Kiki Kapany: True Stories, Honestly Told, Can Change Lives

Kikim Media is an eminent documentary production company that draws on over three decades of experience to engage, entertain and inform audiences. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Kikim Media was founded in 1996 by Kiki Kapany and her late husband – her best friend, her soul mate and the love of her life – Michael Schwarz. Kiki and Michael launched the company with the unwavering goal of maintaining accuracy and fairness in all productions. Since then, Kikim Media has grown into a renowned production company with an esteemed and solid market reputation.

The Genesis: How It All Started

The inception of Kikim Media was a serendipitous conjunction of complementary skills and principles. Michael was a documentary filmmaker, and Kiki was a lawyer specializing in litigating. They each worked in their respective fields to gather evidence to present compelling narratives to their audiences, and firmly believed in the power of truthful storytelling.

In 1996, Kiki and Michael combined forces to found Kikim Media with the intent to use their work to empower marginalized communities and raise awareness about pressing topics. For the past 35 years, they have remained dedicated to these fundamental values while adapting to evolving landscapes in documentary media, audience preferences, and societal trends.

The Woman Behind the Remarkable Venture

Kiki Kapany is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley and a licensed attorney in the State of California. She has practiced law for over 34 years and acted as temporary judge in Marin County, California. Her experienced legal sense, paired with a sound creative approach to production on a worldwide scale, adds a key dimension to Kikim’s resources. She oversees an array of operations including corporate development, long-term planning, financial management, and many others.

Throughout her illustrious career, Kiki Kapany has drawn great inspiration from her beloved parents, Narinder and Satinder Kapany. They immigrated to the United States in the 1950s when Narinder, a pioneer in the field of fiber optics, made history as the first Indian in California’s Silicon Valley to take his company, Optics Technology, Inc., public. Satinder, a successful real estate entrepreneur, was of course the guiding light behind her husband. From a young age, Kiki’s parents taught her to think big and strive for excellence, and their Sikh faith also served as a a divine force throughout her life. Sikhi is well-known for its unwavering dedication to the truth, confrontation of social injustices, and promotion of of equality and human rights. These principles have instilled a profound resolve in Kiki to advocate for the marginalized with empathy, integrity and a sense of social duty. These beliefs have similarly influenced her leadership style throughout her 30-year tenure as CEO of Kikim Media as well as her lengthy career as a litigator.

By embracing transparent communication, productive collaboration, constructive feedback and introspection, Kiki aspires to empower and foster growth in both herself and others.

Facing Challenges Like a Champion

Fundraising is a constant struggle for independent filmmakers. Today, traditional sources of nationalized funding for documentary filmmaking are facing uncertainty. In light of this challenge, Kiki is constantly exploring new avenues for financial support for Kikim’s projects. She believes that private investment must take on greater responsibility in funding educational media, even if the financial returns are far outweighed by the social ones. In pursuit of lasting social impact, Kiki strives to bring about constructive change by enlightening audiences so that they may contribute to a better world.

Building a Robust and Motivated Team

Although Kikim Media’s projects frequently have constrained budgets and timeframes, her team members are capable of performing their assigned functions with expertise and can adapt to the evolving technologies and demands of media production. Kiki’s exemplary leadership and collaborative nature has attracted a loyal team of motivated and brilliant members who each play a multifaceted role to ensure a high standard of excellence for Kikim Media’s productions.

As Chief Executive Officer, Kiki believes in serving as a motivating force for her colleagues throughout the journey of production by fostering a positive atmosphere for collaboration, and demonstrating to her team that no challenge is insurmountable. Her unique approach has attracted a team that is firmly dedicated to the pursuit of authentic storytelling that presents fresh perspectives to diverse audiences and draws attention to social injustices.

Evolution and Innovation in the Media Landscape: At a Glance

Numerous advances in filmmaking technology-from cameras to software-have greatly expanded the horizons for storytelling in the digital age. Remote-access production technology allows Kiki’s team to enter remote locales and record events with previously unattainable detail, expanding the scope of their storytelling beyond what was previously financially practical.

Post-production has undergone a similar revolution, with powerful new hardware and software empowering editors to manipulate and refine footage with ease. Likewise, advancements in animation and graphics technology provide enhanced tools that enable Kiki’s team to create ever more engaging content.

The emergence of these new technologies has empowered Kikim Media to efficiently and effectively produce high-quality content. However, the essence of a compelling story, one that captivates and retains viewers, remains timeless. It remains paramount to convey meaningful narratives that resonate and effect change authentically.

The Newest Trends: Giving a New Shape to Media Production

In the past, documentaries were primarily focused on serious social or political issues. But modern documentaries transcend traditional formats by exploring personal narratives and unconventional themes. Cutting-edge storytelling techniques like interactive experiences, docuseries, and hybrid fiction-nonfiction blends further push the boundaries of the genre.

Unfortunately, the oversaturated landscape of video content, increasingly diverse outlets for distribution, and a decline in viewership of broadcast television have also become significant trends influencing documentary filmmaking. Viewers increasingly favor social media, interactive websites, and on-demand streaming services, creating an entertainment economy driven by people’s personal schedules and tastes.

Kikim Media embraces the challenge of an evolving media landscape. By recognizing viewers’ growing appetite for bite-sized content, they’ve successfully expanded their portfolio to include short-form videos alongside their acclaimed broadcast projects.

Kikim’s Significant Role: Driving a Positive Change in the World

Kikim Media champions social justice and takes pride in illuminating problems and showcasing impactful solutions created by resourceful individuals with limited resources.

These films reach national and international audiences, inspiring viewers to take action. They enthusiastically believe that the media can drive positive change through ethical journalism and accurate information. Their ultimate goal is to empower viewers to make informed decisions, fostering a more engaged and knowledgeable citizenry.

