I was honored to serve as Emcee for the Women's Business Development Council's 2nd Annual Women Owned Business Day at the State Capitol in Hartford, CT on April 8.
The event was attended by women entrepreneurs representing nearly 60 towns and cities in Connecticut and more than 30 Connecticut state leaders and elected officials.
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| WBDC CEO and Founder Fran Pastore with Honorary Co-Chairs: The Honorable Patricia Billie Miller, State Representative and Deputy Speaker and The Honorable Terrie Wood, State Representative and Assistant House Republican Leader |
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Introducing The Honorable Terrie Wood, State Representative, Assistant House Republican Leader
and Women Owned Business Day Honorary Co-Chair
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Keynote Speaker Amanda Brown, Executive Director of the National Women's Business Council (NWBC), spoke about the Council's mission to advise the President, Congress and the Small Business Administration on issues of importance to women entrepreneurs
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| Special guest Tina Byles Williams, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of FIS Group, shared insights from her trailblazing career in the investment management business |
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| Facilitated breakout sessions included discussions about Access to Capital, Government Contracting, Entrepreneurial Training, & Pay Equity |
Other speakers included:
- The Honorable Joe Aresimowicz, State Representative and House Majority Leader
- The Honorable Denise Nappier, Connecticut State Treasurer
- Catherine Smith, Commissioner,
Department of Economic & Community Development
- Sharon M. Palmer, Commissioner,
Connecticut Department of Labor
- The Honorable Themis Klarides, State Representative and House
Republican Leader
- Moraima
Gutierrez, Assistant District Director
for Economic Development, U.S. Small Business Administration -
Photos courtesy of WBDC