The DiGiMentor programme

DiGiMentor Programme New User A Draft: Looks at the target audience who will be involve with the programme as well as the design, type and plans which entail the programme.

Blazing Trails P.R Marketing and Advertising Network 85 Hope Road,P.O. BOX 5424 Kingston6 876-978-6374/876-821-0270

7/23/2014

The DiGiMentor programme is meant to foster the empowerment of females by other females sharing similar job orientations and business experences, through the technology which will help them transcend international and social boundaries by making accessible, women who are themselves empowered and willing to uplift other women in the process.

Designed with the busy female in mind who may not have the time to seek mentorship in order to gain the knowledge she lacks to keep her business current and sustainable. The programme will consist of a mobile app and newsletter with articles and video presentations by females committed to the mentorship programme to spend at least fortyfive (45 mins) out of a busy work schedule to speak with, guide and inspire up and coming females who recognize the value of a mentor in their progressive career of choice. The mentors who have signed up and expertise as their way of giving back to give back to these females will establish this sisterhood in cyberspace so that anyone who will need to consult with top executive females all over the world will benefit from the pool of mentors as women are asked to sign on to participate in this programme . It will be the typical Jamaica woman taking care of business but having the flexibility to do this on her own terms.�

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Executive Summary Jamaica is a third world country aiming to achieve first world status by 20301. Our saving grace could be our unique matriarchal culture which pushed and persuaded our daughters of the second and third generations towards excellence despite the vulnerability of our girls which resulted in high levels of teenage pregnancy, single motherhood, abuse and our young females being cast off and out by society and family.

By displaying will power, determination and ambition, our brave, talented and innovative Jamaican women have not only survived, but have risen up to become leaders in the establishment of several informal commercial based businesses.

An ever-expanding number of our women have also made their mark and reached the heights of the corporate world and beyond. Our Prime Minister the Hon. Portia Simpson- Miller is a prime example of success despite the odds.

With the current emphasis on the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) as the solution to rescuing our sagging economy, there are issues which must be addressed to prepare our women for active involvement in the creation of opportunities and wealth for this country.

Women are still the underdogs in the game of successful business and entrepreneurship despite the tremendous number of single mothers successfully running businesses while at the same time running households and meeting the many other domestic challenges.

A recent research report by Balcostics Ltd.2 revealed that small and medium sized businesses in Jamaica are owned by an equal portion of women to men, 47% and 53% respectively. As a result of this paradigm shift we need to address the reasons why more women, who are the most vulnerable sector of our population, are not engaging in successful businesses which could greatly improve their lifestyles, prospects, families and encourage the road to economic recovery in Jamaica. Another noteworthy information from this report suggested that the standards of many of our small and medium sized business need improvement. A mentoring programme would be very timely and can act as a catalyst in exposing women to first world ethics of accomplishment and help them to pursue a caliber of high standards fit for international pursuits, trade and in some instances international display.

The Public Relations profession is dominated by women, but the importance of marketing and PR is often downplayed or not fully recognized in Jamaica. The report3 noted that marketing 1

Vision 2030 documented policies of Jamaica

2

Jamaica SME’S Survey Report Highlights

3

Jamaica SME’s Survey Report pg. 22

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was the lowest priority (9%) for businesses to invest in. With the two companies Blazing Trails and Elvie G’s PR at the helm of this mentoring programme and annual conference, as Marketing and PR experts this can only help to boost the entrepreneurial spirit of our women by changing the perception of marketing your brand thus changing the way we do business in Jamaica with respect to the utilization of the Public Relations and marketing two very critical foundations to securing and maintaining a good business.

It is hoped that this audacious liaison of the two companies will educate, inform, inspire, challenge and channel the talented women of Jamaica to become better business women in a holistic sense regardless of the odds.

