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I’m here today with Monique Woodard - Monique has most recently been an investor at 500 Startups where she invested in early stage startups and raised a $25M fund to invest in Black & Latino founders and categories that will see high growth with these multicultural She expanded 500’s investments in Africa and led 50+ investors on their ‘Geeks on a Plane’ trip to explore four ofAfrica’s emerging startup ecosystems.  And Monique was the first black partner at 500 startups Monique is also the co-founder of Black Founders -- a nonprofit startup started by four tech friends in a San Francisco. With a mission to increase the number of successful black entrepreneurs in tech, the organization has cultivated a new generation of tech founders from Silicon Valley to New York City, Atlanta, Austin, and several HBCU campuses.  Previously, Monique served as one of the first Innovation Fellows for the San Francisco Mayor’s Office where she worked on innovation projects around open data, municipal wi-fi, and civic engagement. Monique was an entrepreneur before entrepreneurship was the new normal. She has built things big and small, including Speak Chic – a mobile app. She attended Hampton University (in Hampton, VA) and the University of Miami.

I’m here today with Naomi Seligman, Co-founder of the newly launched Tower 26   I’m here today with Naomi Seligman, Co-founder of the newly launched Tower 26, a full-service strategic communications and public affairs agency focused on maximizing social impact.  - Naomi Seligman has decades of experience advising congressional leaders, cause pioneers, tech innovators, and entertainment luminaries.  Most recently she led the communications strategy for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti - She helped shape his public agenda to build housing for all, to modernize government and vastly expand L.A.'s public transit system. - She developed and organized ground-breaking events including: the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit with Vice President Joe Biden, director James Cameron, and mayors from Beijing  In her Washington, D.C. years she worked for the House Committee on Small Business, and was the Press Secretary to Congressman Sam Farr and Senator Max Baucus - She started her political career with Senator Edward Kennedy in MA Attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (She’s from Framingham, MA) Board Member & Chair of Communications Committee – Emerge California focused on the under-representation of women in elected office at the local, state, and federal level. Framing vs Forming your opinions, the story Think outside the building The Hard TruthThe lives we are meant to live and the impact that we are meant to have on othersThe Opportunity to do something

I am here today with Kaitlyn Barclay and Willow Hill, co-founders of Scout Lab Scout Lab offers an intensive ‘Brand Sprint’ designed to define your target audience and create a narrative that is both relevant and authentic to your community. From core messaging to visual design, we set your brand strategy in one month. Brand Sprint - The Scout Lab Brand Sprint is a four week engagement in which we work with your key stakeholders to form a bulletproof brand strategy. The final delivery is a brand strategy document that details community enablement, industry competition, core audience definition, brand positioning and visual identity. A team of brand and digital marketing experts that have worked to build everything from early stage startups to fortune 500 brands including adidas, Levi’s, Motorola, Airbnb, Wells Fargo, fitmob and more.  Kaitlyn Barclay - Co-Founder & CEO has been at the helm of growth strategy for small and large companies alike, from fitmob (acquired by ClassPass) to Levi's. Her specialty is marrying brand strategy to digital marketing efforts in order to rapidly scale community.  Willow Hill - Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer study at the London College of Fashion. She is a creative strategist and world traveler obsessed with new technology. Most recently, she spent four years launching and growing the Airbnb brand globally. She has a passion for bringing brands to life through immersive content and experiences. Recent clients include adidas, Paragon One, Bungalow and Teressa Foglia. https://www.scoutlab.co/

I’m here today with artist Eric Helvie. He’s been painting for over 17 years, starting out as a teenager where he attended Creston College – a high school for the arts in South Africa. Born in Portland, Oregon Eric was raised in South Africa. He lives and works in NYC. His work has been reviewed in ArtFuse, The Creators Project, and featured on PBS and in The Daily Beast.   His paintings are included in numerous private collections. He is known for his seemingly effortless fluctuations between abstraction and photorealism and wide ranging influences from Philip K. Dick to Francis Bacon. Eric is represented by Massey Lyuben Gallery in Chelsea, New York. He’s had solo shows with: Natalie Kates Project in New York City Rivington Design House in New York City Amongst several others. PLEASE Make sure to check out; erichelvie.com Social Media Tags on Instagram: @erichelvie

