Managing Director, Entrepreneurial Program and Services, Division I

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Aisha Ahrens is the Managing Director of Entrepreneurial Program and Services, Division I at the Women’s Business Development Center. Aisha seeks to cultivate deep relationships between civic leaders, established small businesses, and community members to promote economic prosperity through effective programming designed to empower and scale small businesses. Previously, Aisha served as Director of Digital Access and Inclusion, working with private, non-profit, and government partners to drive digital access efforts for small business owners at all stages of business through a combination of programming and advocacy to address key digital accessibility issues. Aisha also served as Associate Director of the WBDC’s Access to Capital Program and Services, managing the WBDC’s Social Equity Cannabis Business Program.

A banking industry veteran of 17 years, Aisha has experience working with different businesses, whether in the ideation, start-up, or established phase, often helping with financial solutions to transition from one phase to the next. Aisha also has significant entrepreneurial experience.

Aisha earned a B.B.A. in Marketing and B.A. in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago.

Director, Entrepreneurial Program and Services, Division I

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Gayle Ballard is Director of Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I at the Women’s Business Development Center and Director of the Women’s Business Center - Peoria.

Gayle leads and facilitates the WBDC entrepreneurial programming and services in the Peoria area and provides one-on-one advising, resources, and training to nascent and emerging entrepreneurs. She assists clients in all stages of the business lifecycle and manages WBDC community partnerships, relationships, and outreach in the region.

Prior to joining the WBDC, for over 20 years Gayle owned a business-focused consulting company and has worked nationally and internationally with both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Gayle holds a Bachelor of Science (Political Science), Bradley University; Master of Arts (Guidance & Counseling), Bradley University; Master of Business Administration (Healthcare Administration), St. Xavier University; and a Certificate of Achievement, Kellogg School of Management Executive Education, Institute for Business Strategy Development, Northwestern University.

Director, Government Contracting Program and Services | Center Director, Illinois APEX Accelerator at WBDC

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Donna Beasley is the Director of Government Contracting Program and Services, and Center Director of the Illinois APEX Accelerator, at the Women’s Business Development Center. The APEX Accelerator provides workshops, webinars, free individual counseling, procurement events, business matchmaking, and other services to help small businesses grow through government contracting. Donna advises clients on how to do business with the government at the city, county, state, and federal levels. She provides hands-on technical assistance to small businesses that either want to become government contractors or are government contractors in need of technical assistance. Donna also facilitates both the GovCon Beginner’s Bootcamp and the FEDCon cohort for established businesses.

Immediately prior to joining WBDC, Donna was a self-employed government contracting business advisor. She has been a serial entrepreneur in the areas of project management and digital publishing.

Donna has an MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University and an undergraduate degree from Columbia College.

Director, Established Business Program and Services

Jennifer Brungardt is Director of Established Business Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Kansas City office. Jennifer supports women business owners in the certification and recertification process to provide them with a nationally recognized tool to market and grow their businesses. Jennifer also works with other team members to offer WBEs procurement and capacity-building opportunities.

Jennifer has significant experience with non-profits and in the field of customer experience.

Jennifer holds a B.A. in Sociology from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.

Director, Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I | Director, Women's Business Center Aurora

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Minerva Calatayud is Director of Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I, at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Aurora office and Director of the Women's Business Center - Aurora. Minerva provides one-on-one and group advising in English and Spanish to women entrepreneurs that want to start or grow their businesses. She also provides training and educational programs for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Minerva has extensive experience developing international strategies that enable companies to expand and grow their markets, as well as in the food and beverage industry. She also has entrepreneurial experience.

Minerva holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Engineering from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and an M.B.A. from the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico. She also holds an Executive Master’s in International Business from St. Louis University in St Louis, Missouri.

Staff Accountant

Kristin Clowes is Staff Accountant at the Women’s Business Development Center. Kristin processes accounts receivable and accounts payable, assists in tracking grant finances, and maintains all related financial records.

Prior to joining the WBDC, Kristin gained accounting experience by serving in administrator and treasurer functions for several non-profits. She also honed skills in process efficiency planning and data analysis over a varied career that took her from pastry chef in a small bakery to buyer in a multi-national corporation.

Kristin earned a B.S. in Business Administration – Accounting from Western Governor’s University.

