2023 Women in Business Luncheons
Want to nominate a woman in business? Fill out the form here.
On Thursday December 1 and Thursday, December 8, a combined audience of more than 700 guests statewide came out to support the women honored in the December issue of Delaware Today.
The first event in Dewey Beach, DE included a keynote from Lorri Grayson, Founder and Partner with GGA Construction. As a female in a traditionally male dominated industry, Lorri shared inspiring insights on leadership.
The December 9th event in Wilmington, DE featured a keynote from Desa Burton, Executive Director for Zip Code. Prior to Zip Code Wilmington, Desa was the Assistant General Counsel of Intellectual Property at InterDigital, Inc. where she served as the Senior Transactions Counsel for research and development, technology innovation and government contracts. Desa also spent 10 years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve. She currently teaches an intellectual property transactions course as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Venues
The Downstate event was held at the Lighthouse Cove Event Center where a crowd of 200 guests enjoyed networking and lunch in the coastal event space overlooking Rehoboth Bay, in the heart of Dewey Beach.
The Upstate event was held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Guests enjoyed networking with sponsors and other attendees in the Christina Room then moved to the Riverfront Ballroom for lunch, a keynote and the introduction of this year’s honorees. The venue’s top-notch audio visual services ensured that all 400+ guest were able to see and hear the presentations and videos without issue.
Below is a photo gallery from our 2022 Women in Business events.
Event Sponsors
These events would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors. Special thanks to gift bag sponsor, Morris James LLP, video sponsor, Horty & Horty P.A, and King Creative for producing the videos for our program.
Upstate Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Desa Burton
Zip Code Wilmington
With a professional background as a former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and intellectual property attorney, Desa Burton serves as the Executive Director of Zip Code Wilmington where she is responsible for executing the organization’s strategic and operational plans while carrying out its mission.
Prior to Zip Code Wilmington, Desa was the Assistant General Counsel of Intellectual Property at InterDigital, Inc. where she served as the Senior Transactions Counsel for research and development, technology innovation and government contracts. Desa also spent 10 years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve. She currently teaches an intellectual property transactions course as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Desa is dedicated to the well-being and success of the organization, its students and the greater Wilmington community, and leans on her professional experience to create opportunities for the organization. Desa is passionate about the organization’s world-class curriculum that fast tracks its students into new careers.
Downstate Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Lorri H. Grayson P.E.
GGA Construction
Lorri H. Grayson is a Partner and Founder of GGA Construction, a commercial general contractor and construction management company. After 20 years of success in a male-dominated industry, she co-founded GGA in 2010 and contributed to its to expansion to three offices in Middletown, Milton, and most recently in Rehoboth Beach. Since founding the business, she has led her firm to specialize in institutional, hospitality, medical and corporate office, mixed-use, and multi-family housing projects.
In 2015, after more than 38 years since the inception of Associated Builders and Contractors of Delaware, Lorri was named the first female Chair of the Board of Directors. In 2023, she will serve as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Vice Chair representing local chapters in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia for the ABC National Board of Directors.
Lorri believes that mentoring our next generation of women leaders is a top priority. She displays her commitment to diversity and inclusion by actively participating in the Women’s Presidents Organization, Delaware Real Estate Women, American Society of Civil Engineers, Delaware Association of Professional Engineers, National Association of Women in Construction, and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
Event Sponsors
These events would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors.
Nominate a Woman in Business
Do you know an outstanding Delaware woman in business? Nominate her for Delaware Today’s 2023 Women in Business Awards! Each year, we collect nominations from across the state to find the movers, shakers and trailblazers in each of the three counties. The winners appear in December’s annual “Women in Business” issue, and are also honored at upstate and downstate luncheons.
The deadline to submit is June 1, 2023. Fill out the nomination form here.
