Become a Speaker
Are you ready to inspire and empower fellow women entrepreneurs? We’re seeking passionate and dynamic speakers to share their expertise at NAWBO Houston’s 2025 “The Power of Women in Business” Conference.
Join us in propelling women business owners into greater economic, social, and political spheres of power. With more than 200 women entrepreneurs expected to attend, this is your chance to make a meaningful impact, showcase your knowledge, and connect with a vibrant community of entrepreneurs.
We welcome speakers from all industries and backgrounds—including brick-and-mortar retailers, professional service providers, consultants, and digital experts. If you have valuable insights and strategies to help elevate women’s businesses, we want to hear from you!
Deadline extended to Monday, September 23, 2024, at 5 PM CST!
Be part of an unforgettable event that celebrates and advances the power of women in business.
Our Amazing 2024 Speakers
Keynote
Sukaina Rajani,
Founder, MACARON by Patisse
- MACARON by Patisse – a luxury macaron boutique that has 3 locations and was featured on national television with billionaire Tilman Fertitta. Along with retail bakery, she also teaches sold out MACARON classes and has become a business and bakery leader.
- DBS Living – an inspirational athletic clothing line for men and women – empowering people to live with courage. DBS stands for DONT BE SCARED.
- Custom Retail Packaging – a packaging company that specializes in custom branded boxes, bags, and accessories for multiple business types.
Luncheon Keynote
Megan Eddings
MeganEddings.com
The Power of Positivity
Introducing the positivity powerhouse, Megan Eddings is a dynamic and inspiring speaker who empowers businesses, organizations and individuals to reach their full potential, through positivity and resiliency.
Her expertise in transforming mindsets, through storytelling and humor, has earned her a reputation as a sought-after speaker, with a proven track record of enhancing minds and implementing change, both personally and professionally.
I have been a guest lecturer at The University of Virginia, Houston Community College, University of Houston and Rice University: on entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Speakers
Amy Malkan
7 Benefits of Fostering a Creative Work Environment
Fostering a creative environment through art can stimulate innovation among employees, and can lead to numerous benefits for the business.
Amy Malkan is an innovator, visual artist, professional speaker, and published author. Amy inspires others through her life journey going in the direction that she wants and desires. She shares how easy and fast it can happen to anyone who wants that, knowing how easily accessible it is to create the life one desires. Through her own experiences, she has made it her life mission to share this message to everyone.
As an artist, she works with but not limited to acrylic, aerosol and mixed media to create fine art, commissions and public art for the community. What sets her apart from other artists, is her unique eye for design, the ability to engage the community in her art and most importantly recognizing the significance in creating every piece of work with purpose and intention to transfer positive energy through the artwork. Her main objective is to empower the viewer to see a different perspective and to recognize the potential within oneself. She has worked with Shell, Amegy Bank, JLL, just to name a few.
In her personal time, she loves to spend time with her family, she loves to travel, weight lift, dance and experience new things.
To keep in touch with upcoming programs and her latest projects visit her at www.amymalkan.com.
The Personal Nature of Burnout: Strategies to Empower a Burn Ban
In today’s fast-paced world, burnout has become an all-too-common issue affecting individuals in various ways. Join me in an engaging session designed to help you gain a fresh perspective on your distinctive burnout challenges. By exploring the personal aspects of burnout, uncover effective prevention strategies and issue a ‘burn ban’ for a healthier you.
Ashley Hauck is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of combined expertise in Human Resources Management, Corporate Leadership, and Mental Health Counseling. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, she specializes in working with adults, individuals, and couples, helping them navigate the complexities of their mental health journeys. With a deep commitment to fostering mental well-being, Ashley extends her support beyond individual therapy sessions, offering a range of corporate solutions designed to assist organizations in addressing and resolving mental health-related challenges within the workplace. Ashley is deeply committed to fostering personal growth in others. She is enthusiastic about sharing her wealth of professional and personal knowledge regarding the subject of burnout. Her profound personal connection to this topic fuels her drive to raise awareness, offer practical and sustainable solutions, and promote healing.
