Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

wed-header

CELEBRATE, EMPOWER, AND SUPPORT WOMEN INNOVATORS

When: November 8th, 2017

Where: Bronco Student Center Ursa Major

Time: 9am - 4pm

Click here to Sign up for WED Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona joins the United Nations and women in 144 countries worldwide to celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, a global movement to empower and engage women, of all ages, through the power of innovation and new venture creation. Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is a global event that inspires and empowers women. WED was founded to recognize the contributions of female founders and to highlight the challenges that they face as entrepreneurs. WED aims to mobilize women business owners, entrepreneurs and change agents to develop a global coalition of support, empowerment and mentorship for women worldwide.

The CPP WED event includes participation from a wide array of women including CPP students, faculty and staff, students from local high schools, CPP alumnae, entrepreneurs and change agents. The event includes a keynote address, a panel discussion featuring successful female entrepreneurs, a pitch event, and a Library exhibit focusing on CPP women. The event is sponsored by the Student Innovation Idea Lab (iLab), the College of Business Administration, the University Library, and the Women’s Resource Center.


Watch the CPP WED 2017 highlight reel to see what we are all about!

[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://cppilab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WomensEntrepreneurshipDay.mp4"][/video]

Click here to see last year's Gallery


Thank you to our Organizers!


Ericka Olguin

Ericka Olguin is the Analyst for the Student Innovation Idea Lab (iLab) at Cal Poly Pomona. She is an essential part of the iLab, and significantly contributes to its daily functions and activities. She is an integral and valuable asset to the iLab’s success, and continues to spread its message of innovation. Always having a foothold in business, Ericka owned the independent record store, Johnny’s Records, in La Puente, California for 5 years, selling specialty items and records to DJs and musicians alike. For 10 years, she held the position of administrative coordinator in MHR, College of Business at Cal Poly Pomona. She has always had a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation, and is constantly thinking of new ideas and encouraging their possibilities. Her joy is in seeing students succeed, and regularly spends time with her family, sharing her passion for new ideas.


Olukemi Sawyerr

Dr. Olukemi Sawyerr is the inaugural Director of the Student Innovation Idea Lab (iLab) and Professor in the Management and Human Resources Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is a founding faculty of the Education in STEM Entrepreneurship (ESTEME), the NASA Technology Screen Assessment, and the Startup NASA programs. She received her Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of North Texas. She has consulted for several organizations including the Ad Sales Division of Comcast, has taught executive education at the University of California Los Angeles’ Collins Center for Executive Education, and has held visiting professor positions at various universities including the University of Texas at Arlington, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Beijing Institute of Technology. Her research interests include strategic entrepreneurship in emerging economies. She has authored publications in multiple journals including the Strategic Management Journal, International Small Business Journal, Journal of Small Business Management and Journal of High Technology Management Research. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences including the University Business Forum sponsored by the European Commission.


Diana Serrano

Diana Serrano serves as the President for Cal Poly Pomona's Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA). She is a current Accounting major and an aspiring CPA. She along with her Executive Board aims to empower and make an impact in the professional lives of students by providing opportunities and mentoring. They are honored in being part of an event that celebrates Women's success in business.


Julie Shen

Julie Shen is the Business and Computer Science Librarian and Head of References Services at the Cal Poly Pomona University Library. She leads a team of reference librarians that supports teaching and research across all colleges and works directly with students and faculty in eight departments across three colleges: the College of Business Administration, the Collins College of Hospitality Management, and the Computer Science Department in the College of Science. Currently she is also serving as the Chair of the Academic Senate.


Nastaran Simarasl

Dr. Nastaran Simarasl is an assistant professor of Strategic Management in the College of Business Administration at Cal Poly Pomona. One of Dr. Simarasl’s passions is to help entrepreneurs establish successful and sustainable businesses. Her research on women and immigrant entrepreneurs has won awards from national and international institutions. Before moving to California, she maintained an active role in Tennessee’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is currently involved in Claremont’s Chamber of Commerce.


Sydney Torres

Sydney Torres currently oversees the Women’s Resource Center at Cal Poly Pomona. She strives to create innovative programs for women on campus to explore a concepts of empowerment, leadership, confidence, and community. Sydney received her Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from Florida State University where she researched women’s leadership programming at co-educational institutions. Sydney has spent the past five years in higher education empowering students to become their best selves, explore their identities as leaders, and have fun while at college. She is dedicated to the success of the community of women at Cal Poly Pomona and our local communities.


