Virtual UF Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit highlights the importance of advisors, mentors and sponsors

GAINESVILLE, Fla. –  The University of Florida Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit will connect the Gainesville community with local, national and international women entrepreneurs on Friday, March 31. The virtual event will feature two UF alumnae keynote speakers – Lauren Pasquarella Daley, Vice President at Catalyst, a global research and consulting organization focused on women in business, and Kim Kaupe, an entrepreneur, keynote speaker and teacher.

Held from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. via Zoom, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit is free for all UF students, faculty, staff, graduates and members of the community. The event, emceed by Maria Vargas, founder of Brand Spark Consulting, will focus on the importance of advisors, mentors and sponsors. Many of the speakers are mentors or mentees of other conference presenters, which include

• Vivian Filer (mentor) – Founder and CEO of the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center
• Wanda Nichols, RN (mentee) – Program Coordinator at the UF College of Medicine Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Division
• Ann Christiano (mentor) – Founder and Director of the Center for Public Interest Communications
• Eugenia Blaubach (mentee) – Associate at Burness, focused on strategic communications
• Terri Bailey (mentor) – Founder of Bailey Learning and Arts Collective, Queen’s Room Women’s Empowerment Group and Terri Bailey CHATs
• Imani Sanchez (mentee) – Second year political science and international studies student at the University of Florida
• Anna Sampson – Director of We are Neutral and Sense of Scale, a certified B Corporation

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit, presented by the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center at the UF Warrington College of Business, offers inspirational stories and lessons learned from successful women entrepreneurs. The event provides opportunities for women to connect with peers and other successful business leaders to foster a community of women in entrepreneurship where they benefit through mentoring, network building, start-up and career advice, internships and role models.  

Dr. Kristin Joys, Director of UF’s Social Impact & Sustainability Initiative and Coordinator of the 2023 Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit shared, “We’re really excited about this year’s theme: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders: the Importance of Advisors, Advocates, Mentors, and Sponsors. Omadeke quoted in the Harvard Business Review explains that both Mentors & Sponsors are important and impactful, ‘The main difference between the two is that mentorship is mostly about someone providing you with advice and feedback whereas sponsorship involves someone directly advocating for you because they believe in your ability and potential… sponsorship is more effective at promoting career advancement, though having the support of both a mentor and a sponsor is equally valuable.’ 

Our keynotes and speakers will share actionable advice around how we can all show up for ourselves and others by serving as mentors and sponsors– opening doors and illuminating pathways & pipelines for future success. We’re grateful to our event sponsors: the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, and the Collaboratory for Inclusive Entrepreneurship; and our partners at We are Warrington and Florida Women in Business. We are proud to partner with We Are Neutral so our event is net-zero.”

About Dr. Lauren Pasquarella Daley and Kim Kaupe:

Lauren Pasquarella Daley, Ph.D. is Vice President at Catalyst, a global research and consulting organization. She is also a UF graduate. Dr. Daley serves as Catalyst’s lead subject matter expert on women and the future of work, where she develops cutting-edge research, builds innovative learning products, and conducts data-driven consulting for companies and leaders. A recognized future of work thought leader, her work has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Thrive Global, and Fortune. Before joining Catalyst, Dr. Daley worked as a counselor in the UF Career Resource Center and in private practice.

Kim Kaupe is a UF graduate who is a founder, keynote speaker, and teacher. As a student at UF, she appeared on ABC’s hit primetime show, Shark Tank (securing offers from 4 out of 5 sharks!). From worldwide stages to her online courses, Kaupe’s mission of investing in yourself, supercharging your career and building your network has garnered the praise of corporate clients such as American Express, YPO, TEDx and LinkedIn. Her weekly live series, Coffee With Kim brings in experts, founders & leaders to share tips, tricks and strategies that help them excel. Additionally, Kaupe is a partner in a fan engagement agency, Bright Ideas Only, working with A-list properties such as Paul McCartney, Oprah, the NY Mets and Shawn Mendes to create marketing programs, new revenue streams and branding. She was named to Inc.’s 35 Under 35, Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes 30 Under 30.