Speakers
Linda LoRe
CEO & President, Frederick’s of Hollywood
In her 18-year-career as a CEO of world-renowned brands, Linda LoRe is widely recognized as a leading brand advocate. Her extensive experience includes building consumer companies from the ground up, revitalizing storied brands and breathing new life into consumer favorites. LoRe became President and CEO of Frederick’s of Hollywood in August 1999, and immediately set upon the challenge of revitalizing and re-launching the iconic Frederick's of Hollywood brand. Since her arrival, she has overseen Frederick’s July 2000 Chapter 11 reorganization and brand turn-around and its much-lauded January 2003 emergence, securing the company’s strongest growth period in more than 10 years, and most recently, seeing through the merger between Frederick’s and apparel partner, Movie Star Inc. LoRe believes strongly in the Frederick’s of Hollywood brand and its potential to become a billion-dollar fashion business. Read more »
TweetJennifer Goldstein
Jennifer Goldstein
I am honored to be this year’s Woman of the Year, following a long line of deserving Honorees. My involvement with the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce and this conference go back eight years. As MBWIB Chair last year, I was proud to raise close to $100,000 for these charitable causes. I look forward to serving the Chamber this coming year as Chair-Elect, and I’m so proud of this year’s WIB Chair and committee. Lynn and her team have worked so hard to make this year’s event better then ever. I am looking forward to continuing my involvement as WIB expands its scope to include more businesses and individuals throughout the South Bay. Read more »
Melanie Barsuk
Melanie Barsuk
In 2003, Barsuk left a successful career in corporate sales and marketing to devote herself to her lifelong love of cooking and entertaining. She founded Simple Gourmet™, a company that brings her straightforward approach to cooking classes, culinary consulting, catering and parties. Barsuk’s infectious enthusiasm and commitment to making simple and delicious food has made the company a success. Read more »
Portia Cohen
Portia Cohen
Portia Cohen is a practitioner of public policy leadership and advocacy for various private, nonprofit and civic interests. She is an attorney-at-law, and currently a Council Member for the City of Manhattan Beach, California. Councilmember Cohen is the official liaison to the city’s business, environmental and school communities, and serves as chair or member to ten different state, regional and local committees and organizations. Ms. Cohen has also served as a city Planning Commissioner, Parks & Recreation Commissioner, and Program Director for Leadership Manhattan Beach. Read more »
Sandy Abrams
Sandy Abrams
Sandy Abrams is the founder and CEO of Moisture Jamzz, Inc., established in 1993 around her signature moisturizing glove product. After starting her company in the corner of her one-bedroom Los Angeles apartment, Abrams built Moisture Jamzz, Inc. from scratch into a million dollar corporation without the benefit of a business degree. Today, Moisture Jamzz products can be found in some of the finest spas, resorts, skin-care salons and beauty supply stores around the world. Read more »
Jane Buckingham
Jane Buckingham
Jane Buckingham is the world’s foremost expert on Generations X, Y and Z. Buckingham began her career by writing the book, Teens Speak Out, about her own generation at age 17. This started her on a quest to better understand and explain how young people feel. She pioneered the trend-forecasting field by creating Youth Intelligence and The Cassandra Report, the leading trend forecasting study used by the entertainment industry to determine all things “cool”. Read more »
Terry Louchheim Gilman
Until the age of 13, I moved (almost) every year with my military family. School: Beverly Hills High School, University of Colorado (Economics and Business) and an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago.
My family has always been philanthropic. I was taught from a young age that one third of any money I earned (an allowance at that time) was to be given to charity (the other two thirds were for spending and saving). My parents not only supported a lot of organizations financially, but worked to raise money for many different causes and often opened their home for fund raising events. But this story started much earlier than that. Both of my grandfathers gave large amounts of their accumulated wealth to benefit others in the community and have been a powerful role model for me.
Even before this, my great-great grandfather set an example for his family by leaving an Ethical Will for his children, directing them to support charitable organizations, among other things. I have always known that giving back is an important part of being born into a privileged family. Read more »
Leslie Wickman, PhD
Leslie Wickman, PhD
Dr. Leslie Wickman is an internationally respected research scientist and engineering consultant. As an engineer for Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space in Sunnyvale, Calif., Wickman worked on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station Programs, receiving commendation from NASA for her contributions and being designated as Lockheed's Corporate Astronaut. Read more »
