CEO of Athena Technology Acquisition Corp., Founder & CEO of Xtreme Solutions, Inc., and Founder of ShoulderUp Phyllis Newhouse is an entrepreneur, investor, retired military senior officer and mentor. She is CEO and Co-Founder of Athena Technology Acquisition Corp., Founder and CEO of Xtreme Solutions, Inc., and Founder of ShoulderUp. Xtreme Solutions, Inc. (XSI) provides industry-leading, state-of-the-art information technology and cybersec...

 Charmane Hayman Sellers is an honorable Veteran of the United States Air Force and the CEO of API Design Build Group, LLC. API provides Design Build, Construction, Project and Construction Management services, which also includes Training Services: OSHA Safety, to both commercial and residential clients in both the public and private sectors. Projects: Texas A&M San Antonio Campus, Austin Community College, Huston Tillotson University, ...

Mei Xu is a Chinese American entrepreneur, woman business leader, and the Founder of two global lifestyle brands, Chesapeake Bay Candle, a wellness- inspired home fragrance company, and Blissliving Home, a culturally inspired home textiles company. Xu is also Founder & CEO of meixu.com, an online community and marketplace for women entrepreneurs. Xu established Chesapeake Bay Candle in 1994, and grew it into a global manufacturer of home frag...

As an entrepreneur since the age of 12, Desiree Doubrox has been the founder/owner of several businesses, including the Marina Mermaid, A Models Media, Lookin Good Productions and Celebrity Auctions. She is currently the CEO of HomWork in California. An Empowered Woman has developed into an exclusive global networking community and resource center for women professionals and entrepreneurs. In 2011, she launched the Foundation of Empowered Women, ...

Merrilee Kick is the CEO/Founder of BuzzBallz/Southern Champion, the only woman-owned Distillery/Winery in the United States, located in Carrollton, Texas.  BuzzBallz/Southern Champion makes ready-to-drink cocktails called BuzzBallz, as well as spirits like rum, vodka, gin and bourbon, which are sold in 46 states and 7 countries in convenience stores, liquor stores, casinos, arenas and airlines.  The company is family operated, and home...

Cathy is a successful entrepreneur with experience working with global corporate clients across a wide range of markets and industries. Her passion for building businesses has led her to the launch of Liderança Group, Assessment Leaders, Leadership Balance, Be Well Perform Well, and Business Builders. She is a dynamic speaker with an engaging personality who has a genuine passion for helping business leaders achieve their goals. Lideranca Group, ...

Bonnie Nawara is the Interim President and CEO of the Association of Women’s Business Centers. She is also the CEO of Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, a Women’s Business Center in Grand Rapids, MI. A former business owner, she is considered a leader in the local business community and was recognized as one of the Top Fifty Most Influential Women in West Michigan by Grand Rapids Business Journal in 2012 and 2013. Bonnie has had leadership pos...

Fabi Preslar is president of SPARK Publications, an 18-year-old, Charlotte based graphic design and custom publishing firm specializing in print and interactive digital magazines, books, catalogs, and marketing materials . The firm was started as a home-based business and has moved, expanded, and restructured several times. Clients include enthusiasts and professionals who express their visions and knowledge through custom magazines, books, ...

A public relations expert for over 20 years, Lynthia Romney brings her distinctive brand of issues-based PR to positioning her clients for Leadership Visibility.  As president of RomneyCom, a full-service communications firm, Lynthia works with leading corporations and national nonprofits to help them develop and deliver their key messages powerfully to internal and external audiences. Over the years, she is proud to have served distinguishe...

Esther Silver-Parker, President and CEO of the SilverParker Group, a consultancy specializing in corporate responsibility and reputation, stakeholder relationship management, and leadership development, has made advocacy for social change on behalf of minorities and women a lifetime cause and professional calling.Before opening her firm in 2010, Silver-Parker served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Walmart Stores, Inc., where she ...

Maria de Lourdes Sobrino is Founder and CEO of Lulu’s Dessert® Corporation. Established in 1982, Lulu’s Dessert®, is ranked among the top 500 Hispanic Businesses in the United States. As Jim Hopkins from USA Today wrote she is “the queen of ready-to-eat gelatin and a force in the surging number of Hispanic entrepreneurs.” Born and raised in Mexico City, Ms. Sobrino’s first business was in the tourism industry. She later expanded her business to a...

Joanne is Director of Constituent Relations and Corporate Affairs at Walmart. She is responsible for building partnerships and strategies that enhance corporate reputation and stakeholder advocacy in the Asian American Pacific Islander markets and community, the Women’s segment, Mature/Aging segment, and People with Disabilities segment.  She seeks opportunities to create new innovative relationships and partnerships that will benefit s...