I’m here today with Sky Kelley, the Founder & CEO of Avisar and the 17th African America women ever to raise $1 million + in VC funding. AVISAR is democratizing the nature of sourcing within procurement – a multi-trillion dollar industry by making it possible for companies of all sizes can bid on contracts. They simplify the process with a SAAS based platform, which enables companies to find, select from a large pool of vendors and retail the right ones to work with.   Today – it’s a highly fragmented process with little to no consistency – including several different processes, company specific platforms, sending in emails, filling out forms on websites, etc. It’s very frustrating, making it nearly impossible for most small to mid size businesses to fairly compete.   Many of which may be able to offer a better product or service at more affordable rates – Oftentimes referred to as a black hole – there is little transparency or accountability.   Problem: Gated - closed systems for supplier registration + RFP outreach – this requires a lot of administrative resource to support.   Solution: One platform. Simplified process for all that ensures transparency and accountability.   Social Mission To alleviate wealth inequality along racial and gender lines by leveling the playing field for all businesses to compete for contracts.       Previously, she was Director of New Product Strategy for At& T and prior to that at Disney. Her challenge at both, was how to find the vendors she needed to create new products – an idea was born.   Sky began her career on Wall Street in Derivative and Equity Sales - having assisted in the deal negotiations of more than $20 Billion for three different Fortune 100 companies She sits on the board of the LA Clean Tech Incubator – where she over sees diversity and inclusion Sky holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studied Entrepreneurship.  She is an east coast transplant who proudly resides in Los Angeles – like my wife Maxi.   Check out AVISARE.COM – which means making you aware in Spanish and Italian – Sky loves language – and is also fluent in French.

I'm here today with Blair Cobb who unlocks one's potential for doing good every day. She has over 13 years of experience creating strategic partnerships across the for-profit, non-profit, personal and social enterprise sectors.   Blair is the Founder and Principal of BWC consulting which specializes in helping individuals and companies create and execute philanthropic strategies and campaigns aligned with their core values, assets and beliefs. She is also the Founder of Wholistic Nut, a Los Angeles-based food company that thinks wholistically about the nature of our products and the impact they have on our communities. Her Company makes delicious handmade almond milks and nut-based treats – they’re delicious.  Check Out: WholisticNut.com   Blair is passionate about using WholisticNut to help under-served women in LA to reclaim their lives back.   Known as 'the nut girl.' her mother packed her lunch every day growing up, which always included a peanut butter sandwich, no jelly (ever).  As she got older her tolerance for digesting peanuts worsened. She began to notice additives in the food she was consuming, which led to earning a certificate in holistic health from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition back in 2013 – turning her personal challenge into opportunity.   Prior to Founding Wholistic Nut, Blair was Director of Business Development for Change.org and the Senior Director for Cause Marketing and Community Relations at AOL.    She’s a Member of the board of directors of Promises Foundation/Miriam’s House and The Los Angeles Activator for SheEo

Lisa Wang is the Co-Founder of SheWorx and an American rhythmic gymnast. 4-time US National Champion, winning once as a junior and three times as a senior, and the 2007 Pan American Games Champion. She was a key member of the U.S. senior national team, representing the United States at three World Championships. Lisa began rhythmic gymnastics training in 1998 when she was ten years old. In of May 2008, she competed in her last National Championship in Houston, Texas where she swept all 5 Gold Medals in addition to winning the All-Around Title and Athlete of the Year.  Lisa Wang is the Co-Founder of SheWorx and an American rhythmic gymnast. 4-time US National Champion, winning once as a junior and three times as a senior, and the 2007 Pan American Games Champion. She was a key member of the U.S. senior national team, representing the United States at three World Championships. Lisa began rhythmic gymnastics training in 1998 when she was ten years old. In of May 2008, she competed in her last National Championship in Houston, Texas where she swept all 5 Gold Medals in addition to winning the All-Around Title and Athlete of the Year.   She retired in 2008 after gaining admission to Yale University and attended Yale University as the Class of 2012 - graduating with a degree in BA in American Studies. She was also the Light Fellow In 2014, Lisa was recognized for her landmark contributions to the progress of gymnastics in America, and was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of FameLisa Co-Founded - SheWorx – The global platform for investing in the future of female founded companies. SheWorx connects 20K female entrepreneurs who embody three core values: 1. Ambition - We encourage entrepreneurs to set big goals.2. Action - We don't just dream, we execute.3. Altruism - We recognize those who have helped us and actively give back.While, you are listening  - check out: WWW. SHEWORX.COM

Mike Cahill attorney, environmentalist and entrepreneur, is the founder of Prenupta.com, which provides flat rate on demand prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements.  www.prenupta.com He’s using his knowledge of the law and technology to design a legal service for a new generation of on the go, digitally savvy consumers. Hear about Mike’s journey from the court room to his living room where all great entrepreneurs start, as he shares his vision for the future of legal services and why Prenupta.

