Oscar winning documentary film by Pakistani film maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Saving Face

A journey to heal ~ A fight for justice ~ An inspiration for all of us.

Free & Open to the public due to the generosity of the “Partnership” and our 14 co-sponsors.

Click LINK for direct registration on the Theater N web site:

http://www.theatren.org/Films/2012/May-2012/Saving-Face

Two screenings: 7:00 and 8:30 pm. Invitation reflected in attached FLYER.

Post-screening discussion led by Dr. Monika Shafi, Chairperson,

Department of Women’s Studies, University of DE

Click for our web site: www.DelawareLahoreDelhi.org

Sher Valenzuela, VP

First State Manufacturing Inc.

SHER VALENZUELA is a successful business owner and a nationally recognized business strategist. Sher is known for her ability to form close, effective relationships with the community, business and media liaisons. Her growing company, First State Manufacturing, provides meaningful employment to more nearly 70. A sampling of awards her companies have received include “Best Company to Work For” (Delaware Today), Minority Small Business of the Year (U.S. Small Business Administration), Defense Supply Center Gold Medalist for Quality and On-Time Delivery, Department of Defense Supplier of Choice, Diamond Award Winner for Successful Government Contracting, Defense Logistics Agency Supplier of Excellence (U.S. Department of Defense) and Lockheed Martin Minority Supplier of the Year.  Her most recent honor has been to receive the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2012 Small Business Person of the Year.  Currently, she seeks to serve Delaware in the capacity of Lieutenant Governor.

EXPERIENCE:  Sher Valenzuela has been directly responsible for consistently generating record-breaking revenues for a variety of emerging businesses. Multi-million dollar revenues have been realized at First State Manufacturing – for which she serves as co-owner and Vice President – where sales have consistently grown and are attributed to the innovative small business strategies she and her team employ.

SPECIALTIES:  A published feature writer for various daily newspapers, and former Delaware State News editor, Sher Valenzuela is well acquainted with all aspects of print media including advertising, editorial communication channels, and deadline-driven environments. A nationally recognized speaker and author, she is sought after as a speaker/trainer for both new and established small business audiences, and for such U.S. government agencies as the U.S. Office of Minority & Women Business Enterprise, Defense Logistics Agency, and U.S. Procurement Technical Assistant Centers nationwide.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION include:  for Excellence, Product Improvement, Innovation and the Maryland-Delaware-DC first place recipient for Public Service, representative of the State of Delaware National Hispanic Business Summit, Honorary chairperson representing the State of Delaware National Small Business Advisory Council, and executive member of the Delaware Workforce Investment Board. Tapped to partner with the State of Delaware to create the first “Governor’s Entrepreneurial Conference 2009”, resulting in the sold out event that established the system for equipping the State’s small business owners with the “Roadmap to Success”. Chair of the City of Milford’s Economic Development Panel. First Place winner of the Delaware Office Economic Development’s MegabizFest Business Plan award for GrowUSA™, a company dedicated to “guiding America’s small businesses to success.”

Register for this Event

This Event is Sponsored by: Chesapeake Insurance Advisors

Plan to join us for this exciting evening to help support the

Fresh Start Scholars! 

Invitations will be mailed in September!

For more information on:

• receiving an invitation
• serving on the planning committee
• corporate sponsorships 
• silent auction donations

Please send an email to fsscholar@comcast.net

University and Whist Club
805 Broom St.
Wilmington, DE 19806

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

Online Registration for this event will close Wednesday, April 18th.

Walk-ins will be welcome the night of the event for an additional $10 over regular pricing.

Payable by cash or check

($45 for members, $55 for Guests)

Register

Kay stuck it out for 18 years at Scott Paper in a progression of operations and then marketing roles. Luckily for her, Scott Paper Company and Kimberly-Clark Corporation merged giving her a great reason to move on. Delmarva Power, a Fortune 500 Investor owned utility, grabbed her to help create a new strategic business unit in the developing deregulated utility world.

Deciding to escape the big company world, Kay founded and ran Growth Consulting—a strategic business and marketing consultancy. Recognizing her exceptional skills, in 2007, she was lured away by one of her clients, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, to lead their Marketing and Communications team. And they were right as she helped them reposition to become a donor and volunteer supported organization, working closely with the Ad Council and achieving millions of dollars of pro bono creative and advertising support for the organization.

As you might expect, this Real Job interfered with Kay’s ability to spend lots of time on Conversation activities.  Luckily for them, she’s now back running Growth Consulting and working with Conversation and Bloom Metz (they specialize with non-profit fundraising).

