Women’s Conference (backup)

The Jersey Shore Chamber of Commerce invites you to save the date for its first ever Jersey Shore Women’s Conference to be held at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey on November 17-18, 2021. The Conference will bring together Jersey Shore leaders in business and industry, committed to advancing women and commerce. This year, we will focus on the power to INNOVATE, INFLUENCE AND INSPIRE. Business and community leaders have risen to the occasion presented during the past arduous and historic year. At the Conference, we will honor and educate from the hard lessons learned when women have met the moment and risen above and beyond presented challenges. We will take away inspiring and practical advice that we can all use to elevate our own businesses, careers, and lives.

We also hope you seize this extraordinary opportunity to BE A SPONSOR of this event. Make an impact and help us inspire our community. Your involvement will provide meaningful participation and highlight your commitment to our collective mission. Our lineup of visionaries is growing and includes: Kim Guadagno – Former Lt. Governor of NJ; Caroline Manzo – American Television Personality, Entrepreneur & Author; and Rosemary Novellino-Mearns – Author, Lyricist, Playwright & Retired Dancer.

The energizing content in this beautiful setting will be the perfect opportunity for relationships and partnerships to form.

The Jersey Shore Women’s Conference – Health and Safety Standards

The Jersey Shore Women’s Conference is committed to facilitating a well-attended and beneficial event while simultaneously caring for your health and safety. We are cognizant of the ever-changing regulatory environment related to COVID-19. Accordingly, the Jersey Shore Women’s Conference will abide by the most restrictive guidelines that govern the space. This standard will allow the organizers to be flexible to observe any new requirements that may arise. Masks and hand sanitizer will be supplied, and cleaning staff will be specially employed as well. We look forward to providing this unique opportunity for business and community leaders to join together during a time when demographically, women have so significantly struggled. Join us in our mission to Innovate, Influence, and Inspire.

Cleaning, Health & Safety Guidelines – The Berkeley Hotel (berkeleyhotelnj.com)

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AM KEYNOTE – INNOVATE, INFLUENCE, INSPIRE: Kim Guadagno

PM KEYNOTE – INNOVATE, INFLUENCE, INSPIRE: Allison Ertl, Publisher, Star News Group, in conversation with Caroline Manzo: American Television Personality, Entrepreneur & Author:

Caroline Manzo is an American television personality, an entrepreneur and an author and she’s no stranger to telling it like it is. Caroline gained notoriety on Bravo’s “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” as well as her own spinoff show, “Manzo’d with Children,” but she’s been telling it like it is as a Brooklyn-born Jersey Girl for her entire life. Local publisher Alison Manser Ertl will talk to Caroline about her experiences with innovation, influence, and inspiration and dive into some of the popular themes from her book “Let Me Tell You Something.”  Attendees will also have the chance to join the conversation during the “Ask Caroline” Q&A session.

Influence: Diversity, Empowerment and Representation.

Statistics demonstrate that women, especially women of color, are underrepresented in elected office. This bipartisan panel will discuss the importance of representative participation in the political process, from voting to advocacy to creating equitable and meaningful policies. This group is ready to have the tough and candid conversations about why stereotypes are perceived as hurdles; why “allyship” should not be just a buzzword; how social media keeps changing the landscape; why civility matters for everyone in the public space; how financing affects the spheres of influence; and why mentoring and sponsoring are essential to achieve a meaningful and representative balance in our elected and appointed offices. If you believe that simply having a seat at the table is no longer important enough, this Panel will teach you how to be a meaningful voice in your community and why it is important to make an impact.

Moderator: Corinne McCann Trainor, Esq., Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP

Speakers:

Senator Robert Singer

Senator Vin Gopal

Assemblyman Ned Thompson

Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, Asbury Park

Laura Matos, Managing Director & General Manager, Kivvit

Jeanette Hoffman, President, Marathon Public Affairs

Innovate: Building a Freelance Career

Fredi Walker-Brown will provide a step-by-step guide through a series of business, administrative and life skills that can make the difference between an “aspiring” arts worker and a “working” artist. This mini-workshop will impart professional skills that are equally instructive for arts workers, independent contractors and consultants.

Introduction: Kellyann Skorupski, Co-owner of Chores NJ

Speaker: Fredi Walker-Brown, Actress, Founder & President, Big Spoon Productions

Innovate: Scaling on Up

Do you want to grow and to do it exponentially? Are you focused on turning your vision into a reality? Our panel will discuss the steps businesses need to take to scale up. They will teach you to identify and overcome the most common challenges concerning financing, refining workflows and processes, embracing and boosting your internal culture, building your team and empowering management for successful growth while maintaining operational control. Think big!

Moderator: Christina Hardman-O’Neal, Esq., Partner, Davison Eastman Munoz Paone P.A.

Speakers:

Jim A. Paone, II, Esq., Managing Principal, Davison Eastman Munoz Paone P.A.

