Mar 11, 6:00 - 7:00pm CST
In honor of International Women’s Day 2022, ANHW Mountain Region (CO, NM, NV, TX) cordially invites you to join us in this speaker series that features four women leading change at the grassroots level, each focused on creating impact in a different area––politics and society, diversity and industry, regenerative agriculture and natural ecosystems, literature and social equity.
Speakers:
Meg Bertoni, PhD Affiliate Faculty, Metropolitan State University of Denver
In addition to a cross-disciplinary career in higher education, Dr. Meg Bertoni's consulting work has focused on problem solving for both public and private sectors, from startups and small businesses to nonprofits and governments. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work about the patterns of violent societies––specifically around how relatively stable societies unravel into violence and disarray––has been garnering attention in light of recent events. Dr. Bertoni holds a master's degree in World Religion and Conflict Resolution from Harvard Divinity School; and a Ph.D. in International Studies, specializing in International Security and Nonlinear Dynamics, from the Korbel School at the University of Denver.
Christabel Agbonkonkon CEO & Founder, BlackUp Tech
Christabel is CEO and founder of startup BlackUp, an AI platform that aims to solve decades of chronic disenfranchisement of Black professionals in employment opportunities by connecting Black professionals to equitable job opportunities. She co-founded BlackUp with two renowned BYU MIS professors. Many American companies are eager to hire more Black professionals, but existing sourcing and hiring platforms and tools fall short. BlackUp is designed to match professionals to companies that want to increase and keep their Black workforce. Christabel holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University.
Cathryn Henning Co-Founder, BeeWorthy Farms
Cathryn cofounded BeeWorthy Farms in 2020 with two female compatriots to provide flowers and medicinal herbs for both the local people and pollinators. Cathryn first discovered agriculture’s negative impact on water quality while working with the Regional Water Quality Control Board. She has also worked with San Diego Coastkeeper, Finca Luna Nueva, and in nonprofit agriculture at Wild Willow Farm and The Ecology Center to help the local community create a more sustainable food ecosystem, where she was inspired to start her own venture in connection to regenerative agriculture. Cathryn graduated with a B.S. in environmental engineering from UCSD in 2007.
Elvira K. Gonzalez, Founder, Writers Inkubator
Elvira is the founder of Writers Inkubator, an online learning platform and submission portal for literary writers and agents. Her program partnered with InsideOut Writers, a writing initiative that helps the incarcerated channel their past through the power of the pen. As a Latina who grew up in a South Texas border town and ended up in juvenile detention at sixteen, Elvira was inspired to share her story to enact societal change. Her book–Hurdles in the Dark–was acquired by MacMillan publishers in a six-figure pre-empt deal for spring 2023 publication. Elvira aims to offer opportunities to all writers of all levels and help cultivate the next generation of diverse writers, especially underrepresented voices.