Broward College to Host Women's Business Economic Empowerment Summit Breaking Barriers

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (October 14, 2015) – To help women-owned businesses break down the many barriers they continue to face and to provide an opportunity for the public to address these issues, Broward College is hosting its first-ever Women’s Business Economic Empowerment Summit: Breaking Barriers. The College will lead a discussion on the obstacles women face in business, including unequal pay, work-life balance, contract negotiation, access to capital and implicit bias, among other topics. This event is free and open to the public, and will take place on Thursday, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Broward College’s North Campus, 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd., Omni Auditorium.

“According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, in some industries, women-owned businesses make only 25 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn, so we are excited to organize an event that shines a light on these important hurdles experienced by women in business,” said District Director of Supplier Relations and Diversity Dicky Sykes.

Nancy Allen, president and CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council of Florida, will serve as moderator. Panelists include Andrea Bowden, senior vice president of Commercial Banking, Comerica; Rosa Costanzo, vice president of strategic sourcing and supply chain management and chief procurement officer, Jackson Health System; Rosanna Durruthy, chief diversity officer, Cigna; Laura Gambino, business development coordinator, City of Fort Lauderdale; Tonya Davis Johnson, director, Palm Beach County Office of Small Business; Kathey Porter, director of small business and vendor diversity relations, University of Florida; Avis Proctor, North Campus president, Broward College; Susana Robledo, founder and CEO of Cube Care Company; Margaret Simone, project executive, Turner Construction, and Annette Gray, founder and president, Global Business Development Center.

Following the summit, a business card drawing will take place, and each panelist has agreed to provide 12 hours of free coaching to one woman business owner. There will be 10 total winners. Coaching sessions will begin January 2016. The woman-owned business owner must be present to win. Only women business owners are eligible for the free coaching sessions.

For more information, visit https://womensempowermentsummit2015.eventbrite.com, or contact Angela Nicoletti at 954-201-7939 or anicolet@broward.edu.