As if all these great jobs weren’t enough, Kay was the fifth president of Wilmington Women in Business and is a past president of the Delaware Forum of Executive Women. She presents regularly on the topics of relationship building and growing your business. Kay serves on a number of not for profit boards and loves to help boards find the right people for their needs. She is the 2012 chair of the American Marketing Associations Nonprofit Marketing Conference.

The Show isn’t a boring slide presentation or a lecture that puts you to sleep. You get to ask your most pressing networking questions, you get to experience the joys of connecting with other participants; you get to walk around and get some exercise while learning how to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Really!

Everyone needs to keep finding new and interesting people that will become clients and key contacts…or fellow employees…in the future. You probably already know some people destined for these roles but haven’t realized it yet. We hear all the time that people don’t have the time or the energy to develop these connections. Or is it just the fear it’s too much work…and they’re not sure what to do.

We understand the barriers to success that you face. That’s why we created the solution…Conversation on Networking. We guarantee “The Show” will help you overcome your fears and send you off with new skills and the confidence to become a better networker. You will learn skills that will benefit your company in ways that will help to achieve your strategic mission and help grow the organization

Kay Keenan

To read Kay’s Bio, click HERE

To register for this event, please click HERE

The Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is the charitable arm of Wilmington Women in Business.   Our mission is to provide incentive to adult women seeking to improve opportunities for themselves and their families through education. We award annual scholarships based on need, academic record, and potential for success and provide mentoring support through WWB members. Candidates must be enrolled in a two or four year degree program at an accredited Delaware institute of higher learning.  Since its inception in 1996, the foundation has awarded more than $425,000 in scholarships to 120 women who are achieving their goals. 

Scholarship Eligibility

Candidates must:
* Be female.
* Be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident.
* Be at least 20 years of age and have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
* Have had at least a two year break in education either after completing high school or during post-secondary (college) studies.
* Be admitted to (or currently enrolled) in an accredited Delaware college in a two or four year degree program at the undergraduate level. (Students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply.).
* Be recommended by a Social Service Agency (or if a Social Service Agency is not available, by a College Representative).
* Have at least a C average if currently enrolled in college.
* Certify financial need.
* Submit a completed application including a personal statement

Scholarship Awards

The number and amount of the awards will be determined annually prior to the fall semester but will in no event exceed the costs of tuition, fees, books and other direct educational expenses. Awards will be paid to the college prior to the beginning of each semester.

DEADLINE: COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY MAY 31 yearly.
Award Notification: All applicants will be notified on or before July 31 yearly.

How to Apply

Click here for a 2012-2013 application or by writing to:

Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 7784
Wilmington, DE 19803

 DEADLINE: COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY MAY 31, 2012

Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 7784
Wilmington, DE 19803

Candidates should direct their questions about the application or procedure to fsscholar@comcast.net.

How to Donate

*To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Fresh Start Scholarship, please:

Send a check to:
Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 7784
Wilmington DE 19803
OR
Make a donation by credit card at
www.NetworkForGood.org
Charity Name: Fresh Start, State: Delaware

2011 – 12 Fresh Start Scholars at the Fresh Start 15^th Anniversary Luncheon

The scholars were also able to connect with their WWB mentors at the luncheon.

Fresh Start really is having an impact on the lives of these deserving women!  Here are a few examples of the appreciation expressed by this year’s scholars upon learning they would be receiving funding and mentoring support from Fresh Start and WWB:

 I wanted to express my gratitude for this scholarship. The arrival of this letter was definitely the highlight of July for me. My daughter’s father passed away suddenly at the beginning of the month, I was in an accident at the end of the month, and I am in the process of moving. So, getting this letter and being awarded the scholarship, and more importantly, a mentor, was the highlight of the month for me. Again, thank you so much for your support and encouragement… Cindi

 Thank you so much for this opportunity!!  I know it is going to be a difficult road for the next two years, but my family and I know this will be a great beginning for us all…Andrea

 I am so honored to receive this award!!! Thank you so much for helping me get another step closer to my dreams…Dorothy

15 years of Fresh Starts were celebrated at a luncheon on October 14, 2011 at the DuPont Country Club

Celebration Award Recipients:

Inspiration Award: Genevieve Burke Marino

 CEO, YWCA Delaware

Achievement Award: Brenné M. Shepperson

 Adult Educator, Christina School District

 Muriel E. Gilman Champion Award: Jack P. Varsalona

President, Wilmington University