I'm here today with Monique Woodard - Monique has most recently been an investor at 500 Startups where she invested in early stage startups and raised a $25M fund to invest in Black & Latino founders and categories that will see high growth with these multicultural

• She expanded 500's investments in Africa and led 50+ investors on their 'Geeks on a Plane' trip to explore four ofAfrica's emerging startup ecosystems. 
• And Monique was the first black partner at 500 startups
• Monique is also the co-founder of Black Founders -- a nonprofit startup started by four tech friends in a San Francisco.
  • With a mission to increase the number of successful black entrepreneurs in tech, the organization has cultivated a new generation of tech founders from Silicon Valley to New York City, Atlanta, Austin, and several HBCU campuses. 
• Previously, Monique served as one of the first Innovation Fellows for the San Francisco Mayor's Office where she worked on innovation projects around open data, municipal wi-fi, and civic engagement.
• Monique was an entrepreneur before entrepreneurship was the new normal. She has built things big and small, including Speak Chic – a mobile app.

She attended Hampton University (in Hampton, VA) and the University of Miami.

I'm here today with Naomi Seligman, Co-founder of the newly launched Tower 26   I'm here today with Naomi Seligman, Co-founder of the newly launched Tower 26, a full-service strategic communications and public affairs agency focused on maximizing social impact. 

- Naomi Seligman has decades of experience advising congressional leaders, cause pioneers, tech innovators, and entertainment luminaries.  Most recently she led the communications strategy for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti - She helped shape his public agenda to build housing for all, to modernize government and vastly expand L.A.'s public transit system. - She developed and organized ground-breaking events including: the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit with Vice President Joe Biden, director James Cameron, and mayors from Beijing  In her Washington, D.C. years she worked for the House Committee on Small Business, and was the Press Secretary to Congressman Sam Farr and Senator Max Baucus - She started her political career with Senator Edward Kennedy in MA Attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (She's from Framingham, MA) Board Member & Chair of Communications Committee – Emerge California focused on the under-representation of women in elected office at the local, state, and federal level. Framing vs Forming your opinions, the story Think outside the building The Hard TruthThe lives we are meant to live and the impact that we are meant to have on othersThe Opportunity to do something

I am here today with Kaitlyn Barclay and Willow Hill, co-founders of Scout Lab

Scout Lab offers an intensive 'Brand Sprint' designed to define your target audience and create a narrative that is both relevant and authentic to your community. From core messaging to visual design, we set your brand strategy in one month.

Brand Sprint - The Scout Lab Brand Sprint is a four week engagement in which we work with your key stakeholders to form a bulletproof brand strategy. The final delivery is a brand strategy document that details community enablement, industry competition, core audience definition, brand positioning and visual identity.

A team of brand and digital marketing experts that have worked to build everything from early stage startups to fortune 500 brands including adidas, Levi's, Motorola, Airbnb, Wells Fargo, fitmob and more. 

Kaitlyn Barclay - Co-Founder & CEO has been at the helm of growth strategy for small and large companies alike, from fitmob (acquired by ClassPass) to Levi's. Her specialty is marrying brand strategy to digital marketing efforts in order to rapidly scale community. 

Willow Hill - Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer study at the London College of Fashion. She is a creative strategist and world traveler obsessed with new technology. Most recently, she spent four years launching and growing the Airbnb brand globally. She has a passion for bringing brands to life through immersive content and experiences.

Recent clients include adidas, Paragon One, Bungalow and Teressa Foglia.

https://www.scoutlab.co/

I'm here today with artist Eric Helvie. He's been painting for over 17 years, starting out as a teenager where he attended Creston College – a high school for the arts in South Africa.

Born in Portland, Oregon Eric was raised in South Africa. He lives and works in NYC. His work has been reviewed in ArtFuse, The Creators Project, and featured on PBS and in The Daily Beast.  

His paintings are included in numerous private collections.

He is known for his seemingly effortless fluctuations between abstraction and photorealism and wide ranging influences from Philip K. Dick to Francis Bacon.

Eric is represented by Massey Lyuben Gallery in Chelsea, New York.

He's had solo shows with:

• Natalie Kates Project in New York City
• Rivington Design House in New York City

Amongst several others.

PLEASE Make sure to check out; erichelvie.com

Social Media Tags on Instagram: @erichelvie

AVISAR is democratizing the nature of sourcing within procurement – a multi-trillion dollar industry by making it possible for companies of all sizes can bid on contracts. They simplify the process with a SAAS based platform, which enables companies to find, select from a large pool of vendors and retail the right ones to work with.

Today – it's a highly fragmented process with little to no consistency – including several different processes, company specific platforms, sending in emails, filling out forms on websites, etc. It's very frustrating, making it nearly impossible for most small to mid size businesses to fairly compete.

Many of which may be able to offer a better product or service at more affordable rates – Oftentimes referred to as a black hole – there is little transparency or accountability.

