The first annual Columbus Women’s Business Summit will feature insightful panel conversations, motivational and informative speakers, and will provide invaluable networking opportunities.
Attendees will be equipped with inspiration, tools, and confidence to drive themselves and their businesses to the future they seek.
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or a professional looking to grow, this summit will provide the inspiration, insights, and resources to help you reach your next level of success.
Sessions Include:
This event is open to everyone interested in learning about entrepreneurship regardless of sex.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Amanda Ray Newman is a dynamic keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, artist, and storyteller whose vibrant blend of art and personal empowerment inspires audiences to activate their hidden gifts. With an M.Ed in Counseling from Auburn University and over 20 years of creative experience, she has built a portfolio featuring 200+ murals in schools, churches, homes, and businesses worldwide.
Amanda’s keynote offers transformative insights that ignite purpose, meaning, and legacy, inviting individuals to “Color Outside the Lines” and reframe their life experiences. Her engaging presentations and interactive workshops serve as a catalyst for creative transformation, while her global initiatives—such as the Do-Good Project and her missionary work in Rwanda—underscore her commitment to building thriving creative communities.
Robbie Parks is a Business Consultant at the UGA SBDC in Gainesville. In this role, she leverages her 20+ years of experience to teach entrepreneurs how to launch, manage and grow their businesses. Her areas of expertise include marketing (traditional and digital), communications, graphic design, brand design and management, process analysis, CRM implementation and administration, and search engine optimization. Robbie holds a dual certification as a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) | AMA Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) from the Digital Marketing Institute and American Marketing Association and obtained a certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management.
Lindsay deOliveira is the founder of Soothe Beginnings, the award-winning baby brand and The Blox winner redefining pacifier safety and starting a bigger conversation about what parents should expect from baby products. A Certified Breastfeeding Counselor and former optician, she transformed a personal need into a trusted, science-backed solution for modern families.
Meet Rashmi Jain Hudson, the founder of Alltimate Luggage. With over 20 years in marketing at a Fortune 200 company, Rashmi developed a passion for travel that began when she immigrated from India. Her experiences highlighted the common challenges of packing and traveling. Now, using her marketing skills and insights from her own travel experiences, Rashmi has created Alltimate Luggage to change how we pack and travel. Motivated by a desire for new experiences in retirement and adventures with her husband, Rashmi aims to help fellow travelers with her innovative designs. Get ready for a new way to travel, brought to you by a packing and travel expert.
Tracey Herring is the Small Business Manager at the Columbus GA Chamber of Commerce, where she works closely with both startups and established businesses to identify challenges and connect them to the right resources for growth and long-term success.
A proud native of the Columbus, Georgia area, Tracey brings both personal passion and professional expertise to her work, serving as an advocate for the local business community.
She is a graduate of Columbus State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Leadership and Community Development. A 2024 graduate of Leadership Columbus, Tracey continues to demonstrate her commitment to community involvement.
Tulu Kaifee is the Procurement and Finance Specialist at the UGA SBDC. She joined the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center’s Multicultural Business Division in October 2023 as a procurement and finance specialist. Tulu has spent over 20 years in the financial services industry with experience in the consumer, small business and commercial lending segments serving entrepreneurs across Georgia. Tulu’s passion to serve multicultural and underrepresented communities gives her a unique edge incorporating Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategies to attract and retain talent in a competitive environment.
Twila Rhodes Kirkland is a native of Columbus who retired after a forty-seven-year career in sales and management positions in the credit union, banking and media industries. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Auburn University and is a graduate of the Georgia Banking School. She previously held certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources from SHRM and was a Certified Digital Consultant. She firmly believes that networking is deliberate action that fosters personal growth, collaboration and career success.
Connie has been a trusted State Farm agent in Columbus, GA for 33 years, where she has built a reputation for excellence. She has qualified for the prestigious Crystal Excellence honor within State Farm’s Legion of Honor program and is a multi-year qualifier for the Ambassador Travel Program. As a top-tier producer in the Columbus Market Area, Connie leads an incredible team of professional sales and service members dedicated to serving Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
A 1984 graduate of the University of Georgia, Connie is also a graduate of Leadership Columbus. Her extensive service in the community includes board memberships with Stewart Community Home, Columbus Specialty Hospital, Uptown Columbus, St. Mark UMC and the Optimist Club of Columbus.
