the double-digit revenue growth in 18 months at Cisco. In addition, co-lead Cisco’s VETS and Women affinity organizations which have incorporated our customers and partners into this network of diverse talent to expand our reach in the community.
In April of 2017, I accepted the role of Global VP, Talent Acquisition leader at Danaher. My desire is to ensure that we attract and develop quality talent for Danaher who have an appetite for our mission. One of my goals with my team is to identify and build a strong diverse pipeline of leaders and teams who together with their passion make a commitment to our purpose in Helping Realize Life’s Potential.
Cisco’s former CEO John Chambers and his leadership team recruited me to join Sprinklr a software company based in New York. Again, I was recruited to build out a global team of talent advsiors, and to scale the company with 1000 plus hires in 10 months.
I truly believe that you can be your best when you are learning, growing and passionate about what you do, the American Heart Association has shown me how to serve my community and has provided me the opportunity to be connected with amazing talent who are interested in helping save lives!
“Talent is Good, Practice is Better, Passion is Best” Frank Lloyd Wright
Julie Visser
Julie is a Managing Director for ZRG Partners and leads executive search for CEO, CHRO, Executive, and Board of Director level positions for customers working within the Life Science and Healthcare High Tech industry. Julie is also part of ZRG’s Human Capital Advisory Team, consulting executives within organizations on internal talent strategies. Julie previously enjoyed a 20-year professional career, leading and partnering with US companies’ internal, worldwide human resources efforts, including Life Technologies, Thermo Fisher, and most recently as the Head of Global Talent Acquisitions for NuVasive. Julie’s expertise in strategically developing efficient, streamlined practices to deliver exceptional talent with a focus on diversity has resulted in organizational growth while ensuring shareholder value.
Julie has a passion for giving back and authored two workbooks, The Reviving Careers Workbook and The Launching Careers Workbook. She is the President and Founder of JA Talent Partners, focused on advancing women in the workplace, and serves on the board of Access Youth Academy.
Marco Rosa
Direct, focused and engaged with a keen sense of collaboration, Marco Rosa helps biotechnology, diagnostic and medical device companies achieve their business goals. And whether building life science organizations from the ground up or finding the right candidate to complement and strengthen an existing team, he evaluates the big picture and the finest details of each client’s situation and offers timely, spot-on results.
Marco’s25+ years’ experience in human resource leadership positions prior to joining Heritage Partners in 2014 gives him deep insight into the essential elements of successful, cohesive teams. He was instrumental in shaping MAP Pharmaceuticals(now owned by Allergan) into a successful acquisition candidate.
As Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.’s Vice President of Worldwide Human Resources, Marco built the company’s management infrastructure, and played an integral role shepherding its rapid growth and several of its commercial product launches. And at COR Therapeutics, Inc. (acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals), Marco built their managerial leadership and development platform, and launched a fully integrated commercial sales organization for its antiplatelet drug Integrilin®.
Marco received his B.A. in Psychology from St. Michael's College and M.A. in Counseling Psychology from New York University. A former United States Air Force Captain, he’s currently an adjunct professor and faculty member at Hult International Business School, University of San Francisco (MBA Program) and at Palo Alto University in Business Psychology. He also instructs for the Certificate Program in Human Resources Management at the University of California Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, a board member at Bay Area Adoption Services (now Adopt International), and past president and member of the Bay Area Human Resources Executive Council. Marco enjoys being a soccer referee, and mentoring and conducting workshops for college graduates seeking work opportunities. He’s fluent in Italian and lives in Mountain View, CA with his wife, Nancy, and their son.
Contact information: marcofrosa@gmail.com 650-255-3381
Meredith Wesley
Meredith Wesley is currently the VP, Talent and Culture at Boundless Bio. She has over 20 years diverse human resources experience in biotech as well as technology, marketing, and manufacturing industries. Prior to Boundless Bio, she was head of human resources at Ignyta, where she was responsible for leading human resources from its start-up phase with rapid growth through its $2 billion acquisition by Roche. Prior to that, Meredith served as Senior Director, Human Resources at Santarus, a specialty biopharmaceutical company, where she was responsible for multiple commercial scale-ups during launches in addition to providing HR leadership to commercial and R&D. She also served as Director of Human Resources at iPass, a SaaS platform company.
Meredith holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of San Diego and a Human Resources Management Certification from the University of California, Irvine.
