We decided to end Women’s History Month with a bang by collaborating with WO3, a dynamic organization committed to empowering women-owned businesses. WO3 provides support to women entrepreneurs in three key areas: partnering, promoting, and advocating.
Their mission is to inspire women to join together to support any woman-owned or female-led business. Within this article, we’ve included the top 50 female entrepreneurs selected by W03’s Founder Tammi Reylea and the orgtanization’s Executive Committee. W03 has brought these women to the limelight due to their vales of work ethic, inspiration stories, and their commitment to staying true to their core values. The empowerment that comes from owning your own business makes a huge social impact that will have a lasting effect on younger girls who may not feel ready for the business world. Small women-owned businesses are crucial, not only to the economy, but also to show how important women are in the business world. These women are taking control of their careers as they pursue their passions, build their skills, and achieve their goals.
Amber Allen-Peirson (Clarity) is a storyteller, a visionary, and a community activist, business owner, and Documentary Film Director. She is a poet who traverses between polarized worlds as a biracial woman, born in Oakland and raised between Oakland and Marin County. Her life experience gives her an incredible sense of intuition, empathy, and creative healing skills. Her background is a writer, an activist, educator, and a public speaker, focused on supporting self-development and working in Black and Brown communities to cultivate health, communication, and empowerment (especially with young people).
As a Creative Director Amber is adept at inspiring individuals and communities to find the stories within their own experience and extract the wisdom and the power from their own narratives through workshops, lectures, and interviews. Amber can see the story that no one is looking at and inspire our attention to the full human experience.
In 2013 she survived a horrific quad bike accident that left her with a Traumatic Brain Injury and limited function in her right arm – but not even that could hold Amy back from the many achievements that she took upon herself to conquer since her life changed forever. Amy shares her story through inspirational/motivational speaking events, conferences, charity events, and educational awareness related to trauma, traumatic brain injuries as well as mental wellness. Amy lives in a small North Queensland town raising her two sons, Jack and Harry and their fighter fish bingo and bluey.
Ann McKitrick, MS is the founder of Nurtured Noggins, a comprehensive resource for parents and the host of Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast. A frequent conference speaker, she’s a parent coach and early childhood consultant with 30 years of experience in higher education. Ann also provides online professional development for thousands of child care professionals each year through her online business, Texas Child Care Training. Ann resides near Houston Texas where she’s a happy empty-nester, Camp Gladiator enthusiast, Mom, Mimi and Mastermind Leader for women’s personal growth groups.
Ashley Mansour is a renowned book strategist, author coach, and the author of two #1 Amazon Bestsellers. She is the founder and CEO of LA Writing Coach, which serves clients all over the United States and internationally.
She has over a decade of experience in entertainment and digital media working as a writer, executive and award-winning film producer. Her work has been featured on KTLA, FOX, Beyond 50 Radio, and in publications such as People Magazine, Nylon, Rolling Stone, and The Huffington Post. Ashley teaches everyone from experts to global thought leaders how to elevate their authority beyond their tribe to create the impact, worldwide reach, and level of distinction in their field they truly deserve through the power of a masterpiece authority-building book.
ANG Model Management is a freshly developed Bay Area modeling agency, founded in 2018 by Ayana Gordon. ANG Model Management’s mission is to target unique individuals with the ability to be great in front of a camera. ANG Model Management stands out from the traditional modeling agency by excelling in providing personalized, a la carte services to the modeling industry; giving models and clients confidence to accomplish any project.
While attending FIDM SF (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising), Ayana Gordon chose to follow her passion and start her own business within model management. ANG Model Management was created and designed to provide an outlet for young unique individuals to find their identity and explore the world of modeling. ANG Model Management works hard to network with potential clients, provide a trusting system that will guide models to their success, and building models to expose their full potential. ANG Model Management isn’t just about pushing models to become their best, but also building a family.
BabbleOnBrooke loves inspiring others and showing how absolutely ANYTHING is possible! If you want a hype woman in your corner, call Brooke. She is the founder of “Stand Out Online Academy” as well as an International Award-Winning Creator + Host, Top Motivational Speaker, Coach for Entrepreneurs and former TV + Stage Actor who blends her unique combination of a successful entertainment background with life-enhancing mindset skills (learned from a severe 12-year health journey, “From Hollywood To Housebound To Healing”) to help entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations communicate effectively, stand out online and more easily attract their ideal demographic. Amplifying the voices of her clients and audiences is one of her favorite things to do, in addition to being a proud advocate for those with invisible disabilities.
She has been featured on NBC, CBS, HGTV, MTV and in Forbes, Success Magazine, Yahoo Finance, New York Finance and Voyage LA. Her motto in life is “When you wake up breathing, it’s a good day!” and BabbleOn stands for “Keep Going”. You can follow her @BabbleOnBrooke on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Clubhouse and find out more about her offers, including “Stand Out Online Academy”, at www.BabbleOnBrooke.com.
Bianca Stawiarski is founder / Managing Director of international Indigenous social enterprise, Warida Wholistic Wellness. She is a strong Badimaya (First Nations) / Ukrainian woman, who is a centred and purpose-driven healer, facilitator, coach, international co-author, and change maker. She is mum to Savannah and Orson and is a qualified mental health practitioner focusing on supporting people who have experienced complex trauma, starting Warida to counteract people’s experiences in the mental health system of being disempowered.