Planning for a Glorious Future

Looking forward, Kiki sees streaming platforms and shorter content as the future of documentary filmmaking. She and her team discuss emerging trends to ensure that their films reach audiences across the ever-expanding media landscape. Despite numerous challenges, their commitment remains unwavering. Kikim Media will continue to produce impactful documentaries by utilizing cutting-edge tools and technologies to highlight inspiring stories and tackle critical issues.

Parting Advice from an Industry Pioneer

“To all emerging leaders in this field, I urge you to grasp the immense power you hold in shedding light on serious issues, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, showcasing solutions to significant challenges, or simply educating us on the realities surrounding us. It’s a humbling honor to undertake this responsibility. Treat everyone with kindness, for they may become the focal point of your next project. Stay committed to truth, ethics, and objectivity,”

Fab Brands: Transforming Businesses Since Inception

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Fab Brands is a design-centric, award-winning marketing agency passionate about innovation and excellence. Since its foundation in 2009, this marketing agency has blossomed into a titan of innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of design and strategy. With an unwavering dedication to crafting masterpieces, Fab Brands has earned acclaim for its ability to seamlessly blend strategy, branding, graphics, and web design into captivating narratives that leave a lasting impression.

Catering to a diverse clientele across sectors like food and beverages, agriculture, health and beauty, professional services, and non-profits, Fab Brands works in various industries. Each project undertaken by the brand is a testament to its unmatched creativity and finesse, elevating brands to new heights while captivating audiences worldwide.

Fab Brands’ approach transcends conventional design; it is deeply rooted in collaboration. With an impactful and unpretentious mission, the agency strives to collaborate with its clients to breathe life into their brands, ignite consumer interest, and forge unique identities in a fiercely competitive market.

The Steadfast Leader

Beth Erlendson, the Founder and Managing Director of Fab Brands, brings nearly three decades of marketing expertise to the table. In 2009, Beth launched the FAB Marketing Group, which she later rebranded as Fab Brands to highlight its updated mission of helping businesses grow and prosper with dynamic and inspired branding, visual design, and websites.

Before establishing the boutique marketing agency, Beth honed her skills as a marketing and advertising manager at TriMet, followed by a brief stint at Nike’s Digital Commerce Division.

Fab Brands’ inception can be traced back to 2009 when the market crash rattled the economy. Like many others, Beth faced a layoff in her marketing role at Nike. However, amidst the adversity, opportunity blossomed. As businesses grappled with the downturn, they started downsizing their marketing departments, inadvertently leaving their sales teams without the vital marketing support essential for success. Recognizing this gap, Beth seized the opportunity to establish Fab Brands, bridging the gap between sales and marketing teams while empowering businesses to thrive in challenging times.

Focusing Branding as a Primary Agency Service

Beth and Jim Parker, the Creative Director of Fab Brands, share an extensive background in branding, so it quickly rose to prominence within the company’s offerings. As their branding efforts started gaining traction in the market, other business owners took notice, leading to a surge in demand for a ‘Fab’ brand. Business leaders were drawn to the innovative and impactful brand identities the agency produced, resulting in an influx of calls and inquiries. They also received messages expressing admiration for their work at various businesses, with business leaders attributing it to Fab Brands’ magic and expressing their desire to incorporate that magic into their own companies.

While Fab Brands works very closely with clients to capture their desired design aesthetic, the company is known for an overall signature look and feel that is eye-catching, thought provoking, memorable, and leaves a lasting positive impression. The agency’s strength lies in crafting brands that not only exist but shine brilliantly within their niches. For Fab Brands, it’s not only about visibility; it’s about creating a lasting impression and being unforgettable.

“We cast branding spells on all sorts of companies! Lately, we’ve been whipping up some seriously delicious brand identities for food industry clients. We’re talking about eye catching packaging, mouthwatering promo materials, websites that make you hungry, and tradeshow displays that are inviting and spark interest,” explains Beth.

Unlocking the Transformative Power of Branding

At Fab Brands, Beth and Jim are united by a shared passion: unlocking the transformative power of branding. Guided by their vision, Fab Brands goes beyond logos and guides businesses through a journey of self-discovery, helping them crystalize their vision, value proposition, and core values. This clarity serves as the foundation for a powerful brand identity that profoundly resonates with their target audience.

Fab Brands’ mission is to empower established and emerging businesses to cultivate a brand they can wholeheartedly embrace. Whether a brand refresh or a new launch, the boutique agency ensures its clients enter the market with a strong, engaging, and unforgettable brand identity.

“We love partnering with clients in the food and hospitality industry because of their passion and openness to bold ideas. Together, we get to push the envelope and create something truly special,”- states Beth Erlendson, the Founder and Managing Director of Fab Brands.

Diversity and Inclusion is the Key

What sets Fab Brands apart is its commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a woman-owned business, diversity wasn’t just a checkbox for the brand; instead, it was ingrained in the company’s culture. Fab Brands recognizes the power of a diverse team and each member’s unique perspective. This has proven time and again to be a strength. This dedication to inclusion has undoubtedly shaped the company’s mission and culture in several ways:

Broader Perspective: A team with diverse backgrounds and experiences allows Fab Brands to approach marketing challenges from a wider lens. This can lead to more creative and practical solutions that resonate with a broader audience.
Understanding Target Markets: Understanding diverse demographics is crucial in today’s globalized marketplace. A diverse team allows Fab Brands to better understand the needs and preferences of different target markets, leading to more effective marketing campaigns.
Collaborative Spirit: A culture that embraces inclusion fosters a collaborative spirit where everyone feels valued, and their voice is heard. This collaborative approach can lead to innovative ideas and a more dynamic work environment. We feel so strongly about it that it’s one of our agency’s core values.

Awards and Accolades

Over the years, Fab Brands has received several awards and recognition, solidifying its position as an industry leader. Among its most notable achievements are the prestigious MarTech Awards for Best Visual Design & Marketing Agency in 2023 and 2024, highlighting its commitment to excellence and innovation in design and marketing strategies.

