Barbara Bowman has more than 12 years' experience serving clients' diverse needs. As an associate of New England Financial, she specializes in providing comprehensive strategies for individuals and business owners. Barbara holds a Life, Health and Variable Annuity License from the State of Florida as well as Series 6 and 63. Barbara holds a Long Term Care Certification, is a member of the Better Business Council for the Melbourne Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce and serves at the Florida Small Business Center at Florida Institute of Technology. She has personally been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. Barbara earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at Florida State University and earned a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Central Florida. She is currently attending the American College seeking the Certification of Financial Planner (CFP) designation, to further advance her expertise in the financial services industry.

Barbara's goal is to provide families and business owners with assistance in building their financial freedom. Barbara's personal goal is to become a lifetime resource for each and every client. She resides in the Brevard area with her husband Tony and son Brandon. In her free time she likes to garden, hike and sail.

Bethany Vitaris is  the Course Coordinator for the Behavioral Science and Technology program at Florida Tech, where she participates in the launching of new courses as well as manage the social media marketing for the program. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Engineering Management.  She has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Florida Tech. She is a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority whose charity of choice is the Campfire Girls.

Her passions are art, music, reading, and technical toys.  In her spare time, she manages a website dedicated to helping students with science fair projects and learning important project skills.

Bethany has also competed in science fairs, theater and math competitions in high school. She has an asteroid/minor planet named after her as a prize for competing in the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge.

Casey Gilbert is the Outreach Liaison for the Women’s Business Center. Ms. Gilbert assists both the Director and the Operations Coordinator in the daily activities of the Center. She is also heading up some exciting projects: client-follow ups, volunteer coordination, data analysis and expanding WBC’s reach in local media.

Ms. Gilbert has worked with and volunteered for non-profit, for profit and government organizations, both in the United States and abroad in Australia. She has always been involved with various family business ventures and her heart is firmly planted in the realm of entrepreneurship.

Casey holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University. She attended the Adelaide, Australia campus of CMU in 2007. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Development and Applied Economics from The University of Vermont.

Cheryl Gitlin is principal of Gitlin Executive Coaching and Consulting. Her expertise consists of:

• Supporting world-class organizations in the development of organization effectiveness and leadership.
• Leading, developing and implementing organizational development and learning processes to enable and support business strategy.
• Providing formal and informal executive coaching and development in all areas of leadership and change management at the individual, team and organizational level.
• Supporting organizational development interventions across the organization.
• Driving change management and cultural transformation efforts.

Christine Thompson is currently the Marketing Director for Hayworth, Chaney and Thomas, PA an Intellectual Property, Corporate and Personal Injury law firm who has offices in Melbourne, Vero Beach and Orlando.  Her philosophy for business growth is to be a “people connector” and a “success resource” to help businesses in the Central Florida area to grow and thrive. 

She has owned two successful businesses of her own. She founded Hip Hop Hooray, Inc. in 2000, developed and then sold it in 2006.  Hip Hop Hooray, Inc. continues to thrive in the South Florida area today.  She then started Personal Assistant for a Day, Inc. which grew and eventually led to her current position at the law firm.  She is a Florida native and has a passion to help our local economy flourish.  Christine has been assisting the WBC for two years in various ways as a volunteer.

Doris Larson attended the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, majoring in government and German language.

Her first career began in Washington, DC, working on Capitol Hill as an Administrative and Legislative Aide to 3 different Senators and 2 Congressmen. After 17 years on Capitol Hill, Doris became disillusioned with the political scene and went searching for something new.

Having been inspired to learn about small business by two of her former employers, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, TX and Senator Warren Rudman, NH, she went back to school in Maryland while working for a merger and acquisition firm in Annapolis, MD. After 6 years with the firm, it was sold, and Doris found herself on the precipice of another life altering decision.

She started her own business, Dodie & Co., a management consulting and merger and acquisition company, during which time, she taught business classes at the Anne Arundel Community College and counseled with SCORE.

Elaine Christine is author of The Peace Prophecy: Vision 2013, released on Mother's Day in 2009. She wrote a process for World Peace in 1998 after her text, Managing Risk: Methods for Software Systems Development was published. Christine is an international keynote speaker who empowers groups of people to create a vision of personal peace with her interactive Peace Process Seminar.

Elizabeth Hood is the business owner of Facet Project Management with over 15-years of professional experience developing and delivering targeted project management strategies for companies engaged in for-profit business in technology, aviation, marketing, government contracting and dentistry. Her diverse background in project management gives her a unique perspective on applying technology to business projects and their targeted results.