Bianca empowers women to reconnect with their inner fire and undertake healing journeys on their own terms, while simultaneously working to change systems that continue to create this imbalance. She has over two decades experience in the Commonwealth Government, including eight years as a business owner. As a coach, she is also passionate about supporting the development of sustainable businesses, particularly those founded by First Nations people or female entrepreneurs. In her life’s work, she is exploring Ngardi Guwanda (deep listening), Indigenous Healing and lived experiences of plural communities (dissociative identity disorder), hoping that the exploration can continue to create awareness, instigate change, and provide a platform for the voices of disadvantaged / vulnerable people with lived experiences to be heard. Bianca is also an award winner and best-selling international co-author in two books, with a further five anthological publications to be released in 2023.
Boye “Bibi” Asenuga is a Nigerian-American Founder and Creative Director of ChicNiCity, a women’s ready-to-wear clothing label based in Massachusetts. Inspired by her dual identity, Bibi created a brand which fuses ethnic inspired prints, contemporary design elements and silhouettes. The result is an affordable brand which offers premium, wearable, versatile and culturally diverse clothing – ChicNiCity. Prior to founding ChicNiCity in 2017, Bibi started her career as a lawyer, but soon realized her passion for fashion, and very quickly transitioned to pursue that passion.
For over 15 years, Bibi has worked with multiple international fashion brands to develop and manufacture their clothing lines which have, and are being sold in retail stores all over the world. ChicNiCity recently debuted its exclusively designed collection for the retail giant HSN. Bibi is a proud alumna of Fashion Institute of Technology, New York; and School of Fashion Design, Boston, where she was recently awarded “The 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award”. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two kids.
Brooke Shapiro is a CEO of two parent focused companies. Her first is Sprinkles Parents, which is a local parent solutions platforms that provides community, education and resources from pregnancy to Kindergarten. Sprinkles provides the baby/toddler handbook they forgot to give at the hospital and the village it takes to raise a child all in one! She is also the founder of a marketing consulting agency that provides launch marketing and guindence to help baby/kid focused brands reach parents authentically. Her hardest job though it being a mom to two kids Jace 4 and Rayna 2 that have muscle distriphy disease called Charcot Marie Tooth. Her life mission is to help parents and business grow and thrive through the support that she provides!
Cath Hakanson has been talking to clients about sex for the past 25 years as a nurse, midwife, sex therapist, researcher, author and educator. She’s spent the past 15 years trying to unravel why parents (herself included) struggle with sex education. Her solution was to create Sex Ed Rescue, an online resource that simplifies sex education and helps parents to empower their children with the right information about sex, so kids can talk to them about anything, no matter what.
Cath has lived all over Australia but currently lives in Perth with her partner, 2 children, and ever-growing menagerie of pets. Despite having an unusual profession, she bakes, sews, and knits for sanity, collects sexual trivia, and tries really hard not to embarrass her children in public. Well, most of the time anyway!
Christina Litke, owner and photographer of Alias Josie Boudoir Photography. From the first day on a set, Christina knew boudoir photography was her passion. Hundreds of shoots later, Christina still gets excited every time she goes into the studio! Christina believes she gets the chance to help so many people explore their powerful and sexy side. Her passion is to bring out a side of you, that you may have forgotten about or didn’t even know existed! She has built a business out of her strengths in cosmetology, set design, pose coaching, dance, lighting and photography.
Deslynn Jaquias is a mom, keynote speaker, podcaster, facilitator, and mental health advocate. For over 30 years she has been empowering teens and adults through her public speaking engagements in Hawai’i, and globally on social media. One of her many passions is spreading aloha as the Founder and CEO of Healing with Aloha. In addition to this, Deslynn is a co-author of the recently published “The Power to Rise Above”. Her life mission is to empower and inspire others to practice self-care through music, humor, and art. Deslynn infused her experience with mental health matters, overcoming adversity, and being a divorced single mother to inspire other women. She finds joy in leading creativity workshops and virtual summits, and speaking events. When she is not doing this, Deslynn coaches businesswomen on how to be confident by utilizing their social media platforms to embark on their respective missions while being engaged in their own healing. Deslynn has been featured multiple times in The Garden Island Newspaper, on the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, and on multiple podcasts across all streaming platforms. She lives in Hawai’i with her son Kainoa and her parents. Follow along her journey on Instagram at alohadeslynn! For your reference, check out these link: https://www.amazon.com/author/alohadeslynnjaquias
Dr. Abby Sirovica has been in the holistic health world for over 10 years and is the founder of the Grassroots Collective. The Grassroots Collective empowers women and families to take control of their health and be supported through chiropractic care, nutrition, massage and red light therapy. The collective is adding on nutritional lab testing and pre-conceptive fertility support this year. She is certified in pediatric and prenatal care earning her CACCP through the ICPA.
Growing sustainable, joy-based businesses is a passion of Dr. Abby’s. She believes in a culture where health, balance (her people) truly come before objectives or business. She is an avid member of her community and leads a team focused on changing the accessibility to empowered fertility, pregnancy, birthing and raising children. Dr. Abby lives in Michigan with her two wild, intelligent, kind young girls and enjoys lifting, biohacking, business and travel.
