Women-Owned Business Day
April 21, 2022 - 10:00 - 11:30am
25 Years of Igniting Ideas & Empowering Women
Women-Owned Business Day 2022 celebrates the Women’s Business Development Council’s 25th anniversary. Since 1997, WBDC has been strengthening and supporting economic prosperity for women through entrepreneurial services that create and grow sustainable jobs and businesses across Connecticut. On Women-Owned Business Day, join CT-based entrepreneurs and our legislative hosts as we celebrate the women-owned businesses we’ve worked with over the last quarter century and the impact they’ve had on our state’s economy. We look forward to the next 25 years with great anticipation for the continued impact women entrepreneurs will have on Connecticut’s economic landscape.
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions Recordings
Accessing Funding from your Bank:
- 25 minutes
- Watch
Breakout Sessions Recordings
Setting Your Business Up for Growth:
- 25 minutes
- Watch
Co-Chairs
PATRICIA BILLIE MILLER
State Senator, Deputy President Pro Tempore
Senator Patricia Billie Miller, a Stamford native, was elected to the state senate for the 27th district in a special election in 2021. She had previously served in the General Assembly from 2009 to 2021 representing Stamford’s 145th Assembly District.
ROSA REBIMBAS
State Representative, Deputy House Republican Leader
State Representative Rosa C. Rebimbas was first elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives representing the 70th district of Naugatuck in a special election in March of 2009. She is a lifelong resident of Naugatuck, local business owner and community leader.
Thursday,
April 21, 2022
Event Program
AGENDA
- 10:00AM - 10:30AM
The program will include remarks from:
Fran Pastore
CEO, WBDC
Patricia Billie Miller
State Senator and Deputy President Pro Tempore
Rosa Rebimbas
State Representative and Deputy House Republican Leader
Laura Davis
Managing Director, Banker, J.P. Morgan
Susan Bysiewicz
Lt. Governor.
- 10:30AM - 11:30AM
BREAKOUT & NETWORKING SESSIONS
Accessing Funding from your Bank: Preparing for a Bank Loan and Business Credit
Hosted by JPMorgan Chase
Panelists
Vanessa Blanco
Vice President, Senior Business Consultant, JPMorgan Chase
Jose Colon
Vice President – SB Solutions Group, JPMorgan Chase
Christopher Frey
Senior Business Relationship Manager, JPMorgan Chase
Hyun Heffner
Vice President, Senior Banker, JPMorgan Chase
Julie Robbins
Owner, The Well For Women
Moderator
Carol Cheswick
WBDC Business Advisor
Setting Your Business Up for Growth:
The Legal Side of Raising Capital for a Small Business, hosted by Wiggin and Dana
Panelists
Jonathan Golub
Partner, Wiggin and Dana
Heather Rahilly
Partner, Wiggin and Dana
Simone Ssemwezi
Founder, iinFirm
Moderator
Samantha Cross
WBDC Business Advisor
TITLE SPONSOR
EMPOWER SPONSORS
Host Committee
General Program Speakers
GILDA BONANNO
Owner, Gilda Bonanno LLC
Gilda Bonanno is a professional speaker, consultant, facilitator and coach who serves as a trusted advisor to executives and entrepreneurs to transform their communication, presentation and leadership skills. She has worked with leading organizations on four continents, from Chicago to Shanghai and Rio to Rome, including Henkel, Travelers, Praxair, JP Morgan Chase and Yale University.
FRAN PASTORE
CEO, WBDC
Fran Pastore founded the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) 25 years ago and continues to serve as the organization’s CEO. WBDC is Connecticut’s leading organization championing female entrepreneurship. Ms. Pastore is a devoted catalyst of women’s economic equality across the country and around the globe.
PATRICIA BILLIE MILLER
State Senator, Deputy President Pro Tempore
Senator Patricia Billie Miller, a Stamford native, was elected to the state senate for the 27th district in a special election in 2021. She had previously served in the General Assembly from 2009 to 2021 representing Stamford’s 145th Assembly District.
ROSA REBIMBAS
State Representative, Deputy House Republican Leader
State Representative Rosa C. Rebimbas was first elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives representing the 70th district of Naugatuck in a special election in March of 2009. She is a lifelong resident of Naugatuck, local business owner and community leader.
