The California Women’s Conference Announces Dolphin Tank™ Finalists; Springboard Enterprises™ and Industry Experts Offer Help to Start-Ups

Long Beach, CA (PRWEB) September 19, 2012

During the Springboard Enterprises’ Dolphin Tank, the six presenters will each have a chance to pitch their product, service or business idea to the panelists and resource providers who will share their expertise and offer actionable suggestions. Unlike “Shark Tank” or the British “Dragon’s Den”, entrepreneurs who pitch in the Dolphin Tank are rewarded with encouragement and connection to resources that will help them take their businesses to the next level.The attendees at the California Women’s Conference are also encouraged to participate, offering their suggestions and connections by tweeting directly to the presenters.

Dolphin Tank panelists are: Amy Millman, President, Springboard Enterprises, is a passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs building Big Businesses Starting Small. She co-founded Springboard Enterprises, a non-profit venture catalyst which sources, coaches, showcases and supports women-led companies seeking equity capital for product development and expansion.

Denise Brosseau, CEO of Well-Connected Leader, Inc., is a speaker, author and executive talent agent who specializes in building the visibility, credibility and thought leadership of executives and CEOs. A co-founder and National Advisor to Springboard, Denise has dedicated her career to building successful women leaders.

Sam Horn is the Intrigue Expert, a world-renowned author, keynote speaker and communications strategist, who has coached the world’s top entrepreneurs and executives how to communicate more clearly, compellingly and convincingly. She is the official pitch coach for Springboard entrepreneurs.

Vivian Shimoyama is the founder and president of Breakthru Unlimited a consulting firm that provides strategic business planning and resource consulting services for organizations from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and non-profit organizations. Vivian served as Chair of the Board for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-LA).

The six Dolphin Tank finalists and their companies are:

   •      Laurie Mellott and Jena Schuster, Reflect Sports
   •     Lou Lomibao and Karla Amador, Event Finds
   •     Hua Wang, SmartBridge
   •     Jackie Omotalade, Ruth Omosunbo - A Batik and Textile Boutique
   •     Cari Carter, Cargo Handbag Hooks
   •     Leigh Haubach and Payam Manavi, Memory Streams

Resource providers that will listen to presenters and provide positive feedback include: Sandy Abrams, Founder and CEO of Moisture Jamzz, Inc. and Author of Your Idea, Inc.
Sandy founded her company, Moisture Jamzz in 1993 and has successfully sold her signature moisturizing gloves to the finest spas, resorts, skin-care salons, and beauty supply stores throughout the world. Sandy's passion is helping other people launch their own product or business, regardless of their level of business experience. Her book, Your Idea, Inc., provides the guidance and inspiration for anyone to follow their dream of becoming their own boss.

Tracy Broughton, President of Legal Shield
Tracy has an amazing personal story of hardship, triumph and success. She is an entrepreneur and runs two businesses, a florist shop in Santa Monica, CA and a legal insurance business. She is also a corporate trainer, a sought-after public speaker, top recruiter, top producer, and mother of two, who was crowned Ms. America in 2011.

Jody Coughlin, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Owner, Chic CEO
Chic CEO provides women with the business knowledge and support they need. It was developed as a resource to help women implement their ideas, offering easy to understand, easy to implement business knowledge in its most basic form. Though their web resources and in-person events, connections can be made with other women who share their advice.

Linda Landers, Founder of Girlpower Marketing
Linda is a nationally recognized authority on the subject of marketing to women, with a track record for developing award-winning PR and marketing campaigns that resonate with female consumers. Linda has worked with dozens of blue-chip brands, including Procter & Gamble, XM Satellite Radio, Suzuki, United Airlines, Disney and Hilton Hotels.

Elaine Marshall, Principal of Empowered Public Relations
Elaine has more than 20 years of public relations experience in high tech, B2C and B2B. A wide variety of contacts, clients, and corporations trust Elaine and her firm, Empowered Public Relations, to create publicity that makes a major buzz. She works with start-ups, Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to help raise their companies to the next level.

Eric Paul Rose, Chief Innovation Officer, Pinnacle Product Innovation, Inc.
Eric has more than 30 years experience in product innovation, product development, commercialization, and project management. He helps inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses move new product ideas from concept into reality. He is certified as a New Product Development Professional and Product Development and Management Association and is an adjunct Professor of Product Innovation at Pepperdine University’s MBA program.

Sponsor: Howard Leonhardt, Startup California, Leonhardt Ventures, California Stock Exchange
Howard is an inventor with 20 patents for treating heart disease and a serial entrepreneur who has founded 20 companies. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The California Stock Xchange and Cal-X Crowdfund.

About Springboard Enterprises
Springboard Enterprises is a premiere platform where entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts meet to build great women-led businesses. The 503 women-led companies selected to participate in the 24 Springboard accelerator programs over the last 12 years have raised more than $5.5 billion, including 10 IPOs, and legions of high value exits. Notably, 82% of these companies are still in business, generating billions in revenues and creating tens of thousands of new jobs.
About the California Women's Conference

The California Women's Conference (CWC), is an annual non-partisan event, and was created in 1985 by then-Governor George Deukmejian, to address the high failure rate among women-owned businesses by giving women entrepreneurs greater access to funding and other helpful resources. Selecting the city of Long Beach as the event's host, city officials and businesses quickly became enthusiastic supporters. Then-First Lady Gloria Deukmejian assumed responsibility for the conference, which became known as the California Governor and First Lady's Conference. Since then, the CWC has always attracted a highly respected and celebrated list of speakers. Today, the tradition of enthusiastically serving women-owned businesses continues under the stewardship of Michelle J. Patterson, CEO of EventComplete. For more information visit: http://www.CaliforniaWomensConference.com for conference details.
For tickets visit http://californiawomensconference.com/register.

About EventComplete LLC
EventComplete, LLC, is a full-service event production company specializing in strategy, production and marketing for large scale conferences, workshops, and festivals with an 'Edu-tainment' flair - entertainment meets education. Although they have been the visionary and creator behind a multitude of successful events across the country, EventComplete's passion and expertise lies in bringing resources to women to help them live their dreams.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/9/prweb9918936.htm