2:00pm: Arrival and Registration

2:30pm: Opening Remarks

Gwen K. Young
CEO, Women Business Collaborative

2:45pm: 1:1 Matching and Breakout Sessions

Capital Raising & Business Ownership
Lakeisha White
Senior Vice President, Certification, WBENC

Angel Investing
Loretta McCarthy
Co-CEO and Managing Partner, Golden Seeds, LLC

A Discussion About Debt
Kanika Chakravorti
Senior Vice President and Mid-Corporate Banker, Wells Fargo
Karla Kaplan
Senior Vice President/Mid-Corporate Relationship Manager, Commercial Banking, Wells Fargo

Creating a Capital Change Strategy
Keisha Rivers
Founder, The KARS Group Ltd.

4:15pm: Opening Fireside Chat

Donna Levin
CEO, Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Co-Founder, Care.com

Carolyn D’Angelo
Senior Managing Director, Brand Operations, Gordon Brothers
President, Laura Ashley

5:00pm: Opening reception and Women’s Business Marketplace

7:00pm: End of Day One

8:00am: Arrival, Breakfast and Networking

9:00am: Welcome

Gwen K. Young
CEO, Women Business Collaborative

9:10am: Fireside Chat

Bailey G. DeVries
Assistant Administrator, Office of Investment & Innovation
United States Small Business Administration

Gwen K. Young
CEO, Women Business Collaborative

9:35am: Navigating the Landscape of Capital

The options for accessing capital make up a robust ecosystem that can often be challenging to navigate. This process requires a clear understanding of the types of capital that are right for your business as well as an awareness of the goals of investors and lenders.  In addition, clarity of business strategy, exit planning, industry dynamics, and business goals are critical to choosing the right capital provider. In this session, our panel of experts will discuss the landscape of capital and how entrepreneurs can scale their businesses with the investment options that are best aligned with their company’s strategy and growth plan.

Vijay Mehta
Arkview Capital

10:15am: Coffee Break

10:30am: Fireside Chat

Rhoda Olsen
Owner and Board Chair, Great Clips

10:55am: Setting the Table: Understanding Early-Stage Capital

As business owners work to scale their companies, creating the right capital structure from the beginning is important to long term growth. This allows entrepreneurs to be ready to access and receive capital and create the traction necessary to accelerate their growth. In this session, speakers will set the stage for exploring early-stage capital and how to prepare your organization for investment in the earliest stages of growth.

Emily Sylvester
Founder & CEO, Mother of Fact

Kelly O’Connell
Managing Partner, 360 Venture Collective

Chisom A’Marie
Vice President/Partner New Voices Fund

12:05pm: Networking Lunch

1:10pm: The Building Blocks of Capital: Growing with Purpose

Scaling a business is a process and not a lump sum event. This work requires a strong commitment to the company’s values, strategy, and objectives as well as purposeful commitment from both business owners and investors of capital. Entrepreneurs must be constantly evaluating whether their desired growth is in alignment with the goals they’ve set for their organization and the value they are creating for their customers. Join our panel of experts to discuss how to grow your business intentionally as well as how entrepreneurs and investors can build mutually beneficial relationships to achieve both business owner and investor goals.

Monika Mantilla
Managing Partner, Altura Capital

Jasmine Jones
Founder and CEO, Myya

Richard Gan
Division Manager and Managing Director, Wells Fargo

1:50pm: Mergers & Acquisitions as a Growth Strategy

Unlocking the potential for transformational growth, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is a powerful strategy for scaling women-owned businesses. This dynamic panel will delve into the intricacies of M&A, offering insights into how this strategy can serve as a catalyst for expansion, market penetration, and increased competitiveness.

Join us for this insightful session to discover how mergers and acquisitions can serve as a strategic tool for growth and transformation. Whether you are looking to acquire, merge, or attract investment, this panel will provide the knowledge and inspiration needed to navigate the complex M&A landscape confidently.

Mark Sirower
Principal | M&A Consultative Services, Deloitte

2:30pm Coffee Break

2:45pm Engineering Your Exit: Envisioning the Future of your Company While Building It

As entrepreneurs grow their businesses, it is critical to consider the future of the company. When the time comes, how will they separate from the business?  What are the ultimate goals included in an exit strategy?  Does the organization have a succession plan to prepare for change as the business transitions?  Answering these questions is key to achieving positive outcomes for both founders and investors. Planning an exit strategy early in the development of the company can help maximize the return on investment and sweat equity. In this session, the panel will discuss how to incorporate an exit into the company’s overall business strategy and the value that a well thought out exit strategy can bring to both founders and capital allocators.

Eda Henries
Founder and Managing Principal, Henries & Co.

John Majeski
CEO & Partner, Portola Valley Partners

Suzanne Morrison
Executive Vice President, Division Executive Commercial Banking Carolinas, Wells Fargo

Dao Jensen
CEO, Oak Rocket

3:25pm: Closing Fireside Chat

Pocket Sun
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, SoGal Ventures

3:50pm: Closing Remarks

Gwen K. Young
CEO, Women Business Collaborative

4:00pm: Closing Reception

5:00pm: Event Concludes