About

With a background in brand strategy and copy writing, Amy leads the Los Angeles market, hosts the SMART Conversation Series, moderates Master Event panels and does selective one-on-one coaching with small business owners. As a strategist and writer, Amy has worked with hundreds of brands to position or message products or services internationally. From Virgin Atlantic to Ralph Lauren to MGM/Mirage to Christian Dior, Amy is a marketing and communications expert. She has been featured or quoted on CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Women’s Wear Daily, Harpers Bazaar, Sunset Magazine, Lucky, Life in the Fab Lane with Kimora Lee Simmons. Amy is a tastemaker for ThisNext, a regular blogger for Georgia NYC – a beauty and lifestyle concierge, moderator and speaker for the ltdLIVE women’s conference, scout for ScooterTraffic, guest editor for Tada Shop, and named one of the top 50 women to follow on Twiiter by Evan Carmichael. See Amy’s MyStory here. Follow Amy on Twitter @SMARTYAmy.

Stephanie Barrymore is a seasoned sales executive who has spent over 17 years selling into Fortune 500 companies. She has hired and coached hundreds of sales people and sales executives in the area of selling and business growth strategies. Stephanie has extensive sales operations experience in turn around and start up situations in the telecommunications, music, retail, staffing and technology industries. Her experience led her to start her company, The Selling Method where she focuses on what she specializes in: helping companies sell their products and services in the areas of business development, sales strategy, coaching and training all sales staff and executive leadership responsible for the growth of a company. Stephanie also serves on the board of an Investment Bank where she coaches CEO’s on how to grow their business to attract investors. She is the author of “Just Get the Appointment” and leads a workshop called The Working Business Plan for entrepreneurs in the Newport Beach and Los Angeles area. Follow Stephanie on Twitter @SellingMethod

Combining her lifelong passions of interior design and small business, Jessica Pakzad Bennett is having the time of her life as Orange County SMARTY leader and principal of her own design firm, Jessica Bennett Interiors. Always creating small business ventures as a child and teenager, it was a natural fit when she attended University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, with an emphasis in, you guessed it, Entrepreneurship. Growing up, Jessica went EVERYWHERE with her parents, famed designer-builders Fari and Melinda Pakzad, and undoubtedly knew one day she would follow in their designing footsteps. Under their thoughtful tutelage, Jessica worked at family-owned, Ebanista, a nationwide chain of high-end to-the-trade home furnishings showrooms, fulfilling small jobs throughout college and then ultimately taking over as their Business and Operations Manager, where she resided for four years. Now as founder and principal designer at Jessica Bennett Interiors, Jessica excels at maximizing the potential hidden in each of her client’s homes and delivering designs that are fresh yet timeless, livable yet tailored, and above-all, completely authentic to the client who has trusted her with their most personal space. With an enthusiasm for entrepreneurship that is completely contagious, Jessica is thrilled to take on the role of SMARTY leader, always there to encourage, support, and inspire her fellow female entrepreneurs of Orange County. Follow Jessica on Twitter @jbinteriorsinc

Megan was part of the original SMARTY start up in Los Angeles. Roles in strategic sales and marketing positions, including Chief Production Officer for Chaka Khan Enterprises, she has developed merchandise, creative collateral, forged key relationships and is a self-proclaimed full-time networker. Megan is an east coast girl with a west coast flair and is excited to be back in her hometown of Boston

For more than a decade, Karie Reynolds has used her finely-honed experience in public relations and marketing to help take businesses to their next level.  A savvy communications strategist with a natural ability to understand the big picture and translate that into an on-target, strategic approach, Karie works closely with her clients to develop key messaging, identify sales opportunities and execute integrated communications strategy to move their business forward.  Specializing in reaching women and families, her entrepreneurial thinking and partnership-based approach has earned Karie her reputation as a trusted professional and an expert consultant.

Karie’s experience spans large companies, start-ups and non-profits.  In 2006, she co-founded Grand Avenue Baby to offer companies an integrated, strategic approach to celebrity outreach and media relations.  Now a trusted resource for celebrities, tastemakers and media, Grand Avenue Baby brings together a unique, handpicked selection of products for children and families.

In order to return to the direct client collaboration she prizes most, Karie launched Reynolds Communications in January 2011.  She has worked with dozens of women and small business owners and is excited to bring her experience and enthusiasm for building businesses to SMARTY. Follow Karie on Twitter @Karie_Reynolds

Whitney Roberts is a seasoned launcher and recovering attorney.  After three creatively stifling years in corporate America, Whitney jumped ship at the age of 27 to start her first business, The Bar Code, a test preparation company for law students and lawyers. Five years later, she launched straight into semi-retirement, thanks to the license of her company’s unique methodology and the bar exam study aid she authored.

Whitney hit the self-publishing jackpot for a second time in 2011, with the release of her co-authored book, The Flip-Flop CEO, which became an Amazon bestseller shortly after publication.

Prior to joining SMARTY, Whitney spent three years as the Sacramento Incubator Leader of Ladies Who Launch, where she helped countless women learn to break from the norm and become their own boss.  She is now aiding and abetting Los Angeles women in their entrepreneurial endeavors as a Course Leader for SMARTY. Whitney is a graduate of Boston College Law School, and eagerly awaits SMARTY’s expansion to Beantown in 2013.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an extensive background in marketing and public relations, Priscilla has consulted for corporate and non-profit organizations. Working with some of the country’s top executives, Senators and dignitaries, she has been a key driver in helping orchestrate numerous high-profile events around the country including locations such as the United States Capital Building of Congress, Walter Reed Medical Center, and the White House.

A natural connector, Priscilla has a knack for building and sustaining long-term relationships. In her evolving role at Prudential California Realty in Rancho Santa Fe, Priscilla continues to pursue herentrepreneurial passions by linking her clients with the right buyer/seller, for the right property, at just the right investment. Priscilla is thrilled to join the SMARTY team and apply her education, skills and professional experience to effectively co-lead the San Diego division of SMARTY. She is dedicated to connecting innovative and exceptional women in San Diego County and assisting women in their own entrepreneurial endeavors.

As an advocate for community involvement, Priscilla is a member of the local chamber of commerce, serves as a volunteer for Casa De Amparo, and sits on the Alumni Board of Directors for the College of Business Administration at California State University San Marcos. Priscilla could not be more excited to bring SMARTY to the women-in-business of San Diego! Follow Priscilla on Twitter @SMARTYPriscilla

After receiving her master’s degree from NYU, Alissa White spent ten years running her own boutique web design firm in New York City. In 2006, she decided to shift her business focus entirely. Alissa launched,Matcha Source LLC an online retailer of premium Matcha green tea. As an entrepreneur, Alissa has successfully brought matcha tea, Japan’s most sought-after product, to tea lovers everywhere in the United States. As a humanitarian, Alissa has found her own unique way to give back. She is proud to educate American consumers how to live healthy, more balanced and focused lives through matcha tea, which is renowned for its extraordinarily potent health benefits. Alissa showcased the unique product in New York City last summer utilizing an innovative “Matcha Box Pop-Up Store,” where she refreshed the masses with matcha green tea iced lattes. She currently continues to run her ever-expanding business in Los Angeles where she services retailers, food establishments, individuals and taste-forward kitchens throughout the United States and beyond. Follow Alissa on Twitter @MatchaSource