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I am a portrait and personal branding photographer specializing in help women feel confident and beautiful in front of the camera. 

I turn creative challenges into meaningful branding. As a left brain/right brain thinker, I’m driven to find and communicate the core message of a product or service in a refreshing, visual way.  And the process is so satisfying. Because it’s not just about the product. It’s also about the people — forging relationships with clients and tackling shared goals. Knowing there’s more than one “best” solution is a big part of the fun of the creative business. Whether developing packaging for a new product or rebranding for an organization, having the opportunity to make it look, sound, and feel right/compelling/exciting means thirty years of leading a creative studio just passed with a blink. Can’t wait to see what the next thirty have in store.

EMPOWERING women to move past feeling stuck in their lives and MOTIVATING youth to LEAD in their communities and schools is her mission.

Dr. Hollis is a visionary, author, inspirational speaker, and entrepreneur and certified John C. Maxwell teacher, trainer, and speaker, licensed to provide value-based leadership training to adults and youth, alike.

She is the founder (2014) and visionary behind Its Kairos Time Inc. (IKT), a charitable organization based in New Jersey. IKT provides college scholarship via its trademark program and ministry to the community by providing leadership training and forums to address relevant social and spiritual needs. With over twenty years of speaking in church and religious forums, before entering the field of nonprofit organizing, Dr. Hollis worked over three decades within the transportation industry, through which she attained the role of deputy director of risk management. She brings those skills to her leadership and management of IKT.

Par Excellence is her guiding principle. To that end, she has earned many awards of distinction, including the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2020). She has earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology and business administration, an MBA in finance, a Master in Divinity, and a Doctorate of Ministry.

Dr. Hollis enjoys writing, inspiring others, and traveling for fun. Available for ministry and keynote speaking.

Women who own their own service businesses (e.g. law firm) hire me when they are struggling with financial instability, low profitability, or confusion about how to solve tough management problems. I have a Financial Mastery System that enables women to stabilize their profits and improve their business decision making into the future. And the great thing is, I have over 20 years of successful experience in turning around and stabilizing service businesses. 

My first budget responsibility was for 30k in annual revenue. Eventually I actively managed a 10 million dollar service business in a multi-state environment. I can help you manage your business finances, your people, and yourself. You can get a FREE copy of my "20-Minute Guide to Building a Budget for Your Firm" by signing up at strategicreceivables.com.

Let us build a world of women in business who exercise equity, influence and power for good.

Melanie Blau McDonald, MS

Leadership and Talent Development Executive and Coach with over 30 years’ experience helping organizations and individuals improve their business results through enhancing individual and team performance. Expertise in Facilitating (virtual and face to face), Instructional Design (virtual and face to face), and Coaching (Individual and Team).

Don London is a web designer who lives in New Providence. He is also a writer and a licensed architect.

Roylyn McNatt, pianist and creator of The Intuitive Groove Framework, empowers musicians to reclaim their rhythm through a blend of soul and structure. Known as “The Bad Jazz Lady”, she offers performances, workshops, and coaching that inspire joy, confidence, and creative expression at any age or stage.

Ami Otero Minars proudly embraces her mixed-race Indigenous roots from Ryukyu Okinawa, a culture not yet recognized as Indigenous by the Japanese government. As the producer of Admission Nation and Jundo Productions, Ami is a visionary passionate about fostering cultural exchanges that bring people closer together. Her work is about inspiring and uplifting through the arts, and she is dedicated to collaborating with artists, scholars, and enthusiasts to promote cultural understanding and awareness.

At Admission Nation, Ami deeply connects audiences with modern & traditional flamenco performances and flamenco jazz. Flamenco, a powerful expression of Roma storytelling, is at the heart of her mission to showcase world-class artists locally and globally. Through this platform, she aims to uplift, engage, and enrich the lives of community members, inviting everyone to experience the profound impact of music and dance on the human spirit. Flamenco is not just an art form for Ami—it is a vital cultural heritage that she believes should be shared broadly and often.

At Jundo Productions, Ami has created a space where various art forms thrive on a global scale. Her love for the arts is evident in everything she does, from organizing documentary projects to facilitating artistic collaborations and bringing people together to celebrate vibrant cultural expressions. Under her warm and welcoming leadership, Jundo Productions has become a bridge connecting artists from the United States, Japan, and beyond, sparking creativity and fostering cross-border collaborations.

Ami's journey into the arts is deeply personal, with mixed-race Indigenous roots from Ryukyu Okinawa and Spanish rooted in her heritage and a profound appreciation for cultural diversity. This perspective is woven into every aspect of Jundo Productions, and she is eager to share this passion with a broader international audience. For Ami, the arts are about more than just creative expression—they bring joy, confidence, and positive energy into people's lives.

At Jundo Productions, we strongly believe in the transformative power of the arts to boost confidence, self-esteem, and motivation. Ami's enthusiasm is contagious, and she is dedicated to ensuring that people of all ages experience the uplifting energy of creative expression. She is constantly exploring new ways to preserve artistic traditions while encouraging innovation and growth within the arts.

Ami is always on the lookout for presenters, sponsors, and investors who share her love for the arts, whether visual, performing, literary, culinary, or crafts. She is particularly passionate about documentaries that tell compelling stories, believing that the arts have the power to change lives. Ami demonstrates a deep commitment to promoting global arts and cultural exchange and uniting people from diverse backgrounds through her work. With her at the helm, Admission Nation & Jundo Productions is poised to continue impacting the world of arts, enriching the cultural landscape for years to come.

Photo Work Shop:

To capture the art of intimate flamenco moments, patiently wait for the flamenco dancers, singers, and guitarists' feeling intensity moments.

Family Fun Flamenco is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non‐profit arts service organization. Contributions for charitable purposes and are tax‐deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Girls Power Movement:  We are firm believers in the empowering role of music and dance. These art forms can instill confidence and radiate positive energy. 

https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/roots-of-flamenco

We aim to continue this journey, igniting passion and creativity in future generations of artists. For more information about our projects and how to support them, please visit Fractured Atlas.

Jackie Rahbari, SHRM-SCP is a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) HR professional with over two decades of experience within diverse and multicultural environments. Early on in her career, she realized that one of the roles of Human Resources was to partner and collaborate with business leaders to make their job easier by creating simple and efficient HR processes and practices so they can focus on the leadership aspect of their job. She knew that employees are the number one asset in any organization and therefore, leaders must empower, engage and help their workforce make the right decisions. Employees are the experts at what they do. She encouraged and advised leaders to take care of their employees by listening and having “impactful conversations” with them that provide clear expectations, accountability and transparent feedback.

She has proven ability to work with executives, and leaders in general to integrate the people operation function within the overall business strategy. She has been effective at leading and guiding organizations through periods of accelerated growth and economic downturn. She is a creative thinker, collaborative and problem solver who can effectively balance the needs of employees with the vision of the organization. She has worked with family/private, public and PE owned organizations. Additionally, she has an extensive experience in collecting bargaining. 

She has known for a while that she wanted to start her own HR consulting firm and help small businesses to attain their company’s goals.  Her passion and competencies are combined with real-life experience as leader, mentor, coach and individual contributor. 

Jackie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She is a Senior Certified professional in Human Resources by SHRM and is an active member of the HR advisory boards at Rutgers University and Bennie. In her free time, she loves traveling the world with her husband, Michael and daughter, Lily. 

Mona Kay Rifi

Strategic Collaboration Advisor  

Mona Kay Rifi helps organizations move their most important work forward using her flagship strategy of super-collaboration. With over 25 years in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare industries, she brings a sharp understanding of how influence and credibility shape collaborative outcomes.

Throughout her career, Mona Kay navigated high-stakes collaboration dynamics, and becoming a highly sought-after partner. She’s also served as an Ombuds, bringing an impartial lens to complex issues where strained alignment and communication were holding organizations back.

Both experiencing and observing the need for more effective organizational collaboration, she developed a strategic, practical process for building influence, credibility, and trust across functions, within even the most challenging alliances.

Today, Mona Kay works with professionals across all levels. She helps them earn trust faster, engage more effectively, and become the kind of collaborators that executives want in the room. Clients experience Mona Kay as empathetic, engaging, and passionate while providing practical, real-world solutions.

Mona Kay has shared her insights through interactive workshops, keynote sessions, and roundtable discussions with the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), the Association for Talent Development (ATD), the Pharmaceutical Compliance Forum (PCF), and leading life sciences organizations. She is an active member of the New Jersey State Women’s Chamber of Commerce (NJSWC), and a member and volunteer at the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.

B.S. Business Administration, Concentration in Finance - Boston University School of Management, Boston, MA, 5/2002
Account Manager for The Kornreich/NIA Organization, LLC (NY, NY) - 2002 - 2004
Sales Executive for The Kornreich/NIA Organization, LLC (NY, NY) - 2004 - 2006
Internal Wholesaler for ING Financial Advisors (NY, NY) - 2006 - 2009

In her position as Financial Advisor, Anita Srivastava helps high-net-worth individuals create customized strategies for their wealth management needs. Anita places great focus on understanding her clients on a holistic and personal level, providing specifically tailored advice that is customized to meet her clients' specific needs. Anita also assists clients through the greatest transitions of their lives. Guiding them through these periods of change she is passionate and focused in helping her clients work toward their goals.

