Monday, February 12, 2018

A speed coaching and networking event powered by bizwomen.

Mentors

1 | Kellie Appel | Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Mercer UniversityKellie Appel is Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Mercer University, where she leads the assessment and development of a wide range of opportunities across the university. She also serves as the Senior Administrator for Mercer’s Atlanta campus. Prior to joining Mercer’s administration in March 2015, Kellie enjoyed a 19-year career with Turner Broadcasting in a variety of legal, business development and sales and marketing roles. Kellie also co-chaired the executive leadership team for Turner Women Today and served as a mentor in the Circle Mentoring program for several years while at Turner. Earlier in her career, Kellie practiced law with the Atlanta-based law firm of Long, Aldridge and Norman (now Dentons). Kellie earned her B.A. degree from Mercer University (magna cum laude) and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

2 | Amy Baxter | Founder and CEO, MMJ Labs Pain ReliefAfter inventing Buzzy to block needle pain, Dr. Baxter got a FastTrack SBIR to research and develop the technology that is FDA cleared for pain, cosmetic injections, and musculoskeletal pain. Her bootstrapped medical device company has reduced pain from over 31 million needle procedures. In 2016, she became a full-time CEO to address the opioid crisis by developing VibraCool Vibrating Cryotherapy for chronic and overuse pain syndromes. Awards include the Top 40 Healthcare Transformers, Inc. Magazines Top Women in Tech to Watch, WSJ “Idea Person,” and GA Bio’s Most Innovative CEO of the Year. Speaking engagements include TEDMED, Exponential Medicine, TEDx Peachtree, Converge, and Bloomberg AARP, among others. Dr. Baxter’s mission is to eliminate unnecessary pain while creating a sustainable ethical corporate structure. She is also known for creating the BARF Pediatric Nausea scale, discovering the cause and consequences of needle phobia, and turning down three sharks on Shark Tank.

3 | Audrey Boone Tillman | Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AflacAudrey Boone Tillman, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Aflac Incorporated, directs the Legal, Federal and State Government Relations, Global Cybersecurity, and Human Resources divisions, the office of the Corporate Secretary, and the General Counsel and Compliance offices at Aflac Japan. Tillman joined Aflac’s Legal Division in 1996 and was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility, including second vice president in 1997, vice president in 2000, Senior Vice President of Human Resources in 2001 and Executive Vice President of Corporate Services in 2008. In 2014, she was appointed to her current role. Tillman has received numerous recognitions, including Ethisphere’s Attorneys Who Matter, Black Enterprise’s Most Powerful Women in Business, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Corporate Counsel Award, and the Distinguished Service Scroll from the University of Georgia School of Law Alumni Association. Additionally, she has been recognized by Atlanta Tribune magazine as a superwoman and New York Moves magazine as a power woman.

4 | LaSandra Boykin | Lead Project Manager, Delta Air LinesLaSandra Boykin affectionately known as “LB” is Lead Project Manager of Community Engagement at Delta Air Lines. In her role, she is responsible for employee engagement, brand activation, event management, and special projects for the non-profits that Delta supports in 10 key strategic focus (domestic & international) markets and national partners. LB’s work is beyond the walls of Delta and giving back and engaging is not only LaSandra’s job but it’s her true passion. Boykin serves on several boards including the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA, Citizens Trust Bank Next Generations Advisory Board, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is a board member for Delta Employee & Retire Care Fund. LB is a graduate of the 2016 Leadership Georgia class and 2017 Leadership Cobb class. In her spare time she enjoys attending sporting events, spending time with family and friends, traveling, collecting passport stamps, collecting foreign currency, and planning events.

