World's 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference, 2021

World's 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference, 2021

www.worldsleaders.com

AUGUST 2021

OKSANA KOLESNIKOVA CEO & franchisor | Oksana Franchising International, Inc.

A Compelling Story of Inspiration and Dedication

Editororial Note

World's 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference, 2021 World's 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference, 2021

www.worldsleaders.com

Aspiring to Make Change

AUGUST 2021

OKSANA KOLESNIKOVA CEO & franchisor | Oksana Franchising International, Inc.

Today, women are leading in every arena of the globe, from generating opportunity to tearing down barriers of old standards and building paths for future generations.

Women have achieved numerous milestones throughout history, and they have been equally active as men in every large or little movement of change that has had a good and enduring influence on others.

Women today are not just follower of an idea but they are creating one. They are dedicated to bring and transform an idea into reality. Their dedication and focus towards achieving goals is significant and efforts are undeniable.

Women business executives from all around the world have also offered support for other women, regardless of their sector.

Women continue to make great strides in the workplace.

They are the founders of cutting-edge businesses, offering game-changing new ideas and paving the way for healthy work culture and worker equity.

World's Leaders has created a list of 10 excellent women business leaders in its forthcoming edition "World's 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference, 2021" to offer recognition for their outstanding work and efforts, as well as to praise these women leaders who are making both major and little improvements every day. These businesswomen are role models for aspiring businesswomen and provide a valuable lesson for aspiring businesswomen.

A Compelling Story of Inspiration and Dedication

The cover story features Oksana Kolesnikova. She is the CEO and franchisor at Oksana Franchising International, Inc. As a multi-role entrepreneur, she is also a live performer; founder of a School of Music; musical collaborator; philanthropist. According to Oksana, female business leaders have already come so far in the world of business. She mentions that all successful and emerging women leaders should be forever grateful to those brave female figures of the past who paved the road for them and, ultimately, faced far more challenges with regard to gender discrimination in the male-domineering world of business; a notion that traces back as little as half a century ago. Just as any business individual and entrepreneur, Oksana herself endured many struggles on the journey of growing her enterprises, but she points out that none of them were related to gender inequality.

Also, there are few other inspiring stories to read which represent a view for emerging leaders. Also never stop learning with our CXO standpoints written by the industry experts and the creative articles by our in-house editorial team which will help to improve your skillset.

Let's Delve!

World's Leaders Magazine is a Media Company that covers stories of business leaders around the globe. Consistent updates to our online publication, internet based life and master sentiment give a substance rich pursuing knowledge loaded up with fascinating perspectives and remark on the issues of the worldwide business. World's Leaders Magazine inspires readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business. Everyone wants to know the journey of a successful personality or a venture. They want to know more about the establishment, about the path that led them to the pinnacle, about the obstacles overcome, and the all hard work about the Success. World's Leaders Magazine is the platform, where we are unwinding the untold stories of business leaders and the stories of startup turning into the venture. World's Leaders Magazine is a trustworthy and honesty acquiring acknowledgment from business pioneers universally.

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COVE R STO RY OKSANA KOLESNIKOVA

A Compelling Story of Inspiration and Dedication 10

18

MAY YAP

22

NICOLE MARTIN

28

BETSY WIERSMA

34

VICKY GRAMMATIKOPOULOU

38

SABRINA KHAN

42

ELINOR STUTZ

48

JANET SCHIJNS

52

TAMMY FRAZIER

58

MICHELLE BEYO

COVER STORY

10 | AUGUST 2021

A Compelling Story of Inspiration and Dedication CEO & Franchisor | Oksana Franchising International, Inc.

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N Never give up, believe in yourself and your vision. When pursuing a true passion for what you do, that may actually benefit others, people will take notice and most will support you in this mission. When the going gets tough, don't lose focus; there is always that ray of sunshine at the end of the storm”, says Oksana Kolesnikova.

She is the CEO and franchisor at Oksana Franchising International, Inc. As a multi-role entrepreneur, she is also a live performer; founder of a School of Music; musical collaborator; philanthropist.

Journey; A Renowned Pianist to Inspiring Entrepreneur Oksana emigrated with her family from Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1993, initially settling in Florida when she reached the United States. While pursuing her passion for music, she went to study at St. Petersburg College and Florida State University.

Soon after graduation, she went on to perform across the U.S. and on television and became the first RussianAmerican female pianist to travel overseas to entertain U.S. military personnel, a career move that encompassed several world tours on behalf of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department of the U.S. 12 | AUGUST 2021

Navy and a solo tour to entertain U.S. troops in Italy, Spain, and Greece.

The responsibilities changed after she became a mom, and had resigned from her busy touring lifestyle and transition into becoming a businesswoman. She states, “A transition that was the direct result of performing daily for countless celebrities and business leaders as the in-house pianist at the legendary Polo Lounge in the world-famous Beverly Hills Hotel between 2006 and 2013.”

After her transition as a businesswoman she initially set out teaching piano to a roster of celebrities and their kids, and gradually, over several years, this business venture expanded into offering tutoring for different subjects. She states, “It was at this point that I launched my first company, Oksana Management Group, Inc. (www.OksanaManagementGroup.com ) in 2010, a smoothly-operating business that, to this very day, offers programs in music (piano, voice, guitar, singing, and more); foreign languages (Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Hebrew, Farsi and beyond); academic tutoring and test prep in all subjects for K through 12 as well as art (drawing and painting), acting and drama, fitness, yoga, cooking classes, martial arts, summer camps, and STEAM initiatives.”

The business model born out of OMG, Inc. proved to be successful, withstanding the test of time in addition to a myriad of other challenges. In 2019, Oksana opened her second company, Oksana Franchising International, Inc. (dba www.OksanaEnrichment.com); for this endeavor, she decided to apply the success of the business model to create a national franchise system, which proved to be a natural evolution with regard to scaling and expanding the brand.

This new beginning also presented an opportunity to allow other entrepreneurs to flourish in this exciting field by way of joining the company's franchise network; indeed, today's Oksana Enrichment offers franchising opportunities to entrepreneurs looking to work in the areas of education, tutoring, afterschool enrichment, local youthoriented community classes/programs, adults/seniors activities, and the online community. She asserts, “We offer a myriad of programs not only for students preferring private, one-on-one tutoring but also for the public, private and charter schools, districts, municipalities, and counties.”

