Speakers: Breakouts & Awardees

Listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Zoe Albert

 

Faux Paws, Guardian Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award Awardee
Albert of Allen, Texas was selected as a National 2nd Place Winner in the 2010 GGP Entrepreneurship Award program from more than 5,000 girls for her outstanding endeavors as an entrepreneur. She started her own company, Faux Paws, when she was 11 years old.  Faux Paws is a line of handmade, faux fur-lined flip flops; the proceeds of which are donated to animal advocacy groups.

Kristina Bouweiri

President & CEO, Reston Limousine and Travel Service, Inc. Bouweiri is President and CEO of the largest luxury and shuttle transportation company in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and among the nation’s largest fleet operators. Named one of the most powerful and influential women in Washington by The Washington Business Journal, Bouweiri is a successful business leader who is in demand as a speaker and mentor to other women in business.

Christine Cuoco

Interim Director, Customer Advocacy Marketing
Cuoco manages a variety of educational and outreach initiatives to help support the success of small business owners. She oversees community-based marketing efforts and strategic alliances with leading women’s business associations, including Count Me In and Women President’s Organization. Cuoco also manages American Express OPEN’s partnership with Make Mine a Million $ Business® as well as the OPEN for Government Contracts.

Michelle di Gangi

Executive Vice President, Director of Small and Medium Enterprise Banking, Bank of the West
Di Gangi manages small- and medium-size business banking activities across Bank of the West’s 19-state footprint and sets strategy for small- and medium-size business lending, including SBA lending, for the San Francisco-based bank. The San Francisco Business Times recognized Di Gangi in its 2010 list of the Bay Area’s Most Influential Women in Business.

  

Ana Harvey

Assistant Administrator for Women’s Business Ownership, U.S. Small Business Administration
Harvey oversees the SBA’s efforts to promote the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that provide business training and counseling, access to credit and capital, and multiple business and networking opportunities. Harvey manages a nationwide network of women’s business centers in nearly every state and two U.S. territories.

  

Tiffany Jonas

Founder & CEO, aio design
Jonas graduated magna cum laude from the Missouri School of Journalism with a degree in advertising. Her company is a web-design firm specializing in women entrepreneurs and businesses that market to women. One of the Charleston Business Journal’s 2008 Forty Under 40, she has been the two-time recipient of an 11-state award for design, honored at the Chicago Book and Media Show. She is President-elect of NAWBO’s South Carolina chapter.

Honorable Mary L. Landrieu

Chair, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship
In 1996 Landrieu became the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. As chair of the Small Business Committee, she is leading efforts to ensure all small businesses have access to capital and contracts, superior health insurance at a low cost and the resources needed.

Michelle Lee

President and CEO, STG International, Inc. (STGi)
Lee’s $145+ million firm provides Human Capital Management, Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Support, and Healthcare Support Services to the federal government. STGi’s exponential growth since then demonstrates Lee’s ability to rapidly adapt to new environments and responsibilities, operate from a global perspective and integrate divergent concepts that result in creative solutions.

Marissa Levin

Founder and CEO, Information Experts
Levin leads Information Expert’s efforts to create technology-based integrated communications solutions, human capital strategies and learning strategies for government agencies and for organizations across a wide range of vertical markets. Levin has led the organization’s entry into the federal market to achieve a sizeable presence in 17 agencies spanning all facets of government.

Ginger Lew

Senior Counselor, White House National Economic Council and the Small Business Administration
Lew provides economic policy advice on a broad range of matters that impact small businesses. In addition, she co-chairs the White House Interagency Group on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and leads the White House Interagency Taskforce on Regional Innovation Clusters. Under the Clinton Administration, Lew was the Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Runa Magnusdottir

Founder, Connected Women
Magnusdottir, a resident of Iceland, has been an entrepreneur and business owner for more than 20 years. She is an ACC Executive Coach ICF, and a Passion Solution for Business Facilitator. When a new opportunity arose in 2007, she redefined her future and with her passion to empower women by founding Connected Women (CW), www.connected-women.com, to form a global community site for women entrepreneurs.

Terry Neese

President/CEO of Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) and NAWBO Past President (1990-91)
Neese co-founded Women Impacting Public Policy in 2001. In 2007, she founded the Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women whose mission is to empower women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. Through its program “Peace Through Business,” the Institute provides a training program designed to provide long-term business education for women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda through in-country educational programs, leadership development, mentoring and opportunities to “pay it forward.”

Hiren Patel

Director of Financial Services, Sam’s Club
Patel joined Sam’s Club as a Director of Financial Services in 2009, responsible for developing the Financial Services product offering. Currently, he’s focused on developing capital/credit solutions for business members. He has also run his own small business focused on providing working capital financing solutions to sub-contractors in the construction industry.

    

Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House of Representatives
Pelosi is in her second term as Speaker of the House of Representatives, having made history in 2007 when she was elected first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. Pelosi has proved to be a strong, pragmatic leader, unifying her House Democratic caucus more than any other leader in the last 50 years.

Sharon R. Pinder

CEO and Founder, The Pinder Group, Center for Business Inclusion and Diversity
As a former Fortune 500 executive, a state cabinet official and a successful veteran of several entrepreneurial ventures, Pinder is a recognized speaker and published author on business and technology. Her innovation has led to the creation of a weekly radio show, magazine and reality television show.

Bruce D. Purdy

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Women’s Business Ownership
Purdy began his career at the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a Presidential Management Intern in 1997 in the Office of Financial Assistance, working initially in the Microenterprise Development Branch before moving into a position to work on SBA’s E-Tran electronic lending solution and risk management strategies for SBA’s loan programs.