The organization has also been named among Expertise.com’s Best Branding Agencies in Portland, Oregon, from 2022 to 2024, underscoring its dedication to crafting impactful brand identities that resonate with audiences and drive business success.

Additionally, Expertise.com has honored Fab Brands as one of the Best Marketing Consultants in Portland, Oregon, for the same consecutive years, showcasing its expertise and effectiveness in guiding businesses through effective marketing strategies.

The agency’s stellar reputation extends far beyond regional recognition, as Upcity.com has acknowledged it as a Top Branding Agency, further solidifying its status as a trusted partner for businesses seeking to elevate their brand presence and visibility.

Moreover, Fab Brands has maintained a stellar A+ rating from the US Chamber of Commerce from 2022 to 2024, a testament to its commitment to professionalism, integrity, and client satisfaction.

Ethos at a Glance

Under Beth’s steadfast leadership, Fab Brands has been at the helm of numerous brand evolutions with the fusion of innovative design into impactful marketing. With its enduring values focused on being innovative, growth-oriented, customer-centric, and technology-driven, the agency has strived to cast branding spells on all sorts of companies and drive sustainable growth. Recently, it has been associated with renowned food brands to empower them as industry pioneers with a range of services, including visually appealing packaging, mouthwatering promotional materials, websites that make you hungry, and captivating tradeshow displays.

The Architect of Entrepreneurial Glory: Award-Winning Attorney, Queen of Business Law® Kelly Bagla, Esq. Helps Entrepreneurs Achieve their American Dream

Navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship in the 21st century requires resilience and adept leadership. Steering a company involves tackling challenges such as team management, hiring the right personnel, and staying abreast of industry trends. Equally crucial is the mastery of legal requirements, an area where business lawyers play a pivotal role in guiding entrepreneurs on applicable laws and best practices.

Kelly Bagla (founder and CEO of Bagla Law Firm, APC) is one such dynamic lawyer helping businesses with proper legal assistance. Ms. Bagla has provided expert legal advice to her clients for over two decades and has been recognized by several organizations and publications for helping business owners succeed.

Ms. Bagla’s journey began with the pursuit of the American Dream, immigrating from England to the U.S. Early in her career, she worked for one of the world’s Since its foundation in 2009, Bagla Law Firm has become both the culmination and the launching point for ongoing growth, enhancement, and expansion of Ms. Bagla’s American Dream. Alongside her legal practice, Ms. Bagla has also ventured into establishing multiple businesses and authored five books while never losing sight of her primary mission of helping entrepreneurs succeed.

“I love what I do as an attorney providing legal protection to business owners. Seeing our clients succeed through the years, knowing I played an important part in protecting them each step of the way – is, of course, the most gratifying reward,”- says Ms. Bagla. “It’s especially satisfying when clients express loyalty and appreciation for our service. And when they tell us that partnering with our team on their journey is a pleasure, it confirms that we’ve taken good care of our clients. These are the day-to-day kudos that mean the most.”

Integrity is the Key

Integrity is the founding principle of Bagla Law Firm. The firm consciously avoids intimidating its clients with complex legal jargon, opting for clear communication that empowers them to make informed decisions. Should Ms. Bagla find herself unable to address a specific issue, she ensures transparent communication from the outset.

Expressing the ethos, the leading lady states, “Not every lawyer is a good fit for every client. I am honest in helping clients know if I am the right fit for them. I often recommend other attorneys when legal issues fall outside my areas of expertise. And I often receive referrals from other like-minded law firms.”

Ms. Bagla’s primary motivation is to help her clients succeed. Throughout the years, Ms. Bagla has cultivated relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Clients can rely on her commitment to fairness and prioritizing their interests. For Ms. Bagla, financial gains take a back seat. Instead, she believes that by taking good care of her clients and prioritizing their best interests, financial rewards will follow through client loyalty and recommendations. This genuine partnership with her clients has fostered mutual trust, comfort, and respect over the years.

“Being real, fair, and honest while looking after the client’s interest is the cornerstone principle for Bagla Law Firm. That’s my definition of integrity as an attorney,”– explains Ms. Bagla.

Helping Entrepreneurs Tackle Legal Challenges

Over the years, Ms. Bagla has observed several challenges that entrepreneurs commonly face regarding the legal aspect of their businesses. Surprisingly, one prevalent challenge is what she terms as “Legal Fear.” Despite the common perception of entrepreneurs as fearless risktakers, many find themselves out of their depth regarding business law’s ever-changing and complex landscape. The fear of delving into legal intricacies without a clear understanding of what is essential often proves to be a significant hurdle.

Ms. Bagla also emphasizes that entrepreneurs can experience a double fear factor when they are hesitant to showcase their lack of legal knowledge. They fear going to an attorney where their lack of legal knowledge could be embarrassing, which adds to another layer of challenge.

A second legal challenge for entrepreneurs is what Ms. Bagla refers as the “ride-by-the-seat-of-yourpants” syndrome! During the early stages of their ventures, entrepreneurs often find themselves strapped for every dollar to launch and sustain their businesses.

So, hiring a lawyer often feels like a luxury until they are on a firm financial footing.

To cut costs in the interim, entrepreneurs might do their own legal research, confer with others in their line of business, or listen to online influencers. The fallacy of this approach is that business owners typically wait until a legal crisis forces them to hire an attorney. In this way, simple legal issues that could have been prevented at the beginning with the right advice from a business attorney escalate into a costly legal nightmare.

Ms. Bagla emphasizes the crucial significance of two legal matters that every business leader should promptly address with a business attorney from the outset. Firstly deciding which business entity is best for that business and secondly, protecting their brand. In her book “Go Legal Yourself!” Ms. Bagla has delved into these issues, emphasizing that mishandling them can lead to substantial costs and, in certain instances, pose a significant threat to the very existence of the business.

Realizing the American Dream

Increasingly, Ms. Bagla has become an influencer in law and business. She was recently named among the Top 50 Legal Influencers by the San Diego Journal. Her dual role of attorney and entrepreneur has given her unique opportunities to influence young entrepreneurs and aspiring attorneys.

