2020 BizWomen BioBook

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Monday,

February 24,
2020

AGENDA

8:00 AM 8:15 AM 8:20 AM 9:45 AM


Networking & Welcome Speed Networking Closing
Registration 7-minute sessions

#mentoringmonday
@pdxbizjournal
A Word from our Sponsor
GIRL SCOUTS OF THE USA

We’re 2.5 million strong—more than 1.7 million girls


and 750,000 adults who believe in the power of
every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker,
Leader)™ to change the world.

Our extraordinary journey began more than 100


years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon
“Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah,
Georgia, she organized the very first Girl Scout
troop, and every year since, we’ve honored her
vision and legacy, building girls of courage,
confidence, and character who make the world a
better place.

Sylvia Acevedo | CEO We’re the preeminent leadership development


GIRLS SCOUTS OF THE USA organization for girls. And with programs from
coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts
offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of
leadership, adventure, and success.

Mentors
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Maddie Andrews | TABLE 1 Debra Dunn | TABLE 8
President/Founder, Synergy Resources Group
Interim Executive Director, Friends of the
Children
Nafisa Fai | TABLE 9
Founder, Pan African Festival & Black Business Summit
Kate Arvidson | TABLE 2
Business Development Manager,
ZOOM+Care
Renee Fellman | TABLE 10
Founder, Renee Fellman and Associates

Tiffany Austin | TABLE 3


Communications Specialist, Public &
Jennifer Ferguson | TABLE 11
Founder & CEO/Sales, Handful
Media Relations, NuScale Power

Laura Barber | TABLE 4 Nancy Fishman | TABLE 12


Marketing Director, ZGF Architects
Director, Global Market Relations & PR,
Amazon Web Services
Jessica Gies CPM®, CCIM, LEED Green Associate |
TABLE 13 | Senior Vice President, Kidder Mathews’
Molly Bordonaro | TABLE 5
Managing Partner, Gerding Edlen
Emily Gonzales | TABLE 14
Director of Trust Operations, AirBnb
Ana Chaud | TABLE 6
Founder, Garden Bar
Erin Grodem | TABLE 15
Marketing Director, R&H Construction
Imelda Dacones, MD | TABLE 7
President/CEO, Northwest Permanente
Mentors
TABLE OF CONTENTS CON’T.

Diana Hoff | TABLE 16 Vanessa Miller | TABLE 30


Marketing Chair, NAWBO, Executive Dir., Group Brand Director, Wieden + Kennedy
The Renaissance Foundation
Bonnie Morales | TABLE 31
Nicole Hughes | TABLE 17 Chef/Co-owner, Kachka, Kachinka, and
Exec. Director, Renewable Northwest Kachka Lavka

Laurie C. Kelley | TABLE 18 Nicole Mouton | TABLE 32


Group VP & Chief Philanthropy Officer, Co-owner, Screen Door
Providence St. Joseph Health
Lindsey Murphy | TABLE 33
Suk Kim | TABLE 19 Creator and Host, The Fab Lab
SVP and General Counsel, Airship
Charu Nair | TABLE 34
Georgia Lee Hussey | TABLE 20 Founder, Keys2DEI Consulting
Founder and CEO, Modernist Financial
Jill Nelson | TABLE 35
Cobi Lewis | TABLE 21 Founder, Ruby
SVP and Director of Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Corporate Jennifer O’Bryan | TABLE 36
Responsibility, Umpqua Bank SVP of Revenue & Development,
Children’s Cancer Association
Dena Lowery | TABLE 22
COO, Opus Agency Kate Othus | TABLE 37
President, DataDx
Anna Mackay | TABLE 23
Director of Development, Guerilla Linda M. Pearce | TABLE 38
Development Executive VP and CFO, Tillamook

Anna Madill | TABLE 24 Heidi Pozzo | TABLE 39


Founder and CEO, Avenue Owner, Heidi Pozzo Consulting

Allie Magyar | TABLE 25 Jordon Rahmil | TABLE 40


Founder and CEO, Hubb PR Director, Curaleaf

Julie Mancini | TABLE 26 Jan Robertson | TABLE 41


Exec. Director, College Possible Oregon COO and Principal, Norris, Beggs &
Simpson Cos., LLC
Amanda Mann | TABLE 27
SVP and General Manager, The Rose Theresa Sanchez Schnetz | TABLE 42
Quarter Market Executive for the Oregon Market,
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Melanie Marconi | TABLE 28
Founder, VIDA Sarah Shipe | TABLE 43
Dir. of Communications, Girl Scouts of
Brianne Mees | TABLE 29 Oregon and Southwest Washington
Co-owner, Tender Loving Empire
Mentors
TABLE OF CONTENTS CON’T.