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The Background and WebConference Hollywood public relations and branding firm Elvie G’s PR is partnering with Blazing Trails, a local PR, Marketing and Advertising company, to stage a unique, ground-breaking Stand laone metorship programme to empower female entrepruners for the future.The Launch of the programme will first stage a WebCOnference on September 26,2014 dubbed “From Pain to Purpose, a Woman’s Guide to Empowerment and Successful Entrepreneurship” This event is aimed at addressing the reasons why more women, are not engaging in businesses which could greatly improve their lifestyles, prospects and families by empowering, guiding, and inspiring. It is designed to encourage more women to realize and maximize their potential, start their own businesses, improve their personal brand and continue to positively challenge the proverbial glass ceiling.

The Partnership

Elvie G’s PR is owned and operated by Elvira Guzman, a dynamic 30-year old, Mexican/American who not only defied the odds, but gained fame for her work with acclaimed comedian/talk show host/author Steve Harvey. During her nine years with his production company NuOpp Inc, she rose to become PR and Branding Director for the Steve Harvey Morning Show, The Steve Harvey Radio Network and The Steve Harvey Suit Collection.

After leaving NuOpp she established her own PR firm which grossed over $300,000 in its first year of operation, a performance that was recognized by Sister 2 Sister and Urban Influence Magazines. She was also featured in Latina Magazine’s as one of “The Future 15 Latino Entrepreneurs” and became the first Mexican-American to be featured in a reality show “Being Terry Kennedy” on BET.

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Buoyed by her success, Elvie is now seeking to expand her reach and impact women from different cultures, nations and walks of life. Consequently, having worked with Steve Harvey on a number of outreach projects in schools in Jamaica, Elvie now seeks to broaden her impact internationally in the wake of the success of her acclaimed first book “Your Blueprint: An Interactive Guide To Remembering Your True Purpose In Life”. It has been described as “an inspiring book which will empower women to realize their dreams, talent and potential in their industry of choice”.

Elvie’s innovative three-day Empowerment Programme is designed to inspire Jamaican women at all levels of business, commerce, industry and the performing arts.

Partnering with her is Harriett Clarke CEO of Blazing Trails PR Marketing and Advertising Network and JamBlaze Digital Magazine to host the event. Harriett has a BA in English from the University of the West Indies with a minor in Social Research. She played a crucial role in pioneering the autism awareness programme in Jamaica, as having a son diagnosed with the condition; she facilitated the first media campaign on autism awareness in 2006. This resulted in the establishment of the parent support group-Jamaica Autism Support Association.

Harriett was publicist for cultural icon Mutabaruka in the relaunch of his career and is currently publicist for Dr. Lawrence Williams, the Jamaican scientist who discovered the cancercuring properties found in the Guinea Hen Weed..

Her work in the public sector includes the coordination of male forums for sexual reproductive health and behaviour modification for the National Family Planning Board. She worked with Counsellor Marge Roper in producing the popular family planning radio programme on RJR and assisted with the writing of scripts for the Teen Seen programme aired on both TVJ and CVM television stations. She was part of the initial promotion team for the Restorative Justice Campaign as PR officer for the Ministry of Justice, where she participated in the Task Force established for the prevention of Human Trafficking in Jamaica.

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Audience

Women in the micro, small and medium enterprises(MSME) sector Women in NGOs Women in Beauty, Fashion and Designing Women in Business and Finance Women in Education Women in Health and Holistic fields Women in Entertainment, Music, Art, Theatre and other Creative Fields Women in Fitness and Nutrition Women in Travel and the Hospitality Industry Women’s Associations and Charities Women in Politics and Government Women in Marketing, Sales and Public Relations Women in Sports and Recreation Women in Media and Publishing Women in Technology

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1. Program Design and Planning.