Dr. Heather Browne PsyD, LMFT helps people recognize the power of communication. It is one of our most important skills that we have, and yet we don’t consider our understanding, approach, belief, and therefore, miss our possibilities. Living with a paranoid schizophrenic mother gave Dr. Heather a unique and powerful awareness that no one has the same reality, though we believe we do. Utilizing this revolutionary awareness has allowed her to transform communication within self and within all other types of relationship. This is the hidden key to acceptance. And this is her mission to share. As a relationship expert, Dr. Heather Browne has worked with thousands of individuals and couples in psychotherapy. She is published in hundreds of journals, has an active YouTube channel, has been featured on ABC-7 news, was the relationship expert on KDOC Daybreak OC, and is published in Inc., Toronto Sun, Thriving Family Magazine, Light + Life, BRAINZ, Scary Mommy, and Psychology Today. She is a regular guest blogger for both Links for Shrinks and for Marriage Friendly Therapists. She offers a weekly newsletter packed with tips and techniques to improve relationships and has workshops! Simply go to her website! https://www.drheatherbrowne.com/
Dr. Rainosek, CEO and Co-Founder of DTP Leadership Group, has a reputation for increasing organizational efficiency, productivity, and profitability by helping Leaders make better strategic decisions in the midst of ever-changing circumstances. During her 47 years as an organizational development (OD) consultant, Dr. Rainosek’s primary objective has been to enhance an organization’s capacity to improve internal/external processes and relationships by helping people and teams cope with a wide range of organizational challenges. Her work has fostered more effective leadership styles, greater communication, better problem-solving, improved decision processes, enhanced cultural competency (through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives), heightened levels of trust and cooperation (internally and with clients), increased utilization of employee skills and talents, and more effective strategic analysis of the everyday issues that hinder exceptional performance. Dr. Rainosek is unique because she 1) takes a multi-faceted approach to diagnosing and addressing her clients’ challenges and 2) draws on an exceptional breadth of knowledge and experience. Her behavioral science and research background enables her to look more effectively at the total organization and get to the root of challenges. Her experience as a certified visionary and dream coach and an executive coach, enables her to identify and remove habitual patterns that block people from reaching their highest potential, crucial for the success of all great leaders. She is also one of only 75 Certified Masters globally with The Leadership Challenge program (the central leadership program in 189 countries). This diverse background and expertise enable Dr. Rainosek to create highly tailored interventions with practical solutions that lead to lasting, measurable change. You can see her LinkedIn profile here: Dr. Jackalyn Rainosek
Born and raised in San Mateo, California, Dr. Patricia Kiser-Cohen attended Aragon High School. With an innate passion for healing, she became fascinated with the human body and the causes of pain, disease, and diminished quality of life. During high school, Dr. Kiser participated in cheerleading, horseback riding, and soccer but experienced debilitating back pain after fracturing her lower back. She began researching holistic methods to alleviate the pain and was introduced to chiropractic care by a personal mentor. The following summer, she interned in a sports-medicine chiropractic clinic that treated various professional athletic organizations. This internship solidified her determination to become a chiropractor. Dr. Kiser pursued pre-medicine and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from Patten University. She then enrolled in Chiropractic College and received her Doctorate in Chiropractic Care in 1994. After gaining three years of clinical experience in chiropractic care, she established her own practice in 1997. Dr. Kiser’s healing abilities have been recognized by clients who come from all over the Bay Area. Her vast knowledge of anatomy and physiology enables her to identify the source of pain and provide instant relief, allowing her clients to achieve their optimal level of health.
Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito FRANZCR is a Clinical Director, Specialist of Breast Imaging and Intervention and solopreneur/business owner at Women’s & Breast Imaging (WBI), Cottesloe, Western Australia. She is also a qualified and fellowship trained subspecialist in Musculoskeletal Imaging, Interventional and Vascular Radiology and Paediatric Radiology in Perth Western Australia. She is a passionate educator and is an Adjunct Clinical Senior Lecturer at Curtin University, The University of Western Australia, and Edith Cowan University. As of 2022, she is a published co-author of three book anthologies: Courage and Confidence: What It Really Takes To Succeed in Business; Global Girls – Find Your Thing; and The Power To Rise Above.
Her notable awards are: Millennial Achiever Award presented by Filipino Australian Club of Perth (2019) People’s Choice Gold Award for the ‘Making A Difference (Local Community)’ category presented by AusMumpreneur (2021) People’s Choice Silver Award for the ‘Health and Well-being’ category presented by AusMumpreneur (2021). Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards 2022, Finalist for the ‘Professional Medical Services’ category (2022), Breast Radiologist of the Year presented by the Radiology Awards (2022).
A highly respected Breast Imaging Specialist, Dr Vanessa is also an accomplished speaker, wife, mother and triathlete. Like many women she faces the stressful challenge of juggling the demands of a career and family whilst taking care of her own physical and spiritual wellbeing.
Grace Kraaijivanger founded The Hivery in 2014 as the first of its’ kind female-fueled coworking space that has evolved into a global membership community dedicated to womxn creative entrepreneurs. She created a network that connects thousands of women entrepreneurs and built multiple beautiful locations of award-winning gathering spaces for womxn (including the Wayfair Award for Best Office in the U.S. and Canada). She believes in the unique potential of every woman and has seen the impact of women supporting women to create viable, world-changing businesses, books, art, social impact, and leadership. She believes that creative entrepreneurs are artists of life and that womxn’s communities are a super power. Her mission is to empower every womxn she reaches to believe in the unique gifts that only she can bring to the world. As a leader in women’s empowerment programming and events, Grace has interviewed and hosted luminaries like Dr. and First Lady Jill Biden, Diane von Furstenberg, and Marie Forleo, and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, Domino, Elle, Architectural Digest, and more.
Hannah Tamayo had always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, and her passion for desserts pushed her to pursue a career as a baker. After working in the industry for a few years, Hannah founded Hanmade’s Desserts in 2018, where she produced delicious desserts from her home kitchen. However, in 2020, Hannah was ready to start a new path and realise her dream of owning her own shop that provides scrumptious cakes, desserts and pastries to the public. This was how Hanmade’s Bakehouse was created.
Itzel Hayward is a coach, consultant, and yoga teacher committed to creating a world that is just, whole, and healed. Itzel was a public policy lawyer for 13 years before founding Attuned Living. Through Attuned Living, she shares yoga, reiki, and other healing modalities with adults seeking to heal from the trauma of living in a toxic culture. Itzel is the founder of the Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco’s Scholarship-Based Yoga Teacher Training for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. And she sits on the Advisory Board for the Trauma Prevention and Recovery Certificate Program at the City College of San Francisco. In addition to working with individuals, Itzel offers social justice, wellness, and other trauma-informed training programs to organizations seeking to bring an anti-racist and mindful lens to the work they do. Itzel, her spouse, and their kiddo are based in Huchiun, unceded Lisjan territory, also known as Oakland, California.