Ashley Hauck, LPC
Beth Guide,
Vertical Web
Empowering Your Business Using Artificial Intelligence
- How to apply AI to your website
- How to use it in Social Media
- How to apply it in all other marketing endeavors
Principal Beth Guide started in the web design and hosting industry in 1997, forming ACTWD, which specialized in small business web design and hosting. Vertical Web became a natural progression while it took the web hosting aspects and allowed digital marketing to become an extension. Prior to making the jump to web development, she worked for various news agencies in the North East. She has also worked as a freelance writer for PR agencies, helping companies like Dow Chemical work with disaster relief. Ms. Guide teaches Digital Marketing at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), part of the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business, HCC’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Lone Star College, Houston West Chamber of Commerce, Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce and is often featured as on Fox26 as a technology expert.
Deanna Ramirez,
Wholeworx Initiative
Growing Through Conflict: Cultivating Constructive Conflict at Work
Conflict is a powerful energy that can be used to propel us to new levels of greatness. Embracing and cultivating constructive conflict at work is a critical component of developing high-functioning work teams. Work tensions are high and stress levels compound when people bottle up their feelings and thoughts making the situation more volatile. But how can you safely invite conflict to work? Learn the steps you can take to introduce healthy conflict to your work team, diffuse the inevitable discomfort that comes with disagreement, and remove the obstacles to conflict resolution.
Deanna Ramirez is a learning and development professional committed to helping teams in transition grow through conflict so they feel engaged, connected, and cared for at work. With over 13 years of experience in the higher education, non-profit, and corporate worlds she worked with organizations and teams to elevate the global professional standard. She launched Wholeworx Initiative because conflict continues to be a painful reminder of our common humanity that people struggle to work through. Her professional training and coaching business delivers transformative learning programs that invite work teams to identify areas of growth and opportunity and motivate them to initiate the changes needed to level up and grow to greatness through conflict.
Overcoming Failures to Success
How do you define failure to success in entrepreneurship? Female entrepreneurs face many challenges to succeed in their business, regardless if they are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out in their entrepreneurial journey. A failure to success is more than a failed business, it is the psychological impact that can lead to a success failure. Dr. Feggins will uncover psychological factors of success failures and how to overcome them by defining the individual’s growth gap and committing to a personal growth plan.
Speak to All, LLC is a communications company for motivational and inspirational purposes. The mission and the vision of Speak to All focuses on individuals to be fearless on purpose. The biblical reference to support the mission and vision is Joshua 1:6-9. The core topics in speaking, training, and coaching centers on individualism (social psychology) and human flourishing (positive psychology). Services provided by Speak to All includes the following: Keynote Speaking, Master of Ceremony (MC), Moderator, Radio guest, and Podcast guest, Coaching (Life/Executive), and Facilitator (Guest panelist and Mastermind groups).
Dr. Danielle E. Feggins,
Speak to All
Jennifer Behan,
JBehan Consulting
Leading Through Self-Awareness
1. What is a self-aware manager and why is it important?
2. The 4 Areas of Self-Awareness
3. Leading in awareness of your leadership perspective
As we strive to become the best leaders we can be, it is imperative that we understand how we manage and the effects it has on our team, regardless of how small that team may be. There is a “road map” that we can use to understand ourselves and others. When you know where you are starting from then your chances of reaching your destination through leading others effectively will dramatically improve. We will learn what a self-aware manager is, why it is important, the “road map” for self awareness, and how to lead successfully based on your personal perspective.
Jennifer Behan is a native Houstonian who has over 30 years of consulting and training individuals and teams. As a Certified Human Behavioral Consultant, she has a passion for helping leaders and their staff excel in their workspace through awareness, understanding, and practical application to work better together and create a positive work culture.
Chronicles of Success: Time Management & Habit Formation
Chronicles of Success: Time Management & Habit Formation explores essential techniques for effectively managing your time and developing positive daily routines. This engaging seminar delves into the art of prioritization, goal setting, and overcoming procrastination, equipping participants with practical strategies to optimize productivity. It also emphasizes the significance of habit formation and offers actionable insights for creating sustainable, beneficial habits. Attendees will leave with a renewed sense of control over their time and a roadmap for building habits that lead to success, both personally and professionally.