Cara Snow | TABLE 44 Yvonne Wassenaar | TABLE 49


Chief Community Engagement CEO, Puppet
Officer and Chief of Staff, Technology
Association of Oregon Cristina Watson | TABLE 50
Brand Manager, Dave’s Killer Bread
Tichelle Sorensen | TABLE 45
Academic Director of NBA and Master of Linda Williams Favero | TABLE 51
International Programs, Portland State Career Counsel/Consultant, O+I Develop
University
Kate Winkler | TABLE 52
Melissa Spain | TABLE 46 CEO, Ruby
Partner, Moss Adams
Kristel Wissel | TABLE 53
Julissa Vasquez | TABLE 47 Vice President of Community Relations, The Portland
Global Talent Acquisition Diversity Timbers and Thorns
Manager, Intel Corporation

Chandra Wahrgren, MBA | TABLE 48


SVP of Corporate Pharmacy Enterprise
& Client Strategies, Moda Health /
President & CEO, Ardon Health

Event Map

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Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Maddie Andrews | INT. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN


Maddie stepped in as Interim Executive Director of Friends of the Children in
August of 2019, adding to her already long history with the organization, and
using her talents and enthusiasm to unify and re-energize the staff. Maddie most
recently was the Associate Director of Development at Friends of the Children
and previously worked as a Program Officer at Cambia Health Foundation.
Maddie served on the Board of Directors at Friends from 2010-2014 and prior
TABLE 1 to that was the Chair of the Ambassador Board. Maddie is a co-founder of the
female-led non-profit, Levé, which connects philanthropists with vetted non-
profits in the Pacific Northwest.

Kate Arvidson | BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ZOOM+CARE


Born and raised in the city she loves, Kate Arvidson is an experienced business
development professional with deep Portland roots. After university, Kate
landed a job at the Pacific Northwest-based restaurant group El Gaucho. During
her twelve years with El Gaucho, Kate became a Certified Sommelier, and grew
to lead the company’s internal Event & Marketing program as Event Director.
Recently, Kate accepted an offer to lead Business Development at the locally-
TABLE 2 based healthcare innovator, ZOOM+Care. In her role at Zoom, Kate manages
the company’s sponsorships, cultivates key strategic partnerships, and builds
impactful business connections that engage with the local community.

Tiffany Austin | COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, PUBLIC & MEDIA


RELATIONS, NUSCALE POWER
In her role at NuScale Power, Tiffany Austin leads both U.S. and international
external communications strategies, including PR, media relations, and public
affairs. She supports all aspects of NuScale’s marketing and communication
functions, including brand, marketing, and digital experience, as well as internal
TABLE 3 communications for the company. Tiffany has over two decades of experience
communicating with diverse audiences about science and technology. Tiffany
previously held positions at Ecotrust in Portland, Oregon where she worked in
development and fundraising and managed the Forests & Ecosystem Services
program, Portland State University where she coordinated a national workforce
development and career skills program, and OMSI as a science educator and
exhibit and program evaluator.

Laura Barber | DIRECTOR, GLOBAL MARKET RELATIONS & PR


AMAZON WEB SERVICES, EMERGING TECH
Laura is an accomplished storyteller who brings customer journeys to life
through written and video content, live event production, and media relations.
She can tell you what it’s like to orchestrate the first-ever live 4K video stream
from space, what happens behind the scenes of live video streaming for the
world’s biggest sports events, how satellites support Earth health in cool new
TABLE 4 ways. Laura will always be inspired by the late Sam Blackman, co-founder and
CEO of Elemental Technologies, who redefined community engagement and
drove inclusivity initiatives in Portland that have influenced similar programs at
a global scale. Laura and Sam co-founded the 4K 4Charity Fun Run, which has
raised more than $1 million in proceeds for non-profits focused on increased
equity in tech.

Molly Bordonaro | MANAGING PARTNER, GERDING EDLEN


Molly Bordonaro joined Gerding Edlen in 2009 and was named a managing
partner in 2017. For eight years, Molly has pioneered and led the Firm’s
investment management practice, which includes the co-mingled, real estate
funds and asset management group. She has more than 15 years of commercial
real estate experience with expertise in transactions, financing, management,
leasing and fund development. Molly is a member of Gerding Edlen’s Investment
TABLE 5 Committee.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Ana Chaud | FOUNDER, GARDEN BAR


Ana Chaud started her career as a financial and business manager in San
Francisco Bay Area where she built a thriving consulting practice that serviced
a client base of over 80 companies, for over 10 years. As a Management
Consultant, Ana blended leadership, passion, innovation and teamwork that
specializes in developing business processes, streamlining operations and
managing all aspects of finance and accounting. In January 2014, Ana co-
TABLE 6 founded Garden Bar, the first fast casual, salad concept restaurant in the NW.
Garden Bar was quickly recognized as the “place to go” for fast, healthy casual
meals. Just recently, Garden Bar was acquired by Evergreens, a fast casual salad
chain based in Seattle WA. The acquisition provided Ana with the full circle
experience of the life cycle of her company - from concept to exit.

Imelda Dacones, MD | PRESIDENT/CEO, NORTHWEST PERMANENTE


As president and CEO of Northwest Permanente, Imelda Dacones, MD, leads
more than 1,700 physicians, clinicians, and administrative staff at the largest
independent, physician-led, multispecialty medical group in the region. Together,
these physicians deliver Permanente Medicine — evidence- and value-based
health care with humanity — to more than 600,000 Kaiser Permanente members.
Dr. Dacones is a passionate advocate for addressing the social and environmental
TABLE 7 determinants of health, and is working to transform the culture, practice, and
business of medicine. Under her leadership, Northwest Permanente became the
world’s first physician group to be certified as a B Corp – underscoring a strong
corporate commitment to use business as a force for good.

Debra Dunn | PRESIDENT/FOUNDER, SYNERGY RESOURCES GROUP (SRG)


Debra Dunn, president and founder of Synergy Resources Group (SRG) a multi-
disciplinary firm that specializes in organizational development with a focus on
organizational assessment; strategic planning; board governance and leadership
development; operations/process improvement; and executive coaching. The
firm’s clients include: nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government
agencies that are experiencing change, challenges or transformation. She
TABLE 8 has also held executive level positions in nonprofit organizations, for-profit
businesses, and consultation services over the last 30 years. She is a certified
facilitator and certified in Hogan Assessment Systems, a nationally recognized
leadership development tool designed to identify, grow, and support leaders.
Synergy is a state certified women-business enterprise.

Nafisa Fai | FOUNDER, PAN AFRICAN FESTIVAL & BLACK BUSINESS SUMMIT
Nafisa Fai is a small business owner and public health expert dedicated to
improving the health and strength of our region. A twenty-two year resident
of Oregon, Nafisa was inspired by her experience as a refugee to create the
Pan African Festival and the Black Business Summit. Nafisa is running for
Washington County Commissioner, district 1. As a Commissioner, Nafisa will
prioritize tackling our affordable housing crisis, leveling the playing field so all
TABLE 9 working families can succeed, and working to create a Washington County that
is a prosperous and inclusive place for everyone

Renee Fellman | FOUNDER, RENEE FELLMAN AND ASSOCIATES


Renee Fellman is an award-winning turnaround expert who has saved multiple
companies from the brink of disaster. She has served as Interim CEO for 19
companies in industries including, but not limited to, construction, healthcare,
manufacturing, medical devices, packaging, printing, restaurant, retail,
technology, transportation, and wholesale distribution. Fellman, a winner of the
Turnaround of the Year Award from the international Turnaround Management
TABLE 10 Association, is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) whose clients have
included companies that are publicly held, privately held, family-owned, and
employee-owned; from startups to long-established businesses; from one
location to multi-state, multi-national; union and non-union.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Jennifer Ferguson | FOUNDER & CEO/SALES, HANDFUL


Jennifer has been a group fitness instructor for over 20 years. Despite being a
busy mom of two kids, she launched Handful in November of 2006 because she
could not find a fashionable and functional bra (that also had a fabulous feel)
and was versatile enough to be worn from weekend to workout. Positive, active
and energetic, Jennifer manages Handful’s sales team and marketing operations
with a flair for fun and a stellar sense of humor. Jennifer grew up in Montana
TABLE 11 where her Dad started muttering early on, “She’s a Handful.”

Nancy Fishman | MARKETING DIRECTOR, ZGF ARCHITECTS


Be a detective. Trust your instincts. These are two guiding principles that
have served Nancy Fishman well in her 35-year tenure with ZGF Architects.
Responsible for all things marketing, Nancy’s role as a marketing principal
involves coordinating with leadership in ZGF’s six offices, supporting specific
business development opportunities, crafting stories, and developing strategic
partnerships across the country. With a degree in the Humanities from Indiana
TABLE 12 University, Nancy began her career as a reporter and editor for the Daily Journal
of Commerce in Portland, covering the design and construction industry. This
background provided a natural segue into the field of architecture.

Jessica Gies CPM®, CCIM, LEED Green Associate | SENIOR VICE


PRESIDENT, KIDDER MATHEWS’
Jessica Gies leads Kidder Mathews’ property management services capabilities,
bringing with her over 20 years of commercial real estate experience in the
Portland metro market. Jessica is responsible for managing assets, developing
and directing the Portland property team and client development and support.
Prior to her promotion to vice president, Jessica was a senior property manager
TABLE 13
for Kidder Mathews leading a team that managed over 4-million square feet of
industrial properties for the second largest institutional industrial real estate
owner in the US. Throughout her career, Jessica has managed over 7 million
square feet of industrial / flex, class-A office, downtown high rise, medical office,
and retail properties for her institutional and local clients.

Emily Gonzales | DIRECTOR OF TRUST OPERATIONS, AIRBNB


Currently serving as Airbnb’s Director of Trust Operations, Emily has held
several roles during her 8+ year tenure at Airbnb. Starting out in Customer
Service as a remote agent, she moved to the Bay Area in 2012 and into
leadership roles in Trust and Safety. In 2014, she moved to Portland to
help launch a new Airbnb office which has now grown to 300+ employees.
Throughout the years, she has built global proactive and reactive Trust and
TABLE 14 Safety operations teams and led strategic planning and execution for her teams.
Before Airbnb, she co-founded a startup in the book publishing industry, built
and ran a consulting practice, co-founded a T-shirt design company, and worked
as a hardware engineer at Motorola.