James S. Vaccaro, CEO and President, Manasquan Bank

Danielle Wolowitz, Owner, Shore Business Solutions

Jackeline Mejias-Fuertes, Director Small Business Development Center, Brookdale Community College

Inspire: Saving Radio City Music Hall – A Dancer’s True Story

At last, the true story of how Radio City Music Hall, the Art Deco masterpiece and one of New York City’s iconic cultural landmarks, was saved from demolition. Nearly 40 years later, Rosemary Novellino-Mearns, dance captain of the legendary Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company during the 1970s, tells the amazing story of how she motivated a small group of dedicated colleagues and friends to join forces, challenge the Rockefeller establishment and, against all odds, save the “Showplace of the Nation.”

Introduction: Jessica Baguchinsky, Owner, Is That Gluten Free, LLC?

Speaker: Rosemary Novellino-Mearns, Author, Lyricist, Playwright & Retired Dancer

Inspire: Doing Good and Doing Well

Our esteemed panel will discuss how they have reinvented themselves as business leaders to overcome challenges or to simply start something new. The panelists will share why supporting their communities and causes is deeply personal, immeasurably rewarding, and inextricably intertwined with their professional successes.

Moderator: Thomas Hayes, Director of Customer & Community Relations, NJNG

Speakers:

Pat Mayer, Five Star Realtor, Diane Turton Realtors

Fallon Schultz, Curator, The Gottlieb District

Kristina Henderson, CEO, Henderson Promos

Influence: Motivating Future Leaders

Learn the secret to motivating future leaders from three sports coaches, who motivate young people every day to be the best that they can be. The panelists agree that the key is positivity and authenticity. Coach “Jazz” will reapply excerpts of her Hall of Fame speech to inspire you to confidently walk onto the basketball court of life, to take that court for yourself. Then, Beth and Brighde will provide a “post-game breakdown” of Coach Jazz’s lessons to help you develop your own coaching philosophy. These positively positive people will share how confidence, empowerment, emotional intelligence, and effective listening could help you recognize life’s key turning points, harness your inner-strength and catapult to the next level.

Speakers:

Jasmina (“Jazz”) Perazic, Head Basketball Coach, Georgian Court University

Brighde Dougherty, Owner, Flo Leadership Academy

Beth English, Athletic Director and Supervisor of Extracurricular Activities, Manalapan High School

Innovate: Courageous Acts of Entrepreneurship

Be a boss. Entrepreneurs are willing to work hard and to accept a certain amount of uncertainty for a great reason: to make their dreams come true. Although the panelists have varied experiences, common themes will emerge through this informative and insightful conversation to help you understand exactly what inspired these people to open their own businesses. These trailblazing women seized control over their desire for independence when they started building their own castles, each with a focused mindset, a supportive community, and a courageous heart.

Introduction: Jessica Lombardi, Investors Bank

Moderator: Joan Sebring, Business Coach, Focal Point

Speakers:

Jennifer Ortiz, Owner and Agent, Jen Ortiz State Farm

Patty Camme, Owner, She Shed

Sheryl L. Paynter, Lead Lender Relations Specialist & Lead Economic Development Specialist, SBA

Mary Ball, Owner, Salon Kokopelli

Influence: Running (Struggling) Through Life

Women are healthier when they pour from a full cup. Dr. Valerie Barba, D.D.S. and her colleagues will highlight how an integrated approach to health and wellness serves women well, as they warmly prepare the crowd for Mrs. Space Cadet’s “liked” and “shared” fitness journey.

Erin Azar, better known as Mrs. Space Cadet on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, will demystify the mystery of a real life social media influencer. Erin single handedly transformed her quiet life as a wife and mom of three to a brand ambassador. Erin will discuss how she began documenting her “one step at a time” attitude with her GoPro. Erin’s commitment to her fitness goals has done more than just influence. The documentation of her journey to complete a marathon before they take the finish line down has garnered over 650,000 followers on social media, and her videos have been viewed millions of times. Erin has created a community while challenging the “Instagram Model” norm by revealing her authentic self, and the world has embraced her.

Introduction:

Dr. Valerie Barba, Owner, Valerie Barba D.D.S.
Inga Potenza, Office Manager, Valerie Barba D.D.S.
Heather Panella, Registered Dental Hygienist, Valerie Barba D.D.S.

Speaker:

Erin Azar a/k/a “Mrs. Space Cadet”

OPENING RECEPTION AND COMEDY SHOW

Headlining Jeff Norris

Featuring Renee DeLorenzo

Hosted by Art “Bacardi Ardi” Wolfarth, Owner, Wiseguy Promotions

WAKE UP WELLNESS

Walk on the boardwalk

Rain or shine, at 6:00 am

CLOSING RECEPTION

The Suyat Band

Steadily building a reputation as one of the most consistently crowd-pleasing live acts on the East Coast for the past six years, The Suyat Band delivers high-energy hits from yesterday and today with rock-solid musicianship and warm-hearted Aloha spirit.

Led by its namesake, Hawaiian-born Matthew Suyat, a champion at the Apollo Theater and American Idol Top 24 Finalist, the band has performed at such historic venues as NYC’s BB King’s, Stephens Talkhouse, NJ’s Wellmont Theater, and have also been a regular presence at Jersey Shore venues such as The Seashell, The Osprey, Bar Anticipation, and many wedding venues throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, New Hampshire, California and more.