| 2009 Speakers |
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Isabel Allende
A literary legend, Isabel Allende—now in the third decade of her extraordinary career—has sold more than 51 million books worldwide, in more than 32 languages. Her novels and memoirs have established her as one of the most respected Latin American writers the world has ever known. [Read more] |
Internationally renowned and celebrated, Marcus Buckingham is the go-to consultant in his field, a sought-after speaker and a New York Times bestselling author. Challenging accepted and entrenched social theory, Buckingham pioneered a revolutionary concept—that people will be dramatically more effective, successful and fulfilled when they play to their strongest skills rather than attempting to improve their weaknesses. He calls his research-based technique the "strengths revolution," and his work has been proven again and again in boardrooms, seminars, and individual's lives around the world. 
Tory Johnson is an award-winning workplace advisor, national network television contributor, popular speaker and New York Times best selling author. She is the CEO of Women For Hire, now celebrating its 10th year producing high caliber recruiting events attended by more than 25,000 women annually. Johnson is also the workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America" and the anchor of "Job Club" on ABC News Now, a 24-hour digital news channel. 
Suze Orman has been called "a force in the world of personal finance" and a "one-woman financial advice powerhouse" by USA Today. A two-time Emmy Award-winning television host, New York Times mega bestselling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today, Orman is undeniably America's most recognized expert on personal finance. 
Christy Haubegger is the visionary founder of Latina, the first bilingual magazine targeted exclusively to Hispanic women in the U.S. Haubegger is widely regarded as a leading business figure and opinion maker on Latino issues throughout the nation. Her indomitable spirit, relentless persistence and unerring business sense have infused Latina, and American publishing in general, with a unique and long overdue voice—a voice that attracts readers and advertisers in great numbers. 
Mae C. Jemison, M.D., blasted into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992, as the world's first woman of color to go into space. The founder and president of two technology companies, she also founded and chairs The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence which hosts an annual international science camp. Prior to joining NASA in 1987, Jemison worked in the fields of engineering and medicine. She was a general practitioner in Los Angeles with the INA/Ross Loos Medical Group. She then spent two and a half years (1983-1985) as a Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa. Jemison entered Stanford University at the age of sixteen on a scholarship, graduating with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and fulfilled the requirements for an A.B. in African and Afro-American studies. She earned her doctorate in medicine at Cornell University Medical College.
Nastia Liukin is a senior international elite gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic All Around Champion, five-time Olympic medalist, four-time World Champion, nine-time World medalist, four-time US National Champion and has won two American Cup titles and both a Senior and Junior Pacific Rim Championship. Following her success in Beijing, Liukin was named FIG Athlete of the Year, Women's Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year and the United States Sports Academy's Female Athlete of the Year. In 2007, she joined 1996 Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller as the most decorated American gymnast in World Championship competition. 
Laury Adams, M.S. has headed Adams Mediation & Financial Resource Center since 1979. She is an independent financial resource consultant and professional mediator who has assisted thousands of people in matters relating to finances and divorce. She developed unique computer programs to use with clients to monitor investment portfolios and to make divorce more understandable, efficient and effective. Her professional activities include serving as president of the Texas Association of mediators, presenting programs for national, state and local conferences, participating in the Academy of Mediators training video and presenting financial segments on local television and radio programs. Adams has held positions on the executive boards of the Houston Area Women's Center and the Greater Houston Women's Foundation.
Barrett S. Avigdor, J.D., is the director of legal talent strategy at Accenture, a position she created in 2007. In this role she strives to maximize the productivity, creativity and engagement of the 400 legal professionals at Accenture around the world. Avigdor spent much of her legal career as a senior executive in the legal group at Accenture, though she's also a certified career coach and an advocate for happiness. Avigdor writes and speaks to audiences around the globe on the subject of finding happiness by working to your strengths and aligning your time to your values. She is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book "What Happy Working Mothers Know," a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and a former Fulbright Scholar to Brazil. 
Gayla Bentley makes fashion accessible to modern women all over the world. Leaving the judgments and stereotypes of the fashion world behind, The Gayla Bentley Fashion Design Group brings chic, modern clothing to women of all sizes and shapes - a rarity in the world of fashion. Previously, she spent 10 years at Houston's Saks Fifth Avenue as director of their exclusive personal shopping service. Since 2001, her work with The Gayla Bentley Fashion Design Group has been appreciated by women all over the world. Bentley's styles are classic and chic with clean design lines that transcend seasonal dressing, and are flattering to women of all shapes and sizes. She designs clothing that is intended to be worn for multiple seasons that can be easily worn more than one way. Today, her Luxe Collection is sold in hundreds of boutiques worldwide. She is honored to be a part of the NeimanMarcus.com family and has developed relationships with large online retailers such as Zappos.com and Myshape.com, as well as maintaining her own online store at 
Catherine H. Blades is vice president for communications and public affairs for Raytheon at its space and airborne systems business. Blades came to Raytheon from Lockheed Martin, where she was director of marketing and international communications for a $12 billion aeronautics business. Overseeing an extensive network of public relations firms, she led communication initiatives to identify and create opportunities to support capture, keep-sold and market-development activities in 40 countries. Earlier in her career she served by gubernatorial appointment as executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. In that role, she managed a staff of appointees and civil servants and a 17-member board representing a diverse cross-section of industry and community leaders. She also oversaw public and media relations, environmental and government affairs, and the internal and external communication functions. In addition, she has worked in print and broadcast journalism. A native of New Orleans, she earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and is a Loyola University Environmental Communications Fellow.
Cheryl Byington is the exploration and production staff development and deployment finance lead in Houston for BP. Her talents focus on the development of skills and capabilities for the Finance organization, and she manages federal programs such as graduate recruiting, challenge, learning and development and communications. Her career spans human resources, special projects and finance, and she has worked in Chicago and Houston. She currently serves on the executive board of the Houston Fire Museum and Education Center as second vice president, and also serves on the development committee for Taping For The Blind. Additionally, she is involved in and supports Child Advocates, March of Dimes, YMCA of Greater Houston, Museum of Fine Arts-Houston Sponsor, Ballet Guild, Pink Ribbons Project, The Women's Fund for Health Education and Research, Federation of Italian American-Organizations of Greater Houston, Elves & More, and CAPS (Citizens for Animal Protection). Byington holds a degree in management.
Award winning filmmaker, director and writer Andrea Buchanan draws out the unique, yet universal, stories of thirty dynamic women in her book, "Note to Self: 30 Women On Humiliation, Heartbreak, Hardship And Overcoming It All." Celebrities such as Grammy Award-winning rock star Sheryl Crow and Emmy Award-winning actress Camryn Manheim and many others reflect on their unforgettable stories illuminating the truth that life rarely works out exactly as we plan. As a filmmaker, Buchanan is best known for her work on the critically acclaimed series, "Vh-1 Behind The Music." In addition, Buchanan writes a weekly blog and has appeared in dozens of media outlets sharing insight and advice on how women can overcome tough times to ultimately triumph. She is currently an active writer, as well as director in television and film. She is an active board member of The Joyful Heart Foundation. 
Jessica Faye Carter is an award-winning author and thought leader on cultural and gender diversity, human capital, leadership development and social media. She is the CEO of Nette Media, a social media company for women. Carter is the author of "Double Outsiders: How Women of Color Can Succeed in Corporate America", an innovative look at the experiences of professional women of color in the workplace. She has been cited in national media and is a frequent speaker for Fortune 500 companies, non-profits and other organizations. For over a combined eleven years she has been a corporate lawyer and financial services professional, most recently as senior vice president and associate general counsel for Citigroup Global Markets Inc. She holds J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Duke University, a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in economics from Spelman College. 
Jennifer Davidson is founder of Reality Check Coaching LLC where she brings together coaching and her more than five years experience in corporate training and leadership development. Leveraging her experience as a leader, she was appointed the hub leader for the GE Women's Network of Oregon & SW Washington. Davidson has designed her coaching practice with an emphasis on empowering others to reach their full potential. She has received coach training from the renowned Coaches Training Institute (certification pending). Her professional experience ranges from small start-up organizations to an International Powerhouse, General Electric. Davidson utilizes her Six Sigma Green Belt training and project management skills to streamline business practices and create strategic planning tools for small business consulting. Her specialty services include: leadership training, employee retention/enthusiasm workshops, keynote addresses, small business consulting, team building immersions, program development, teen advocacy programs, and coaching. 
