Sima Azadegan |Transformational Women of 2022 | Exeleon Magazine

Founder Sima Collezione

FINDING THE HEART AND SOUL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Traditionally, business and spirituality have little in common. In fact, the two have more distinctions, than similarities. To start a business, you look for a compelling idea addressing a market pain point, plan the roadmap, look for experienced executives who can derive maximum revenue/success.

On the other hand, in spirituality, the number one rule for growth is 'surrender'. In today's world, not many business leaders would swear by 'surrender' as an effective entrepreneurial strategy.

Texperience. Within just a year, her designs were showcased at international events including The New York Fashion Week, The Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Forbes 30/50 International Women Summit. Moreover, her designs have also featured in some of the most renowned fashion magazines like ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, and over 10 other channels in Europe.

It is a rare sight among entrepreneurs to follow the path of introspection and unconditional self-conidence. Sima's journey is a prime example of how well this approach can materialize into growth and success. Her 15-yearold journey to self-introduction and improvement has proven key to her transformation.

GROWING UP YEARS

Growing up, Sima always felt like she did not have a voice as she went from one thing to another. At the age of 9, she studied classical piano. At 17, she went to college and by the age of 20, she was already married.

She recalls, “I spent most of my adult years teaching piano, working for the community, raising my family, and working hard to please other people.”

However, featuring as the Cover of Exeleon's Transformational Women issue is a leader who has taken a rather unique approach to her business, and life in general.

Sima Azadegan started her clothing label at the age of 50, without having any prior business or industry

At 36, Sima began an introspection of herself to discover her truth and her authentic self. “I went through the journey of my inner consciousness for 15 years and at the age of 50, I inally found my own voice and tapped into the mission that I was destined to accomplish,” she shares.

“I went through the journey of my inner consciousness for 15 years and at the age of 50, I finally found my own voice and tapped into the mission that I was destined to accomplish.”

Having had a foundling passion for the ield of fashion throughout her childhood and even later into her adulthood years, Sima knew where she truly belonged.

“Choosing what clothes to wear is effortless for me. Making decisions on style, color, and fabric comes very natural and organic to me. Not until living a complete life and peeling away my layers, at the age of 50, I fully realized that at the core of my true identity, I am a designer!”

This realization came in the form of Sima Collezione, her clothing company that empowers women by creating bold dresses that brings out their inner beauty.

SIMA COLLEZIONE

A natural in the fashion design space, Sima established her company as a result of her dream, passion, and soul. “All of the designs for my clothing company came to me in a heartbeat of a second,” she mentions.

Without having any prior professional experience or looking at any fashion magazine, Sima was able to create over 50 different designs of evening wear dresses within a span of one month.

She asserts, “These designs came to me through my higher consciousness, and I was able to transpire them onto paper. My company has been created from the truest essence of my soul.”

Moreover, for each dress, Sima created an artwork that exempliies the themes of love, hope, faith, charity, compassion, and human kindness.

This amalgamation between the heart and soul within her design, has facilitated a vision for Sima to create a movement in the apparel industry. She proudly mentions, “Through my clothing line, I have brought back elegance, class, and integrity. I truly believe no couture designer in the world has incorporated essence and meaning within their fashion collection.”

For Sima, her clients are members of the Sima Collezione's tribe and community. Their happiness and satisfaction are of utmost priority to her, “as they are the ones who can spread my movement and my inspiration of light, beauty, elegance, positivity and unanimity all around the world.”

EMPOWERING WOMEN

A powerful women in every right, Sima aims for women to understand their inner light and beauty, instead of suffocating and succumbing under societal doctrines. According to her, a powerful women is someone with a clear vision of what she wants to do; someone who will stay true to herself until her vision becomes a reality.

“It does not matter how dark the outside world is or the amount of resistance she faces, a woman leader has to believe in herself with conviction and strength.” She further adds, “A powerful women has to have integrity, and stands strong with the mission that she is destined to accomplish.”

She recalls how during the most uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, she had decided to

follow her dreams and start her entrepreneurial journey.

She received a lot of resistance; even from some of her closest people. Regardless, Sima decided to listen to her intuition as her guiding light. Today, she stands tall as transformational leader; a pioneering example for women across ages, both in the fashion industry and beyond.

CHASE YOUR DREAMS

“As an entrepreneur who went after

her passion at the age of 50, I would like to empower as well as inspire other women to go after their dreams as well.”

The above statement by Sima Azadegan is an indication of the impact she believes women can make in any particular market, if they set their mind to it. She irmly believes going after one's dreams is not cliched.

In just two years, without a fashion degree or taking any fashion classes, she has created a

SMALL HABITS, BIG CHANGES

It is said that essentially habits are what determines our future. For Sima, she has inculcated a chain of habits every day that enables her to be productive while ensuring work-life balance.

“I wake up every morning with my daily routine of making a cup of coffee and going to sit outside in my garden for relection and meditation.”

She continues, “During this time hour, I relect on the things that have happened in my life and how I need to pursue and approach them. Most of my thoughts regarding my fashion designs and the direction that I have to go come to me during the middle of the night and closer to morning.”

During Mondays and Wednesdays, Sima sits on her desk and makes most of her decisions. “During those days, I work from 9-3. The rest of the days of the week, I attend to my family matters and my life matters.”

Sima understands the dificulty one faces to maintain work-life balance, especially when you always have piles of entrepreneurial tasks to attend to. Nevertheless, she mentions, “I believe that it's walking this balance and having your family beside you that will make your business success sweet as well as meaningful.”

recognized and reputed fashion company with multiple accolades to its name.

She points out “I was able to accomplish all of that only and only because I followed my heart's desire, listened to my own intuition, and believed in myself and the mission that I am destined to accomplish. Hopefully, other women leaders can be inspired and encouraged through my story.”

Even though Sima realized and found her inner calling at a very late stage, she mentions that she would change nothing in this journey. “Every move, every thought, and every action that I took had a positive impact for me and led me forward.”

She deinitely had her fair share of challenges and hurdles when starting this journey, however, they all served a purpose for Sima to further learn and grow. “Overall, I believe that everything that happened during my entrepreneurial journey had a reason for me to learn, grow, expand, and eventually conquer.”