LAURA DAVIS
Managing Director, Senior Banker J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Laura Davis is a Managing Director for J.P. Morgan Private Bank based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She leads the Founders and Families Group offering clients thoughtful strategies for preserving and growing wealth. Laura is committed to understanding clients’ intent for their wealth and developing innovative plans to meet evolving needs. One of the greatest privileges of Laura’s career has been to collaborate with families to identify the values they find most meaningful and explore the legacies they wish to leave.
SUSAN BYSIEWICZ
Lt. Governor of Connecticut
Sworn in on January 9, 2019, Susan Bysiewicz is serving her first term as Connecticut’s 109th Lieutenant Governor.
Lt. Governor Bysiewicz formerly served as Connecticut’s Secretary of the State from 1999 to 2011.
As a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, Lt. Governor Bysiewicz represented the towns of Middletown, Middlefield, and Durham from 1993 to 1999.
Breakout Session Speakers
VANESSA BLANCO
Vice President/Senior Business Consultant, JPMorganChase
Vanessa Blanco is a Vice President and Senior Business Consultant at JPMorgan Chase. In this capacity, her responsibilities include leading a team of specialists focused on understanding each client’s unique needs to deliver strategic financial guidance and solutions. Vanessa’s mission is to help local companies thrive by achieving their business goals, no matter how simple or how complex.
JOSE COLON
Vice President - SBA Solutions Group, JPMorgan Chase
SBA Solutions Consultant Sr. for Chase. I have over 12 years of experience at Chase and 24 years in financial services. In an effort to further enhance the service Chase provides our business clients, I can help deliver the SBA financing solutions that your business may need to grow. My goal is to understand your business in a way that allows Chase to bring unique insights and value to every interaction with your firm.
CHRISTOPHER FREY
Senior Relationship Manager, JPMorgan Chase
Senior Relationship Manager for Chase in Shelton, Connecticut. I have over 15 years of experience at Chase and over 20 years in financial services.
HYUN HEFFNER
Senior Relationship Manager, JPMorgan Chase
Senior Relationship Manager, for Chase in White Plains, New York. I have over 17 years of experience at Chase and 21 years in financial services.
JULIE ROBBINS
Owner, The Well for Women
Julie Robbins is a massage therapist and entrepreneur who is committed to providing resources to women so they can go out and be their best selves in the world. This is a sentiment that extends, but is not limited, to providing the best prenatal body massages and antenatal massages for all women in Connecticut. Along the way, this life-long mission has led Julie to found The Pregnancy Massage Center in Atlanta, The Tampa Bay Birth Network, Lotusleaf Therapeutics, Westville Massage, and now The Well for Women.
CAROL CHESWICK
Business Advisor, WBDC
Carol Cheswick is a Business Advisor with the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC). She joined the WBDC in 2012 and is responsible for working with aspiring and established business owners who seek to start, build and grow their business. She focuses on improving profitability, identifying opportunities and clarifying goals. Carol conducts both one-on-one and group business advising, and teaches classes.
JONATHAN GOLUB
Partner, Wiggin and Dana
Jonathan A. Golub is the Chair of the Fund Formation and Investment Management Practice Group and a partner in the Corporate Department. Jonathan advises domestic and offshore fund managers regarding all stages of private fund formation and regulatory compliance.
HEATHER RAHILLY
Partner, Wiggin and Dana
As the Co-Chair of Wiggin and Dana’s Private Equity Practice Group and a Partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group, Heather has extensive experience providing valuable counsel to clients and executing numerous buy-out, divestiture, merger and investment transactions across many different industries.
SIMONE SSEMWEZI
Founder, iinFirm
Simone Ssemwezi owns and operates iinFirm Concierge Advocate with an ambition to eliminate both: overwhelming tasks that cause sickness and unfinished tasks when sickness overwhelms. After 30 years of advocating in her New Haven Community, her superpower is resourcefulness. She believes that everyone can serve their community since “You don’t have to know all the answers, just where to find them
SAMANTHA CROSS
Business Advisor, WBDC
Samantha Cross assists clients with understanding their personal and small business finances, pricing and profitability strategies, and provides general business strategy counseling to current and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Contact Us
ARE YOU A LEGISLATOR?
Contact Alicia Kalish at:
- akalish@ctwbdc.org
- (917) 650-0656
ARE YOU AN ATTENDEE?
Contact Megan Wormser at:
- mwormser@ctwbdc.org