Jackie came from a very humble background in the Philippines. As a little girl she has always been fascinated by make-up transformations from a local TV beauty show and started playing with her mom and grandma’s make-up. During her teenage years, she would study make-up application from magazines and posters, confidently applying make-up to her family and friends. She eventually started joining beauty pageants and modelling competitions and soon after graduating college, Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Jackie went on to become a professional model. Her family eventually moved to Canada where she enrolled herself in make-up school excelling in all courses, receiving Make-Up Artistry Certification. As a professional make-up artist Jackie specializes in bridal make-up. Her background also includes, retail, banking, customer service and hospitality industry. In 2020, during the pandemic, Jackie took a leap of started her own Vancouver-based company J Inof Co. and launched her beauty line, GLO*RIOUS by J Inof Beauty. A luxurious line of cosmetics that’s paraben-free, cruelty-free, hypo-allergenic, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free and Canadian made beauty products. Jackie balances her time between her 4yr old daughter, her company and working in a luxury 5-star hotel.
Jadah Sellner is a bestselling author, business coach, international keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, poet, and host of the Lead with Love® podcast. She’s the author of SHE BUILDS: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life. She’s also the co-author of the best-selling book Simple Green Smoothies where over one million people have embraced this simple and healthy habit. As the founder of Jadah Sellner Media, Inc. and She Builds Collective, Jadah helps women build their businesses and their lives in a way that works for them—–with love. She has been featured in Forbes, O, The Oprah Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. Learn more at jadahsellner.com or follow her on social media at @jadahsellner When Jadah’s not speaking on stage, you can catch her dancing to Beyoncé in her living room or sipping on a Chai tea latte by a cozy fireplace. She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, daughter, and dog Beesly.
Resilience means having the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and to show toughness. This definition has been the cornerstone of Justine’s extraordinary journey over the last decade, a journey no one could fathom, but in Justine’s words, this journey has changed her for the better. Justine uses her learned experiences of overcoming adversities to help others gain their own resilience. In 2011, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, underwent three heart surgeries, and then had three primary cancers at once. She was told she would never work again by a medical professional. But that was never an option for her. Justine catapulted herself into the world of business. She not only changed her life to give it purpose and direction but also inspired those around her with her story. After learning how to paint and use her art as therapy, she has become a multi-award-winning artist and found the strength and determination to take control of her financial future. She now owns and runs seven businesses JUZT art, Resilience Mindset, Van–Go Decals, Morpheus Publishing, Team Fingerprint, Geelong Residential Cleaners and Justine Martin Speaker all being under the umbrella of Justine Martin Corporation. In 2021/22 Justine was nominated for 29 national business awards and won 9 in various categories such as Coach of the year, Creative artist of the year and International Speaker/ Coach judges awards.
Justine is an award-winning Resilience Coach/Consultant and Speaker, multi-award winning Professional Artist, Teacher, Amazon best-selling Author, Publisher, Mentor, Affiliate, Volunteer, Cancer Survivor, MS Worrier, Disabled, Mum of two, Grandmother of seven and the Queen of Resilience. Email: hello@justinemartin.com.au. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/justinemartincorporation
Karen Gibson, a wife, and mother of two adult daughters, wrote “Mama’s Gotta Let Go: How to Let Go without Losing Your Sanity,” which rated #2 in different categories on Amazon Kindle. She founded Brain Builders, a private tutoring business in 1999, whose mission is to prepare students to succeed in and out of the classroom.
As a certified neuro-linguistic practitioner, she helps her clients rewire their brains to improve communication and problem-solving skills while overcoming limiting beliefs. She recently co-authored “The Power to Rise,” along with 29 women across the globe sharing her story of “The Gift of a Failed Suicide Attempt.” Karen founded Letting Go with Aloha in 2019, mentoring stressed parents and those in parenting roles to navigate their journey with peace instead of pain. In 2021, she wrote “One Hundred Parenting Tips Inspired by the Pandemic” which started as one hundred parenting video tips on Instagram and TikTok.
Karen Perks is the Managing Director of Ancient Wisdom Business Writers and leads the Australian and UK teams sharing her knowledge of business strategy across their services. She is experienced in business management, bid and grant writing, industry engagement, and able to identify, develop and connect strategy into real solutions. Karen has valuable and extensive working knowledge of the grant and tender process and language of Commonwealth and State grants, local Government, Indigenous Procurement policies, local buy policies and tender evaluation and assessment criteria that is the differentiator to winning bids and grants.
Kel is a women’s mindset, life transformation, & empowerment mentor and the host of the Dear Dumb Bitch Podcast. Kel’s programs help women navigate the aftermath of toxic relationships and transform the relationship with themselves so they can heal toxic patterns, stop settling, fall in love with themselves, and create a life they are obsessed with. Kel was living what appeared to be her dream life but in reality was secretly miserable in an emotionally abusive marriage so she made the bold decision to leave her life in sunny South Florida and move across the country to restart her life in the rainy city of Seattle. She went broke overnight, didn’t have a job, & was technically homeless, but she had a vision of a better future for herself so she committed to her own personal healing journey. Kel now lives in Bali and shares her life lessons and perspective with other women to help them heal from toxic relationships and use them as a catalyst for personal growth and transformation.
