Women Shaping the Future

LiftFund Dallas and San Antonio Women’s Business Centers are excited to host the Women of Color: Shaping the Future Conference!

The purpose of the day is to empower and strengthen minority women business owners so they can increase their earning potential, close the inequalities gap, and become successful entrepreneurs. Our women of color conference aims to bring people together to collectively elevate the voices of diverse women entrepreneurs and share how we, as a community, can continue leveling the financial playing field and lift women of color.

The LiftFund Dallas/Ft. Worth Women’s Business Center is excited to host the Women of Color: Shaping the Future Conference! The purpose of the day is to empower and strengthen minority women business owners so they can increase their earning potential, close the inequalities gap, and become successful entrepreneurs. Our women of color conference aims to bring people together to collectively elevate the voices of diverse women entrepreneurs and share how we, as a community, can continue leveling the financial playing field and lift women of color.

Cate Luzio

Founder and CEO, Luminary
Keynote Speaker

Cate Luzio is the Founder and CEO of Luminary, a global membership-based career and personal growth platform and collaboration hub created to uplift and upskill women through all phases of their professional journey. Members are comprised of a multigenerational and intersectional community of individuals, intrapreneurs, entrepreneurs, corporations, and organizations including UBS, JPMorgan Chase, Unilever, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, MasterCard, Spotify, ViacomCBS, and ADP. Before starting Luminary, Cate spent twenty years in financial services leading global multibillion-dollar businesses. Previously, she was Global Head of Multinational Corporate Banking for HSBC, managing more than 2,000 employees worldwide and prior to that, she served as Head of Multinational Corporate Banking at J.P. Morgan EMEA based in London. She spent her early years in Latin America with Bank of America across both consumer and wholesale banking. She started her career working in tech in China. Cate is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she was named its Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020, and in 2021 joined its Board of Governors. She has a master’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown University. She serves on the National Board for Girls Inc., is a WE.NYC mentor, and on the Boards of Pomp & Whimsy and WaterAid. She is a member of DealmakeHERS, Women’s Forum of NY, and Careforce. Cate was most recently recognized as one of Forbes’ Next 1000 Entrepreneurs and a Top 100 Female Founder by Inc. She is an often cited thought leader and contributor to top-tier financial, business, and lifestyle media.

Janie Barrera

Founder and CEO, LiftFund
Closing Keynote Speaker

Janie Barrera is the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of LiftFund, a nonprofit community small business lender established in 1994 in San Antonio, Texas. LiftFund provides business support services and access to capital to help entrepreneurs launch, grow and scale their businesses. Janie’s leadership and vision for a leveled financial playing field, has led LiftFund to provide over $369 million in micro and small business loans across its 13-state footprint. A firm believer that entrepreneurship is a viable tool to break the cycle of poverty, Janie has dedicated her career to helping and empowering individuals to build assets, create wealth, and leave a legacy for future generations.

Schedule 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Woman-Owned Marketplace
Welcome Address
Opening Keynote
Break Out Sessions – Scale Up
VIP Executive Lounge
Lunch
Pitch Competition
Mentoring Sessions
Break Out Sessions – Business Development
Closing Remarks
Networking

Break out sessions:

Funding Options for Women Business Owners
Leveraging Supplier Diversity Programs to Scale Your Business
Digital Marketing Strategies to Increase Brand Awareness
How to Form Joint Ventures for Business Growth
What Does it Take to Be a Sales Rockstar
ScalingUp: Structuring Your Business for Growth
The Art of Negotiating
The Confidence Formula

PITCH COMPETITION

As a woman-owned minority business, we know you have worked hard to get where you are. And that is why you deserve the support you need to get to the next level! As part of the Women of Color Conference, on Thursday, March 24th from 1:00PM – 2:00PM the LiftFund Dallas/Ft. Worth Women’s Business Center is happy to announce that we will be hosting a pitch competition for business owners looking to scale their operations to new heights. As part of this competition, we are looking for women, minority business owners, who have business experience and a business model they are looking to expand or scale with the support of potential funds through the competition. All final contestants must register for the conference at www.womenshapingthefuture.com. Deadline to apply is March 10th by 6pm.

APPLY NOW

2021 Conference Highlights

LiftFund Women’s Business Center held its inaugural virtual conference, Women of Color: Shaping The Future Conference, on March 2021. Attended virtually by more than 200 participants from all over the state of Texas, which included virtual vendor booths, corporate sponsors, and 30 speakers, the conference provided the expert resources needed to help minority women business owners as they work to create sustainable business practices as we move forward beyond the pandemic.

Lisa Price, founder of multimillion-dollar beauty brand Carol’s Daughter, served as the opening keynote speaker. She shared her journey to success as well as the challenges she faced as a minority woman business owner. She also applauded LiftFund and the sponsors who put on the pitch competition as she cited the lack of financial resources for minority women business owners.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jjqTuzEh9Oo

2021 Conference

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Women’s Business Center of LiftFund invite you to consider a sponsorship of the conference. This opportunity allows you to position your company and its services to an estimated audience of 150 participants across the DFW Metro who represent the following:

Minority Female Business Owners Generating Under $1M In Revenue

Businesses That Average One To Three Years Old

Businesses With 1-5 Employees

Business Owners Focused On Job Creation, Access To Capital, And Engagement With Government Contracts

SEE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS