A recipient of over 25 regional and national awards, Janine Fondon has been recognized with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Regional Entrepreneurial Award, National Council of Negro Women’s Regional Women of Conviction Award and Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus Abigail Adams Leadership Award, among others. In 2011, Fondon received an honorary degree from Springfield Technical Community College citing her leadership at WTCC 90.7 FM radio, the city of Springfield’s most diverse radio station with some 20+ culturally-inclusive programs. She was also chosen as one of the “Western Massachusetts Women to Watch” by Western Massachusetts Women’s Magazine and was named one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business by NYC’s Network Journal.
Nationally, Fondon has been referenced in top business publications such as Forbes, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur Magazine, Boston Business Journal and The Boston Globe. On a regional level, she has been featured in several area publications such as the Worcester Business Journal, BusinessWest, MassLive, and The Republican.
Fondon earned a bachelor of arts in sociology and anthropology from Colgate University and a master of arts in communications and business from New York University. She is Assistant Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Communications at Bay Path University as well as President and CEO of UnityFirst.com, a 2 million+ online communication network that engages people in ‘real-world’ topics and events regarding diversity and inclusion.