Women To Watch Awards 2026 honors Sylvia K. Alston

Sylvia K. Alston is a nationally recognized insurance executive, thought leader, and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience shaping the future of risk management. She began her career at Zurich Insurance Company in Baltimore, Maryland, while a student at Morgan State University before returning to New Jersey in 2000, where she distinguished herself at several of the nation’s leading brokerage firms, including HUB International, Willis, Integro Insurance Brokerage, and Risk Strategies. Over two decades, she served in advisory and executive leadership roles, advancing from Division Manager to Private Client Practice Leader at Integro (Ventura) Insurance Brokerage and later Vice President within several entertainment specialty practices. In 2019, she co-founded Momentum Risk Management.

A tactician in personal risk management and wealth preservation, Sylvia advises high-net worth families, C-suite executives, elite athletes, entertainers, and Forbes 400 legacy households. Her expertise in navigating complex risk profiles has positioned her as a trusted strategist for clients whose lives and enterprises demand both protection and agility. Through her consulting firm, The Watchridge Group, she provides fractional risk management solutions to municipalities, nonprofit institutions, cultural organizations, and privately held companies seeking to strengthen resilience and governance.

Her influence extends beyond business into thought leadership and media. A sought-after speaker, Sylvia delivers executive workshops and keynote addresses on entrepreneurship, leadership, business threat, and lifestyle risk across the United States and abroad. Her speaking engagements include Temple University’s Fox School of Business, Howard University, Morgan State University, NAAIA, The Black Women’s Expo in Chicago and Atlanta, FinFest by dFree, Prudential’s Blueprints to Black Wealth, the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, and the Black Women of the Insurance Industry.

Her leadership is equally visible in the civic and cultural spheres. Sylvia served in executive leadership as Co-Chair of Advocacy for THE BOW Collective from 2024 to 2026, the nation’s premier organization representing the top one percent of Black women business owners. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, a community development corporation advancing affordable housing, historic preservation, arts, and urban sustainability in Newark, New Jersey.

Sylvia studied Speech Communication with a concentration in Rhetoric and Public Address at Morgan State University and is a graduate of Bank of America’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program powered by Cornell University and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. She remains committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders while building a legacy centered on mitigating risk and expanding reward.