The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD) has named Pooja Ika as this year’s New England Women’s Leadership Awards (NEWLA) Event Chair. The event will be held on May 15.

Ika is the founder and CEO of eternalHealth. At the age of 25, she was the youngest woman to launch a new Medicare Advantage Health Plan in the United States. A 2019 Babson College graduate, she founded eternalHealth to deliver high quality, affordable care to her fellow Massachusetts residents.

“I am excited and grateful to be the NEWLA Chair this year, as myself and the women we get to honor possess a shared mindset that nothing is impossible,” said Ika. “Through NEWLA, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester has been honoring brilliant and passionate women for the last 30 years.”

 Bob Scannell, the president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester, praised Ika for “understanding the importance of having positive role models and resonates with the mission of our Clubs, which is to welcome and connect young people and families to opportunities that embrace diversity, nurture growth and inspire success.”

The event will mark its 30th anniversary this year. Emmy Award-winning WBZ-TV news anchor, Lisa Hughes, will emcee and shine a light on this year’s honorees and their contributions. To learn more about NEWLA, visit bgcdorchester.org/newla