Director, Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division II | Director, Illinois SBDC at WBDC (South Suburbs)

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Felicitas Cortez is Director of Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division II, and Director of Illinois SBDC at WBDC (South Suburbs), located in Richton Park. Felicitas provides business development services, one-on-one and group advising, and business resources to nascent, emerging, and established business owners.

Most recently, Felicitas was executive director of a south suburban chamber of commerce.

Felicitas holds a B.A. in English from Loyola University Chicago.

Human Resource Coordinator

Cleo Dangcalan is Human Resource Coordinator at the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC). She supports employee benefits administration, compliance initiatives, talent management processes, and training programs. Her responsibilities include assisting with benefits analysis and open enrollment activities, supporting policy implementation, and helping ensure compliance with employment and healthcare regulations.

Prior to joining WBDC, Cleo gained experience in human resources, recruitment, and talent assessment. Her professional background includes employee selection, onboarding, performance management support, workforce administration, and organizational effectiveness initiatives. Drawing from principles of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, she is particularly interested in using data-driven approaches to improve employee and organizational outcomes.

Cleo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational/Business Communication from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Purdue University Global. She is currently completing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Innovation.

Chief Program Officer

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Maura Downs is the Chief Program Officer for the Women's Business Development Center. She is responsible for the strategic direction, implementation, and evaluation of all programmatic initiatives, and leads the WBDC’s diverse portfolio of programs that support business development, access to capital, technical assistance, and certification for women-owned businesses.

Previously, Maura served as the Managing Director of Government Contracting Program and Services at the WBDC. In that role, Maura oversaw the WBDC’s APEX Accelerator, which provides hands on technical assistance to small businesses that are government contractors and need technical assistance or would like to become government contractors. Additionally, Maura served as Executive Director to the WBDC’s Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC) funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Maura also led other government contracting cohorts that coached business owners on how to do business with various government agencies, as well as a non-profit capacity building program which helped non-profits with building their capacity.

Maura holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Managing Director, Finance and HR

Kim Duncan is Managing Director, Finance and HR for the Women's Business Development Center. Kim is a senior financial professional with a proven record of consistently and effectively delivering accounting and financial services. In addition to experience serving clients as a managing consultant with Robert Half, she has held a number of positions from CFO to financial analyst for both non-profit organizations and for-profit companies.

Kim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a minor in Accounting/Finance from Indiana University.

Director, Certification Program and Services

Bridget Foster is Director of Certification Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Chicago office. Bridget oversees the certification team and supports women business owners in the certification and recertification process to provide them with a nationally recognized tool to market and grow their businesses.

Bridget holds a B.S. in Business from the University of Illinois.

Director, Information Technology

Ellenie Girma serves as the Director of Information Technology at the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), where she is responsible for overseeing the organization’s technological operations, ensuring that they effectively support its programs and services. In this role, she plays a pivotal part in keeping the WBDC at the forefront of evolving technology trends and regulatory requirements, while safeguarding the security and integrity of its IT infrastructure.

With a robust background in information technology, Ellenie brings significant expertise, particularly in the design and maintenance of network infrastructure. She holds several industry-recognized certifications, including Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), and CompTIA Security+ Certified Cybersecurity Professional.

Ellenie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and Literature.

Managing Director, Established Business Program and Services

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Karen Goldner is Managing Director of Established Business Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center. Karen leads the WBDC’s Established Business Services team and is responsible for the WBDC’s WBE certification program, which helps WBEs build capacity for sustainable growth and helps corporate partners identify strong suppliers.

For 20 years, Karen has worked with, in, and for a range of small businesses. In addition to consulting, her experience includes managing early-stage, lending to small businesses, and operating small manufacturing companies.

Karen holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Nebraska and an M.P.A. from Indiana University. In addition, Karen is a certified Community Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council.

Managing Director, Access to Capital Program and Services

Kelly Gumbiner is Managing Director of the Access to Capital Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center. Kelly facilitates and coordinates programs and cohorts, providing accessibility to resources in the Access to Capital community. Kelly focuses on business growth and network connectivity for emerging and established entrepreneurs.

With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Kelly excels in relationship management, revenue growth, lending, business advising, and team leadership.

Kelly earned a B.A. with a double major in marketing and television from Columbia College Chicago.