    

Katherine Readinger

Second Vice President of Agency Marketing, Individual Products Distribution of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
Readinger is responsible for the research, development and implementation of marketing programs and technology tools that ultimately lead to increased life sales and greater brand awareness for Guardian and its local offices. One of her primary responsibilities is Guardian proprietary sales and servicing system, The Living Balance Sheet.

Mollye Rhea

President, For Momentum
For 20-plus years, Rhea has conceptualized, developed and spearheaded programs for cause and partnership marketing to benefit non-profits and corporations at both national and local levels. Prior to forming For Momentum, Rhea spent eight years with the Arthritis Foundation national headquarters, most recently serving as Group Vice President of Strategic Marketing Alliances.

  

Janice Robertson

Managing Partner & Co-Founder, SiVal Advisors, LLC
Robertson, a 28-year veteran of the M&A business, is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to M&A. She has advised numerous technology company clients and boards of directors on a wide variety of M&A transactions during her career. Prior to forming SiVal, Roberston was Managing Director of Needham & Company’s West Coast M&A Group.

Denise Rodriguez-Lopez

President, The KMJ Company
Rodriguez Lopez leads this federal procurement consulting business that is dedicated to connecting businesses, especially small, disadvantaged and minority firms with federal contracting opportunities. Rodriguez Lopez also travels across the nation on behalf of American Express talking to small businesses about American Express OPEN Teaming USA.

Kristi Saucerman

Founder, Auction Frogs
Saucerman launched AuctionFrogs.org after 12 years of charity event management experience. Auction Frogs is a virtual fundraising community that brings donors, charitable organizations and bidders together to fund great causes. Now in its third year, Auction Frogs has successfully hosted 87 online auctions and anticipates 150 auctions this year.

Jane Skeeter

President, UltraGlas
Skeeter started her first company at age 12 and in the early ‘70s her love of creating stained glass grew into a business that today employs a cadre of artisans in the San Fernando Valley and is a recognized world leader in the innovation, design and manufacturing of thermally embossed architectural glass. UltraGlas is also considered a single-source for all facets of designed architectural glass.

Monica Smiley

Editor and Publisher, Enterprising Women
Smiley has spent the last decade building the national magazine she leads into a strong voice for women entrepreneurs. As the only national magazine published exclusively for women business owners, Smiley and her team have crafted a magazine that has become a friendly meeting place, a public forum and a national stage for the critical issues confronting women’s businesses and daily lives.

Honorable Olympia Snowe

Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee  on Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Snowe is currently serving her third term as United States Senator from Maine. Snowe is the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress. When first elected to Congress, Snowe was the youngest Republican woman, and the first Greek-American woman, ever elected to Congress.

Diane Tompson

Managing Director, The Powercom Group
Tompson is co-owner of four companies working under the banner of the parent company, The Powercom Group, based in Tasmania, Australia. She is a founding director of the Board of The Powercom Group and is co-owner of Novaris Technologies Malaysia. Tompson is the current Australian National President of Women Chiefs of Enterprises (International) Pty Ltd, (WCEI).

Kelly Watkins

President, Expressive Concepts
Watkins founded her firm that helps companies develop their leaders and improve their customer service (to compete in a global market). Watkins has witnessed communication from awesome to awful—all over the planet (on all seven continents). She is the author of five books and hundreds of articles. For tips and resources: www.KeepCustomers.com. 

Lena West

CEO & Chief Strategist, xynoMedia
West is an award-winning social media consultant, blogger, speaker, journalist and technologist. Her company, xynoMedia, is a social media consulting, implementation and development firm that helps women-owned and led companies profit from the power of Social Media and the Internet. West’s expertise has been widely acknowledged with several business awards.

  

Meredith West

Professional Staff for Senator Olympia Snowe
Meredith West is a member of the Professional Staff at the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Her work continuously supports small businesses. NAWBO is currently supporting Senator Olympia Snowe and working closely with West on a proposed Women’s Contracting Bill that will improve the ability of women-owned businesses to compete for and receive federal contracts.

Maxine Westaway

President, CEO Marketing Associates Ltd.
Westaway, an entrepreneur for more than 20 years, has worked in over 35 countries. She founded CEO Marketing Associates Ltd. as an international business development consulting firm to assist clients with business development and market entry into Asian markets. In 1995, Westaway entered into a partnership in China, taking on the role of Managing Partner responsible for all business outside China.

Kay Woods

Founder, Precious Treasures Childcare
Precious Treasures Childcare began through interstate phone conversations between Woods and her mother. Her mother in Arizona would frequently mention to Woods the need for 24/7 child care for the safety and welfare of children and families who needed support. She started PTC in 2002, and to her great pleasure and surprise, it grew more quickly than expected into a now thriving business.

Laura Yamanaka

President and Founder, teamCFO, Inc.
Yamanaka and her employees partner with small and midsize businesses to improve company performance and growth by providing quality financial accounting consulting services. Her customers’ know-how, in collaboration with teamCFO’s financial expertise, create the synergy to achieve superior results. Her extensive private industry experience includes more than eight years with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young.

Devora Zack

President, Only Connect Consulting
Zack is a nationally acclaimed coach, facilitator, and leadership consultant, specializing in communication, leadership and teamwork for 15 years. Only Connect Consulting’s 100+ clients include the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Department of Education, U.S Patent & Trademark Office, SAIC and the U.S. Treasury. Zack has been visiting faculty for 13 years for Cornell’s MBA Leadership Program. Her book, Networking for People Who Hate Networking, is being released this summer.

  

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