5 | Julianna Cagle | Director of Development, Hands On AtlantaJulianna Cagle, Director of Development at Hands On Atlanta, enjoys tackling Atlanta’s most pressing needs through innovative programs and campaigns that engage people and corporations in service across the city. Prior to Hands on Atlanta, Julianna spent nine years in fundraising and development at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Julianna is no stranger to volunteering, and currently serves on the Board of LaAmistad and Pace Academy Alumni Council. She also volunteers with LEAD Atlanta Alumni Association, CURE Childhood Cancer and Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Julianna attended Furman University in Greenville, SC where she received a degree in Spanish, Latin American Studies and Communication Studies. She completed her MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School with concentrations in strategy, marketing and leadership. A native Atlantan, Julianna feels passionately about the opportunities to serve and give back to the city that she loves.

6 | Shiriki Cavitt | Corporate Counsel, Equifax Inc.Shiriki Cavitt currently serves as Corporate Counsel for Equifax, Inc. focusing on complex business-to-business and third-party contracts. She is also an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law, teaching a Corporate Externship Class. Shiriki has also served as a Term Law Clerk for the Honorable Linda T. Walker, Federal Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Georgia. Before clerking, Shiriki was Counsel for Oldcastle, Inc. where her practice covered all of the areas that the business encountered, such as contractual and labor and employment issues, commercial disputes, litigation management, MSHA and OSHA matters, compliance and antitrust issues. Prior to working at Oldcastle, Shiriki was an associate at Troutman Sanders LLP in the Complex Litigation Practice Group, focusing on business litigation and product liability matters. Shiriki obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English (cum laude) from Dartmouth College and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University School of Law.

7 | Jennifer Dorian | Executive Vice President of Turner Portfolio’s 360 Brand Strategy and General Manager of TCM & FilmStruck, TurnerDorian leads a company-wide initiative to identify new opportunities for revenue growth from 360-degree brand extensions across Turner networks, franchises, talent and characters. Dorian also oversees the day-to-day operations of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and FilmStruck, including all strategy, business development, marketing, branding, digital initiatives, programming and on-air campaigns for both brands, as well as the strategic planning, marketing and operations for subscriber growth and retention at FilmStruck.

8 | Catherine Downey | CEO, CATMEDIACatherine founded CATMEDIA in 1997 as CATVIDEO; drawing from years of media production and broadcast television experience, ending with management of the operational side of WZTV, an independent television station in Nashville, TN. Downey, a single mom, started the firm using her experience in television production and media and project management, and built a thriving business while also caring for her young family. Her years of hard work and sacrifice paid off, and, with grown children now, Downey has redoubled her efforts to expand her firm to meet the ever-changing needs of federal and commercial clients in today’s fast-paced world. In 2011, Downey changed the company name to CATMEDIA to reflect its expanding services. True innovators, CATMEDIA is patent-pending on several training and communications technologies. It is under Catherine’s stewardship that CATMEDIA is able to offer such innovative services.

9 | Jessica Dudley | Program Manager, Ultimate SoftwareJessica Dudley is a Program Manager at Ultimate Software where she collaborates with executive leadership on strategic projects to enhance the company’s operations and business performance. Jessica’s professional background includes six years of management consulting experience providing clients with technology enabled transformations, analytics global solutions, and industry insights to increase their effectiveness and profitability. An Atlanta native, Jessica received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Spelman College, MBA from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, recognition as a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow, and is a recent graduate of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2017, and a 2017 Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 Under 40 honoree. Jessica cares deeply about the community in her work serving organizations such as The Center for Working Families Board of Directors, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Tau Pi Omega Chapter Executive Board, Junior League of Atlanta, and Georgia Cares.

10 | Leslie Eason | Co-Managing Partner, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLPLeslie K. Eason is the Office Co-Managing Partner of the Atlanta office and is the Office Managing Partner of the Birmingham office. She has a national litigation practice focusing on employment law, torts and products liability, and commercial disputes. Before joining the firm, Ms. Eason served as General Counsel at a company with nationwide and international operations. In this role, she reported to and worked directly with the CEO/President concerning all legal matters for the company, including contract negotiations, business policies and procedures, compliance-related issues, and litigation (initiation and defense). This prior corporate experience allows Ms. Eason to address disputes from a business perspective, giving deference to a client’s bottom line.