“I have experienced first-hand that the American Dream is still possible if you are willing to take the risk, learn your business, and work your heart out. I feel a responsibility to promote the opportunities and benefits of the American Dream to young entrepreneurs and aspiring corporate attorneys,”– she states.

As the founder and CEO of Bagla Law Firm, Ms. Bagla’s mission to help entrepreneurs reach their own success has now expanded beyond her legal practice, and each of her four businesses and five books align with the purpose to inform, equip, and inspire entrepreneurs to pursue their own American Dream.

A Brief Look at the Future

Ms. Bagla is currently in the planning stages for her sixth book, and concurrently, she is undertaking global expansion for her law firm with a focus on assisting foreign business owners in navigating opportunities within the United States. She believes it takes someone who has successfully entered the U.S. market to fully understand the needs of someone who wants to do the same. Ms. Bagla’s latest book, Doing Business in the United States, is an overview of the legal guidance she provides foreign-based clients who plan to enter the U.S. market.

“My team will tell you that I am continually generating ideas and brainstorming with them about improving and expanding the Bagla enterprises. Admittedly, I challenge them to keep up with all the ventures I dream of. But together, we stay on track as we always come back to our purpose to help entrepreneurs reach their own success,”- she concludes.

Natalie Boehm: Helping Epilepsy Patients with Advocacy and Educational Resources

At the age of two, Natalie Boehm was diagnosed with epilepsy due to a traumatic brain injury. Natalie has been battling epilepsy for more than 40 years now, and despite all her accomplishments in life, she still faces a lot of discrimination for having a neurological disorder. So, Natalie founded, The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation to provide advocacy and educational resources to the epilepsy community and society.

The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation mostly focuses on two target audiences. The first audience is individuals who are already battling epilepsy. The foundation wants people with epilepsy to witness that they can set reasonable goals to make the best of their lives and not allow epilepsy to control them. The organization offers resources such as scholarships for higher education as well as grants for service dogs to help them.

Natalie and her team’s second target audience are small businesses and corporations. Natalie wants them to see that by investing in, The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation’s programs and bringing awareness to epilepsy, they can help to remove the fear, and companies can see people with epilepsy as potential employees and not a liability. Natalie is an advocate for DEI programs in corporations that include people with disabilities and differences. Many people with disabilities have higher IQs, enjoy repetitive work, have better critical thinking skills, and can help companies grow.

Setting a Positive Example

Natalie feels her greatest accomplishment has been achieving higher education and setting a positive example for her children and community. A former neurologist tried to pressure Natalie to drop out of college and go on disability. However, she made it very much clear that she would not comply with what he wanted. He dropped Natalie as a patient, and it was the best thing he ever did for her. Natalie went ahead and completed her MBA a couple of years ago and she continues to take part in certifications and other educational programs. Her long-term goal is to get her DBA with a focus on organizational leadership.

From the very beginning, Natalie understood what she had to be. Before acknowledging publicly that she had epilepsy, Natalie was considered hard-working, had a great work ethic, and dependable. Afterward, she became a liability. Natalie knew while taking on this journey, she was going to lose a lot of opportunities career-wise.

However, she also knew, that by taking this step, she would become her boss and must establish herself as a leader to survive.

Tring to Create a Positive Culture

Natalie feels, when it comes to leadership, not only do you want to have a good culture in your company, but a positive climate as well. She says, You do not want to micromanage your team or make them feel you think you are above them. You are part of the team, and you are here to support them, help them reach their goals, and grow the company together.

She always suggests encouraging your employees to continue their education and help them set realistic personal and professional goals. If you value your employees and listen to them, you will have a lower turnover rate and more loyal employees. Prevent toxicity from entering your business because it won’t take long for them to see the job as just a pay check and you will not see your business grow.

She also advises being selective in establishing a leadership team. You want to diversify, yet you also want to bring in qualified people who are ready to carry out your mission and vision. When people review your company, they are going to look at who helps to lead your organization and if they truly represent what you are working towards.

Success and Failures

Success for Natalie is strategically planning short and long-term goals and working to carry them out. She advises to not expect to see what you want overnight and be prepared to fail at things along the way. She says, When you do, do not run, face it, and learn from it. If you truly believe in your mission and vision and are passionate, you will find the way to achieve your goals and succeed.

Natalie has the habit of being a perfectionist, and when the firm was launched, she was doing everything. Natalie had to learn to trust others and give them responsibilities.

Future Roadmap

The foundation’s goal is to not only provide services but to offer educational certifications, and workshops to help, it in carrying out its mission, and vision. The foundation’s main goal in doing this is to, help create more opportunities for people and to get small businesses and companies to see the economic benefit they will have in hiring people with disabilities and differences. One in twenty-six people battle epilepsy and so many people know someone who has epilepsy. Yet epilepsy is not understood in society, and it is why epilepsy continues to face the stigma it has.

Jessica Dawson: Addressing Economic Damages Nationwide

Meet Jessica Dawson, the Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Majority Owner of TD&P Consulting, Inc., a DC Metropolitan Area-based URAC-Certified litigation support firm specializing in high exposure catastrophic personal injury cases. Ms. Dawson was promoted from Operations Administrator to Chief Executive Officer in 2019 for her visionary and strategic leadership.

As the leader of TD&P, Ms. Dawson has successfully established the firm as a leader amongst healthcare consulting firms offering expert services and litigation support. The firm’s expertise lies in its deep knowledge of the intersection between healthcare regulation, market pricing, reimbursement, evidence-based medicine, and medical causation. TD&P Consulting has been involved in several ground-breaking personal injury cases changing the discussion on the admissibility of paid rates and insurance coverage.

The Steadfast Leader

Ms. Dawson is highly regarded among her peers in the business community for successfully increasing TD&P’s national and international profile. Peers describe her as an insightful entrepreneur with a clear understanding of business and the tools needed for success.

