Ask her colleagues why Karen Gill is a Woman of FIRE, and they’ll probably tell you she’s a behind-the-scenes financial mastermind, keeping millions of dollars running smoothly and efficiently to nonprofit developers in the Greater Boston area.

Many people enter the construction and design industries after falling in love with the idea of creating sun-drenched arboreturms and sculpted facades – the glamorous skin of the buildings they work on. Laura Handler, director of design and strategy for Tocci Building Cos., has always been a student of the bones.

If you ask Cynthia Keliher the secret to her success, she will credit her parents for the great life she has. From an early age, she was taught to work hard, always be kind and value education. Those lessons have served her well.

Amy Korte may seem quiet at first – but when she does speak up, “people get quiet and listen,” said Jim Batchelor, president and CEO of Arrowstreet.

Employees say Marilyn Sperling is committed to maintaining Greylock Federal Credit Union’s culture, which includes putting a high priority on staff satisfaction.

Growing up on the south side of Chicago in one of the city’s only culturally diverse neighborhoods taught Eleanor White a valuable lesson: the problem of poverty and the need for publicly-assisted housing go hand-in-hand.