Dr. Karen Baldeschwieler is a proven entrepreneur and intrapreneur, having founded or co-founded 7 stand-alone companies and launched 6 new business lines inside large education organizations. She served on the executive teams of two venture- and private equity-funded edtech start-ups, each of which raised more than $70MM. She planned the launch of Kaplan's first online education programs and developed an online university that grew to over $800MM in revenue. Karen has also participated in selling 10-year, 8-figure enterprise sales deals to large institutions like University of Kansas and The College of William & Mary.
Dr. Baldeschwieler has taught finance and organizational behavior at the university level and holds a BA from Harvard University, an MA from UC Irvine, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a PhD in Education from Capella University. She has written numerous books and articles about education and career development, including “College without the Campus” in the Newsweek Career Guide, and Professionalism, a textbook on the soft skills that lead to career success.
Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Freeman-Boone Investment, LLC
The Founder/Owner of Freeman-Boone Investments LLC, Minnyetta Marie Boone, MHS, Your Catalyst Consultant, is a seasoned Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, and Community Leader with over 20 years of experience. She has facilitated over $20 million in funding for Social Enterprises, Startups, and nonprofits nationwide.
Minnyetta's expertise lies in business development, grant writing, and nonprofit management, with a track record of serving hundreds of Entrepreneurs and Dreamers providing leadership, strategy, consulting from startups to small and multimillion dollar corporations. Her strategic acumen, stakeholder relationship building skills, and expertise in financial analysis and optimization have been instrumental in driving business success and growth.
Dedicated to Economic Empowerment & Equity. She is a dynamic professional known for her strategic brilliance, innovative mindset, and commitment to social justice. Fostering social and economic justice for historically underrepresented entrepreneurs, corporations, and communities, and driving sustainable business growth.
Key Accomplishments Special Recognition & Education:
Mavis Chin is a co-founder of Zenagos. She served as a high-tech executive in fast-growing, venture-backed firms that provided services to Global 1000 companies. Two of those start-ups went public, and a third was acquired by the fourth largest ad agency in the world. She provided leadership and guidance to a range of clients, from start-ups to large corporations. Mavis also has extensive sales experience from selling cars at the largest Lexus dealership in the world. Mavis started Zenagos in order to help entrepreneurs and give them access to consulting services that are normally available only to large corporations.
Mavis holds a BA in Economics from Harvard University and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Statistics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She has trained more than 500 consultants, developing their skills in career planning, leadership presence, and the art of client communication. In recent years, she has served as an executive coach and mentor, helping high-potential executives to advance their careers.
Stacey Coombs is a co-founder of Zenagos. After years of working in the field of technology for Fortune 500 companies, Stacey returned to her artistic roots and started a ceramics and warm glass business. Within a year, others began to ask for help and advice with starting and running their own businesses. For the last 20 years Stacey has helped a wide variety of businesses launch their websites, advised on digital sales and marketing strategies, and built technology back-ends with her unique combination of business expertise and technology capabilities.
Stacey holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Wellesley College and an MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Stacey has managed very large technology implementations and has worked in fast-growing, venture-backed technology consulting firms.
Director of Certification & Supplier Diversity
Meghan Cunningham joined CWE in November 2020. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2012 with degrees in History and Political Science as well as a minor in Women's Studies. After living in Paris for a year as an Au Pair to a French family, she moved back to the States. Prior to joining CWE, she worked as a Sales & Service Specialist for Haven In, a boutique vacation rental agency, with properties throughout France and Italy. In her free time, she enjoys reading and baking. After living in France and studying in the Netherlands, she takes every opportunity she can to travel somewhere new. As a former employee of a women owned small business and a passionate supporter of women's rights since her days in Women's Studies courses, Meghan is thrilled to be a part of the CWE team.
Expert CFO Services for Small Business | KG Virtual CFO
Katishia is an accounting professional with over 20 years of experience in companies ranging from startups to Fortune 100 to nonprofits and religious organizations. She is also active in community organizations, serving as a mentor and tutor in Springfield Public Schools, and participates on various Boards and Advisory Councils. She holds a B.S.B.A. and M.S. in Accounting (‘02/G’10) from Western New England University, and a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Hamilton). As CEO and Founder of KG Virtual CFO, Katishia is committed to supporting her clients in reaching their goals.
