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Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Hilton
Burlington, VT

WBON 2010 Spring Conference Speakers

Rachel Carter, Rachel Carter Public Relations

Rachel is a Generation X business owner who opened the Vermont public relations firm, Rachel Carter PR, at the tail end of 2006. Rachel Carter PR provides public relations and publicity services to Vermont companies and organizations. Rachel combines her traditional PR and media relationship skills and training with life experiences as a savvy internet user, social networker, and grassroots marketer to provide clients with an unparalleled communication experience. Rachel Carter PR works exclusively with Vermont clients in the travel & tourism, Vermont products, recreation, human services, business services, finance, and entertainment industries. More information can be found at www.rachelcarterpr.com and on Rachel's PR Tips blog at rachelcarterpr.blogspot.com

Elaine Young, Associate Professor of Marketing and e-Business Management, Champlain College

Dr. Young is an Associate Professor of Marketing and e-Business Management at Champlain College. She teaches courses in Marketing, Internet-Marketing, Non-profit Marketing and Marketing Management as well as courses that focus on the societal impact of technology. She also teaches and engages with various social media tools including Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Young's career has also included jobs in Communication and Marketing with Bluehouse Group, The American Cancer Society, The Vermont State Chamber of Commerce and The World Resources Institute in Washington, DC. She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Management from Capella University, a M.S. in Internet Strategy Management from Marlboro College and a B.S. in Communication and Public Relations from SUNY Brockport. Dr. Young's blog can be read at http://champlainprofessor.blogspot.com

Josie Leavitt, co-owner Flying Pig Bookstore

Josie Leavitt has owned the Flying Pig Bookstore, in Shelburne since it began 14 years ago. Started with the goal of provided great literature to children, the Flying Pig has expanded into a full-service general bookstore that has won a national award for excellence in bookselling in 2008. While running the store, Josie has been on the Planning Commission in Charlotte, was Chief of the Rescue Squad for two years, and has taught stand-up comedy at FlynnArts for the last five years. She also performs stand-up comedy through out New England. Currently, Josie writes a weekly blog for Publishers Weekly about children's bookselling and has a humor column in the Charlotte News and is studying Chinese at UVM.

Bibi Mukherjee, owner Curve Trends
Bibi is the founder of Curve Trends Marketing, a Search Marketing (SEO, PPC) and Web Analytics company, serving small & medium businesses who primarily draw energy out of their web marketing to drive their venture. Prior to starting Curve Trends, Bibi , who holds a Mechanical Engineering degree, worked for over 15 years in data analysis and  specialized in digital and search marketing while managing and working with some reputed companies and brands across different continents, including local Vermont businesses, like DR Power Equipment and VBT Bicycling Vacations. Her vision through Curve Trends Marketing is aimed at helping businesses succeed in reaching out to their target audience through affordable, optimized and integrated environment using search marketing solutions and web analytics. She is a regular speaker at business events, sharing insights on how search marketing and measuring key web performance metrics can be embraced by companies to their commercial advantage. Her passion is well captured in her blog "Ittadi” (http://bibimukherjeesblog.com/). During her spare time, she is also a food junkie, a world traveler badly smitten by wanderlust, a Golden Retriever lover( she has 2 of them –her “boys”) ,an avid Vermonter and delights in anything Indian.

Cynthea Hausman, Cynthea's Spa

Profiled last year as a small business using social networking right, Cynthea is the owner of Cynthea's Spa. With a masters in education, Cynthea holds a certificate in massage therapy, aesthetician, and make up artistry. She was the US women's bobsled team member and luge team member. You can find her actively using all forms of social networking: Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, You Tube and her own blog.

Mary Johnson, Business Counselor, Vermont Women’s Business Center
 The Vermont Women's Business Center offers no cost individualized business counseling to women entrepreneurs throughout Vermont. Assistance includes help with creating business and marketing plans, locating funding, preparing financial statements and feasibility studies, and other technical assistance. VWBC contributes to economic development of local communities through supporting start up businesses, creating jobs, and facilitating business funding to support business growth. To learn more visit the VWBC website.

Robin Gronlund, owner Intrinsic Marketing & Executive Director, Women Business Owners Network

 As the Executive Director of WBON for the last five years, Robin has supported women business owners through expanding the organizations networking and educational chapter meetings throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Her expertise in marketing and strategic business planning has grown the organizaiton to over 300 members. Hosting conferences for women around the state, Robin strives to empower women through expanding their network of connections and sharing business knowledge.  As every WBON member can attest, when women come together, great things happen in business and life. 

A Funny Fundraiser Evening Dinner & Comedy Show

to Benefit the Vermont Women's Business Center

6:00pm – 9:00pm

 Vermont Comedy Divas

Josie Leavitt, Martha Tormey, Sally Stevens and Lisa Nagle

According to Higher Ground...VERMONT COMEDY DIVAS are four of the best female comics in Vermont guaranteed to make you laugh. They're just like you, except they feel the need to talk to large groups of strangers about their inner most mundane thoughts and problems.

Martha Tormey grew up in Burlington and gets much of her material from the “special times” she spent here. In addition to performing her solos shows (Name Your Baby Martha, etc.) around Vermont, she’s recently been branching out, performing in Los Angeles, Provincetown and San Francisco. She recently headlined the first annual Green Mountain Comedy Festival, and has brought a bit of levity to VPR's Vermont Edition. She performs regularly in the Flynnspace's Comedy Series, at Winooski's Monkey House and in Montpelier at the Black Door Bistro.

Josie Leavitt has been performing comedy for longer than she cares to admit. Since moving to Vermont she has started the Vermont Comedy Divas, now in its fourth year, as well as the Stand-Up, Sit Down and Laugh series at the Flynn Theatre. Her first one-woman show, Piece of Cake, was a standing room only success at the Flynn last fall. Josie has been teaching stand up comedy through FlynnArts for five years. She and her partner own the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, VT. Josie also blogs for Publishers Weekly and has a monthly humor column in the Charlotte News, called Leavitty. She is also learning Chinese at UVM which has proved endlessly entertaining for all involved.

Tracie Spencer is the newest addition to the Vermont Comedy Divas and a crowd favorite in the four previous Higher Ground Comedy Battles. She enjoys showcasing her talent to benefit local organizations such as: The Vermont Chapters of the Alzheimer's Association and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Women's Rape Crisis Center, Vermont Center for Interdependent Living, and more. She produces and performs in "Comedy for a Cause" an annual show with all proceeds benefiting the Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care. She can be found performing regularly at the Flynn Space, Monkey House (Winooski), and Black Door Bistro (Montpelier). Spencer enjoys volunteering, beach volleyball, penguin plunges on New Year's eve, and hanging with her creative, amazing kids and supportive husband.

MaryAnne has been doing comedy her whole life. She now performs on stage both on her own and as part of the sensational Vermont Comedy Divas. Growing up in an Irish family (don’t let names fool you) taught her how to dish it out and to call a duck a duck. She’s old enough to be nostalgic for a time when phones were attached to the wall and you knew who was calling the kids and young enough to not dwell on it over and over again. She lives with her straight-man musician hubby and two old teenagers who offer more suggestions than is reasonable.