Registration Pre-Function Area
SALON D
NETWORKING BREAKFAST * BUSINESS SERIES WORKSHOPS
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY EXPO * Macy’s Make up & Shoe Lounge

Welcome & Business Series Introduction: (8:30 am - 8:50 am)
Robert Bard, President & CEO, LATINA Style
Keynote Speaker: Special guest invited Charlotte Mayor
Macy’s Speaker: Wilka Varela Toppins, OVP Diversity Strategies, Macy’s, Inc.

Accessing Capital in Today’s Economy (9:00 am - 9:45 am)
Focus: This panel combines a unique blend of professionals with extensive experience in the areas of business bank lending, private, venture and angel investments, government lending for small business. Panelists will present available sources and ways to build capacity to position a small business to secure capital for expansion.

The Essentials of a Successful Business (9:45 am -10:45 am)
Focus: One of the greatest challenges to small business is the proper structure of the enterprise. Panelists provide extensive expertise on the importance of a proper foundation and structure of a business, how to protect it and make it flourish and the benefits of certification. The establishment of a proper accounting system, the right legal structure, the correct tax reporting system, proper insurance protection and strong employee clearance will insure that you do not lose your business due to poor preparation. This is a must not only for the starting entrepreneur but for a growing business as well.

Break (10:45 am - 11:00 am)

Greening Your Business Sponsored by Wal-Mart (11:00 am - 11:45 am)
Focus: Experts will provide education, insights and solutions to help women and minority-owned small business see the value and relevancy of “Going Green”. Presenters will provide relevant resources and will make recommendation on how business might empower employees, set manageable goals, understand regulations/policy, and how to eventually evoke change in customer/public behaviors.

Financial Survival Guide (11:45 am – 12:30 pm)
Focus: The current difficult economic state has caught many ill-equipped. How does one prepare for a financial downturn and create a recovery plan? How do you respond if your 401K has lost significant value? What can you do if your children's education fund has been severely impacted? How do you prepare in case of a downsizing? LATINA Style will follow up focusing on economic issues impacting the Latina community.

Latina Entrepreneur Spotlight: Lessons Learned (12:30 pm - 1:15 pm)
Focus: Knowledge is gold. How much better would your business be today if you only had known about this or that? Costly mistakes are a knife in the back of the entrepreneur. Four successful Latina entrepreneurs at different stages of business maturity discuss lessons learned throughout the life enterprise. They provide insight on how to recognize, research, and select a business venture, the challenges they encountered, how they overcame them, and the invaluable advice that they wish had been available to them when they were

LATINA ENTREPRENEUR AWARD LUNCHEON
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Location: Grand Ballroom Level * SALON E, F, G & H

Welcome: Robert Bard, President & CEO, LATINA Style
Mistress of Ceremony: Elisa Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, Alan Gordon Immigration & Naturalization Law
Keynote Speaker: Deborah Aguiar-Vélez, Founder, CEO, and President of Sistemas Corporation
Macy’s Speaker: Lorena Castillo-Ritz, Merchandise Manager, Macy’s South Park in Charlotte, NC
Award Recipient Sponsored by Macy’s:

CLOSING DESSERT RECEPTION
Grand Ballroom Level FOYER AREA

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY EXPO * MARKETING * Macy’s Make up & Shoe Lounge
Pre-Function area 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Drawing – fabulous prizes donated by our sponsors
*MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN*