Ashley M. Williams is an entrepreneur, global speaker, author, and host. Ashley loves using content to guide people to their *purpose*. Ashley is the founder and CEO of RIZZARR, a content marketplace that connects brands seeking purpose-driven digital media with vetted, talented creators worldwide. RIZZARR helps brands and creators evolve their content into authentic, purpose-driven stories through data science. In addition to overseeing RIZZARR, Ashley moderates or speaks at gatherings around the world for entities such as the U.S. Department of State. She also hosts a video and podcast series called, "The Ripple Effect of You".

​

The Ask:

• Seeking connections to seed investors and enterprise customers.

 Dana L. Wilson has over fifteen years of experience in the financial services industry and is the Founder & CEO of CHIP(Changing How Individuals Prosper). CHIP is a B2B financial services marketplace that makes finding financial professionals of color easy. In 2021, Investment News recognized her as a "See It Be It Role Model" for her diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She also received two company awards in 2021 from Think Advisor for her work in diversity and inclusion and thought leadership. She was named "One To Watch" in Fintech from Money 20/20 and was awarded as a 2021 Trailblazer from Black Women In Media.

​

The Ask:​

• Funding from angel/venture investors, grant programs, pitch competitions, and accelerator programs. 

• Partnerships with professional organizations and corporate & small teams such as estate planning attorneys, financial firms and RIA's, NBMBAA and Hispanic chamber of commerce. 

• Professionals of color such as CPA's, financial advisors, CFPs, insurance and tax professionals. 

• Connections with ERG Groups or HR professionals

​

Lorrie is a proven expert in uncovering the unique essence of a brand, a celebrity or a product innovation and creatively bringing its distinct traits to life through up to the minute strategy and marketing. As a Co-Founder of Caire Beauty, a skincare brand specifically designed to enhance skin health and skin cell generation for women over 40 undergoing hormone decline & menopause, she is able to tap into her core belief that aging is a process that we should all embrace and live confidently in. Through Caire's Marvelous Mrs. Menopause event we were able to go beyond the typical beauty and skincare conversation to help women understand the best approach for living in a more empowering informed way through the peri to post menopausal phases.

​

The Ask:

• Warm introductions to specialty beauty retailers to accelerate sales 

  • Ulta​

  • Sephora

  • Space NK / Walmart

  • Soft Surroundings

• Introductions to Angel & Seed investors

• Alternative Financing Resources

• Influencers to amplify Caire's message

• Introductions to Strategic Corporate partners

​

​

Elle Rustique, Ph.D. is the CEO and Founder of TipBrightly, a social impact and fintech company on a mission to help tipped service workers recover the lost opportunity for earnings in an increasingly cashless society.  A published author, Elle holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Columbia University’s Teachers College, and University College London’s Institute of Education. As a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University, Elle focused her work on helping educational systems to be more equitable. Elle launched her career in education as a high school teacher in East Harlem, New York, then embarked on redesigning high schools across the US, scaling education reform and studying organizational leadership and change. The daughter of first-generation immigrants from the Philippines, Elle was inspired to start TipBrightly, a cashless tipping solution to help women like her mother, a housekeeper whose tips she would spend on her children. 

​

The Ask:

• Warm Introductions to investors

• Strategic partnerships to accelerate sales

• Influencers to amplify TipBrightly's mission

• Talent to enhance our product

Barbara Jones is the founder/CEO of Lillii RNB Inc which is doing business as Freeing Returns. Barbara has been in the Retail Technology sector for over 20 years and have been on the founding teams of 2 Retail Technology startups that both exited for close to $100M. Barbara has created Retail Tech Software that is running in over 4000 stores throughout the US,
Canada and Japan. She has been in the roles of POS Architect and Solutions Architect for The Home Depot, LL Bean and Pep Boys and many more solving multi-million dollar issues for them.