Director, Established Business Program and Services

Lynn Herbert is Director of Established Business Programs and Services for the Women’s Business Development Center in the St. Paul office. Lynn supports business owners in growing their businesses, and our corporate partners in developing and identifying certified women business enterprises (WBEs) as vendors.

Lynn has over 30 years of experience leading innovative programs that drive sales, customer success and engagement for both emerging and established industry leaders across a broad range of industries. Listening to the customer and quickly understanding new technologies and supply chains, she is skilled in assessing client needs and delivering high-quality, high impact business development services.

Lynn holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Iowa State University.

Director, Illinois SBDC International Trade Center (ITC) at WBDC

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Soraya Hernandez is the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center (ITC) Director at WBDC. In her role, Soraya offers business clients direct technical assistance through one-on-one advising and workshops on leveraging international trade for business growth and market expansion.

Soraya comes to the WBDC with a wealth of experience in advising clients on how to “go global.” She has deep cross-industry, multinational/multi-cultural, operational, consumer market intelligence, strategic business consulting, and business/client development experience, running the gamut from helping tenured Fortune 500, middle market, and family-owned businesses to early-stage/emerging startup B2B and B2C enterprises.

Soraya received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Business from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in International Business and Operations Management from Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business.

Data Associate

Kyrie Huerta is the Associate Director of Data and Operations at the Women’s Business Development Center. Kyrie supports the organization’s daily operations through data management, reporting, client database administration, and operational support.

Prior to joining the WBDC, Kyrie served as a Data Entry and Management Assistant with Michigan State University's Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Science, where she specialized in data validation, reporting, and research support. She also gained operations and customer service experience at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center.

Kyrie earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Minor in Quantitative Data Analytics from Michigan State University.

Director, Established Business Program and Services

Shawni Jackson is Director of Established Business Program and Services for the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s St. Louis office. Shawni supports women business owners in growing their businesses, and our corporate partners in developing and identifying certified WBEs as vendors.

Shawni brings over 23 years of experience as a business school faculty member in the concentration of Organization Management and Human Resource Management and over 13 years running an entrepreneurial education program and doing small business consulting.

Shawni holds a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Truman State University; an M.B.A from Webster University; and a Ph.D. from Capella University in Organization and Management. In addition, she has a certification in Life Coaching.

Director, Established Business Program and Services

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Cynthia Johnson is Director of Established Business Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Chicago office. Cynthia coordinates and delivers relevant programs and procurement events with WBDC corporate partners to help women-owned businesses build capacity and sustain profitable growth.

Cynthia has extensive entrepreneurial experience as founder and CEO of a business that she managed for 30 years. Cynthia also fulfilled executive leadership positions with several non-profit organizations and served on the WBDC Board of Directors.

Cynthia holds a B.A. from Purdue University. In addition, she has taken M.B.A. courses at North Park University Axelson Center for Non-Profit Management and Business Management professional development courses at Northwestern University.

Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I

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Ashlee Kingery is the Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I, at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Chicago office. Ashlee provides one-on-one business advising and business development services to new and established women entrepreneurs.

Ashlee has experience in business development, marketing and communications, and advocacy. She has held various roles in the non-profit space working with entrepreneurs and established small businesses from multiple industries.

Ashlee has a B.A. in Communication from Michigan State University.

Director, Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I | Director, Women Business Center Chicago

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Kinga Kosmala is Director of Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division I, at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Chicago office and Director of the Women Business Center - Chicago. Kinga provides one-on-one business advising and business development services in English and Polish to new and established women entrepreneurs. She also runs education and training programs in Polish and English.

Kinga brings more than 20 years of higher education and nonprofit management experience.

Kinga holds a Doctor of Philosophy and an M.A. in Slavic Studies from the University of Chicago.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Erica T. Kuhlmann is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Business Development Center. Erica works directly with the WBDC team, Board members, partners, and clients to support and accelerate business development and growth while advocating for business owners across the Midwest.

