Since it began six years ago, Leading Women Entrepreneurs has showcased successful female entrepreneurs and business women so that their stories might inspire others, and that their lessons can be passed on.
“The whole mission of LWE is to showcase success and position women entrepreneurs in the limelight,” said Linda Wellbrock, chief executive officer and founder of Leading Women Entrepreneurs. “We want to position them as leaders so they can grow their business by positioning themselves as authorities and inspire the next generation of woman leaders.”
The group’s efforts will continue on Oct. 17, when it hosts The Leaders Behind the Biggest Brands, to be held at The Palace at Somerset Park. The educational event is open to all women who want to accelerate the growth of their businesses through the latest marketing and media resources. It’s open to all who want to network with some of the most powerful women in the state and learn the secrets to building a powerful brand.
The event’s featured guest speaker will be Jeff Hoffman, the founder of Priceline.com. Hoffman is a successful entrepreneur, proven chief executive officer, published author, film producer and producer of a Grammy winning jazz album in 2015. Hoffman has been a part of a number of well-known companies, including priceline.com, uBid.com, CTI, ColorJar and others. Today, he serves on the boards of companies in the United States, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.
Hoffman is a featured business expert who is seen on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, CNN International, Bloomberg News, CNBC, ABC and NPR, and in publications, including Forbes Inc., Time, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal and more.
“The first portion of our mission is marketing, and we decided that it would be interesting, educational and resourceful if we brought some corporate leaders who have built some of the best known brands out there to talk about how to strategically implement marketing campaigns,” Wellbrock said. “To learn how these experts positioned their companies is not only interesting, but it offers actionable information that entrepreneurs can implement in their own organization.”
he event will open with a panel discussion of strategies and best practices in marketing. Later that evening LWE will honor New Jersey’s Leading Women Marketers in several categories. The event will close with an open networking and exhibitor showcase session.
The event comes on the heels of a July, two-day program in which 28 executive women from diverse industries, including media, law, real estate, accounting, wealth management, marketing, dentistry, design, education, consulting and business coaching, came together in the Hamptons to learn, meet new people and forge bonds with a powerful group of business leaders.
“Building a referral network leads to explosive business opportunities and the Hampton’s retreat was the perfect environment to forge bonds with like minded professionals,” Wellbrock said.
(Learn more about the outstanding leaders who attended the Hamptons Retreat at the end of this article).
In addition, on Nov. 14, LWE will hold at Top 25 Recognition event at the Liberty House in Jersey City. “This is our 6th annual event, which showcases the top 25 women who are generating billions, supporting hundreds of non-profits and advocating for women. It is the ultimate networking opportunity and an inspiration to hear the entrepreneurial journeys of these successful leaders,” Wellbrock said.
LWE was founded with the idea of recognizing successful women as a way of inspiring the next generation of leaders. Its mission is to create a sustainable, ongoing environment that brings leaders together and showcases their attributes and contributions. Seminars, networking events, retreats and discussions with some of the world’s top business leaders are hallmarks of LWE. Wellbrock said LWE’s May event, Money, Power, Procurement and Media, had about 150 attendees, and a lot of great connections were made by those who attended.
“We have many testimonials that speak to how many explosive business opportunities happened at that specific event, so they not only got resourceful information, but made amazing contacts in an area with like-minded people that wanted to do business together,” she said.
The Leaders Behind the Biggest Brands will be held Oct. 17 from 4 to 8 p.m. at The Palace at Somerset Park, 333 Davidson Ave., Somerset. Individual tickets are $80. Tables are $750 (10 person maximum) and exhibitors are $500.
Thank you to the Palace at Somerset Park for being the host sponsor of the Leaders Behind the Biggest Brands Event. The beautiful facility is unique and elegant and incredibly flexible in addition to being centrally located in NJ. LWE has held everything from large networking events to smaller educational workshops and they always exceed everyone’s expectations in terms of service, logistics and while offering an amazing array of food choices. We highly recommend the Palace at Somerset for anyone who is considering holding an event. Contact Tiffany Warman for more information at 732-271-6339 or [email protected]. Or visit www.palacesomersetpark.com
For more information, email [email protected] or call (877) 593-2090.
Hamptons attendees:
Linda Wellbrock, chief executive officer and founder, Leading Women Entrepreneurs
Dedicated more than a decade of her career to the advancement of women and diversity efforts.
Kim Alvarez, director of digital strategy, NJ Advance Media
Named one of Jersey’s Best Marketing and Communications Professionals Under 40 by NJ Ad Club. Alvarez develops new approaches to digital and social network marketing using current and emerging media to exceed client expectations.
Rachel Anevski, founder and chief executive officer, Matters of Management
Creates growth strategies to aid business owners and managing partners to carrying out firm missions, acquire talent and provide coaching to executives, management and staff.
Maria Bachert, owner, Chelsea’s Restaurant in Whitehouse
A 15-year restaurant veteran, Bachert built a sports bar/restaurant with successful operation for past seven years.
Margo Biblin, consultant , Leading Women Entrepreneurs
Thirty years of experience in all phases of the project-management lifecycle and resolution of client business issues through innovative technology solutions.
Karolina Dehnhard, attorney, Budd Larner, P.C.
Focuses her practice on matrimonial law and is a dedicated advocate of women and children. Denhard also is an adjunct professor at New York Law School.
Mimi Feliciano, founder and chief executive officer, FEM Real Estate
Owns and manages commercial real estate in the northeast and is focused on redevelopment projects in northern New Jersey.
Tracy Fink, director of the Executive Women’s Forum, CohnReznick
Created and implemented the Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) initiative for CohnReznick, to help women (and men) enrich their professional lives and meet their career goals.
Linda Gardner, Brent Material Co.
Brent Material, a family-owned business founded in 1927, is a distributor of construction materials for underground utility systems including water, sewer and storm drainage.
Sharon Gordon, CPA/partner,CohnReznick
With more than 20 years of diversified public accounting experience, Gordon leads the efforts of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Industry Practice and Construction Industry Practice in its Roseland office.
Michele Hayes, director of marketing and community affairs, NJ Advance Media
Seasoned marketing professional manages strategy, branding, corporate partnerships and community support for the company and its affiliated brands, including NJ.com and The Star-Ledger.
Catherine HylandZiegler,Hyland Group
With insurance/finance/sales and management expertise, Hyland-Ziegler has spent most of her career excelling in the creation of cost-effective employee benefit programs that exceed her business owners’ goals.
Angela Luso, partner, Connell Foley
Practices in New York and New Jersey where she handles business litigation, contracts, corporate transactions, employment law issues, protection of corporate proprietary/confidential information and restrictive covenants.
Lynn Killeen, first vice president and family office practice leader, HUB International Northeast, Personal Insurance Division
Provides management, client relations, production and serves as regional resource for HUB’s private client team. Over the course of her 25 year career, Killeen has contributed to the development of new services and personal insurance solutions.
Teresa Marinelli,coach/motivational speaker, Progressive Learning Institute
Marinelli is solutions oriented with a specialty in authentic leadership development and business transformation.
Kelly O’Callaghan, CPA, CITP, CGMA, partner, Cohn Reznick
With more than 20 years of diversified public accounting experience, O’Callaghan leads the Hospitality Industry Practice in Cohn Reznick’s New Jersey offices and provides professional services to the firm’s larger franchisees, independent operators and emerging-growth concepts.
Katherine O’Hara, founder, The O’Hara Project
The O’Hara Project is a Morristown-based, WBENC and MBEcertified integrated marketing firm offering traditional, digital, public relations and social media marketing.
Maria Rollins, CPA, MST, founder and partner, KRS CPAs
With 20-plus years of public accounting experience, Rollins works directly with business owners and individuals to help maximize wealth, lower costs and develop tax planning strategies.
Sue Sabol, founder and president, Opulent Events
Sabol’s natural creative thinking and organizational skills were honed by the challenge of pleasing demanding executives and thousands of global employees. She is certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust as a sommelier.
Dr. Linda Stone, Gentle Caring Dentistry
Dr. Stone practices general dentistry specializing in cosmetic dentistry, anxiety free dentistry, sedation dentistry and extreme make-overs. Her office offers state-of-the art technology, including syringe-free injections and movie glasses for the patient’s comfort.
Terry Tatteosian, founding partner, SocialFix
Focused on engineering, developing and deploying cutting-edge digital concepts with creativity, insight and passion, Tatteosian’s love of startups and bootstrapping have made her an indispensable resource to clients, partners and nonprofits.
Marlene Waldock, president,Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corp.
A business and personal growth coach, she founded 1st Impression Communications in 1987 and Because We Are Women: Celebrating Possibilities in 2004. She is a former TV host for News 12’s NJ Business, and a contributor to local and national publications.
Mary Jo White, senior vice president and financial adviser, Morgan Stanley
Gail Whiting, founder, Design Consultants
With 30 years of entrepreneurial spirit, Whiting attributes the firm’s award-winning success to her ability to interpret the client and think creatively, paying strict attention to detail while creating unique and sophisticated environments.
Ann Marie Sullivan, chief executive officer, founder, Spectrum Works
Combining a strong entrepreneurial sense and a desire to make a difference in the world, Sullivan created Spectrum Works, a non-profit organization providing career training and employment opportunities for individuals with autism. She has more than two decades of experience in building and managing startup organizations.