FUTURE OF PROMISES

In just a span of two years, Sima has created a clothing company that has achieved what few would be able to accomplish or even fathom. Her features across leading fashion magazines and international events are a testament to the success the company has achieved thus far.

“This all proves to me that the light of my mission is alive and well and that I have to move forward with

my movement and journey,” she claims.

“Two years ago, when I started this project, I told my husband that I will be on top of the fashion world in 5 years. Surprisingly, I have done it in only 2 years. From now on, I see that Sima Collezione has a beautiful future ahead.”

Going forward, Sima is determined to follow her mission of bringing back light, beauty, positivity, creativity, integrity, honesty, class, balance, and equilibrium into our world through means of fashion and more.

Chi Ilochi

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A VALUE -DR IVE N WOM E N

committed in making a difference through her leadership while living by her values.

This led her to take an assessment at the Career Counselors Ofice at Salisbury University. She discovered business to be a more practical and suitable career choice for her.

alues are the guiding compass of our lives, helping us experience the world in a unique way. It is what deines us and forms the basis of our identity.

As such, values play an integral role in how we function as leaders. Unfortunately, many leaders do not spend the requisite time and energy tuning in to their personal values. These leaders may recognize values on a supericial, surface level, however, rarely do they dig into the core beliefs that drive the creation of their values.

Emily Kund is an example of a transformational leader who is

Exeleon proudly looks into the story of this powerful woman and her inspiring journey.

THE SPARK

Growing up, Emily was determined to become a doctor specializing in adolescent pediatrics. “I felt bad for the teens who had to sit next to toddlers in the waiting room at the doctor's ofice,” she recalls.

During college, Emily started off as a pre-med. However, juggling between going to school and working at her “almost full-time job” became too dificult for her to manage.

After working for over 10 years as a bank examiner, Emily got introduced to a visual analytics tool – Tableau. Through this tool, she recognized the power of data visualization, and the ability to experience insights much quicker. She immediately fell in love with data and never looked back ever since.

Emily began learning more about data, the value it held, and it soon became her newfound hobby.

“I co-founded the irst community podcast in the Tableau eco-system (and I think I was the irst woman podcaster in that space), co-founded a Data+Women initiative that is now a global initiative, founded the

Tableau Fringe Festival, a global online conference for the Tableau ecosystem; all the while still working as a bank examiner!”

Through these initiatives, Emily wanted to give back to the community that embraced her during her foundling years.

QUIZ AND MORE!

As Emily transitioned into her journey as a full-time entrepreneur, she realized the power of quizzes.

She mentions, “Quizzes can help people learn more about themselves and join a business owner's community, which are two of the most basic needs we have as humans.”

Initially, Emily actively helped online entrepreneurs attract community and build their lists with the help of quizzes. “I would meet my clients where they were at, whether it was me doing the research, creating the quiz, and connecting it to their email service provider, or providing feedback on their draft quiz. With opt-in rates of over 65% on some of my quizzes, I was in a good position to help entrepreneurs.”

Today, she has gone back to her irst love of helping people to create more accessible dashboards by working as a Tableau Enablement Consultant at Red Hat. “It's awesome to be in a place that values data-informed decision making and a good data culture.”

However, Emily continues to take upon quizzing projects selectively and help business leaders grow their community.

THE CHANGE

True to her values as always, in 2017, Emily realized how she wasn't living her family value. “I left a career that had made me feel like a bad mom and strained a relationship with my husband,” she remembers.

Now, she works remotely at home with her family as her topmost priority.

She is grateful for the time she is

able to spend with her kids each day and the ability to work from home. “Working from home allows me to get the kids up by 7:30am vs. 6:30am and out the door by 7am. I also spend time with them about an hour before bed. It might be watching Mr. Beast on YouTube or anything, but I'm meeting them where they're at, and it's something that we can connect on.”

Aside from her family, Emily goes out of her way to prioritize herself.

Having been diagnosed with chronic illness, she has made sure to devote her time managing stress, working out, and doing things that she enjoys. According to her, this enables her to become a better mom and wife.

Furthermore, she mentions, “I take that time and my husband is my partner; he supports me in this so that I can be the healthiest, happiest version of myself as possible.”

Emily is proud of what she has been able to achieve and work upon, as this has given her valuable perspective.

Nonetheless, talking about what she could have done if she were to start

again, Emily relects “The one thing I wish I would have done differently is to test out my entrepreneurial ideas before I left my career.”

She adds, “While I did a fantastic job estimating expenses, because it took me a while to ind my rhythm, I under-estimated income and that caused signiicant stress, which negatively impacted my health.”

VALUE-BASED LEADERSHIP

For Emily, a powerful woman is someone who knows her strengths and leverages it to impact change. She is someone who knows her value and lives by them. She is someone who dares to be different.

“She's a change-maker.”

As a powerful women herself, Emily leans into her strengths, instead of dwelling over improving her weaknesses always. She aims to empower other women with the same thought and make a difference.

Through her platform Pretty Strong Smart, Emily is dedicated towards empowering women and girls educationally, economically, and socially.

GOING

In her quest to continually learn and improve herself, Emily is currently doing her Executive MBA Program from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.

“I love learning, so I wouldn't be surprised if I enroll in a doctorate program as well. Additionally, I would love to be more of a resource in accessibility in data visualization and help enable analytics at Red Hat and have others learn from what we've done as well.”

Grateful for her time as an entrepreneur, Emily now

wants to impact people in a formal leadership capacity in analytics or marketing.

Aside from this, she sees herself winning a national pageant title. Talking about pageantry, she mentions “Pageantry has been such an interesting journey and I love how much more empowered I am because of it. I'm chasing the best version of myself, so the work is never done.”

At a personal level, being healthy and raising healthy, happy kids are one of her topmost priorities going forward.

An Example of Excellence Exce enc e

ANGELA CAUFIELD-THOMPSON

BUSINESS CONSULTANT

or Angela Cauield-Thompson, it was

F always about being her own boss. She didn't envision herself in a speciic industry or with a particular fancy title, instead being her own boss was all she dreamt of becoming. And so she did!

Today, as her own boss, Angela helps entrepreneurs and executives improve their eficiency and generate more income. A thought leader, business consultant, corporate trainer, speaker, and a mother, Angela is an example of excellence for women leaders.