In her role, Ms. Dawson has developed new strategies for sales management, new business development, product development, distribution channel management, and customer service. She has focused the company’s growth strategy on business partnerships, online marketing, customer service and the application of emerging technologies such as AI to the companys growing list business tools.

Helping Clients with Great Services

In Ms. Dawson’s word, “TD&P’s focus is always on the client’s needs and case objectives. It takes the time to dissect the case facts whether they involve evidence questions about medical causation or pricing, and we work with our clients to get those facts right.”

TD&P’s services cover, but are not limited to:

Regulatory and compliance assessments,
Market pricing and reimbursement analyses,
Evidence-based medical causation analysis, and
Physician life care plan critiques.

Check out her latest podcast interview with Marketing for Justice with Founder, Dan Brian, on the topic of referrals

Controlling the Situation

For Ms. Dawson, being TD&P’s key person was initially challenging. But studying the business and recognizing the utility of creating an environment where physicians, regulatory and compliance professionals, and economists can successfully work with one another coupled with an understanding of the clients needs has enabled Ms. Dawson to move smoothly through many of those early challenges and kept TDs clients coming back.

Failures and Accomplishments

Ms. Dawson always says, “Trust but verify.” She believes, trusting without verification was a mistake she made early in her career. As a more seasoned professional, she understands that having verifiable processes in place create the results clients trust and is a vital element to success.

Ms. Dawson’s greatest accomplishment has been her ability to build a strong team capable of carrying TD&P forward during its nearly 14-year journey.

Mission, Vision & Future Roadmap

Ms. Dawson’s ability to maintain a “Grounded Flo” through every season in her life has propelled her success. It is that ability, which pushes her to continue achieving her professional and personal goals. Ms. Dawson maintains that “As you go through life, your experiences turn into lessons and you must harness those lessons into actionable goals” She also adds, “Doing so, builds your character, prevents repetitive mistakes, and forces you to continue challenging yourself.“

When it comes to the future of TD&P, Ms. Dawson says, “We plan to expand our brand as an elite consulting firm offering top tier expert witness services in medical causation and pricing analysis in the litigation support arena. More to come in the next couple of months.“

Petra Rohmann: Building Innovative Solutions for Testing Tasks

Meet Petra Rohmann, the CEO of Rohmann GmbH, a leading German manufacturer of eddy current testing devices and systems for non-destructive testing. The company has been developing, producing, and selling its technology as a medium-sized company based in Frankenthal. The organization’s testing devices and systems are used all over the world in heat treatment, cracks, material identification, and grinding burn testing.

Petra’s father, Jurgen Rohmann, found his passion for eddy current early in his career and founded the company. Right from the start, Petra’s mother, Ines Rohmann, a trained physics lab technician, took over the management. At first, they started with two people in the basement of their house.

During its early days, the company was quite well known in the aviation industry for its battery-operated hand-held testing equipment. Slowly the company established itself by delivering products for other industries. Today, it is a supplier in almost all industrial sectors, finding solutions for technically demanding applications with its specialists. Equipped with 75 employees, the firm manufactures its extensive product range at its location in Frankenthal.

With its digital testing device, the ELOTEST PL600, current array technology, and complex image evaluation software, the firm can successfully integrate comprehensive applications into automated testing processes and support customers in manufacturing high-quality products.

The Steadfast Leader

After completing school, Petra Rohmann graduated from university in graphic design. She used to spend most of her semester breaks working in her family business, gaining experience in various departments. Later in 1992, Petra’s parents offered her a job in the company.

Initially, she was responsible for product advertising, trade fairs, and personnel issues. Over the years, Petra Rohmann has taken over many more areas, and she is the sole managing director since 2018.

Petra Rohmann is motivated to continue and maintain the company that her parents founded. She feels that Rohmann GmbH’s success factor lies in its employees and their commitment, so the personal and close relationship with employees is crucial to her.

Driven by Customer Satisfaction

Petra Rohmann and her team’s strongest drive is the satisfaction of her firm’s clients. A complete understanding of customer’s individual requirements, products, and services are essential for the entire team to reach the solution. The company always seeks dialogue and feedback to meet the increasing customer expectations. Additionally, Rohmann GmbH has an efficient quality management system. The firm has also been certified according to DIN EN 9001 since 1999, proving its capability to meet the highest international standards.

Tackling Challenges

Since the first quarter of 2020, we saw the emergence of the pandemic, which eventually led to millions of deaths and job losses across the world. And just like its competitors, Rohmann GmbH also took the brunt of the pandemic. The order situation was weaker, and turnover decreased significantly. However, Petra and her team utilized their time to concentrate on the new developments, from which they will benefit in post-pandemic times.

Petra feels she has many challenges, but she doesn’t mind them as she has her goals clearly in mind. Petra says, “I also don’t think about whether the challenges are there because I am female or if it is for other reasons. I am a positive person and will accept and overcome any challenge with our team for the good of the whole company.”

Advice for the Young

Petra advises young female entrepreneurs not to worry too much about gender. She feels it is essential to show patience in the face of some demands. She says, “Accept the task and tackle it; that’s my motto.”

She also adds, “Manage your own strength and energy to filter out where the effort is worthwhile and where it is not. And to get external support if some issues are difficult.”

Preparing for a Better Future

In the next five years, Petra sees herself as a woman who represents the great team of Rohmann GmbH to the outside world. She sees her company and her team continuing to be successful in their professional field and expects to be among the top 3 most innovative companies.