Prior to Joining the WBDC, Erica spent over 30 years at BMO Financial Group, having served in various leadership roles throughout her tenure at the bank. Over the last 15 years, Erica was a Managing Director and Market Executive of BMO Commercial Bank's Food, Consumer and Agribusiness Group. Erica has worked with agribusiness companies, branded and private label food manufacturers, front line commodity processors, protein processors, input suppliers, wholesale distributors, and grocery chains throughout her career, providing banking services, capital, and advice to companies in this sector. In November of 2024, her team was honored with the 2024 Leadership Award by the economic development organization Global Midwest Alliance.

Erica is a board member of IFAMA, the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network, and Naturally Chicago. She has received numerous accolades for her business leadership, including being named by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the Most Influential Women in Commercial Banking, as well as being recognized by American Banker as part of BMO’s Most Powerful Women in Banking team.

Erica holds a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Booth School of Management at the University of Chicago.

Senior Director, Development

Jen Lauer is Senior Director of Development at the Women’s Business Development Center. Jen helps identify, cultivate, and sustain resources for the WBDC.

Jen initially worked as an advertising copywriter. Since moving to the nonprofit sector, she has led development and marketing efforts for organizations throughout the region. Jen also has extensive entrepreneurial experience.

Jen holds a B.S. degree from Iowa State University and recently received her Master of Nonprofit Management degree from DePaul University. Her graduate research analyzed successes in overcoming racial and gender inequalities through targeted employment training.

Director, Established Business Program and Services

Jessie Leonard is Director of Established Business Program and Services for the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Milwaukee office. Jessie supports women business owners in growing their businesses, and our corporate partners in developing and identifying certified WBEs as vendors.

Jessie brings over 17 years of experience as a diversity practitioner and has over 20 years in administrative and human resources management in both the private and non-profit sectors.

Jessie holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Business Management from Aleverno College. In addition, she has obtained certifications in Project Management, Human Resource Management and the Law, and the National Minority Supplier Development Council Supplier Diversity certificate.

Associate Director, Certification Program and Services

Griselda Llerenas is Associate Director of Certification Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Chicago office. Griselda supports women business owners in the certification and recertification process in order to provide them with a nationally recognized tool to market and grow their businesses.

Griselda has worked in the non-profit sector and acquired experience in project coordination, social enterprise operations, and fundraising.

Griselda holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from DePaul University. She also completed a program in executive fund development conducted by the University of Notre Dame.

Chief Development Officer

Georgia Marsh is Chief Development Officer for the Women’s Business Development Center. Georgia leads the Development team’s work to identify, cultivate, and sustain resources for the WBDC.

Before joining the WBDC, the bulk of Georgia’s career was spent in public sector executive and leadership positions at the state and federal levels. Georgia also worked in the private sector and has extensive entrepreneurial experience, including running a consulting firm that provided advisory services for government and not-for-profit entities.

Georgia received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships

Clark McCain is Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships at the Women’s Business Development Center. Clark is responsible for developing and implementing the WBDC’s strategy for growing and sustaining partnerships by creating connections and leveraging the strengths of organizations locally, regionally, and nationwide to better support clients.

During a career spanning the financial services, consumer products, and private foundation sectors, Clark has enabled collaboration by curating meaningful connections between people, teams, and organizations.

Clark holds a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Associate Director, Marketing

Izel Michel is the Associate Director of Marketing at the Women’s Business Development Center. She provides day-to-day support for a range of marketing and communications functions to promote WBDC programs, services, and events, including graphic design, collateral development and distribution, social media, and website updates.
 
Prior to joining the WBDC, Izel served as a nonprofit marketing coordinator and a graduate marketing assistant/coffee roaster.
 
Izel holds a B.A. in Marketing and an M.B.A from North Central College.

Managing Director, Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division II

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Maura Mitchell is Managing Director of Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, Division II, at the Women’s Business Development Center. Maura partners with entrepreneurs to develop their business plans and raise capital in order to profitably grow their companies.

With a long history of helping small businesses and nonprofits with strategy, legal, and financial issues, Maura provides insights on what it takes for small businesses to thrive in today’s evolving environment.

Maura holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Saint Mary’s College, an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.

Managing Director, Risk and Internal Operations

Briavael O’Reilly is the Managing Director of Risk and Internal Operations. Bri works with staff, clients, and other stakeholders to capture information on who the WBDC serves and the impact the WBDC makes in the community. She also manages the day-to-day operations of the WBDC.

