The Financial Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship for Women Panel Discussion
#WESTentrepreneurship

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In May, WEST & Ellevate joined together with a handful of female entrepreneurs to share perspectives and experiences starting a new company and leveraging skills (i.e. finance, technology & marketing) to assist others with an entrepreneurial endeavor. Now, the two networking organizations are partnering for a follow-up conversation in which entrepreneurs will share insights into the financial successes and challenges of starting and scaling a business.

Topics to include:

Preparing yourself to take the financial risk to start a business
Resources available to fund or support the start-up of a business
Resources available to grow and scale your business

Moderator:

Christine Cloonan, President Boston Chapter Ellevate Network
Christine Cloonan is the President of the Boston Chapter of the Ellevate Network, a global network of professional women who are committed to elevating each other through education, inspiration, and opportunity. Our mission is to close the gender achievement gap in business by providing women with a community to lean on and learn from.

Panelists:

Olu Ibrahim is the Founder & CEO of Kids in Tech, Inc. Kids in Tech partners with school districts and youth development organizations to provide high quality technology education for young children and youth in mid-sized cities in the after school setting in the United States. Olu Ibrahim received her Bachelors of Arts in Government and International Relations from Clark University and her Master in Education from Lesley University with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction and Leadership. She is also a finalist for the 2017 Young Professional of the Year award from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.

Shiva Kashalkar is the Founder and CEO of Green Piñata Toys. Driven by her passion for green living and sharing economy, Shiva Kashalkar founded Green Piñata Toy Share - a subscription service that rents premium, educational and non-toxic toys for young children. She founded the company in April 2015 and the service operates in all over the US. Shiva specializes in bringing new products to markets and has over 12 years of experience in product marketing, entrepreneurship and strategy. Her vision is to grow Green Piñata Toy Share as the #1 provider for stimulation and education for children under 5 years while help reduce landfill and promote accessibility and convenience.

Michelle Macaux is the Founder and CEO of TrailBridge LLC, a full-service advisory firm that helps socially responsible businesses identify, understand, and overcome their unique challenges to increase their impact. Michelle has 15+ years working in strategic growth, marketing and business development, with a special emphasis on working with minority and women CEOs. Her experience spans a variety of industries, from global product companies to local software developers, from the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. She received her MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she wrote her master’s thesis on the roles of leadership and organizational process in the successful growth of small and mid-sized businesses. Michelle also holds a B.A. cum laude in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Kerry Reilly, ESQ, of K. Reilley Law, LLC works with clients to help demystify the estate planning process. She strives to understand her clients’ objectives before suggesting solutions often working in collaboration with clients’ existing financial advisors and/or accountants. She is a member of The Boston Bar Association where she is both a writer and speaker for the Trusts & Estates Section – Tax Subcommittee. Additionally she is member of the Women’s Bar Association, where she participates in the Women’s Bar Foundation – Elder Law Project (providing estate planning documents to low income individuals). Lastly, she is a member of The Boston Estate Planning Council where she serves on the Seminars and Webinars Committee.

Date and Time:
October 17, 2017
6:00 - 8:00 PM

Location:
Palm Restaurant, One International Place, Boston, MA

Cost:
Free

Appetizers will be provided

Event Sponsor:
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP