“Companies with more than 30% female executives are more likely to outperform companies that don’t”
– Luisa Zhou
Women-led companies accomplish tremendous work to create lasting, positive change. Let’s keep the movement going by exploring ways to continue to remove barriers and increase opportunities. Join an insightful morning of empowering female leaders in entrepreneurship, with an inspiring panel of female founders, industry expert insights, and resource sharing for your success. Discover and sample woman-owned brands and network with peers during this exciting session.
Agenda:
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Natalie Shmulik, Chief Strategy and Incubation Officer at ICNC | Make City + The Hatchery, will share valuable insights on why celebrating and supporting female entrepreneurship is crucial for fostering diversity and inclusivity.
Session 1: Fireside Chat Discussion on Sustaining Profitable Growth
Learn from female founders on how they have experienced sustainable growth through strategic use of data, analysis, and impactful partnerships with a focus on the bottom line.
Moderator
Cynthia J. Johnson is Director of Established Business Services at the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC). In this role she leads the programs for established business owners that are designed to increase contract opportunities for certified women-owned businesses with WBDC corporate partners. Cynthia’s specific area of focus includes planning and delivering relevant programs and procurement events with WBDC corporate partners to help women-owned businesses build capacity and sustain profitable growth. She is passionate about utilizing her expertise to accelerate the growth of diverse businesses.
Founders
Lisa Coffey-Shaw, inspired by Brooklyn’s energy and Charleston’s culture, blends community roots with culinary expertise learned from generations. Graduating with honors from the Art Institute of New York City, she rose to senior management in the restaurant industry. In 2019, she founded Lisa’s Boutique Catering and “The Coffey Girls’ Coffee Cakes” in Chicago, offering high-end catering and gourmet coffee cakes. Committed to excellence, Lisa preserves family recipes for future generations.
Trinisa Williams, owner of Trini’s Tasty Pastries and Catering, is a dedicated resident of West Garfield Park, where her kitchen is situated within The Hatchery of Chicago. With a passion for cooking since the age of 7, Trinisa’s love for pastries led her to pursue culinary education, earning an A.A.S. in Culinary Arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC) and a B.S. in Food Science from Kansas State University. Alongside running her pastry and catering business, she serves as a Food Safety Specialist with the USDA, ensuring the nation’s meat and poultry resources are protected. Actively engaged in her community, Trinisa advocates for accessible food for all, partnering with organizations like the Garfield Park Community Council and contributing to events such as Play Streets and Christmas Holiday Community Giveaway. As a member of various advisory boards including The Hatchery Community Advisory Council, Garfield Park Conservatory Advisory Board, and West Side United, Trinisa works to promote food equity. Her clientele includes establishments like Beelove Café, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, Kribi Coffee, Lurie’s Children’s Hospital, and Pepsico, where her signature biscuits keep customers coming back for more.
Session 2: Workshop – Creating a Supportive Network for Women in Business
Learn why it’s important to keep existing clients happy rather than finding new ones and use happy clients to generate more business through referrals. We’ll also cover relationships with banks and other financial institutions, keeping a strong position in negotiations, and how to best leverage community partners for lasting relationships that maximize their resources.
Emma Westfall, M.B.A. is Associate Director of Access to Capital Program and Services at Women’s Business Development Center. Emma advises diverse entrepreneurs on their capital options and oversees the Direct Lending Program. Prior to joining WBDC, Emma worked in corporate retail inventory management and merchandising. She has extensive experience in corporate DEI initiatives and supplier diversity program management. Emma holds a B.B.A. in Information Systems and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Management from Loyola University Chicago.
Mary Tritsis, Chief Lending Officer at Allies for Community Business. Mary joined A4CB in 2019 and brings more than 30 years of banking experience to her role. Prior to A4CB, she was responsible for overseeing the Retail Banking Division for two different Chicago-based banks, First American Bank and Bank Financial. Mary served as President of KIDSS for Kids from 2009-2023, one of the largest affiliated organizations of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She currently serves as an Ex-Officio Board Member of the Lurie Children’s Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from Loyola University of Chicago and a postgraduate in Executive Management from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
Session 3: Let’s Talk Womxn Panel – Pushing the Frontiers of Innovation
Let’s Talk Womxn panelists share their expertise about their culinary innovation, new service models, evolving formats, experiences, and myriad innovations to stay cutting edge and grow.
Moderator
Leigh Uhlir, Dean of Kendall College at National Louis University, where she earned her Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality and Culinary Management in 2002. She has over 18 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, working for some of the nation’s leading hospitality companies and restaurants: Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, Lettuce Entertain You—Las Vegas division, and Fidelio—MICROS division. During that time, she worked in some of the most notable food and hospitality cities in the US: Austin, Chicago and Las Vegas. In 2008, she shifted her focus to training and education, joining Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, where she taught and led faculty for 6 years. She joined Kendall College in 2014, where she played a pivotal role in building the college and leading it through its merger with National Louis University. She continues to use her leadership skills to innovate and advocate for the restaurant industry and allied hospitality businesses in the hotel, events and tourism sectors.
Panelists
Esther Griego, originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, grew up in a Hispanic-Lithuanian family and was inspired by her aunt, Chef Judy Contino. She moved to Miami in 2005, working in events, PR, and marketing, before joining rbb Public Relations in 2009. Esther’s diverse background in food service, events, design, technology, and marketing led her to establish a competitive career. In 2015, she took over Bittersweet, continuing its legacy. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, Esther strengthened the brand, shifting sales online and keeping the business afloat. Now, she continues to tell Bittersweet’s story, celebrating its 30th anniversary and looking forward to the future.
Taylor Mason is the owner of Taylor’s Tacos Chicago. The business was officially launched in 2018 and now consists of a taco shop + catering kitchen location, an event space location and a NFP called Tacos Create Community. Taylor fell in love with street style tacos while attending college in southern California. When she moved back to Chicago, she decided to bring the flavors of the west coast to the west side of Chicago. As the only black, woman, and LGBTQ owned taco shop in the United States, she takes pride in creating universal events through interaction, connection, and qualiTAY ingredients! Do yourself a flavor and try Taylor’s Tacos today!
Geri Hernandez, co-founded of Savory Crust, founded Butter Bella LLC, a gourmet cookie company, in February of 2006, Be Good Baking Co. in 2015. In addition to being a serial entrepreneur in the food and healthcare sector, she’s led a successful career in sales and recruitment for the last 24 years across several industries from technology, finance, and pharmaceuticals and has sharpened her diverse business acumen at some of the largest companies such as Reed-Elsevier, Bank of America, AON Hewitt and lastly 7-Eleven. Without financing from family, friends or outside investors, she financially built Butter Bella from the ground up. Geri has a penchant for developing products and is deeply passionate about bringing great food to market. Her networking and sales and marketing skills have allowed her the opportunity to develop and grow several start-ups.
Korina Sanchez is Vice President and General Counsel of Third Coast Hospitality, a family-run restaurant group that manages restaurant/bar and entertainment venues in the city of Chicago including Moe’s Cantina, Old Crow Smokehouse, Treehouse Chicago, Tunnel and La Luna. Korina has been involved in the restaurant industry from a young age, learning all positions that make a restaurant successful. Currently, Korina oversees all facets of the business including daily operations and business development and expansion. Korina is a licensed attorney with a concentration in transactional matters, regulatory compliance, and conflict resolution, specifically in the food and beverage and hospitality industries.Korina serves on the board of the Illinois Restaurant Association and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Networking, product sampling, and refreshments throughout.
