On October 7, 2025, the 18th floor of the Yale Club in New York City glowed with the energy of transformation. The inaugural Revenue Room™ Salon: Women Who Accelerate & Lead convened a powerhouse circle of media, technology, and data executives to explore the future of leadership in a rapidly changing economy. Photos here! As host and founder of The Revenue Room™, I set out to create an evening that combined honest dialogue, exceptional company, and elegant design, resulting in an atmosphere that was both elevated and refreshingly real.
More than 75 guests and speakers, from Business Insider, CEO Barbara Peng, Puck CEO Sarah Personette, and SHE Media CEO Samantha Skey, gathered to discuss how leaders are redefining resilience, innovation, and authenticity in the age of AI and platform disruption. The conversation was as candid as it was visionary, offering a rare, off-the-record exchange among those shaping the next era of media and business leadership.
The evening also honored two extraordinary leaders with the launch of Revenue Room™ Salon’s signature awards.
The CEO Vanguard Award was presented to Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME, in recognition of her bold leadership and forward-looking strategy that are redefining the business model for the future.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Cindi Leive, CEO and Co-Founder of The Meteor, honoring a journalistic trailblazer whose career has elevated the standards of editorial integrity, innovation, and impact.
These awards underscored the spirit of the Salon: celebrating the executives who are not just leading companies, but also driving the future of industries through vision, resilience, and innovation.
Salon Select: A Signature Moment of Surprise and Delight
After dinner and to close the evening on a high note, guests were treated to an experience that perfectly captured the spirit of elegance and discovery that defines The Revenue Room™: Salon Select.
As dessert and wine were served, Holst-Knudsen returned to the stage with a smile:
“As we close this extraordinary evening, we have one final moment together, Salon Select. A chance for a few of you to leave with treasures as special as tonight’s conversations.”
Each attendee had received an entry card upon arrival. Numbers were drawn from a crystal bowl as the evening’s premiere sponsor, Bombora, joined in to present the prizes. Putney Cloos, CMO, and Jaime Schultheis, Head of Global Data Partnerships, took turns unveiling eight hand-selected gifts, each carrying its own story of craftsmanship, innovation, and purpose.
The room filled with laughter and applause as winners were announced one by one.
Each prize drew cheers, smiles, and photos as recipients made their way to the stage. The air was filled with that unmistakable blend of elegance and joy of a community celebrating not only success but shared discovery.
When the final gift was presented, I returned to the microphone and congratulated all of our winners, thanking everyone for making the evening truly unforgettable.
The Revenue Room™ Salon is more than an event, it’s a celebration of curiosity, creativity, and meaningful connection. My hope was that each guest would leave feeling inspired to carry the magic of the night, the conversations, the laughter, and the sense of shared purpose, into everything they do beyond those walls.
Here are the incredible brands that helped make the evening special with their products so you can shop them too!
Gift Bags:
- Royce’ for the fine Japanese chocolates, with New York location
- Töst for their non-alcoholic beverage
Salon Select:
- KD New York for warm Vegetable Cashmere conscious luxury
Sponsor Gifts and Florist:
- Flowerbx, our luxury event florist in New York
More Than an Event… A Movement.
The Revenue Room™ Salon was not simply a gathering but a statement: that today’s leaders must combine business acumen with poise, creativity, and courage. Through evenings like this, and thoughtful touches like Salon Select, The Revenue Room™ continues to build a community where innovation meets inspiration, and where women (and their allies) leading in media, data, and events can find connection, mentorship, and renewed purpose.
As glasses clinked and conversations carried on well past closing time, one thing was clear: This was only the beginning.
About the Author
Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth, customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets. Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and spearheaded Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella, and Edflex.
Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and company valuation. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets. 