11 | Gilanny Fagundo | Partner, Taylor English Duma LLPGlianny Fagundo prides herself in partnering with clients to design and implement workplace policies and practices that are not just compliant with the law, but that further business goals and protect a company’s culture. Her years as a high-stakes employment and business litigator have given her a full appreciation of the value, and cost, of human capital. As a result, her counsel and advice is carefully designed to maximize returns and decrease risks. Ms. Fagundo routinely counsels national employers on a multitude of workplace issues, including wages, worker classification, joint employer, accommodations, discipline, terminations, executive employment agreements, and background checks. On behalf of her clients, she also prosecutes and defends lawsuits involving issues such as restrictive covenants, discrimination, overtime, contractual breaches, fraud, and consumer disputes. Outside her practice, Ms. Fagundo is thought a leader in the Latino business community in the State of Georgia.

12 | Jai Ferrell | Airport Director of Marketing and Brand Services, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportJai Ferrell is the Airport Director of Marketing and Brand Services at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). In her role, she oversees all marketing outreach, brand strategy efforts and creative services for the world’s busiest airport. Additionally, her team is responsible for promotional efforts for the airport’s food, beverage and retail programs and parking services that generate over a billion dollars in revenue annually. Ferrell’s award-winning career spans 15 years, including work in entertainment television, consumer products and sports contributions to Turner, CNN, Major League Baseball and BET Networks. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Spelman College and has a master’s degree in communication from Georgia State University. The Atlanta, Georgia native is a member of LEAD Atlanta, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, life member of The Phi Beta Kappa Society and one of Airport Business Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 aviation executives.

Mentors

13 | Michele Grant | Co-Founder, Post-Office CoWork and Audacious FizzName a major corporate office in Atlanta, and Michele’s most likely been there, helping teams become more sophisticated marketers and implement the systems they need. A creative force and meticulous problem-solver with determination to dismantle the status quo, Michele has spent 17 years crafting smart, often-disruptive strategies for clients like Home Depot, AutoTrader, Delta Air Lines, IBM, Silverpop, Coca-Cola, Georgia-Pacific, AT&T, Verizon, IHG, UPS, and Suntrust. Michele made the leap to entrepreneurial life in 2013, when she cofounded management consulting firm Block and Tackle to help companies become sophisticated marketers. At Block & Tackle, her team takes an integrative approach toward marketing and technology, applying the same level of creativity toward smart applications of data, technology that you would toward a brilliant marketing campaign. As for side projects? Michele loves finding the answers to tough questions: currently, “what’s the future of office space?” with her pay per use, Post-Office CoWork.

14 | Jamila Hall | Partner, Jones DayJamila Hall defends companies and individuals in often high-stakes civil and criminal investigations brought by the United States Department of Justice and other government agencies related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), the False Claims Act (FCA), securities fraud, and financial fraud. A former federal prosecutor and accomplished trial lawyer, Jamila has served as defense and investigative counsel to several Fortune 500 companies and regularly conducts internal investigations throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.  Jamila is Co-founder/City Lead of the Atlanta Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association and has served two terms as the chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association. Jamila serves on the board of trustees for the Atlanta Ballet and is Vice-Chair of the Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys.

15 | Kathy Hatala | Senior Vice President of National Accounts, SpeakeasyKathy Hatala is the Senior Vice President of National Accounts at Speakeasy. Since 1973, Speakeasy helps business professionals, at all levels, achieve greater results through more powerful communication – internally, with their colleagues and externally, with their clients. Kathy manages accounts for Speakeasy, primarily in the entertainment & media industry, and Atlanta companies such as Turner, Cox, Coca-Cola and Equifax. She also leads sales strategy for Speakeasy’s micro-learning site, Selflink.com, specifically for new talent entering the workforce. Prior to Speakeasy, Kathy held executive positions at Turner and Viacom Media Networks. She started her sales career at The Weather Channel. Kathy is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications - an association dedicated to leadership development. She has served for over 10 years on the WICT SE Board, and in 2009, she received the Red Letter Award for Mentoring Excellence. She also volunteers as a Mentoring Co-Chair on the Catholic Charities Leadership Class Steering Committee.