Sara Davidson, author of "Leap! What Will We Do with the Rest of Our Lives," first captured our imagination with her international bestseller, "Loose Change," the definitive book about the coming-of-age of the boomer generation. She's written for Harpers, Esquire, The Atlantic, the New York Times and Rolling Stone. In television, she created two drama series, "Jack and Mike" and "Heart Beat," which ran on ABC. "Heart Beat" was the first ensemble of women on television who had no male boss above them and featured the first lesbian character. She was later co-executive producer of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," and wrote hundreds of hours of drama episodes, movies and miniseries. In 1994 she was nominated for a Golden Globe. She's been a guest on national television shows such as "The Today Show," "Larry King Live" and "60 Minutes." She also conducts interviews and does commentary on public radio.
Paula DeLaurentis is responsible for the identification, development and execution of strategic alliances and affinity agreements for the company. She was a driving force behind the launch of the Save Yourself account at TD AMERITRADE, which was developed in conjunction with Suze Orman's book, "Women & Money" and her five-step "Save Yourself Plan." This 2007 campaign recently earned a Pinnacle Award from the American Marketing Association. As a first vice president and group head at TD Waterhouse, DeLaurentis managed and developed the company's active trader platform. She oversaw all active trader activities across functional lines including: strategy, marketing, sales, pricing, research and revenue generation. Earlier in her career, DeLaurentis led product marketing for the banking and brokerage division of Thomson Financial and was integral to the launch of the company's most notable product, Thomson ONE. DeLaurentis holds a bachelor of arts in computer science from Manhattanville College.
Tammy DeRosier became a Dorsey, Wright analyst in 1992. Currently an executive vice president at Dorsey, Wright & Associates (DWA), she started as a part-time employee gaining valuable experience throughout college in 1988. DeRosier is a co-author of four books with DWA and has also published articles for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. She has appeared on CNBC's "Taking Stock" and other programs, such as Bloomberg TV. DeRosier can also be heard on several national radio shows and on DWA's weekly podcast. As an analyst at DWA she regularly contributes to the daily reports, teaches methodology across the country and develops guided ETF models.
Lisa Dollinger is chief communications officer for Clear Channel Communications, Inc., providing executive leadership for the company's communication initiatives and acting as chief communications strategist and spokesperson for the company. Since January 2003, Dollinger has ranked among the top two in Radio Ink magazine's annual ranking of Most Influential Women in Radio. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984 with a bachelor of science in organizational communication.
Deanna Magura Fuehne is the director of the Career Management Center (CMC) at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. As director of the CMC, Fuehne not only counsels students across various industries and functional areas, but also works to build and maintain recruiting relationships with the business community, both locally and nationally. Prior to pursuing her M.B.A. at Vanderbilt, Fuehne worked for Citigroup. She joined Deloitte Consulting after business school, working in mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the energy and utilities industries. Fuehne is a member of the American Marketing Association, the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), the MBA Career Services Council (MBACSC), Women in Energy (WEN), National Association for Women MBA's (NAWMBA), National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) and National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). She holds a B.A. in Economics from Valparaiso University and a M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.
Carolyn Galfione graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in accounting, and earned a master's of business administration with a concentration in finance from Rice University. She is a certified public accountant (CPA) as well as a certified financial planner practitioner. She is currently employed by Linscomb & Williams, a Houston financial services company that offers wealth management for individuals. Her position there is portfolio manager and CFO. Her prior experience includes practice in the tax department of a large Houston accounting firm and service as a business administrator at a local church and school. She has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and has held positions as a board member in the City of West University Place. She is a board member of the Rice University Jones School alumni organization and serves as chairman of the finance committee of the Women's Resource of Greater Houston.
Cathy L. Greenberg can help you maximize your potential using her unique "Happiness=Profit" formula. An executive herself, she has co-authored a series on the science of happiness and is both an engaging speaker and internationally acclaimed executive coach. Greenberg's books are mainstays for executives who seek to harness the power of happiness in the workplace. "Global Leadership: Next Generation," with Marshall Goldsmith, ranked No. 1 in leadership on Amazon.com and HBR. Greenberg is cited as an authority on leadership behavior by all major business and financial news organizations, as well as by popular media outlets such as Glamour, O (Oprah magazine) and Martha Stewart Living Radio. Greenberg was named a "Top 100 Leadership Coach" by Executive Excellence magazine in 2008, she is a business talk show host on Voice America and founder of h2c, LLC Happy Companies Healthy People, a beacon for successful leaders. Her new book, "What Happy Working Mothers Know," launched in September and made the New York Times Bestsellers List. 