Erin Grodem | MARKETING DIRECTOR, R&H CONSTRUCTION


Erin Grodem is the Marketing Director for R&H Construction, a northwest
based commercial general contractor with offices in both Portland and Bend,
Oregon. As a leadership team member and company shareholder, Erin is
passionate about upholding and strategically building R&H’s brand presence by
guiding corporate communications, the pursuit process, marketing collateral,
digital content and public relations strategy. With 20 years of experience in
TABLE 15 the industry, Erin plays an active role in the company’s strategic planning
process and produces results through strong collaborations with each of R&H’s
operating departments. She is an active member of Commercial Real Estate
Women and the Society for Marketing Professional Services.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Diana Hoff | MARKETING CHAIR, NAWBO OREGON / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,


THE RENAISSANCE FOUNDATION
As Executive Director of The Renaissance Foundation, Diana has helped mentor
many young people from disadvantaged families get the education they need
to succeed in life. In addition to her contributions in the education arena, Diana
founded the Oregon chapter of NAWBO in 1975. NAWBO propels women
entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.
TABLE 16
Decades later, NAWBO is still the only organization that solely represents the
interests of women entrepreneurs in all industries.

Nicole Hughes | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RENEWABLE NORTHWEST


Nicole Hughes joined Renewable Northwest as Executive Director in July 2018.
Nicole has over 15 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. She
has experience in project development, construction, finance, permitting and
policy for utility-scale wind and solar energy, working for AWS Truepower,
HDR, Element Power, RES Americas, Tetra Tech and The Bonneville Power
Administration. In her previous work, Nicole engaged with Renewable NW as
TABLE 17 a member and understands first-hand the importance of the organization’s
coalition work between advocacy organizations and renewable energy
businesses in moving the region forward towards a clean energy future.

Laurie C. Kelley | GROUP VP & CHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER,


PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH HEALTH (PSJH)
Laurie Kelley serves as Group Vice President |Chief Philanthropy Officer for
Providence St. Joseph Health, the nation’s third largest non-profit health system
comprised of 51 hospitals, 829 clinics, serving over 5 million unique patients,
throughout 7 states. Her role includes fundraising for system initiatives,
strategy, oversight and collaboration with regional and local leaders throughout
TABLE 18 PSJH, and enhancing the understanding, brand and culture of philanthropy
across this expansive health system. She served as President & Chief
Development Officer at Providence Foundations of Oregon, VP for University
Relations at the University of Portland and VP of Marketing and Strategic
Planning at OPB.

Suk Kim | SR. VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL, AIRSHIP


Suk Kim is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Airship (previously
Urban Airship Inc.), a technology company with offices in Portland, San
Francisco, London, Paris, Munich and New Delhi. With more than 20 years
of experience as a law firm attorney and in-house counsel across a broad
range of industries including technology and media, she heads the legal team
and manages worldwide legal matters at Airship. She began her career as
TABLE 19 a securities lawyer with the international firm of Cleary Gottlieb LLP in New
York, and then as a media and intellectual properties attorney with Paul, Weiss
LLP. After moving to Portland, she joined Perkins Coie LLC as a technology
transactions and intellectual property attorney.

Georgia Lee Hussey | FOUNDER AND CEO, MODERNIST FINANCIAL


Georgia Lee Hussey is the Founder and CEO of Modernist Financial, a B Corp
wealth management firm dedicated to helping progressive people structure
their wealth around their values. Her mission is to build a world where people
feel permission to enjoy today while providing for our common future. Georgia
and her Modernist team growing team are determined to dismantle wealth
inequality in America through their philanthropic Plan and provide actionable
TABLE 20 resources for all communities through Modernist University, an inclusive
financial education program.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Cobi Lewis | SENIOR VP AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT


ACT (CRA) AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, UMPQUA BANK
Cobi Lewis is the Senior Vice President and Director of Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Corporate Responsibility at Umpqua Bank, which
has a five-state footprint in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Nevada.
Cobi is also on the Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation Board of Directors.
TABLE 21 Prior to coming to Umpqua Bank, Cobi worked at Wells Fargo Bank, managing
Community Development and CRA for the Oregon and SW Washington
region. She also previously served as the Vice President of Programs for One
Economy Corporation, a national technology and advocacy nonprofit based in
Washington, D.C. She is a proud mother of two and an alumna of the University
of Oregon.

Dena Lowery | COO, OPUS AGENCY


As Opus Agency’s COO, Dena is responsible for the agency’s operational
performance. Dena leads a tenured team of executives to individual
performance and client success. She thrives at developing teams that run with a
foundation of operational excellence and a vision and drive toward innovation.
After 20 years in the event marketing industry, Dena enjoys being active within
the industry, having formerly served on the board of CEMA (Corporate Event
Marketing Association) and several local philanthropic boards.
TABLE 22

Anna Mackay | DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, GUERILLA DEVELOPMENT


Anna Lucey Mackay is a deeply empathetic placemaker who prioritizes equity
through her practice. She has held positions as an intern architect, carpenter,
educator, and developer. She is currently the Director of Development at
Guerrilla Development in Portland, Oregon. Anna led the first Regulation A
crowd-investing effort for new construction in the United States ($1.5M, the Fair-
Haired Dumbbell) and raised a tranche of crowd-invested equity from everyday
Oregonians for a homelessness project in just 68 hours ($300,000, Jolene’s
TABLE 23 First Cousin). She is pioneering new models of development that emphasize
non-displacement and affordable retail (Rocket Empire Machine). As a parent
herself she is proud to lead a housing project for single-mothers, complete with
on-site daycare (Unicorn Bed).

