WEOC 2018 Presenter Bios

AM Session 1 – 60 Minutes (10-11am)

Start Here Before Jumping into the Social Media Mud Pit

Presenter: Lisa Wood

Lisa Wood is the director of the Women’s Small Business Program at Mercy Connections. She is also a business coach and mentor to female small business owners, and the founder of Sprout New Media, a web design/development firm specializing in custom WordPress websites for small businesses. She focuses on teaching women how to build sustainable businesses, market them effectively and authentically, and reduce the often overwhelming aspects of being a solo business owner.

What the FICO? Taking Control of Your Credit

Presenter: Becca Schrader

Becca Schrader is the Business Resource Manager at the Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF), a mission driven, non-profit Community Development Financial Institution. VCLF provides access to capital with flexible terms for affordable housing development, community facilities, small businesses, and early care and learning programs throughout Vermont, coupling loans with business and management advisory and coaching services. Becca has over 10 years of experience working with individuals, families, businesses, and non-profits, coaching them on how to maximize income, manage debt and credit, build assets, and save for the future. She has specialized experience in working with military servicemembers and families, veterans, people with disabilities, the aging, and entrepreneurs.

Leveraging a Co-Generational Workplace for a Stronger Business

Presenter: Liz Vogel

Liz Vogel brings more than 25 years of global business leadership, working with leaders, teams and individuals to focus on organizational structure and communication to align teams to achieve their vision. As CEO of Dots, Inc. Enterprises she connects the dots between people and the information they need regarding the experienced worker, navigating the current labor shortage, knowledge transfer, working effectively in the co-generation workplace, innovative retirement strategies, and the transition to the next work adventure or retirement, for both the individual and businesses.

The Art of Successful Communication

Presenter: Hannah Rose

Hannah Rose is the sole proprietor of Impact Coaching & Consulting, which offers comprehensive curricula development and research, training, facilitating, coaching and consulting in all areas of professional development and leadership. She has also been working with individuals with addiction, trauma, and mental health conditions for 31 years. Her passion for social justice and equal voice has been a source of motivation and inspiration throughout her career. She is a graduate of the Snelling Center for Government Vermont Leadership Institute.

Level Up: Take Charge of Your Career

Presenter: Rachel Kauppila

Rachel Kauppila is the Job Developer at Vermont Works for Women. She has seen first-hand how work can empower individuals, inspire change, and transform lives. She graduated from Kenyon College with a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from George Washington University.

The Art (and Science) of Salary Negotiation

Presenter: Lindsey Lathrop-Ryan

Lindsey Lathrop-Ryan is a career and business coach at FromWithin Coaching and a gender equity consultant who provides support for Change The Story VT, an initiative to fast-track women’s economic status in Vermont. Lindsey is the co-creator of two programs that work to advance gender equity: the Business Peer Exchange, a power-packed group of Vermont employers seeking to advance gender diversity and equity in the workplace, and a job shadow program for young women in high school.

AM Session 2 – 90 Minutes (10-11:30am)

The Gender Card: Change The Story One Conversation at a Time

Presenters: Tiff Bluemle and Jessica Nordhaus

Tiff Bluemle directs Change The Story VT, a partnership of the Vermont Commission on Women, the Vermont Women’s Fund and Vermont Works for Women designed to fast-track women’s economic security. Change The Story conducts research on the status of women in Vermont, raising awareness of gender inequities, working with employers and engaging men in the conversation. Tiff served as executive director of Vermont Works for Women for 17 years, and is now on the board of Public Assets Institute. She lives in Burlington with her partner and two sons.

Jessica Nordhaus directs Strategy & Partnerships for Change The Story VT, travels the state to present on gender equity and co-facilitates the CTS Business Peer Exchange. She is also principal at Burlington-based Gear Shift Consulting, LLC and – way back in the last century – founded Toad & Co. (formerly Horny Toad Activewear). Jessica serves on the Fletcher Free Library Commission and co-founded the Greater Burlington Women’s Forum.

