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Women Entrepreneurs Round Table Conference

Friday, March 24, 2023 at 12:00pm

Join us for an Inspiring Weekend of Empowering Hokie Women!

The Women's Entrepreneurship Round Table Conference is a free day-long event designed to celebrate and support women in business. This event is open to all women business leaders, entrepreneurs, and male allies who are interested in learning and networking with others who share a passion for developing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders, discussing wicked problems and the future of work, and collaborating on innovative ideas.

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The event will take place on Friday, March 24th and will start with a catered lunch where attendees can mingle and connect with other women in business and hear from one of our keynote speakers.  After lunch, there will be a series of breakout sessions featuring various female business leaders. These sessions will provide attendees with valuable insights and practical advice on how to grow their businesses, overcome challenges, and succeed as female entrepreneurs.

The breakout sessions will cover a range of topics such as preparing aspiring entrepreneurs for challenges in startups, developing skills to navigate uncertainty, establishing mentoring networks, finding access to resources, and empowering other women. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose the sessions that are most relevant to their businesses and interests.

In the evening, the event will conclude with a networking reception that will be open to Virginia Tech students. This will provide attendees with the opportunity to connect with future leaders and entrepreneurs, share their experiences, and mentor the next generation of female business leaders.

The Women's Entrepreneurship Round Table Conference is an empowering and inspiring event that celebrates the achievements of women in business and provides a supportive environment for them to learn, grow, and succeed.

The next day, Saturday, March 25th, The Women’s Summit will take place at the Virginia Tech Inn hosted by the Pamplin College of Business DEIB beginning at 10am. This event will be for Virginia Tech students and community members to participate in free of charge.

Round Table Speakers

Éva Clinkscale serves as Deputy Director of Engineering and Innovation in the Office of the US Transportation Secretary, concerned with Highly Automated Systems Safety.

Formerly the Director of FMCSA’s Office of Analysis, Research and Technology, Deputy Director of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, a Director with the Secretary of Defense’s F-35 Joint Program Office, and an Aeronautical Engineer in the US Air Force. Éva is skilled at leading large organizations through implementing new ideas and methods in a fast-paced, highly technical environment, leveraging extensive engineering, programmatic, and organizational management techniques. Éva is adept at articulating a clear vision, cultivating a learning culture, implementing organizational mission with precision and accountability, and negotiating resource constraints. She is a fiscally conscious, collaborative leader, an expert at leading change-management initiatives, and directing diverse teams of professionals to position any organization for future needs and opportunities. Éva graduated from the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma and completed her Master of Aeronautical Science degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Éva and her Wife are most proud of their Family; their three now-adult children keep them traveling via planes, trains, and automobiles.

Faith Lewis
Leadership Coach
HR/Learning and Organizational Development
Hyland Software, Inc.

Faith serves as an internal Leadership Coach for a global software company based out in Cleveland, OH. She has a background in coaching in both industry and higher education.  Through hands-on coaching, she works to support leaders to deepen their self-awareness, remove barriers to challenges, and create new approaches to meet their goals and find successful solutions. She also ensures the application of various training topics and reflection exercises to the overall goal of individual growth and development.

In addition to her coaching experience, Faith has served as an Academic Advisor, Organizational Development Specialist, and a Learning Consultant. Through these experiences, she has provided support and guidance to individuals on a variety of human resource functions including organizational development, coaching, facilitation, strategic planning, and talent management. Most importantly, Faith has a passion for leadership engagement and supporting leaders’ professional development on an individual level!

Wendi is a highly accomplished business, technology, and change management leader with history of transforming operations through a combination of people, processes, and systems. She has made an impact by managing the planning and delivery of large-scale programs, leading and empowering cross-functional teams to realize the organization’s vision. Her super power lies in communicating insightful, data-driven recommendations that serve as foundation for progressive change. Her passion is seen through the coaching, growing, and influencing of others in a fast-paced, executional culture and maintaining high velocity. She also makes time for building the village for Women in Technology within the New River Valley as well as her 3 boys, 2 dogs and husband in Blacksburg, VA. 

Cha Barefield is a powerful speaker, entrepreneur and talk show host of The Cha Show. The Cha Show is committed to bringing people together, creating a safe space to share our stories and inspiring our hearts to be better, love better and hope more. 

Cha believes in the power of pushing the needle towards love. She sees the extraordinary in the ordinary and causes us to see the same. The world needs what Cha seeks to amplify, now more than ever. Cha is committed to being an impactful presence in this world. She knows that we can all leave the world better. 

Dr. Nancy P. Crews is Chief Executive Officer and owner of Custom Manufacturing & Engineering™ (CME™), an electronic & electrical designer and manufacturer of power management/distribution equipment, sensors, and test & calibration equipment. CME has been in business now for 22 years!  Under Dr. Crews’ leadership, CME is a mature, innovative small business continuing to advance its designs, our own products, as well as continuing our Mission “Use Our Experience to Design & Build Your Solution!” 

Dr. Crews believes in giving back and this has become a staple of CME’s community involvement such as Great American Teach In, Middle-School Science Day, assisting schools with robotics competitions, and Toys for Tots, and teaching elementary students about solar energy (solar4STEM.com).  In addition to Dr. Crews’ small business experience, she is actively involved in the Tampa Bay Community as well as other educational institutions.  Currently, Dr. Crews is a member of the Pinellas County Economic Development Advisory Board, the University of Florida-Department of Chemistry Advisory Board, Virginia Tech Honors College Scholarship Committee, University of South Florida-Department of Computer Science & Engineering Advisory Board.  Dr. Crews is a former adjunct professor of National Louis University where she taught courses on business, marketing, and strategy.

Prior to starting CME, Dr. Crews was employed as a Senior Manager by Lockheed Martin Specialty Components, Inc. as well as worked for Eastman Kodak Corporation in a variety of managerial positions, including Marketing Director, Program Manager and Product Development Manager, Research Scientist. 

Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
Training and Event Center
1691 Innovation Dr. Blacksburg, VA 24060

  • Registration begins at 11:00 am
  • Lunch and Keynote will begin at noon
  • Breakout Sessions 1-5pm
  • Networking Dinner 6pm