16 | Lynne Homrich | Founding Chairwoman and CEO, League of Change InstituteLynne Homrich is Chairwoman and CEO of the action tank League of Change Institute. League of Change recently launched She’s a 10 to lead a cultural reset in the way society sees, respects and values women and girls. She’s a 10 flips the phrase on its head to highlight the strengths, talents and character of females, and mobilizes everyone – males included – to stand up and speak out in support of women and girls and take action to build the future we all want to see. A biochemist by degree, Lynne has deep experience as both a corporate executive (Abbott Labs, EY, Home Depot) and an entrepreneur. Lynne is a lifelong advocate of advancing women as leaders. She co-founded the original Home Depot women’s network, created LittlePINKBook.com, and is active with OnBoard, an organization working to increase the number of women on corporate boards. She attended Purdue University

17 | Linda Hughes | CEO, The Great Ridge CompanyLinda Hughes has over 25 years of experience in company operations with extensive experience in business strategy, operational planning, revenue generation, and information technology management. She has worked in a variety of industries including business services, staffing, technology products & services, consumer products, hospitality, healthcare, industrial products, insurance, retail and telecommunications. Linda’s experience includes working with and for companies ranging from Fortune 100 to startups. She has held executive leadership positions at a variety of companies across many industries. Linda is currently the President and CEO of The Great Ridge Company providing consulting services focused on improving the operational and growth capabilities of businesses.

18 | Cindy Jordan-Ford | General Manager and Vice President, Cogeco Peer 1With more than 25 years of experience in IT sales and service leadership, Cindy has an extensive knowledge of the information and communications technology sector. Not afraid to take risks in order to move forward, she believes organizations must focus on excellence both internally and externally to be successful. Working with organizations such as Xerox, Sprint, AT&T, SAVVIS (CenturyLink) and Virtustream Cindy has a long, successful track record of inspiring new levels of innovation and performance, strengthening regional collaboration and driving meaningful customer experiences. Cindy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the National Louis University in Chicago.

Mentors

19 | Dianne Kaseta | Chief Marketing Officer, Northwestern Mutual Goodwin, WrightDianne Kaseta has over two decades of experience in corporate sponsorships/strategic partnerships, marketing, advertising and project management. She received a Certificate of Professional Development and has a proven track record in major donor acquisition, nonprofit management and cause-marketing promotions. Past roles include serving as a consultant for a successful southeast fund-raising consulting firm, executive leadership team member for both a corporate and private foundation, and national chief development officer in Haiti and East Africa building long-term, strategic partnerships in support of sustainable community development. Dianne launched her own company, The Event Shoppe, driving customer acquisition, retention and growth strategies for the clients she serves. She currently is the Chief Marketing Officer for Northwestern Mutual Goodwin, Wright located in Atlanta.

20 | Margaux Kaynard | Vice President of Human Resources, Rural Sourcing Inc.Margaux is the Vice President of Human Resources at Rural Sourcing. Her responsibilities include leading talent acquisition, employee relations and colleague development across all development centers. Margaux ensures that Rural Sourcing is an employer of choice by hiring the best talent in our industry and through implementing forward-thinking training and incentive programs. Prior to her role with Rural Sourcing, Margaux worked in human resources and recruiting in the consumer products arena for Atlanta based Newell Rubbermaid and with Unisource Worldwide (a Georgia Pacific subsidiary). She also has experience in international human resources practices and has extensive capabilities in growing and developing teams. Margaux received her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from West Virginia University where she was on the varsity crew team. She earned her master’s degree in human resources with honors from the University of Central Florida.