Women Empowerment and the Long Struggle to Achieve it According to Oksana, female business leaders have already come so far in the world of business. She mentions that all successful and emerging women leaders should be forever grateful to those brave female figures of the past who paved the road for them and, ultimately, faced far more challenges with regard to gender discrimination in the male-domineering world of business; a notion that traces back as little as half a century ago. Just as any business individual and entrepreneur, Oksana herself endured many struggles on the journey of growing her enterprises, but she points out that none of them were related to gender inequality.

Franchise; Misconceptions and Reality When it comes to the franchise industry there are many misconceptions. Oksana wants to provide more reliable sources of information on the web and not just one-sided data based on stories of failure and “scare” tactics. She is rather showcasing and sharing more of the reliable and proven success stories. She

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY of the Time Cat: Rise of Catastrophyre at the age of nine.

She further adds that Alessandro has also turned out to be quite the talented pianist himself, entertaining groups with his impressive skills on the keys.

She asserts, “I love spending my free time with him while teaching him everything about the business, music, and other important life tools.”

Giving Back to the Community

says, “What bugs me the most is that there have been plenty of successes achieved by individuals operating in this industry, but they have, unfortunately, been overshadowed by the aforementioned failure numbers; as such, many people that want to get into this industry are discouraged long before they are willing to give it a try.”

People end up reading a lot of rhetoric filled with drama, failures, and misconceptions, which normally pop up in overwhelming quantities when one is doing online research.

Dwelling in Piano Melodies Being in the artistic industry is a work of dedication to create something genuine. This process demands time.

Oksana's days are so consumed with running her businesses and working with consulting clients, protégé pupils, and franchisees. With this working schedule, she rarely has enough time to work on art. She says, “The only time I really have for this is when I go on vacation – whenever that happens.”

She considers that traveling and being inspired by new places is what ignites her creativity. She is relaxed and not constantly bombarded by business calls, texts, emails, and issues. During this time she experiences some tranquility, tuning to her own inner creative world and hearing the

beautiful piano melodies inside her head.

Following Dreams Pursuing dreams is in itself a great risk as there is no surety of success. Oksana asserts, “I would have to say that pursuing my music in opposition to what others around me were saying about the lack of money in it and how difficult it would be for me to achieve success is the one that stands out.”

After all the challenges Oksana's big moment was launching her business, despite naysayers constantly warning her about failure. “I had heard it all, from the notion that nine out of 10 businesses fail and the economy is bad to the fact that competition is too fierce.

Now, years later, I believe I made the right choices by following my passions.

In retrospect, all I can say is that success speaks for itself,” says Oksana.

Oksana's third and more recent business venture came in the form of a nonprofit. She always dreamt of having her foundation one day to give back to communities. She opines, “I have always had a burning desire to help underprivileged, challenged youth by offering them educational opportunities that they otherwise could never afford.

These dreams became a reality when the unfortunate current events we find ourselves in lead to the launch of my nonprofit Oksana®Foundation (www.OksanaFoundation.org).”

Since the start of the pandemic, the Oksana®Foundation has been providing free-of-charge online music programs to children aged seven through 13 and who has been confined at home due to social distancing measures. A plethora of children have joined virtual classrooms every week to master a new skill, and the foundation has been welcoming more students who wish to join regardless of where they're located in the world.

A Proud Mom In believing that life should be a matter of balance, Oksana's favorite pastime outside of work and performing is to be in the company of her family. She says, “I'm the proud mom of 11-year-old Alessandro Concas, who is already quite the successful and ambitious young entrepreneur. At the age of eight, he released his own books entitled The A to Z's of Fighting Boredom, and Life

To learn and know more about Oksana Kolesnikova's work and how she is helping children to see and learn music on a deeper level, visit her YouTube channel; oksanabella, Instagram Page; omgoksana, and Facebook account; facebook.com/pianistoksana

worldsleaders.com | 15

Chairwoman, CEO, & Managing Director LHT Holdings Ltd.

MAY YAP A Trailblazing Business Leader and an Inspiration for Emerging Women Leaders

18 | AUGUST 2021

O Over the past century, traditional and culture does not allow women to work and are homebound. The cultural and traditional factors that discriminate and hamper women's human rights are not only confined to traditional communities and societies and that is found everywhere including the western cultures. Today, we do see some countries have changed based on gender equality which sees more female ministers, CEOs, heads of departments, and holdings high ranking positions in the maledominated occupation. One such woman business leader is May Yap, Chairwoman, CEO, and Managing Director at LHT Holdings Ltd. In December 1977 after graduated from GCE 'O” level, May joined former Lian Hup Timber & Trading before it was renamed LHT. May holds a Diploma in Sales and Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Singapore and has completed the Operation Management Innovation (OMNI) programmer conducted by A*Star in 2011. She is also a member of the Singapore Institute of Director.

As a teenage admin clerk, she held multi-tasking jobs like receptionist, delivery arrangement, stock inventory, accounts, and housekeeping etc. The company had less than 20 employees in its workforce and on leasing land size not more than 100 sqm situated in Mandai area. As of 2nd January 1988, May was Sales Director in charge of all sales and marketing functions. She took the opportunity to be an Executive Director by purchased as one of the holders of the major shares during the company restructured for its listing.

On 26-02-2016 May was appointed as Acting Managing Director and was re-designated as the Chairman, Managing Director and CEO on 10 February 2017. With over 20 years of experience, she plays a key role in exploring opportunities in new markets.

May's primary responsibility is to monitor market developments and to ensure the Company's product development efforts is aligned to market demands. She is actively involved in the pallet rental business in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Challenges that Occur with the Time “We saw little changes in the timber industry over the years. But today the world has changed to Digital Technology Transformation where 'pen & rulers' will be phasing out,” says May. At LHT, the team faces many challenges besides innovative products, it is

facing the new generation gaps where it is hard to find workers and staff entering the timber trade. May finds that the company is fortunate as the government provides funds to cope with the digital transformation. She adds, “We took the opportunities to collaborate with A'STAR since 2009 - The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is a

“

Deforestation is one major cause of climate change.

Recycling is one of the many efforts that reflect our commitment toward mitigating climate change and global warming worldsleaders.com | 19

catalyst, enabler and convenor of significant research initiatives among the research community in Singapore and beyond.”

Combining Innovation and Corporate Responsibilities According to May, wood pallets have been traditional for more than 60 years since world war two, to entice the target audience the company needs to provide a competitive one-stop solution.

Besides selling wood and plastic pallets, LHT has technology pallets known as system pallets that cooperate with the RFID system.

The company also manufactures environmentally-friendly pallets that make from recycling wood waste.