Anna Madill | FOUNDER AND CEO, AVENUE


Anna Madill is the Founder and CEO of Avenue, a digital marketing agency
that amplifies the impact growth-minded and purpose-driven companies have
in the world through results-led digital marketing. Avenue’s proprietary suite
of marketing products and custom services help brands and businesses of all
sizes grow sustainably and successfully. Prior to founding Avenue, Madill held a
variety of executive leadership roles at regional digital and full-service agencies.
Madill helped build a startup agency from the ground up to $1M and merged the
TABLE 24 company with its sister agency in the fall of 2013. Over the past 12 years, Madill’s
responsibilities have spanned digital marketing leadership, agency operations,
sales, account services, talent recruitment and mentorship.

Allie Magyar | FOUNDER AND CEO, HUBB


Allie is a serial entrepreneur and thrives in conceptualizing, building & scaling
successful companies, both in the services as well as in technology industries.
With over 20 years of experience, Allie has bootstrapped and grown 3 different
companies, raised over $10M in venture capital, been on the Inc. 5000 list 3
times and has been recognized for driving positive corporate culture at scale.
She is passionate around changing the conversation as it relates to women in
technology and venture capital, as well as exploring what balance means in
TABLE 25
today’s world as a female leader.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Julie Mancini | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COLLEGE POSSIBLE OREGON


Julie Mancini is the executive director of College Possible Oregon, a nonprofit
organization making college admissions and success possible for students
from low-income backgrounds through an intensive curriculum of coaching and
support. Julie’s experience is extensive and diverse, both in the nonprofit sector,
as a business consultant and as an educator. Prior to College Possible, she was
the executive director of Mercy Corps Action Center, Caldera and Literary Arts.
TABLE 26 On the private-sector side, she was vice president at a public relations firm and
founded a booking agency to represent world-famous literary artists.

Amanda Mann | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER,


THE ROSE QUARTER
Amanda Mann, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Rose
Quarter, is in her fourth season with Rip City Management and the Trail Blazers.
Amanda oversees all Facility Operations, Event Sales, Content Booking, Guest
Experience, Security, Levy Restaurants, Event Management and Parking for the
TABLE 27 Moda Center, Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Rose Quarter campus. Prior
to joining the organization, Amanda served as Assistant General Manager, VP
of Booking & Event Operations at Toyota Center in Houston, TX as well as VP
of Booking for Clear Channel Entertainment, Texas. Amanda graduated with
a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from the School of
Engineering at Vanderbilt University.

Melanie Marconi | FOUNDER, VIDA


Melanie Marconi is the founder of VIDA, a coworking community designed by
and for working women with demanding careers and personal lives. In addition
to workspaces and productivity tools, the facility offers its members a range of
amenities, including fitness and wellness classes, childcare, family happy hours,
and an onsite concierge. A serial entrepreneur, Marconi was just 23 years old
when co-founded her first business, BDI Development Group, which provides
TABLE 28 event planning and consulting for nonprofits around the country, and she
founded The Modern Concierge at age 28.

Brianne Mees | CO-OWNER/DIRECTOR, TENDER LOVING EMPIRE


Brianne Mees is an entrepreneur, arts enthusiast and mother living in beautiful
Portland, Oregon. Brianne has devoted the last 13 years to creating and
growing Tender Loving Empire from a small mom and pop retail operation and
hobby record label into a multi-million dollar company with 5 locations and
50+ employees. She has been involved in shaping almost every aspect of TLE,
TABLE 29 including buying, visual merchandising, operations management, bookkeeping,
branding, product development, HR/hiring, administration, marketing and
growth. Prior to founding TLE with her husband, Jared, she earned a BA in
Psychology in California and spent the early years of her career working with
children and families in the social work field.

Vanessa Miller | GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR, WIEDEN+KENNEDY


Vanessa Miller has spent 15 years in client service—and over a decade at
Wieden+Kennedy Portland—helping a wide range of brands strategically
position and reposition themselves. From large to small companies, from
public to private, and from start-ups to well-established corporations,
Vanessa’s strategic business approach, creative problem-solving ability, and
TABLE 30 entrepreneurial spirit have garnered big results. Perhaps due to her dual degree
in communications and mathematics, Vanessa is a rare right-brain/left-brain
talent who has contributed immensely to global brands such as Nike and
Amazon, iconic American brands such as Fisher-Price and TurboTax, and even
local Portland start-ups that have reached the national stage, like Wildfang and
Union Wine Co.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Bonnie Morales | CHEF AND CO-OWNER, KACHKA, KACHINKA AND


KACHKA LAVKA
The first-generation American daughter of Belarusian immigrants, chef
Bonnie Morales grew up in Chicago in a large family that brought with them
the distinctive culture of food and drink of the former Soviet Union. She
trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and top kitchens in New York and
Chicago. Kachka opened in Portland in 2014, inspired by the food of the former
TABLE 31
Soviet republics. Kachka’s received myriad accolades, including Eater’s Best
Restaurants in America from 2015-2018. Morales was named Rising Star Chef
by StarChefs, and was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef:
Northwest. Morales’ first cookbook, Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking, was
released in 2017.

