Summer Shine found her calling when she had just six months sober from a life long addiction to drugs and alcohol; a juice bar. Luna Juice Bar in Waco, TX had humble beginnings with low start up capitol and one employee. Shine worked hard to turn her small business into a thriving food truck located at Magnolia Silo's, a hip store front on Austin Ave and over half a million dollars in sale last year. She now employees women in the early stages of recovery. In 2015, she and her husband, Ronnie started a recovery house for women in Waco and now serve between 25-30 women annually. Shine is the mother to her best friend and road dog, 21 year-old, Haigon.
Dr. De'Andrea Matthews is an educator, author and international speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Claire Aldin Publications, an award-winning hybrid publisher that is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association. She is the author of six books, five book chapters and two academic journal articles in addition to the clients she has published in an effort to diversify publishing, one author at a time. Most recently, Dr. Matthews was selected to receive one of the Top 100 Leaders in Education award from the Global Forum for Education and Learning.
Do you know how entrepreneurs struggle with getting qualified referrals while building their business? Toni Harris Taylor is the proud franchise owner of Network in Action Global Partners. NIA Global Partners is a community of business owners who come together to mastermind to grow their business, bring each other warm referrals and be a supportive community for one another. She is also a marketing and sales coach where she teaches entrepreneurs to get known, get connected and get paid to make six-figures and beyond.
Peter Voss, a Pioneer in AI who coined the term ‘Artificial General Intelligence’ and the CEO and Chief Scientist at Aigo.ai. For the past 15 years, Voss and his team at Aigo have been perfecting an industry disruptive, highly intelligent and hyper-personalized Chatbot, with a brain, for large enterprise customers.
Dennis Glennon is an award winning wildlife, landscape, and dog photographer. He is also the author of the 2 time Benjamin Franklin award winner for his Best Children's Picture book Buddy's Magic Window. Mr. Glennon can be found at juried Art and Craft shows and author events all over North America. Learn more about him at Dennisglennon.com
Rasheedah is Principal and Co-founder at RC Communications, a Washington, DC-based strategic communications firm. She works with clients to media coach them, create branding and marketing strategies, crisis communication plans, and fundraising campaigns. Her passion is helping women business and government leaders define their brand and raise their profile. She is also a highly sought-after commentator for US and international media where she shares her expertise and analysis of US and international affairs. She is a proud native South Carolinian and alumna of Howard University.
Morgan Hurley is the Marketing and Beverage Director for local restaurant group, Mex 1 Coastal Cantina, in Charleston, South Carolina a local favorite serving craveable tacos and killer margaritas in a relaxed, SoCal vibe surf bar. Morgan grew up in the Food and Beverage trade eventually getting a dream job at a high volume beach front bar on Folly Beach where he honed his mixology skills winning him a few awards. His love for craft cocktails and Tequila lead him to helping open Mex 1 Coastal Cantina and developing the cocktail program, the brand and also becoming a Tequila expert along the way hosting seminars about everything Tequila. As the company grew, so did Morgan's knowledge base eventually working his way to Marketing and Beverage Director where they have won countless awards from Best Margarita and Best Mexican to throwing show stopping events like their annual Snowboard Rail Jam and Cinco De Mayo Bash.
Christina Orso is a Boston-based marketing expert who focuses on restaurant and food brands. As the former marketing director of a well-known restaurant group, blogger, and influencer, she decided to go out on her own to work with multiple brands on all things digital marketing. Christina helps her clients with a variety of marketing efforts, including social media, photography, influencer collaborations, email marketing, and much more.
Veteran news booker and producer Ashley Bernardi created Nardi Media, LLC, in 2015, a culmination of over a decade of booking and producing experience, television broadcasting, satellite media tours, radio tours, media strategy, and logistics. More important than her lengthy list of accolades—which include serving as a top booker for The Early Show on CBS News, the Senior Booker and Producer for energyNOW! on Bloomberg TV, Washington Post Live, and hosting a cooking show—is her passion for publicity. Her experience is steeped in journalism, which means research is a second language and creating connections with audiences is a close third. Ashley Bernardi has helped clients grow from zero exposure to household names on the New York Times Best Sellers list. She enjoys helping book authors, celebrities, non-profit organizations, and national brands increase their exposure, credibility, and potential for new opportunities. Ashley adds, "There’s nothing like having a client with a message that could change hearts, change lives, or change the world—and giving them a microphone.”
I was born in Ethiopia; my family immigrated to the US when I was 3 years old and I was raised in Northern Virginia. I was always a good student, and ended up attended the University of Virginia, studied Cognitive Neuroscience, and minored in African and African American Studies. Also, I had a pre-med background; after I graduated I completed an internship through Harvard Medical School but ultimately decided that I did not want to become a doctor. Around the same time I was introduced to mentors who revealed to me how to develop real wealth in America. Today I work full-time as a Program Coordinator for a mental health non-profit, in governance, research and policy, but outside of that I am developing assets through social commerce and securing my financial independence.