​

The Ask:

• Warm Intros to VC Funds focused on Enterprise SaaS, Retail Technology and AI/ML Big Data

• Demo Meetings with Fortune 1000 Retailers, Strategic Partnerships, and Retail-centric Accelerator/Incubator programs

Small biz fanatic, MBA grad and former Social Enterprise Director, Yasameen worked closely with young entrepreneurs to develop neighborhood destinations, providing mentorship and guidance as they embarked on their journey of starting and growing their own businesses.After graduating with her Master’s of Business from Augsburg University in 2020, Yasameen kicked Maazah into full swing. She completed the IMPACTSKU Minneapolis track summer of 2021 and was a winner in the Kroger Go Fresh & Go Local program.

​

The Ask:

• Seed stage investors

• CPG industry contacts

• Influencers, food bloggers, and recipe developers

• PR & Media contacts

Yolanda A. Barton is not just a trailblazer in immersive storytelling; she's a venerated expert and the pioneering founder of Revere XR. Using cutting-edge Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence, she's transforming the way we engage, interact, & experience history, melding insights of the past with future technologies. Yolanda sets the course for a future where the digital and physical worlds converge in the most transformative, inclusive ways imaginable. Yolanda A. Barton's leadership stands as a testament to her ability to inspire, innovate, and uplift, creating transformative experiences for generations to come.

​

The Ask:

• Introductions to investors, philanthropists, and clients

• Connections to corporate sponsorships & partnerships

• Introductions to prominent XR/AR/VR tech companies

• Warm introductions to Angel Investors

• Support for our pre-Seed Round (October-April)

• Securing speaking engagements w/demo

• Securing hackathon sponsorship & partnerships

• Introduction to diverse technical talent

• Social media marketing assistance

• Referrals for social media interns, SEO experts

• Introduction to influential figures for enhanced visibility

• Aid in securing print media coverage

Ahriana is the proud Founder and CEO of Vaila Shoes, where she provides women of forgotten shoe sizes (sizes 9+) with access to modern dress shoes that they desire and deserve. Vaila utilizes the trends of today to create a seasonal dress shoe line designed for the workplace and after-hours. Vaila is on a mission to achieve extended size inclusivity in the footwear space and help women look good while doing it. At her core, she is motivated by creating a generational legacy and aims to use her innovative
mindset and creativity to create a social impact for the undervalued, underestimated, and underrepresented.

​

The Ask:

• We are seeking connections to National TV Networks (HSN, QVC, GMA), strategic corporate partnerships (ie Airlines, WNBA, etc), and uniform provider organizations (Military, Army, Correctional Officers etc).

Every woman is unique and experiences menopause differently. Our aim is to help all women embrace this phase of their life with products to make the transition simpler. While menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years, it’s also the start of a new chapter in her life. ​Through education, engagement and encouragement, the Fria team wants women to have a positive perspective on their changing bodies. We endeavor to be a resource, safe space for sharing our journeys and a community of supportive friends. 

​

The Ask:

• Capital​

  • ​Direct introductions to funders/Angel groups/individuals focused on CPG, Fem-tech, Women-led enterprises

• ​Customer Acquisition​​

• Manufacturing

  • ​US Based scaling opportunities (preferably Northeast region) metal coating and precision/micro steel cutting capabilities

• Marketing/ Sales​​

​

Orleatha Smith, M.Ed, is a serial entrepreneur with experience in a wide variety of fields with the most recent decade spent in wellness and now in eCommerce creating and growing Sip Herbals, an herbal coffee substitute company. She has served in the wellness community for over a decade and her true love is science. She holds an advanced degree in education and a biology teaching credential. She has also been featured in popular publications such as First For Women Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, WebMD, and has had appearances on various podcasts and television shows.

​

The Ask: 

• Warm Investor/Angel introductions

• Corporate and brand partnerships

• Marketing ( social media, sales, print)

Madison is the CEO and Co-Founder of Clutch where she drives the company’s vision of building a world where authentic, engaging work supports a more sustainable, equitable lifestyle. Her passion for entrepreneurship and helping the next generation thrive began in childhood including spending her high school summers creating a math mania programmatic instruction class for middle school students in need and working with youth advocacy programs in college.

​

The Ask: 

• Intros to industry leaders looking to unlock short form video as a service

As a first-generation entrepreneur, Rebecca has
spent the majority of her life trailblazing. From
creating her own sexual wellness major at UC
Berkeley to being one of the few Latinas to raise
over 3 million for a startup, this wife to marketing exec, mom ot two independent girls, and sexologist has learned that healthy intimacy is the secret to a happy life. As the founder of Bloomi, she is on a mission to help improve the intimate lives of 1 billion people via inclusive products and sex education.