With rapid changes in the industry, many uncertainty factors arise we can no longer do things of the past 20 | AUGUST 2021

practice. The digital transformation has a great impact on the industry and with the internet, selling comes into the pictures and new digital business likes digital supply chain and warehouse are cater for their transhipment and storages before arriving in online end consumers.

May opines, “We need to do in a smart way and not the hard way by bringing high-tech machine and technology and reduce the manpower that increases our productivity to adapt to the changing landscape.”

As a pallet manufacturer, May finds them lucky to be considered as essential services as the company provides logistic support to the supply chain. Without pallets, goods cannot be transported and stored in warehouses. She says, “As for us, we remain status quo, except the reshuffle of our workforce to cope with the high demand from some sectors due to customers' stop work.”

Be Fearless

LHT has been relentless in its efforts to provide products of cutting-edge technology, constantly investing and upgrading to ensure it is always able to meet changing market demands and provide the best value-added products and services to our customers.

May asserts, “We are always conscious of our role in the conservation of natural resources and recycling is one of many efforts that reflect our commitment towards mitigating climate change and deforestation.”

Action Speaks Louder than Words With social Media Era, there had been much positive thinking videos or lecture from YouTube Facebook or Titok etc. For May, her inspiration is her mother who looked after eight children and single-handedly built a chicken and duck farm, and a vegetable farm. “She was a tough woman, even the weather was never her concern,” says May.

May sees many women are leaving their home as a housewife to join the society and many women are now holding the high ranking post. She could only post and set an example that a female clerk that it is possible comes one day she can be the top management.

As a successful woman business leader, May advises young women entrepreneurs that don't worry to fall, how it comes and how it goes. She asserts, “From the day you born you bring nothing, upon we die we should not have something but do a good deed.

Lastly, earn from society and payback to society. Kind to everyone it is kind to ourselves and use our life to the fullest.”

Seeing her mother's dazzling actions which were great reminds May of the statement “Action speaks louder than words”. May asserts, “She was perseverant, determined, with a never say never attitude. My mother works better than any man does, and the money she earned from the farming was used to pay for our siblings' school fees and our daily needs.”

Serving during the Pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic is a testament to that proof the company is sustainable over the majority of companies that were shut down due to the lockdown period and LHT Holdings Ltd was one of the few companies that provide the essential service to the community as well as the society. worldsleaders.com | 21

Founder & CEO | HRBoost

NICOLE MARTIN Helping Organizations to with Comprehensive HR Services 22 | AUGUST 2021

A All companies need to be concerned with issues related to compensation, benefits, training, employee retention, talent attraction and generational agility.

Founded by Nicole Martin, HRBoost has built its reputation on partnering with business leaders to achieve corporate goals while maintaining the integrity and delivering outstanding results. “We serve businesses spanning over multiple sectors; these include Professional Services, Non-Profit Organizations, High Tech, Manufacturing, Staffing firms, Hospitality, and Healthcare,” says Nicole.

Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between World's Leaders and Nicole Martin: Brief our audience about your journey as a women entrepreneur. What challenges have you had to face to reach where you are today?

A self-professed “country girl in disguise,” Nicole Martin grew up in Montana, where, she says, “Everyone knows you and greets

you on the street.” It is my number one responsibility to empower my team of Boosters, invest in ongoing education, tools and resources to optimize my team. I have faith that they will in turn delight our clients.

I was truly humbled when after years of serving on the Advisory Board and being part of a winning organization in my prior roles, my own company took the stage of Best & Brightest ®Companies to Work For in Chicago in 2020.

Describe HRBoost's offerings that address the need of your customers.

We have specialized experience in providing values to small and middle-sized companies, which, unlike their large-company counterparts, can often lack the time and resources to build infrastructure and processes that are beyond core business objectives.

But, every business needs to have a competitive edge in today's economy. Both small and large companies need to attract, develop and retain the best talent for their organizations while complying with the everchanging maze of state and federal regulations.

Our clients are typically from high growth businesses with 50-250 employees. Our model is to meet the clients wherever they are thus we provide full-service embedded HR support, a project to project support, culture design and management training, employee programs and assessments, virtual support, and phone support.

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It is our Vision at HRBoost to bring JOY and PURPOSE to PEOPLE through their Work. It is how we serve our clients and the people that choose to join up on their visions. We live it at HRBoost and believe everyone deserves the same opportunity. worldsleaders.com | 23

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the human resources industry through your expertise in the industry?

Nicole is an internationally renowned speaker and author. She is a dynamic and empowering consultative leader and a futurist skilled in helping organizations to meet their strategic objectives. In recognition of her complete commitment to professional excellence as well as her community, Nicole has been honoured by multiple organizations and most recently as a 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year Champion by Enterprising Women Magazine, a 2017 Excellence in Business Award winner, and a Mirror Review enlistee of, 20 Impeccable Women in Business recognition in 2017.

As a highly regarded and sought after expert, her knowledge and advice have been featured in newspapers and magazines throughout the country.

Recent publications, in which she has been seen, include Forbes.com, the Daily Herald Business Ledger, and Fast Company. She is the author of the books, The Talent Emergency, The Human Side of Profitability, No Fear Negotiation for Women(August 2019), and The Power of Joy and Purpose. She is also the author of the chapter “Emotionally Speaking” in the book titled

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Leading from the Heart. In addition, Nicole is the host of the internet show HR in Fast Lane.

What are the challenges you and your team at HRBoost come across in your day-to-day operations?

I think the initial challenges of being a CEO are many.

One needs human capital and financial capital to scale

and grow. Many will not grow because they are not investing in talent, and often it is the CEO's job to bear debt. I made a calculated risk to invest in my talent and invest in my bench strength. In the early years, I was reacting to my business, and as a mother and wife, it can be a challenge to orchestrate work-life integration. I look back and realize that when I put down a process, hired capable talent, and disappeared to let them work, the process proved through; and now, we can do it again, and again, and again. You must trust the people you hire, and you must trust the process. When it is time to take a calculated risk, you invest and do what you can to increase the odds.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives HRBoost.

We serve businesses spanning multiple sectors; these include Professional Services, Non-Profit Organizations, High Tech, Manufacturing, Staffing firms, Hospitality, and Healthcare. Our clients are typically from high growth businesses with 50-250 employees. Our model is to meet the clients wherever they are thus we provide full-service embedded HR support, a project to project support, culture design and management training, employee programs and assessments, virtual support, and phone support. I am honoured to lead a highperformance team of HR leaders who partner with our business clients to meet them wherever they are on their journey, to being the best place to work. We have

THE MISSION We offer services that allow your business to do what it does best. Helping companies contain costs, minimize employer related risk, and relieve the administrative burden of HR while creating results that rival big competition.

experienced tremendous growth, and proudly nearly every client has been sourced through word of mouth. Our appeal and success are due to our dedication to every client.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for HRBoost?

