Monday, February 12, 2018

A speed coaching and networking event powered by bizwomen.

Mentors

Renny ArensbergExecutive Vice President | KVC Health SystemsRenny Arensberg is Executive Vice President of KVC Health Systems, an integrated healthcare organization that provides in-home family support, behavioral health, foster care, adoption, and children’s psychiatric hospitals. With over 15 years at KVC as part of a larger 35-year career, Renny has become known for her unique combination of energy, insight, agility and authenticity that motivates her teams to high achievement and meaningful results for tens of thousands of children and families each year.

Cathy BaierOwner | US Federal PropertiesCOMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTCathy Baier is a principal and owner of US Federal Properties (USFP) which develops office buildings and medical clinics for the federal government throughout the United States. Baier is responsible for managing employees, contractors, designers, engineers and processes related to federal government contract procurements. She leads real estate developments and manages large construction projects once a government lease is awarded. She advises USFP on all issues related to the federal government and has helped orchestrate 26 government contract awards for USFP valued at over $750 million

Erica BrunePresident | Lever1HUMAN RESOURCES, PAYROLL, EMPLOYEE BENEFITSErica Brune is President and co-founder of Lever1, a Kansas City-based professional employer organization (PEO) providing human resources, payroll and employee benefit solutions. Within five years of launching Lever1, Erica helped drive the company to become Missouri’s Fastest Growing Company of 2017—ranked No. 44 in the nation by Inc. Magazine. With Erica’s guidance, Lever1 has secured an industry-wide reputation of excellence, operational reliability and thought leadership. Erica also serves as share-holder and CAO for Gragg Holdings, Lever1’s parent company.

Davy CampbellPresident/Owner | Fulfillment PlusDavy started Fulfillment Plus, a marketing services company, after realizing that the fulfillment needs of businesses and nonprofit organizations are often not met. As such, Davy has been honored by the Kansas City Small Business Monthly as one of the top 25 companies in Kansas City with under 25 employees. In October of 2005, Davy was accepted into the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program. In 2006, Davy started Events Plus, an event management company as an outgrowth of Fulfillment Plus.

LeAnn CarlsonOwner and CEO | Lauren’s Hope Medical ID JewelryLauren’s Hope, a company founded in 2001, created an entirely new market segment in the medical ID jewelry industry: stylish, functional, high quality, interchangeable medi-cal ID bracelets. Initially a kitchen-table business, Lauren’s Hope now leads the medical ID jewelry industry, employing a busy full-time staff in Riverside, MO. We continue to create lifetime customers daily with our innovative products, active social media com-munities, informative blogging, and outstanding customer service. Over the years, I’ve become well versed in a variety of business topics: ecommerce, startups, partnerships, business development, team development, financial risk assessment, company culture, product development, and process and operational management.

Kelly CarnagoHead of Fiber Business Operations, Midwest | Google FiberKelly is Head of Google Fiber Business Operations for the Midwest region where she leads local teams focused on community impact, business outreach and customer acquisition and retention. Prior to joining Google, Kelly was the Chief Carrier Operations Officer for HYLA Mobile where she was responsible for driving the company results and managing relationships with carrier partners globally.

Mentors

Diana Chaloux-LaCerteCo-Founder and Co-Owner | Hitch Fit Gym & Hitch Fit Online Personal TrainingDiana is an entrepreneur, co-founder and co-owner of Hitch Fit Gym and Hitch Fit Online Personal Training, based in Kansas City, MO. She is a health and fitness expert, with a passion for helping others transform through positive healthy lifestyle changes.

Mindy CorporonCEO | Boyer & Corporon Wealth ManagementMindy handles all aspects of running the company, except portfolio management. This includes overseeing human resources and all client processes.