Problem: Gated - closed systems for supplier registration + RFP outreach – this requires a lot of administrative resource to support.

Solution: One platform. Simplified process for all that ensures transparency and accountability.

Social Mission

To alleviate wealth inequality along racial and gender lines by leveling the playing field for all businesses to compete for contracts.

Previously, she was Director of New Product Strategy for At& T and prior to that at Disney. Her challenge at both, was how to find the vendors she needed to create new products – an idea was born.

Sky began her career on Wall Street in Derivative and Equity Sales - having assisted in the deal negotiations of more than $20 Billion for three different Fortune 100 companies

• She sits on the board of the LA Clean Tech Incubator – where she over sees diversity and inclusion
• Sky holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studied Entrepreneurship. 
• She is an east coast transplant who proudly resides in Los Angeles – like my wife Maxi.

Check out AVISARE.COM – which means making you aware in Spanish and Italian – Sky loves language – and is also fluent in French.

Lisa Wang is the Co-Founder of SheWorx and an American rhythmic gymnast. 4-time US National Champion, winning once as a junior and three times as a senior, and the 2007 Pan American Games Champion. She was a key member of the U.S. senior national team, representing the United States at three World Championships. Lisa began rhythmic gymnastics training in 1998 when she was ten years old. In of May 2008, she competed in her last National Championship in Houston, Texas where she swept all 5 Gold Medals in addition to winning the All-Around Title and Athlete of the Year.  Lisa Wang is the Co-Founder of SheWorx and an American rhythmic gymnast. 4-time US National Champion, winning once as a junior and three times as a senior, and the 2007 Pan American Games Champion. She was a key member of the U.S. senior national team, representing the United States at three World Championships. Lisa began rhythmic gymnastics training in 1998 when she was ten years old. In of May 2008, she competed in her last National Championship in Houston, Texas where she swept all 5 Gold Medals in addition to winning the All-Around Title and Athlete of the Year.   She retired in 2008 after gaining admission to Yale University and attended Yale University as the Class of 2012 - graduating with a degree in BA in American Studies. She was also the Light Fellow In 2014, Lisa was recognized for her landmark contributions to the progress of gymnastics in America, and was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of FameLisa Co-Founded - SheWorx – The global platform for investing in the future of female founded companies. SheWorx connects 20K female entrepreneurs who embody three core values: 1. Ambition - We encourage entrepreneurs to set big goals.2. Action - We don't just dream, we execute.3. Altruism - We recognize those who have helped us and actively give back.While, you are listening  - check out: WWW. SHEWORX.COM

Mike Cahill attorney, environmentalist and entrepreneur, is the founder of Prenupta.com, which provides flat rate on demand prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements.  www.prenupta.com

He's using his knowledge of the law and technology to design a legal service for a new generation of on the go, digitally savvy consumers.

Hear about Mike's journey from the court room to his living room where all great entrepreneurs start, as he shares his vision for the future of legal services and why Prenupta.

Chelsea Grayson is an experienced CEO, corporate board member and advisor to public and private companies. She is a frequent public speaker and panelist on corporate governance and other board issues, corporate culture and leadership.

Most recently Chelsea was the General Counsel, CEO and a board member of American Apparel, a $600M vertically integrated apparel manufacturer with a 50-country global footprint, served by 250 retail locations, a digital retail site and a wholesale business. She then successfully sold the company to Gildan Activewear

- Partner in the M&A/corporate governance practice groups of Jones Day and Loeb & Loeb. - Board Leadership Fellow and a Corporate Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) - Recipient of the In-House Impact Award from The Recorder (The American Lawyer) and of the 40 Under 40 Recognition Award from the M&A Advisor - Named one of "L.A.'s Top 40 Dealmakers" in the Los Angeles Business Journal "Who's Who in L.A. Law"

Kassia Meador, the first lady of Long Boarding, an accomplished photographer, who also designs her own line of wetsuits and surf accessories called Kassia + Surf.

INSTA: @kassiasurf TWITTER: @kassiasurf WEB SITE : www.kassiasurf.com New App: KASSIASURF And facebook: KASSIASURF

California born and bred, Kassia began surfing at age 14. By the time she was 17, Kassia was a sponsored pro-longboarder, traveling the world and competing in surf events globally.

Known for her graceful surf style, Kassia was crowned the "queen of noseriding" by the New York Times and in 2011 ranked 2nd on the WSL women's longboard tour.

Throughout her 17-year career as a competitive sponsored athlete, Kassia was actively involved in designing products under the umbrella of her sponsors. In 2013, Kassia left sponsored surfing to build a brand--that focused on quality instead of quantity--for women by women.

Since launching in 2015, KASSIA+SURF has pushed the limits of women's surf culture, lifestyle, and design. With a mission to create aquatically functional wetsuits, accessories, and lifestyle gear, KASSIA+SURF is about freedom, empowerment, and enlightenment. Delivering superior quality goods by using eco-conscious production. Future flavor with a classic twist.