Denise Geuder, RN, MS, CNOR, is the vice president of patient care services at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Southwestern Regional Medical Center (Southwestern) and has served as a hospital executive for 20 years. Geuder earned her bachelor of science at Oral Roberts University, in Tulsa, Okla., and completed her master's degree in nursing at University of Oklahoma. Geuder joined CTCA in 2003 and has embraced the whole-person approach and patient-centered emphasis. She believes in its power to provide hope to patients and their families. Early in her career, she earned - and has since maintained - a CNOR certification. In addition, she is a member of several nursing organizations, including the American Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and the Oncology Nursing Society. Geuder has also served on the board of directors for the American Red Cross Blood Services Southwest Region, the Oklahoma Blood Institute and Tulsa Project Woman.
Ruthie Harper, M.D. is a board certified internist who has spent many years developing her unique vision for helping others achieve beauty, health and wellness. She founded Nutritional Medicine Associates and The Laser and Skincare Clinic with this vision in mind. She began her career as an emergency room physician and later became the director of the emergency department where she practiced. She turned to wellness-based medicine in 1993 after realizing that modern medicine provides ways to treat disease but is not designed to aggressively prevent disease. She has studied with some of the top nutritionists in the country and keeps abreast of the latest advances in wellness and anti-aging medicine by attending both national and international conferences. Dr. Harper is a passionate, public advocate of the role of nutrition in creating healthy, happy living. She is a regular public speaker nationally on health, wellness, anti-aging and skincare, and has held a research associate position at the University of Texas at Austin where she conducted nutritional research.
Scott Harrison spent 10 years as a New York City party promoter, producing fashion and music events at top nightclubs. In 2004, disgusted with the indulgent and selfish life he led, he returned to his Christian faith and volunteered onboard a hospital ship in Liberia, Africa as their photojournalist. Two years later, he returned to New York City to found the global non-profit organization charity: water. Turning his full attention to the world's 1.1 billion people without clean drinking water, he and his team created world class exhibitions, innovative online giving campaigns, and nationally-aired public service announcements. In less than three years, charity: water has raised massive awareness and more than $10 million, funding over 1,390 water projects in 16 developing nations, providing over 700,000 people with clean, safe drinking water. 
Nettie Hartsock is a digital strategist and teacher and works with individuals and companies from all over the world, creating and conveying their messages to the online world. She prides herself on her diverse base of clients and her customized and unique approach to each client’s needs. Hartsock provides training to kick-start e-outreach and social media visibility. Her clients have seen millions in YouTube views, features on DailyKos, Daily Candy, NYTimes, MSNBC.com, Entreprenuer.com, Pink Magazine, Inc.com, Allbusiness.com, Wall St. Journal, BlogCritics and other sites, in addition to podcast shows including Total Picture Radio, Mark Amtower Direct, Blog Business World Success and others. As an e-business journalist, Hartsock covers the technology sector and is in magazines including eWeek, PCMag, Publish, eCommerceIQ, eMarketingIQ, MarketingSherpa and MarketingProfs. For two years, Hartsock was the editor of Must Read Business Books blog and ProfessionalPR blog for Allbusiness.com. Hartsock has worked with clients from leading publishers including Harper Collins, Penguin, AMACOM, Wiley, Random House and Berrett-Koehler. 
Nannett Hernandez began her career with Aflac in 2005 as an independent sales agent. She has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. She attributes her success to Aflac, the Fortune 500 company she represents. As a single parent, Aflac has provided her the opportunity to achieve work/life balance with unlimited earning potential and a chance to make a difference in people's lives. She is proud of Aflac products, services and the value it provides to her customers. She has received numerous prestigious Aflac awards that recognize her as top sales producer in Texas. Hernandez's advice is to "Believe—you have to believe in yourself; we all have the power to do anything we set our minds to." She is active in her community as a member of the National Hispanic Professional Organization.
Ginger Howard is the owner of Ginger Howard Selections, a boutique specializing in unique women's apparel and accessories located on Peachtree Road in Buckhead, Atlanta. In the nine years since Ginger Howard Selections opened its doors, Howard has combined her love of fashion and politics by doing wardrobe consulting for politicians' wives, numerous fashion shows, public speaking engagements and trunk shows. She graduated from the University of Georgia and began her career in retail, working for JJ's in Athens and later at Shaw's as a buyer throughout the southeast. In March 1993, she ventured out on her own and started Ginger Howard Company, a Southern buying office that represented 25 stores. She traveled to New York often and spent much of her time visiting the stores. Howard moved to Atlanta in 1996 and began a trunk show business. She has traveled all over the southeast selling beautiful clothes in the comfort of people's homes, which led to the start of Ginger Howard Selections.
