Women in Business Podcast

Greta Bajrami is the CEO and Founder of Golden Group Roofing. Greta Bajrami migrated to the United States at 10 years old from Tirana, Albania. Greta grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts where she attended Worcester State University. Greta Bajrami had no roots or prior connections to the world of exterior remodeling, when she recognized a need for quality, and implementing technology to expand the customer experience. Greta innovated the construction process and elevated the customer experience. Greta Bajrami's excellence and success within the construction industry has gained her local and national attention throughout the USA. Worcester Business Journal named Greta as 40 Under 40 Class of 2017. Remodelers Magazine recognized her innovation by awarding her the Big 50 award 2019. Greta Bajrami serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for New England Roofing Contractor Association, Board of Directors and Scholarship Committee for Worcester State University and President of Massachusetts National Women in Roofing Council.

Bridget is the Founder and CEO of The Global 51. She is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities. Bridget is a second-generation family office professional. She has spent her career serving the family office ecosystem globally. Her experience includes working with them from an investment opportunity level to back-office solutions, and on the governance side with both family businesses and family offices. Bridget's greatest strength is her passion for learning about what a company's or family's needs are in order to develop a strategy around it so that she could effectively help a particular family or business. For over 10 years, Bridget has developed a world-class reputation for curating bespoke events and introductions for cross-sector people and companies. She has cultivated deep connections within the family office, corporate company, and the institutional space.

Through her industry-wide happy hours she is able to curate a safe space for everyone that participates in order to create a cross pollination of ideas, personalities, and opportunities between a broad combination of families, industries, and cultures. This led to Bridget founding the NextGen Leaders Network in the fall of 2014. Bridget has successfully grown networks of next generation family members, political leaders, and other successful leaders in 5 cities.

Sarah Benken, the CEO and Founder of The KNOW Women. Sarah is passionate about supporting women, specifically high-achieving businesswomen that are overworked and lacking community with like-minded women. Why? Because she has been there – in the wrong rooms, stretched thin, and feeling like she was alone on the journey. As an accomplished CEO of 12 years, Sarah has built and scaled her own brands internationally. She is an award-winning entrepreneur that knows firsthand what it is like to feel the need to connect with 'her people' and have trouble finding them. She is on a mission to provide space for dynamic female leaders to gather, collaborate, and be celebrated for their successes and hard work. Sarah just launched a non-profit called KNOW Cares to empower and educate female leaders and dreamers around the world.

Kate Carney is an experienced lawyer, strategic advisor and senior executive.

She has 11+ years advising public and private companies, C-suite executives, and investors on corporate legal matters, business development strategies, relationship-building best practices, reputation/crisis management, and building your tribe (boards, leadership and team dynamics).

She brings a unique mix of busy-savvy legal, finance and communications experience to the opportunities and challenges that entrepreneurs faces daily. The struggle is real!

She is a creative thinker, value-driven problem-solver, and nimble "get it done" business partner. Not to mention, a yogi, former ice hockey player, jewelry enthusiast and the momma of a little Maltipoo named Finnegan.

Niyanta Spelman, founder and CEO of Rainforest Partnership, knew from an early age that she wanted her life's work to focus on protecting tropical rainforests. A winding path took her from childhood in Tanzania and boarding school in India, to work at the first lobbying firm in London. After moving to Texas, she ran a management consultancy and worked with Texas environmental agencies as part of a legislative agency. She chaired a chamber of commerce, served on the Austin planning commission, and sat on a national health advocacy board. Along the way, she gathered critical knowledge, experiences and education. Then in 2007, she began conducting extensive research and holding in-depth conversations with about 200 people. The idea for Rainforest Partnership crystallized, followed by a business plan – a rarity for a nonprofit. The inspiration became a collective vision with the selection of a founding board, and RP was born on December 17, 2007. Niyanta now leads a dedicated team in Peru, Texas, and elsewhere in fulfilling RP's mission to protect tropical rainforests.

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Co-founder & CEO of Creative Startups, Dr. Loy has 25 years experience working with entrepreneurs in the creative industries. In 2013 Dr. Loy launched the world's first accelerator for creative entrepreneurs with a vision for catalyzing high growth company formation in the creative economy; today Creative Startups operates a suite of acceleration programs on four continents serving 150+ creative companies each year.

With over 100 global mentors, an international network of investors, and 260+ alumni companies, Creative Startups is the leading creative industries accelerator.

As an angel investor and via the Accelerator, Alice has invested in over 40 creative businesses.

Alice is currently founding DaVinci Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to creative entrepreneurs building story-driven immersive experiences and technologies.

In 2018 Alice co-authored the ground-breaking book, Creative Economy Entrepreneurs: From Startup to Success which makes the case for impact investment in creative economy entrepreneurs and provides economic catalysts and leaders practical advice on building creative economy ecosystems through entrepreneurship.

Alice consults with universities to develop courses and degree programs. At the University of Colorado she is co-founder of the Design Horizons Fellowship, a ground-breaking year-long program providing students a challenging interdisciplinary exploration of design innovation, entrepreneurship, engineering, and arts and media. A sought-after speaker on topics ranging from developing entrepreneur ecosystems to investing in creative growth companies, Alice frequently travels to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America to work with entrepreneurs, venture investors, and ecosystem leaders. Alice holds an M.B.A. and a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Marketing. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her family.

How To Find Courage When Capital Raising in a Room Full of Men

Louise (Yochee) Klein, PsyD brings you 20+ years of experience as a Business Psychologist, executive coach and facilitator — empowering clients to champion innovation, woo sponsors and expand their influence and clout. Louise Yochee is particularly effective with engineering and scientific leaders in C-suite roles and with women in key innovation leadership positions. As a Canadian in Israel and the US, she understands the value of cross-cultural perspectives. Louise Yochee serves as COO of Courage Growth Partners.