The Dynamic 2010 Women as Visionaries honored:

• Ester Venouziou, Founder & President, LocalShops1
• Charity Beck, Founder & Publisher, Positive Impact Magazine
• Ami Bowen, Co-producer, 11:11 Event & Partner, Bowen Imagery
• Linda Burhans, Author, Master Networker and Founder, Life is Good!
• Gypsy C. Gallardo, Publisher, Powerbroker Magazine
• Jolie R. Gonzalez, CEO, Latin Times Magazine
• Carol Hasbrouck, Founder & President, Intentional Living & Certified Passion Test facilitator
• Michelle Mallot, Partner, How Do You Innovate
• Charlotte Palmer, Educator & Writer Extra-ordinaire, Camp Winning Ways
• Fran Powers, Founder & Director, Powerstories Theatre
• Elaine Silver, International Metaphysical Folk Musician

Ester Venouziou, Founder & President, LocalShops1

Ester Venouziou was born in Greece and spent her childhood in Brazil and New Jersey. After graduating from Boston University with degrees in journalism and psychology, she bounced around various newspapers in Florida, and then settled in the Tampa Bay area in 2003, when she got a job with the St. Pete Times.  In summer 2008, she started LocalShops1.com to help put the spotlight on local, independent businesses.

LocalShops1.com is the largest network of local, independent businesses in Tampa Bay and Manatee-Sarasota. The web directory promotes its member businesses online, in print, in the community, through social media and online marketing as well as traditional print advertising, grassroots campaigns and store promotions.

“Be passionate and stay true to your beliefs. Don’t waste time worrying about what others are doing …  If you focus on your business, and doing your business well, you’ll be OK.”

Charity Beck, Founder & Publisher, Positive Impact Magazine

Positive Impact Magazine is a unique online and quarterly print publication dedicated to uplifting content about people, businesses, and initiatives inspiring action, courage, and compassion. Its founder believes that as a single raindrop creates a ripple causing an effect, no matter its size, and no matter the size of the body of water it impacts, similarly at Positive Impact Magazine, one positive action can create a ripple effect and change everything for the better.

“Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of ways I could change the world. Now as an adult I spend sleepless nights thinking of all the ways I can make an impact. I created Positive Impact Magazine to inspire others by sharing stories about people from all walks of life making a difference.”

Ami Bowen, Co-producer, 11:11 Event & Partner, Bowen Imagery

Ami Bowen is a visionary artist, photographer and drummer on a mission to bring art and spirituality together in all things and in all ways for the greatest good. As the Director of Communications & Design at First Unity Church in St Petersburg, Ami has merged many of her talents with her spiritual practice and finds great joy in her work as she continues to grow and find new and unexpected ways in which she can serve. She lives, works, creates artwork and drums with her husband Mike who is also an artist and musician.

Bowen Imagery is their creation, a company that caters to a gamut of creative endeavors, from logo design to photography, cover illustration to product design. They also run an online art store featuring their visionary/spiritual art and photography. Most recently, they created a visionary arts event called 11:11 featuring artist Alex Grey, music and imagery created by their ensemble Soulfire that was a huge success in many ways.

Combining their artwork, drumming and communication skills, Ami and Mike are moving towards their ultimate vision of creating the Imagination University, a place where children of all ages can reach their inner divinity through art and music, as well as learn sustainable living practices, nutrition and gardening skills.

Linda Burhans, Author, Master Networker and Founder, Life is Good!

It is readily apparent when you meet Linda Burhans and see how she conducts her business affairs in the Tampa Bay area that her personal mission is “To acknowledge and appreciate all people.” With over 30 years experience in leadership positions in corporate America, she now is one of Tampa Bay’s leading women entrepreneurs. As founder and CEO of The Party Crew, Inc., Founder of The Dave Game and CEO of SendACard123.com, she lives her mission daily.

In 2002, Linda turned her focus on assisting others to improve relationships. Hence, Professional Women Empower, a non-profit organization was born. The group’s mission was, “to provide support to women through guidance, vision and passion.” Under Linda’s direction, women were motivated and inspired to be the best they could be while contributing to their community. PWP was put to rest after four successful years.

Inspired by her father, David McCauley, Linda desired to start a movement of sharing and compassion that was far-reaching. When Linda learned of World Kindness Week she knew this was exactly the type of cause she was searching for. She started “The Dave Game” to extend World Kindness Week to include 365 days a year. By basing it online, www.thedavegame.com, it opened it up to potential kind deeds around the world. Linda is often heard saying “Play It Forward” and “everyone wins who plays The Dave Game”.

As CEO of SendACard123.com, Linda provides a unique service that simplifies the process of meaningful mailed communications, enhancing and improving both personal and business relationships. The company sends high quality cards to clients, friends and family for a nominal fee. The tedious job of printing, stuffing envelopes and mailing just became as easy as 123 with a couple of clicks of your mouse. It is obvious that this falls right in with her mission.