​

The Ask: 

• Have a sexual wellness conversation this week

• Introductions to Pipeline Angels

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Arienne M Fudge's love for cooking developed after her mother was diagnosed with Lupus when Adrienne was just seven years old. At a young age she desired to help her mother make meals for her dad and sister.  Although Adrienne obtained a MA in Corporate Communication from Seton Hall University and worked in Corporate America for many years, she still yearned to feed people. After attending culinary school, Chef Fudge launched her catering business. She loves how her business has evolved, and feels that she is blessed to serve senior citizens and disabled adults throughout NJ.

​

The Ask: 

• Marketing ( social media, sales, print)

• Nutritionist

• Managed Care Organizations

• Medicaid/Medicare

• Fleet Management/Logistics

• Food Manufacturing

• Medical Claims Management​

​

Dianne Austin, Founder & CEO of Coils to Locs, is a cancer survivor. In 2015, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and learned that her chemotherapy treatment would result in hair loss, along with the loss of her eyebrows and lashes. Coils to Locs mission is to provide high-quality synthetic wigs that cater to the unique needs of women of color with highly textured, tightly coiled hair and every range in between. 

​

The Ask: 

​

• Customer Acquisition

• Balancing inventory demand vs supply

• Positioning Coils to Locs as a brand leader

• Access to decision makers at Hospitals and healthcare

• Fleet Management/Logistics

• Food Manufacturing

• Medical Claims Management​

​

Yamillet (Yami) Payano is a first-generation Afro-Latina. Currently she is developing the go-to-market strategy, fundraising efforts, and has written technical and business domain documentation for Sign-Speak. Her technical expertise spans a variety of domains, including data based statistical system and data science. Yami is passionate about Diversity and Inclusion, not just from the lens of race and gender but also from the lens of accessibility.

​

The Ask: ​

​

• Introductions to lobbyists that have experience with the FCC.

• Introduction to the key leadership in the FCC (Jessica Rosenworcel & Geoffrey Starks). 

• Introductions to customers in the financial industry or video conferencing platforms.

​

​

​

​

​

Ami, founder/CEO of Sika Health, a Stanford-trained physician and ex-BCG consultant, aims to revolutionize healthcare payments by enabling the use of HSA and FSA funds at checkout, bridging the financial gap in healthcare and empowering consumers to afford their health needs.

​

​

​

The Ask:

• Help us meet our target customers - Skin Care, Baby Care, At Home Testing

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Chef Leslie Woodward, CEO/Creator of Edenesque, advocates for clean eating and local, seasonal foods, aiming to combat nutrition-related diseases while providing opportunities to underserved communities through wholesome food production.

​

The Ask:

• Build partnerships with regional distributors I.E, Regional Access. 

• Help finding a CMO-innovator thinker with CPG experience who sees what is possible at the rate at which the world is moving 

• Support in advancing our technological infrastructure

​

​

​

​

Jessica Feliz is a dynamic educator and the visionary founder of Spanish S.W.A.G. With over 15 years of teaching experience, she passionately champions bilingualism in Black and Brown American communities and enhances second language education nationwide. Recognizing the critical need to address teacher shortages, teacher burnout, and low student engagement, Jessie created the Spanish S.W.A.G. On Demand Learning Program to increase the rate of bilingualism. Her commitment to promoting cultural connections, combined with her expertise in curriculum development, creates a space where students thrive. Through Spanish S.W.A.G., Jessie is igniting a new wave of language education that empowers learners to embrace their linguistic potential and expand their horizons.

​

The Ask:

• Warm investor/Angel introductions

• Referrals to a possible Chief Tech Officer

• Referrals to a Sales & Marketing Consultant with experience in ed tech sales. 