Success in Tech for the Non-Tech Backgrounds

Presenters: Meghan Purvis and Ilka Pritchard

Meghan Purvis, a University of Vermont graduate, is now a Scrum Master at Dealer.com. Before diving into the tech world, Meghan had a small sewing and design company that she owned and operated in San Francisco. In fact, a few years ago, Meghan had no idea what a Scrum Master was. Her inquisitive nature and constant desire to learn led her to this role, where she now has the opportunity to help those around her through coaching and mentoring.

Ilka Pritchard works at Social Sentinel, a tech startup based in Burlington. It gives her great satisfaction to connect people to the resources they need to succeed, especially when it comes to their career path. With over 20 years of combined experience in client services and software development, Ilka thrives in environments that experience constant change, rapid growth, and opportunity to creatively solve problems. Ilka gains the most satisfaction in coaching and developing peers, direct reports, and anyone interested in learning, to help them achieve their goals.

Exploring Non-Trad Roles 1: Hard-Hatted Women

Panel Moderator: Lori Valburn

Lori Valburn is Chief of Civil Rights with the Vermont Agency of Transportation. She will lead a panel of women construction workers, equipment operators, and field engineers who represent a diverse range of ages and backgrounds, seniority and job titles.

Exploring Non-Trad Roles 2: Law Enforcement and First Responders

Presenters: Megan Roush and Debra Munson

Megan Roush served on the St. Michael’s College Fire and Rescue Department from 2011 to 2015. Since 2015, she has been with the Mallets Bay Fire Department. In addition, she runs with the Colchester rescue squad as an EMT. When not she not responding to emergencies, she serves as a housing specialist with USDA Rural Development.

Debra Munson is a Sergeant and Patrol Commander with the Vermont State Police, serving in the A-Troop Derby Barracks. She previously served on the VSP Tactical Services Unit.

Be Your Own Boss

Presenters: Laurel Butler and Gwen Pokalo

Laurel Butler has more than 30 years of professional business and teaching/facilitating experience. She spent many years working in the hospitality industry in operational and management positions. She now works in a full-time dual capacity with the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) as a business advisor, and with Vermont Technical College as its STEM Outreach/Experiential Education Manager. She also teaches in the Women’s Small Business Program and serves as the program director for the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont program in entrepreneurship.

Gwen Pokalo is the Director of the Center for Women & Enterprise Vermont, a non-profit that helps women entrepreneurs and women in business find greater personal growth, professional success, and financial independence. She has been providing technical assistance to new and existing businesses in a variety of capacities for more than 10 years. She owned an artist representation and business consulting firm, developed a local products incubator store, and has worked in rural development research. She is passionate about economic development, salsa dancing, jazz, and otherwise minimizing unstructured time.

One Year After #MeToo: Progress, Pushback, What’s on the Horizon?

Presenters: Lisa Senecal and Julio Thompson

Lisa Senecal is a founding partner in The Maren Group, a consultancy representing victims of sexual harassment and assault, domestic abuse, and complex child support issues. Lisa writes and speaks with an emphasis on issues of equality, opportunity, and safety for women. Her perspectives and writing appear in a range of media, from NPR’s Morning Edition and PBS New Hour, to The Daily Beast and USA Today; she also writes a monthly column for her local newspaper, The Stowe Reporter. Lisa serves as a Commissioner on the Vermont Commission on Women.

Julio Thompson is an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Vermont and Director of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Unit, which enforces Vermont’s laws regarding employment discrimination, parental and family leave, and hate crimes. Julio has been practicing in the areas of employment, labor, and civil rights law since 1991. He moved to Vermont in 2004 after spending his first 15 years of legal practice in Los Angeles.

