Read all about our Contributing Bloggers!

Aurelia Flores is Senior Counsel for a Fortune 500 company and founder of PowerfulLatinas.com, a company that “Supports, Values, Honors, and CELEBRATES Latina Women!” Aurelia, former teenage single mother and domestic violence survivor, went to Stanford Law School and had a Fulbright Fellowship in Mexico City before moving to San Diego to work in international business law at a prominent law firm. Aurelia has now been in-house over 10 years and specializes in intellectual property law.

Aurelia is an alum of the National Hispana Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Program, and was awarded the Athena Pinnacle Award in 2011 for an Individual in Technology, in particular for utilizing the tools of the internet to provide visions of Latina role models and create community online through her website. Aurelia sits on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Museum of Art, as well as on the Board of Women of Color in Law, and is a member of La Raza Lawyers, MANA de San Diego and the National Latina Business Women’s Association – San Diego chapter. She also participates in competitive ballroom dancing and can be found on twitter as @LatinaLeader. Aurelia’s son graduated from Georgetown University in May 2010.

Marissa Levin founded her first company Information Experts, a global strategic communications and education firm, in 1995. She launched her firm with no outside funding after working for a man that capped her worth at $34,000. 18 years later, Information Experts is forecasting $15 million for 2013. Marissa has led her firm through the implosion of the telecom and internet industries, 9/11 terrorist attacks which shut down the DC business region, two recessions, one government shut-down, the collapse of the auto, finance, & housing markets, and two cancer scares, while raising two sons as a hands-on mom. Under her leadership, Information Experts has won more than 100 awards for creativity & leadership, was named to the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest Growing Companies for 2009, 2010, and 2011, and won the SmartCEO 2010 GovStar Industry Star Award.

She is the author of “My Company ROCKS!” Eight Secrets to a Growth-Driven Culture That Keeps Employees Happy & Engaged,” and “Built to SCALE: How Top Companies Create Breakthrough Growth Through Exceptional Advisory Boards”. Marissa is the Washington DC region’s small business expert on ABC’s Washington Business Report which runs a monthly segment called “Marissa’s Mailbox” where she addresses the challenges that small business owners face.

She was named as one of Washington’s Top 100 Technology Titans for 2009 by Washingtonian Magazine. Marissa was selected as one of greater Washington’s “Women Who Mean Business” by the Washington Business Journal, which honors the region’s “most influential and powerful” women executives. Marissa has been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, Working Mother Magazine, Washington Woman Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, Inc. Magazine, BisNow, Fortune, and on many TV networks as a successful woman business owner and working mother. Check her out at SuccessfulCulture.com.

Far from being a novice to the Career arena, Francina Harrison has the capability of transforming an average employee into an awesome performer. She established The Career Engineer website as a way to provide career development for employees, business coaching, connections, procurement opportunities and job posting services. Seven years later, TCE has many success stories and holds Career & Business Meetups throughout the country.

But Francina does not only rely upon lessons learned while obtaining her Masters in Social Work from Norfolk State University. She takes a non-traditional approach of combining career and business performance with motivation. This gives the individuals she works with the ability to regain purpose and increase performance whether for an employer or in life. Widely recognized as The Career Engineer herself, TCE has received numerous awards and accolades. In addition, Francina serves on several boards/committees including Urban League-Hampton Roads, President of Jobs Network Ministry, and has built a host of domestic and international alliances and partnerships.

TCE will expand its presence again shortly with the launch of The Career Engineer Television later in 2010. Meanwhile, you can visit their website at www.TCENow.com to schedule your own transformation, or to purchase a personally autographed copy of the award winning book, A Mind to Work: the Life and Career Planning Guide for People Who Want Need to Work.

Kelly Hoey is an expert in understanding, monetizing and leveraging professional networks. Her insights come from working with a diverse client base from law firms to start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies. She is the co-founder and Managing Director of Women Innovate Mobile, the first startup accelerator and mentorship-driven program designed for women-founded companies in mobile technology. Kelly spent 18 years inside law firms, first as a corporate attorney then in legal management. She made her entrepreneurial leap in 2009, when she was offered the opportunity to work alongside Janet Hanson, the founder of 85 Broads. She has since advised Hypatia Capital, The Kap Group, NewsCertified Exchange, The Simply Bar, The Carlisle Collection, amongst others, as well as continuing to advise law firms. She sits on the advisory boards of StoneCreek Entertainment, Lion’esque Style and The Levo League. She is a member of the inaugural Pipeline Fellowship class of angel investors. Kelly speaks frequently at conferences and events on networking, building and engaging professional communities, and social media networking. Kelly can be found on Twitter @jkhoey

Felicia Streeter, MBA, known as the Million-Dollar Mentor, is the CEO of Dream4self International, where she help women business coaches “Step Into Your Fortune“, with a step-by-step system to consistently increase profits, stop overwhelm, work less, and have more financial freedom. She iss co-founder of Streeter Construction Group, an author, and speaker. She works one-on-one with women business owners mentoring them on how to kick tradition to the curb and grow their business FAST. Felicia has a MBA in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, BBA in Management and ABA in Accounting from Davenport University. Her experience includes 10+ years entrepreneurship, 15 years with the federal government, and 10 years as a military spouse traveling in the US and abroad. She is uniquely qualified to develop programs and mentor women business owners on creating successful joint ventures. Find her online at feliciastreeter.com, on Twitter @feliciastreeter, on Facebook at @dream4self1, YouTube at @dream4self, and LinkedIn at @feliciastreeter.

Lynesha McElveen, known as the Di$count Diva is the owner of Liberty Educational Group (L.E.G.) and Cheer On The Move. She has a passion for working with people of all ages and educating them about their life, finances, and health. Her work with L.E.G. gives her the opportunity to coach people on attaining financial freedom, walking in greatness, and increasing their personal potential. She promotes health and wellness through educating girls and women in caring for their spirit, soul, and body and by helping them develop self-esteem, sound character, and discipline.  Lynesha mentors and encourages others to follow their dreams and build a lasting legacy.

Lynesha has worked with major universities including Georgia State University, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. She has also worked with Habitat for Humanity, Watch Her Work/Bad Boy Entertainment, Ready to Launch, and the Police Athletic League teaching financial principles, entrepreneurship, and personal development. Featured in Black Enterprise and interviewed by the Urban Business Rountable and Views from the Top, she is a sought after expert.

Deborah Sweeney is the CEO & owner of MyCorporation, an online legal and business filing service focusing on entrepreneurs and the small business community. Prior to purchasing MyCorporation from Intuit, she served as the General Manager of the MyCorporation division where she maintained an intense focus toward driving optimal solutions for growth while solving for shareholders, customers and employees.

Deborah is a former partner at Michelman & Robinson, LLP practicing in the areas of Intellectual Property and Corporate Law. Extensive experience in emerging technologies and markets, intellectual property prosecution, corporate strategy, and mergers & acquisitions. Connect with Deborah on Twitter @MyCorporation

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