I feel it is imperative to get handson experience doing what you seek to learn. Make sure it brings you joy before investing time, energy and dedicating your life to it. Enjoy the journey and be prepared to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Surround yourself with people who inspire and support you but also don't patronize you. Remember, even if it gets harder or takes longer, stay diligent. Anything you love will be worth it.

HRBoost recently engaged a partner to be the HR Expert on Demand and this truly takes the bench strength to small businesses across the country via phone. While they prefer in-person like everyone these days we have gone digital.

Thus, our borders are expanding too. I hire from other states, and our clients in Chicago have taken us with them to other states.

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Creator | The CampExperience™ Network

BETSY WIERSMA Empowering, Educating and Inspiring Women to Live Impactful Life 28 | AUGUST 2021

A A Keynote speaker, serial entrepreneur, event organizer, and podcast host Betsy Wiersma is one of the leading women leaders in the world who are working selflessly for women growth on the global scale. Betsy is the creator of The CampExperience™ Network, an annual retreat and ongoing gatherings designed exclusively for women who are ready for education and inspiration and want to connect to a network of amazing women.

She asserts, “The CampExperience™ Network is 5000 women on purpose for good.

Together with our sponsors, volunteers and 'Sisters,' we have raised over $1 million for Charity Partners in Colorado and around the globe. We call members of our Network 'Sisters' because we choose to treat each other as family. We explain to any woman that she will be welcomed, respected, honored, supported and that she is invited to the 'Sisterhood

by Choice'. Our customers love our high-energy and positive vibe as well as our focus on education, inspiration and the connections that count for business and for life.”

At The CampExperience™ Network, the motto is Do Good & Have Fun. The team offers monthly networking and social events, online workshops, retreats and an annual Fall Retreat that draws speakers and guests from around the US. Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between World's Leaders and Betsy Wiersma: Brief our audience about your journey as a women entrepreneur. What challenges have you had to face to reach where you are today?

It all started with a macrame bead bracelet business in 4th grade. My best friend Mary Elliott and I created and sold bead bracelets and made a whopping profit of $40.

Yes, $40 in 4th grade in 1970 was a HUGE thing and started my path to a life as a serial entrepreneur. I was hooked on the creativity, the invention, the thrill of the sale, the collaboration of the team and the freedom to serve the world one sale at a time.

Fast forward to the e-ticket ride that is my entrepreneurial career. I enjoyed seven internships at Purdue University to start getting into the fun. Then after just a quick “real job” I started Wiersma Experience Marketing, and as they say, the rest is rock and roll history. For 35 years, my Wiersma Experience Marketing has birthed hundreds of ideas for organizations in the US and around the globe. And one of my BIG IDEAS is the 16-year-old CampExperience™ Network.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Fundraising industry through your expertise in the industry?

We believe in love as a business strategy, so focusing on helping our Charity Partners is a natural fit for our organization. Since the first CampExperience™ Network Retreat, we have raised at least $20,000 cash and thousands of dollars of in-kind support for charities every year! What works so well for our “Sisters” is that when you volunteer to help others, you share a unique experience with your new friend. The shared experience that culminates in the love and support of others brings joy right back to the participant.

And the shared joy bonds the “new friends” into more than casual acquaintances. The equation to

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Stop thinking and start dreaming!

Listen to your own inner voice and bring your best to the world worldsleaders.com | 29

success around strategic philanthropy is Strangers become volunteers + shared positive experience helping others + JOY for all = New friends, customers and then advocates. These women now become advocates and new dedicated donors to a variety of causes.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

On March 21, 1983, I was at college, and late on a snowy Saturday night, seven college Seniors from Purdue University went snowmobiling. I know looking back not the most “adult” idea. Tragic long story short, we had a terrible accident, and my friend sitting with me on the sled was killed, and I was in 21 days of intensive care with multiple injuries. When I looked through the bandages, I knew my life had changed forever. Not only my physical life and life-long rehabilitation, but my entire being had shifted. I knew I was spared for a Life on Purpose and that every day is a gift. This is the fuel to every day that I am blessed to be here to serve my team, my Network, and my clients.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives CampExperience™ Network.

We focus in our culture on ROI: Return on Ideas! We honor and respect everyone with their own style and gifts. I am very artsy not only in my Art on Purpose business but also in life. That translates into my daily changing of funky and colorful glasses and my wild 30 | AUGUST 2021

handmade-by-me art clothing and jean jackets. My team are inspired and motivated to serve our women and our charities. We are not afraid to try wild ideas. In April of 2021, we had a charity fundraiser in the COVID mask mandate. We themed it Masquerade Have-A-Ball and had 100 guests all “Sister Safe” in our beautiful masks. Creativity is our superpower, and the fun is dreaming up the next big or small thing.

Purpose which was featured in Where Women Create magazine in August 2021. And my art is like my life, committed to uplifting and positive messages that inspire and create joy. My dream is to take the lead in global Art & Insight Retreats and building other online courses to join my first-course MOVE Ideas Into Action. And, I believe my talented Denver team will grow the home base and continue to innovate and serve.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for CampExperience™ Network?

What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs?

I know I will always Do Good & Have Fun. I love telling the stories of women, and podcasting is a blast! I am crazy into my Art on

your head or heart, and then the joy is to take them to the world. And serve whoever you are meant to serve. There is no measurement of success that matters more than JOY and the positive impact you can have on others. Service with style makes a happy and joy-filled life.

Ladies YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. I teach in my course: “Everything you know for sure you are right!” What that means is that what you believe is your reality!

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Founder & CEO | Vie Aesthetics

VICKY GRAMMATIKOPOULOU Leading with Strong Work Ethics and Vision to Bring Change

34 | AUGUST 2021

D “Do not take NO as an answer, and find your own way of doing things that makes sense to you.” This is the advice Vicky Grammatikopoulou gives to emerging women business leaders.

She says, “I have done most of it by reinventing, not following. It should start with finding something you love and running with it. If your job feels like play, you will know you're in the right place.”

Vicky Grammatikopoulou is the Founder and CEO of Vie Aesthetics. She possess 20 years of experience in teaching, Higher Education lecturing and teacher education. She has strong business development skills in the Aesthetics industry and Wellness.