Chelsea Grayson is an experienced CEO, corporate board member and advisor to public and private companies. She is a frequent public speaker and panelist on corporate governance and other board issues, corporate culture and leadership. Most recently Chelsea was the General Counsel, CEO and a board member of American Apparel, a $600M vertically integrated apparel manufacturer with a 50-country global footprint, served by 250 retail locations, a digital retail site and a wholesale business. She then successfully sold the company to Gildan Activewear - Partner in the M&A/corporate governance practice groups of Jones Day and Loeb & Loeb. - Board Leadership Fellow and a Corporate Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) - Recipient of the In-House Impact Award from The Recorder (The American Lawyer) and of the 40 Under 40 Recognition Award from the M&A Advisor - Named one of “L.A.’s Top 40 Dealmakers” in the Los Angeles Business Journal “Who’s Who in L.A. Law”

Kassia Meador, the first lady of Long Boarding, an accomplished photographer, who also designs her own line of wetsuits and surf accessories called Kassia + Surf. INSTA: @kassiasurf TWITTER: @kassiasurf WEB SITE : www.kassiasurf.com New App: KASSIASURF And facebook: KASSIASURF California born and bred, Kassia began surfing at age 14. By the time she was 17, Kassia was a sponsored pro-longboarder, traveling the world and competing in surf events globally. Known for her graceful surf style, Kassia was crowned the "queen of noseriding" by the New York Times and in 2011 ranked 2nd on the WSL women's longboard tour. Throughout her 17-year career as a competitive sponsored athlete, Kassia was actively involved in designing products under the umbrella of her sponsors. In 2013, Kassia left sponsored surfing to build a brand--that focused on quality instead of quantity--for women by women. Since launching in 2015, KASSIA+SURF has pushed the limits of women's surf culture, lifestyle, and design. With a mission to create aquatically functional wetsuits, accessories, and lifestyle gear, KASSIA+SURF is about freedom, empowerment, and enlightenment. Delivering superior quality goods by using eco-conscious production. Future flavor with a classic twist.

Aussie entrepreneur Steve Glaveski is the CEO and Co-Founder, Collective Campus an innovation hub, school and consultancy based in Melbourne and Singapore, that works with large organizations to help them adopt mindsets, methods and tools to successfully explore new business models in an era of rapid change. Steve also founded Lemonade Stand, a children's entrepreneurship program for 9-12 year olds and wrote the Innovation Manager's Handbook, an Amazon bestseller. He hosts Future², an iTunes chart topping podcast about corporate innovation and entrepreneurship which won the inaugural Australian podcasting people’s choice award in the Business category.

Rachael McCrary, Founder and CEO of Jewel Toned, an eCommerce startup which offers the first meant-to-be-seen shapewear products that are not quite innerwear, and not quite outerwear. shopjeweltoned.com Rachael is a Lingerie Expert with 16 years of product development experience in the fashion industry. She’s passionate about making body-positive lingerie for women of all shapes and sizes. Rachael entered, and won five pitch competitions and raised Venture Capital in 2015 to scale the company. Rachael studied Fashion Design at FIDM in San Francisco and FIT in New York City. She's a Certified Martha Beck Life Coach, Certified Sivananda Yoga Teacher, RYT-500 and participated in the Innovation Entrepreneurship program at Stanford University. shopjeweltoned.com

Eagle Rock Werkshop was Launched on Kickstarter in January 2014, the second most successful womenswear fashion launch on that platform. Tina is from Kansas City now based in LA, a fashion design director for over 12 years, yogi and fitness enthusiast. She always felt that her workout clothing lacked personality, so she decided to change that and take the concepts of art, high-fashion and leggings and combine it with high-performance sports. All products are made locally in small batches through a closely-knit supply chain. Fan reviews: Workout clothes so sexy and fun that you wanted to wear them everywhere and Werkshop leggings are worth every penny.

Television's longest standing Female writing & producing team Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin have been working together for over 27 years. Both were fresh out of school as writing fellows at the American Film Institute and decided to rent an office together. After awhile of writing on their own, almost simultaneously they leaned over to the other and said, “You want to try and write something together?" Four years later they wrote an hour long script for Chicago Hope which got them their first job. When they started there were very few women in television. Listen to how they became a support system for one another as women writers, working moms and inspired other female creative talents. The've had long and impressive careers in a business that is not easy and not always welcoming of extremely talented woman in the writer’s room. And they are giving back. As writer-producers, they’re known for their work on shows like: Melrose Place, Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, Judging Amy, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica, The Riches and The Killing. Award winning episode of The Education of Max Pickford and most recently they created the series Z: The Beginning of Everything – On Amazon, with Christina Ricci.