Denise Tran

Denise Tran is studying computer science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is passionate about design, tech, and innovation. At the moment she is the social chair and science council representative for sheCodes, a club that empowers women in STEM. She is also involved with SHPEtinas, a committee within The Society of Hispanic Engineers with the same women empowering goals as sheCodes. Her interest in computer science stemmed from attending her first hackathon in high school which led her to realize her goal which is to find her niche within Computer Science and to expand upon it.


Cheryl Wyrick

Cheryl Wyrick, Ph.D. is Associate Dean and Professor of Management and Human Resources in the College of Business Administration at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif., where she is responsible for operations, budget, AACSB accreditation as well as faculty and staff relations. Receiving recognition as the Outstanding Management and Human Resources Professor on several occasions, Wyrick’s teaching and research interests include strategichuman resources, training and development, and data analytics. She has served in a variety of volunteer positions for SHRM, Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) and HR Certificate Institute® (HRCI®).


Thank you to our Sponsors!

cpp_ilab
cpp
cpp cba
cpp women's center
cpp library
Alpfa Logo
SheCodes Logo
Wild Horse Labs Logo

To participate as a sponsor in CPP WED, please contact us at: ilab@cpp.edu.

Featured Sponsors

Student Innovation Idea Lab

Do you have an idea you would like to make a reality? Do you want to learn how to start your own for profit, nonprofit of social venture? Do you want to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Student Innovation Idea Lab (iLab) is the place for you! The iLab provides all Cal Poly Pomona students workshops and specialized courses and programs about innovation and new venture creation, a physical space on campus with software and hardware to design and create, and an off-campus space with a fabrication lab to incubate student startup teams. Visit us at www.cppilab.org or email us at: ilab@cpp.edu



Wild Horse Labs

Wild Horse Labs® Inc., an International Accelerator based in San Bernardino, California, with alliances, networks and clients in Africa, Asia, Bahamas, Canada, China, Europe, South Korea, Mexico, South America and the USA. At each stage the company is in, our team helps advise and develop start-ups into dynamic and successful business, introduce them to our advisors, funding networks, international alliances, while helping these entrepreneurs prepare for a successful exit. Our Trade Office assists these USA-based companies to launch internationally.

One of our alliances in the USA, The Economic Development & Corporate Training Foundation in San Bernardino, California, helps us support entrepreneurs and early stage ventures. Their resources include training, advising support, and international business development for USA-based companies. Their 30,000 sq. ft. incubator and co-working space, with sound & film post production equipment and 3D printing shop, will be launched 2018.



Women's Resource Center

The Women’s Resource Center promotes gender equality through empowerment and activism, and strives to establish a safe space which encourages awareness and discussion of women’s issues.



Management and Human Resources Department, Cal Poly Pomona

The MHR Department prepares students to obtain a baccalaureate degree (MHR major) with career emphases in human resources, entrepreneurship and small business, general management, or not-for-profit management, through engaging them to become effective managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs, helping them develop their personal leadership style and making them more self-aware, and strengthening their performance-management skills of teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and community-building. The full-time faculty and adjunct faculty members of the MHR Department are committed to emulating the teacher-scholar model and learn-by-doing philosophy of Cal Poly Pomona and enriching their classes with their professional experience and research insights.

For our department, learn by doing is more than a slogan. We require students to engage in projects that get them outside of the classroom in virtually every course we offer in order to learn about business from the inside out. Moreover, we require students to spend a significant time in the field by engaging in internships as part of their degree. MHR is one of only two departments in the College of Business Administration to require its students to obtain internship credit. Thus, the active learning process that begins in our classes before transitioning to the field enables students to gain industry/practical experience during the program. This experience smooths the transition to getting a good job upon graduating.


Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2017 - Schedule

Wednesday, November 8th @ Bronco Student Center, Ursa Major

Time Session Speaker
8:30am Registration
9:00am

Welcome remarks

Dr. Sylvia Alva
Provost and VP of Academic Affairs
Cal Poly Pomona

9:15am My Entrepreneurial Journey

Brenée Hendrix, Founder
Style Feast

9:45am Panel Discussion
(Women's Success Stories)

Moderator: Nastaran Simarasl
Management and Human Resources Department
CBA, Cal Poly Pomona

10:45am Money Matters: Financing Your Startup

Michelle Bergquist
Founder/CEO
Connected Women of Influence

11:45am Lunch/Keynote

Scharell Jackson
Founder, Leadership In Heels
CEO/COO, Squar Milner

1:30pm Pitch Competition

Moderator: Olukemi Sawyerr
Director
Student Innovation Idea Lab

2:30pm Special Guest of Honor

Connie Leyva
California Senator, District 20

3:15pm Announcement of Winners

Connie Leyva
California Senator, District 20

3:30pm Library Exhibit

Moderator: Julie Shen
Academic Senate Chair and
Librarian

Join us for the WED Vendor Fair on November 15, 2017 from 11 to 2 p.m. at the University Plaza (outside the Bronco Student Center).

Judges

Esosa Agbonwaneten

Esosa Agbonwaneten is the Founder and CEO of Bulletin. Bulletin’s mission is to help students navigate their academic experience, while empowering them with the information they need to succeed. Agbonwaneten was inspired to start Bulletin because of her own academic experience. As a pre-med student, time was valuable, she yearned for an easier way to manage her schedule, and find information since the traditional method required hunting through various channels: calendars, emails, and flyers; this made it difficult to discover opportunities that resonated with her. Bulletin launched in 2014 and is expanding to additional K12s and universities this academic year. Agbonwaneten earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Science with minors in digital information systems and anthropology from UC Irvine in 2014. She has appeared on PBS Studio SoCal, and has spoken at USC, UCI, and Cal Poly Pomona. On her free time, she loves to pay it forward by mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, and students.


Kiki Chen

Kiki is a graphic designer who has been working on variety of works including printing, packaging design, publication, branding, website interface and photography. She graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. She is a very creative person who is up to the challenge and is able to work efficiently and professionally. Her main goal in design is to contribute excellent and creative ideas to others to create infinitely amazing work.


Graciela Gonzalez

Born and raised in Guanajuato Mexico, after attending to Pasadena City College and MT San Antonio College, Graciela graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture in 2009. She started a Residential Landscaping business in 2006 that serves the city of Claremont primarily and extends to other Inland Empire, Orange County, and Los Angeles areas. G and A Artistic Landscaping provides design, installation, and maintenance. It is a business with great local community involvement. Graciela Gonzalez performs a general manager,and sales representative positions for G and A and her personal interest involve reading, running and hiking.


Brenée Hendrix

Congressional Ruby Award winning author, speaker and life stylist with a heart for empowering people. She received a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design and Architecture in 2008 as well as a dual Wedding and Event Planning Certification in 2009. After several years in the interior design and event planning industries she decided to shift her focus to a different passion, fashion; styling for private clients, fashion shows and photoshoots.

After being diagnosed at the age of 26 with stage 2 to breast cancer in 2010, she founded a 501c3 nonprofit organization that focused on helping provide young women with awareness information, support, as well as educating young and old about the disease. During her breast cancer journey she underwent almost a dozen surgeries, numerous treatments and years of hormonal therapy. Though breast cancer has been the toughest battle she has faced; it has brought much wisdom, clarity and peace. After struggling for years with self-esteem due to her post-cancer, scar filled body, she began to realize that a lot of what society portrays as true beauty are external things. She began to re-define, re-invent her selfworth, self-love and esteem from the Inside Out. Realizing that great style starts inside.

Now working as a speaker and leadership development trainer for one of the most prestigious fashion and applied arts colleges on the west coast, she has an opportunity to encourage students and adults to follow their dreams no matter how difficult the journey. Today, she continues to use her expertise to encourage and empower people through motivational talks and customized empowerment workshops. With a strong emphasis on self love, she gives people the know-how to style the life they were born to live through faith, fashion, and fabulousness.


Ngoc Nguyen Lay

Ngoc Nguyen Lay is a born planner, dreamer, and achiever. In 2005, she founded Skybox Event Productions, an event-planning company that strives to provide every client with an unforgettable event, no matter what the occasion. In 2012, Ngoc published her first book, Inspired Celebrations: Easy Entertaining and Recipes for Everyday Life. On “My Wish for You,” Ngoc’s words were motivated by her hopes for her little one. She lives with her husband, Albert, and two sons, AJ and Benjamin, in Southern California, where she enjoys celebrating with family and friends on a regular basis.


