Coppell Women's Alliance Entrepreneurship Panel 2022

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

"You'd think that the state of entrepreneurship and the state of women's entrepreneurship are one in the same, but that isn't always the case. For women, wide involvement in the business world is still relatively new, and we continue to face our own unique challenges and barriers to entrepreneurship." - Kiera Abbamonte

At this December luncheon, Dr. Christa Slejko, President of Dallas College - North Lake, will moderate a panel of entrepreneurs as they detail their journeys and provide insights to their success. 

Panelists: 

• Dr. Alicia Makaye - GXA Networks, co-founder and CEO
• Elizabeth de Moraes - Magnetic Media ReIMAGINEd 
• Susy Solis - KRLD anchor, author, and owner of Solis Media Strategies
• T'Juanna Winters - Lizzie Lu Luxury Treats

Also in attendance will be students from Coppell High School. Be there as these four powerful speakers share their wisdom with the next generation of female entrepreneurs!

DR. ALICIA MAKAYE 
Dr. Alicia Makaye is the President and CEO of GXA, a Dallas-Fort Worth area IT Solutions provider that helps other businesses take command and control of their IT. The “A” in GXA, Dr. Alicia Makaye co-founded the company with her spouse George Makaye in 2004. An award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, U.S. Air Force veteran, wife, and mother of two, Dr. Makaye actively advocates causes supporting children, families, and veterans across the globe.

Recognized for her leadership, Dr. Makaye recently received the 2022 Dallas Business Journal Dallas Women in Technology Award; 2022 Power Couple in Tech by the Women Leading Technology Sorority; 2022 Green and Orange Award by UT-Dallas; 2019 Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award; 2019 Alumna of the Year at UT-Dallas – Public and Nonprofit Management Program; 2019 Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Minority Women Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award. 

Dr. Makaye serves on the Board of Directors of the Dallas College Foundation, the UT-Dallas Diversity Advisory Council and MPA Advisory Board. She is an Advisory Board Member for the Richardson Chamber of Commerce and DFW* ATW – Alliance of Technology and Women.

ELIZABETH DE MORAES
Elizabeth de Moraes is an international Presence and Presentation Expert, Speaker, Bestselling Author, Producer and TV/Event Host who specializes in guiding leaders and experts to elevate their authority and impact by commanding their on-camera & on-stage appearances with the confidence, charisma & magnetism of world-class performers. As a result, they are more likely to become seen as the obvious leader in their field, catapulting their success on a national, or global scale, in the media, online, or ascending the corporate ladder.  

Through her Magnetic Method™ framework, she has enabled thousands of clients around the world -- from C-Suite executives and professional athletes to six- and seven-figure entrepreneurs—communicate in authentic and powerful ways on television, in board rooms, and at corporate events.  Many have been featured on international company marketing messaging, awards shows, and on networks such as Netflix, HGTV, and more. ​ 

She brings more than three decades of experience on stage and in front of the camera as a performance coach, international professional dancer/choreographer and actor. She also holds multiple post-graduate degrees in the field of performance praxis and pedagogy with years of training professional performers around the globe. 

SUSY SOLIS 
Susy Solis said the best career advice she ever got was to take a chance on her own talents.

“When I decided to end my television reporting career to take the leap into entrepreneurship, people in the business thought I was crazy,” Solis said. “But a close friend of mine said, 'If it doesn’t work out, you can always come back to news. Bet on yourself.'”

She founded Dallas-based Solis Media Strategies, of which she is president. It began as a media training firm for police and fire departments and public information officers for municipalities to learn how to make communicators better and work better with the media.

The company has also branched into public relations and helping companies of all sizes get media coverage. SMS also helps companies communicate internally or externally on their websites. That can include speeches, presentations, social media posts, blogs, press releases or website content.

Solis is also a founding member of the Hey Chica Movement, a Latina Leadership summit and movement designed to bring women together for real conversations that enhance business, build a network and a strong sisterhood. 

As if that wouldn’t keep Solis busy enough, her “day job” is as the morning news anchor for radio station KRLD.

T'JUANNA WINTERS  
T’Juanna Winters (called Lil’ Lizzie by her family) learned to bake at the feet of grandmother, Elizabeth Jones. She always loved being in the kitchen and bringing joy to others through the foods her family created together but never considered turning her love of culinary arts into a career. 

Upon retirement from the corporate world, Winters reignited her passion for baking and at the urging of family and friends, launched Lizzie Lu Luxury Treats in December 2019 to honor her grandmother’s belief that if you do good, you’ll do well. The store was an immediate hit. 

T'Juanna uses the freshest ingredients and a limitless imagination to create high-quality candies, cakes and cookies in flavor profiles, both traditional and imaginative, packaged to impress the receiver. The family recipes used have been passed down over the years and reimagined for new generations of fans to enjoy.