If I could think of the perfect personal tagline, it would be “Midwestern made, Bay Area perfected!” My husband and business partner and I were both raised in the Midwest. We graduated from Ohio colleges and went on to have distinguished corporate careers across healthcare and nutrition. In 2007, I took an exciting leap into the world of advertising, and in 2010 that journey brought us to California’s Silicon Valley. Lured by its high energy and entrepreneurial spirit, we decided to step out on faith to become small business owners. I became a licensed esthetician, and after many years of working for some fantastic spa owners, in 2015, we became local franchise owners of what I like to refer to as ‘a brand with a heartbeat.’ We are humbled and grateful to have introduced Spavia Day spa to California and the wonderful community of Downtown Pleasant Hill. We recently celebrated our 5th year of business, and we find joy in being job creators and incubators for those who have answered their calling to provide healing to others on their wellness journey. We look forward to providing our guests an exceptional experience every time you walk through our doors.
Lisa Duerre is the co-founder and CEO of RLD Group, a collective of leadership development coaching and consulting experts helping tech companies take culture transformation out of the clouds, banish burnout, and drive bottom-line results. RLD Group is a certified WBENC with expertise on HR strategy and organizational design, developing leadership pipelines, talent retention, burnout prevention, and team performance in the complex hybrid work world. Lisa spent over 20 years in Silicon Valley as a rising executive inside Fortune 500 tech companies. Now, she speaks to audiences of leaders in tech around the world. Lisa’s message has been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, WomLead Magazine, FeedSpot, Thrive Global, Authority Magazine, Romper, The Mercury News, and more. Lisa is the host of the Ctrl+Alt+Delete with Lisa Duerre podcast, a top -10-rated podcast on technical leadership. Lisa interviews leadership experts and executives in tech to help leaders in tech drive profitability without burning out. When she’s not busy leading RLD Group or hosting podcast guests, Lisa loves exploring her home area of Portland, Oregon with her co-founder and husband Randy, their daughter Emily, and their fun-loving Cavapoo Yogi. Lisa is actively raising awareness for women who live with lipedema, a disease with no known cure affecting the quality of life for approximately 1 out of 9 women worldwide.
Liz is a heart-led entrepreneur dedicated to creating positive shifts for our generation and generations to come through providing support for parents and children. Liz helps parents build the foundation for a healthy, thriving family through her coaching and consulting practice. She also promotes social-emotional wellbeing in children by creating made-to-order custom stories to help families turn conflict into connection and learning, and through offering outdoor enrichment opportunities for kids at a farm in her local community. Since having two boys of her own while running two service-based businesses, Liz is no stranger to navigating the busy and complex world of parenthood. Liz is passionate about using her personal and professional experience to help parents feel more confident, prepared, and positive about the most challenging and rewarding job there is – raising balanced children.
Marquis Anne is Founder and CEO of Nanny Village, a nanny and staffing agency that helps families and entrepreneurs find outstanding care and household support through the placement of professional nannies, newborn care specialists, private educators, family assistants and private chefs. Nanny Village also offers corporate on-call care solutions. As a Mom of three and former marketing specialist for nationally recognized companies, Marquis has first-hand experience of what a thoughtfully matched nanny can bring to a busy working family in need of support. In addition to matching families with their ideal nanny, Marquis understands a professionally screened caregiver is key. Marquis’ dedication to providing a meticulous candidate screening and interviewing process, which includes multiple rounds of one-on-one interviews, fingerprinting through California’s TrustLine registry and an extensive background check is a contributing factor to the agency’s success. Marquis is passionate about providing resources for families of all backgrounds through education and community building.
Maryann Clark is a pioneering figure in the Filipino community, driven by her own mental health journey. She is dedicated to creating a safe space for Filipino Americans to heal from generational trauma and feel their emotions with compassion, courage, and community. As an honest blogger, Maryann aims to eliminate the stigma of mental health disorders within the Asian community. She has also authored a free eBook on mental health myths for the AANHPI Community. Maryann is a certified Transformational Life Coach and has helped over two dozen women follow their inner compass. In 2020, the Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce recognized her exceptional commitment to initiating uncomfortable conversations around mental health disorders. She currently serves as the Head of Community for Rising Filpinas, a non-profit organization that equips the next generation of leaders through educational, relational, and financial resources. As a passionate advocate for open conversations, Maryann co-hosts The Filipino Momcast Podcast with three moms living in America. They offer real and authentic discussions that deconstruct generational narratives to help Filipino moms navigate life. In her personal life, Maryann is a Christ follower, devoted wife of 20+ years and mother of five who enjoys gardening, hiking, napping, and chocolate.
Our story begins in 2019, where we hosted our first Influencer invite only brunch in Vancouver, Canada followed by our official launch Party in February of 2020 in Vancouver at the prestigious Hycroft Manor! Then of course, when COVID hit we turned to virtual events – Meghan and I crossed paths at our Build An Empire digital event with Elena Cardone. The proceeds of the event were benefiting a charity which Meghan happened to run. The charity was a co- host for the event. At the time, I had hosted over 40 events, reaching over 1000+ women in the Vancouver community, while Meghan had been the speaker and producer of more than 2,000 events with audiences ranging from children to CEO’s, throughout the US and internationally. After chatting with one another we both realized instantly that we could be incredible as business partners. Together as The Modern Day Wife, Meghan and I have hosted 19 events both in person and virtually. We have had over 4,000 event attendees per year, we’ve worked closely with more than 250 Sponsors yearly – ranging from independent business owners to corporate companies including Owl’s Brew, Nellie’s Clean, Smash & Tess, Lexus, Kendra Scott, Spade & Sparrows, Organika and have had renown featured speakers including Julie Chen Moonves, Rachel Lindsay, Haylie Duff and Marisol Nichols.