Stephanie Pottick

Stephanie Pottick is a legal and business consultant who is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and companies take their brands and businesses to the next level. She is a licensed attorney who worked in the toy industry for over 14 years and has extensive experience with branding, licensing, merchandising, sales, marketing, safety and manufacturing. Because of her unique background, Stephanie has the ability to understand business from a legal perspective and the law from a business perspective. Stephanie provides practical solutions and creative strategies for everyday business matters, and routinely works on business and licensing contracts, brand and intellectual property protection and general business consultation.


Special Guest of Honor

Senator Connie Leyva

Elected to represent the 20th State Senate District on November 4, 2014, Senator Connie M. Leyva is serving her first term in the California State Senate. The district includes the cities and communities of Bloomington, Chino, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Montclair, Muscoy, Ontario, Pomona, Rialto and San Bernardino.

As our State Senator, Senator Leyva is committed to improving California’s schools, environment and communities, as well as creating quality jobs throughout the 20th State Senate District and California. She firmly believes that California families benefit most when we invest in and help strengthen small businesses and other job drivers that create good paying jobs in our local communities.

During her first two years in office, Senator Leyva authored legislation signed into law to:

  • end the statute of limitations on rape (SB 813)
  • permanently extend overtime for domestic workers (SB 1015)
  • require review of environmental justice impacts on local communities (SB 1000)
  • help crime victims receive compensation (SB 651)
  • protect communities from lead pipe dangers (SB 1398)
  • improve career technical education at California community colleges (SB 66)
  • protect financial security of seniors and their families (SB 426)
  • expand educational services for homeless students (SB 1068)
  • recover and reuse food waste as clean energy and fuels (SB 970)
  • ensure stronger student voices on school boards (SB 532)
  • extend career technical education course options for high school students (SB 1123)

Senator Leyva serves as Democratic Caucus Chair of the California State Senate, as well as on the Education, Elections and Constitutional Amendments, Health, Public Employment and Retirement and Rules committees. She also currently serves on the Senate Select Committees on California-Mexico Cooperation, Manufactured Home Communities, Ports & Goods Movement and Women and Inequality: Strategies to Promote Opportunity.

A lifelong activist standing up for working people and families, Senator Leyva started working at her local Alpha Beta market as a senior in high school. She served as both Union Representative and President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1428, helping grocery workers gain a stronger voice for fair wages and benefits. Following in that tradition of community service and action to improve the lives of others, she was elected in 2004 as the first woman President of the California Labor Federation, representing more than 2.1 million workers throughout the state.

Raised in Chino, Senator Leyva has lived in the Inland Empire since she was a small child. She attended local schools and graduated from the University of Redlands with a bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders.

Senator Leyva and her husband Al live in Chino and are the proud parents of adult twin daughters, Allie and Jessie.

Keynote Speaker

Scharrell Talley Jackson

Partner, Chief Operations and Financial Officer

Scharrell Jackson has served as an executive in the field of Finance/Accounting and Operations for over 25 years, working in industries such as Professional Services, Real Estate, Construction and Manufacturing, in positions such as Controller, VP of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. She is known for her remarkable business acumen and her commitment to developing leadership attributes in others, streamlining business operations and automating processes that drive growth and increase efficiency and bottom line profit.

Scharrell is a Partner, COO/CFO of Squar Milner LLP, one of the nation’s 70 largest accounting firms. She has been with Squar Milner over 17 years and has played an integral role in the firm’s growth and success, executing multiple mergers that have expanded the firm’s footprint and increased revenues and profit.

Scharrell serves on Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Human Options; an organization committed to restoring hope and rebuilding the lives of battered women and their children and on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, whose purpose is for every child to have the opportunity to succeed in life and live up to their full potential. To strengthen the Southern California community, Scharrell has served on the boards of Girls Inc. of Orange County, Working Wardrobes and has also established a philanthropic team at Squar Milner, in partnership with organizations such as WHW, March of Dimes and the American Heart Association to name a few.

Speakers

Michelle Bergquist

CEO, Co-founder, Publisher, Passionate Advocate to Advance Women Author

Michelle Bergquist is a nationally recognized author, award-winning entrepreneur, lively moderator and engaging, professional speaker. Currently, Michelle is the CEO and Co-Founder of Connected Women of Influence, a Southern California association of professional women leading people, projects, teams and companies.