In an interview with World's Leaders, Vicky shared her journey experience as an educator and a business leader.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a woman entrepreneur. What challenges

have you had to face to reach where you are today?

Upon reflection on my journey as a female entrepreneur, I wouldn't change a thing. With all its ups and downs, I find the role of founder and CEO invigorating, exciting, and stimulating. It is a journey of constant learning, growth, risktaking, and exploration. I have to admit that along the way, on occasions, I have come across gender bias (conscious and unconscious), but this has not held me back. Maybe my background in education, where I was in the business of empowering young people, has served me well to be able to recognize and confront bias, to turn it into a positive and to command my own space.

Describe Vie Aesthetics offerings that address the need of your customers.

While we offer all your go-to medical and cosmetic treatments, our range of signature packages are bespoke and tailored to complement one another to achieve only the most effective results.

Signature treatments include the VIELift, VieStem Face and VieStem Hair, VieStem RF in addition to Life Coaching and a 360-degree Medical Weight Management Clinic and advanced Medical Skincare.

We are a luxury brand providing cutting edge aesthetic treatments with stunning yet natural-looking results. Our doctor-led team specialise in combining advanced

non-surgical procedures and world class top of the range products to achieve stunning results for face, body, wellness and hair.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Medical Practice industry through your expertise in the industry?

Vie Aesthetics was named Global Aesthetic Practice of the Year in the MyFaceMyBody2020 Global Awards.

Our Medical Director Dr Ioannis Liakas is a Key Opinion Leader in the Aesthetics Industry and has introduced a number of treatments to the UK. We are proud to offer the latest medical and cosmetic solutions under one roof.

We are renowned for the expertise of our practitioners, our

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Do not take NO as an answer, and find your own way of doing things that makes sense to you. worldsleaders.com | 35

personalised treatment plans, and our globally award-winning customer care.

What are the challenges you and your team at Vie Aesthetics come across in your day-to-day operations?

One of the challenges in our industry in the UK is that our industry is fairly unregulated. This means that we need to educate our audience about quality over quantity, about safety in beauty and about realistic expectations. We invest a huge amount of time and resources to this end, and we have created and attracted a welleducated and clientele.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

On my many professional pathways, I have met some amazing people who have influenced my journey in one way or another. A key figure that has influenced me in my professional ambitions is Elon Musk. He thinks outside of the box and I admire the way that he marries his business acumen with vision and service to the planet.

A piece of literature that has really followed me through life and helped me build my personal values is Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. Another amazing teacher for me has been Byron Katie. I have been fortunate enough to learn from her personally during an

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maintain communication across and a much-needed sense of belonging. This is vital and needed now more than ever.

Originally, we were a small, family-ran business, so I feel that I am able to understand the pressures of being a working parent. I encourage the importance of having a balance in your home and work lives and recognise that family time is priceless, while the Vie Team are very much like a family, I want my team to put themselves, their mental health and their family's health first. immersion retreat and “The Work” has become my daily practice, helping me stay present, connected, and awareboth in my professional and my personal life.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring safety of your employees at the same time?

While the pandemic meant that we had to be agile in adapting to the ever-changing guidelines and restrictions, as a Medical Clinic we were equipped with PPE when we needed to be- we even were in the position to donate some of our unused PPE to our local NHS trust during the first lockdown. Since reopening we have been implementing a stringent Covid-19 policy across all departments, from client -facing encounters to internal procedures, we put the safety of both our clients and employees at the forefront of practice.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for Vie Aesthetics?

I see the future of Vie Aesthetics being very bright. We are in the process of completely refurbishing and redesigning our next clinic that will be opening in Holborn, London. I am truly excited to start meeting a whole new host of clients in our new clinic. We are onboarding staff as we edge closer towards the grand launch in the coming months. As we expand in staff members, we are also expanding our list of treatments.

We are looking to introduce healthcare services in the form of phlebotomy services and hormone and menopause clinics, with the hope to take the strain off of our local NHS trust.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives Vie Aesthetics.

The Vie Aesthetics Values are distilled in 5 words: Excellence, Safety, Care, Innovation and Responsibility.

This is practiced throughout the clinic and makes up the meaning of each role here in the clinic. The culture that drives Vie Aesthetics is based upon a flat hierarchical structure in the sense that we have an open-door policy and as a CEO, I work closely alongside all members of the team.

We have a well-organised structure of scheduled meetings and weekly face-to-face briefings to ensure we worldsleaders.com | 37

Chief Financial Officer | Aptorum Group Limited

SABRINA KHAN A Financial Expert with Excellent Track Record

38 | AUGUST 2021

N “No one is born to be a leader, so am I,” says Sabrina Khan. She is the Chief Financial Officer at Aptorum Group Limited and is having 10+ years' experience in US and Asian healthcare companies with proven track records in successful IPO, restructuring, business expansion and M&A projects in Hong Kong, China and US. Sabrina spent a few years in Big 4 and had the chance to audit multinational and reputable corporations. During her professional journey, she was not only learned technical knowledge but also how successful people and companies worked. She believes, “Everyone has a key role to play in the industry and everyone can make an impact. As an accountant, I may not be able to go to the lab and work like other scientists or develop a drug to save people's lives. But I used my accounting and financing knowledge to help raising capital and strengthen the company through inorganic approach like M&A and to provide sufficient resources for the science team to continue their work.”

Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between World's Leaders and Sabrina Khan:

unmet diseases and contribute to the advancement in global medical development.

Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader. What challenges you had to face to reach where you are today?

What are the challenges you and your team at Aptorum Group Limited come across in your dayto-day operations?

Like many accounting graduates, I started my career as an auditor at Big 4 where I learned a lot of technical skills and “best practices” from auditing different clients. After I left, I joined various listed and private companies where I started to lead projects, lead teams, help management to solve problems and make important decisions. Of course, things are not always smooth. I also encountered lots of challenges throughout the journey. But I see every challenge a valuable opportunity for me to learn and grow.

Every experience is an important lesson. In the past, as a junior, I always focused on myself; and now, I would put myself in the shoe of the management and the company and consider the interest of all parties and the big picture.

Managing people is always the most difficult. It's an art because there's no straight formula and you cannot easily control how people think and behave. You need different approach to handle different people, especially difficult people. Within the team, I have to understand everyone's strengths and weaknesses, their personality, job expectation and make sure they are motivated and do their job well. So it's one of my core duties and challenge to motivate the team in working together to contribute their competencies and experiences to get things done.

Describe Aptorum Group Limited's offerings that address the need of your customers.

