June 2018

BPW Connection | June 2018


It's been a few months since we had lunch together, so we hope you'll come join us for the June luncheon! Our speaker, Kelly Penwell, was our scheduled speaker back in September 2017, but was canceled due to the hurricane. We are happy to welcome her once again!  

The June Luncheon is being sponsored by Center State Bank.

In addition to Happy Dollars, be sure and bring some extra cash for the 50/50 Raffle! All money raised during the event goes to our Scholarship Program.




Kelly Penwell is the Small Business Development Center Regional Director (SBDC) at Florida Keys Community College. She partners with existing businesses and solopreneurs throughout the Keys to grow their bottom line. She has worked with more than a thousand existing companies and start-up organizations. Her most notable client, 11-year-old bow-tie-mogul, Moziah Bridges, vaulted into the national scene after working with her team at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis.
Post-Hurricane Irma, Kelly and her team brought more than 5.7 million dollars into the hands of small business owners in Monroe County through the State of Florida Emergency Bridge Loan Program. Monroe County had the highest density of loans per capita in comparison to other counties throughout the state.
Kelly who originally hails from Long Island, NY holds a BS in Marketing, as well as a MBA and MSEd. She is currently working on a graduate certificate in forensic accounting.
Thanks to CenterState Bank for sponsoring this month's luncheon!



Ilja Chapman, President

Paving the way!
Summer is here and we have almost completed six month of 2018. It scares me, as it also means I only have six more months to reach my goals I set at the beginning of the year. Well, it is not completely fair, because I didn’t really have my goals for 2018 ready until the end of January, so technically I had only 5 months to work on them. Never the less July is a good month to stop, breath and evaluate. Are you still heading in the right direction, do you need to adjust some of your goals?
That is why we are happy to see Kelly Penwell from the Small Business Development Center speaking at our luncheon this month. She brings a ton of experience working with different businesses in the past; I find talking to her very inspirational and I hope she inspires you just the same.
I saw a paperweight on someone’s desk with an inspiring inscription, “The road to success is always under construction.” It is a nice reminder to keep going, even when life faces many challenges. It is a constant work in progress and there will be  a fair share of bumps and detours along the way. What matters is how you overcome them.
The Upper Keys BPW board members are working hard to lay down the pavement for the year to come. We kicked the fiscal year off with a board retreat focusing on team building and strategic planning. Value and development seem to be the key words for this year and we are all 100% committed.
Please don’t feel shy to speak to any of the Upper Keys BPW board members, share your BPW experiences, let us know how you are doing and which path you would like us to take.
Looking forward to connecting with you Wednesday.
Ilja Chapman
bpw|CALENDAR

June 20: Luncheon 11:30 am-1:00 pm. Holiday Inn-Key Largo, African Queen. Speaker is Kelly Penwell from SBDC. Sponsored by Center State Bank.
July 18: Evening Networking Event. Location TBA.
August 16: Luncheon. 11:30 am-1:00 pm. Location TBA.
September 19: Political Forum, Evening Event. Location TBA.


The Upper Keys BPW meets once a month, on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. We alternate between luncheons and evening networking events, and would love for you to join us! Click the button to see our full event schedule and register for an upcoming event. 
SPONSOR AN EVENT!
If you or your business would be interested in sponsoring one or more of our lunches or evening events, let us know and we'll provide you with details and prices. bpwupperkeys@gmail.com. 
Stay tuned for more information on sponsorship opportunities.

   bpw|member SPOTLIGHT

Meet Maria Acosta
My first visit to the Keys was camping at America Outdoors. I immediately fell in love with the people, the freedom, the camaraderie. I had no 2nd thoughts to purchase my house in Key Largo.
I left the corporate world in New York City in the 90's to start my own businesses. I had restaurants and a boutique until one day, I joined an amazing International Livestock Air Transportation Company, mainly horses but exotic animals as well. This suit me very well as I adore and have a strong passion for animals.
Presently, I have also joined the top Wellness Company in North America. Love what I do to help others with health as well as to create their own business opportunity from home.
As a business owner for so many years, I know the importance of having freedom and being your own boss.
BPW has been an amazing adventure, being able to meet and share with other business women. It's Priceless!!!!
I am looking forward to helping the community.
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