Michelle is also the Co-Founder of SUE Talks™. SUE Talks™ are bold, passionate talks and viewpoints, centered around business and success by successful, unstoppable, and empowering women changing the face of business.

With a passion to ‘give back’ in business, Michelle’s philanthropic efforts have resulted in over $150,000 in contributions for local nonprofit organizations that support women and young girls.


Brenée Hendrix

Author

Congressional Ruby Award winning author, speaker and life stylist with a heart for empowering people. She received a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design and Architecture in 2008 as well as a dual Wedding and Event Planning Certification in 2009. After several years in the interior design and event planning industries she decided to shift her focus to a different passion, fashion; styling for private clients, fashion shows and photoshoots.

After being diagnosed at the age of 26 with stage 2 to breast cancer in 2010, she founded a 501c3 nonprofit organization that focused on helping provide young women with awareness information, support, as well as educating young and old about the disease. During her breast cancer journey she underwent almost a dozen surgeries, numerous treatments and years of hormonal therapy. Though breast cancer has been the toughest battle she has faced; it has brought much wisdom, clarity and peace. After struggling for years with self-esteem due to her post-cancer, scar filled body, she began to realize that a lot of what society portrays as true beauty are external things. She began to re-define, re-invent her selfworth, self-love and esteem from the Inside Out. Realizing that great style starts inside.

Now working as a speaker and leadership development trainer for one of the most prestigious fashion and applied arts colleges on the west coast, she has an opportunity to encourage students and adults to follow their dreams no matter how difficult the journey. Today, she continues to use her expertise to encourage and empower people through motivational talks and customized empowerment workshops. With a strong emphasis on self love, she gives people the know-how to style the life they were born to live through faith, fashion, and fabulousness.

Panelists


Sonia Acosta

Sonia Acosta is an online marketing strategist and podcast production support specialist. Her virtual assistant business, Sonia's Desk, helps entrepreneurs and executives reduce the overwhelm, increase productivity and get back to growing their business and career. She worked for National retailers and consumer packaged goods companies for 18 years and has extensive experience in marketing, branding, licensing, promotions, product development, packaging, podcast production, online marketing, and social media marketing. She earned her B.S. in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University of Pomona.


Esosa Agbonwaneten

Esosa Agbonwaneten is the Founder and CEO of Bulletin. Bulletin’s mission is to help students navigate their academic experience, while empowering them with the information they need to succeed. Agbonwaneten was inspired to start Bulletin because of her own academic experience. As a pre-med student, time was valuable, she yearned for an easier way to manage her schedule, and find information since the traditional method required hunting through various channels: calendars, emails, and flyers; this made it difficult to discover opportunities that resonated with her. Bulletin launched in 2014 and is expanding to additional K12s and universities this academic year. Agbonwaneten earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Science with minors in digital information systems and anthropology from UC Irvine in 2014. She has appeared on PBS Studio SoCal, and has spoken at USC, UCI, and Cal Poly Pomona. On her free time, she loves to pay it forward by mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, and students.


Amanda McDonough

Amanda McDonough graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2012 with a Bachelors of Science in Business Management, double majoring in International Business and Marketing management, with an emphasis on Entertainment Marketing. Amanda is a sought out professional inspirational speaker across the US. She has done partnerships and ad campaigns for many prominent companies, such as: Google and 7Up. She can also be seen on television on shows such as "Speechless" on ABC, "Switched at Birth" on Freeform, NBC's "Bad Judge" and many others.

Ms. McDonough became Deaf during her junior year of college at Cal Poly and had many obstacles to overcome to finish her degree, build her own inspirational business, and graduate on time, in 4 years, with her double major. Her life story has been the subject of documentaries such as USC's "Amanda" and radio broadcast interviews such as KCRW's "Silence."

Amanda McDonough has a book coming out in a few months called "Ready To Be Heard: How I Lost My Hearing and Found My Voice." She utilized the business and marketing skills she learned at Cal Poly to create a successful career for herself despite having many hurtles to overcome as a young "disabled" woman competing in multiple large, predominantly male, industries.