Aptorum Group is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes novel therapeutics to tackle unmet medical needs including orphan, infectious and metabolic diseases. We continue to seek different approaches to identify more therapeutic targets in covering more currently medical

Whereas outside the team, like many other companies, there are always staffs who want easy solution and do not want to follow rules. We need to have a cooperative attitude but yet,

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No one is born to be a leader, so am I. worldsleaders.com | 39

we are the gatekeeper and have to ensure they follow the rules set by the company. So we need to take a balance. On one hand, we have to make sure everyone and all departments follow the rules but on the other hand, we don't want to build a hostile relationship with them. It involves lots of education and training and let them understand why they have to follow the policies and how they would also benefit from it.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

My dad influenced me a lot. He's punctual, committed, and reliable, though sometimes too rigid. But he always teaches me to be a responsible person and this has also become my motto in life that keeps on reminding me not to give up whenever I encounter any challenges.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring safety of your employees at the same time?

The pandemic sweeping the world and there is no sign that it would be resolved any soon. We have to implement different approaches to ensure our R&D progress is on track and operation remains normal. For staffs who need to physically present, we ask them to split teams in order to control the number of people

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working together. For back office staffs, we encourage them to work from home.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives Aptorum Group Limited.

Aptorum Group Limited is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, working to provide medical treatments, extensively in the domain of oncology and infectious diseases. They are one of the leading companies, taking the innovation curve ahead, dedicated to discovering, developing, and finally commercializing the medical treatments for such diseases which are not only infectious but as they are not given proper and adequate attention, can pose a serious threat to the survival of the mankind. They are not only dedicated but their sincerity and work speak a great deal about the company's vision and goals. They are not only changing the way of treatment in oncology and infectious diseases by providing breakthrough treatments but are leading the competition in the market and strong holding their dominance as one of the best biopharmaceutical companies.

We will continue to develop the existing projects, yet we will also explore new ways to develop more therapeutic treatments to target the ever-growing numbers of orphan diseases and unmet medical needs. The traditional way of drug development may take years and it's difficult to deal with the continuous growing number of diseases.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs?

Starting a business is not easy. It's essential to find the right people of the necessary skills who can also share the same goal and values. We are fortunate to have found the right people, right projects and very important, right timing too.

We did waste lots of time and resources searching, testing, making adjustment and re-testing again. The process is tough and lot of people could have given up during the process. But see it as an opportunity to make you do better next time.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for Aptorum Group Limited? worldsleaders.com | 41

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founder & CEO | JS Group

JANET SCHIJNS Improvising Businesses Efficiency by Providing Effective Channels for Customer Engagement 48 | AUGUST 2021

A As a business leader challenges are what make you strong and effective. Learning from your mistakes creates a blueprint for future success. Being a woman in the technology space comes with its own set of difficulties, not the least of which is trying to establish effective business relationships when you are the only female on a leadership team or a project. “I found that by facing this challenge head-on, rather than ignoring it, I was able to have frank and open discussions about differences in work style and processes which ultimately helped me achieve success while levelling the playing field,” says Janet Schijns.

Janet is the founder and CEO of JS Group and is known for her exemplary leadership skills. She states, “You could say that fast is the new big when it comes to the current environment; move now or prepare for your competitors to outpace you.”

Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between World's Leaders and Janet Schijns:

Describe JS Group's offerings that address all the needs of your customers.

The technology space is in hypergrowth mode, yet not everyone profits in a fast-growth era – in fact just the opposite occurs.

Companies with the right channel and go to market plan will drive record high double-digit or tripledigit growth while other less wellprepared firms will see declining profits and wonder what happened.

The key difference? The speed at which they adapted to a hybrid, always-on, change rich environment. This is where JS Group comes in. We have three practice areas: channel evolution, go to market enablement and sales activation all designed to help our clients prosper. Our channel evolution practice is focused on devising a plan to expand routes to market and penetrate sales channels. Our go-to-market enablement offers are focused heavily on digital marketing with our SEO and Social Media offerings returning double-digit ROI for our clients. And our sales activation programs focused on social selling are delivering 33x ROI in the market by retraining sales teams and providing a programmatic approach for them to build sales via social media selling.

You could say that fast is the new big when it comes to the current environment; move now or prepare for your competitors to outpace you.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Management Consulting industry through your expertise in the industry?

Because I have been in the technology and consumer goods go to market space for decades I have seen and managed through both

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We are experiencing an everescalating continuum of change, managing that change versus waiting for a return to normal that will never come about is the first key to success worldsleaders.com | 49

good and bad times in the market and know how to respond effectively to maximize profits and growth.

Our entire team at JS Group has similar experiences and tenure enabling us to come into even the most challenging situation and create a winning team game plan.

What are the challenges you and your team at JS Group come across in your day-to-day operations?

Every business in every industry is becoming a technology company,

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technology is now the fabric of our lives. In our day-today operations, we see many firms that fall in love with their technology and think it will sell itself. But the reality is even the best product of solution needs to be positioned and promoted to win. Many of our new clients struggle with the day-to-day go-to-market and sales operations needed to succeed particularly in the channel. This is where our team comes in designing the right plans and activation elements to ensure success.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

There have been so many influencers in my life, but my most recent one is Ashlyn Szilva my daughter and founder of her own social media business; a subdivision of JS Group. She has shown me the power of connecting digitally and building relationships while virtual and remote. Her programs have netted our clients' large gains in the past year and a half and are poised to continue to grow our clients' bottom lines.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

Our teams have always been remote, we select the best talent and are location agnostic. We set a firm policy in place that travel will be at the discretion of the team member, those who are not comfortable with travel will not have to travel. This does not mean then that everyone has an equal opportunity. If clients need people to be at an event or an on-site consulting engagement those team members who choose not to travel will be at a deficit. However, we feel that our team comes first and so we must honour the life decisions they make.

clients don't win. Integrity matters: do what you say you will do, right the first time every time.

Innovate for Impact: inventions earn patents, innovations earn our clients money, focus on innovation. Kindness: be kinder than the situation calls for in every instance.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for JS Group?

We plan to continue to grow JS Group through our innovative programs to grow profitable revenue for our clients. Because we focus on results our programs and our brand reputation continue to flourish. We have a strong bench of senior leaders who will ultimately lead us to the next level of growth who are day in and day out working on making JS Group the best option in the industry.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs?

Hard work matters – if you work on the right things – don't confuse what appears to be the overnight success of those who came before you with luck, it wasn't luck, it was determination and hard work. Draft a plan with your success goals in mind and then execute on the plan. It's not fancy but it is how success works.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives JS Group.

