Mentors: STRATEGIC PLANNING
Summary of Qualifications Chris Zobel is a sales and management professional with extensive experience in small and large businesses. He has worked with Fortune 500 and Mom and Pop businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Chris has a degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After a successful career of over 30 years in the private sector, working with Miller Brewing Company, Arrow International, Yuengling and others, he accepted an Economic Development position with the US Small Business Administration assisting businesses in Delaware and later in Virginia. In 2014, he was relocated to Hampton Roads to concentrate on the very important small business community here. During his tenure with the SBA he interacted with small business owners from all cultural backgrounds. He was actively involved with assisting businesses with SWAM, HUBZone, 8a and Veteran certifications. An additional duty that Chris held was the District International Trade Office (DITO). As DITO, he held Export training events and met one on one with businesses to educate them on the specifics involved with establishing International Trade. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and served for 5 years in the US Navy during the Vietnam Era. Chris and his wife Susan live in Norfolk and enjoy life in Hampton Roads. Want to meet with this Lead Mentor? Schedule an...
Summary of Qualifications Lauren is an enthusiastic and creative “social stitcher” with a passion for engaging people. With a zeal for living a full life, she curates her own adventure: she is currently Vice President of Engagement for EngageMore, a software startup in the health and fitness industry; Director of Community Partnerships for Gather, a network of community workspaces for entrepreneurs; and a Visiting Artist for Richmond Memorial Health Foundation’s Health Equity Arts program. Lauren is an organizational designer with a diverse background. She earned a BFA in Sculpture from VCUarts, has focused on design, management and entrepreneurship as a profession, and is passionate about cultivating people’s skills and talents. Lauren works at the intersection of design and business, in particular figuring out the best way to build and leverage the human relationships necessary to make the project, organization or business with whom she works a success. Integral to how Lauren thinks and works is her belief in values-based leadership and the importance of creating environments in which those working within them are equipped with the tools they need to be successful. She is interested in working with creatives, startups and other entrepreneurial ventures to create this culture. Want to meet with this Lead Mentor? Schedule An...
Summary of Qualifications Polly is a veteran entrepreneur and consultant whose experience spans all industries and whose expertise focuses on people. She is a founding partner and owner of Gather, whose coworking spaces provide a community to more than 200 entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business people. In 2002, Polly left the corporate world to start her first consulting business serving large and Fortune 500 companies in the areas of leadership and organizational development. Her business continued to grow in both size and capabilities over the next several years adding services in HR, compliance, strategy and workforce development. In 2009, she joined forces with her husband, Doug, to form Whitestone Partners, a full-service small-business consulting firm. Together, they work with clients across all industries and have extensive experience in real estate, construction, the trades, professional services, non-profits, advertising and marketing, manufacturing and financial services. They help businesses that want to get to the next level as well as those needing to get back on track. Today, Polly is recognized as a small business expert, successful serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and founding partner of Gather, coworking spaces that create community for more than 200 entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses. She writes weekly columns (with her partner, Doug) for both RTD Business and Entrepreneur.com. She is a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and business consultant. Want to meet with this Lead Mentor? Schedule an...
Summary of Qualifications Paul is the local River City King with King of Pops. Armed with just a cart and some handcrafted ice-pops, he started slinging pops to the good people in Richmond in 2012. Since then, the business has grown to 10 carts, 3 full-time employees and 25+ part timers in the summer. Paul’s unique perspective comes from having done every job within the business possible; from making pops, to selling on the sidewalks, to accounting, training employees, social media, marketing and advertising… he’s done it all and he sees how everything works together to achieve his business goals. Having a business that relies heavily on customer service and interaction, he began to see the close relationship marketing has with management. He understands how to fully exploit both to create a fun, awesome culture for his employees to then create the fun vibe King of Pops is known for. Paul once said “numbers kick ass” which could be an odd thing for a person who self-proclaims that he “isn’t a numbers guy.” It was in reference to how his business shifted dramatically and positively once he started managing his business according “buzz-word” things like Key Performance Indicators or metrics. Paul says it is the “least sexy” part of a business, but it is the “most important” part if you want to be successful and not “work insane hours the rest of your life.” Also a former teacher, he’s seen countless lessons he learned teaching students overlap “almost identically” with challenges he’s seen in the business world with managing employees, customers, and himself in the workplace. Random achievement: He once...
Summary of Qualifications LaTilda is an active member of the She Empowers Advisory Council, a business mentor with Richmond’s Office of Minority Business Development, a business consultant for Virginia Community Capital and a financial analyst for the Commonwealth of Virginia. LaTilda Hudnall Owens, MBA was born and raised in Northumberland County located in the beautiful Northern Neck region of Virginia. LaTilda attended Hampton University in Hampton, VA where she obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management. In 2004, LaTilda began her professional career at Wachovia Securities in Richmond, VA as a Brokerage Operations Specialist and a Corporate Accountant. Eventually, she moved on to Genworth Financial where she remained employed as Senior Financial Analyst until July 2013. During her professional career, LaTilda obtained her Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Accounting. In 2013, she established LHO Solutions, LLC, a small business consulting firm offering financial analysis, accounting, and strategic planning to area small businesses. LaTilda has a passion for helping others succeed and reach their goals. She believes she is fulfilling her purpose by touching one business at a time. Throughout her career, LaTilda has planned, organized and participated in numerous community outreach events which has served the underprivileged and at–risk members of her community. LaTilda is happily married and the Mother of four. In her free time, LaTilda enjoys serving in the Children’s Ministry at her church, traveling, acting, and being a Sports Mom. Want to meet with this mentor? Talk with your Lead...