In this exclusive interview with Exeleon Magazine, Angela Cauield-Thompson talks about her journey, ideas about leadership, and her vision going forward.

What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your

leadership?

Transformational leaders are not just aware of the need for massive change. They understand that dismantling and disrupting the current structures and system our society was founded on is critical, imminent, and necessary. These leaders are the button-pushers, the pushbackers, and the people that stand between 'what has always been' and what will be. Transformational leaders do not sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to make the irst move. They do not go with the grain, and they do not sit down and stay silent when things get hard.

True leadership goes beyond sharing strategy, practices, and procedures. True leadership is standing in your power and expressing your truth, even when your voice shakes.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader /entrepreneur that you can remember?

We start asking kids what they want to be when they grow up very early in the United States. Preschool and Kindergarten is typically when we start asking about future career decisions. The imaginations of children are incredible, and they truly believe they can do and be anything. Can you imagine what it would be like to carry that belief into adulthood? Most kids can remember telling their friends and family what they wanted to be, even if it isn't what they end up doing in the future.

I never had a speciic industry or title I wanted to hold. I just knew I wanted to be my own boss one day.

That's it. I want to be my own boss! It was a pretty vague concept and even now I'm giggling over how it must have sounded to a teacher or my parents.

I never dreamed I would end up where I am, but that really is the beauty of life, isn't it?

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the coaching and consulting space?

Since I knew I always wanted to be my own boss and I knew that I am passionate about teaching and developing others, coaching seemed like an easy transition. I followed my instincts while I was at my corporate job and became a certiied Holistic Health + Nutrition

Coach. From there, my practice grew and morphed, and I knew I was meant to share my expertise on a larger scale.

I began brainstorming and birthing ideas for marrying my love of development with the experience I'd gained through my education and corporate career. At that point,

I began doing many more speaking engagements, writing, and working with business owners on how to evolve their own organizations and expand their concept of leadership.

It's a combination of what I love and what I'm skilled at. Passion meets purpose!

What is the approach/process followed by you in order to ensure optimal client satisfaction?

Optimizing the client experience is something very important to me. As an entrepreneur, adding a signature touch to interactions and transactions can be what sets you apart from others in your industry (notice I did not say competition).

Being open and receptive to feedback is critical. Gather client/customer surveys. ASK your clients what it is speciically about working with you that keeps them coming back.

The resources for these questions are at your ingertips. Get creative and remember, optimizing the client experience does not have to be expensive or time consuming.

A handwritten thank you card goes a long way.

As a women entrepreneur, what

would be your advice for young and aspiring women leaders?

The current systems in this country were not created with our success, equity or safety in mind... Especially women of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups of women.

We are thought leaders. We know that moving wealth into our hands means creating the power to enact massive change.

Do not sell yourself short. Do not underestimate your impact.

What does a day in your life look like? How do you ensure worklife balance?

A day in my life is crazy if I'm being completely transparent! I have children, dogs, a home and a large extended network of family and friends. I am a woman, human, mother, partner, friend among many other things.

Work-life balance is something I do not strive to achieve. The concept I strive for is 'work-life integration'. How can I shape and create the life I dream of living? What is my version of success? The answers to these questions help me build my business into my life, rather than build my life around my business.

Some days various things will need more attention and others will fall by the wayside. There is no judgment. It just, is.

Do not take too much on. Delegate whenever possible and do not live your life being a martyr. It's ok (and necessary) to ask for help!

Looking back at your journey, what would you have done differently when starting out?

I appreciate and fully believe in seeking help, community, and advice throughout the process of starting and running a business. However, my biggest piece of advice is do not let the voices of others drown out your own or keep you from listening to your intuition.

You will be told what to do, how to do it, how not to do it, where and when to do it or not do it (it being speciic to your business). This can

drive a wedge or disconnect you from your ideas, thoughts, and mission.

You started this business for a reason. As my wonderful mentor Dr. Melissa Bird PhD says, "with purpose, on purpose." Don't let anyone take that from you.

Finally, what does the future look like for you, both personally and professionally?

The future is hopeful. It's prosperous and I see myself sharing my knowledge, skills, and wisdom

with an audience I never could have imagined. The future holds publishing a book and speaking on stages in front of massive audiences. The future looks like passionately developing the leaders I hope to see in the world.

My family and I love to travel. I see us all over the world. If there is anything the last few years has taught us, it is that time is our most precious resource. The little moments are the big moments. I look forward to sharing many more of these with the people I love.

Linda Greub CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO

eing a woman in business is no easy

B task. Workplaces can still have a “boys club” mentality when the men make decisions together and women are left without equal standards, mentorship, or a voice.

Women who are starting their own businesses are not an exception to this status quo. Although teams with diverse leaders have been shown to have better decision-making, better inancial returns, faster exits, higher revenues per dollar raised, and more innovation than homogeneous teams, women are still shortchanged. In fact, in 2021, only 2% of the total venture capital funding went to female-led companies.

To make matters worse, female leaders focused on women's health are at an even greater disadvantage than their peers since they're seeking support from a male-dominated investment industry. Those men may lack the requisite expertise – not to mention the comfort level – around topics concerning women's health.

Amidst this prevalent concern, there is a leader who is determined to change the venture capital industry's landscape, fund more businesses centered around women's health, and provide a launch-pad for more female founders - Linda Greub.

Back in 2019, Linda Greub co-founded Avestria Ventures with the objective of tipping the unfavorable scales of venture capital fundraising towards early-stage women's health and female-led life science companies.

GROWING UP YEARS

Linda grew up in a culture focused on innovation and independence, and, as a result, never saw herself pursuing a conventional career option. “I always wanted to start a business and ind that big idea which inspired me enough to go after it on my own.”

Her maternal grandfather was a successful inventor and entrepreneur, and her mother worked at the Paciic Stock Exchange. Talking about her mother, Linda recalls, “She was very

Linda Greub

When you have multiple balls in the air, you have to realize which ones are rubber and which ones are glass.

focused on her personal investment portfolio. She felt that understanding inance and investment was a necessary part of any education.”