Nicky Jenkins is an accredited performance coach with a degree in public administration and a postgraduate degree in personnel administration from The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland. She has 20 years experience in the oil and gas industry, holding various human resources and operations roles. For the last 13 years she has specialized in learning and development, and diversity and inclusion, including six years as BP's facilitator for the E & P diversity forum in the United Kingdom. In 2006 she joined Baker Hughes as career development specialist for Europe, Africa, Russia and Caspian. In 2008 Baker launched a new diversity initiative and she was appointed as the first global diversity and leadership manager in 2009.
Nastaran Kherad was born in Abadan, Iran, near the Persian Gulf. At age two, after her father's sudden death, she moved to Shiraz to live with her maternal grandmother, Bibi. Her first book "In the House of My Bibi" is a powerful memoir of a girlhood spent during the upheaval of the Iranian Revolution. From early childhood, Nastaran chronicles vivid recollections of her imprisonment at age 18 on trumped-up political charges. After fleeing Iran she graduated from California State University, Long Beach. She currently is pursuing a doctorate in Contemporary Persian Studies and Exile Literature at the University of Texas in Austin. 
Dr. Eun Y. Kim is president of CEO International, a global leadership and cross-cultural management consulting firm. As one of the first professional women hired by a Korean conglomerate, Kim has worked in the U.S., Asia and Europe and taught around the globe from the Far East to the Middle East. As an expert in global leadership, executive presence and intercultural communication, she is the author of eight books: "Managing Self for Success and Significance," "Global Intelligence: Seven Pillars for New Global Leaders," "The Yin and Yang of American Culture: A Paradox," "A Cross-cultural Reference on Business Practices in a New Korea," "New Hispanics: The New Image for New Leaders," and a Korean bestseller, "Image-making." She has also coauthored on-line culture learning tools: "Cultural Detective USA" and "Cultural Detective Korea." Kim serves on the Texas A&M University International Board and served on UT-Austin's International Alumni Advisory Board. Kim is working on a new book, "Seven Ups: A Young Boomer's Guide to the Good Life." 
Katrina Landis is the chief executive officer of BP's Alternative Energy division. Alternative Energy was launched in 2005 focusing on low carbon power, and in 2008 it was expanded to cover renewables in transport and power. Alternative Energy has businesses in solar, wind, biofuels and carbon capture and storage. Landis owned and operated a consulting company before joining the BP Group in 1992. Within BP, she has served in a variety of senior roles including exploration and production, oil supply, trading and mergers and acquisitions. Her career has included posts in the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United States. Landis holds degrees from the University of Mary Washington and the University of Alaska.
Courtney Macavinta is founder and CEO of Respect Rx, which coaches teens, adults, advocates and organizations in boosting self-respect and respect for all through programs including the Respect Rally. She is an award-winning journalist, author, speaker and coach who has reached more than a million girls and women through her work, including her blog RespectRx.com and bestselling book, "Respect: A Girl's Guide to Getting Respect and Dealing When Your Line Is Crossed." As an expert on teens and women, Macavinta has been featured by CNN, National Public Radio, USA Today, Teen Vogue and numerous other media. She is on the board of the national organization Girls For A Change and has partnered with organizations such as the Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of the USA, and the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. 
Maria Marin is an author, radio host, columnist and a motivational speaker. She is considered one of the leading motivational trainers on the subject of "Personal Empowerment" and "The Art of Negotiation." She is internationally known as an expert in the negotiating field, having conducted seminars in the U.S., Europe, Mexico and Latin America. Her captivating presentations and compelling messages have earned this internationally acclaimed speaker many honors that identify her as one of the most powerful, charismatic and persuasive voices for self-improvement today. Marin is the author of the self-help books "Secrets of a Confident Woman" and "Women Without Limits," where she empowers women to believe in themselves. She conducts her own national weekly syndicate radio show and is also a national newspaper columnist writing on personal growth issues. She writes a column for People Magazine en Español and is the honorary spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association. 
Ellen McGirt is a senior writer at Fast Company magazine. She covers a range of business topics, but never stops looking for the writer's holy grail: business ideas - and people - who are changing the world. McGirt joined Fast Company in February 2007 from Fortune, where she was a senior writer. She was also a columnist and editor-at-large for Money, where she covered a wide variety of health care, consumer, personal finance and investing topics. She has served as a guest correspondent for CNN's "American Morning," and appears frequently on "Good Morning America," CBS "Early Show," NBC's "Today," "NBC Nightly News," CNBC, CNN, and American Public Media. Prior to joining Time, Inc., McGirt was a web 1.0 veteran, serving as a founding online columnist for Oxygen Media and on-air correspondent for the first version of Yahoo! FinanceVision. She was also the creator of CassandrasRevenge.com, an award-wining investor education Web site for women.