The DiGiMentor programme is still in its planning and stage with the execution of different phases. It will aim at incorporating a mixture of 3 the different types of mentoring types: Peer mentoring E mentoring Group Mentoring Radio and TV programmes TYPES OF MENTORING Peer Mentoring Peer mentoring because we intend to see to it that natural leaders will progress onto actual mentors and their insight and experiences should be more relatable to their peers, as adult mentees and mentors sharing the same interest, career goals and paths. This type will be crucial to incorporating persons who are technologically challenges with the technologically savy, until they begin to feel more adapted to the technology to benefit from e mentoring programme to the fullest. Placing persons with similar career goals and backgrounds in a group with scheduled meetings to review presentations will give the group a sense of commitment to the programme when they meet and view together such prerecorded presentations within and around their loacale.

E Mentoring E mentoring as we plan to incorporate females from the international sphere who are interested and available and willing to make themselves accessible for a few hours in a week. The utilization of Skype, chatrooms, e newsletters with video as well as a mobile app for updates and alerts for scheduled session will be a part of the communication platform utilized.

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Group Mentoring Group Mentoring will be facilitated online as well so that many persons can be reached and impacted over larger geographical spaces to intertwine cultures , social status etc. who share similar interest and career paths Text Messaging All adult persons in the target audience should have a mobile phone and this method will be utilized to reach and disseminate valuable tips and information.

Radio and TV The Radio and Television Show will be established to engage the target audience where by successful women would help to host and be featured on the programme and all the upcoming females in business and the successful ones would get a chance to tell their story.

The Nature and Setting of the Programme The nature of the mentoring sessions will take the main format of e learning platforms where the utilization of presentations emails, skype calls and chatrooms will drive the programme.

Mentors can meet with their mentee in groups in chat room settings to discuss various topics decided a week before the meeting. During these session there will be sharing and brainstorming as to individual case studies to help each group in their field to develop in their felid of expertise.

The Mentors and Mentees would commit to Once A WEEK OVER A PERIOD OF 6MTHS –A YEAR

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After which the programme will end with the meeting of the participating mentors and mentees at a Scheduled International Empowerment Conference and fundraiser which would entail a concert and awards ceremony as an annual 2-3 days event at a cost. The culmination which hopefully will provide the participants with vast opportunities to tour a variety of international studios e.g the Oprah Winfrey’s OWN, Tyler Perry Studios, Wendy Williams’s studios, Ice Cube studios, BET Network, Essence Magazine, JET Magazine and many more as a part of the partnership for what should be an annual event- this is on our wish list to accomplish .

This will encourage the mentee to finish the programme and for the mentors to meet up with their mentees to witness the progress made.

An advisory and monitoring arm of the programme will be established among the mentors to ensure accountability and progress as a fail-safe measure in a programme which will sustain its result oriented impact.

The various organisations in Jamaica such as the MSME Alliance, and the Jamaica Small Business Association who have members owning their own business have been called upon to mobilize their ladies and engage and participate in the mentoring programme as mentors. Presently we have begun to establish a pool of female both locally and internationally and some of these ladies will be presenting at the WebConference September 27, 2014.

It is the Goal and aspirations of the team to formulate a stand-alone programme run by a foundation which will mobilize other public sector and private groups to mobilize there members to become a part of this mentoring programme. Each mobilized group will become a stake holder who the foundation would be answerable to and who would have members seated on the directorship and various standing committees who would monitor the progress of the programme to see whether it has met the needs of its mentees and the impact it has had on the economic landscape in terms of bettering business practices and standards because of the programme.

An Effective public relations and communications plan has already been implemented and will take place over a one year period and will be revisited upon the year end to be reformulated based on critical evaluation of the campaign.

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U.S PRESENTERS Jamie Foster Brown is often referred to as “The Barbara Walters of Print.” She is publisher and sole owner of Sister 2 Sister magazine. Her talent, tenacity and toughness have made her one of the most prominent Black women in entertainment journalism and her monthly publication a staple for those who thirst for Black celebrity news. Since launching Sister 2 Sister in September 1988, she has become the consummate confidante to the stars and is often the first to get interviews with major celebrities.

Mrs. Brown began her career in entertainment when she founded the Washington Theater Group, a service group focusing on theater group sales. Later, she worked for Black Entertainment Television as an advertising secretary to its founder, Robert Johnson, and was subsequently promoted to producer for BET’s flagship shows, “Video Soul” and “Video LP.”