After receiving her MBA from Harvard Business School, Linda started her own inance and investment journey: in equity investment management. But she found herself becoming increasingly focused on the life sciences space and, subsequently, working in corporate development and inance roles at both global- and venturebacked life science companies, such as VitaPath Genetics, Novartis Diagnostics, Singulex and Raindance (sold to Bio-Rad).

In every job she took, she found something very speciic about which she was interested in learning more.

Her learnings, curious nature, and growth mindset helped her leverage her experiences in both the investment and life science worlds to form her own business: Avestria Ventures.

“With Avestria,” Linda relects. “I found not only that big idea that led me to start and run my own business but also a business that allows me to keep learning every day.”

AVESTRIA'S MISSION:

Before Avestria Ventures was founded, Linda and two of her business school classmates used their own money to invest in female-led startups. As women in male-dominated spaces like investment, entrepreneurship, and healthcare, the three classmates-

turned-co-investors was all too aware of how female entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage when it comes to venture capital funding.

“Female founders have shown to perform better than male-owned ones: they have 35% higher ROIs and 63% higher valuations on average compared to all male-teams and generate $0.78 revenue generated per dollar raised vs. $0.31 for all-male teams,” Linda shared.

However, only after she and her classmates irst invested in nVision, which had developed a novel solution to help detect ovarian cancer at an early stage, did Linda realize that female founders centered around women's health were doubly disadvantaged.

“Investors tend to invest in people who look like them and ideas that affect them,” Linda says. “A maledominated venture community usually doesn't have expertise in, passion in or even comfort with women's health.”

“The result is that they don't fund those entrepreneurs and those companies,” she adds.

In a bid to address this lack of representation of women in the venture capital market, Linda and her business school classmate and fellow investor Corinne Nevinny, decided to start Avestria Ventures with a mission to invest in earlystage women's health and femaleled life science ventures.

As female health executives and current female investors, the Avestria team understands not only

the complexities of the space but also the challenges that women face as entrepreneurs and in healthcare. The collective experiences of each Avestria team member help them gauge opportunities for investment, innovation, and improvement.

“At Avestria Ventures, by investing in early-stage women's health and female-led life science companies, our goal is to make a positive change across three levels,” Linda summarizes. “Encouraging growth in women's health, providing support to female founders, and changing the face of the venture capital industry, which is mostly white and male.”

BALANCING LIFE

As a woman in business herself, Linda has irsthand experience when it comes to the trials of wearing multiple hats at all times. She realizes the importance of balance and how working mothers, unfortunately, seem to have the most to juggle.

At the same time, Linda mentions how being a working-mother can also give one a whole new level of eficiency, creativity, and prioritization. For her, having the right perspective is what makes the biggest difference. “When you have multiple balls in the air, you have to realize which ones are rubber and will bounce if dropped and which ones are glass and will break.” she shares.

THE EVOLVING PRESENT & EXCITING FUTURE

In 2021, two years after Avestria

was founded, two of its portfolio companies were acquired: Alydia Health was acquired by Organon for up to $240 million, and Uqora was acquired by Pharmavite for an undisclosed amount. Through these acquisitions – among several notable ones in the women's health industry over the past few years –the team at Avestria Ventures is optimistic about the strategic interest in women's health startups, especially from big names in the industry. Put another way, these acquisitions are a positive sign that established companies in the healthcare space are recognizing women's health as a valuable market opportunity and may be looking to support more and more startups in this space.

The public attention that women's health and wellness is receiving is

also gaining momentum. One speciic example that Linda gives is from the federal government: “The federal government announced a Maternal Health Day of Action starting in 2021 to acknowledge the need for improvement in this area and, in the process, demonstrate that interest in women's health is growing at the federal level as well as the strategic ones.”

Avestria has several portfolio companies that are focused on improving maternal health; some of the irm's other investments are working on improving mental health, offering menopause-related care, and creating convenient and accurate at-home testing solutions.

Avestria will soon be fundraising for Fund II. The team is hoping that the capital from that raise will allow

them to invest in even more deserving companies than they were able to support in Fund I, which closed in June 2021 after the acquisition of Alydia Health.

In the forthcoming years, Linda wants to expand Avestria's footprint and its portfolio of impactful companies. “We have several exciting developments in our current Fund I portfolio companies and are, overall, excited about the increased awareness of investment as well as support of women's health,” she concludes.

Uniting the World through Wine

Ellen Deng

From reading the biography of

Steve Jobs to being part of one of the fastest growing ecommerce startup in Southeast Asia, from travelling across 30 countries to building her own company, Ellen Deng's journey has been nothing less than inspiring.

In an Exclusive Interview with Exeleon, she talks about her journey and Vinofy, which is the irst videobased social wine app for people to discover, share and shop wine together all in one place.

What according to you makes for a powerful women? How do you

integrate the same thought into your leadership?

For me, being powerful means, you are empowered to make your own decisions and work on things that bring meaning to your life. With my team, I always give them the freedom to create and make decisions.

What is your earliest memory as a leader/ entrepreneur that you can remember?

I have always admired leaders growing up. For me, it means dedicating to something that is greater than oneself. And it's only

CEO & Founder | Vinofy

natural for me to develop skills and have experiences that can help me become a leader

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the tech space?

It started when I read the biography of Steve Jobs. I just inished business school with a Finance degree. I decided I didn't want a career in Finance. I was fascinated by the ability for tech companies to make real impact. Then I got a job at the fastest growing e-commerce startup in Southeast Asia and the rest is history.

What was the idea that led to the formation of Vinofy? What was the thought behind its name?

I have lived in 10 countries and traveled to over 30 countries in the past 10 years. Through my travels, I learned that the appreciation of taste is a uniquely human gift, just like music, dance, and how we can connect over it. And wine is such a unique product that represents the culture, the people, the land and so on. That's why I started Vinofy.

It is the platform and community for everyone from different cultures and backgrounds to unite over this universal human

experience – the love of wine, food, and anything tasty.

We want to bring technology to the industry and the name is inspired by other tech companies such as Spotify. Like Spotify, Vinofy is the Hirst video-based social wine app for people to discover, share and shop wine all in one place. We are building a platform and community for everyone to connect over the love of wine. And video is a great format to make the experience more fun, social, and engaging.