Nicole Mouton | CO-OWNER, SCREEN DOOR


Nicole’s entire working career has been devoted to the hospitality industry. She
spent her first eight years as a line cook, then as a Manager, General manager,
and Catering Director in Manhattan, New York. She was the restaurant manager
of Tuscany Grill in NW Portland for five years prior to the opening of Screen
Door in 2006. Currently, she is overseeing a massive business expansion with
a new store opening in downtown Portland this summer and another store
TABLE 32 opening in the Portland Airport in 2021.

Lindsey Murphy | CREATOR AND HOST, THE FAB LAB


Named one of Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for 2019, Lindsey E.
Murphy has been called a “visionary,” “ force of nature,” “breath of fresh air,” and
is said to “light up the darkest corners of any room.” She is the award-winning
creator + host of The Fab Lab With Crazy Aunt Lindsey, YouTube’s most beloved
kids science web series that takes everyday science concepts and turns them
into fabulous DIY projects children can do at home with their families. Since
TABLE 33 launching in 2010, the show has garnered partnerships with the likes of Scientific
American Magazine, the New York Academy of Sciences, been published in
various national family magazines, and crowdfunded nearly $100,000 for
independent production in 2019.

Charu Nair | FOUNDER, KEYS2DEI CONSULTING


Charu Nair, Founder of Keys2DEI Consulting, brings three decades of insights
and experience in private and public sectors to her work. Whether providing
leadership, strategy and diversity initiatives to the Fortune 500, launching
the World Trade Center Portland with the executive team and leading a trade
mission, teaching original curricula as Marylhurst University faculty for a
decade, or launching the first laptop in India, foresight is her source. Her impact
TABLE 34 contributions include the Boards of the Urban League, United Nations and
Fulbright, and as Commissioner of Human Rights, Multnomah County, and Civil
Rights, BOLI.

Jill Nelson | FOUNDER, RUBY


More than 15 years ago Jill Nelson founded Ruby Receptionists (now Ruby.com),
and as a hands-on CEO has made it her passion to help other entrepreneurs
discover new ways in which to set themselves apart and accelerate their own
growth. Before handing over the reigns to Kate Winkler in 2019, Ruby grew
to 630 employees serving more than 10,000 small businesses. Under Jill’s
leadership, Ruby holds the record-breaking position as one of Oregon’s fastest
growing companies for the past 12 consecutive years, and was repeatedly
named a top 5 place to work in the US by Fortune Magazine. Jill has been
recognized by her peers, receiving the Pacific NW 2017 Ernst & Young
TABLE 35 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and named the 2017 Oregon Technology
Executive of the Year—the first woman to receive this recognition.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Jennifer O’Bryan | SVP OF REVENUE & DEVELOPMENT, CHILDREN’S


CANCER ASSOCIATION
Jenny O’Bryan joined CCA in 2009 and currently serves as the Senior Vice
President of Revenue & Development. She leads a sophisticated fundraising
team that creates and executes against annual revenue goals. Prior to CCA
she led world class events for the Portland Rose Festival Foundation including
award winning parades, art festivals and fundraising events.
TABLE 36

Kate Othus | PRESIDENT, DATADX


Kate is recognized in the healthcare industry as a leader in establishing best
practices for practice administration. As both a practice administrator and a
healthcare consultant, Kate has witnessed first-hand the struggles clinics are up
against when it comes to data management. She has seen time and again the
challenges of making smart decisions with disconnected and sometimes old
data. It was this need that drove Kate to launch DataDx™ with a group of other
TABLE 37 healthcare and engineering experts.

Linda M. Pearce | EXECUTIVE VP & CFO, TILLAMOOK


Linda Pearce is Chief Financial Officer at the Tillamook County Creamery
Association (TCCA), leading the 111-year-old multi-category dairy cooperative’s
strategic growth initiatives. Since joining TCCA in 2013, she partnered with
the CEO to lead the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth in sales and
earnings. The results of executing on the strategic plan have been increased
returns to farmer-owners each year. Prior to joining Tillamook, Ms. Pearce served
TABLE 38 as a CFO and a member of the executive team at Nautilus, Inc., strategically
growing the company to new levels of profitability. Revenues increased 7.5
percent and operating income grew 121 percent over prior year. The stock price
increased a multiple of 5X.