​

Allison is a haircare enthusiast with experience formulating natural beauty products at home for 10+ years. She is excited about hair education and the importance of sustainability in cosmetics. Her background is in marketing strategy & analytics, and she holds a BA in Psychology from Brown University and an MBA from the Darden School of Business where she was awarded Best & Brightest MBA by Poets and Quants. Prior to embarking on a full-time entrepreneurship career, Allison was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group focused on People & Organization Strategy. Today, she is the Founder & CEO of Haiama Beauty Co. an eco-luxury haircare brand focused on bringing high quality raw ingredients from around the world to bring peace of mind and amazing results in the comfort of home.

​

The Ask:​

• Warm introductions to Angel Investors and Early Stage VCs

• Introductions to mid-sized clean beauty retailers

• Connections to cosmetic chemists & co-manufacturers 

• Strategic thought partnerships around target audience expansion

• Connections to social media & marketing managers for contract

​

Dr. Gaspard is the CEO and founder of Rubitection, a health tech startup whose assessment and care management platform support for chronic wounds and dermatological conditions can help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. As CEO she overseas business strategy, partnership development, fundraising, product development, and marketing.  Her vision is to make Rubitection’s solution globally available to empower anyone to assess and manage chronic skin condition to personalize care. Her accolades include 2022 Richard King Mellon Foundations Social Impact Award, 2021 Culture Shift Labs Innovation Competition, and ’19 AnitaB PitcHer winner, and ’19 Vinetta Project winner.  She has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in medical device development from Carnegie Mellon University.  

​

The Ask:

• Warm introductions to investors

• Intros to SBIR grant writers

• Intros to family care givers

• Intros to nurses and vascular surgeons

• Intros to director of nursing

• Intros to Insurance payer partners

• Partnerships with durable medical equipment companies

• Intros to hospitals

​

​

Dara Chike-Obi is the co-founder and inventor of Griö baby bottles, a sensory enhancing feeding system that promotes brain development in newborns and enhances emotional bonding with their caretakers.

Before devoting her work fulltime to Griö, Dara served as a corporate oil and gas attorney at several multi-national energy companies. Her responsibilities included the A&D management of the firms biggest energy producing assets around the world.

Dara and her work for Griö have been featured in Austin Women Magazine, Babygaga, the Moms Choice Awards and in podcasts like Story of a Brand and Professionally offensive.

​

The Ask:

• Introductions to Angel and Impact Investors

• Accelerate Feeding Trials

  • Introductions to Pediatric NICU nurses, Pediatric Speech Language Pathologists and NICU decision makers​

Anisha Vinjamuri, Founder and CEO of an award-winning brand, UMMSKINCARE. My inspiration to start a holistic skin health lifestyle brand stemmed from my journey of overcoming skin and scalp issues. Before founding UMM (pronounced as AUM), I was the CEO of a technology management firm, InnovationsIQ, for a decade and saw through a successful acquisition in 2017. My career started at Microsoft, spanning across test, product, and program management roles. I have an educational background with a double Master's in Commerce and Foreign trade.  Outside of work, I enjoy Weightlifting, CrossFit, Indoor Gardening, Mentoring Young Women in Entrepreneurship, Writing Poetry, Cooking, Training my 2 working-line German Shepherds, and sipping lots of red wine.

The Ask:

• Investor Connections

• Retail & Hospitality Connections

• Corporate Wellness Connections 

• Coffee + Advice

Reetu is Co-founder and CEO of Cirkled In, a Young Professionals’ Platform for Gen-Z students, empowering them to showcase their professional achievements, and connecting them to various opportunities at colleges, employers, trade schools etc.  Utilizing this rich information about students, Cirkled-In enables recruiters at universities and employers to recruit the best-fit students, creating win-win while making all students recruitment more effective, efficient, and equitable. 

​

The Ask:

• Intro to Seed Stage VCs (HRTech, Consumer SaaS, Market-Place VCs)

• Intro to Colleges/ Universities (Your Alma-Mater as a starting point!)

• Intro to Youth-friendly Employers (Retail/ Hospitality, High-tech, Impact based Organizations)

• AND Rockstar Sales and Marketing Team Members

Malobi is an attorney and ardent diversity, equity and inclusion ambassador. She is passionate about helping organizations create DEI optimized workplaces by successfully leveraging data and technology to drive real and sustainable results. 