Vic CundiffCFO | Weed ManSTARTUP & SURVIVAL, MULTI-UNIT & FRANCHISE OPERATIONS, FAMILY BUSINESSVicky and Jon Cundiff started Turf’s Up Lawn Service in 1987 and are now part of Weed Man. They franchise in 7 states with 4 operations of their own. Community Involvement: Lee’s Summit Chamber, LSEDC, LSR7 Schools, WCC, and the City of Lee’s Summit. Hon-ors: LS’s citizen of the year, LS Rotary “Service-Above-Self”, Missouri Municipal League Outstanding Leadership, and Weed Man’s Community Service. KCBJ’s Women Who Mean Business class of 2015 and the Examiner’s Women of Distinction class of 2016.

Ethel J. DavisCEO & Portfolio Manager | VZD Capital Management, LLCFEE-BASED, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES; FINANCIAL LITERACY; ESTATE PLANNING; RETIREMENT SAVINGS; STOCK MARKETEthel J. Davis is the CEO and Portfolio Manager of VZD Capital Management, LLC. She is ranked as the first African-American female to own a 100 percent of a fee-based, Registered Investment Advisory firm in the Midwest and one of few with the United States. She brings over 29 years of investment experience from respected companies – American Century, Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Paragon Capital Management, LLC. The firm was founded in 2012 on the firm foundational principles of fairness, integrity, value-added insight and customized solutions.

Wendy D. DoylePresident & CEO | Women’s FoundationSTRATEGIC PLANNING, PUBLIC POLICY, NONPROFIT LEADERSHIPWendy serves as the President & CEO of the Women’s Foundation where she promotes equity and opportunity for women and their families, using research, philanthropy, policy solutions to impact meaningful change. Working to get women appointed to civic boards and commissions is also a priority of the Women’s Foundation.

Katie Dunn FitzgeraldPartner & Senior Wealth Consultant | Mariner Wealth AdvisorsWEALTH & ESTATE PLANNINGAs a partner and the highest-ranking woman in the business development unit through-out the entire company, Katie’s primary role is to be a relationship manager, which puts her in charge of new business and servicing existing client relationships. She primarily works with executives and business owners to help them implement their financial plans.

GailOwner | Gail’s Harley-DavidsonEverybody in Kansas City knows Gail Worth. So, like Madonna, Cher, Beyoncé, and Jewel, let’s drop the formalities and just call her Gail. Gail is president and owner of Gail’s Har-ley-Davidson in Grandview, Missouri. She purchased the dealership in 2000 becoming one of a limited number of female Harley-Davidson dealership owners in the country. The business is privately owned and is recognized as a top dealership in the country and the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in the Midwest.

Mentors

Kiersten FirquainOwner & Chef | Happy Food Co.Kiersten is a consultant, chef and caterer who focuses on local, fresh, and healthy creations. In 2006, she founded Bistro Kids, the first farm 2 school lunch program in the Midwest. In 2011, Bistro Kids was acquired by Treat America, a locally-owned food service management company. Kiersten continues to be passionate about healthy foods and in 2015 became co-owner of Happy Food Co., a new venture that delivers meal kits fresh daily to the workplace and retail partners.

Sonia GarapatyCEO | FSC, Inc. ENGINEERING Sonia Garapaty, is CEO of FSC, Inc., and is responsible for operations, financials, busi-ness development, and project management for all divisions and offices, and manages FSC’s international operations. She and FSC were selected as the 2017 Kansas Wom-an-Owned Business of the Year – Professional Service firm. When Sonia is not in the of-fice, she is very active in the community. She is a member of multiple non-profit boards and leadership organizations.

Katie GraySenior Vice President – Finance | Greater Kansas City Community FoundationCHARITABLE GIVING, NONPROFIT ACCOUNTING & DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE, INVESTMENTSKatie oversees the Community Foundation’s finances, accounting, technology and investments. In addition, Katie serves as Executive Director of the Foundation’s Real Estate Charitable Foundation and serves on the complex assets team. In 2015, Katie was named one of Ingram’s 40 under Forty and was honored as a CFO of the Year by the Kansas City Business Journal in 2017.