Tony Drockton, CEO & Chief Cheerleader of Hammitt Los Angeles makes some of the most sought after stylish and luxurious women’s shoes and handbags. Tony has experienced some of life's toughest challenges when he lost everything during an economic downturn. Reduced to couch surfing, he began to focus on what it would take to build his life back up and his why.  With total honesty he shares what he's learned and the many mentors who have made a difference in his life. We are excited to share Tony's journey with you. and Check out HAMMITT.com @hammittla, #Hammittla #Hammitt

Sharleen Ernster is the Founder and CEO of Hot-As-Hell. An exciting new clothing line that features swimwear, lingerie and beach lifestyle apparel. She is the visionary design executive behind such recognizable global fashion brands as GUESS?, Victoria’s Secret, and Armani Exchange. Hear her journey from her childhood in a small Texas town to the top of the fashion world and why she has decided to pursue her 'Why' as an eco-conscious entrepreneur. 

The Startup Mentality....Stephi Maron, founder and CCO, and Nicki Maron CMO of Blushington are young and enthusiastic female entrepreneurs as well as devoted sisters. Blushington provides professional, affordable makeup applications and esthetician services in a beautifully designed and fun atmosphere.    Stephi started Blushington at age 21 after graduating from the University of Arizona and a high-school internship at True Religion Jeans where she was hired on the spot after interviewing the CEO.    Nicki graduated from The University of Washington in St Louis where she played Varsity Soccer and then spent the next several years focusing on marketing in the entertainment industry.    The best part of our jobs is making women feel beautiful.  At Blushington, our philosophy is “feeling pretty is priceless.  

James and Kristina Jones, husband and wife and Co-Founders of Court Buddy – Legal. For Everyone, a legal-tech startup to help make legal representation more affordable, regardless of one’s financial situation for consumers and businesses, providing a marketplace for attorneys seeking clients.   He is a Super-lawyer attorney, she specializes in advertising and consumer marketing. Together in 2015 they founded Court Buddy. “There are 129 million ‘Forgottens,’ people who go to court alone and intimidated, and can’t afford a traditional law firm’s hourly rate,”   Winner of the American Bar Association’s Brown Select Award, Silicon Valley Forum’s Women in Tech Competition, American Entrepreneurship Award  Seed funding from global venture capital fund 500 Startups and selected for their Silicon Valley accelerator.   

Jenise Steverding, Principal of Cause Brand Consulting which helps causes and brands connect for impact   Jenise is an expert in Social Enterprise, Strategic, Partnerships, Corporate Giving, Social Impact & Cause Marketing  Led the global account team and partnerships at Tom’s “One For One” shoes and Scaled global giving from 1MM to 40MM  Key member of Giving Children Hope and Special Olympics World Games  Tom’s is legendary – Early member of TOMS Giving hired to develop global shoe-giving account management approach and strategy Entrepreneur vs. Philanthropic Entrepreneur Specializing in Social Media, Brand Building, Integrated Marketing, Digital Marketing

Barbara Boxer is an entrepreneur, venture capital investor, attorney, and a trailblazer for women in business. She is currently the Manager Director of Belle Capital, and has over 20 years of experience advising and investing in early-stage companies. Barbara has spent the lion’s share of her life focused on both empowering women and investing in the ideas of female entrepreneurs. She is also the founder and managing member of Women Angels, LLC, an investment group that is comprised of qualified women investors who only invest in women owned businesses. Women Angels has invested over $5 million in five women owned businesses since 2007. In this episode, Barbara details her business journey, and discusses her investment ethos, which involves creating more funding outcomes for women-driven ventures. When looking for business deals Barbara looks at many different characteristics. Whether it is connecting with entrepreneurs who have imagination, finding the “heart” in the deals, or analyzing the company’s teams, Barbara is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build out their dreams. Barbara jokes that she is a “recovering lawyer.” She recognizes that there are many brick walls that you face when starting a business, and that you must find that chip on your shoulder, in order to get through those walls! The BizFix Podcast Take Home Value: How Barbara plays golf in order to get away from her work, and why everyone needs to find an activity to “shut it down” and stay fresh Which trends Barbara believes are big for women in business, including futuristic tech, robotics, and medical devices Why Barbara wanted to show her daughter and granddaughter that she was going to “walk the walk” and doing more than talking about investing in female entrepreneurs Why Barbara thinks it’s important to find the chip on your shoulder that helps you thrive and stay motivated in business  Belle Capital: http://www.bellevc.com/