This passion led Malobi to start a cutting-edge technology company, DEI Directive. DEI Directive's technology solutions help organizations drive, track and measure DEI impact, so they cam unleash increased employee engagement, innovation, and profitability. 

​

The Ask:

• Potential Customers

  • Connecting to Chief Human Resource Officers & Chief Diversity Officers in your network​

• Investors or Alt Capital​

• Strategic Partners​​

Kimberly Evans is a business owner and entrepreneur. She is the Founder & CEO of Just Her Rideshare, Inc., a rideshare community of
women drivers and riders based in Charlotte, N.C. Before starting this company in 2020, she was the founder of 3 other companies from
1993-present in the industries of Fashion, a SaaS Company, and a Client Support Call Center, all while building a career with the United States Postal Service, where she spent 21 years in distribution, client support and management. She became a full-time entrepreneur in 2011.

​

The Ask:

• Warm introductions to Early Stage VC, Angel and Social Impact Investors

• Access to local Non-Profits Partnerships and Corporate Sponsorships 

• Community and Social Media Manager for Just Her Hub-Pipeline 1300 members

Dara Cook captivated millions during her 20-year career at MTV, where she was Head Creative of the Video Music Awards, brand manager of Wild ‘N Out, Senior Vice President who launched MTV’s podcast and touring businesses, and named one of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable. At 20, she graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Cook is an alum of Harvard Business School’s General Management Program where her Expect presentation won the strategy competition. Cook also serves as a Trustee of the Helene Fuld College of Nursing in Harlem.

​

The Ask: 

• Health insurers & employer-sponsored benefits plans

• Angels & investors interested in women’s health

With a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and Johns Hopkins and a master’s in leadership and management, Dana has directed large teams across major capital projects and multi-million dollar budgets. This experience shaped Ujamaa's fiscal vision. She puts this banking expertise, management experience, and financial acumen to work as CEO and Co-Founder of Ujamaa Financial.

​

 

The Ask: 

• Warm Introductions

  • Angel Investors

  • Technical teammates

  • Potential sponsors

  • Partner banks

  • Channel and brand partners

• ​Help With Achieving Better Visibility 

  • Social media interns

  • SEO experts

  • Print media coverage

  • Marketing strategists

Lisa Michelle is the visionary CEO and founder of Bridesquad, a groundbreaking mobile app revolutionizing party planning. With a remarkable technical acumen, Lisa's journey in crafting apps and websites began as a teenager, establishing her as a seasoned technical founder. The inception of Bridesquad stemmed from Lisa's personal experience, navigating the overwhelm of wedding planning in 2021.

​

The Ask: 

• Partnerships 

  • Bridal/wedding industry leaders and businesses

  • Event planning professionals and businesses

  • Travel/tourism professionals and businesses

• Warm Introductions 

  • Seeking active and passive investors

• Knowledge Sharing

  • Expertise in Content Marketing

  • Referral for developers & our Advisory Board

Keeana Saxon, Founder & CEO of Kidogo Productions, LLC is also an attorney, piano teacher, mom, and wife. She founded Kidogo Productions so that no Black child would be marginalized in children’s media. For the kids, for the culture. Kidogo Productions LLC, is a Boston-based educational media company with the goal “to connect with and have a positive impact on children from across the world through Black-centered curated videos, interactive activities, and live events.”

​

The Ask: 

• Investor introductions 

• Corporate and brand partnerships

• Early childhood specialists and academicians

• Board advisors with board members in children's media

• Referrals to a possible technical Co-founder with experience in ed tech app design and gaming​

​

Cindy Belardo, CEO and Co-Founder learned about the menstrual cup as an eco-friendly alternative to tampons. This started her journey in 2018 into period care, leading a team on a trip to India to introduce a town of women to menstrual cups. There, she learned about period poverty, period taboos and the need for honest education. Her passion for body positivity led to the start of her company.

​

The Ask: 

​

• ​Warm Introduction to Angel Investors in Women's Health (Medical Devices, Sustainable Consumer Products)

• Connections with mentors in Supply Chain and Retail. 

• Take part in company socials and spread the word on Pre-orders!