Tami GreenbergCEO | Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas CityNONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC PLANNING, CULTIVATING TEAM CULTURE, COMMUNITY SERVICEAs the CEO for Ronald McDonald House Charities of KC, Tami leads a team of 45 people and several thousand volunteers. She has a Master’s in Social Work, and worked her way up from direct social work to nonprofit leadership roles. She is a graduate of Centurions and Kansas City Tomorrow, and is engaged in a variety of civic and service work around Kansas City.

Adrienne B. Haynes, Esq.Managing Partner, SEED Law LLC | SEED Law LLC and SEED CollectiveBUSINESS LAW & COACHING, SMALL BUSINESSES, INCUBATOR DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT, MULTICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTAdrienne B. Haynes is an attorney and business woman who specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop sustainable infrastructure and business practices. She is the managing partner of SEED Law, a business law firm, and owner of SEED Collective, a con-sultancy. Adrienne uses her ten years of business and leadership experience to create legal and strategic planning solutions for her clients and to speak and write on topics relating to law and economic development.

Joyce HrinyaManaging Partner | A&R Strategy Partners, LLCOMNI-CHANNEL CONSUMER MARKETING, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, SPECIALTY RETAIL, CHANGE MANAGEMENT, NEW PRODUCT INNOVATIONJoyce has 29 years executive experience working with $10-$500 million companies to build profitable consumer brands around the world. Industries of focus include apparel, accessories, beauty, hospitality, specialty foods, home renovation and financial ser-vices. Formerly she was the CEO (interim) for Famous Brands International (Mrs. Fields cookies) and the SVP Marketing for Helzberg Diamonds here in Kansas City. She enjoys growth strategy consulting projects. Joyce has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Finance from Penn State.

Mentors

Mentors

Kathy HunterSenior Vice President | Simmons BankCOMMERCIAL/SMALL BUSINESS BANKING, SPECIALTY LENDING, ENTREPRENEURSHIPKathy is a 30+ year banking executive with expertise in commercial/small business bank-ing solutions that add value, promote economic development and support the success of our community. In 2017, she joined the KC leadership team for Simmons Bank, one of the fastest growing companies in the nation, to expand its presence in Kansas City. Kathy is an avid learner and enjoys working with young entrepreneurs who exhibit a strong sense of curiosity and imagination.

Elise KirchhoferDirector Engineering Services | McCownGordon ConstructionENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTIONElise leads the engineering services department at McCownGordon Construction, specializing in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural services. Her expertise in project planning, design management, construction administration, cost management and occupancy integration brings a specialized insight to projects. During preconstruc-tion, Elise and her team will work closely with the estimating team to conduct prelim-inary design/constructability reviews and analyze 3D models, creating more accurate budgets, addressing potential conflicts and determining the best-value systems.

Jeri KlingManaging Partner | Bartunek GroupBartunek Group Executive Recruiting provides outstanding support to customers and candidates to understand their requirements, identify talent that meets if not surpasses their goals, and who are retained at their new employment an average of 6 years. The company specializes in IT, Telecom and Engineering and works with recruiters nation-wide who are experts in Biomedical, Electronics, Sales, Pharma, Gas & Petroleum and Health Care.

Denise KruseCEO/Owner | AdamsGabbertENTREPRENEUR, TURN-AROUNDS, FAST GROWTH, BOARD DEVELOPMENT, EXECUTING ON STRATEGY, CREATING EXCEPTIONAL CULTURESDenise has built a $400M division of a publicly-traded company, led multiple turn-arounds, and now owns AdamsGabbert, a fast-growing business outcomes consulting firm committed to making an impact in our community. AG solves complex problems related to people, process and systems, by helping clients execute on their strategy. As experts in consulting, technology, staffing/recruiting, and payroll services – the commitment is to make their clients’ business better, in a culture where AG associates can thrive.

Laura Laiben“The Main Dish” | The Culinary Center of Kansas CityLaura practiced corporate, securities and public finance law for 18 years before jumping career tracks to design and open The Culinary Center of Kansas City in 1998 which has enjoyed continued success for 20 years. She believes strongly in the magic that happens around the table and in the kitchen as well as pursuing social entrepreneurship, com-mitment to community and the philosophy that “if you do good, then you’ll do good.”