Being the CEO and Founder, what role do you play in the dayto-day proceedings of the company?

We are still at a very early stage so as a founder, it means I'm very hands-on in day-to-day work, from talking to users, networking with partners and investors to creating content for social media. Prioritization is the key and the hardest task as a founder. Another very important job is to take care of the team and make sure they have everything they need to make the company a success.

What has the journey been like for Ellen Deng over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently when starting out?

Before I took the jump as a founder, I started my career in tech when I joined a fast-growing eCommerce startup (Lazada Group) where I learned entrepreneurship and the rapid scaling of a unicorn tech company. It was acquired by Alibaba with a

multi-billion-dollar valuation within 5 years after launch. Afterward, I joined a global travel tech startup as the head of ecommerce and product, leading a team of 9 to build and grow an experience booking platform live in over 30 countries and serving 18 million travelers globally.

What would be your advice for aspiring and young women leaders and entrepreneurs?

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it or it's a bad idea. Take feedback but it shouldn't change your vision. Things might seem

ugly and impossible at the beginning; the key is to start and continue.

Finally, what does the future look like for you and Vinofy?

We have many exciting features planned on the product roadmap, such as live streaming, virtual tastings, group etc. We are also planning a global launch in all major wine countries and the launch of Vinofy Marketplace to help wine inHluencers, wine professionals, and winemakers to engage better with their audience and monetize better on their

content.

And it's not only limited to wine because Vinofy, at its core, is about tastefulness. We will expand to other categories, such as spirits, coffee beer, and cannabis. Our vision is to unite people from different cultures and backgrounds over this universal human experience, the love of wine, food, and anything tasty.

Driving People Towards Success

Jennifer Rae Stine Founder & President | Fortune Web Marketing

or Jennifer Rae Stine, the idea of

helping someone succeed has been the biggest driver throughout her journey.

It is this drive that led her into the marketing industry and to start Fortune Web Marketing, a one-of-a-kind agency focused on all aspects of marketing, with a digital focus.

Since its inception in 2008, the team at Fortune Web Marketing, spearheaded by Jennifer, have built a reputation of delivering optimal client satisfaction through their personalized branding and marketing strategies.

LEAP OF FAITH

Following her bachelors in Telecommunications with a Minor in English from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA with a Marketing Specialization

from NYIT, Jennifer spent over 10 years in the inancial services industry in New York.

However, in her mind she knew that there was something more, something better for her out there. Recalling her time in New York, Jennifer mentions “I was feeling very uninspired, truthfully very defeated, especially being a young woman in the space.”

This was the moment Jennifer decided to take a leap of faith, she left her job, and started her own business – Fortune Web Marketing.

Today, the company has 18 employees across 3 different locations, with another one on the way, and has positioned itself as a trustworthy and effective single source agency.

Moreover, Jennifer is co-owner of a Video and Live Stream Production company,

Photobomb Productions, LLP.

However, they steer themselves away from taking on large, enterprise-level organizations as clients. “Most of our clients are SMBs, we see true vision and passion there every day. It's inspiring and incredibly fulilling to successfully get their message out to masses.”

This fulillment of helping people succeed and grow is what stands out for Jennifer. “I get to see the vision and passion they put into their business, and in return, I help market that dream for them, ultimately making it a reality,” she asserts.

ROCK THE WEB

As the President of Fortune Web Marketing, Jennifer hones multiple caps to her name. “I am everywhere and have a pulse on everything, but I do not and will not micromanage,” she mentions.

Jennifer encourages self-reliance and independence, while empowering everyone to do their absolute best and create something amazing every day. “When people believe in themselves, wonderful things can happen. All our leadership ethics and tactics are based around those principles. We encourage creative thinking, independence and of course, community involvement, being on the board for multiple non-proit organizations myself.”

The company values lexibility and freedom while simultaneously ensuring that the standards of quality are matched and

maintained.

Speciically, Jennifer handles sales, strategic growth initiatives, initial training across departments, expansion into new spaces, inances, and all industry-thought leading initiatives such as speaking engagements and group strategic training. With an experienced team of SEM experts, content writers, social media gurus, creative masters and video producers, Fortune Web promises to help its clients “rock the web….and beyond”.

The company's accessibility, skill set, customer service, and quality of work help ensure client satisfaction every step of the way.

Furthermore, Jennifer emphasizes that they are very REAL. She explains, “We do not sugarcoat anything and always tell the truth.

We are not in the business of taking your money just to see ourselves grow. If we think an idea will not succeed, a client's chosen platform is not ideal or there is not adequate budget to be successful, we will tell you.”

Moreover, with a distinct focus on culture, the company makes sure to call everyone entering the organization as part of the FWM Family, irrespective of them being the staff, client, or a vendor.

“We welcome everyone individually. We care about helping you succeed and watching your vision come to life.”

BALANCING ACT

When asked about how Jennifer ensures work-life balance, being an entrepreneur, video producer, philanthropist, and mother, she confesses “There is no denying it…it's extremely dificult. It's the one thing I struggle with every day, especially since the pandemic. I have the utmost respect for any business owner that has held it together the past few years, personally and professionally. ”

She further adds, “Luckily, I have people close to me that encourage me to create balance and space. Yes, I do work 16-20 hour days most of the time. But I spend my free time with my son, my family and every now and then on me. I think I can get better with the latter, but everything that comes out of both companies, ultimately has my name on it, and that is important to me. My son accompanies me much of the time, he is even one of our camera men (in training) – at the age of 10!”

Jennifer opines that working hard is of utmost importance, especially in today's cut-throat work environment to keep the ships aloat, however, she realizes the importance of maintaining a healthy balance as well.

Owing to this, Jennifer dedicatedly makes time for her philanthropy work as helping people and seeing them smile is the most rewarding experience for her.

THE COMING DAYS

Jennifer is excited for what the

Helping Others

An empowering woman in every sense, Jennifer mentions the ability to inspire and motivate the ones around you to create change and make a difference is what makes for a transformational leader.

“Whether that be inside your own organization, among your colleagues and staff or inside your community. How we encourage and empower each other creates change and instills a sense of belief to everyone around you.”

