DIANE MCCLELLAND RECENTLY SELECTED AS EMPOWERED WOMAN OF THE YEAR BY IAOTP

Diane McClelland will be honored at the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) at their annual awards gala in Las Vegas

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Diane McClelland, Co-founder of Girls STEAM. Institute™ was recently selected as Empowered Woman of the Year for 2025 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for her outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry.

Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an honor; only a few women are chosen for this distinction based on their years of experience, professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, and contributions to their communities. These women empower others with innovation and compassion to reach their goals while creating change for future generations. Diane McClelland will be honored for this distinction at IAOTP's 2025 Annual Awards Gala.
www.iaotp.com/award-gala

The President of IAOTP, Stephanie Cirami, stated, "We are honored to have Diane McClelland as part of the IAOTP family. She provides visionary leadership as a female entrepreneur, and her extraordinary accomplishments prove she will empower women worldwide. We look forward to celebrating all her merits at the Annual Awards Gala and cannot wait to see more amazing things from this woman."

With four decades of industry experience, Ms. McClelland has firmly established herself as an expert in her field. A dynamic, results-driven leader, she is the Co-founder and CEO of Girls STEAM Institute™, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young girls ages 13–18 to explore entrepreneurship in STEAM fields through immersive technologies and global collaboration.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, the organization is expanding its programs to include young women ages 19–26. This next phase provides mentorship in immersive technologies and entrepreneurship, equipping participants with the tools to build wealth, increase their net worth, and thrive as STEAM entrepreneurs.
Through project-based and social-emotional learning, participants develop essential leadership and business skills. Mentored by successful women entrepreneurs and STEAM experts, they gain hands-on experience in areas such as leadership, technology, interpersonal communication, relationship-building, and business acumen—key components for success in the rapidly evolving STEAM landscape.

Prior to founding Girls STEAM Institute™, Ms. McClelland served for over 18 years as the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Astra Society International, doing business as Astra Women's' Business Alliance. Before that, she co-founded her first nonprofit organization, the Foundation for Women Business Owners, where she also served as President and CEO. This early initiative was dedicated to helping women business owners gain access to capital and funding—an area that remains central to her mission today.

Ms. McClelland's areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, strategic planning, program management, business development, leadership, and business strategy. Her career reflects a lifelong commitment to empowering women through entrepreneurship, education, and economic opportunity.

Before embarking on her career path, Ms. McClelland studied International Business, Trade and Commerce at Portland State University School of Business. She also received a Dartmouth Executive Education leadership certificate.

Throughout her illustrious career, Ms. McClelland has received many awards and accolades and has been recognized worldwide for her accomplishments. This year, she will be considered to be featured in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine. She will be honored at IAOTP's annual awards gala at the iconic Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas this December in recognition of her previous selection as Top Co-founder and CEO of the Year and her most recent accolade, Empowered Woman of the Year. Additionally, she was honored by Marquis Who's Who for her outstanding expertise and contributions to the nonprofit sector.

Looking back, Ms. McClelland attributes much of her success to curiosity, empathy, and a positive mindset, which has been instrumental in her leadership roles. Ms. McClelland is working on a new movement to increase the number of women business owners in the global supply chains who will mentor and hire GEN Z & Millennial Women STEAM entrepreneurs steeped in immersive technologies into their supply chains.When not working, she enjoys writing, traveling, and spending time with her family.

For more information, please visit: www.girlsteaminstitute.org

About IAOTP

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization that handpicks the world's finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers, and help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.

IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals worldwide the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped build their branding empires. IAOTP prides itself to be a one-of-a-kind boutique networking organization that handpicks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals to one place.

For more information on IAOTP, please visit: www.iaotp.com

Stephanie Cirami
IAOTP
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