Brooke McMillan is the online community evangelist for the Lance Armstrong/Livestrong Foundation (LAF). She started with LAF in April 2004 as the first LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare coordinator, helping thousands affected by cancer get educational information. Working directly with LAF program partners at CancerCare and Patient Advocate Foundation, McMillan grew the program and oversaw the transition to the partners at CancerCare. She lends an ear to those needing support to this day. In December 2005, she took over a new innovative position at the foundation as LAF's constituent relations coordinator addressing all inbound questions to the foundation on topics ranging from Lance, to events, to how to get involved, to LAF's programs and policies. After two years and tens of thousands of contacts with the public, she is now on another maiden voyage with as LAF's first online community evangelist. She reaches out proactively via online tools such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LIVESTRONG.com, the LIVESTRONG Blog, Flicker, YouTube and more to build the LIVESTRONG community and raise awareness of the organization's efforts. 
Leslie Nelson is vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the Texas division of Safeway, Inc., which include Randalls stores in Houston and Austin and the Tom Thumb stores in Dallas/Fort Worth. She has more than 30 years of experience in finance, treasury and strategic planning. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Texas in Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. She was instrumental in forming the Texas Women's Network group for Randalls and Tom Thumb and serves as its executive sponsor. She is on the board of directors for the Houston Food Bank and serves on the development board of Cancare, Inc. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston, a charter member of the executive women's council of the Greater Houston Partnership and a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum. In 2008, Nelson was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. She meets the challenge of this disease head on with all the knowledge she can get her hands on, along with grace, humor and the love and prayers of her family and friends.
Sarah Greer Osborne, an Emmy and Gracie award-winning television producer with more than 20 years in the business, is the managing editor of Houston Family Magazine (HFM). Recently she made the switch to "print" and loves the fact that she can write in her pajamas from her home. Before HFM, she worked in the news business at KPRC Local 2 and was the creator of their infamous Sunshine Awards for which a helicopter would land at a local school and award a deserving teacher or employee. She has also produced for "The Debra Duncan Show," "Great Day Houston," "The Dr. Phil Show," "The Today Show," "Dateline NBC" and is currently the executive producer of the national PBS lifestyle show, "Moment of Luxury." Her true passion is discovering interesting people and untold stories, particularly when it comes to educational and parenting resources in Houston. In addition to motherhood, Sarah also enjoys researching and writing about women and health issues. As a cancer survivor, she frequently speaks at luncheons and events regarding her experiences battling the disease while being a divorced, single mother.
A blogging pioneer and marketing executive with 19 years of experience in Silicon Valley, Elisa Camahort Page leads all events, marketing and public relations for BlogHer while working as COO to ensure that all company operations deliver on its vision. Camahort Page was running a high-tech marketing consultancy, Worker Bees, after a successful career as a marketing executive in the cable broadband sector. Her most recent corporate position was senior director of product marketing at Terayon Communication Systems, where she managed multiple product lines, senior product management staff and multi-million dollar budgets. Camahort Page is a public speaker and is widely read as BlogHer's conference leader and reality television editor. She is a founding fellow of the society for New Communications Research and serves on the board of directors of the 42nd Street Moon Theatre in San Francisco, the programming advisory committee for SXSW Interactive and the board of advisors of the Anita Borg Institute.
Author and speaker Louise Parsley has entertained readers with her award-winning columns in Examiner newspapers, West U and Albemarle Magazine for ten years. Her book "Revelations in the Rearview Mirror" leads its readers through the miasma and hilarity of motherhood, stressing the importance of laughter. Former First Lady Barbara Bush wrote: "The combination of [Parsley's] wit, wisdom and warmth makes me put her up there with the best ... Erma Bombeck." Parsley serves on the boards of University of Texas Fine Arts Council, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Houston Ballet and is involved in M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Salvation Army, AIDS Foundation Houston, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Junior League of Houston. 