She has been the project lead on core marketing programs in delivery of technology products and solutions on a global scale and earned an achievement award for her leadership working with a global systems engineering group for Cisco Systems headquartered in Silicon Valley California. Her other roles have included Director of Computer Training for a nationally ranked computer training center, and development/deployment of a computer training department for a start-up company delivering a vertical market software/hardware solution. She has taught computer skills and project management best practices to diverse groups and has been an invited speaker and presenter on technology topics.

Her relationships and memberships include the Florida Institute of Technology Women’s Business Center-Melbourne, Florida, International Council on Systems Engineering-Orlando Chapter (INCOSE), International Test and Evaluation Association-Orlando Chapter (ITEA), Women in Defense-Orlando Chapter (WID), National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Government Contracting Advisory Team (GCAT)-Central Florida and Space Coast Entrepreneurs Network (SEN).

Elizabeth has served on the Economic Development Commission for the city of Marina, California and Government Affairs Committee for the Salinas Valley, California Chamber of Commerce. She has devoted time and resources to community events such as the Pebble Beach/Carmel Garden Shows and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance which helped support fund raising efforts for charitable organizations such as The United Way.

Jay Forte - a former financial executive and corporate educator, now a work and life coach, speaker  and author - is a nationally-ranked Thought Leader and President of Humanetrics. Jay teaches organizations, managements and individuals how to reconnect to their talents and passions to achieve extraordinary personal and professional performance.

He is the author of the book Fire Up! Your Employees and Smoke Your Competition (March 2009), The Greatness Zone (October 2010), and the online resources "Stand Out and Get Hired" and "The Hunt for Opportunities Success Manual."

Jean Newell set out to accomplish what all the experts told her was the impossible after losing her 35 -year real estate career: she became an inventor. Although she had no background in business, distribution or manufacturing, she successfully produced and self-marketed her invention, the personal utility pouch (aka, the PUP) to national retail chains, catalogs and QVC where she became a frequent on-air guest/ host.

She was recently interviewed by Matt Lauer on the TODAY Show during the segment “Fearless Boomers Starting Over” where she shared her story of creating a million dollar business during a recession.

Jean authored the book “How to Turn Your Pink Slip into a Red Hot Business” for the career employee transitioning into self -employment.

Jean specializes in helping authors and entrepreneurs learn the art of self- promoting and marketing their businesses to the masses. She is also a speaker and trainer with the Women’s Business Centers, The Small Business Development Centers, Disney’s Entrepreneur Center and NASA’s Entrepreneurial Training Program.

Karen Brown is a part-time instructor for the Women's Business Center. She joined Florida Tech more than 15 years ago following successful careers in retail and office management. Karen is the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Computer Sciences, supporting the department head, 14 full-time and 5 adjunct faculty, as well as student employees. She has also participated in the Human Resources sponsored Professional Development Opportunity training, presenting "Transitioning from Microsoft Office 2003 to 2007."

Katherine Johnson is an accountant, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Owner of Intercoastal Accounting, LLC. Ms. Johnson specializes in QuickBooks consulting, tax preparation and accounting services for small businesses in Brevard County, Florida. I.C. Seminars provides installation, training and support services to QuickBooks end users. For more than 25 years Ms. Johnson has worked as the accountant/comptroller for small businesses in the areas of manufacturing, retail, medical, restaurants and construction. Her background includes extensive experience in a variety of business management and accounting systems, which include Quick Books, Peachtree, Mas 200 and industry specific ADP systems.

Kathy Ogle is  President of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).  She has lived in Brevard County since 1961. She has an A.S. degree in Accounting from Phillips Jr. College of Businesses. She has worked for National Home Builders such as Pulte, Beazer and Maronda in numerous Positions, such as Closing Coordinator, Accounts Payable, Warranty, Purchasing, Permitting and Executive Asst. to Division President.  She now works  in Commercial Construction as a Project Coordinator doing administrative work for all contracts both commercial and Government, including certified payroll, transmittals, submittals.

Kathy joined  NAWIC in 2001, and has  held the offices of Director, Treasurer, Vice President and Regional Parliamentarian. She has been a Construction Industry Technician as of August 2007, which is certified through Clemson University. She is also a member of the Association of Builders and Contractors and is the secretary of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4206 Melbourne.

Kathy is currently the part-time co-host on the "Women are Talking" radio show on WMEL.