Rene LarsenDirector of Finance | Ronald McDonald House Charities - Kansas CityNONPROFIT ACCOUNTING AND FINANCERene has been with Ronald McDonald House Charities - Kansas City for 13 years. Rene holds a BS in Business Administration/Accounting from the University of Central Mis-souri. She sits on a Finance Subcommittee of the RMHC Global Advisory Council, and the Finance Committee of NP Connect. She also serves as treasurer at her church and was recently honored for CFO of the Year through the KCBJ.

Mentors

Christina LongChief Culture & People Officer | Redemption PlusHR, ENGAGEMENT, GROWTH STRATEGY, INTERNAL EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, PARTNERSHIP CULTURES, EMPLOYEE INCENTIVES TIED TO COMPANY PERFORMANCEChristina is responsible for developing and executing on human resource strategy to reinforce and support Redemption Plus’ overall culture, core values, behaviors and stra-tegic growth plans. As a previous business owner and business consultant, her unique and well-rounded business acumen has proved valuable, in driving performance and execution, while building a partnership culture. At the age of 30, Christina was honored as a Women Who Means Business in 2007.

Maria MaffryPrincipal, Chief Business Development Officer | BNIMAs a principal and member of BNIM’s leadership team, Maria is responsible for strategic planning as well as firm management and business oversight. Maria guides the next generation of innovative leaders at BNIM by inspiring their community and industry participation, and advocating for their thought leadership. With her mentorship, BNIM has become a leader in designing human-purposed, high-performance environments.

Ali MahaffyCo-Chief Executive Officer | Sullivan Higdon & SinkAli has worked at some great agencies. But her career has also taken her to the client side, which gives her a great perspective on the pressures and challenges our clients face and how the agency should be positioned to help. Ali plays a key role in fostering the unique professional and personal relationships we build with clients. She also ensures that the agency has all the resources it needs to be a lean, mean and highly effective machine.

Patrice ManuelSenior Principal | P/Strada, LLCP/Strada was established in 2001 by its Owner and Executive Director, Patrice W. Manuel. Ms. Manuel is a retired military officer with over 20 years’ experience in project management and organizational development. Ms. Manuel is a certified Project Man-agement Professional with the Project Management Institute, and has an undergrad degree in Chemistry, a Master’s degree in Science Administration and is currently ABD in a Ph.D. in Organizational Management and Leadership Development.

Laura Maver WardFounder and CEO | Kingsbridge Capital PartnersLaura is Founder and CEO of Kingsbridge Capital Partners, a middle-market investment banking firm, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Kingsbridge helps business own-ers transition ownership to strategic and financial buyers throughout the United States and Canada. Kingsbridge also works closely with private equity and strategic buyers to implement successful targeted acquisition programs.

Nancy MellardExecutive V.P. and General Counsel | CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services DivisionAs General Counsel for the CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services Division, Nancy has responsibility for all legal matters including transactional legal matters; negotiating contracts with merger and acquisition candidates, key customers, insurance carriers and employment related agreements; and managing litigation and E&O issues for this Division. Nancy provides comprehensive strategic-level business counseling to the Benefits & Insurance Services Division and serves as the liaison to the parent company’s General Counsel.

Mentors

Mentors

Marquita MillerAccountant/Business Strategist | Five Star Tax & Business SolutionsMarquita owns and operates Five Star Tax and Business Solutions which provides a diverse menu of business solutions, including tax planning and preparation, accounting and payroll, business startup planning, and revenue generation. From the business’ in-ception as a part-time hobby in 2009 to its current position as a local marketplace lead-er, Marquita has sought to focus her services on small- and medium-sized businesses. Marquita fosters entrepreneurship in others, and her business places special emphasis on services for startups.