Connie has been married to her husband, Mark, for 40 years, and together they have two children and two grandchildren. When not working, Connie is an avid UGA Bulldog fan and enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.
Sheree is a graduate of Columbus State University. She and her husband, Pat Mitchell, founded Growing Room Inc. in 1988 in response to a critical need in the Columbus, Georgia area for personalized, quality early childhood education and care. She began with one local school and continued from there, adding additional schools. As parents across the country repeatedly requested for Growing Room schools in their areas, Sheree and Pat created Growing Room Franchise System, Inc. This allowed them to sell franchises in other states, including Alabama, Florida, and Massachusetts.
In 2000, Sheree earned the honor of being named Women in Business Advocate of the Year in Georgia and in the Southeast. In 2004, she was named the National Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, as well as the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year. She was honored with the Thomas Y. Whitley Award by Columbus State University and the Concharty Council of Girl Scouts named her a Woman of Achievement in 2004.
During the years thereafter, Sheree served on many local Boards to include Universal Bank, United Way, Concharty Council of Girl Scouts, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Girls Inc, and others.
A graduate of Columbus State University, Mallory has been in the financial industry since 2012, beginning her career at the card processing company, TSYS. Primarily servicing large banking clients in both the United States and Canada, she was both an Analyst and Account Manager during her 9 years with TSYS. She joined Kinetic Credit Union as the Business Services Development Officer in January 2021, bringing a wealth of relationship and credit/financial industry knowledge to her new role. She now helps local businesses and investors grow their business with commercial lending products, commercial banking, and building strong financial partnerships.
Mallory is happily married with two wonderful children. She is involved with many activities in the community, including her daughter’s softball team at Harris County. She enjoys traveling, mastering new culinary skills, and spending time with her family.
Patricia Eldridge is the manager and owner of Eldridge MBS Wellness Center in Columbus, GA. Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Eldridge stepped into a leadership role and successfully revived and grew a highly regarded OB/GYN practice. Her knowledge of servant leadership, combined with real-world experience in innovative management and the implementation of effective growth strategies, demonstrates the virtues of risk-taking, hard work, and achieving success in the face of adversity.
Lee Ann Tipton is a CPA with over 37 years of experience in Columbus, Georgia. Lee Ann began her career in public accounting before transitioning into private industry, where she found a passion working with nonprofit organizations, including the Pastoral Institute and Calvary Christian School. Lee Ann spent much of her career helping mission-driven organizations strengthen their financial and operational foundations. She currently serves as the Business Manager for the Big Eddy Club, an exclusive fine dining and social club, where she oversees a broad range of functions including accounting, human resources, operations, risk management, and marketing.
Throughout her career, Lee Ann has been dedicated to building strong teams and empowering employees to thrive in roles that align with their unique strengths. Her approach blends financial expertise with a people-first mindset, always aiming to foster growth and organizational success.
Lara joined Rule 1 Ventures in 2025 and serves as CEO of RoxWrite. She also co-founded Now Corp and served as President & CEO from 2010 – 2024. Now® has accelerated over $1B in payments to small businesses and changed the way businesses get paid Lara served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Harvard Business School from 2017-2021 and continues to serve as a New Venture Competition Judge, as a member of the MS/MBA Advisory Board and as a mentor for the Field X class.
Furthermore, Lara co-authored “Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding your Business Back,” an award-winning book written with Stacey Abrams and with Heather Cabot. Lara spent 5 years with Dewberry Capital Corporation where she served as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing development, sales & leasing, property management and marketing. Finally, Lara served as the Executive Vice President of Dunk, founded with Shaquille O’Neal & Mike Piazza.
Lara is an internationally recognized speaker on creativity, innovation and access to capital. She received an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1998, and a BS in Aerospace Engineering with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1993. She was a scholarship member of Georgia Tech’s Track & Field team.
All programs of the UGA SBDC are open to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The University of Georgia
Small Business Development Center
382 East Broad Street
Athens, GA 30602-5412
P: (706) 542-2762