​

​

​

​

​

Monique O. Ositelu, PhD is a Nigerian-American woman who wears many hats from a founder, author, college instructor, keynote speaker, and former U.S. federal policy advisor.

Founder and CEO of DEUCE Inc., an early stage fintech startup that promotes an
ecosystem of collaboration by streamlining quick and secure payments for collaborating creators like social media influencers, musicians, and artists.

​

The Ask: 

• Partnerships 

  • Creators & Brands as potential customers

  • Financial institutions such as sponsor bank and gateway processor

• Warm Introductions to Investors 

• Knowledge Sharing

  • Expertise in fintech

  • Referral for developers & our Advisory Board

​

​

Karina Muller has 20+ years of entrepreneurial and corporate experience in the health and wellness industry, caregiving management and stress management.  With her co- founder she created and launched Motivity Care, which offers an affordable, efficient, one point of entry, tech-enabled solution that alleviates stress, reduces mental burden, and gives the caregiver and their aging loved one’s peace of mind.

​

​

The Ask: 

​​

Introductions to:

• HR/Benefits Leaders

• Senior living community Operators Investors  

​

​

Liz, founder & CEO of Kidault, is a resilient entrepreneur and business leader with a strong background in the car service industry, leveraging her diverse experience as a credit analyst, ride-sharing driver, dispatcher, and app developer to build and grow a successful car service business, showcasing her unwavering drive, adaptability, and understanding of customer needs.

​

The Ask: 

• I am seeking assistance in connecting with corporate companies and/or medical facilities in need of transportation services.

• I am also seeking assistance in customer acquisition.

​

​

Melanie Samba is the visionary founder and CEO of Sproxxy, an AI-powered enterprise SaaS platform revolutionizing executive management at conferences. Recognized as one of the top 25 influential leaders in commstech and a Techstars entrepreneur.

​

The Ask:

• Connections with investors, donors and potential clients interested in SPROXXY technology. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 Saskia Sorrosa is one of the only Latinas in the kids’ food space. She is the founder of Fresh Bellies, a mission-driven company that is focused on bringing the next generation of snackers healthy and flavorful options and currently has nationwide distribution with 4,500+ major retailers like Whole Foods, Target, Walmart and Kroger. Since founding the company, Saskia has grown Fresh Bellies into a national disruptor, winning the Expo East NEXTY Award for Best New Natural Kid’s Product, pitching to Shark Tank, graduating from the Chobani Incubator, winning first place at the NFL Players Association business accelerator and being selected as part of Goldman Sachs’ Launch with GS Entrepreneur Cohort. She was also selected as a 2023 JOURNEY Fellow, a group of 25 innovators tackling the most critical societal challenges. Previously, Saskia was VP of Marketing for the NBA. Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, Sorrosa currently resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.

​

The Ask:

• Networking opportunities

• CPG Advisors and talent referrals

• Warm introductions to angel and institutional investors

• Strategic partners

• New Fresh Bellies champions 

For far too long, we have inexplicably been at the bottom of the dating totem pole. And dating services have failed to address our specific needs, desires, and demographic.  As a professional dating in the D.C. area herself, Naza shares your frustration with dating apps. While they are convenient to use, she found herself wasting countless hours swiping on low-quality matches, engaging in dead-end texting, and going on disappointing first dates! She considered traditional matchmaking services, but even on her attorney salary most were just too expensive and their clientele didn’t look like her! She wanted chemistry.

​

The Ask:

• Executive Mentorship
  We looking for executive mentorship from those who have grown a B2C startup from $0-$5 million in revenue. Additional mentorship is welcome from executives with
  experience and effective strategies growing community/membership platforms.

• Hiring Support
  We’re looking to improve the effectiveness of our sales team. We’re looking for a sales guru who can review our methods and help us improve our tactics to close more new member accounts.

• Customer Acquisition Team
  We’re vetting new customer acquisition teams, including social media ads placement and content creators. Referrals welcome.