Our values are simple: Results: work towards success, not pretty PowerPoint presentations we don't win if our worldsleaders.com | 51

CEO | President at American Data Plates Inc.

TAMMY FRAZIER Presenting the True Values of a Leadership

52 | AUGUST 2021

T To lead a business takes a lot of know-how and making sure you keep your head on straight during any situations that may arise. You need to make sure not just to say but to lead by example, not for only you but to show your employees that everything works out for the good. To succeed in business today, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organizational skills. The prior statement has given by Tammy Frazier CEO and President at American Data Plates Inc. Tammy joined American Data Plates Inc. 8 years ago. She was producing the parts in the back just like any other beginner. A few years after, she moved up to working in the office. It didn't take long to learn how to run the business. Her title went from Production to Office Manager; bringing in new orders, answering emails, making sure materials were in stock and ordered if need be.

Talking with the customers to make sure their orders were done right and sent out on time. She says, “It

took me a few trials and errors but it happens to everyone while learning something new.”

In an Interview with World's Leaders, Tammy shared her journey and how she successfully thrived in it by hard work and being persistent with every job profile she had in the company.

that American Data Plates, Inc. has an excellent GMP in place that is topped by our Quality Control division.

Below are highlights of the interview:

As technology, demographics and economic climate shift - we as the manufacturer must innovate ways to be competitive. We have learned to produce our parts through more strategic ways and improve the production time as well. Educating our employees is pivotal for our innovation. To successfully meets the market demands our workforce has understood the existing

Describe American Data Plates Inc.'s offerings that address all the needs of your customers.

American Data Plates, Inc. solely manufactures to the Aerospace, Space, Defense, Energy, Transportation, Marine, Medical and Automotive industries and a few others. With these, we offer identification services that are required in all industries mentioned that is not a readily available request in most parts. We provide each customer with their identification products whether it is in data plate form, to manufactured dash panels and overlays. Our customers also can get their products in a multitude of different processes which in return helps them to lower costs, faster cycle times for mass production and make to stock if required. Our clients are always in search of companies in the manufacturing industry that can manufacture to comply with their products. We being ISO9001 and AS9100D certified helps the customers know

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the manufacturing industry through your expertise in the industry?

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Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted worldsleaders.com | 53

technologies. We support a continuous learning culture and implement opportunities as they evolve. Our practices are becoming more digital compliant with the new times within our business. We have improved our webpage and social media outlet.

What are the challenges you and your team at American Data Plates Inc. come across in your day-to-day operations?

As a manager and president of American Data Plates, Inc., I face challenges related to productivity and communication throughout the day. Knowing how to recognize them and address the issue right away helps to increase my confidence and ability to lead our team. Our employees experience periods when they aren't as productive as normal.

Sometimes it's hard to balance their workloads and my own as well. I focus on what they need to do first, and then I start my tasks to ensure everything gets done adequately.

The most important thing to do is, to be honest with your team members in any situation.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

My mother was the biggest influence in my life. Growing up watching her take care of us kids, making sure dinner was on the

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table every night, helping us with our homework, and just watching her do it and not complain.

I have overcome a lot of struggles in my life; My son Justin watching him grow up and teaching him the things in life he needs to be successful. Knowing that I brought such a handsome, strong and smart young man into this world gave me the strength to make myself the best that I could be just for him. To show him that he can overcome any situation and come out stronger and smarter than before is a blessing. things he doesn't know. Learning I was pregnant with my son made an impact on me to give him a better life and be a greater person all around. Always looking to God and having Faith helped me to overcome all bad situations knowing that everything will turn out good no matter what.

Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?

It was a sad thing to see the pandemic hit us and so many people get sick and even die. We are doing our part to make sure our employees stay safe and work in a clean environment. We have our employees wipe all equipment, desks and other work areas down every morning before work is started. Taking the time to make sure they are equipped with the cleaning tools, cleaners and having masks is on the top of the list. We were mandated to stay open, so that helped us stay afloat with this pandemic. Seeing the majority of the businesses close was sad to see.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives American Data Plates Inc.

not only help their performance but encourage collaboration between our team members. We make sure to have room for feedback to adjust quotas and KPI's (Key Performance Indicator's) when they are needed. In inclusion to setting department goals, we make sure every employee is clear on our organization's long-term intentions. This is to help our workers prepare for a sense of professional purpose. There are times when our work is stressful, but we set the time to make the environment a little more cheery to brighten the mood for everyone. People don't succeed unless they are having some sort of fun sometimes.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for American Data Plates Inc.?

My partner, Ron Coger and I have envisioned ourselves taking this business over the top. It has been a small shop for the longest time, and our goal is to make it the biggest manufacture of data plates in the United States.

We strive to be the best that we can be and put out a great product for our customers, so they keep coming back for more. We work with our customers in meeting their needs for the products they need to fulfil their job.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs?

Think twice before making purchases to ensure you build up your company. Truly understanding your industry is the key to having success. Last but not least, make sure to deliver more than the customer expects.

Being a successful entrepreneur takes a lot of work, a lot of vision and determination. Anyone can do it with the right determination and tools.

Here at American Data Plates, Inc., we strive for Strategic Precision through all of our production processes. We outline the objectives of each team so our employees have concrete results to work towards. It will

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CEO & Founder | Finavator

MICHELLE BEYO Bridging the Gap between Fintechs and Banking Institutions

58 | AUGUST 2021

M Michelle Beyo is the CEO & founder of FINAVATOR, an awardwinning strategy firm focused on bridging the gap between Fintechs and traditional Banks. Michelle is also a strategic advisor to multiple Fintechs, a Money 20/20 RiseUp alumni, a Global Council Member for Women in Payments, the Membership Chair at Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization (CPPO), a Payment Advisor for National Crowdfunding and FinTech Association (NCFA), as well as a Board Member at Open Banking Initiative of Canada (OBIC).

Passionate about enabling financial inclusion, faster payments, and driving Open Banking forward in Canada, Michelle started FINAVATOR. With over 20 years of extensive industry experience driving innovation across the retail and payments industry, Michelle was named a "Rising Star" by Women in Payments 2018, and one of the "Top 30 Best CEOs of 2021"

by The Silicon Valley Review.

FINAVATOR was also recently awarded "Most Influential Leader in Fintech Consulting - Canada" in 2020.