Kelly’s expertise lies in execution of human capital performance management, organizational development, strategy alignment, emotional intelligence, culture transformation and executive talent optimization. With over 25 years of experience, she has pioneered economic climate conditions as a change agent and transformed businesses and cultures through managing of people’s adaptability process. Kelly’s experience spans multiple functions including global corporate sales and operations, commercial energy, executing lean manufacturing methodologies, human resources process systems, international mobility, non-profits charities, and training & development. Kelly’s achieved certifications in strategic HR, lean manufacturing, leadership development, facilitating, train the trainer, and certified international coaching.
Kelly Mastervich,
People Optimization
Lisa Brunet,
DLZP Group, LLC
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) “Driving Change with ESG: The Power of Words”
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is a framework that evaluates a company’s impact beyond financial performance. It includes environmental criteria (such as carbon footprint and resource usage), social aspects (such as diversity and human rights), and governance (evaluating leadership and transparency). Companies can raise their ESG score by making socially responsible investment decisions, such as supporting eco-friendly practices, promoting diversity, and ensuring ethical governance. By using ESG criteria, investors can align their portfolios with their values and promote sustainable business practices for a more responsible global economy.
As CEO of DLZP Group, Lisa Brunet is an experienced Managing Partner with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Ms. Brunet is skilled in nonprofit organizations, sales, team building, management, and business development. Lisa has been instrumental in the growth of DLZP Group. She developed strong relationships with Amazon Web Services, Oracle, and Canon, which has helped establish DLZP Group as a leading innovator. Lisa has always prioritized utilizing cutting-edge tech to develop the most advanced services. Recently, she has led the development of two new solutions– DOCR, a serverless workflow capabilities web app that utilizes the language of the cloud, and Smart Compliance+, a complete package of IT Services, integrated policies, monitoring, and ongoing compliance conformance. Ms. Brunet is an active member of her community. She is a C3 Board member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) and co-director of the International Committee. She is also a member of WIPP (Woman Impacting Public Policy) and on WIPP’s Leadership Advisory Council (LAC), the US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and the USPAACC (US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce). Lisa believes being a successful entrepreneur is not just by your profit margins; it is measured by your customers’ satisfaction, your employees’ dedication, and what you give back to the community
Your Power is in the Possible
3 Takeaways from the talk:
Takeaway 1: Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity Failure is not the end but a beginning. Use failures as stepping stones for personal and professional growth. Analyze failures, identify mistakes, and extract valuable lessons.
Takeaway 2: Cultivate Resilience and Determination Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks. Determination keeps you focused on your goals despite failures. Failure builds mental toughness and perseverance.
Takeaway 3: Foster Innovation and Creativity Through Failure Failure can be a catalyst for innovation. When conventional methods fail, explore new ideas and approaches. Failure is an opportunity to think creatively and problem-solve in unique ways.
Michelle Petties is a writer, speaker, food addict in recovery, Food Story coach, author of an award-winning memoir, Leaving Large – The Stories of a Food Addict, and host of Get the Back Story Live, which airs monthly on the SORC® TV-Radio Network. Her memoir, a category winner in The 2022 Memoir Prize for Books, illustrates how events, experiences, and memories inform our beliefs, attitudes, and habits around food, eating, hunger, and everything else in life. For years, Michelle worked in a fast-paced, high-pressure corporate world, as a top performer for the most influential brands in media, including Radio One and Disney/ABC. Finally, the highly stressful and competitive media and advertising space took its toll on her mental and physical health. Looking at her today, you would never guess that Michelle used to be morbidly obese, once tipping the scale at 260 plus pounds. After gaining and losing over seven hundred pounds, she finally discovered the “secret” to winning the battle between her mind, body, and hunger – her “Food Stories.” Michelle now conducts healing-through-reading-writing-and-storytelling workshops where she teaches others how to find their food and personal truths. She speaks to organizations, large and small, sharing her unique insight and her story of hope, healing, triumph, and transformation.
Michelle Petties,
Brand New Now Press
Natasha Cruz
Great Orators Public Speaking
Increase your Impact, Influence and Income by Delivery a Compelling Signature Message
The no.1 skill that will build your brand, bring awareness to your business, establish your reputation and authority in your field is successful confident public speaking. A well-crafted message is the key for an entrepreneur to easily and effectively CONVEY who they are and how they help, CONNECT with their target audience, and CONVERT listeners into clients.