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Since her modest beginnings, Mrs. Brown has proven herself to be more than just another female journalist with a quick wit. Making the crossover from pop to politics, she was selected by Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Institute of Politics to be its keynote speaker on the effect of popular music on American culture. Her open moral outrage over the excessive violence in gangster rap lyrics and its increasing, negative influence on young people served as the catalyst that began dialogue between members of Black leadership and music industry moguls. She was also entered in the Congressional Record as “one of the most accomplished and respected women in the field of entertainment journalism,” and the mayor of Washington, DC, officially named August 18, 1998, “Jamie Foster Brown Day” in the nation’s capital.

Now a 22-year veteran in the publishing industry, Mrs. Brown is frequently quoted by major news organizations all over the world. Her quotes have appeared in People magazine, the Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, on “EXTRA,” ABC News.com, “Celebrity Justice,” and numerous local newspapers, radio and TV stations across the globe. Even the Indian website OnlyPunjab.com quoted Brown’s 2004 interview with rapper Lil’ Kim, while the New Zealand Herald and UK Flava quoted her 2005 interview with Shar Jackson.

Newsweek magazine once lauded Mrs. Brown’s influence as one of the nation’s top buzz makers along with such notables as Oprah Winfrey, Regis Philbin, Madonna and Charlie Rose.

Mrs. Brown is frequently invited on radio and television programs for her charm and energetic delivery of entertainment’s controversies and triumphs. Syndicated talk show hosts Steve Harvey, Russ Parr and Doug Banks consistently feature her on their shows, while Court TV (now tru TV), CNN, MSNBC and big television programs like “Access Hollywood,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Inside Edition” keep her on their radar for hard-to-get information.

Mrs. Brown was honored at the Midwest Radio & Music Association for her lifelong commitment to enriching the lives of others through her work. The Support Network also honored her for educating young people through her magazine and on radio networks. She has also received the Anheuser Busch Eagle Award as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award for Outstanding African-American Women in the ’90s.

Mrs. Brown is a graduate of the University of Stockholm in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2008, she received a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Bennett College. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, she currently lives in Maryland with her husband, Lorenzo Brown, who is an economist and the managing editor of Sister 2 Sister magazine. Their two sons, Randy and Russell Brown, are, respectively, associate publisher and business operations manager for Sister 2 Sister.

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Donna Michelle Anderson For over a decade, Donna Michelle Anderson (DMA) was a writer, producer and show runner of dozens of highly-rated non-fiction television programmes for networks such as CBS, UPN, Fox, BET, TLC and more. In 2004, she founded her own television and new media production company, Tidal Wave TV, to create “powerful, provocative, signature entertainment” for domestic and international broadcast, selling her first full series within months of opening her doors. By 2006, she had shifted entirely into new media and applications, including producing an online political piece for Brave New Films and launching the New Media department for Columbia College, Hollywood.

Now an in-demand expert on TV production and new media, DMA consults with companies and individuals worldwide to help them integrate ever-evolving Web and mobile technology into both their processes and projects. She is the author of two popular industry guides for producing reality TV and screenwriting story structure. In 2007, she created and released “Show Starter Scheduling & Budgeting Plus,” a production scheduling, budgeting and cash flow software recognized as one of Movie Maker magazine’s “Top 40 Indie Film Friendly Businesses.”

Having also spent nearly 20 years of public service as an educational programme founder and director in the college access arena, in March 2008, DMA launched The CLIC Network, a revolutionary new college-bound social network for students and the institutions seeking to serve and recruit them. The site combines her passion for educational parity with her expertise in new media and technology. DMA now speaks nationwide, year-round, on maximizing Internet and mobile solutions for brand impact and social change.