Michelle “Chelle T” Turner is a mother of 7, wife for 29 years, and a Pastor that has done stand-up comedy for 20+ years. She’s written 4 feature films, written 4 and directed 2 stage plays, produced several shows including 2 comedy tours with stand-up specials now available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Tubi, iTunes, and Spotify.
She is a very creative, spontaneous, interactive individual that has a focused mind for a storyline, an out of the box eye for visuals, with extensive life experiences perfectly lived to bring them both to life. She is currently on her 2nd run of the original stage play production called “To Be More Like You” and a partner with the emerging television network “GOT ONE Tv”. With all these titles, the one she cherishes and honors the most, is “Child of the most high God”, and in all the arenas she’s been blessed to enter, she never forgets that’s who she is.
I have been a licensed Realtor since 2005, representing clients throughout the East Bay Area with a variety of their real estate needs, and now a graduate of the Leadership Institute of The Women’s Council of Realtors National.
I am a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert through the Ilumni Institute, the most intensive training in the nation for divorce real estate professionals. I am also the author of the eBook series on Amazon Kindle titled, “The Divorce Dare” (daring you to live a better life after divorce). Founder of The Divorce Dare Support Group on Facebook. I have the education and experience in dealing with all real estate transactions from low-to-high conflict family law matters.
Sisters Yvette Gentile and Rasha Pecoraro are primarily recognized as the co-hosts of the wildly popular podcast “Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia,” a 2020 iHeartRadio ‘True Crime Podcast of the Year’ nominee. The dark story of their mother Fauna Hodel’s life garnered the attention of superstar Chris Pine (Star Trek, Hell or High Water), actress India Eisley (Underworld: Awakening, The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and award-winning director Patty Jenkins (Monster, Wonder Woman) and became a six-episode TNT limited television series “I Am The Night,” which premiered in January 2019. Gentile and Pecoraro return to the airwaves with a new weekly podcast from Tenderfoot TV and iHeart radio called “Facing Evil.” In their latest venture, the siblings bring their unique perspective of growing up in a family with a dark history, to true crime with a focus on the victims and individuals at the heart of the stories. “If we can make a difference and teach others how we can be better human beings by doing good in the world, we will have achieved everything our mother stood for,” says the pair. “Our goal for this show is to find a light in the darkness and to bring awareness to those stories that are as deserving of the attention that our family has received. By shining light on these other stories of evil, we strive to foster healing.” Outside of podcasting, Gentile is also an actor, model, and sandal designer with her husband Gino. She is an avid yogi who trains for and practices classes specific to individuals confronting distress and long-term grief and pain. She splits her time between her hometown of Hawaii, San Francisco and Italy. Pecoraro was a fierce competitor on “The Biggest Loser” in 2006. Since then, she’s advocated for beauty at any size as a plus size model and married her wife Vanna in 2010. She is a proud LGBTQ+ advocate and activist, mother, as well as an actor and voiceover artist. She resides near Portland but remains a forever native of Honolulu.
Sadie Scheffer is an artist, an MIT drop out, and an accidental baker who learned the art of gluten-free baking to impress her college crush. Today she is the CEO of Bread SRSLY, makers of certified gluten-free sourdough bread in Berkeley, CA. Bread SRSLY’s products are also free of the top 9 allergens, certified Kosher, and Non-GMO. Scheffer launched Bread SRSLY in 2011 as a bike delivery bakery, and now employs 19 people! Sadie lives in El Sobrante, CA where you can find her growing veggies, throwing pottery, and cuddling with her shoulder cat, Dewey. And the crush? After 10 months of recipe development, he finally caught on, and he and Sadie have been together ever since.
Shanti Bright Brien is a former criminal defense attorney, an acclaimed author and a recovering NFL-wife. For over ten years Shanti represented people convicted of murder, rape and other “criminals” as their advocate and attorney, sharing their stories with judges and other legal leaders. In her award-winning memoir, Almost Innocent: From searching to saved in America’s criminal justice system, Shanti captures her story of navigating and surviving the tragic and messy criminal justice system, and about being a woman, mom and partner through all of it. Shanti emerged from the criminal justice system–the epicenter of racial inequity– focused on our shared experience of human fallibility and the need for profound change. She co-founded and leads Fogbreak Justice, a national organization that collaborates with and educates criminal justice professionals, civic leaders and business change-makers who are serious about fairness and equity. As a professor, teacher, and expert on experiential learning for adults, Shanti has taught thousands of people complex skills like reducing bias, managing really hard conversations, becoming anti-racist, and writing for personal and social change. Through Om Shanti workshops, Shanti hopes to inspire radical empathy for others, especially the silenced, the “bad,” the marginalized and the oppressed, and lead others to become better advocates for change, better storytellers, better community members and better humans.
The owner of Dále Vino Wine Bar and a higher education administrator, Tara Sanders, M.A., pours time and intention into her community through meaningful action. A published researcher and advocate, Tara believes everyone deserves the opportunity for economic mobility and that education in all forms is the great equalizer. An education and wine enthusiast, Tara combined these passions by designing Pittsburg, Ca’s first wine bar to be about access to and appreciation for wine for all, and sees Dále Vino as an extension of her commitment to community and education. “Education is for everyone, as is wine, and my goal is to make sure both experiences are accessible.” In her career, Tara has worked in both the California Community College and California State University Systems, and also as a hiring consultant for major companies such as BART. A former Miss Black Ca USA and Miss Teen of the Nation, Tara has a devotion for public service and community, ranging from Rotary to non-profit board of directors. In her free time she hikes, volunteers with youth and at her church, and travels. “As a member of the new majority, I graciously work to exemplify that anything is possible with work-ethic and the desire to learn.”