In my presentation, we will delve into:
1. Understanding the significance of a compelling signature message
2. Exploring the framework for crafting a successful signature message
3. Mastering the art of delivering your signature message with confidence
I am an international public speaking coach, consultant, trainer, teacher, and author. As the visionary behind Great Orators – Public Speaking, I conquered my personal fear of public speaking, igniting my mission and fervor to lead others through the transformative journey I’ve undertaken.
Over the years, I’ve refined my expertise and authored a comprehensive curriculum that serves as the cornerstone of my teaching philosophy. Through my work, I’ve witnessed countless individuals undergo profound transformations, gaining confidence, eloquence, and the ability to articulate their ideas persuasively.
My overarching mission is to empower professionals in the business realm, guiding them to become impactful communicators in the corporate arena. I’ve committed my time to the belief that public speaking skills are learned and achievable for anyone through consistent practice. The public speaking system I’ve developed is not only unique but also easy to follow, offering an achievable path to success for both novice and seasoned speakers alike.
Self-Care as a Foundation: A Blueprint for Sustainable Holistic Wellness in Women Entrepreneurs
Topic
Sherri S. Wick is an accomplished licensed clinician with over a decade of experience in mental wellness. Holding dual licenses in Illinois and Texas, her diverse background spans community mental health counseling, non-profit work, higher education focusing on career development and counseling, and successful entrepreneurship. As an alumnus of Goldman Sachs’ 10K Small Businesses program, Sherri proudly owns and founded multiple organizations, including Holistically Divine Counseling, Divine Continuing Education, and Simply Divine Consultant.
At the core of Sherri’s mission is creating a safe and inclusive space to explore and express faith and mental health. Her approach is deeply rooted in demonstrating unconditional love through active listening and unwavering presence, empowering her clients to leave with increased confidence and the ability to overcome obstacles hindering their lives.
Sherri possesses a unique gift for facilitating self-reflection activities, enabling individuals to unearth their personal stories. By guiding emotional processing and fostering connections, she empowers individuals to make mentally healthy, value-aligned decisions that lead to personal and professional success. She doesn’t just motivate; she equips people with the tools to transform their lives.
In addition to her extensive experience, Sherri holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology degree from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL, and a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences degree from Eastern Illinois University. She is a National Board Certified Counselor, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and an Intercultural Development Inventory Administrator. Beyond her professional life, she is a dedicated wife and a loving mother to a ten-year-old son and a Boxer named Spark.
Sherri S. Wick
Holistically Divine Counseling
Sheryl J. Jimerson, CPA, EA
Jimerson Tax & Accounting LLC
Empowering Women Through Financial Statement Mastery for Business Growth
Are you ready to level up? After this presentation, you will understand the crucial role that financial statements play in business growth. You will learn to leverage financial statements to assess profitability, manage costs, secure funding, and make informed business decisions. This knowledge empowers women to take their businesses to the next level, promoting financial stability, growth, and the confidence to navigate the complex financial landscape effectively.
Sheryl is founder and CEO of Jimerson Tax & Accounting LLC. A self-proclaimed “tax whisperer,” her firm specializes in accounting and tax matters for businesses. Sheryl is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Texas. Her tax nerdy-ness led her to take the strenuous IRS exam to become an Enrolled Agent, just for fun.
Prior to starting her firm, she worked in corporate tax management for several public oil and gas companies in the Houston area. On the other extreme, she taught tax and accounting courses at Lone Star College and San Jacinto College.
Sheryl serves on the Board of Directors of the Houston chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs. She chairs the Diversity and Inclusion committee and the CPAs Helping Schools committee. Sheryl is a supporter of several nonprofits in the Houston area including her church, her alma mater University of Houston (Go Coogs!), and various charitable organizations that support underserved children.
She hears that she is a unicorn – one of a small group of people who were born in Houston, raised in Houston, and still lives in Houston. When she is not working or thinking about work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and teenage son, reading psychological thriller fiction novels, and sitting by a relaxing body of water.
How the Working Genius can transform your team and improve morale
We will explore the Working Genius model, discussing how it can improve your business and employee engagement and morale.
Stephanie Van Lue has over 20 years of Human Resources experience, startng her career as an HR
Generalist for a corporate aviation company and working her way to Head of HR for a large, multi-state
restaurant company. She has also spent over a decade working in the fractional/outsource HR space,
effectively juggling multiple clients and their priorities. She is known for building strong relationships
with her clients. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Louisiana Tech
University.