Heidi Pozzo | OWNER, HEIDI POZZO CONSULTING


Heidi Pozzo is a leadership and high-performance expert, as well as the author
of Leading the High-Performing Company. She helps C-suite leaders and boards
dramatically increase their organizations’ value. With more than 20 years of
strategic, financial, and operational experience in her role as trusted advisor
and expert, Heidi has a unique background that allows her to quickly grasp
both the strategic and the operational. She helped engineer the turnaround
TABLE 39 of an $800-million organization, which Deutsche Bank analyst Mark Wilde
called “the best turnaround case study we have seen in…25 years.” Portland
Business Journal recognized Heidi’s work, naming her “CFO of the Year—Large
Company.”

Jordon Rahmil | PR DIRECTOR, CURALEAF


Jordon Rahmil is Public Relations Director at Curaleaf and has been working
with the Select brand since 2017 – though her connection to the cannabis
industry dates back at least ten years. From managing the brand’s first-ever
press coverage, to the announcement of the acquisition of Select by Curaleaf,
Jordon has directed PR efforts for the company at many stages of its growth.
Prior to Select, Jordon managed Public Relations programs at large and small
TABLE 40 agency settings in industries including health care, technology, non-profit,
government, hospitality and education.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Jan Robertson | COO AND PRINCIPAL, NORRIS, BEGGS & SIMPSON COS., LLC
Jan Robertson is the Chief Operating Officer and a principal of Norris, Beggs
& Simpson Companies, LLC, a diversified commercial real estate services firm
serving as the holding company for four wholly owned operating subsidiaries:
Norris, Beggs & Simpson Financial Services, Morrison Street Capital, NBS Real
Estate Consulting, and The REFF Group. Jan has been with NBS since 1981, and
is directly responsible for the day to day operations of the NBS companies and
TABLE 41 supervises the administrative functions of the companies. She became the firm’s
first female partner in 1993, CFO in 2005 and CEO in 2011. When the company
reorganized in 2015, she subsequently negotiated the sale of their brokerage
and property management divisions before stepping into her current position.

Theresa Sanchez Schnetz | MARKET EXECUTIVE FOR THE OREGON


MARKET, MERRILL LYNCH WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Theresa Sanchez Schnetz is the Market Executive for the Oregon Market at
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Passionate in her desire to help others
pursue their financial, professional, and personal goals, Theresa is a veteran
executive who draws on significant experience as an advisor, mentor, and
champion of others. She leads a talented team of Advisors and Associates in six
TABLE 42 offices throughout the Market, connecting them to resources and capabilities
designed to empower clients to live their best financial lives. Prior to her current
role, Theresa was the Interim Market Executive for the Seattle Cascades and
Nevada Markets, where she fostered a culture of collaboration, communication,
diversity, and inclusiveness.

Sarah Shipe | DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, GIRL SCOUTS OF OREGON


AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
Sarah Shipe is the Director of Communications for Girl Scouts of Oregon and
Southwest Washington. A lifetime member of Girl Scouts, Sarah has more
than a decade of experience in effective, impactful nonprofit communications,
public relations and brand management. She currently serves on the MarComm
Advisory Committee for Girl Scouts of the USA, helping to shape the future
TABLE 43 of the globally-recognized Girl Scout brand. Sarah holds a BA in English from
Willamette University, and an MBA from Willamette University’s Atkinson
Graduate School of Management. She welcomed a son in September 2019, and
is joyfully learning to navigate life as a working mom.

Cara Snow | CHIEF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICER AND CHIEF OF


STAFF, TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF OREGON (TAO)
Cara Snow, the Technology Association of Oregon’s (TAO) Chief Community
Engagement Officer and Chief of Staff, is a high energy, civically minded
executive and a native of Atlanta, Georgia. In her role with TAO, she manages
internal operations as an external portfolio that includes regional executive
engagement, cyber security programming, tech advocacy and workforce
TABLE 44 development with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in technology. In
working with startups to large enterprise organizations, Cara has navigated high
growth, rebuilding, acquisition and the occasional misstep. In 2016, she shifted
into non-profit leadership, joining the Technology Association of Georgia as the
first Chief Development Officer, before claiming Portland as her new home.
Mentors
BIOGRAPHIES

Tichelle Sorensen | ACADEMIC DIRECTOR OF MBA AND MASTER OF


INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
Tichelle Sorensen received her undergraduate degree in Communications from
Brigham Young University, her MIM from Portland State University, and her JD
from the Indiana University School of Law. Prior to joining PSU as an Academic
Director in 2013, she worked as an attorney, practicing in the areas of intellectual
property, marketing and employment law. Tichelle’s prior business experience
TABLE 45 includes entertainment industry marketing and consulting, predominantly in
music and gaming; strategic marketing consulting for both privately owned
companies and state-owned enterprises in China; and export marketing.

Melissa Spain | PARTNER, MOSS ADAMS


Melissa has been in public accounting since 1997, including four years with
a Big Four firm. She has been involved in engagement for both public and
private companies throughout her career, specializing in manufacturing and
distribution, and food and beverage companies. Her focus has included helping
clients in the food processing and distribution as well as manufacturing and
consumer products industries identify areas for improvement. She provides
TABLE 46 accounting and auditing services as well as business consulting, preparation of
accounting policies, technical accounting standards, and procedures manuals,
systems control and operations risk evaluations with recommendations for
system improvements, and business planning.