Founder & CEO, McLean Coaching and Consulting, LLC
Dr. Sheri-Ann McLean, founder and CEO of McLean Coaching and Consulting, leverages over 12 years of experience in coaching, training, and community development to empower individuals and organizations. Born and raised in Jamaica, her passion for helping others ignited at an early age. Dr. McLean's expertise in team building, leadership development, and community engagement is enriched by her diverse background and work in both Jamaica and the US. Outside of work, she cherishes time with family, church, and community activities, along with travel and writing.
Monica Meadows is a co-founder of Zenagos. Continuously bitten by the ‘entrepreneurial bug’ over the years, Monica successfully founded and operated multiple service businesses in the wellness and aviation industries. Monica has leveraged her knowledge and relationship-building skills over the years to build businesses from concept to successful operation. She even successfully negotiated a ground lease for a $13 million project in the aviation industry. Her passion lies in building genuine, yet strategic, business relationships to collaborate towards something greater and creating ‘win-win’ outcomes. While helping others to realize their vision, she truly realizes her own.
Having graduated from University of Massachusetts with a BS in Business Administration and earned her Human Resources Certificate from Duke University, Monica successfully worked in Fortune 500 companies such as Charles River Laboratories and IBM, where she earned the IBM Means Service Award and was appointed to the Northeast Advisory Board.
VP, Supplier Diversity & Sustainability, State Street
Petula Payne’s career spans both the private and public sectors, with concentration in the areas of Legal and Compliance, Equity Investments and Sustainable Supply Chain Management. Currently, she is the VP of Global Supplier Diversity and Sustainability at State Street, where she manages the internal development and promotion of State Street’s supplier diversity initiatives, while spearheading the implementation of a sustainability strategy within Procurement.
Petula’s commitment to social responsibility extends beyond the workplace. She is passionate about human rights and actively engages in the UN Global Compact's Business & Human Rights Accelerator program and peer learning group. Through these initiatives, she collaborates with industry leaders to advance human rights policy commitments and implement effective due diligence processes.
Sustainability also drives Petula’s entrepreneurial pursuits, as she cofounded Flourish Oils, a natural hair and skin nourishment company that produces products made with natural ingredients to complement a holistic, healthy, and well-balanced lifestyle.
Dedicated to making a difference, Petula volunteers with Empowerment Square, mentoring survivors of human trafficking, and has contributed to Baker McKenzie’s Justice in Action project, evaluating legal structures pertaining to the environmental rights of children. Her leadership history includes previously serving on the Boards of UN Women Metro-NY and the Zonta Club of New York and collaborating with non-profits to develop impactful programming.
Outside of work, Petula enjoys cycling, reading, live music, and traveling to explore diverse cultures, languages, and cuisines.
Director of Career Development & Industry Inclusion, AGC MA
A strategic thinker, passionate about economic empowerment through entrepreneurship, certification and participation of small & historically underutilized businesses in public and private sector contracting, as well as growing pipelines for professional and trade workforce diversity.
Sika, also known as Amewusika Sedzro, is the co-founder and CEO of Uncut Lab, a premier technology-enabled firm focusing on data-driven applications for local economic development agencies in the Northeast. She is a proud mother, wife, and daughter. Sika holds a liberal arts degree from Hampshire College, where she first delved into entrepreneurship. Ms. Sedzro is a graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP), and Babson College's Black Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (BWEL).
With over 18 years of experience in urban, workforce, and economic development, Sika spearheads the company's mission of putting 21st-century data visualization tools in the hands of economic development practitioners to drive equitable growth in communities across the Northeast.
VP Strategic Partnerships, Center for Women & Enterprise
Kimberly Zouzoua is an accomplished non-profit executive with 20+ years of experience leading high-level operations, planning, and development functions for a diverse range of businesses and philanthropic organizations. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her ability to launch innovative programs that have consistently helped organizations construct and implement strategic plans, expand their reach, achieve financial stability, and create a strong and sustainable company culture.
She is a highly sought-after speaker and consultant in the areas of youth leadership development, strategic business planning, and organizational development. She has presented to a diverse range of institutions including: Youthbuild Providence, Beijing +15 Massachusetts Women’s Summit, Northeast Computing Program Conference (NERCOMP), Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, Massasoit Community College, and Wellesley University.
Kimberly has a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University, a Bachelor of Science in Management and an Associate of Science in Finance and Investments both from Johnson and Wales University. Additionally, she is Chair of the Brockton Commission on Women’s Issues, President of the Psi Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; sits on the leadership committee for the Women of the Harvard Club and is a member of over a dozen professional organizations and sits on numerous boards.
Kimberly enjoys Intercultural Learning and dialogue. She has traveled across the world visiting Africa, Central America, China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Europe.
Women of Color Business Summit
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