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2019 Women's Symposium of Southern California

MARY PARKS

Opening Emcee

A journalist with true spirit, Mary has over 30 years of media experience. She created/hosted the TV series American Spirit, a weekly show featuring inspiring stories that were broadcast to 100 countries in 41 languages. She co-hosts The Verdict, a weekly radio show on AM590 focused on legal and criminal defense topics. In the spirit of giving back, she co-founded The Princess Spirit. Mary and dozens of volunteers transform into some of America’s most recognizable princesses to bring joy, hand-made dolls and wigs to children in local hospitals.

MARAH FINEBURG-KUCK

Welcome

Founder of WSSC, Marah brings investment and financial planning expertise to the table. Her goal is appropriate asset allocation, direct strategic investments, and developing secure retirement and estate investment plans for clients. She is First VP-Investments with Wells Fargo Advisors, in addition to holding designations as a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) and a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®). A graduate of UC San Diego with double bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Chinese Studies, Marah speaks Mandarin Chinese, Spanish & Hebrew.

SCHARRELL JACKSON

Opening Keynote

Scharrell is a Partner, COO/CFO of Squar Milner LLP, one of the nation’s 50 largest accounting firms. With over 30 years of experience, she is known for her remarkable business acumen and commitment to developing leaders, streamlining business operations and automating processes that drive growth, increase efficiency and profit. Scharrell also founded “Leadership in Heels”, a professional Speaker Series with sold out events that focus on making a difference in the lives of others. She also serves on a number of boards, hosts a small group in her home and is a mother of three amazing sons.

KIMJERA WHITTINGTON

Closing Keynote

An award-winning career development expert, keynote speaker and conscious leadership adviser, Kimjera Whittington opens a new path for you to take intentional, positive charge of your business and career. Kimjera’s passion lies in helping companies and organizations develop leaders who will build powerful and productive teams that thrive. Kimjera has more than 20 years of experience as a sales and marketing executive and has hired, mentored and trained hundreds of successful sales professionals. She holds a Master’s degree in Consciousness Studies and obtained her Executive Leadership training at the UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

Roundtable Topics

TOPIC 1 Realizing Financial Wellness

There are essential planning tasks to ensure you achieve financial wellness. Our experts understand the anxiety you might feel over where to start, where to seek advice and sorting through the options and costs associated with implementing a plan. Let them show you how to alleviate the stress and guide you through the steps to tackle these decisions and implement your plan.

A sound financial plan evolves as your needs and situation changes. Keeping your plan current requires constant adjustments over time. Our Specialists address a myriad of issues from fundamental planning to more complex and sophisticated decisions we face as we age, such as Medicare and Social Security. Join the dialog with our professionals to work through these difficult and confusing financial issues and learn the tools that constitute a healthy financial plan.

TOPIC 2 Fueling Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Do you day dream about the “perfect” job. Do you have a special talent, an expertise, an invention, or a much-needed service that sets you apart from the current marketplace? Join the conversation with successful entrepreneurs who turned their dreams into reality and created viable, profitable businesses. Hear how they transformed their passion into a revenue-generating venture.

Learn the secrets to building a client following, creating an effective business plan, seeking capital or investors to fund your idea and utilizing social media to optimize your market presence. Achieving success is tricky. A key lesson they share is to embrace your failures and missteps as they open up new and better ways to achieve your end goal. Don’t miss this opportunity as our business owners, and the experts they rely on, reveal techniques and steps to create, launch, grow and protect your business.

TOPIC 3 Achieving Harmony and Self Actualization – Master Your Best Life

Are you challenged on how to balance work, career and family without losing yourself in the process? Are you where you want to be and doing what you want to do? Identifying and taking care of your needs first is paramount to the safety briefing when you fly. “If you are traveling with children, make sure that your own mask is on first before helping your children.” Learn how to achieve “harmony” in your life and find your path to creating a “second life” or starting a new career or business.

Hear about STEAM careers and exposing the next generation to these opportunities. Professionals address issues the “sandwich generation” faces in caring for children and parents concurrently. Discover how to come back from an unexpected loss of a loved one or a divorce or a layoff. Discuss self-care tips and mindfulness activities with life coaches. Join this indispensable conversation to “Master Your Best Life”.

TOPIC 4 Mastering Successful Personal and Professional Communications

The key to delivering and landing your message involves the nuances of listening, awareness of your audience, empathy, compassion and encouragement. Effective communication is a vital component of healthy personal and professional relationships. How you interact and connect with clients, customers, co-workers, your family and friends feeds the probability of success. If interested in learning more, listen to our specialists share ways to score a winning result every time.

Explore social media trends in digital marketing and learn how to optimize your social capital. Specialists reveal strategies to help grow your outreach and target your message. Learn techniques for productive networking, designing and building websites, maximizing social media and more. This is a not-to-miss discussion for anyone looking to master their communication exchanges.

TOPIC 5 Giving Back – Making a Difference

Are you leading a “purposeful” life? While some people define success by physical trappings, others search for deeper meaning. Opening your attention beyond work or family, there are many ways to “give back” to your community and society. Volunteering your time and energy to a favorite charity provides an outlet to realize your inner purpose. It starts with identifying a cause or group which enlightens your spirit and matches your values system. Discuss how to select the best match for you and your talents amongst the wealth of non-profit groups.

Social responsibility doesn’t just involve individuals. Many business owners are drawn to raising consciousness by “giving back” to their community or a cause. Both individuals and business owners will benefit from joining this conversation.

TOPIC 6 Know Your Rights – Equality in the Workplace

This is the year of the woman. Do you know your compensation value? This grants you an edge up when seeking a promotion, a raise or a new opportunity. HR professionals share how to calculate your personal worth and techniques for capturing what you seek.

The workplace can be a treacherous environment to maneuver through these days as men and women search for safe territory in a highly sensitized arena. Be sure you know what resources are available to you should you encounter harassment, discrimination or inequity in any form. Learn how to grasp resolution and safety.

Competition is a productive force to achieve our best but don’t forget to support others while striving for your rewards. We all benefit when we work together and respect each other. Consider mentoring, a great avenue for uplifting our work and neighborhood communities. Learn, discuss and share how you are taking advantage of the momentous time we are in.

Improving the quality of life, financial independence and confidence of women in Southern California - is our mission - Make it Yours too!

Get Involved Today:

Register to attend the Symposium on Friday, March 8 2019
Donate your time and experience as a presenter
Volunteer to help organize or work the event day
Sponsor the event financially or with in-kind donations
Bring resources from your professional network
Encourage a family member or friend to attend with you