Kathryn Peek, Ph.D., a biomedical educator and administrator with 25 years of experience in the Texas Medical Center, serves as assistant vice president of University Health Initiatives at the University of Houston, spearheading one of its most ambitious initiatives: UH Health. She's working to develop a strategic plan to bring together the university's initiatives and programs in health-related areas of instruction, advancement and research. Peek most recently served as associate professor at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's department of imaging physics and as an adjunct associate professor at Rice University's department of bioengineering. She has also held positions at UT Medical School at Houston and the UH College of Optometry, where she developed several popular undergraduate programs for students interested in health professions. In 2002, Peek founded the Texas Medical Center Women's Health Network, an organization of more than 600 health professionals. She is an active player in a broad variety of health initiatives across the Texas Medical Center, the medical research community and the Houston region.
Minerva Pérez is an award-winning broadcast journalist, longtime TV news anchor and now a co-host and partner of the new cable show, "Latina Voices." She is also owner/president of Minerva Pérez Media, LLC, a public relations/communications firm. Prior to Latina Voices, Perez was known as a trendsetter and became the first Latina news anchor at KTRK TV/ABC 13 in Houston, Texas. Her reporting led to two Golden Mike Awards, a Cesar Award and three Emmy nominations. A Lone Star native, Pérez grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Pam Am (formerly Pan American University) with a degree in mass communications and Spanish. She has served on the boards of the Mayor's Council on Literacy: The Houston Read Commission; The Harris County Children's Assessment Center; The Advisory Council of the Women's Resource Center of Greater Houston; and The Morales Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization.
Evelyn Resh, MPH, CNM, Evelyn Resh, CNM, MPH is a practicing certified sexuality counselor and nurse-midwife with a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University. She has worked in the field of women's health care for over 20 years. Resh was the Director of Sexual Health Services for Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts for ten years and is a frequent and popular speaker on the subject of women's health and sexuality. Her work focuses on helping individuals of all ages enhance their sexual satisfaction and in helping mothers of teenage girls facilitate their daughters' healthy sexual development. Resh is the author of: "The Secret Lives of Teen Girls: What Your Mother Wouldn't Talk About but your Daughter Needs to Know" published by Hay House. She will be the Director of Sexuality and Relationships Programming at Miraval Spa in Tucson, Arizona beginning in January, 2009. 
Michelle Rider has more than 15 years experience in marketing and management. She has helped develop marketing strategies for health and consumer-related Fortune 500 companies including Abbot Labs, Kaiser Permanente and Coca-Cola. Rider has also served as a marketing instructor in the School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley Extension. Currently, Rider serves as director of marketing for UnitedHealthcare in Texas and Oklahoma. She is responsible for the marketing activities for a portfolio of health-related products and services, and supports three CEOs in the Texas market. Rider received her B.A. in economics from San Jose State University. She graduated with distinction and received her M.B.A. in marketing and management strategy from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University. In addition to her active corporate role, Rider is an entrepreneur and owner of Inspired Redesign (www.inspiredredesign.com), an interior decorating firm which serves residential and commercial clients. Rider has served in a volunteer capacity for several organizations including as a board member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Marketing Association and committee chair of the Plano School District Key Communicators team. She is currently on the CEO advisory board for the National Black MBA Association.
Jennifer Hill Robenalt is a communications professional with over eighteen years of experience in media relations, professional writing, partnership marketing, promotions, events, publicity and digital media strategy. She launched Hoopla Media & Communications in March 2002 with a partner. Previously, as president of Jennifer Hill Public Relations, she landed and serviced over 35 accounts in a two-year period. In 2001, JHPR was acquired by GCI Read-Poland, where she served as director of consumer marketing and public relations. As a publicist, she has secured media coverage for clients in nationally acclaimed media outlets, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," The Dallas Morning News, The Hollywood Reporter, Glamour, "Good Morning America," Cosmo Girl, CNN, The Boston Globe, The New York Times and others. She has written for PR Week, and her career successes have been published in the Austin Business Journal, The Austin-American Statesman and The Austin Chronicle. She offers classes in Web 2.0 tools and blogging. 
Elizabeth Sanchez is the host of the award-winning national PBS series "A Place of Our Own", an educational and innovative program nominated for a daytime Emmy Award. The show gives parents advice and tips to help their children succeed in school and in life. Sanchez has an extensive career in local and national broadcast journalism. She is a multi Emmy Award-winning reporter. She's been an anchor and reporter in Phoenix, San Diego and Charlotte as well as a national correspondent for CBS News based in Dallas, providing national coverage of such stories as the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, the White House and the Grammy Awards. She is also the author of "Watercooler, Behind the Scenes and Off the Record, the Untold Stories from Broadcast Journalists," a collection of short stories from major and local television reporters and hosts. She is also working on a second book about women finding balance in the workplace and at home. 