Look for Linda’s book “Goodnight and God Bless”, a collection of wonderful memories of her loving mother recently released. The book is a humorous and heartfelt story to inspire and assist anyone with the challenge of being the caregiver to a loved one.

Gypsy C. Gallardo, Publisher, Powerbroker Magazine

Gypsy Gallardo is best known as Publisher of the Power Broker magazine, but is also CEO of Vision Maker Management, a firm that has helped dozens of visionary people and organizations fund and launch new businesses, products and initiatives. She holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a BA with double majors and double minors from the Whitney Young College of Leadership at Kentucky State University. Gypsy is proud to be a mother to four adult children – a son, a daughter and two “nephew-sons.”

The Power Broker holds the distinction of being the most widely circulated magazine and e-zine targeting Tampa Bay’s African American community. Separately, the Power Broker website is the bay area’s only digital centralized source of weekly multicultural news, events and opportunities. Gypsy’s main enterprise – Vision Maker Management – has worked with public and private organizations domestically and abroad to fuel nearly $100 million in investment into economic empowerment projects.

Gypsy is a career professional in the fields of political, media, business and economic development. She has an unyielding passion for the advancement of the African-American community. Gypsy’s life and career converge on the development of new, leading-edge models that harness the power of collective action to help black people achieve economic, social and educational equality. As examples, her work in commercial development helped pioneer an award-winning model for financing new retail, office and institutional development projects in several of Florida’s inner-city communities; she was central to the team that implemented Florida’s first statewide microbusiness development network (then called MicroEnterprise Florida, a specialty division of Enterprise Florida); and Gypsy is the architect of a new multicultural media platform – print and electronic – that was not only used to launch The Power Broker magazine and e-zine, but which is now being replicated in Miami Dade County, the City of Fort Myers, the City of Bradenton and for a statewide project unveiling in 2010.

The next decade of her career is committed to leveraging this toolkit to create lasting wealth among majority-black communities and coalitions elsewhere in the state and nation.

“Open the Network. Unleash the Power.”

Jolie R. Gonzalez, CEO, Latin Times Magazine
Jolie R. Gonzalez was born and raised in Chicago, IL to parents Carmen Santiago and Orlando Rodriguez, of Puerto Rican descent. After High School, Jolie Gonzalez attended evening classes at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, majoring in Business Administration, while accepting an exciting marketing and public relations position for several independently owned McDonalds Franchises, named a young woman business and community leader by the age of 19.   Ms. Gonzalez went on to work 12 years in marketing and administration for a Home Health Care Company. During this same time period, Jolie began to produce and promote cultural events in Chicago and became president of her first company “Taino Productions, Inc”.

In 1999, in search of new opportunities, Jolie relocated to Tampa Bay, and after taking a crash course in publishing, and “business 101” and while knowing only a handful of people in the Tampa and Orlando areas, she started her first publication; C.L.U.B. Magazine, (City of Latin Urban Beats!). The mini-magazine was a digest size and targeted mainly Latin Entertainment.  The magazine eventually began distribution to the Metro Orlando area.

Today, her publication is called Latin Times Magazine, a full size color, glossy (bi-lingual) publication that combines Business, Community, Culture and Entertainment, in an impressive presentation. It offers local business owners a viable marketing and advertising tool by which to reach local Hispanic consumers. Latin Times Magazine is available for FREE at approximately 900 locations throughout Tampa Bay, and has plans to expand in to 8 new counties in 2010.

In early 2004, she became the Founder and Director of the Latin ConneXions Business Networking Socials a series of business oriented events in Tampa Bay and Metro Orlando, which is currently scheduled to host over 30 unique and exciting events in 2009. These networking socials effectively promote local business, services, products and businesses. Scheduled events include its popular and successful monthly networking series held on the 1^st. Friday of every month in Tampa, our monthly Pinellas County event, our quarterly small business expos held in Metro Orlando, a quarterly ladies tea and spa day, and various other cultural events, including the very prestigious Elite Latino Business Award Gala, which will be a “red-carpet” event, which is scheduled for the fall of 2010.

In early 2004, Jolie Gonzalez created the “e-Latino Weekly” Newsletter, which is an electronic Newsletter which features local and international news, cultural articles, and current events. The newsletter is emailed to over 10,000 local professionals throughout Florida each week, with a high concentration in Central Florida.

In early 2005, Ms. Gonzalez also began development of her web presence acquiring several domain names, including Latin-Restaurants.com, Hispanic-Business-Directory.com and Hispanic-Organizations.com and others, taking the first of many steps to develop a stronger local presence while establishing the platform for a national presence as well.