Therese Miu is expert community builder, leadership coach, and is a recognized expert on leadership and social entrepreneurship dedicated to activating individuals and organizations to lead change in the world. She has powerful combination of wellness, organizational development, marketing, event, and non-profit expertise as a result of over 15 years of passionate commitment to building brands and helping corporations and organizations maximize their potential. As the Founder of Fire Dash Media for 9 years her passion is supporting women in their personal and professional development. Therese has a 20+ year track record as a mentor, coach, speaker and facilitator promoting diversity, equity, + inclusion; community engagement; and the leadership of women. When not working with individual coaching clients or facilitating a retreat, she can be found working with corporations as a speaker, workshop facilitator, or leading a customized leadership development program. She understands the demands of work, life, and health. Grounded in the philosophy that small changes make big differences, She launched Rising Filipinas her overall vision is to create lasting opportunities for women and diverse leaders to emerge across various ecosystems and to help build legacies with significant impact that lasts for generations.
Dr. Thomishia Booker launched Hey Carter! Books after being disappointed in the lack of representation for Black boys in children’s books. Hey Carter! (HC) is a healing and wellness boutique created for Black children, with a focus on Black boys. HC creates books, products, apparel, and events as tools to help Black children thrive and grow. The brand is inspired by her son, Carter and now daughter Truly. Dr. Booker earned a Master’s in Social Work and a Doctorate in Education Counseling Psychology. She is a licensed therapist and began her career working in early childhood mental managing 0-5 programs in San Jose where she grew up. She is a member of the Black Literary Collective (Building Leaders and Activists with Collective Knowledge) a group of Black authors in the Bay Area working to decolonize educational spaces to ensure Black children have access to culturally relevant content and pedagogy. Thomishia is passionate about loving Black children. Dr. Booker’s book Brown Boy Joy is featured in the Netflix original series, Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices featuring Jill Scott, Common, and Tiffany Haddish. She is the only self-published author featured on the show. The was chosen for Bookmarks using a social justice education framework that focused on concepts of Identity, Respect, Justice, and Action. As a result of this project, her book Brown Boy Joy is endorsed by the Black Caucus American Library Association and Association for Library Service to Children. This acclaimed children’s book is a Teacher’s Pick on Amazon with over 2500 positive reviews. Thomishia co-wrote the children’s book All in the Sauce with Season 10 Top Chef winner Kristen Kish. The project was a collaboration with Upwork where she competed against other authors and won the spot of co-author. The entire creative process was filmed and published online. When Thomishia isn’t working on her next book idea, she loves to dance, sing, and spend time with family. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Sorority, Incorporated. She spends her leisure time outdoors, traveling, and all things self-love.
Tyerra Drake is a podcast host, corporate baddie, speaker, and entrepreneur whose vision is to empower women one step at a time. She has been featured in magazines and websites, such as VoyageATL and ACHI Magazine. Tyerra hails from the small town of Columbus, Georgia but she had bigger dreams. During her time at Valdosta State University, she knew her purpose was to serve but she did not know in what capacity. She soon discovered her passion for media, helping others, and her love for Christ could be combined. In 2019, Tyerra launched her podcast Girls On Another Level (G.O.A.L) where she aims to progressively empower women who are catalysts for success. It is her mission to highlight African American women who are well established in their careers. Tyerra believes what is needed for young African American women are inspiring and real stories from women who have experienced things and can help guide other women on their desired career path. The goal is to elevate and inspire the minds of women while they navigate their journey towards a beneficial future. With the voice God gave her, she is committed to helping others become a Girl On Another Level.
Brooklyn wears many hats, as a mom, wife, hair stylist, salon owner, platform artist, and educator. She combs, paints, and pins hair, but most importantly, she connects with people. Brooklyn believes that her work gives her the opportunity to make people feel like a glammed-up version of themselves, which she finds incredibly fulfilling. She would say her job is pretty cool! Brooklyn and her husband own Kelly Cardenas salon and studio in Carlsbad, California, which is a creative space that hosts podcasts, film, and photoshoots, in addition to providing 5-star boutique hair services. She travels across the country, sharing her nearly two decades of knowledge in the professional beauty industry with audiences of all sizes. Brooklyn has had the opportunity to work with beauties walking down runways at NYFW and collaborate with creatives behind the scenes on film and photoshoots. She has also had the honor of taking care of hundreds of brides on their most special day. Her work has been featured in various publications like Estetica, American Salon, and Exquisite Weddings Magazine, as well as blogs including Green Wedding Shoes, Aisle Society, June Bug Weddings, and Bridal Vogue. Brooklyn feels like she is living her dream, and to her, it feels like a dream come true.
Daphne Pinkney is a distinguished Chicago real estate professional, recognized by the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors as belonging to the top 1% of agents in both sales and transaction units. Her impressive track record is a testament to her more than thirty years of experience in the finance and mortgage industry. In September 2021, Pinkney closed over 4 million dollars in transactions, demonstrating her unparalleled expertise in the field.
As the head of the Pinkney Team, her influence extends across the United States and 17 countries worldwide. Pinkney is an outstanding leader, known for her dynamic and passionate approach to business. Her exuberant and warm presence has a contagious effect on those she encounters, inspiring them to achieve their goals and aspirations.
In partnership with Jennifer Hernandez, Pinkney has co-created an initiative called the “Do-Over” movement. This remarkable project encourages people to reclaim their lives and start anew at any stage, if their present circumstances no longer serve their higher purpose. Together, they empower individuals to overcome challenges, acquire financial freedom through home ownership, and find renewed purpose and fulfillment in their lives.
As a visionary entrepreneur, Daphne Pinkney is making a significant impact in the world of real estate, inspiring others to achieve success and meaning in their personal and professional lives.