Solving Client’s Constant Search for Excellence: Ana Tereza Basilio

Meet Ana Tereza Basilio, the founding Partner of Basilio Advogados. Ana started her academic professional life at Universidade Candido Mendes do Rio de Janeiro- UCAM, where she graduated in Law in December 1989. After graduating, Ana took a postgraduation course in North American Law at the University of Wisconsin. She had the honor to be a partner at Sergio Bermudes Law Firm from 1990 to 1998 and an international partner at Baker & McKenzie. She was responsible for the civil and commercial litigation and arbitration areas in Brazil while working for the firm from July 2002 to 2005. After this period of great learning, Ana founded her own Basilio Advogados Law Firm, which, in the last 12 years, has grown exponentially and she believes that today Basilio Advogados is one of the main specialized civil litigation, arbitration, and consulting firms in the country. Ana was also a judge of the Regional Electoral Court of the State of Rio De Janeiro, from 2010 to 2015, to be a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), based in Paris, in the Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (ADR) commission, Director of Mediation and Arbitration of the Institute of Brazilian Lawyers elected in 2018 for the biennium 2018-2019 and President of the Mediation and Arbitration commissions of this Institute since 2019.

In 2019, Ana has indicated Member of the Permanent Forum of the Arbitration Commission of the Escola de Magistratura of State of Rio de Janeiro – EMERJ. Later in August 2021, together with a few great names in the legal profession, she founded the Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos em Protecao de Dados – IBRADADOS, assuming its Presidency. Finally, in November 2018, Ana was elected Vice-President of the Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro State Chapter, for the 2019 to 2021 term and was re-elected for the 2022 to 2024 term. She has also been awarded the Medal of Judicial Merit, from the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro. She has also received the Medal of Merit from the Federal Regional Court of Rio de Janeiro in 2015 and, finally was awarded the Tiradentes Medal in September 2019 by ALERJ – Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Remembering Accomplishments

Ana has some great personal and professional achievements. However, becoming the Vice President of the OAB-RJ in 2019, and was to be re-elected in 2021. OAB-RJ is the largest sectional in the country. Ana feels honourable to be able to represent more than 100 thousand lawyers from Rio De Janeiro. To reach this position, which was historically male-dominated and the recognition that women are capable of successfully occupying management positions has given me great professional fulfillment.

Leading a Law Firm is Challenging

Ana feels, that leading a law firm in Brazil, is extremely challenging. The country has gone through and still goes through several unstable political and economic moments, which often makes it extremely challenging, especially for liberal professionals. Ana keeps in mind that one of the main principles that lead her life and professional performance is persistence. Ana and her team study daily, persisting, persevering, be resilient, and always do a good job. Transmitting this to the team is essential. In addition, Ana feels trust in the good performance of her team of professionals, establishing a clear and agile communication channel, and work focused on solving the clients’ demands in the best possible way.

When Technology is an Ally

Ana also feels, that being a woman in a historically male-dominated environment is a challenge in itself. Besides, she believes, that no one is fully up for a challenge. However, Ana believes that hard work, persistence, and resilience will eventually lead everyone to success. Ana tries to conciliate the attribution of wife, mother, law partner, and vice-president of the OAB-RJ in the best possible way. To do so, Ana counts on her team that supports her and helps her manage her commitments, and a specialized team of lawyers to serve Basilio Advogados clients. Ana often highlights that the platforms for contact and meetings in the virtual environment have helped her and the team to keep themselves closer and more connected, and more than that, it has optimized their time to the maximum and has helped Ana in this intense routine of work and commitments. Technology is a great ally for her.

The Driving Force

Ana’s motivation in life is good work achieving excellence. It is working with and for the love of the practice of law. It is to serve the client in the best way possible, to solve a question, reach a goal, make a good deal, change a legal position, create a relevant precedent before the Courts, to leave Basilio Advogado’s mark, the name Basilio, registered in the history of her profession. This is Ana’s daily motivation.

Future Roadmap

When it comes to the future, Ana understands that the challenge is always to seek new areas of performance for the fields of Law, prospecting for more clients and business. Therefore, Basilio Advogados counts on a team with an excellent legal background and in constant updating. The firm values excellence and prioritizes ethics in its business relationships.

Carol Anne Hilton: An Inspirational Business Leader, Thinker, and Advisor

Carol Anne Hilton is the CEO and founder of The Indigenomics Institute and the President of the Global Centre of Indigenomics. She has created a line of thought called #indigenomics, which has grown from a single hashtag to an entire movement that focuses on the rebuilding and strengthening of Indigenous economies. The Indigenomics Institute is an economic advisory for various private sectors, Indigenous communities, and governments. Her work in Canada is driving the narrative of of the 100 billion dollars Indigenous economic target.

The Indigenous Institute focuses on four core areas to grow and design Indigenous economies;

Dialogue platform for Indigenous economic design
Economic policy and strategy
Education, training and research
Economic reconciliation frameworks

“The Indigenomics Institute is converging ideas, resources, tools, and people to grow the Indigenous Economy. Indigenomics is economics from an Indigenous worldview and serves as a platform for modern Indigenous economic design,”– said Carol Anne.

Many Indigenous economies are witnessing positive growth and development. In 2019, the Institute identified the development of the 100 billion dollar annual Indigenous economic target. The Institute is facilitating the growth of the Indigenous economies from its currently identified value of $32 billion to $100 billion.

The Steadfast Leader

Apart from serving as the CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute, Carol Anne is also an adjunct professor at the Royal Roads University’s School of Business. She serves as a Director on the BC Digital Supercluster, the McGill University Institute for the Study of Canada, and previously with the Canadian Economic Growth Council, and the BC Emerging Economy Taskforce.

She is a well-recognized, award winning national and international Indigenous business leader, executive adviser, speaker, director and author with an International Master’s Degree in Business Management (MBA) from the University of Hertfordshire, England. Carol Anne is of Nuu Chah Nulth descent and is from the Hesquiaht Nation on Vancouver Island.

‘As the world converges on an economic identity crisis of its own making, the inclusion and re-valuing of Indigenous worldview and knowledge in economy and business are paramount.’– added Carol Anne.

Carol Anne Hilton is convening the tools, leadership, resources, partnerships, institutions, investment to build meaningful innovations in designing and growing Indigenous economies to build national and global impact across time.

Her leadership principles include holding conversations that matter and removing herself from gossip and negative talk. Carol Anne pays particular attention to her beliefs to identify if they are serving or limiting her.