​

​

Damyanna Cooke is the visionary and CEO behind Boozed.ai, an AI-driven cocktail making and dispensing system for events. From skyrocketing in the Fintech realm to pioneering innovations, she's now crafting the future of event beverages. Recently Damyanna served as the Houston Ion Innovator in Residence and is alumni to the Ion Aerospace Innovation Accelerator for MBEs. She has also served as Vice President of the Institutional Client Group for Neuberger Berman, a former Lehman Brothers company. Damyanna received her undergraduate degree from DePauw University as a Posse Foundation full tuition scholarship recipient.

​

The Ask:

• Warm introductions to Angel & Pre-Seed investors

• Warm introductions to potential customers

• Connections to event tech and marketing industry leaders

Lauren is the cofounder and CEO of Fundr, a platform that uses data and AI to empower decision making in seed investing. Lauren started her career as a special education teacher with Teach for America and went on to develop marketing and data strategy for over 100 global companies at InStyle Magazine, TVGuide and Omnicom Group. She has her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She is an Entrepreneur in Residence for University at Buffalo’s Incubator and a Techstars All Stars Mentor.

​

The Ask:

• Warm Intros to pre-seed investors

• New customers (WOCCON attendees get 50% off)

• Founders to take our survey

Dr. Julie Pham is the founder and CEO of CuriosityBased, an organizational development firm based in Seattle. Dr. Pham has been recognized with numerous awards for her community leadership. She has applied her community building approach to building strong, collaborative, and curious teams. She was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and raised in Seattle. Dr. Pham earned her Ph.D. in history at Cambridge University as a Gates Cambridge Scholar and she graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley as a Haas Scholar. She earned her real life MBA by running her family’s Vietnamese language newspaper during the Great Recession. She has worked as a journalist, historian, university lecturer, marketer, nonprofit executive, and management consultant.

The Ask:

• Growing Customers

  • Executives and HR leaders in any industry

  • Organizational development trainers

  • Executive coaches and HR consultants

• Recruiting Advisors

  • Intellectual property licensing

  • Train-the-trainer

  • Digital courses

  • Digital marketing

Henny grew up in Indonesia, where she learned about group savings as a financing option. She joined a savings group with her friends and family, which helped her achieve her financial goals and provided her with a supportive community. This experience led her to co-found Joola, a digital platform that offers accessible and affordable capital through group savings.  She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Seattle and a Master of Applied International Studies from the University of Washington. 

​

The Ask:

• Warm introduction to angel investors

• Connections with mentors and influencers who specialize
  in marketing and fintech. 

• Partnerships with community
  banks and nonprofits with financial wellness programs.

Arielle Brown, a Lafayette, LA native and Licensed Master Social Worker, is the Founder of Bea's Bayou Skincare, named after her maternal grandmother, Beatrice. Her mission is tdisrupt the $6.7B US Eczema-related Hair & Skincare Market by providing natural itch relief using probiotics and bayou plants and herbs.mindset and creativity to create a social impact for the undervalued, underestimated, and underrepresented.  She recently won the 2022 Aveeno & Essence Skin Health Pitch and has secured grant funding to create a business foundation and
first product iterations.

​

The Ask:

• Angel Investors

• Haircare Distributors 

• Corporate Sponsors

• Haircare Sales Professionals

• Microbiologist/Researcher

• Dermatologist Advisor

Raised in the US South as the daughter of first and second-generation immigrants, I have always centered equity as a non-negotiable component of life. This imperative drove me to make history at 26 as one of the youngest and the first Afro-Latina to earn a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  I've devoted my career to broadening the scope of equity and access, from healthcare to the beauty industry.

​

The Ask:

• Warm introductions to Angels interested in Health & Beauty companies, specifically those led by women founders.

• Introductions to software developers who have experience with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and building responsive/regenerative databases.

• Introductions to partners in beauty & retail who can amplify our brand awareness.

​

​

Dr. Manju Dawkins of a board certified dermatologist who  received her B.A. from Columbia University. She completed her dermatology residency and served as Chief Resident at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. She is also the creator and co-founder of Thimble, the first easy, safe, and comprehensive solution for alleviating needle pain and stress. Needle aversion stops millions from participating in other forms of essential care, including early disease detection, blood donation and life-saving treatments. 