Anita has a diverse skill and work experience that makes her uniquely qualified in her position. Anita has a Doctorate in Economics from Columbia University and has extensive experience in capital markets and application of economic theory to finance and investments. Anita has worked in the financial services industry for the past 5 years.  Prior to this Anita was an Advisor at Morgan Stanley where she assisted other Financial Advisors with Financial Planning and Wealth Management for their clients. She was also a faculty at Ramapo College of New Jersey where she taught Business and Economics courses. Prior to that she worked at The Center for Business Innovation (E&Y), a business strategy and innovation think tank based in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she worked with senior executives. Anita also worked as an Economic Consultant at the World Bank in Washington D.C. focusing on topics of International Finance and Economic Development.

Anita believes in finding a balance between work, family, and community, and is dedicated to helping the community with the same passion she has for business. Anita is the President of The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood, where she has been a member since 2006, . She is also a past Vice President and Trustee for Ridgewood Education Foundation helping her immediate education community pursue their Tradition for Excellence. In her spare time she enjoys spending quality time with her family in Ridgewood, Bergen County, NJ and Mantoloking in Ocean County, NJ. She also enjoys tennis, squash, swimming, and cooking and has competed in various regional and sectional USTA tournaments.

Kimberly Sumpter is an experienced podcast editor, producer, and instructor on a mission to empower the next generation of podcasters. Since 2019, she has taught over 500 international students and women in business the art of podcasting.

As the host of Sistahs Connect® , she uses her platform to celebrate and share the stories of women who have profoundly impacted her life's journey. Her passion for amplifying voices led her to found Podcast to Inspire®, a coaching and editing business designed to teach visionaries and purpose-driven leaders with inspiring messages how to podcast.

Her work has been recognized on platforms such as MSNBC, The Podcast Business Journal, Authority Magazine, and She Podcasts Live. In 2022, Libsyn honored her as a Women's History Month podcast industry leader, and in 2023, she was nominated for The Podcast Pioneer Award, which celebrates women-owned businesses making a significant and positive impact in the podcasting industry.

In 2024, Kimberly was honored to be included on the POC Stock Top 50 Future of Black America list, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the podcasting industry.

I have more than 30 years experience as an insurance claims professional handling property and casualty claims. I worked as a claims adjuster, claims supervisor and home office supervisor. In 2012 I became a LegalShield independent associate helping individuals, families and businesses by connecting them with  identity theft protection and life-events legal plans.

I am also a professional mediator and the President & CEO of MST Mediation Solutions LLC and a Notary Signing Agent.

Leadership Newark Alum - Class of 2012

Willie Tolbert recognized in the Marketplace as The Guy with The Bow Tie

Managing Partner of Business Resource Connector LLC

Mentor & Coach

Non-Profit Consultant

Serves on the several Community Boards including  Advisory Board of the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, National Small Business Association Leadership Council and Chair of the Essex County Workforce Development Board. Previously served as Chair of the Essex County Small Business Committee and Meadowlands Chamber Small Business Committee. Currently a Member of the State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, North Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the Master Networks Carmel Chapter

CEO of Next Dimensions Community Development

Recently named the Chair for the Essex County Workforce Development Board

Married to his lovely wife Mamie for 45 years, together they have 2 Adult Sons, Daughter in Love and One Granddaughter Elisabeth Moriah Tolbert Ms. Ellie

Laurie Kopp Weingarten is a Certified Educational Planner and President of One-Stop College Counseling. She graduated with a BSE from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Beginning with ninth graders, Laurie guides students through each stage of the college admissions process. She covers everything from high school course selection, standardized test choices, extra-curricular activity enhancement, volunteer work, summer jobs/internships, essay topic selection, resume guidance, early decision/early action strategies and all other situations that arise during the high school years! She is passionate about helping students reach their full potential.

Laurie visits colleges and universities regularly and speaks directly with admissions officers to remain up-to-date on current admissions practices.

Awarded the CEP, Laurie is also a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and a member of HECA, NACAC, NJACAC and PACAC. She is also a proud member of the Character Collaborative.

Laurie has two children who, in the time it takes to blink, suddenly became young adults. One graduated from Princeton (2018), and the other just graduated (virtually) from the University of Pennsylvania.