She advises young and aspiring women leaders to just go for it and leave all doubt behind. “Never lose sight of your goals, your creativity, your passion and even in industries that might seem somewhat threatening, make your mark. There is really nothing you can't do if you empower yourself. And never lose sight of helping others along the way. We all need encouragement.”

future holds for her businesses, as she prepares to enter new avenues and industries.

“We are pushing into new industries, including Cannabis and the video production side is taking off full force. We have structured the organization to focus on 6

industries and branded them as such: Commercial, Consumer, Cannabis, Experiences, Medical and Non-Proits,” she mentions.

The focus of the company is to establish those vertical brands and add creative, successful strategies along the way.

She sums up her excitement for the future by mentioning it will be “Expansive and bright!”

The Diversity Queen

***

ELLIS

deas without action are useless. For Imani Ellis

Iit has been always about taking actions, instead of dwelling on the idea.

Following her realization of the lack of diversity in talent on stage, Imani chose to take an action instead of being disheartened by it. “It was really one of those, “If you don't see it, build it” moments,” she recalls.

And thus, led to the formation of CultureCon, a conference built for the culture by creatives of color. In this Exclusive Interview with Exeleon Magazine, Imani Ellis talks about her journey, her beliefs, and more.

What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

A good leader knows their team, but a transformational leader understands their team and leads with empathy and humanity. I think it's so important to always carry forward with an authentic

curiosity that allows you to stay a student in the process. Leaders are truly in service to their teams and their community, and I think it all starts with genuine curiosity.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader/entrepreneur that you can remember?

I did ballet for 14 years beginning at age 3 and ran track throughout high school. I truly believe these experiences played a huge role in developing my work ethic and instilled in me the value of persistence and perseverance. I am someone who doesn't stop when the job gets hard but when it gets done. This mindset has been such a game-changer for me because I am able to put off temporary rewards for the larger (more fulilling) vision.

What was the idea that led to the formation of CultureCon? What is your vision through this endeavor?

Living in New York City, I was attending a number of conferences and started to realize that I was not seeing true diversity in talent on stage that represented the talent I saw all around me. Instead of getting disheartened by it, I was empowered to do something about it. It was really one of those, “If you don't see it, build it” moments. My North Star of purpose is to continue to champion underrepresented voices and create brave and safe space for them. Our team has built something that we did not see in the world and invited our community of creatives to be a part of this brave space that is really illed with people who want to empower each other.

Brief us about your idea of culture. How important is diversity in business in today's work environment?

Culture starts within us and then comes from there— it's a pooled body of experiences that is shaped by history, community, survival, resilience, and creativity. From there, it bubbles up to the surface of our hearts, collectively brewing within us to aid in helping us feel connected and whole. We are all multifaceted people connected through culture and the diversity of our individual experiences.

I can't stress enough how important diversity is in a work environment — besides it being a proven business case for success— diversity is shaping the future, inviting every viewpoint to the table and asking them to be a key contributor to the conversation.

What has the journey been like for Imani Ellis over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently when starting out?

As I look back, I can truly say my journey has been a beautiful one. There were incredible challenges but with God and my family and friends, I was able to constantly ind a way ro persevere. I've always been someone with laser-vision. Meaning, I could look out into the world and ind a direction. The destination wasn't always super clear, but a general direction was always placed on my heart. If I could go back and change anything— I think it would be to not worry quite as much when I was younger. Life has a way of working out in a beautiful way.

What would be your advice for aspiring and young women leaders and entrepreneurs?

The Creative Collective team relies on three pillars: hustle smarter, building a life, and driving culture. I would encourage aspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs to avoid hustle culture that says they cannot rest and instead lean into hustling smarter. I would also encourage them to build a life that they love, and to constantly audit themselves and their process to see what's working best. Knowing your capabilities and limitations is the irst step to increasing your potential and being an accountable leader.

Finally, what does the future look like for CultureCon and The Creative Collective NYC?

For CultureCon and The Creative Collective NYC I hope that we continue to create brave spaces for creatives of color, so they know this is a place that was intentionally curated just for them. We also want to provide resources that lead to economic freedom, creative liberty, and unprecedented access. For myself, I hope to continue to explore new avenues of fulillment and to never cease being curious about things, after all curiosity keeps you young.

About Imani Ellis

ICreative Collective NYC , a community dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for Black and Brown creatives. Born in Imani's one-bedroom apartment as a means to foster meaningful connection, TheCCnyc has since parlayed into the fastest-growing community devoted to creatives of color.

mani Ellis is the Founder of CultureCon and The

TheCCnyc's marquee event is CultureCon, a conference celebrating the impact diverse voices have on culture. Past speakers include Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, John Legend, Spike Lee, Lena Waithe, and more. CultureCon is the irst of its kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative and young professional life.

In addition to community events, The Creative Collective NYC provides countless resources and workshops. In the height of the pandemic, The Creative Collective NYC launched CultureCon at Home, a virtual campus that reached over 22,000 creatives in over 131 countries around the world, and Creative Curriculum, a series of digital masterclasses touching on everything from entrepreneurship to navigating the corporate world.

Named a "2021 Breakthrough Creative" by Ebony, and a "Diversity Champion" by Adweek, Imani has been recognized by Forbes as a "Visionary" and "One To Watch" by Black Enterprise.

Imani graduated from Vanderbilt University with a major in communications and a double minor in German and Film.

UPLIFTING WOMEN

Elyse Kaye Founder & CEO | Bloom Bras

ashion has always been at the

F forefront of human evolution.

As human civilization has continued to grow and expand, trends in fashion has simultaneously evolved.

In many cases, fashion has been a voice for change and a statement of progress. Recent years has seen brands becoming more and more aware of their audience, prompting them to commit to a more inclusive

future.

At the heart of this change is Elyse Kaye, the Founder of Bloom Bras.

For this transformational leader, a quest to ind the right sports bra led her to research and subsequently engineer a line of body-inclusive bras that customizes according to your body type.

Through Bloom Bras, Elyse is uplifting women across ages and

sizes by not only offering them comfort but also addressing real health issues.

In this Exclusive Interview, Elyse Kaye talks about her idea behind Bloom Bras, the industry, and the future.

What according to you makes one a powerful women? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

A powerful woman is one that surrounds herself with people who can help her to achieve success.