Alana MullerFounder and CEO | Coffee Lunch CoffeeNETWORKING, EXECUTIVE PRESENCE, PURPOSEAlana Muller is a Networking expert and author of the book, Coffee Lunch Coffee: A Practical Field Guide for Master Networking and a companion blog, CoffeeLunchCoffee.com. Her accessible, relevant, immediately actionable approach to professional net-working for those interested in connecting with others, getting involved in their commu-nity, seeking to advance their career or looking to build social relationships, has helped thousands of people formulate a strategic mindset around networking while creating a game plan to get out there and connect.

Sarah OsborneSVP, Chief Actuary & Analytics Officer, CFO | GEHAACTUARIAL, ANALYTICS, FINANCE, INSURANCE, HEALTHCARESarah began her career doing traditional actuarial work for a group benefits insurer be-fore moving on to a leading brokerage firm to develop their actuarial consulting practice. In 2016, she joined GEHA to build out their actuarial function and also modernize their finance division. With over $4 billion in revenue, GEHA is the second-largest national health plan serving federal employees, retirees and their families. GEHA provides bene-fits to more than 1.8 million covered lives worldwide.

Kelli RameyVice President of Advertising & Social Media | H&R BlockADVERTISING, CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT, TELEVISION PRODUCTION, SOCIAL MEDIA, CAUSE MARKETINGIn her role at H&R Block, Kelli is responsible for national and local advertising and social media management. She leads a small in-house creative agency and founded H&R Block Dollars & Sense, the company’s national philanthropic initiative. When she isn’t writing or creating at work, she can usually be found at an antique market, kids’ sporting event or concert.

Michelle RobinFounder | Your Wellness ConnectionDr. Michelle Robin is an international speaker, best-selling author, radio host, and practicing chiropractor. She is the founder of Your Wellness Connection, P.A., one of the nation’s most successful integrative healing centers. Dr. Robin also consults with busi-nesses and non-profit organizations developing wellness programs. She has spoken on improving individual well-being as well as creating a culture of wellness to a wide variety of companies, organizations, and conferences across the US and Canada.

Sunita SanjanwalaCo-Owner | Primrose School of Overland Park and Primrose School of North OlatheMARKETING, CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPSunita Sanjanwala, is an owner of two local private preschools and is responsible for business development, operations and marketing. Sunita believes the key to business success is providing genuine customer service to her clients and creating a workplace that fosters positive relationships with clients and other employees.

Mentors

Mentors

Jodi SchadeDirector of Marketing | FreightquoteMARKETING, BRANDING, LICENSING, ENTERTAINMENT, REAL ESTATE, LOGISTICSJodi is an accomplished business and senior marketing executive with over 20 years of combined strategic brand management, marketing, product development, licensing, entertainment, new business development and sales experience. In addition to her full-time role at Freightquote, she is a the President & CEO of Schade Consulting Associates. Her blog is here: https://schadeconsulting.associates/

Sheila SeckFounder, Managing Partner & Managing Director | Seck & Associates and Seck Advisor GroupLEGALSheila is the Founder and Managing Partner of Seck & Associates, a boutique law firm that focuses on corporate transactions. She is also the Co-Founder and Managing Direc-tor of Seck Advisor Group, a mergers & acquisitions firm. Sheila assists entrepreneurs as they launch their business and encounter change as they grow. Sheila works closely with growing companies, established businesses and investors to develop solutions to a broad range of challenges. As Managing Director of Seck Advisor Group, Sheila specializ-es in assisting business owners in preparing for and selling their companies or acquiring new ones.

Rachel SextonCOO | VPR CompaniesSMALL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP; MANAGING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS; MANAGING REMOTE STAFF; VOLUNTARISM TO BENEFIT YOUR CAREER; BEING A WORKING MOTHERAs COO of VPR Companies, Rachel oversees the operations of VPR Creative Group, which specializes in healthcare marketing and product launches and VPR POP, which develops patient programs for pharmaceutical companies. A passionate volunteer, Rachel has served in roles from President of the Junior League of KCMO to member of KU Med’s Cambridge Steering Committee. She’s the mother to four (ages 2-12).