The Journey of Founding FINAVATOR For Michelle Beyo, the two biggest risks that she has ever taken included leaving the corporate world after over 20 years and starting her own company. After building the confidence to apply to Money 20/20's RiseUp program, one of the largest payments and financial services events in the world, Michelle received the exciting news in July of 2019 that she had won one of only thirty spots out of five hundred applicants to join the program in Las Vegas.

Money 20/20 facilitates the largest network of payment conferences globally, so winning that spot as one of the two Canadians selected worldwide was a dream come true for her. The news inspired her to take the risk to go after her lifelong dream of becoming a CEO and starting her own company. The journey was not easy, building a company overnight with no funding was far from an easy task.

Although Michelle had always dreamed of becoming a CEO, it was a difficult decision as her family relied on only one income.

During that time, Michelle had also lost one of her best friends of 26 years after a 4-year battle with colon cancer at the age of 36. This devastating loss was a reminder that life is too short to play it safe, and that she had to go after her dreams of starting a business.

Michelle quickly bootstrapped the company and launched it in less than a week, announcing to the world via LinkedIn her latest endeavor. Michelle was able to

secure over 100 followers in 2 weeks and signed her first client within a month. She was excited to give back to the community and use her knowledge and incredible network to push Fintech companies and open banking forward.

FINAVATOR: Bridging the Gap between FinTechs and traditional Banks FINAVATOR holds a unique position within the financial services space, helping to create a more collaborative ecosystem by bringing stakeholders together to build innovative products and services for consumers.

FINAVATOR's team has expertise in a variety of areas including Open Banking, Payments & Prepaid Solutions, Challenger Banks, Micro Loans, Rewards, Loyalty Solutions and Financial Marketing.

With traditional banks, Michelle and her team help evaluate Fintechs to find the best innovation partners for their clients to help them expand their customer base. When working with Fintechs, they are passionate about driving growth through helping build innovative products, strategic marketing, and enterprise partnerships to reach new customer segments.

FINAVATOR has been able to help drive innovative products to market that offer consumers the opportunity to save and budget more effectively to reach their financial goals. For example, Michelle worked directly with founders at Treasure Financial to help them launch a Canadian budgeting app for kids. Using a worldsleaders.com | 59

WE ARE HERE TO HELP BAAS, OPEN BANKING & PAYMENT SOLUTIONS

SALES ACCELERATION

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

INNOVATIVE MARKETING

60 | AUGUST 2021

prepaid card, Treasure Financial enables a way for parents to educate kids about their money by sending them an allowance via a digital or physical card. This was a big achievement as Treasure Financial was one of the first prepaid reloadable cards that can be used by kids of 6-12 years old.

Michelle has also helped enable many key partnerships, in addition to creating growth and opportunities for some of North America's leading Fintechs.

in, she is always working towards gender parity and diversity. Within FINAVATOR and across the different boards and initiatives that she is a part of, Michelle believes that advocating for gender equity and diversity is a necessity for challenging gender stereotypes, amplifying a variety of voices, and ensuring equal opportunity practices. When Michelle is asked to moderate a panel or speak at an event, she makes it a priority to assemble a panel that is diverse.

Outside of FINAVATOR, Michelle had the opportunity to speak as a payments industry expert at many global events, including being the keynote at the Cyber Security & Risk event on Open Banking as well as being on the main stage at Money 20/20. She was also involved in several panel discussions on the future of payments at Open Finance 2020, the Payment Summit, Women Future Conference, Fintech Summit and many more.

Over this last year, Michelle was honored with the opportunity to join her first board but before accepting the offer, she requested that the board at OBIC consider implementing a 50/50 gender diversity initiative, which was then accepted as their 2021 goal. As a board member at OBIC, Michelle is extremely honored to hold the codirector seat and to steer the organization towards educating different parties, connect industry players, and driving the important message that Open Banking is a force for good for Canadian consumers, SMEs, and the entire Canadian financial ecosystem.

In honour of her best friend, Shannon Phair, a passionate artist who was only 36 when she left this world, Michelle has participated in the 10 KM run #PushForYourTush to help fight colon cancer for the past six years. She has raised over $50K as the lead of Shannon's Shamrock team.

Driving Financial Inclusion and Gender Diversity Michelle has spent many years supporting organizations that help empower women to rise above– whether it be in their personal or professional lives. She holds volunteer roles on the Global Council holds a seat on the Award committee for Women in Payments as well as being a Money 20/20 RiseUp alumni. Michelle is also involved in Women in Blockchain and Women in Digital Identity.

No matter what initiative or organization Michelle is involved

A Force for Good through Open Banking

help Fintech's expand faster, banks drive innovation, as well as move the Open Banking discussion forward. She believes that Open Banking is critical to empower consumers, competition, and innovation as well as to help Canada stay competitive on a global scale.

As a global movement, Open Banking empowers consumers with control over their financial data using open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that enable third parties to build innovative products and services.

As part of her Open Banking advocacy, Michelle takes on the role of co-creator and host of OBIC's Open Banking Insights Series that is moderated by the Honorable Senator Colin Deacon.

"The current ten-part series highlights the advantages and challenges in both the UK and Canada regarding Open Banking. It features distinguished guest speakers from HSBC, EQ Bank, Interac, Revolut, OBIE (Open Banking Implementation Entity), the Competition Bureau of Canada, and Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) among others.

OBIC is particularly excited about the recently released roadmap for Canada and looks forward to discussing its impact in the upcoming episodes. Michelle Beyo was recently named a finalist for the Pioneer Award at Open Banking Expo's Open Banking Awards for her commitment and contribution to this initiative."

As the CEO of FINAVATOR, Michelle works passionately to worldsleaders.com | 61

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10 Most Influential Business Leaders Making a Difference in 2021

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AUGUST 2021

Chief Human Resources Officer BlackBerry

NITA WHITE-IVY A Tech Savvy HR Leader with Extensive Work Experiences

SUBSCRIBE NOW World's Leaders Magazine is a Media Company that covers stories of business leaders around the globe. Consistent updates to our online publication, internet based life and master sentiment give a substance rich pursuing knowledge loaded up with fascinating perspectives and remark on the issues of the worldwide business. World's Leaders Magazine inspires readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business. Everyone wants to know the journey of a successful personality or a venture. They want to know more about the establishment, about the path that led them to the pinnacle, about the obstacles overcome, and the all hard work about the Success. World's Leaders Magazine is the platform, where we are unwinding the untold stories of business leaders and the stories of startup turning into the venture. World's Leaders Magazine is a trustworthy and honesty acquiring acknowledgment from business pioneers universally.

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