Marjorie Beckett has more than 24 years higher education experience. Her specializations include budget management and web page design and maintenance. She also has experience in Business Plan development. Marjorie earned both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a MBA with a minor in Managing Information Technology from Florida Institute of Technology.

Marjorie serves on the Board of Directors for the Brevard Women's Center and volunteers for the Greenwood Village Condo Association's Budget Committee. She is a member of Delta Mu Delta and was listed in the 5th, 6th & 7th editions of International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women.

Committed to helping women, Marjorie has a special interest in promoting financial awareness and in entrepreneurship. As a single parent of three daughters, Marjorie understands the importance of what it takes to move from a survivor mentality to one of success.

Dr. Marsha Valutis is an applied, industrial organizational psychologist, gifted teacher, writer and consultant. Her mission is to help individuals, teams and business organizations become healthier and happier by providing expert counsel and service, along with highly effective transformational tools and facilitation. Marsha has taught at many universities and for the MBA Programs at Boston University and SUNY - Buffalo, and co-owned and operated a highly successful consulting practice for many years. She has also overcome serious challenges to her health by learning and mastering many transformational practices, including most recently, Soul Wisdom, Soul Mind Body Medicine and Soul Power. With her vast background, experience and ever expanding tool box, Marsha is uniquely qualifed to help bring the ready organization, group or individual to a new level of health and well being.

Michele Black's lifelong passion for writing began at the early age of eleven.  Already a voracious reader, she was no longer satisfied with reading the work of others, and set about the task of writing her own stories.She continued to find different avenues for her writing all during her childhood and adolescence by contributing to her high school newspaper and literary magazine as both a writer and editor-in-chief.

Michele attended Rutgers University, where she majored in Journalism and German Translation. Her knowledge of the German language led her into a seventeen-year career in customer service management where she worked in sales and marketing for two multimillion-dollar companies.

Michele’s passion for writing and desire to provide superior customer service led her to continue her writing education and start her own company called Pen&Ink, LLC.  It is her mission to provide all of her clients with results driven marketing campaigns and service at reasonable rates.  She is also a strong believer in giving back to the community, and would like to use her gift for writing to do so.  Black also teaches several courses on business, research, and writing at the Women’s Business Center at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Michele writes murder mysteries and is the author of the Trinity Mystery Series.

Rosalind Lanthorne, the Space Coast Managing Director, has a strong passion for helping women follow their dreams and grow to be their best! Ros knows from her own experience that women possess the personal strength and courage to overcome obstacles. Working full time, attending classes in the evening, she earned a BA in Organizational Communication from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. Several years later she returned to evening classes and earned her MA in Telecommunications Management from Webster University.

A reformed computer "geekette", Ros had a long time desire to some day create a "women helping women" business network. The network would also give back to women in need. While doing some research on existing networking groups, she found eWomenNetwork in 2006, and registered to attend an event in Orlando. The Keynote Speaker was Sandra Yancey, Founder & CEO of eWomenNetwork. As Sandra spoke, Ros' heart quickened, she immediately recognized that this was the network!

Sherry Acanfora-Ruohomaki is the President of Facets Consulting Group, LLC. Sherry is an I/O Psychologist with an Executive MBA and degrees in Computer and Electrical Engineering. Facets is a multi-faceted consulting company offering services in organizational effectiveness, corporate culture, strategic development and process improvements to name a few.

Her newest endeavor is opening K9 Kampus, a 21,000 square foot indoor off-leash dog playground and dog daycare facility.  It is located at 240 N. Harbor City Boulevard in Melbourne.  Visit the K9 Kampus website.

Susan Mazza is a business consultant, coach and trainer specializing in Leading and Managing Change. With her unique understanding of human systems and an unquenchable thirst to unlock the potential of the human spirit, she has worked successfully with many types and sizes of organizations, and with people around the world.

She is particularly passionate about instigating leadership, believing that you don't have the be THE leader to be A leader and that everyone's contributions matter.

She is the author of the Random Acts of Leadership blog and co-host of the You Matter radio show.

Tom Fulmer is a Certified Human Behavior Consultant and is the founder of Success Essentials, a company dedicated to helping businesses and people better manage their time, increase sales, and create stronger relationships with both staff and clients. His energetic and innovative approach to training instantly engages his audiences. Having trained people from companies such as Google, Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Kennedy Space Center, and many more, Tom specializes in increasing the value you bring to your customers, employees, and personal relationships.