The Greatest Accomplishment

Raising her daughter as a single mother, while going to school and working is the greatest achievement for Carol Anne. She further describes that creating a word into existence, starting a hashtag, building a business, a brand, and a national and global movement towards a line of thought for inclusion of Indigenous worldview in economics is her greatest career accomplishment.

Carol Anne describes that it takes courage to become an Indigenous entrepreneur. In being an Indigenous leader and entrepreneur, she describes ‘It is important to check your current state of courage, your motivations, energy levels, and inspiration frequently.’ Carol Anne describes success as self-determination in practice. She believes personal success is choosing happiness, choosing freedom, and the ability to choose her own future. For Carol Anne, success means running her own companies and using her creativity to create her dreams into reality.

Future Roadmap

Carol Anne is committed to increasing the visibility and inclusion of Indigenous businesses and economic growth nationally and internationally. Bringing a vast experience of more than two decades of Indigenous economic design, and business development, Carol Anne is focusing on multi-generational Indigenous wealth creation. The Indigenomics Institute is working to develop an Indigenomics Economic Freedom Index- designed to measure dependency, own-source revenue, and investability in Indigenous economies. With all her expertise, strategic insights, and skills she is now focusing on driving multi-generational impact all over the world through the development of the World Indigenous Economic Forum.

“My vision in life is to live my life as the first generation out of residential school- that how I live matters to my ancestors and my daughter. My vision is to be an Indigenous entrepreneur and stand in my courage, inspiration, power and truth.” Carol Anne Hilton.

A Pioneer Reinforcing High-Quality Construction and Design Services: Cheryl Osborn

Cheryl Osborn is the Founder and CEO of Casco Contractors and Casco Design Studio. Cheryl founded the company 22 years ago with nothing more than a laptop sitting on her kitchen table, supplies in the garage, a new baby and a toddler. She wanted to change the way construction was being executed and hoped to completely disrupt the low customer service and poor communication expectations of clients in the construction industry.

About Casco Contractors and Casco Design Studio

Casco Contractors and Casco Design Studio is a full-service general contractor and design-build studio that serves all of Southern California. Casco provides pre-construction, construction, interior design & architectural services for corporate offices, retail, lab, medical office, redevelopment projects, exterior revitalization, ADA accessibility work, EV Charging stations and co-working spaces.

The company has a team of elite designers, project managers, superintendents, and field staff who take a project from start to finish, focusing on quality, schedule, and budget.

The Starting Line

Cheryl Osborn obtained her bachelor’s degrees in Interior Design and Engineering, Construction Management and set out to find her distinct passion in those fields. After working for several design and construction companies on both small and large projects, she realized she wanted to make a bigger impact on the market and start her own company. “When you’re young, you can take more risks and be more malleable until you find out what clicks,” she said. “I was fairly successful at a young age so keeping my reputation at the highest level was imperative. Once I found what I loved, I made sure to keep branding myself as a woman in construction and an expert in tenant improvement and client services, specializing in what I do best.”

Customer-Centric to the Core

Casco Contractors’ clients are generally tenants, developers, landlords, or brokers with repeat business. The company constantly seeks to exceed client expectations and maintain great relationships while innovating the way construction is performed. “We’re only as good as our last project, unfortunately. That is what keeps me going.”

Casco Contractors’ is known for its impeccable problem-solving approach. Before a client can identify an issue, the company is ready with comprehensive solutions. Every client at Casco is made top priority. Cheryl Osborn is a woman of her word, who will move mountains to finish a project on time or solve a seemingly unsolvable problem. Driven by the highest level of customer satisfaction and customer-centric outlook, clients trust Casco because they know the team cares deeply about them.

Cheryl’s Support System

Cheryl Osborn is quick to attribute her success to the many people who have helped her along the way. “I could not have done this without my mentors, my fellow women business advisors, all the men in the industry who have been in construction forever and were excited to see women get into the industry. My parents. My children. And the many successful trailblazing women and their stories”.

To More a Balanced and Equal Industry

Cheryl Osborn hopes companies reach out to a more diverse background of people -especially in industries like construction and engineering, where there are proportionally fewer women. She speaks frequently to young girls about math and science, and she is on the board of Advisors for California State University Long Beach School of Engineering to recruit more women into the industry.

She also thinks companies need to reach out to women with diverse backgrounds at a much younger age. Building a sense of confidence in young girls and breaking down barriers and fears of math and engineering can be a key contributor for them to step into non-traditional industries.

A Day in the Life of Cheryl Osborn

Cheryl’s daily routine is exciting and frenetic. From golfing with clients, raising 90k being dunked in a dunk tank for her favorite charities, to racing to San Diego putting on her makeup in the rear view mirror while closing a couple of deals and catching up with her daughter in Italy, she multi tasks constantly so she can be present for everything. She keeps a notepad by her bed so her insomnia does not keep her from documenting all her crazy ideas for innovation. She is now an empty nester so she is enjoying the next chapter of her life living in Laguna Beach and is on a spree to round out this chapter with what makes her happy, personally and professionally. She loves to meditate in the morning to open up space in her mind and to enjoy the little things – living life with no fear. And of course, she loves to cook so she always ends the day with friends and family, a fabulous meal, and a glass of wine.

Favorite Books

Cheryl Osborn is an avid reader. She reads a lot and has many favorites from her never-ending reading list. To name a few are:

Good to Great, Jim Collins, I learned about not just having the right people on the bus but having them in the right seats on the bus.

The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber, taught me to develop processes or die – literally. It teaches you everything you think is so easy as an entrepreneur but extremely difficult if you cannot delegate.

5 Habits of Highly Effective Teams, Patrick Lencioni. This teaches you how to leverage people’s strengths on a team that delegates and highlights those strengths.

