Olivia Karpinski

CO-FOUNDER/VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING
VIVERA PHARMACEUTICALS

As a founding partner of Vivera Pharmaceuticals at the age of 29, Karpinski became one of the youngest co-founders ofa biopharmaceutical and biotech company. Today, she leads the company’s business development and marketing efforts with agility and precision to stay ahead of the quickly evolving health care and technology sectors.

Under Karpinski’s helm, Vivera has expanded its footprint to include six divisions and two additional Orange County locations. Karpinski has focused on combining her industry knowledge with a hands-on operational approach, creating botha comprehensive and efficient supply chain and diversified distribution channels for Vivera’s products.

Vivera Pharmaceuticals is an industry-disrupting, vertically integrated company with science-driven, patented technology, clinical trials, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution for its products.

Karpinski has overseen business development and partnerships, ranging from supply and distribution channel expansion to Vivera’s clinical trial partnership with Parexel.

To fulfill her passion for encouraging the next generation of developers and engineers, Karpinski is involved with Newport Beach-based HEYKUBE, a programmable STEM product set to roll out to schools later in 2021. Fundamental to HEYKUBE’s mission is support for STEM teaching platforms and contributions to empowering young people, especially women, to pursue leadership roles in science, technology, mathematics, and economics.

Karpinski has also been a dedicated advocate and passionate speaker for the American Heart Association (AHA), raising over $80,000 to date through fundraisers, event walks, and the Miss America Scholarship Organization. Through its philanthropic non-profit arm, Vivera Cares, the company also showed its dedication to making a positive difference for vulnerable communities, first responders, and front-line health care workers.

FINALISTS COMPANY EXECUTIVES: SMALL COMPANY

Stephanie Blum

Certified Family Law Specialist
REUBEN RAUCHER & BLUM

Stephanie Blum is a Certified Family Law Specialist. She obtained her Certificate of Specialization from the California Board of Legal Specialization in May 2003 and has practiced exclusively in the area of family law for over 25 years. Blum seeks to help those who face the turmoil, uncertainty and challenges of a divorce. Though her first preference is always to mediate spousal, financial and custody issues, Blum is also a fierce and relentless opponent ina court of law. She has frequently appeared on radio and television shows.

Jennifer Lynne Borow

Partner
SKLAR KIRSH LLP

Jennifer L. Borow is a partner in the corporate department of Sklar Kirsh LLP with more than 25 years of broad transactional law experience. With clients involved in retail, industrial and financial services businesses, media, entertainment, telecommunications, commercial and residential real estate, Borow has extensive expertise in the structuring and negotiation of complex strategic transactions, including the acquisition and disposition of business assets and formation, capitalization and governance of joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies and other business entities.

Dr. Giovanna Brasfield

Vice President of Project Diversity & Inclusion
FLATIRON CONSTRUCTION

Dr. Brasfield, commonly known as “Dr. G,” has over 18 years of experience and serves as the vice president of Project Diversity & Inclusion for the Southwest Division of Flatiron Construction and also serves as the inclusivity manager for LINXS JV on the Los Angeles World Airport’s Automated People Mover project. She assists in meeting contractual requirements on current projects as well as upcoming project pursuits that engage women, diverse businesses, local workforce, re-entry programs and youth engagement.

Szu Ann Chen

Partner/Executive Director
HELLO DESIGN

Szu Ann Chen has worked across industries with consumer brands, B2B businesses and non-profits in crafting digital experiences that resonate with the user and nurturing relationships. She was promoted to executive director at Hello Design in 2019, taking on a more prominent leadership role at the agency, in addition to beinga business partner. In 2021, she was part of the Webby Award winning team for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” website.

Susanne B. Cohen

Partner
HAHN & HAHN LLP

Susanne B. Cohen is a member of the Hahn & Hahn’s Trust & Estates and Litigation practice groups. She is experienced in advising and representing clients in trust and estates and elder financial abuse litigation. She advises and assists clients with trusts, estates, and conservatorship administration matters. Cohen also advises and assists clients with estate and special needs planning and represents fiduciary clients in court supervised cases. She has written a number of published works and routinely participates in charitable and community leadership and professional associations.

Brook Harvey-Taylor

Founder/CEO
PACIFICA BEAUTY

Brook Harvey-Taylor has spent her career challenging the status quo and breaking down boundaries. As the CEO of Pacifica, a fast growing wellness beauty company that she and her husband, Billy Taylor, founded 25 years ago, she leads with compassion for the planet, animals, and people as her driving force. A product innovator and clean beauty leader, she is passionate about natural ingredients, animal rights, social justice, sustainability, and climate change. She also believes in accessibility — that everyone deserves access to the best products and formulas.

Seema Miller

Co-Founder/President
WOLFGANG LLC

Seema Miller has turned data into an art form. As the co-founder of Wolfgang L.A., she is the president of an advertising agency that artfully combines both a business consultancy and creative agency. Connecting hidden dots, uncovering fresh insights, and ruthless distillation has helped her solve business and brand problems for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. Committed to community service, Miller has volunteered to prepare and deliver meals to shelters in every city she has lived in, including Meals on Wheels in West Los Angeles.

Colleen O’Brien

Principal
SCALI RASMUSSEN

Trial attorney and litigator Colleen O’Brien tries and resolves lawsuits and challenges related to toxic torts, catastrophic injury and complex employment matters. Her experience includes leading a range of civil litigation, from consumer fraud to defamation to chemical exposure and personal injury claims. She defends companies against plaintiffs’ sophisticated claims involving long-term occupational injury, infectious disease, property damage and groundwater contamination. A former military prosecutor, O’Brien guides business clients as first chair, lead counsel in bench and jury trials in state and federal courts throughout the U.S.

Candice K. Rogers

Partner
HAHN & HAHN LLP

Candice K. Rogers is a member of Hahn & Hahn LLP’s litigation practice group. She practices primarily in the area of family law, including premarital agreements, postnuptial agreements, dissolution of marriage, property division, custody and support. She is a Family Law Specialist, certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, skilled in handling complex family law matters. Since 2012, she has also served as a board member of the Harriett Buhai Center For Family Law.

Leah Solivan

General Partner
FUEL CAPITAL

For nearly 20 years, Leah Solivan has devoted her career to building and scaling technology products that have improved the lives of millions of people around the globe. She is a general partner at FUEL Capital, where she invests in early-stage startups across a variety of sectors including consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. She’s passionate about finding founders and teams who are taking on world-changing ideas, and providing the support they need to maximize their potential.