Bringing on mentors early in my career not only helped me to become the leader I am but also taught me how to mentor others. Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader/entrepreneur that you can remember?

I was the kid who ran every lemonade stand, created the babysitters club with games and activities, joined every leadership club. My parents instilled in me I could be anything that I wanted to be. My irst job out of college was working for the company that makes Lava Lamps. My boss was let go a few months after starting (nothing that had to do with me) so I did not have a boss. I pulled out my old marketing notes and built a

marketing plan to present to the CEO. To my surprise, he said “great, it is all yours.”

I was 22, bright-eyed and ready to take on the world. First phase was to build out a licensing department. This brought in ancillary income and allowed me to hire a team. One of the potential licensees asked if we could get one their characters to loat around in a Lava Lamp. The R & D team and I started playing

around in the lab which got me hooked on innovation and product development. The glitter lamp outsold the Lava Lamp that year opening up new channels and consumers. That became the path for me.

What was the idea that led to the formation of Bloom Bras?

I could not ind a sports bra that worked. 70% of women in the US are a D-cup or above. The average dress size is a 14 - 16 which is a 4446 band and yet no companies were focusing on this. It is not the same mechanism to lift a 3 lb rock as a 12 lb so why would we not engineer a product that works with larger breasts. I brought in top minds from NASA, Oprah's corset maker and shipping/packaging experts to bring the vision to life. We are now the most body-inclusive line on the

market ranging in sizes from 28C56L designed to lift vs. squish.

Talk to us about the engineering challenges of designing a bra and how Bloom Bras are standing out from the competition.

The Bloom Bra features patented lifting straps and cinching cups allowing the bra to customize to your body and exercise type. It has been designed without underwire, both for comfort and to address the health concerns.

Working like a shelf to lift the breasts rather than squashing them, the Bloom Bra distributes weight throughout the back and sides rather than putting pressure over the shoulders and across the ribs, allowing for natural movement of the breast and uninterrupted circulation of the body's essential

systems. State-of-the-art compression materials and cooling, moisture-wicking power mesh combined with a reinforced front zipper to “lift, not squish”.

More and more brands are now talking about size-inclusivity. What prompted this shift in the industry?

The demand continues to rise, Brands like Nike have been printing money for decades producing the same bra in different colors, adding a feature, changing a material. Adding new sizes is not as simple as taking that bra and making it bigger. It is a different engineering challenge. If you put 10 people who are a 38DDD next to each other, we hold differently with different expectations on how a bra should it. Our bodies change 10% a month naturally. For a B cup, not a big deal

but for a DDD, that is a full cup size. If you have children or a major shift in weight, imagine what that does to our breasts.

Being the CEO and Founder, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

As the CEO, it is my responsibility to lead the strategy. The mission statement of Bloom Bras is to empower women of all shapes, sizes, and stages of life to feel good

while moving. Everything we do encompasses that. Our social media and events are designed to support our community. Every hire matches our ethos. I make decisions daily from mil thickness of a business card to whether we take on outside funding so staying the course is one of the most important roles I can play as a leader.

Looking at your journey, what would you have done differently if you were to start again?

I would have paid more attention in my accounting classes. It is the area that I always feel the least comfortable in. I also would consider a co-founder. Being a leader is amazing but can be very lonely. I tell all of the aspiring entrepreneurs that your company will take everything - your money, time, personal life, energy so make sure you have a strong support system.

Finally, what does the future look like for you and Bloom Bras?

The new product development pipeline includes channel and product expansion. Using the patented functionality, the next three major categories include preand post-maternity (4 million new moms annually), breast cancer survivors who have gone through non-elective reconstructive surgery (1 in 8 women) and the evergrowing active senior population (<20 million women).

Using our patented adjustable lifting system, we will design beautiful, comfortable safe solutions in sports bras, sleep shirts, and tops, Bloom pays homage to my grandmother, a casualty of breast cancer. I will always offer the option for contributors to donate bras to breast cancer survivors and we will match.

How I Express Myself Fashionis

INTERVIEW WITH STYLIST CHI ILOCHI or Chi Ilochi, becoming a stylist wasF an act of self-expression. She found herself through the world of fashion and decided on “paying it forward” by introducing Styling by Chi.

Styling By Chi is a way for Chi to heal, empower, and inspire through the art of fashion and style.

An inspiration to emerging women in the fashion space, Chi shares about her journey in an exclusive interview with Exeleon Magazine.

What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

One is a transformational leader when their being and overall person can inspire and help another attain all that life has to offer for them. I believe my commitment to help and inspire others in everything is how I integrate that thought process into my way of leadership.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader/entrepreneur that you can remember?

I believe I've always had a spirit of entrepreneurism. My earliest memory as an entrepreneur was making my own comic book and selling it for ive dollars. Looking back on that memory, I realize now that I was sowing seeds for who I grew into today.

Myself

Model: Nova Jay Photographer: Dymond Jewell

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the fashion industry?

My interest in the fashion industry was prompted through selfexpression. Fashion has always been the way I've expressed myself, subsequently I decided to make the decision to become a fashion stylist.

What was the idea that led to the formation of Styling By Chi? What is your vision through this company?

The idea that led to the formation of Styling By Chi was “paying it forward”. I realized the tremendous impact fashion had on my mental health and quality of life and I wanted to share that with others through fashion styling. My vision for my company is to heal, help, and inspire as many as I can through fashion and style.

What does a day in your life look like? How do you ensure work-life balance?

A day in the life for me looks pretty chaotic, some days I'm pulling for upcoming photoshoots, other days I'm responding to emails, and hopping on Zoom calls. I must say I've gotten better at ensuring work-life balance over the years, I do so by giving myself weekends off to hang with friends and family.

What has the journey been like for Chi Ilochi over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently when starting out?

The journey for Chi Ilochi over the years has been beautiful, eye opening, and worth it. Looking back, I would've made sure to believe in myself a bit more when starting out. Life would've been a lot easier if I realized sooner that I deserved everything God gave me.

What are the challenges that you had to face during this journey?