Bri has worked in the operations and management sector for over 20 years, with a focus on data management since 2011.

Bri holds a B.S. in Television/Radio Production from Ithaca College.

Associate Director, Certification Program and Services

Rebekah Rechtzigel is Associate Director at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Twin Cities office. Rebekah supports women business owners in the certification and recertification process to provide them with a nationally recognized tool to market and grow their businesses.

Prior to joining the WBDC, Rebekah worked with a nonprofit shelter program supporting the development of teenage girls in need. Rebekah also worked at several refugee and community centers in Athens, Greece during the summers.

Rebekah holds a B.A. degree in Communications, with a focus on Leadership and Advocacy, from Winona State University.

Client Services Specialist

LaMonica Scott serves as Client Services Specialist at the Women’s Business Development Center. LaMonica connects our stakeholders with appropriate members of the WBDC team, ensures client intake information is retrieved from entrepreneur clientele, and assists with training and workshop registrations.

LaMonica has extensive management, operations, and client service experience.

LaMonica received a B.A. from Northeastern Illinois University.

Associate Director, Development and Board Liaison

Grace Toll is Associate Director of Development and Board Liaison at the Women’s Business Development Center. Grace provides high-level administrative, planning, and coordination support to the WBDC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as its Board of Directors.  She also serves as Development Associate, assisting with foundation research, grant proposal preparation, and report submission. In addition, Grace helps with individual donor stewardship and corporate and public sector partner revenue tracking.
Before joining the WBDC, Grace served as a non-profit administrative and communications assistant.

Grace holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Contractor, Director of Marketing

Laurie Underwood is a Contractor and Director of Marketing for the Women’s Business Development Center. Laurie performs a range of traditional and digital marketing and communications functions, including graphic design, collateral development and distribution, and social media, to promote WBDC programs, services, and events.

Prior to the WBDC, Laurie held roles in marketing and business development in a range of industries, including architecture, commercial real estate, fashion b2b, and ecommerce. She also provided various professional marketing services for women-owned businesses.

Laurie received a B.A. in Retail Marketing and Management from The Illinois Institute of Art.

Director, Childcare Business Program

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Yvonne Villalpando is the Director of the Childcare Business Program at the WBDC. Yvonne offers business development services and resources to childcare providers at various stages, including nascent, emerging, and established businesses. Her services include one-on-one business advising in both English and Spanish.

Prior to joining the WBDC, Yvonne held accounting, finance, and administration roles in various companies across a range of industries. Yvonne also has extensive entrepreneurial experience.

Yvonne holds an M.B.A. from Universidad La Salle (Mexico City) and a B.S.A. from Tec de Monterrey (Mexico City).

Vice President

Roxanne Ward is Vice President at the Women’s Business Development Center. Roxanne provides a range of leadership and oversight functions at the WBDC, including in-house legal services and oversight of marketing, branding, and information technology.

After starting her career as a public finance lawyer, Roxanne worked in a range of executive and leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, focusing on legal, governance, external relations, and small business development.

Roxanne earned her B.A. and M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Associate Director, Certification Program and Services

Erin White is Associate Director of the Certification Program and Services at the Women’s Business Development Center in the WBDC’s Chicago office. Erin supports women business owners in the certification and recertification process to provide them with a nationally recognized tool to market and grow their businesses.

Erin has extensive administrative experience in hospitals and medical offices and began honing her paralegal skills in the legal services field in 2018.

Erin holds a B.A. from Northeastern Illinois University, where she studied Studio Art and Media Communications. She later earned a Certificate in Paralegal Studies in 2018 from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.

Director, Entrepreneurial Program and Services, Division II

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Regina Williams is Director of Entrepreneurial Program and Services, Division II at the Women’s Business Development Center. Regina is responsible for delivering innovative programming that supports established businesses, as well as direct services to clients, including one-on-one and group advising, workshops, and events.

Regina’s career includes over 15 years of teaching and program management experience in post-secondary arts education. Regina also has extensive entrepreneurial experience and has worked with several entertainment companies and recording artists.

Regina obtained a B.S. and an M.A. in Communications from Ohio University, an M.A.M. in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship from Columbia College, and a Masters in Industrial Design and Technology from Purdue University Global. Regina continues to work toward her Ph.D. in Education from Capella University.