Since founding Pinnacle Group in her mid-20s, Nina Vaca has strategically developed it into the dynamic powerhouse that it is today, providing information technology services and workforce solutions to iconic global brands. Under her leadership, Pinnacle Group has been ranked among the Inc. 500/5000 fastest growing companies in the country for the last decade. In 2018 and 2015, it was named fastest-growing women-owned/led company in the nation by the Women Presidents’ Organization, as well being named among the top two in 2016 and 2017. Vaca serves as a director of Kohl’s Corporation, Cinemark Holdings, and Comerica, Inc. Throughout her two decades in business, Vaca has also served as a dedicated civic leader and philanthropist, working relentlessly to expand opportunities for Hispanics and women in business, and most recently to expand opportunities in STEM fields for women and girls. Pinnacle Group was among the first cohort of industry partners to support the Pathways to Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program through the Dallas Independent School District. Through this program, Pinnacle Group serves as an industry partner to Thomas Jefferson P-TECH Early College High School, a predominantly Hispanic school located near Pinnacle’s headquarters. Students

in this program graduate in four years with a high school degree, and an associates degree in one of three pathways from Brookhaven Community College. Ninety-seven percent of the students in the Early College High School are minorities and the vast majority will be the first in their families to attend college. Since experiencing firsthand, the power of entrepreneurship and business, Vaca has dedicated herself to advocating for women in business at home and abroad. In 2014, she was selected by President Barack Obama as one of the inaugural members of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship program and in that capacity, has traveled extensively to inspire entrepreneurs worldwide. This past August, Vaca traveled to Amman, Jordan as a guest of the U.S. Embassy to share her message of prosperity through entrepreneurship with local entrepreneurs, business leaders, and government agencies. Never satisfied with being one of the first or one of the only women or Latinas serving on corporate boards or in the c-suite, Vaca founded At the Table: Women in

Business and Leadership to help more women find a pathway to the board table or to the c-suite. This program specifically focuses on empowering Latina entrepreneurs as the strong economic force that they are through training, guidance, and networking opportunities, helping to strengthen local communities from coast to coast. At the Table is housed at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation. In 2017, Vaca was named a Woman of Distinction by the

Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and honored as a Trailblazing Woman in Labor and Business by the National Women’s History Project. Vaca has been recognized as one of the top 100 most influential and notable Hispanic Professionals in the Information Technology Industry by the Hispanic IT Executive Council. Last year, Vaca graced the cover of Latino Leaders Magazine as one of 2017’s 101 Most Influential Latinos in America, a list she has been included in for the past decade. She was honored as Woman of the Year by Solo Mujeres Magazine in Houston at the 11th annual Tribute to the Hispanic Woman, which honors the accomplishments of women who have blazed trails, become entrepreneurs, committed themselves to the community and set the course for future generations to come.

Alison Levine is no stranger to punishing environments. She has survived sub-zero temperatures, hurricane force winds, sudden avalanches and a career on Wall Street. Levine has climbed the highest peak on every continent, served as the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, and skied across the Arctic Circle to the geographic North Pole. In January 2008, she made history as the first American to follow a remote route across west Antarctica for 600 miles to the South Pole. She completed this arduous journey on skis while hauling 150 pounds of her gear and supplies in a sled harnessed to her waist. Levine's success in extreme environments is noteworthy given she had three heart surgeries and also suffers from a neurological disease that causes the arteries that feed her fingers and toes to collapse in cold weather, leaving her at extreme risk for frostbite.

Levine spent four years as an adjunct professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point where she focused on the topic of leading teams in extreme environments. She is the author of the New York Times best-seller On the Edge, which is a compilation of lessons she learned during her various expeditions, and she’s here today to share some of those lessons with us. Please welcome, Alison Levine.

Lisa MacKenzie is a seasoned executive with expertise in marketing, sales, product management and operations. Lisa was instrumental in The Channel Company's evolution from providing traditional media to offering a full portfolio of solutions and services. She brings her proven expertise to The Channel Company's extensive events portfolio - helping ensure that our events meet the evolving needs of our customers. Thanks to Lisa's leadership, The Channel Company attracts record audiences and receives high customer satisfaction scores. Lisa also repositioned our consulting, research and education offerings, resulting in increased profitability and new product launches.