Linda SinnettCFO | Design Resources, Inc. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP, FINANCE, ACCOUNTING, STRATEGIC PLANNING, BUDGETING, FORECASTINGLinda is the CFO for 4 companies in the US and Canada. She is the VP of Programs for FEI, KC. She was CFO of the year 2013, Women Who Mean Business class of 2015, and nominated for the KC Chamber Athena Award in 2017. She serves on a KSCPA advisory board to promote the accounting profession to college and high school students.

Shannon StitesVice President of Finance | HuhtamakiFINANCE/ACCOUNTING, STRATEGY, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, DIVERSITY & INCLUSIONShannon is Vice President of Finance/CFO for Huhtamaki, a global manufacturer of food and drink packaging with 74 manufacturing locations worldwide, including 17 in the United States. Shannon is part of the strategic leadership team with responsibility for managing the finance and IT functions and provides financial input into key company decisions, including acquisition activity.

Els ThermoteCEO | TVHTVH Parts Co. is one of the most respected names in the material handling and indus-trial equipment industry. Headquartered in Kansas, TVH has 12 locations in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. TVH employs over 850 people, offers 8,000,000 part numbers for 450 brands of industrial vehicles, and fills more than 5,000 shipments every day to over 16,000 customers.

Mentors

Kristin TysonManaging Director | CrossFirst Bank PRIVATE BANKINGTyson is CrossFirst Bank’s head of Private Banking. Tyson as more than 33 years of ex-perience in the banking industry and more than 20 years of leading successfully teams. Her passion for clients and employees is what motivates her to achieve high results.

Carolyn WatleyVP Community Engagement | CBIZBUSINESS SERVICESCBIZ provides Business Services including, Financial Services; Valuation; Employee Benefits Consulting; Property & Casualty; Payroll Processing and Executive Retained Search services with over 500 associates in KC and 5,000+ nationally. Carolyn has been employed with CBIZ since 1977. She has had many roles within the organization and continues to be actively engaged in the greater KC Community.

Samantha Weiner HammontreeCOO | The Gerson CompaniesSTRATEGIC PLANNING, LEADING TEAMS, OPERATIONS, NON-PROFIT LEADERSHIP, BUILDING CULTURE, ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORI spent 18 years in the wholesale distribution industry working in 3rd generation family-owned businesses. My passion is to connect, lead and learn from others so I can make a difference in my community. When I’m not busy working in the job, my husband I and are typically watching our teenage kids play competitive sports or I’m volunteering in the community with the many Boards I serve on. I love staying busy - never a dull moment!

Colleen WhitePresident | Strategic Workplace Solutions, Inc.PREVAILING WAGE, LABOR AND MBE/WBE COMPLIANCEAs President and founder of Strategic Workplace Solutions, Inc., Colleen has over 30 years’ experience in business, government and labor backgrounds. SWS helps her clients manage their prevailing wage and related labor, MBE/WBE and affirmative action compliance risks. By providing training, consulting and project monitoring services, her clients reduce or eliminate penalties from violations and avoid debarment from government work.

Lori WittmanSenior Vice President | Cox AutomotiveLori is responsible for Sales and F&I Solutions in the Retail Solutions part of the business. In her role Wittman has responsibility for the strategic direction and overall financial success of 3 software businesses that serve the automotive industry: a CRM business, VinSolutions, based here in Kansas City; an F&I solution suite, Dealertrack F&I, that is based in Lake Success, NY; and a registration and titling business, Dealertrack RTS, that is based in Groton, CT.

Ronda Shea ZillnerConsultant/Advisor/Mentor | EverEvolve, Inc.ENTREPRENEURSHIP, STRATEGIC PLANNING, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, SENIOR LIVING MARKETING, LEADERSHIP, COACHING AND MENTORINGRonda founded Zillner Marketing in 1992 and built it to the second largest marketing firm in senior living. Commitment to outstanding client relationships, innovation and people-centered culture reigned. After 24 years, Ronda led the firm through private equity group acquisition and successfully exited July 2016. Recently developed the Foundational Five to guide the next chapter of her professional and personal life.

Mentors

National Partners