Women’s Business Leadership Summit Inspirational
By Space Coast Daily // August 11, 2014
NATIONAL SPEAKERS ATTRACT 250 PROFESSIONALS
ABOVE VIDEO: Wanda Lipscomb-Vasquez, Director of the Women’s Business Center, speaks on the success of the 2014 Impact Summit held in Melbourne, Florida, and the impressive turnout of business owners from across Central Florida.
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — More than 250 business women gathered for engaging panel discussions, inspirational presentations and active networking at the Women’s Business Center’s annual Impact Business and Leadership Summit.
The annual day-long event was held at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.
Executive Director Beth Gitlin kicked off the event by introducing Erin Andrew of the Small Business Association. Andrew encouraged women in the audience to start and grow a business, and make an impact on the community.
“The Business and Leadership Impact Summit has hit a new height for our community,” said Wanda Lipscomb-Vasquez, Women’s Business Center Director.
“We were so pleased to have regional and nationally renowned speakers here, and pleased to have women-owned business leaders with us. We have already started planning for next year on August 28, 2014.”
Wells Fargo was the event’s Diamond Sponsor, and Emerald Sponsors included Space Coast Daily, Career Source Brevard, Everything Brevard, Florida Today, Hilton Melbourne Rialto and Space Coast Business.
Nationally recognized business leaders led an active panel discussion on leadership and confidence.
Mary Spiro, Michelle Naberhaus and Shawna Vercher answered questions on “The Confidence Gap,” and how successful business women can mentor and foster opportunities for others. Florida Institute of Technology VP Leslie Hielema moderated the panel.
Laraine Schultz of Wells Fargo introduced Keynote Speaker Sarah Lewis, a bestselling author and faculty member at Yale University.
Lewis spoke to a rapt crowd of business professionals and entrepreneurs on “Transformational Change.” She spoke on using a failure as motivation to master a skill, and discussed which traits lead to ground-breaking accomplishments.
This year’s summit featured a Networking Board, a sectioned whiteboard on which attendees can note a business service need, or business skill they wish to share.
By day’s end, business leaders had recorded business training or services they had to offer, as well as business needs, such as help with coaching or assistance in finding the right facility.
“The Networking Board is part of purposeful networking,” said Renee Couperthwaite, Operations Coordinator for the WBC. “Since there are so many attendees to connect with today, the board is a great tool to note business skills you can share, or areas your business needs help with.”
For more information about Florida Institute of Technology’s Women’s Business Center, log on to WBC.Fit.edu
PHOTO GALLERY BY CYNDI BYARS