Monica Theresa Barnes is the Morning Show Producer and Talent Booker for The Steve Harvey Morning Show, the #1

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syndicated radio show for African American listeners. The Steve Harvey Morning show broadcasts in 73 radio markets, including the Bahamas and it is streamed live on Clear Channel's iHeart radio. Monica is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and proudly took on the name "Mississippi Monica" when her co-worker Shirley Strawberry gave her the nickname.

Monica received a B.S. degree in Psychology in 1992 from the University of Southern Mississippi and an M.S. Degree in Counseling in 1995 from Jackson State University. Prior to radio, Monica worked for over 10 years as a mental health provider and vocational rehabilitation specialist. In 2007, Monica began working for The Steve Harvey Radio Network, under the direction of Executive Producer, Rushion McDonald. Along the path of her career, Monica has cherished the many blessings that come from hard work and her commitment to excel. Monica is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is currently living in Chicago, Illinois with Jackson, her 2 year old Yorkshire Terrier.

Noni Nicolas

Washington DC native, Noni Nicolas has worked behind the scenes in entertainment for over a decade. Starting out as a production assistant in news and sports, she has aggressively climbed her way up the ranks as a powerhouse female in a predominately male-dominated industry. From booking, to scripting, developing to producing, Ms. Nicolas has worked in nearly every facet of production, which has donned her the affectionate nickname “The Know it All”.

The Sports genre has been a large part of Noni’s career as she started there and worked as an associate sports producer for networks, UPN, TNT, Comcast and BET. Among her many duties, were scheduling shoots, assisting with highlight features during the NBA season, and writing daily shows. During this tenure, Noni also worked as a stage manager for various award shows which perfected her skills as a multi-tasker, a skill that would undoubtedly take her to the next level.

In 2005, Nicolas joined the Steve Harvey Family as the talent coordinator for The Steve Harvey Morning Show. Yet, with her knowledge of the business and diligence, she was the show’s producer within the first year. While there, Noni caught the eye of BET executives who were impressed by her no-nonsense business ethics. At the time the company was growing and opening offices in Atlanta, Georgia. BET asked Nicolas join the company as the Creative Executive. Once there, Noni oversaw various shows for BET and Centric such as The Mo’Nique Show and The Steve Harvey Project. Presently Noni is the Executive Producer for

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Roland Martin’s syndicated radio show, which also simulcasts on TV One. Though this single career woman has future plans of owning her own television network and a NBA team, she is not all work and no play.

Noni still takes time to do the things she loves like volunteering with the Big Sisters of America, shopping, traveling and spending time with her son, family and friends. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Washington DC Alumni Chapter.

LAUREN FREEMAN Lauren Freeman, “The Fashionista,” is turning heads and causing people to sit up and take notice of her as one of the most sought out icons and entrepreneurs across the USA and one who is taking the entertainment industry by storm.

Having roots firmly grounded in business etiquette and fashion expertise, Lauren is a born leader who is well known for her talent, fearless leadership, straight forward honesty, and her style and makeover advice. Lauren developed a strong leadership, education, and entrepreneurial fire in a corporate career that gave her success for over thirty years as Director and senior level Management positions with Fortune 500 companies in the areas of fashion, marketing, promotions and management.

She continues to position herself as a most respected and admired public figure and her prowess as a media business leader and philanthropist is taking the term of “Fashionista” to new heights.

There are four major principles and guidelines that Lauren stands by, product, talent, organization and marketing. Always knowing entertainment would play a major role in her career, Lauren attended California State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and media industries.

Working alongside media moguls, Lauren's past and present client list includes: Steve Harvey, Lisa Leslie (WNBA), Donna Joyner Richardson, Big Boom, Gerald Levert, Sue Wade (Sue Wade College), Kim Dawson (Kim Dawson Agency), Kathy Tyner (KD Studios), Rod McDonald (ABC Group), Kaplan College, L.A. Lakers and Black Contemporary TV. Lauren launched Lauren Fabulous Firm (LFF) in 2012, with an impeccable understanding of how to promote & market clients and has made a career of building strong professional

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relationships with corporations, icons and entrepreneurs across the USA while building LFF’s reputation for creativity and a very strong work ethic.