She prides herself on understanding the individual business needs of each company that she works with, and looking for creative solutions that meets a company’s needs. You will not find her to be the typical HR person who either tells you “no” to lots of things, or creates policy for the sake of having policy. You can expect, deliberate, rational reasons for why things are created, and Stephanie will seek solutions to your questions that enable you to get where you’re wanting to go without running afoul of the EEOC.
Stephanie has worked across 40 different states, has processed more unemployment claims than she cares to count, and has become immune to being shocked by employee relations situations and issues.
Stephanie is proud to be married to her husband for over 20 years, and is a Mom to 3 hilarious kids. She
and her husband are hobbyist beekeepers, and also have chickens and a dog. In the fall, she can
generally be found on a football field, cheering on the band, as one of her sons is on the drumline of his
University’s band. In the spring, she can occasionally be found with glitter in her hair from being her
daughter’s sherpa at her dance competitions. A native of south Louisiana, but living in Texas for over 20 years, she loves crawfish and tacos in equal measure.
Stephanie Van Lue,
Activate HR
Ruby Powers
RubyPowersLaw.com
The Future of Work: Maximizing Hybrid & Remote Paradigms
The work landscape continues to undergo a profound transformation, and at its heart lie with the hybrid and remote models, redefining how we perceive productivity, collaboration, and workplace dynamics. Join Ruby Powers, who first ran her law firm remotely in 2011 in Dubai, as we journey into understanding the intricacies of these modern work methodologies. Discover how adaptability within these structures can propel efficiency, how technology seamlessly bridges distances, and the art of balancing individual autonomy with team cohesion. As the boundaries of traditional workplaces blur, get equipped to chart a path in this evolving domain, ensuring your organization remains agile, connected and ahead of the curve.
Ruby L. Powers is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Powers Law Group, P.C., an esteemed full-service immigration law firm based in Houston. With a Board Certification in Immigration and Nationality Law, her expertise is unparalleled.
Ruby’s profound knowledge extends beyond legal practice. A sought-after speaker and author on immigration law, policy, and practice management, her insights have reached audiences and readerships globally, including notable features in the Washington Post, CNN, the New York Times, and BBC World News.
Her book, published by AILA, titled “Build and Manage Your Successful Immigration Law Practice (Without Losing Your Mind),” offers real-life counsel to attorneys on leveraging technology and modern tools for law practice success. Further emphasizing her commitment to legal industry excellence, Ruby established Powers Strategy Group, LLC. This venture underscores her dedication to pioneering best practices in law practice management, providing other attorneys and law firms with strategic consulting services to optimize operations, client relations, and overall firm success.
Distinguished as a professor at South Texas College, Ruby Instructs courses on Law Practice Management and Business Risk Management, respectively.
With credentials from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Leadership Houston, and American Leadership Forum, Ruby’s leadership influence is evident. Her commitment to driving change is evident in her period as public office candidate and her unwavering support for immigrants and the community at large.
Hustle Healthy: Reclaim Your Time & Restore Your Energy
Ready to break free from the 24/7 hustle & grind? Discover how to reclaim your time, restore your energy, and create a thriving life and biz that’s both sustainable and fulfilling, without sacrificing results, impact, or influence.
In this interactive workshop you will learn the principles of:• OwnHERship – Be the boss of your precious time by managing your energy and setting bada$$ boundaries.
• Response.Ability – Make intuitive decisions that align with the heart of your business and honor your pace and capacity.
• Connect.working – Create more community, collaboration, and connection to ditch isolation and have more fun!
Your journey to a healthier, more purpose-driven life starts here. This empowering session will leave you inspired, invigorated, and ready to conquer!
Wendy Lee was a total rockstar in the corporate arena. At the height of her career, she found herself in a narcistic abusive crisis that led her to a life coach. The impact was so profound, she ditched her partner and corporate gig and founded LeadHERship Revolution™ to support women in 1:1, group, and retreat coaching programs. She believes that women are worthy to lead potent and powerful lives, create a living they love, and impact the world in revolutionary ways! Wendy is a certified life coach, international speaker, best-selling author, yogi, human and animal advocate, and a real rockstar, as the singer of a top 40 band!
Wendy Lee,
LeadHERship Revolution Life and Biz Coaching