Ngoc Nguyen Lay

Ngoc Nguyen Lay is a born planner, dreamer, and achiever. In 2005, she founded Skybox Event Productions, an event-planning company that strives to provide every client with an unforgettable event, no matter what the occasion. In 2012, Ngoc published her first book, Inspired Celebrations: Easy Entertaining and Recipes for Everyday Life. On “My Wish for You,” Ngoc’s words were motivated by her hopes for her little one. She lives with her husband, Albert, and two sons, AJ and Benjamin, in Southern California, where she enjoys celebrating with family and friends on a regular basis.


Laura Pohopien

Laura is a Professor of Business and Hospitality Management with expertise in Organizational Behavior, Business Communication and Entrepreneurial Theory. She teaches at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Azusa Pacific University.


Christina Topacio

Christina Topacio is Founder + CEO of JIG+SAW, a global creative community for female entrepreneurs and creatives. Her vision for JIG+SAW was inspired by her own personal need for a creative and communal workspace and community for herself. JIG+SAW's holds a robust network of female entrepreneurs in Los Angeles and nationwide to support entrepreneurs in their growth of their businesses, having access to a slate of professional resources.

Since launch in 2016, JIG+SAW has amassed a network of more than 3500 female professionals and entrepreneurs, executed brand partnerships with the likes of Nike and the Standard among others, created and published engaging social and digital media content/programming and hosted more than 60+ experiences for its community including a monthly speaker series, networking events, master classes, trade workshops and so forth.

Prior to creating JIG+SAW, Topacio led global marketing campaigns for leading consumer brands as a senior Marketing executive. She and her team were responsible for the successful subscription box business and editorial platform for Beautycon as well as dominated on influencer marketing for brands like L'OREAL, LACOSTE, Refinery29, Garnier, eBay, Hearst Media, and Mattel. Her unparalleled knowledge of social and digital media platforms combined with the creation and strategic distribution of content that reaches millennial female audiences resulted in seven-figure revenue for these regarded agencies and their clients.

Demonstrating her ability to build a brand from infancy and create a sought-after aesthetic, Topacio is also the mastermind behind the popular and highly engaged digital personality Profresh Style. Profresh Style consists of a well-read blog and social presence, amassing hundreds of thousands of engaged communities, worldwide.

Topacio is celebrated for her creative and entrepreneurial mindset. With JIG+SAW, her mission is to meet the needs of the 635,000 women in Los Angeles who are craving opportunities to expand their start-up and established companies. JIG+SAW creates a safe community, providing business, production and creative resources across the board and a customized space to work.


Quyen Tu

Quyen (pronounced Quinn) Tu is committed to service. Her legal practice is focused on meeting the needs of entrepreneurs, helping them protect their businesses and make a positive impact on society. They rely on her counsel to guide their businesses in ways that leave them time and resources to contribute and make an impact.

Quyen is a driven entrepreneur herself. Her primary commitment is her work with her clients, fueled by a passion to give back to others. She models the reality that you can create a business where your deepest passion of service propels you each day. Her own contributions to others include fundraising for cancer research, serving marginalized people, and environmental cleanup.

One of her most meaningful experiences was volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Nepal in 2014, working alongside 500 other volunteers from around the world to build 36 houses in a week. The school girls in the photo remind Quyen of the importance of perseverance, open-hearted warmth, and connections across language barriers, and serving people in practical as well as intangible ways. In 2018, Quyen plans to join a Habitat Build in Jordan.

She is honored to serve as General Counsel to YANA-Cancer Comfort, an organization providing care packages and prayers to people suffering from cancer. Quyen is a Board Member of the William P. Gray Inn of Court in Orange County and was appointed to the Young Litigator Taskforce for the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section. She has held leadership positions in local and national associations since she was a law student. Quyen is a mentor to past and current law students.

Some of her past experience includes serving as a private prosecutor. In two and a half years, she tried hundreds of photo enforcement cases and argued the appeals from them as well. Quyen began her legal career as a staff attorney at the Public Law Center, a non-profit organization that provides access to justice for low-income residents. Working mainly in the Spanish and Vietnamese-speaking communities, Quyen represented people who were screwed by car dealers, had collectors harassing them, or were victims of mortgage fraud. She formed strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, professional associations, elected officials and media outlets to increase access to justice for her clients.

Quyen earned her B.A. at the University of California, San Diego and her J.D. at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. She has also studied in Spain and China.

When Quyen is not working, you can find her running, biking, swimming, and learning new yoga poses.