Cindy Solomon is an internationally recognized speaker, writer, executive coach and consultant in the fields of customer service, customer loyalty, employee retention and leadership development. Her best selling program "Creating a Culture of Courage: The New Leadership Challenge" has been heard by thousands of leaders around the world. She has worked with a broad spectrum of clients around the world such as Eli Lilly, Google, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deer Valley Resort, The Mayo Clinic, State Farm Insurance and the Apollo Group to create the organizations and leaders they need for success. Solomon is a co-founder of the Women's Success Forum putting her talents to use not only for her clients, but for over 9,000 leaders around the country with this nationally recognized and highly effective corporate leadership conference. She has been featured in articles in PINK Magazine, the NSAA Journal, Customer Service Cultures and the books "The Transparency Edge" by Barbara and Elizabeth Pagano of Executive Pathways and "The Naked Truth: A Manifesto for Working Women" by internationally renowned author Margaret Heffernen. 
Stephanee Talley, SPHR is a human resources professional with more than thirteen years of expertise specifically in the areas of recruiting and employee relations. She is currently the human resources manager at AAA Texas, LLC where she has served for the last six years. Previously, Talley worked in recruiting at Fleming Foods and began her career in the fast-paced executive search industry. She graduated from the University of North Texas where she is still actively involved in the UNT and Chi Omega Alumni groups.
Manisha Thakor, Harvard MBA and co-author of "On My Own Two Feet" and the upcoming "Get Financially Naked," is on a mission to teach women how to live their lives from a position of financial strength. Thakor's financial literacy advocacy work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, BusinessWeek, US News & World Report, Glamour and Women's Day. Her TV appearances include "Your Bottom Line," "Power Lunch," "Fox Business Network," "NBC Nightly News" and "America This Morning." Thakor is a personal finance blogger on The Huffington Post, monthly columnist for Military.com and contributor to the national syndicated NPR show, "51% - The Women's Perspective." Thakor received her BA from Wellesley College in 1992, her MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997 and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. 
Telisa Toliver serves as vice president of commercial development for Chevron Global Power Generation. She accepted her current position in 2006 and is responsible for the development of gas-fired and renewable power generation projects to support Chevron asset growth goals in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Toliver began her career in the energy industry at Texaco and has held various positions of increasing responsibilities in natural gas sales, fuels management, business development and strategic planning. She holds a bachelor's degree in business management with honors from Tuskegee University.
Connie Cutcher Weeks, illustrator of "Ocean Surprises," is a former public school art teacher and department chair. She holds a bachelor's degree in art education and a master's degree in reading. Her paintings have graced the Texas Governor's Christmas cards as well as publications for the Governor's Commission for Women. Weeks was appointed to the Governor's Commission for Women in 2002 and is currently serving her fourth term. In 2002 she was appointed to The Beacon State Fund, the Commission's non-profit financial arm, and in 2009 she was elected its president. When Weeks learned about Operation Helmet, a non-profit organization providing padded helmet liners to service members to help prevent severe brain injuries, she and another marine mom began an email campaign for their sons' marine battalion, securing over 600 liners to send to the troops.
Linda Williams is south region finance manager for Shell Energy North America, a marketing and trading business focused on gas, power and environmental related products. She's been employed with Shell for 23 years, holding various leadership roles in the chemicals, oil products and lubricants business areas. Her experiences span manufacturing, distribution, supply, system implementations and outsourcing initiatives. Williams serves as the 2009 president of the Shell-sponsored women's network, Women Adding Value Everywhere, focusing on the progression and retention of women in the workplace. Originally from Pennsylvania, she holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting from Bloomsburg University. As a six-year breast cancer survivor, she advocates early detection.
30-year veteran in food-related industries. During her 17 years with the company, Yates has directed communication efforts, established countless community partnerships and acted as the company spokesperson. She has been featured in television segments on food quality, safety and nutrition in Houston, Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth on such programs as "KHOU Morning News," NBC 5's "Five Talk Street," "Good Day Dallas" and "Good Morning Texas." She has directed Randalls and Tom Thumb's extensive charitable giving program and has managed the customer relations team. In addition, she oversees government relations issues which directly impact the grocery retail industry. Before joining Randalls and Tom Thumb, Yates was a county extension agent with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, serving Hunt and Denton Counties.Speaker News
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