BLAGICA S.BOTTIGLIERO Founder and President, Bsolutions LLC. Blagica Bottigliero is an entrepreneur, blogger and ten year veteran of the digital marketing industry. She’s worked in some of Chicago’s most established interactive companies including Giant Step, Orbitz and CoolSavings (now Q Interactive).
Since launching Bsolutions, Bottigliero has assisted companies with their , while training entrepreneurs in the art of ‘do it yourself’ Web 101. From breaking down the basics of banners to the intricacies of social media, Bottigliero has a unique way of making online marketing approachable, informative and palatable to both large organizations and small start-ups.
Blagica is a graduate of Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business and is passionate about mentoring young women through her site, Gals’ Guide. Blagica sits on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association, is a member of the NBC5 Street Team and contributes to the Women’s Examiner for the online publication, Chicago Examiner.
GENEVIEVE THIERS - Sittercity - Genevieve Thiers is the founder and CEO of Sittercity.com, America’s first and largest parent-sitter matchmaking website with over half a million users nationwide. A twin and the oldest of seven children, this babysitter-turned-entrepreneur is also the iVillage Babysitting Expert and has brought her babysitter expertise to the national media, including the Today Show, CBS Early Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Martha Stewart Living Radio and more.
Thiers is also an award-winning businesswoman, a professional opera singer, a speaker at hundreds of colleges and conventions, and has advised political figures including Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson on small business issues.
LAURA ROEDER- Roeder Studios Laura Roeder is recognized for her fresh, clean styling that compliments and enhances website’s overall marketing mission.
With a Bachelor’s in Advertising from the University of Texas and graphic design training from Syracuse University, Laura’s talent is creating websites that are not only stunning, but work as powerful marketing and branding tools.
Through her work as a public speaker Roeder shares her passion for the fusion of web design and marketing throughout the greater Chicago area.
WENDY PIERSALL founded Sparkplugging (formerly eMoms at Home), a blog network for business owners, freelancers & consultants who work at home, as a hobby blog in 2006. The site has grown rapidly to include 15 content channels authored by experienced entrepreneurs & parents. It is now the fastest growing site in the work at home niche.
Her past experience includes several entrepreneurial endeavors, as well as holding two Business Development positions with Socrates.com and Paladin, a marketing recruiting firm. She also currently writes for the Entrepreneur.com Blog Network and resides in west suburban Chicagoland with her husband and three children.
JESSICA ASHLEY - Professional Blogger, Editor and Artist
Jessica is the Healthy Living Contributing Editor on Shine, Yahoo’s new women’s website. Jessica
has previously contributed to Strollerderby on Babble.com., That’s Fit.com, CarePages.com, MommyTrack’d.com,ParentsConnect.com and many other stops on the blogosphere. She
wears fabulous but inappropriate heels to playgroup, jams out to all 14 verses of Wheels on the Bus, eats chips while writing about newdiet fads and then blogs about it on her personal blog, Sassafrass Jessica lives in Chicago, where she is raising her honey of a three-year old son.
LEAH JONES- Digital - Culture Evangelist, Edelman Digital
Leah Jones began serving as the Digital-Cultural Evangelist where in her current role she is focusing on global internal communications and trying to help each Edelman employee become more digitally savvy. She also helps edit the Edelman Digital blog called Authentici-ties and writes a weekly global email called The Friday5. Jones worked on the development of the Edelman Disclosure Policy Wizardand has worked with a number of teams as they begin blogger engagement programs. Internally, Jones trains account staff on how
to use tools such as RSS feeds and how to include blog monitoring in their daily routines. Before joining Edelman, Jones worked in study abroad administration, university housing, restaurant management, and is a former stand-up comic. With a degree in chemistry from Millikin University, her diverse background helps her make unique connections online and off. Jones has been blogging since November 2003 at Leah in Chicago, also writes for a number of online and offline publications and has a novel in the works.
DIANE BURNETT- Senior Consultant, Ebove & Beyond Inc
Diane is a Senior Consultant at ebove & beyond, inc., an online marketing agency dedicated to helping companies grow their business online. She has 9 years internet marketing experience creating and growing successful marketing programs at both large and small brands.
Diane was responsible for growing the affiliate and search marketing channels at Hammacher Schlemmer, where she played a key role in multi-channel marketing through integration of email, search and affiliate programs with the company’s catalog strategy. She was the Ecommerce Manager at Limogés Jewelry where she was responsible for building the company’s web site and online marketing channels from the ground up.
Diane has spoken at key industry events such as eTail and ACCM and has contributed to the book “The Complete Guide to E-mail Marketing: How to Create Successful, Spam-free Campaigns to Reach Your Target Audience and Increase Sales”