Julissa Vasquez | GLOBAL TALENT ACQUISITION DIVERSITY MANAGER,


INTEL CORPORATION
Julissa Vasquez is currently the Global Talent Acquisition Diversity Manager at
Intel Corporation. While Julissa has been at Intel for 17 years, she is currently
in her 8th job. Her career path started in Accounting and has been able to
successfully navigate through various roles by leveraging her strengths and
TABLE 47 continuous learning. As a working mother, Julissa strives for work-life harmony
that allows her to be present for her family including three children. Julissa is
also actively involved in the community as a Girl Scout Troop Leader and Board
Member for the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber. Julissa was recently recognized
in the Portland Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2019 for her career
leadership and compelling community involvement.

Chandra Wahrgren, MBA | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE


PHARMACY ENTERPRISE & CLIENT STRATEGIES, MODA HEALTH /
PRESIDENT & CEO, ARDON HEALTH
As a senior vice president, Chandra leads Moda’s pharmacy programs and
specialty initiatives, including business development and corporate strategy.
Chandra is also the founding president of Ardon Health, where she has provided
TABLE 48 the vision, leadership and strategic direction to successfully propel the growing
specialty pharmacy forward. In 2017, Chandra was recognized as one of
Portland’s “Women of Influence” for her remarkable track record of healthcare
innovation and community involvement. Chandra received a BS in Public Health
from Oregon State University, and an MBA in Leadership Management from
George Fox University.
Mentor
BIOGRAPHIES

Yvonne Wassenaar | CEO, PUPPET


Yvonne Wassenaar is the CEO of Puppet, a trusted enterprise provider of
pervasive automation across traditional and cloud-native environments. She
has 30 years of experience scaling companies globally and driving enterprise
transformation with technology. Prior to Puppet, Yvonne served as CEO of
Airware, CIO at New Relic, and she held multiple leadership roles at VMware and
Accenture. Yvonne is currently a board member of Anaplan (PLAN), Forrester
TABLE 49 (FORR), Harvey Mudd College and an advisor to SNYK (a DevSecOps start-
up). Yvonne is a passionate supporter of diversity in tech and amidst growing
concerns with how modern technology might be used, Yvonne is championing it
to drive a safer, more efficient and innovative planet.

Cristina Watson | BRAND MANAGER, DAVE’S KILLER BREAD


With over decade of experience in marketing and advertising, Cristina Watson is
currently the Brand Manager of Dave’s Killer Bread. She oversees all consumer
and media facing communications, product innovation, brand strategy, creative
direction and has played a key role on the marketing team at Dave’s Killer Bread
since 2012. In addition, she has been a part of the massive growth that DKB
has seen, as it expanded from a family run regional brand, to a wide-spread
nationally distributed line of organic breads, bagels, and English muffins.
TABLE 50
Passionate about the company’s Second Chance Employment philosophy, she is
also a board member of the Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, which was created
in 2015 with the purpose of inspiring and educating other businesses to adopt
this employment practice.

Linda Williams Favero | CAREER COUNSEL/CONSULTANT, O+I DEVELOP


As founder of O+I Develop, Linda brings 20 years of curiosity about multiple
generations in the workplace to help develop the full potential of organizations
and individuals who seek greater meaning in their work and lives. Her goal is to
enhance workplace culture and performance by bringing greater understanding
and appreciation for the generations that came before us and those that come
after us. Her journey began when four generations interacted in the workplace
TABLE 51 for the first time in the early 2000’s. Now, for the first time, there are five with
older generations living longer and retiring later, and Generation Z beginning
their career journey.

Kate Winkler | CEO, RUBY


Kate is the CEO of Ruby. She has been in the technology sector for over 25
years having been a three-time CEO as well as a technology investment banker.
Kate joined 15-year old Ruby this past September as the first CEO to take over
leadership of the company from its founder, Jill Nelson. Prior to joining Ruby,
Kate lead two high-growth, venture backed businesses to successful exits and
also served as a senior technology investment banker at both Houlihan Lokey
TABLE 52 an Piper Jaffray where she helped over 75 companies build and capture over
$4Bn in enterprise value. Kate holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the
University of Michigan. Kate also holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 79 licenses and
started her career as a CPA.

Kristel Wissel | VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THE


PORTLAND TIMBERS AND THORNS
In her current role as Vice President of Community Relations for the Portland
Timbers and Thorns, Kristel oversees the club’s community partnerships,
programs, and philanthropic activities under the Stand Together platform,
including the Portland Timbers Community Fund and Fields For All, the local
field building initiative. Kristel transitioned into the position after managing
TABLE 53 the day-to-day marketing, creative development, media buying, outreach
and grassroots programming as the team’s Hispanic Business Development
Manager. Prior to joining the Portland Timbers, Kristel ran her own advertising
firm, Picante Solutions, Inc. and created the Familia, Salud, y Vida Latino Health
Fair in Portland.
Thank you

NATIONAL SPONSOR

NATIONAL PARTNERS

LOCAL SPONSORS

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