21 | Katie Kern | Vice President, Marketing and PR, Media Frenzy GlobalKatie Kern is an award-winning marketing and public relations expert that has been making waves in the communications industry for over 15 years. Her extensive background ranges from agency and in-house experience to entrepreneurial endeavors. Katie possesses a comprehensive under-standing of how public relations, messaging, and content marketing can work together to create the best possible results for her clients.

22 | Pam Kilday | Head of Operations, SunTrust BankPam Kilday is Head of Operations for SunTrust Bank, responsible for the strategic vision and execution of operations. Throughout her 30-year career, Kilday has held several leadership positions for Continental Bank of Illinois, Bank of America and Wachovia. In her 14 years with SunTrust, Kilday has demonstrated a track record of executional excellence and a passion for the client. Previous roles include Wholesale Operations Executive, Technology Relationship Executive, Head of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (STRH) and STRH Chief Operations Officer. She was STRH’s Chief Information Officer, developing the vision and leading delivery of solutions to the investment banking and capital markets business. Kilday is on the board of Viewpointe and PAWS Atlanta, is a member of SunTrust’s Diversity & Inclusion team and was Chair of SunTrust’s 2017 United Way Campaign. Kilday has a Bachelor of Science degree from Tennessee Technological University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois.

23 | Debbie Koenig | Executive Director, NAIOP GADebbie Koenig has worked with the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) Georgia chapter since 2001. She received the National Merit Award for Chapter Executive of the Year in 2006, sat on the NAIOP National Board of Directors as Chapter Executive Liaison and is currently serving on the NAIOP National Membership committee. Debbie has also served numerous times on panels at NAIOP’s Leadership Conference in Washington, D. C. She played an integral role in increasing NAIOP Georgia’s young professional segment through her contribution in developing the NAIOP Future Leaders program, and was instrumental in launching the charter program NEXUS/NAIOP-an immersion Commercial Real Estate camp for minority students. She is committed to NAIOP GA’s mission of improving the lives and education of students in Atlanta through their efforts with YES!Atlanta and the Ron Clark Academy.

24 | Heidi LaMarca | Managing Partner, Windham BrannonAs the President and CEO, Heidi LaMarca is responsible for steering the firm’s strategic growth and new service offerings. With 25 years of experience, Heidi has expertise in the areas of financial statement audits and reviews for employee benefit plans, real estate, manufacturing, retail/wholesale, and service industries as well as not-for-profit organizations. Additionally, Heidi has expertise in internal control reviews in connection with SOC1 engagements for 401(k) record keepers and claims administrators, compliance with Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, due diligence, and several CPA firm peer reviews. Heidi has a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida and began her career in auditing with KPMG in Atlanta. In addition to the AICPA, she is a member of the Georgia Society of CPAs and Women in Pensions.

Mentors

25 | Helene Lollis | President and CEO, PathbuildersHelene Lollis is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pathbuilders, an organization that partners with clients to develop top-tier talent through mentoring and leadership development, with special expertise in developing high-potential women. Trained as an engineer, Helene spent 12 years with Amoco and BP Corporation in plastics process design, product development, marketing, strategic planning and company mergers and acquisitions.  Helene is frequently invited to speak on the topics of mentoring, women in the workplace and career planning. She has been published in HR Magazine, Diversity Executive, and Talent Management and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal. Extremely active in the community, Helene is a past chair and on the executive board of Junior Achievement of Georgia. She also serves on the board of trustees for the Woodruff Arts Center and chairs its Women’s Giving Circle, and she serves on the NC State Engineering Foundation Board.

26 | Lisa McDonough | Chief Marketing Officer, Lead ForensicsLisa McDonough is on a mission to develop high-performing teams to deliver rapid SaaS business growth whilst delighting customers and ensuring her female counterparts are equally as driven and aware of their full potential along the way. A native Brit, part marketer, part strategist, part data geek, Lisa has a 15-year background in leadership, business strategy, entrepreneurship, and driving global marketing teams to deliver world-class revenue growth year on year. Tired of being the only female at way too many tables, Lisa runs mentoring hubs for women looking for advice on how to have a bigger voice or carve the career they’ve always wanted.

