Berry Jewelry, a fashion jewelry and accessory company was founded on my kitchen table in Brooklyn in 1989. Over the next thirty years it grew into a multi-million-dollar corporation with offices in NYC, Brooklyn, and China, employing 130 people. I sold the company in January 2019, and continued in the capacity of CEO until January of 2020.I take great pride in my career as a female entrepreneur and sole-proprietor. It was invigorating, creative and, at times, isolating. Throughout my later career I took steps to broaden my network of collaborators. I took on leadership roles in several trade organizations and formed a board of advisors for my company that brought together perspectives from law, finance, marketing, social media and fashion to help navigate the growth of Berry Jewelry. In 2015, it was deeply rewarding to be invited to join a protégé program of 20 women at C200, an organization made up of the world’s most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to foster, celebrate, and advance women’s leadership in business. The program helps high potential women entrepreneurs with revenues of $5-15 million grow their businesses, expand their networks, and inspire and advise future generations. During this period, I hired a coach to train my executive and management teams in the same programs so that we could learn alongside one another.In 2017, I joined the Women President’s Organization, a premier global membership organization for women presidents and CEO’s of privately held multi-million-dollar companies. Through collaborative peer-learning groups, the WPO accelerates business growth, enhances competitiveness and promotes economic security through its education programs. As I transitioned away from running my business day to day I began to seek out opportunities to collaborate with other people working together toward a larger public good. In 2019 , I joined All in Brooklyn a community of women committed to philanthropy in Brooklyn. We pool our dollars and make thoughtful grants to organizations that are strengthening our borough. In 2021, I joined the board of Sadie Nash, a Brooklyn based leadership project that promotes activism and leadership amongst young women of color. As I continue to grow in areas not possible when I was running my company, I am also interested in using skills and experience gathered in my business career -- management, finance strategy, fostering leadership in my employees – for the benefit of civic and for-profit initiatives.