Lara Spencer was named co-anchor for ABC's Good Morning America in March, 2011. This is Spencer's second time at GMA.  She was previously the show's National Correspondent for 5 years, from 1999 to 2004. Spencer began her broadcasting career in the NBC Page Program. Her first reporting job was at WDEF-TV in Chattanooga, TN, where she was, as she calls it, a "one-man band" shooting, reporting, and editing all of her stories. From there, she landed on her home turf when the New York native began reporting for News 12 Long Island. From 1995 to 1999, Spencer was a reporter and anchor for WABC-TV's Eyewitness News in New York City, where she covered breaking stories including the crash of TWA Flight 800 and the death of Princess Diana. But it was her nightly feature, "Life Around Here with Lara Spencer" that got her noticed by Good Morning America.  She moved full time to GMA the following year, lending her infectious curiosity and writing skills to memorable stories including "50 States in 50 Weeks: In Search of America". The Emmy-nominated series featured Spencer exploring the diversity of the American states. 

In 2004, Spencer launched and hosted the syndicated entertainment news magazine show, The Insider and also hosted the PBS series Antiques Roadshow (2002-2004). In 2010, she created the HGTV show Flea Market Flip of which she continues to serve as executive producer and host. She is the author of The New York Times bestseller, I Brake For Yard Sales and is currently writing her second book on decorating. Spencer graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Eleanor Beaton is a women’s leadership mentor and founder of Fierce Feminine Leadership, an organization that helps ambitious professional women and business owners develop the confidence, presence, political savvy and influence they need to smash the glass ceiling and take their seats at the tables where the big deals and big decisions are made. Eleanor is also an award-winning journalist, podcast host, and keynote speaker. She has served as Chair of the Visiting Women's Executive Exchange Program at the Yale School of Management. In 2017, she won the prestigious Profiles in Diversity "Women Worth Watching" Award for her work promoting diversity and inclusion. She was also named Canada’s Leadership Coach of the Year by the 2017 Corporate Excellence Awards.

Michelle Tillis Lederman, named one of Forbes Top 25 Networking Experts, is the author of The 11 Laws of Likability, Heroes Get Hired, and Nail The Interview - Land The Job. Her next book, The Connectors Club will be released late 2018. Michelle is the founder and CEO of Executive Essentials, which provides customized communications and leadership coaching and training programs.  Michelle believes real relationships lead to real results and specializes in teaching people how to communicate with confidence, clarity, and connection.  

Her clients include JPMorgan, J&J, Deutsche Bank, Target, MetLife, Sony, Ernst & Young, and Madison Square Garden. Passionate about education, Michelle served as an Adjunct Professor at NYU, on the faculty of the American Management Association, Lehigh Executive Education, and Rutgers Executive Education and the advisory board of Kean’s Global Business School.  

A regular in the media, Michelle has appeared on or been quoted by CBS, NBC, Fox, NPR, CNBC, the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Working Mother, US News & World Report, MSNBC, Forbes and USA Today among many others.

Michelle spent a decade in finance with positions in audit, M&A, financial consulting, VC, and hedge fund investing. She received her BS from Lehigh University, her MBA from Columbia Business School, and her coaching certification from iPec and holds the PCC certification from the International Coaching Federation. Executive Essentials is a certified Women Business Enterprise.

Bertina Ceccarelli joined NPower as Chief Executive Officer in May, 2016.  NPower is a national nonprofit dedicated to creating pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities.  NPower empowers tech futures by teaching the digital and professional skills demanded by the marketplace. Ceccarelli is an engineer by training and began her career in technology as a Systems Analyst for Procter & Gamble before moving into marketing for the company.  After P&G, she joined the National Broadcasting Company, where she served in several executive roles, including Senior Vice President for NBC’s online ventures. After a successful career in the corporate sector, Ms. Ceccarelli transitioned her skills to the nonprofit sector.  Growing up in a working-class family and the first to graduate from high school, she was drawn to a community that once supported her own educational endeavors.  In 2001, Ms. Ceccarelli joined United Way of New York City as Senior VP of Institutional Advancement. Bertina holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the UC Berkeley.   Bertina lives in Brooklyn with her husband and teenage son.

Jenifer Sarver has nearly two decades of experience in media relations, crisis communications, speechwriting, coalition building, and media and presentation skills training. Her career has spanned the corporate, nonprofit and political worlds. Sarver launched Sarver Strategies in 2014 to focus on storytelling and training, helping clients develop a narrative that conveys their core values, and then preparing them to effectively deliver that message. She teaches public speaking, advocacy, speechwriting, storytelling and confidence in communication, among other topics. She has lectured at UT Austin, Texas Woman’s University, Concordia University, American University, UT Dallas and at the Yale Women’s Campaign School, among other institutions. She has conducted international trainings in Kenya, Tunisia, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Australia. 

Sarver spent six years as chief of staff to Ambassador Karen Hughes, the Worldwide vice chair of Burson-Marsteller. She led the company’s Austin office, helping drive new business development and managing a wide variety of accounts, from corporate communications to crisis response. Sarver was the deputy director of public affairs at the U.S. Commerce Dept. in the Bush administration. She also served as the director of The Archer Center and was a senior advisor for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. 

She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies. She received a Master of Public Administration degree from American University. In 2017, she was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. In the 2018 Primary Election she was a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress (TX-21).

Dao Jensen has been in the tech industry for over 20 years and founded Kaizen Technology Partners LLC  in 2013 as the first 100% female minority owned Born in the Cloud Focused VAR in the San Francisco  Bay Area, helping Fortune 500 Enterprise clients optimize, strategize, and procure data centers and cloud  environments. Some of Kaizen’s marquee clients are: SAP.com, AT&T, NASDAQ, PayPal and Bed Bath  and Beyond. Kaizen has also worked with many medium businesses and startups such as Zuora, Kountables, and MyMyMusic. Kaizen launched “The Office of the Cloud” in 2016 with Storm Ventures to help clients share successes  and failures in their cloud projects as well as help more women have careers in the cloud economy. In  Kaizen’s five years of operation, it has several awards from the IT community, including being the #1  Cloud reseller in the Nation in 2014 for Avnet technology in the first year of business. She has personally  grown and bootstrapped the company to $10+ million in sales by using partners and distribution and  recently hired a channel manager to help give Kaizen more visibility and funding from our current  vendors.    Previous to the launching of Kaizen, Dao ran sales nationally and internationally at large corporations  such as Symantec and Oracle. She was brought up in Minnesota in an environment of entrepreneurial  parents who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam and this has positioned her well for success to  become an entrepreneur and take Kaizen from ground 0 to $10mil in 5 years. Dao is also a community  activist, and mother of four. She love reading, traveling, cooking food and sharing a nice meal with  friends and family. She loves helping others achieve their dreams, promote living everyday as if it was  our last and foster an environment where everyone can become an entrepreneur. Since the company’s  inception, Kaizen has taken one female a year and trained them on the IT industry to find a career in the  IT field.     Some of Dao’s most recent awards and accolades are: ranked #107 fastest growing private companies by  Inc. 5000 in 2017; ranked #7 Fastest Growing Private IT Services Company in the USA by Inc. 2017;  ranked by San Francisco Business Times as a Top 100 Women Bay Area Owned Company in 2017; last  year’s Silver Winner of the Stevie Awards for Women In Business Nationwide for Companies Under 10;  scholarship awardee for class of 2018 Harvard OPM 3-year Program; Ernst and Young-Entrepreneurial  Winning Women Class of 2017 finalist. 

Fil Ionata is a Master Trainer for Dale Carnegie & Associates. She delivers quality training, working directly with clients’ needs by adding value, and maximizing their ROI.  Ionata’s experience in training ranges from communications, presentation skills, executive leadership and management. Since 2001, her expertise has been utilized by small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 companies, as well as global, national and regional corporations.

Danna Lewis, a three-time Amazon bestselling author, has worked in industries and businesses of all sizes from Fortune 500 to startup, including investment banking, healthcare fitness and wellness.  Lewis joined Athena Alliance in 2018 bringing along more than 20 years of experience in strategic operations with a keen focus on stakeholder experience. She has led cross-functional teams from finance to sales, marketing and product development. She has served in key -operational leadership positions for Citigroup and Bar Method, where she led high-impact teams through periods of rapid expansion and transformation. Lewis draws on her extensive leadership experience to deliver workshops and presentations on modern leadership, and to consult with executives and their teams on branding and operations best practices. In addition, Lewis hosts a weekly conscious leadership radio talk show, sharing her expertise with listeners worldwide.

Jenn McDonald is an accomplished senior marketing professional known for her visionary thinking and ability to deliver outstanding and measurable business results.  In her role as Fortinet's Senior Director of Cloud and Service Provider Field Marketing, McDonald is responsible for developing and executing strategic programs targeting cloud and service providers to stimulate sales, build advocacy, and demonstrate thought leadership.  During her two decades working in the IT industry, McDonald's roles have included strategic planning, direct and indirect sales, global alliance development, and worldwide channel marketing.  Before joining Fortinet, McDonald held positions across multiple disciplines within global technology companies including Cisco, Lucent Technologies and Dimension Data She earned her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts and was on the NCAA Division 3 softball team.

Tiffani Bova is the Global, Customer Growth, Sales and Innovation Evangelist. Her focus will be helping companies reimagine how they can not only grow bigger but grow better with innovative business models and technology. Bova considers herself a ‘recovering sales rep’, spending time meeting with sales leaders from some of the largest and most successful sales organizations in the world who are using Salesforce technology, to improve performance and enhance customer experience, in order to uncover best practices and insights which can be shared more broadly. Prior to joining Salesforce, Bova was with Gartner as a VP, Distinguished Analyst and Research Fellow covering Sales Strategies and Channel Innovation.

Michelle Pas is Director of Channel Marketing & Global Programs with RSA, a Dell Technologies business. She has 25 years of experience in channel storage, information security, networking, and the telecommunications industries.  Pas leads the strategic vision for channel marketing and programs at RSA. Her channel experience includes working with high tech leaders at Arrow, Safenet, Motorola and Sun Microsystems (StorageTek). 

Wendy Hoey is the Director of Distribution and Vendor Alliances at Optiv. Wendy is a dynamic and technically-savvy channel executive leader with demonstrated experience in channel account management, strategic channel marketing, and channel partner development within the IT Security Industry. Exemplary record of delivering and sustaining revenue and profit gains within highly competitive B2B and B2C vertical markets.

A 20-year tech industry veteran, Margaret is a builder, a change agent, and a coach. She is a frequent speaker and author on technology trends, women in tech, digital marketing, and living intentionally. During her many startup gigs, Margaret’s creative leadership built bigger than reality brands that resulted in several successful acquisitions and some fantastic implosions. In leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies, she used her intrapreneurship and collaborative management to drive new global initiatives, including cloud at HP, security at Microsoft, international ecommerce at Amazon, and now, integrated solutions at Red Hat. She has a passion for mentoring women and men in tech, and is unapologetic in her drive for increased equality and diversity, as well as her unique talents of snorting while laughing and swearing like a sailor.

Sandy Butler Buchanon, National Sales Director, ACC Business/AT&T. Passionate about servant leadership and she supports a team of technology professionals in a revenue growth YOY, including Technical Sales, Pricing & Contracting functions, SP Contracting & Commissions, along with a top notch Sales Team.

Fun fact about Sandy: She is a published poet.

Karen Hsu is the North American Director of Server Channel Sales within IBM's Systems Group, she leads a team of power and mainframe evangelists and sales professionals who focus on the channel market penetration of the IBM infrastructure solutions.  Hsu, who has held positions at the global level and in marketing, has been a part of the North America sales organization for approximately ten years.  She received her Master of Science degree from Northwestern University.

Julie Heeg leads strategic initiatives for the IBM NA Ecosystem team, including net promoter score and watson build.  Prior to her current position, Heeg held a variety of direct and channel sales positions with IBM during her more than 30-year career. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University.

Deborah Nevin is the Vice President of IGF Channels for North America.  Nevin is responsible for both managing the financial services executives supporting all alternate routes in North America, as well as the growth with Core IBM business and business partners, as well as OEM and new manufacturer relationships. Prior to this current position, Nevin was Director of Storage and Software Defined Systems, Channels North America and Director for STG Channels for the east region.  She has held numerous channel roles in power, SP1 relationships, systems integrators and the BP client rep teams.  Nevin joined IBM in Bethesda, Maryland in 200l as an RS/6000 specialist. Before joining IBM she was a client representative for Continental Resources in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Nevin received her Bachelor of Arts degree from East Carolina University.

Joanna Raitano has been a channel champion for more than 20 years.  Raitano brings a dynamic approach to collaboration and has led strategic initiatives and teams across IBM channel business in both solution units and in a client relationship capacity.  In her current role, Raitano leads the IBM relationship with Arrow in North America and is responsible for driving their total IBM business results.  She collaborates with Arrow to bring growth through new business models and emerging technology with our partner ecosystem.