27 | Susan O’Farrell | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, BlueLinx CorporationSusan O’Farrell is BlueLinx’s Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Ms. O’Farrell previously was a senior executive with The Home Depot for 15 years, holding a variety of finance and operational roles. As the Vice President of Finance, she led teams supporting the company’s retail organization. She began her career with Accenture, transforming companies’ financial processes, systems and incentives. In 1996, she left as an Associate Partner for a transformational role with Southern Company Gas. Ms. O’Farrell earned a Bachelor of Science from Auburn University and completed Emory University’s Goizueta Executive Leadership Program. Ms. O’Farrell was selected by the ABC as 2017 Public Company CFO of the Year. As an alumna of Leadership Atlanta, Ms. O’Farrell is active in community service. She is the past Board Chair of the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of CHRIS 180. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum.

28 | Elizabeth (Lizz) Patrick | Chief Client Officer and Founder, Patrick Law Group LLCLizz Patrick is Chief Client Officer/Founder of Patrick Law Group, an innovative, agile, law firm focused on preparing and negotiating technology, procurement and business contracts. A WBENC certified woman owned business, Patrick Law Group’s Clients include some of the largest companies in the world. In recognition of her outstanding legal experience, Ms. Patrick has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America, also named among the Legal Elite by GA Trend Magazine, as a Super Lawyer annually since 2004. Ms. Patrick serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms. She is also an active member of Vistage and the Women’s President Organization. Lizz is also a 2002 graduate of Leadership Atlanta.

29 | Kate Pearch | Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Morris, Manning & Martin LLPAs Chief Marketing Officer, Kate focuses on MMM’s unique client service to strengthen its brand and position in the marketplace. She is known for her excellent people skills and for leading successful collaborations between the marketing team, executive committee and practice leaders. Her responsibilities include designing and implementing marketing and advertising, communications, public relations, practice growth, strategic development and leadership succession programs. In addition to leading the Marketing & Business Development Department, she serves on the MMMPact Committee, which directs the firm’s corporate social responsibility outreach, and directs the MMM Women’s Initiative, a division of MMMPact focusing on mentorship business development and retention for women attorneys. She also co-founded the firm’s Recruiting, Retention & Training Committee, an internal leadership group that helps develop, promote and retain talented associates. Kate joined MMM in 2005 and rose through the ranks. She earned her undergraduate degree in advertising from the University of Florida.

30 | Susan Pound | Executive Vice President and Regional Sales Manager, Wells FargoSusan Pound is the Middle Market Banking South Regional Sales Manager where she is responsible for business development across 12 southeastern states. In addition, Susan co-chairs the Women’s Market Growth Initiative for Wells Fargo which prioritizes engaging with women executives to provide financial solutions for their business needs. Susan has 28 years for middle market banking and corporate finance experience with Wells Fargo and predecessor banks. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Northeastern University.

Mentors

31 | Tiffany Ray | Executive Director, Generation InfocusTiffany Ray serves the metro Atlanta community as catalyst for creative learning solutions. She is the founder of Generation Infocus and the www.STEAMettes.com. She is a certified instructional designer and holds current Georgia state certifications in early childhood education, English 6-12 and educational leadership. Tiffany graduated from Louisiana State University with a double major bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Secondary English Education and completed her master’s degree in educational leadership. She taught for 10 years and served as an elementary school administrator. In addition she has worked as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education as an Educational Data Analyst and for IBM as a Project Manager of Instructional Design and Architectural Learning. Most recently she created a STEAM bus classroom and purchased her first commercial building creating an exceptional Maker’s Space set to open January 2018.