Aced the Appraisals

Cheryl Osborn has won many awards and recognitions for her outstanding performance. Listed below are a few of them:

2014 Businesswoman of the year, Office Depot
Best Places to Work – 2018-2021
5th largest Tenant Improvement contractor in OC
11th largest woman-owned business in OC
20 women to Watch
Entrepreneur of the year, 2016 for Orange County
Businesswoman of the year, OC 2018
Companies That Care 2020 and 2021
2022 Women of Influence, Irvine

Valuable Advice to Budding Female Entrepreneurs

Cheryl Osborn offers a piece of valuable advice to female entrepreneurs from her experience and knowledge of working in the entrepreneurial field for years. “Ask lots of questions. Procure mentors in every aspect of what you do -men and women. Reach out to people and let them know you want to learn from them. Don’t act like you know everything – people love to teach people things and feel valued. Pay attention! And take great notes and have lots of people on speed dial.”

An Exciting Future

In the last few years, Casco has become a pioneer in the EV Charging industry. Casco Contractors is also expanding heavily into the San Diego, LA and Central Coast markets with a desire to go national. Cheryl Osborn wants to keep doing what she is doing and associate herself with good people and good clients forever. She loves her life’s work and works tirelessly to elevate women in the industry and constantly improve herself and her company, while forever striving to make a positive impact on the community She often revisits her favorite quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

The Dream is Help Discover Africa The Dream is to Transform Positively the Narrative of Africa: Nabou Fall

There was a little girl with dreams of changing the world. She understood that she needs to be an excellent student to change the world. That girl didn’t create any breakthrough inventions. However, she discovered that she could make a difference every day in the way she interacts with others. This girl’s story is a story made of sweat & hard work from being a high executive in the telecom industry in various African countries to becoming a renowned thought leader in the communications, personal branding, & women empowerment space on the continent.

Meet Nabou Fall, the General Manager of VIZEO Agency. As a PR company, Vizeo is catering customers’ needs in terms of communications and personal branding strategies. It is a team of experts and consultants in artistic and advertising production and a Pan African and global network of partner companies.

Early Days

From PR & Communications, mixed with Nabou’s commitment toward African Women, she started working informally with passion with women on the Continent. Nabou started a blog in 2009 called Naboulove, and from that blog came out a magazine with a lot of audiences mainly in Nigeria.

Nabou was invited to give talks to women. Her position as an entrepreneur positioned Nabou naturally as a woman leadership expert with high-impact communications skills. From the beginning of Social Media, she was sharing her thoughts, and quotes which seemed to inspire lots of women to shift the way they own their narrative & storytelling. Simultaneously Nabou’s company was still active and she extended her activities to several African countries outside of DRC where she was based at that time.

Nabou and her team have organized events in Nigeria for the Dangote family as well as conferences in Congo Republic & DRC. As she moved her company to West Africa namely in Cote-d’Ivoire, she evolved to PR & Personal Branding as the demand from her audience was rising.

Empowering People

Nabou feels, that being able to empower people and allow them to become leaders in their ecosystems is her greatest accomplishment. When Nabou sees most of the people who have worked under her supervision succeeding in their respective careers, it is a success for her.

Nabou always tries to live by her favorite Maya Angelou Quote “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget ,what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

She believes if anyone she works with, has been impacted by her actions, positively, then Nabou feels that each impact is perceived as an accomplishment for her.

Tackling Failures

Once Nabou thought, she could not focus enough on her purpose. She lost her money, and time and she failed. As she was lost in between her projects, and she wasn’t careful enough, a few of the people who worked with her turned out to be dishonest and stole from the company. Since then she has learned to focus on her purpose. Although that event had led her to misplace investments, that eventually affected her cash flow at some point. Nevertheless, Nabou understands, that entrepreneurship is not smooth sailing, it’s a bumpy road and it takes passion, faith, and commitment to pursue.

Success Equals to Alignment

Nabou believes success equals alignment. Her values her mission & her actions must be in alignment, so she can feel content & satisfied.

She needs to feel like she is a change maker in her community & Nabou has tried to direct her work in that direction. Through Nabou’s Personal Branding coaching, her mission is to transform the narrative of Africa one person at a time. Nabou tries as much as she can to be, in tune with that purpose in her various activities. To inspire, impact & influence positively, her community is a success for Nabou. She needs to feel like she is a change maker in her community & Nabou has tried to direct her work in that direction. Through Nabou’s Personal Branding coaching, her mission is to transform the narrative of Africa one person at a time. Nabou tries as much as she can to be, in tune with that purpose in her various activities. To inspire, impact & influence positively, her community is a success for Nabou.

The Dream

Nabou says, “In my journey in life I dream to see the ‘Africa I know’ discovered by others. I want the world to stop comparing Africa to Europe & appreciate Africa for its richness in culture, values & talents.”

Nabou works towards her dream each time, she works with corporations & individuals on their branding. She urges them to dare to be authentic & embrace the uniqueness that lies in the culture. She feels, that enough is said negatively about Africa, it is time Africans own their narrative & tell their stories with pride even if they are sometimes painful.

Picture of the Future

Nabou has recently launched a training academy called Nabou FALL Akademy. It is a Leadership training, and coaching academy, with a blended approach that will soon be launched officially focusing, on transformational communications around Personal Branding. She is also a Partner and Co-founder of Impact Hub Abidjan, an incubator that aims to empower Entrepreneurs through specific programs implemented in partnership with DFI’s.

As a philanthropist, Nabou has started an initiative called Wimnet. Here, she and her team provide free training mostly in digital skills to women entrepreneurs. In the last 6 months, they have trained 1000 women all over Africa.

Nabou feels the future will be more digitalized, and paradoxically human-centered, in its approaches to business. She and her team are aiming at building platforms that will facilitate the end user’s usage and ease of access.

Suggestions for Young Entrepreneurs

Nabou feels a leader should be generous & firm at the same time. Generous enough to allow people around him/her to show up authentically and firm enough to take a stand when it is necessary. A leader must care about his/her people without crossing a certain line & he/she must be the carrier of the company’s purpose & values daily.