Lauren’s specialties include publicity, producing, directing, and mentoring for radical thinking analysis and she has taught numerous self-improvement courses and workshops. She has attended and produced red carpet events, fashion shows, model searches, trendsetter events, and fund-raising drives and has just released her training book “The New Boss, The Woman’s Guide to a Fabulous Lifestyle” One of Lauren's long-term goals is to launch an accredited conservatory in everything entertainment: Music, Fashion, Television, Film, Culinary, and Performing Arts. She is also launching a line of products to go along with her tour and television shows, plus she’s created multiple television show concepts specifically for the Frink sister brand.

Passionate in her creative endeavors, Lauren is a philanthropist, a true humanitarian and believes in supporting a myriad of organizations.

Dr. Reneè Matthews earned her M.D. in 2005 from Michigan State University. She spent the early part of her career as a professional educator for a Institute for Transfusion Medicine Cord Blood Services and XM Radio Host for Reach MD channel 157 on XM Radio.

Dr. Renee is a member of the National Medical Association and The National Association for Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment. Dr. Renee is especially passionate about addressing the health concerns of African-American women. As a long-time asthmatic, she is also an advocate for asthma education. With her natural charisma and authenticity, Dr. Renee Matthews is a natural connector with an extraordinary ability to motivate, inspire, and create positive results. She is described as a big picture thinker and a results-driven optimist with a drive for enterprise success and has influential connections across social, cultural, professional, and economic circles. Like any great leader, Dr. Matthews is a highly perceptive, creative and intuitive individual built with a strategic mindset. She's an innovator, resourceful, determined and thrives on change and strategic planning. Dr. Matthews connects ideas into valued solutions and looks at how she can contribute rather than conform. She hosts a radio show on the Clinician's Roundtable where she discusses health issues with her medical colleagues. Owner of Matthews Entertainment Group & Associates LLC for the past 9 years 3 months)

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which is an entertainment management company that handles public relations, management and celebrity booking. Current clients include http://www.itsashort.com and Steven Russell Harts (lead singer of TROOP)

Jamaican Speakers and Mentors President/Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Public Service Ltd, Mrs. Kelly Tomblin worked for more than twenty years in the energy industry, in both deregulated and vertically integrated markets throughout the United States, in the United Kingdom and in Latin America.

She has a track record of organizational transformation, and has significant experience in the generation, transmission and distribution businesses as well as renewable energy development, and energy services and sales. She has worked in all areas of the industry, including legal, customer service, regulatory, plant and field operations.

Prior to JPS, Mrs. Tomlin served as Vice President for GDF SUEZ/International Power, one of the world’s largest energy companies; and President of Pennsylvania Electric Company, a part of FirstEnergy, one of the largest utilities in the US. She has an MBA from New York University. She also has Law Degree and Journalism Degree with a Major in Business Public Relations from West Virginia University.

Donna Duncan-Scott became Managing Director of JMMB in 1998 after the passing of Joan Duncan. She demitted the office of CEO in 2005 and assumed the position of Group Executive Director with responsibilities for Culture and Leadership Development. Currently she leads the design and development of programmes and practices to deepen JMMB unique culture of being in the world of team members and clients and having their best interest at heart.

Donna initially wanted to be a social worker, but with her proficiency in Industrial Engineering, she started as an Industrial Engineer and later moved into Production Control at Goodyear. This sparked an interest in Operations Management, and as a result she pursued her MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She went on to gain her Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) accreditation in 1999.

Under her tenure as head of JMMB, Donna received several awards on behalf of the company, as well as on her own merit, most notably the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce

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Best of Chamber award for 2000, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurial Award for 2001, and the ’Business Leader of the Year award for 2001, from the Jamaica Observer.