32 | Racquel Roberts | Vice President, Human Resources, Purchasing Power LLCRacquel Roberts is Vice President of Human Resources, a role she has served since June 2006. In this capacity, she focuses on key talent elements, including talent and leadership development, talent recruitment and acquisition, internal communication, benefits administration, employment law, new employee onboarding and career management. Roberts is based in Atlanta and reports directly to Purchasing Power President and CEO Richard Carrano. Prior to joining Purchasing Power, Roberts served as the Human Resources Manager of Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, a subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; a Human Resources Manager at CapMark Services, a global commercial mortgage company; and as a Communications Manager at Lend Lease, a property investment, development and management group. Armed with a Senior Professional in Human Resources® certification, Roberts also is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

33 | Jodi Selvey | Senior Vice President and Principal Market Leader Office Services Group, Colliers InternationalJodi Selvey specializes in Office Tenant Representation. She works with her clients to provide strategic planning and solutions to their real estate needs. Ms. Selvey offers over 30 years of comprehensive real estate experience which includes leasing a number of corporate headquarters locations, office building sales, site selection, restructuring of leases and providing detailed financial analysis. Jodi executes in a creative way to solve complicated transactions, whether she’s asked to sell a difficult building, meet a nonprofit organization’s financial benchmarks, or seek out nontraditional solutions for a client. Additionally, Ms. Selvey works with national clients on multicity assignments, thereby creating a single point of contact for all their real estate needs across the country. Jodi is the market leader for the Office Occupier Services Group in Atlanta.

34 | Theia Smith | Founding Executive Director, The Women’s Entrepreneurship InitiativeTheia Smith is the Founding Executive Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) – an initiative empowering women entrepreneurs for economic inclusion in Atlanta. Within its first year of operation under Theia’s leadership, nine of the 15 WEI entrepreneurs became job creators; two scaled ventures beyond $1 million in revenue. Theia is an alumna of Spelman College and a member of the 2018 class of Leadership Atlanta. She serves as chairperson of Empower54– a global non-profit providing humanitarian assistance to women and girls in African refugee camps and as chairperson of The Pivot Foundation. She serves on the leadership committee of Startup Runway, a funding initiative for the top 10% of high performing minority and women led startups in the Southeast. Theia is recognized as a 2017 40 Under 40 honoree by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and one of ‘17 inspiring Women to Watch in 2017’ by Inc. Magazine.

35 | Dana Spinola | Founder and CEO, fab’rikBorn and raised by entrepreneurs, fab’rik CEO and Founder Dana Spinola always knew a job could fulfill a bigger purpose.  Her dreams to flourish both personally and professionally led Dana to start fab’rik in 2002 around the concept of high-style clothing with an affordable price tag. In 2006, Dana began franchising the fab’rik concept with like minded women. Dana has always believed that clothing has the ability to change lives. In 2009, she founded free fab’rik, a non-profit organization that provides free shopping sprees for women and girls in need. In 2012, the brand launched its in-house designed clothing line, Asher, to fund Kenyan orphan adoptions through the non-profit Project 82 Kenya.  While Dana leads fashion franchise and a non-profit organization, her most challenging yet rewarding role is being a mom.

36 | Sarah Tourville | CEO and Founder, Media Frenzy GlobalSarah Tourville is the CEO and Founder of Media Frenzy Global, an integrated PR and Marketing agency for technology companies in the US and UK. Sarah founded Media Frenzy Global in 2006 to help technology companies create a media frenzy™ with meaningful media coverage, brand visibility and thought leadership. She has helped Fortune 500 companies as well as many startups across the US and Europe capture significant media attention attention and build brand leadership. Prior to Media Frenzy Global she worked at Motorola managing corporate communications across Europe, Middle East and Africa and before that she was at Worldspan where she helped launch the first ever online travel booking site - Expedia.  Sarah is a member of Women’s Business Enterprise and Media Frenzy Global is a 100% women-owned business. She is an advocate for business women and the professional development in young women, helping to promote confidence, self-worth and independence.

Mentors

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