Geist Entrepreneurs Empower Business Leaders
| Lynda Hedberg Thies According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women entrepreneurs will create as many as 5.5 million new jobs across the country by 2018, more than half of the total new small business jobs expected to be created during that time and about one-third of the total new jobs anticipated. And if Geist entrepreneurs and business owners Billie Dragoo and Carol Curran have anything to do about it, Indiana will be leading the way. Their vision five years ago for a statewide conference became reality November 5 when the Inaugural Indiana Governor’s Conference for Women was hosted by Governor Mike Pence. Billie, Conference Co-Chair and President and CEO of RepuCare, Inc., and Carol, Committee Chairwoman and Moderator as well as Founder, President and CEO of Phoenix Data Corporation also located in Geist, played key roles in the development of the Midwest’s largest educational event for businesswomen and entrepreneurs. The event brought together 57 bestselling authors, legendary venture capitalists and dozens of nationally and internationally-known businesspeople including Martha Stewart and Charlotte Beers. A direct result of this level of collaboration is the development of new partnerships and initiatives that will serve as an economic model for Hoosier women business owners and leaders as well as women around the country. One new partnership announced at the conference was a new crowdfunding initiative that will be open to all Indiana women entrepreneurs. This venture is backed by Elevate Ventures, Indiegogo, ExactTarget Foundation and NAWBO. “This partnership is exactly the type of collaboration we hoped this conference would generate,” said Deborah Collins Stephens, Co-Chair. “Crowdfunding democratizes the process of getting cash into women entrepreneurs’ hands.” As an entrepreneur, Carol knows firsthand how difficult obtaining funding can be and is passionate that this initiative is a game changer.
L-R: Sydnie Kohara (Moderator), Media Strategist; Former CBS and CNBC News Anchor; Martha Stewart, Founder of Martha Stewart Living OmniMedia, Author of Living the Good Long Life . Over 1,000 attendees at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis . Geist Resident Billie Dragoo; Conference Co-Chair, Governor Mike Pence; First Lady Karen Pence and Conference Co-Chair Deborah Collins Stephens, pose moments before the inaugural event opens . Geist resident Carol Curran, (Moderator), founder and CEO of Phoenix Data Corporation after the event
Geist_December_2013.indd 74
With Billie appointed as the National Board Chair for 20132014, Indianapolis will play host to the National NAWBO Conference in the fall of 2014, attracting more than 2,000 members from around the nation. Also on tap in January is a groundbreaking and exciting afterschool program called the Young Entrepreneurs Academy for middle and high school students. There are many new and exciting initiatives that will be unveiled in the coming months. Indiana will lead the way with involvement from these two visionary Geist leaders. Lynda Hedberg Thies is a freelance writer, entrepreneur and Executive Regional Vice President with Arbonne International for over 10 years. A lifelong Indianapolis resident, she is married with two children. What she loves most about her experience is making a difference to others and her community.
11/25/2013 5:28:48 PM