Diana is a highly experienced professional who collaborates with leaders and organizations that are committed to fostering a communicative and engaged work environment while achieving their goals. She takes great pride in equipping leaders with practical and impactful tools that can be immediately applied to achieve measurable results. Drawing from her extensive background as a Human Resource Executive, she combines her expertise with world-recognized Leadership Philosophy Organizations such as the John Maxwell Team and True Colors International.
She forms strategic partnerships with her clients, offering more than just consulting services but added value and action-oriented tools and tactics. She maintains professional associations with the American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) and the Healthcare Human Resources Management Association of California (HHRMAC), demonstrating her continued commitment to the industry.
As a Certified John Maxwell Coach, Trainer, and Speaker, as well as a Certified True Colors Trainer and Facilitator, she brings a wealth of expertise to her clients in various areas of human resources, including labor and employee relations, organizational human resources leadership, regulatory compliance, talent acquisition and retention, and compensation practices, among others.
As a top one-percent loan originator for two consecutive years, Jennifer Hernandez is a renowned real estate mortgage lending expert. Currently the branch manager of Loan Depot, she is leading the company towards delivering an impressive $200 million in 2021.
Her extraordinary personal journey is a tale of perseverance and triumph over poverty, abuse, and depression. Despite facing emotional and verbal abuse during her formative years, being expelled from high school, and experiencing drug use and homelessness, Hernandez found her purpose and decided to pursue a career in finance management.
In addition to her professional success, Hernandez is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She founded nonprofit Madd Talent Outreach, which focuses on creating programs to help younger generations stay off the streets. Together with her business partner Daphne Pinkney, she created “Do-Over,” a movement aimed at empowering people to overcome their struggles. Hernandez’s upcoming autobiographical book, No One Can Stop Me, But Me, and documentary, set to release in 2022, serve as a beacon of hope for those seeking a fresh start in life.
Through her remarkable achievements, Hernandez stands as a shining example of resilience and self-belief. As a leader, she believes in empowering people and reminding them that they are in control of their own destiny. Jennifer Hernandez is an inspiration to us all.
Sherri is the founder and CEO of Joey James, a woman-run company that designs exceptional bags and accessories for women. Her products are not only stylish but also functional and of high quality, making them the perfect companions for women on their journeys. She takes pride in the fact that the products are designed and constructed by a woman-owned factory, and she firmly believes in empowering strong women.
As a strong woman herself, she is raising her daughters to be the same. Although she had once believed that she had nothing to offer, she has overcome her past struggles and succeeded as a founder and CEO. Her journey has inspired her to support other women in their journeys by creating products that are not only beautiful but also practical and long-lasting.
Lindsey Wheeler, a dedicated and intelligent individual, is the founder and curator of the online boutique “Love Lindsey” and the nonprofit organization “Operation Artemis”. She is passionate about bringing restoration to women’s identities and supporting Gold Star families, drawing inspiration from her own awe-inspiring story. As a military wife, she channeled her fear for her husband’s life into building a business that empowers thousands of women across the country. Through her journey as both a mother and entrepreneur, she is setting an example for others to follow and encouraging them to realize their own potential.
Rachelle Ramiro MSN, APRN, CPNP, FNP-C is a highly accomplished Nurse Practitioner and Entrepreneur who has dedicated the past 13 years to working diligently in the medical field. However, her passion for health and fitness inspired her to create her own business. As the founder of Revive & Rejuvenate, she specializes in wellness-focused health, fitness, and beauty treatments to help patients lead optimal, healthy lives while feeling and looking their best.
Rachelle is a registered nurse and double board-certified nurse practitioner in pediatric and family medicine, and she has always been a natural caretaker, a quality instilled in her by her family. Her love for caring for others led her to create Revive & Rejuvenate, a business that empowers people to take charge of their health and well-being.
Through her business, Rachelle wants to help her clients, friends, and family feel like she has made a positive impact on their lives. She is dedicated to using her expertise to provide the best possible care to those she serves.
Raven Vermeil is an accomplished entrepreneur and interior designer, renowned for her work as the founder and lead interior designer at Décor Beverly Hills. With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to quality, Raven has provided expert interior decorating and luxury furniture consulting services for a range of clients, including restaurants, nightclubs, boutique hotels, and luxury homes.
Beyond her work as an interior designer, Raven is also a passionate advocate for women in business. She is the founder of the Women’s Business Network Committee, where she serves as the Committee Chair for the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. Through this committee, Raven has helped to empower and support women entrepreneurs, providing them with the resources and connections they need to succeed in their endeavors.
Sasha Lalite is an accomplished visionary, serial entrepreneur, strategic innovator, author, and positive change agent. She is the owner of Meta Viable Solutions, a Fractional COO & Business Consulting firm where she serves as a Fractional Chief Operations Officer. With over two decades of experience, she has honed her skills in providing operational makeovers to help businesses run better during times of change, growth, and transition.
Sasha specializes in turnaround management, scalability, and profitability for various types of businesses, ranging from small and medium-sized companies to Fortune 500 corporations, global and non-profit organizations. Her passion for empowering and inspiring individuals is reflected in her philanthropic work and impactful business strategies.
As a dynamic and engaging thought leader, partner, and mentor, Sasha works one-on-one with CEOs and founders to unlock potential for positive development within their companies. She has a proven track record of large-scale full-cycle project management, process improvement, and cross-functional team execution.
Sasha’s unique approach incorporates multi-disciplinary expertise in organizations. She holds globally-recognized certifications in Community Health, Project Management Professional (PMP), and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Process Certification, in addition to her degrees from Tufts University and New York University. As a co-author of the internationally best-selling book Striking Business Gold and Founder/Head Designer of Sasha L Jewels, she brings her creativity and expertise to every aspect of her work.