In 2009, Jolie Gonzalez became a founding board member of Tampa Latin Chamber of Commerce, and was named one 2010’s Women As Visionaries in Tampa Bay!

For 2010, Jolie Gonzalez is poised to expand her distribution of Latin Times Magazine to 4 additional Counties, and is scheduled to host over 40 events throughout Central Florida.

Jolie Gonzalez offers niche public relations, marketing and advertising services, and serves as a Latino/Hispanic Liaison to businesses wishing to more effectively reach Florida’s thriving local Latino/Hispanic community.

Carol Hasbrouck, Founder & President, Intentional Living & Certified Passion Test facilitator

Carol Hasbrouck is a Certified Passion Test® facilitator for individuals and businesses and founder of Intentional Living, a company dedicated to helping people become more successful by learning how to Live Life on Purpose.

She is passionate about helping people and companies discover their true passions and empowering them by giving them the tools to begin living a passionate life. Seminar participants regularly comment on how Carol has helped them become happier, more focused and successful in all areas of their life.

Carol’s enthusiasm and love for what she does radiate to audiences of all sizes.  She has been personally trained by Chris and Janet Attwood as a Certified Passion Test™ Facilitator and Passion Test for Business Consultant and Facilitator.Her vision is to have a global impact on happiness through helping others discover and live a life that matters.

Michelle Mallot, Partner, How Do You Innovate

Michelle Malott is the founder of HDYI Business Innovation Consultancy. For the past 15 years she facilitated the development of the creative and innovation capacities within individuals and businesses both in the United States and Europe. She is a Create Tomorrow Today Associate, co-founder of The Visual Seven: A Visual Thinking Movement, Co-Producer of TechVenture Conference, Inc., and a Board Member of Creative Tampa Bay. Michelle lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

How Do You Innovate? Is a business innovation consultancy with the world in mind… starting with you. HDYI processes incorporate collaborative visual thinking, real time strategic planning, and strength-based accountability that move ideas into action quickly and successfully. The custom workshops and programs result in united company visions, mobilized teams and sustainable innovation leadership.  See. Learn. Do. Be. Better. It really is that simple.

Charlotte Palmer, Educator & Writer Extra-ordinaire, Camp Winning Ways

Charlotte Palmer began teaching 45 years ago. From a Peace Corps “home economics “ program in Venezuela to private and public schools on St. Croix, USVI, to the Tampa Bay area , she has introduced kindergarten to college students to experiential learning, literacy and content areas, to Brain Gym and S.M.A.R.T. Thinking. “Creative writing activities let me play with words and those who respond to them. Life is rich,” Charlotte says.

Here creative playground as she refers to it is www.campwinningways.com, a blog site where she is “imagineering” a virtual camp for the young at heart of all ages. “Our campers introduce their idealized selves then collaborate during a week of S.M.A.R.T. Thinking success strategies to emerge aligned with the personas they want,” she says. Posts are added intermittently and shared ideas and comments are welcome.

“Lifelong learners know how to play.”

Fran Powers, Founder & Director, Powerstories Theatre

Fran Powers is the Founder of Powerstories Theatre a non-profit theatre that stages true stories, and the President of Fran Taylor Powers Inc., a company that helps individuals give excellent presentations. She has written and produced three autobiographical plays, is a co-author of the Power Stories book and is currently writing “Twelve”, the musical love story of her parents. Her passion is inspiration and her vision is that every city large and small has a Powerstories Theatre.

Powerstories Theatre is a non-profit theatre company that stages true stories to inspire action worldwide.  The theatre specializes in helping others discover their personal powerstory and develop their ability to share it with live audiences. Women’s theatre, girl’s theatre, autobiographical stories and motivational events are our cornerstones.  We believe that the discovery and the telling of a powerstory creates new found success, invests lives with more meaning, and connects us more vitally with each other.

Powerstories Theatre will be the worldwide leader in seeking, sharing and staging true stories giving special emphasis on works by and for women and girls. Powerstories vitally connects people with each other, and helps inspire and motivate positive contributions to the world.

Elaine Silver, International Metaphysical Folk Musician

Elaine Silver’s voice has been described as magnificent and rich. She sings a cappella or accompanies herself on guitar and banjo, and has performed in concert for hundreds of thousands. She was featured nationally on The Wisdom Channel and on New Jersey Network’s award-winning television program State of the Arts.

And with life’s lessons, she started living more of her dreams as she combined powerful spiritual messages with her already extraodinary folk music. The result: Elaine often teams up with best-selling author Alan Cohen as musical accompanist for his special events. Other authors include Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, don Miguel Ruiz, Marianne Williamson, and Neale Donald Walsch.

In a most visionary way “Faerie Elaine” brings magic, love and blessings to her concerts and appearances as a bright light sharing herself and her music with emotion and authenticity.

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