I've faced many challenges along this journey of mine, but I'd say the biggest challenge was a few of my friends passing away before they could see my success. This challenge has been my hardest, and is one I struggle with to this day. What brings me peace and comfort is knowing that their spirit lives through mine in all I am and all I do.

What would be your advice for aspiring and young women leaders and entrepreneurs?

My advice for aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs is to bet on yourself every time. You are already worthy as is. Your peers don't deine you or your success, you do.

Finally, what does the future look like for you and Styling By Chi? The future for myself and Styling By Chi looks like healing; abundance, styling the BET // Grammy Awards, and helping those around me elevate as I do. For me, that's what the future is all about.

Model: Chi Ilochi

Photographer: Richard Jones

INTERVIEW WITH Global Health Innovator

Riya Mehta

hat according to you makes Wone a dynamic leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

Willing to be inclusive of other people's differences and opinions are a lot to handle as a leader, but it makes for a thoughtful, empathetic, and strong igurehead. I realized this over time, when I started to be the team lead in consulting projects and hire interns--I learned the value of mentoring young people that have different niches, and voices to add. For example, when launching my startup project Futureshot Factory, I chose to hire 2 interns to assist in our collaborations, and I stayed active in training them by opening up a slack channel, private coaching sessions as well as weekly meetings. I furthermore offered my network to them and nominated my interns for awards, jobs, and other internships that would accelerate their careers after they left the company.

Talk to us about your growing-up years. What led you to be involved with the

idea of changing the world at such a young age?

There's so much continuous pressure on young high school students to rigorously focus on academics and school extracurriculars, that there is no time left for them to branch out and apply themselves to adventurous situations, or practice real-life skills in companies through internships. It's quite disheartening, and I really felt that I was lucky enough to escape that. I started becoming a medical researcher at 16, which snowballed into opportunities of me being part of accelerator programs, and soon, traveling around the world to represent organizations at conferences, by keynoting at them.

I noticed the growing need for young women of color in the ields of stem and social advocacy, to bridge the gender disparity gap and make women speaking up the new norm. I feel blessed that I was able to continue school online for the remainder of my high school career, as I'm aware

others don't have the same luxury. My family, guidance counselors and mentors got me to where I am.

How are you empowering developing countries to utilize AR and VR in genome research?

During my time at SickKids, I joined the AI & genomics lab network to develop creative approaches to using AI algorithms for human genome mapping; or detecting faulty genes in the body before they developed into other worse diseases. Before then, I never really took the time to really process how artiicial intelligence can intersect with genomic data and access parts of our bodies or make future predictions in a way humans cannot. In addition to that learning curve, I also got to apply my skills speciically with virtual/augmented reality to make 3D heart models that better detail what's going on in the human body with heart defects or cardiac diseases. The Heart Research department I was working in was studying the effects of a disease called Pulmonary Vein Stenosis, a rare disease in young children & newborns associated with high mortality that results in the narrowing of pulmonary veins.

I thought about how 3D bioprinting would play a role in this, as many labs have been printing live human heart models that can replace damaged ones in the body. This research is still in its theory phase, as there are many complications such as not having personalized hearts to it the human body, ethical questions, etc. However, bioprinting offers a permanent, safer solution that can re-establish blood low in the body long term, by replacing the constrained heart with an artiicial, one constructed by using a patient's own stem cells to limit rejection.

What has the journey been like for Riya Mehta over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently when starting out?

To give some back history on my journey in STEM and social justice, I've been a research associate at The Institute for Economics and Peace think tank for the past 2 years, conducting research into the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan and what it means for the economy in the Middle East, with a focus on ethnic conlict. As a Canadian representative for the UNITAR council, I work with UN oficials to help rebuild communities aflicted by civil wars. I also serve as a

commitment maker for UN Women, to educate the general public on conlicts such as the Ukrainian war.

I would shadow my superiors, as I interacted with the parents of patients to provide comfort and give them hope as they continued their journey in the hospital. The more time I spent there, the more I became grateful for my privilege in life, and instead of looking at world problems in a negative way, I started channeling my energy toward co-creating solutions. If I could go back, I would attempt to make my voice more heard in both smaller and bigger environments, as I could've played a more active role in providing recommendations to better-known people in the industry. I believe being shy at irst and not making my thoughts known cost me certain connections and a stronger network, which is why I urge everyone to be comfortable with getting uncomfortable and take pride in uncertain situations.

What would be your advice for young and aspiring women leaders or entrepreneurs?

Ensure you start building cultural capital for yourselves, especially in our current climate with more young people getting involved in huge companies such as Google or Tesla, many career-advancing programs are built upon the network and connections you make with mentors, women leaders, and industry giants that are willing to help you along on your journey. There is so much opportunity for young girls to take advantage of and make a real change, a tangible one which is all due to adult donors, supporters, and those who constantly stand up for women-led organizations, in an effort to be a pillar of strength for the next generation of girls.

Continue to believe in strong-minded young women, and show your support, because there are more chances now than ever for girls to be involved in areas of research, social activism, and change that can not only beneit them but others as well. If we want to see real impact, see others make an actual difference, we have to actively support the next generation who can bring that about, and that are the young women leaders, those who constantly work to provide a better future for all.

What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey? What has been your biggest learning?

One of the most signiicant problems I've faced is the

best way to be heard in industry meetings, projects and how to be bold when presenting keynotes. As a young woman of color, I appreciate the challenges associated with others much older than me, taking my opinions seriously as over time I became more articulate in discussing my wants with others, rather than sitting idly. I see myself as a moonshot thinker, with many people resisting my dreams at the beginning of my journey, which evidently did not stop me from wanting to pursue them.

Moving forward, what does the future look like for you? What is your long-term vision?

I envision our planet utilizing carbon capture systems to not only rid mass amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere but also convert carbon dioxide into other resources such as graphene, diesel fuel, or concrete. I believe that direct air capture can be a shift towards megatonne-sized solutions. We require new, innovative ways of thinking if we hope to sustain our planet and continue to witness its beauty.

Personally, I see my pathway heading in the direction of social justice advocacy and creating more impact with my initiatives in political journalism, continuing with submitting articles for magazines and newspapers. I hope to become a greater igurehead, so other young girls can look up to me and hopefully pick up some advice on getting started in the STEM and social justice space as a student in high school.