After undergoing personal transformation through the Landmark Forum, Donna decided to enroll others in the course, and then to introduce the programme to Jamaica in an attempt to effect change in the country. Her efforts saw 265 individuals participating in Jamaica’s first Landmark Forum. This passion for individual and social transformation has led to Donna’s membership in various initiatives including Jamaicans for Justice, as well as her partnership with a group of visionary leaders in a project called "Transformation Jamaica," with a vision for a new Jamaica in which there is love, respect, and compassion, and education that fosters knowledge of heritage and self.

Donna lives by the motto, “We were born to manifest the glory of God, it is not just in some of us, it is in every one of us.”

Caleen Diedrick Caleen is a Transformational Coach and Motivational Speaker. Her formal field of study is Psychology and Sociology. She has worked extensively in the field of rehabilitation/ behaviour modification and personal development.

She spent over 5 years working in three of the island’s correctional facilities where she helped to implement programmes designed to help inmates cope with their new reality and more importantly equipping them with the necessary life skills to navigate their encounters within the prison walls and amongst civil society.

Caleen has also worked in the education system, well implementing behaviour modification programms for at risk-youth within some of Jamaica’s most trouble schools.

As a Transformational Coach/Motivational Speaker she has co-facilitated Personal Development and Life Enhancing seminars for many organizations within corporate Jamaica and Government ministries. In this capacity she conducted group discussions and exercises geared at helping participants handling interpersonal encounters on the job and otherwise.

She works with individuals, and groups to better manage some of their life challenges.

Caleen is the Vice President and the head of female wrestling for the Jamaica Wrestling Federation. She is working with the Federation to implement another Olympic sport in the island with the view that this new sport will open up new possibilities for Jamaican’s youth.

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Caleen is host of the radio show “Live and Love Unleashed” on Radio Jamaica and is the founder and C.E.O of FERVIDA which is a sex workshop designed to empower women, married or unattached, on their journey to manifesting their feminine power. She works alongside other professionals to deliver a fusion of rap sessions/seminars and dance classes aimed at helping women better navigate their daily lives, relationships and increase their sexual presence.

She is also a Yoga teacher specializing in Iyengar Yoga and has added this element to her transformative work with ladies, couples and corporate groups.

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Ms. Valerie Patricia Veira is an accomplished negotiator, strategist and business leader with over 30 years of professional experience in the industrial, manufacturing and productive sectors. A trained communicator and lecturer, Veira is a proud graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus and the distinguished Harvard University, where she obtained her Bachelor and Master Degrees respectively.

She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Mason Fellowship Scholarship and Women in Leadership award, which she acquired for her outstanding contributions in leadership during her studies in Public Administration at Harvard University.

Currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Veira was integral in the creation of the agency, which was established in 2001 to meet the developmental needs of MSMEs and particularly to support the small business sector in Jamaica. She serves as the Caribbean representative for the Centre for the Development of Enterprise in Belgium, Business Education Advisory committee member at the University of Technology and Forum Member at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Veira also lectures final year business students at the UWI. She previously worked at the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) in the capacity of Assistant Vice President, Productivity Centre and Group Director, Technical Assistance, Modernization Of Industry (MOI) Secretariat and Design Centre. She has also held numerous positions at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. A remarkable Jamaican woman with a yearning for nation building, Veira has also served on numerous public and private sector Boards and has led national projects funded by international organizations such as the United Nations Development Organization

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(UNIDO), Canadian Industrial Development Agency (CIDA), United States Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D) and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Her commitment to industry was always evident, resulting in a focused agenda to grow the business environment and educate entrepreneurs in Jamaica. Jointly, she has successfully published industry specific works including: The Evolving Creative Industries (2006), Proposal for the Formations of an Industrial Secretariat (2006), Master Development Plan for Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Jamaican Productive Sector (2003), A Framework for Salvaging Companies (2003) and the Craft Sector Development Programme for a Meaningful and Visible Contribution to Industrial and Economic Development (2000) publications.

Valerie Veira is a Justice of the Peace in St. Andrew, a member of the National Inter Faith Group and affiliated with Big Sisters of Jamaica and United Way of Jamaica.

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