First Impression is Critical: Get the Most from LinkedIn, a Resume and Cover Letter

Presenters: Kate Paine and Etienne Morris

Kate Paine helps executives and entrepreneurs stand out online so they become a recognized authority in their marketplace or industry, and a respected asset to their company and clients. She uses her journalism, PR and marketing experience to tease out her clients’ compelling story to position them as an industry visionary or influencer both online and off. She’s an expert on using LinkedIn as a powerful personal branding tool, speaks at national marketing conferences, and also teaches LinkedIn for corporate sales training.

Etienne Morris began her recruiting career in 2007 focused primarily in Big4 Management Consulting, and in 2012 opened her own firm: Morris Recruiting & Consulting (MRC), where she offers customized recruiting services for small to medium sized businesses, and personalized career support for individuals. MRC is a Certified B Corp, a member of VBSR and One Percent for the Planet, and a WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise.

PM Session – 60 Minutes (1:15-2:15pm)

Keeping It Civil: Respect in the Workplace

Presenter: Kerin Stackpole
Kerin Stackpole leads the Employment and Labor Law Group at Paul, Frank and Collins in Burlington. She provides practical and proactive advice to senior leaders and management teams regarding a wide range of labor and employment issues. Kerin is also an experienced litigator and a skilled teacher. She has taught at several law schools and colleges on the East Coast, and she regularly designs and presents training programs for businesses and municipalities seeking to strengthen the skills of their management team. Kerin has been a featured speaker at conferences for numerous state and local human resource associations, municipal and payroll associations, and the Champlain College Management Excellence Series.

Support and Sustain Employees in Recovery

Presenter: Hannah Rose

Hannah Rose has been working with individuals with addiction, trauma, and mental health conditions for 31 years. Her passion for social justice and equal voice has been a source of motivation and inspiration throughout her career. She currently serves as a technical assistance manager for the behavioral health department. She works with a team dedicated to helping national recovery community organizations, programs and networks with a variety of technical assistance methods. Previously, she was vice president for education and training at Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery. She is the sole proprietor of Impact Coaching and Consulting and a graduate of the Snelling Center for Government Vermont Leadership Institute.

Living and Saving on a Limited Budget

Presenter: Becca Schrader

Hustling on the Side: Create Your Sustainable Freelancing Lifestyle

Presenter: Gwen Pokalo

Protect Your Family's Money from Scammers and Fraudsters

Presenter: Victoria Lloyd

Victoria Lloyd, Esq. is the founder and principal of Athena Advocacy, which focuses on providing guardianship, fiduciary, and care advocacy services. She leads a team serving clients throughout New England with individually tailored services. Victoria is also called upon to provide training on financial exploitation for private sector entities, law enforcement, and public agencies. Ms. Lloyd founded and has chaired FAST (Financial Abuse Specialist Team) of Vermont since 2012.

When Money Talks in a Female Voice

Presenter: Rickey Gard Diamond

Rickey Gard Diamond, founding editor of Vermont Woman, won a National Newspaper Association award for her investigative reporting series, “An Economy of Our Own,” in 2012. She was a professor at Vermont College of Norwich University for over 20 years, and her most recent book is Screwnomics, How the Economy Works Against Women and Real Ways to Make Lasting Change.

Communicate Powerfully, Without Apology

Presenter: Lisa Danforth

Lisa Danforth helps businesses to grow and scale with more control, less overwhelm and no apologies. Over the course of the past 27 years, Lisa has founded and operated two catering companies: The Wooden Spoon & Hot Betty BBQ; a professional cleaning company, and an international wholesale children's wear company (which she sold for over 35 times her initial opening investment). She has spent the last four years as a Business & Lifestyle Strategist.

Women’s Car Care Clinic: What You Need to Know

Presenter: Demeny Pollitt

Demeny Pollitt is the owner of Girlington Garage, a full-service independent auto repair shop in South Burlington. Demeny is an ASE Certified Technician and Service Manager. She is also a graduate of the Women’s Small Business Program. She started Girlington Garage to provide high quality automotive service coupled with a focus on clear communication and honest business practices.

Be Unstoppable: Discover and Overcome What Holds You Back

Presenter: Lisa Wood