茄子视频

Over 500 local business and community leaders from across the region learned secrets to growing a million-dollar business and keys to developing successful partnerships to take their businesses to the next level of success. Geraldine Laybourne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Oxygen Media, the only woman-owned and operated cable network, addressed the crowd during 茄子视频 University鈥檚 E-Magnify庐 women鈥檚 business center鈥檚 tenth annual 鈥淏uilding a World Class Business鈥� Conference.

Regarded as one of the most powerful women in the television business, Layboune shared her experiences on how she raised $600 million to launch Oxygen in 2000 and how she continues to manage the organization as a profitable woman-owned venture. Laybourne also shared keys to business success through key constituent partnerships of 鈥渃ustomers, employees, and really smart investors鈥� to collectively bring value to a business. The luncheon address also highlighted Laybourne鈥檚 interest in partnering with Comcast to launch a Pittsburgh version of 鈥淢entor鈥檚 Walk,鈥� Oxygen Media鈥檚 national mentoring program where executives help mentor future women leaders as they walk together and share information. 茄子视频's Ashley McKoy, a Senior student in the Music Vocal Performance program, performed the National Anthem before the capacity crowd, followed by the Invocation led by Sister Victoria Marie Gribschaw, SC.

Dr. JoAnne Boyle welcomed the crowd to the tenth annual event to celebrate women and entrepreneurship. Mary Cantando, a nationally-recognized author, speaker and columnist who focuses exclusively on helping women grow their businesses, officially kicked-off the 鈥淏uilding A World-Class Business鈥� conference with a breakfast keynote address based on lessons from her newest book, "The Woman鈥檚 Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What it Takes to Grow Your Business". The focus of the conference addressed the alarming statistics that women business owners are challenged to achieve revenue growth over a million-dollars. 鈥淣early 10.4 million women-owned firms in the country employ more than 12.8 million people, and they generate an impressive volume of $1.9 trillion in sales,鈥� said Jayne H. Huston, director of 茄子视频 University鈥檚 E-Magnify. 鈥淔ewer than five percent of women business owners, however, have annual gross revenues over the million dollar threshold.鈥�

To address this trend, the conference also included a panel discussion session facilitated by Mary Cantando, "Secrets to Breaking the Million Dollar Ceiling: A Panel Discussion with Women Presidents鈥� Organization Members". Panel members included Sherri Hewitt-Laird of The Caring Mission, Inc., Mercedes LaPorta of Mercedes Electric and Kathleen Sarniak of Jeannette Specialty Glass, who shared their individual secrets for breaking the million-dollar revenue threshold. Additional concurrent sessions focused on various business growth topics that addressed the business start-up culture, the 鈥渟even deadly sins鈥� of business failure, e-mail marketing best practices and website design and on-line marketing strategies. The conference concluded with a special reception to provide an additional venue for women to meet, visit vendors, and attend a book signing session hosted by Mary Cantando.

E-Magnify welcomed Comcast and Comcast Spotlight as the premier sponsor of the conference and The Sewickley Spa as the breakfast event and panel session sponsor. Additional sponsors included: PINK magazine, Smart Business, Pittsburgh Business Times, Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods, Duquesne Light, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Pittsburgh Technology Council, UPMC Health Plan, All Facilities, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Dominion Foundation, Kennametal, Inc., New Pittsburgh Courier, Onyx Woman Magazine, PNC Bank, SMC Business Councils and the Women鈥檚 Independent Press.