Women of Influence

Kelli Lawrence has been CEO of home builder Onyx + East for two years and, during that time, the company’s product offerings, development and market reach have grown tremendously.

Amie Martens went from practicing law on a Friday to running a business on a Monday after her mother died, leaving her to take over Laura Kopetsky Tri-Ax, an Indianapolis-based dump-truck company.

Christine McDonnell co-founded Codelicious, an ed-tech startup that offers customizable computer science curriculums to schools, in 2016. It now serves more than 100 schools in 23 states.

Laurie Burns McRobbie served as first lady of Indiana University until June, when her husband, Michael McRobbie, retired from his post as president.

Early in her career, Carolyn Mosby worked in minority business development before taking a break to work in communications. When a position opened up with Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council, she applied. And the “rest is history.”

Jessica Nickloy has been CEO of Etica Group, a construction engineering firm her father and his partners started in 2005, since 2008.

Jennifer Pace Robinson has worked at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for 29 years in a variety of positions. Now, she’s leading the organization.

Ronda Shrewsbury founded RealAmerica 26 years ago to develop affordable housing after she grew up “extremely poor.”

Frances Lee Watson is the director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. Through the clinic, she’s helped represent five exonorees.

Maureen Weber has served as president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana for three years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic when the organization helped launch a $25 million fund for early-learning providers.

Dr. Amanda Wright served as interim dean of the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2020 and 2021 before being named dean in June. She helped lead the medical school through the COVID-19 pandemic.