​

The Ask: 

• Partnership:

  • Intros to decision makers at health systems, insurance companies, injectable drug makers, public health agencies  who can offer Thimble at scale

• Create Awareness:

  • Intros to influential people in government, media, social media, etc who can help create a groundswell to impel change at the corporate level.

Chelby graduated from San Jose State University in 2019 with a degree in Political Science. Prior to founding Boummeringue I worked as an operator and information systems specialist for a growing disability services startup. We grew the company from 20 to 60+ employees in less than 2 years. At the very beginning of developing Boummeringue I built the first version of our product and published it to the Apple App store. That was a great way for us to get consumer feedback on what they like and dislike about the return process. 

​

The Ask: 

• Warm Introductions to Investors

  • B2B/Enterprise Software

  • Supply Chain/Logistics Software

  • Circularity & Sustainability

• ​Warm Introductions to Retail Executives

  • CEO, CFO or Board Members

  • Vice Presidents of E-Commerce, Operations or Inventory Management

Dr. Madhu Shetti is a Bay Area Oncologist, 3x founder and Stanford GSB alum. Seeing the painful Shingles like rashes her patients experienced during and after cancer treatment inspired her to found Balmere. In 18 months, her GSB women led, bootstrapped team developed and brought to market patent pending, clinically tested products with triple benefits: improve quality of life, improve overall survival and prevent secondary cancers. No FDA clearance required. Covered by FSA.

​

The Ask: 

• Intros to Angel Investors.

• Speaking opportunities to promote cancer education/awareness—(podcasts, Black
  sorority conferences, news/radio stations)

• Marketing/Social Media collaboration.

• Introductions to decision makers at hospitals/cancer center pharmacies and retirement communities.​

​

​

"I've spent my career in intense environments, from wall street trading floors to hedge funds in New York City and London and have been the only female in the room more times than I can count. We're removing roadblocks one step at a time." Sesha Kadakia is the Founder & CEO of Tangify, a technology company that is protecting IP all over the world. Take your first step to a patent and finding out if your tech can be patented in minutes, without disclosing confidential IP. 

​

The Ask: 

​

• Introduction to high quality, diverse engineering talent

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Michelle Dalzon, Founder of Katapulte, a company focused on working capital for segments of businesses that have been ignored. They're on a mission to disrupt the small-business online lending landscape and drive more equitable access to capital by focusing on business segments that have been left ignored and guarantee the lowest interest rates.  Michelle has been a boostrapped founder the past 4.5 years but is also an experienced Marketer with a demonstrated history of working in the advertising industry. 

​

The Ask: 

​​

• Introduction to investor bank partner (debt facility)​

​

​

Dr. Clayborne developed a novel nosebleed device, NasaClip, as a resident and in 2015 was awarded the NSF I-Corps grant which helped to launch her company.  Dr. Clayborne has been featured on several national interviews on networks such as CNN, MSNBC, CBSN and TEDx.  She looks forward to continuing her career as a practicing emergency physician, innovator and leader in health care policy and reform.

​

The Ask: 

​

• Fundraising: Seed Round July 2023

• Sales: NasaClip.com

• Manufacturing: Scaling opportunities

• Strategic Partners: Retailers, Sports, School Nurses, Urgent Care, Social Media Influencers

​

​

​

​

​

​

 Stephanie Louis, the CEO of SOTRO Innovations, is an empowering entrepreneur and salon owner dedicated to revolutionizing at-home hair care for individuals with textured hair and hair damage. Committed to superior user experiences.

​

The Ask:

• Help with Mexican Manufacturing - Injection Mold production contacts specializing in electrical appliances, Executive Staffing - US Based Chief Marketing and Chief Financial Officers,

• Dedicated Technologist - XR Programmers specializing in AR platform development - Eventual CTO

​

​

​

Jessica Spaulding, founder & CEO of Harlem Chocolate Factory, grew up in an anti-sugar home, but there was one exception to this rule, CHOCOLATE, not just any chocolate, high-quality chocolate. Although being a chocolatier wasn't a supported career path, she never gave up on her dream. Merging her passion for chocolate with her love of Harlem is an experience she wants to share with everyone.

​

The Ask: 

• We are asking for introductions to funders and those with experience in scaling CPG operations & retail travel operations.

​

​

​

​