Chastity Heyward
PRESIDENT/FOUNDER
SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER-MURRIETA
Chastity Heyward is a proven leader in business and education. She is currently the franchise owner for Sylvan Learning Center in Murrieta, CA and has been able to maintain over 300% growth for the business since ownership. Additionally, she sits as an advisory board member for the University of California, and NAWBO Inland Empire, as well as the School Site Council for the Temecula Valley Unified School District.
Heyward involves herself ina variety of other philanthropic, educational, and professional ventures.
Her passion for education and entrepreneurship has led her to the role of editor for NAWBO IE Magazine and her compassion for her community has granted her the opportunity to partner with multiple non-profit organizations. Her work with School on Wheels and Care2Rock has helped to expand educational opportunities, while her partnership with Life Source Training Institute & Affordable Counseling improves access to important mental health services for kids at her center and the community.
Heyward holds a master’s degree in leadership,a bachelor’s degree in organizational management, and is in the process of earning her doctoral degree in organizational leadership. When not working or volunteering, she can typically be found spending time with her husband and two children who inspire her every day in her goal to cultivate and improve educational opportunities within her community and other women business owners.
FINALISTS ENTREPRENEUR
Meridith Baer
Founder/CEO
MERIDITH BAER HOME
Meridith Baer is the founder and CEO of Meridith Baer Home, the largest home staging company in the nation. With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Miami, the internationally recognized firm provides home staging, interior design, luxury furniture leasing, and InstaHome services. Meridith Baer Home has expanded to offer luxury furniture rental and custom interior design services. Valuing opportunities to give back to her community, Baer and her company sponsor important philanthropic and artistic organizations by donating furnishings and design services to their facilities.
Christiane Maertens
Founder
DOGOODERY
Christiane Maertens is the founder of DoGoodery, a consulting agency working with partners who have an authentic commitment to doing good, born out of her passion for creating impactful, social and environmental programs. Prior to founding DoGoodery, Maertens helped lead the design of the first corporate social responsibility portfolio, mobilizing millions of young people to take positive action around the world during her sevenyear tenure. Her company ideates, creates, and executes initiatives to improve lives and reduce inequity with empathy, joyful collaboration, and a research-based approach.
Pooja Malik
Partner
NIPUN CAPITAL LP
Pooja Malik, CFA, is a founding partner and managing member at Nipun Capital, L.P., an asset management firm with over $550 million in assets under management. She founded Nipun based on the outlook that Asia (ex Japan) equity markets would double in size from 2010 to 2030 as a portion of global market cap. Investors were increasingly searching for superior strategies to capture alpha in Asia. As a result, Malik sought to build Nipun into a specialized asset management firm focused on alpha extraction from Asia and Emerging Markets.
Frances Moreno
Co-Founder/Managing Partner
VACO
Frances Moreno is a well-respected Los Angeles businesswoman and successful entrepreneur. Her company has achieved tremendous success and market growth, while pioneering an innovative corporate culture based on her mission to help people advance their careers while achieving true work-life balance. Moreno co-founded Vaco in Los Angeles,a talent solutions firm serving all areas of accounting, finance, technology and administration. Over the years, she and her team have added integral service lines expanding transactional accounting, managed services and applications development, human resources, and administrative positions.
