Despite the long roster of professional accomplishments that earned her the recognition, Carole Schaeffer said Wednesday night that winning the Business Forum’s ATHENA Leadership Award was unexpected.
Her speech was humble and brief.
“I didn’t prepare a speech because I legit(imately) didn’t think I was going to win!” she said to the crowd gathered at Madison’s Nakoma Golf Club for the 29th annual awards event. “There were so many amazing women that were nominated here.
“Thank you so much for the women that are supporting other women here and lifting each other up. It is an incredible, incredible thing, and now, more than ever, we need to do that for each other … and continue to be mentors and leaders and to be there for the next generation.”
Schaeffer is the vice president of business development-Wisconsin for JLA Architects and the founder of Schaeffer Consulting, a municipal consulting practice. Her career spans over two decades in community engagement, business development and the municipal entitlements process.
She was also previously recognized among In Business Madison’s 25 Most Influential People in Greater Madison in 2014.
This year’s ATHENA Award program recognized nine nominees — who in addition to Schaeffer included Joanna Burish, Lindsay Hagens, Nicki Handel, Ashley Rodriguez, Nicole Safar, Tami Schiltz, Tessa Sokol and Janis Strutt — for their professional excellence, community dedication and commitment to helping women realize their leadership potential.
Carolyn Jahnke, last year’s ATHENA Award winner and the founding attorney and CEO of Athena Legal Solutions, served on this year’s judging panel and cited Schaeffer’s professional and personal qualities among the reasons she was selected for the 2026 award.
“Carole Schaeffer represents exactly what the ATHENA Leadership Award stands for. She has built an impressive career while consistently opening doors for other women, especially in industries where female leadership is still emerging,” she said in a statement. “Her ability to connect people, champion community development and mentor the next generation makes her an extraordinary leader and a powerful force in the Madison community.”
Schaeffer previously served as the executive director of Smart Growth Greater Madison. The organization fosters collaboration among developers and local businesses to advocate for Dane County’s real estate development industry in areas including planning, zoning and tax incremental financing.
She was also vice president of business development for the Reedsburg-based general contractor Friede & Associates, and vice president of business development-Madison region for Neenah’s Miron Construction Co., where she brought the company’s Build Like a Girl event to Madison. The event offers hands-on experiences aimed at encouraging women to pursue careers in construction.
“When I read the nomination form for Carole, I literally got the chills. Not just because of her massive success, but because of how much she continues to give back, and mostly for me, inspire and lift those up around her,” said Anna Hockett, another member of this year’s judging panel and the director of sales and account services for Nei-Turner Media Group, in a statement. “I kept thinking I would just love to sit with her and have a glass of wine and ask her, ‘How do you do it?’ Because I was so inspired both personally and professionally.”
In addition to her professional prowess, Schaeffer’s community service — which includes over a decade of civic leadership — was cited as a direct reason for being selected for the award.
Schaeffer has served on the boards and advisory bodies of the Salvation Army of Dane County, Downtown Madison Inc., the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce, NAIOP Wisconsin (a commercial real estate development association), the Madison chapter of the International Facility Management Association, Jazz at Five, Literacy Network and several others.
She also co-founded the Madison Downtowners Social Club, which works to support locally owned businesses by drawing visitors downtown to engage with Madison music, arts and culture.
“In our discussions, we kept coming back to Carole’s unique ability to connect people, empower young women … and move ideas forward,” said Laura Gallagher, another judge for the 2026 ATHENA Award and the president and founder of The Creative Company, in a statement.
“One of the things I really value about the ATHENA Award is that when we take a moment to recognize the remarkable women in our midst, we’re also honoring the progress women have made. It wasn’t that long ago that women couldn’t get a business loan or a credit card without a male co-signer, and they weren’t even allowed to join many professional organizations or service clubs. We’ve come a long way, but moments like this remind us not to take that progress for granted.”
Judges also pointed to Schaeffer’s history of creating opportunities for other women to grow in their careers and reach their leadership potential.
In addition to establishing opportunities like the Build Like a Girl event, Schaeffer regularly mentors young women seeking to enter or advance in real estate and construction, and helps connect them with other experienced industry professionals. She also has worked with undergraduate women in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s WIRE (Women in Real Estate) program.
“Carole is a lifelong connector,” said Gallagher in a statement. “Relationships matter deeply to her, and that shows in everything she does. She intentionally opens doors for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry and creates opportunities for them to succeed.”
Kim Burlage of the Business Forum also noted that the ATHENA Leadership Award is the largest fundraiser for TBF’s scholarship program, which “plays a vital role in expanding access to education and economic mobility for women, helping remove financial barriers that often limit opportunities for academic advancement and career growth.”
“These resources empower women to pursue degrees, develop professional skills and ultimately break cycles of economic hardship,” she said in a statement. “This same spirit of empowerment is reflected in the ATHENA Leadership Award. … Over more than 40 years, ATHENA International has celebrated more than 8,200 transformative leaders worldwide … women who embody enlightened leadership and open doors for the next generation of women.”
Among these are well-known figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Billie Jean King, Condoleezza Rice, astronaut Christina Koch and Gabrielle Giffords.
Editor’s note: In Business Madison staff journalist Brittney Kenaston served as a judge for this year’s ATHENA Leadership Award, and In Business Madison was a media sponsor.
