We’re excited to officially announce and e-introduce our 2026 Harvesting Partnerships Discussion Hosts. These accomplished small business leaders will guide engaging roundtable conversations focused on today’s most relevant business challenges, opportunities, and strategies for growth.
As Discussion Hosts, they will each lead three 30-minute roundtable discussions, sharing practical insights, real-world experiences, and actionable best practices with approximately 275 business leaders and professionals. We’re grateful for their willingness to share their expertise and help create inspiring conversations that spark new ideas, connections, and opportunities for our attendees.
Bridget Moon, Economic Development Specialist & Veteran Business Development Officer,
SBA DFW District Office
Topic: SBA Resources
Topic Description: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is dedicated to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American Dream. Discover the myriad resources they have available.
Bio: Bridget brings over 25 years of dedicated service to the US Small Business Administration (SBA), currently serving as an Economic Development Specialist and Veteran Business Development Officer at the SBA Dallas/Fort Worth District Office, covering Texas's Northern 72 counties.
Beginning her illustrious career as an SBA Disaster Loan Officer and later advancing to Supervisory Loan Officer roles, Bridget has demonstrated exceptional expertise in home and business underwriting. Her commitment to public service extended to roles as a Public Information Officer, where she spearheaded direct disaster recovery efforts across the United States and Territories.
Complementing her extensive professional background, Bridget holds a degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. Her entrepreneurial journey spans over three decades, during which she has not only founded and managed businesses but has also provided invaluable guidance to countless entrepreneurs, crafting business plans for startups and expansions alike.
With a firm belief in the power of mentorship and collaboration, Bridget is dedicated to empowering others to thrive in their entrepreneurial ventures. She remains steadfast in her mission to foster business success and economic growth within her community and beyond.
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Cecilia Cossio, CEO,
Nex Gen Legacy
Topic: Leading from Operations to Ownership
Topic Description: Drawing on decades in real estate and asset management, I'll lead a conversation on how leaders shift from an operator mindset to an ownership mindset, with three actionable best practices attendees can apply right away, whether they run an established business or are building one.
Bio: Cecilia Cossio is a real estate investor and host of The Great Equalizer Podcast. With decades of leadership across property management, affordable housing, and operations spanning more than 10,000 units nationwide, she focuses on helping women and minorities shift from an operations mindset to an ownership mindset. Her mission: real estate as a path to opportunity, ownership, and generational wealth. She is a featured contributor in Real Women in Real Estate and Extraordinary Latinas, and a proud mother and grandmother who believes in teaching legacy in real time. Cecilia Cossio is a real estate investor and host of The Great Equalizer Podcast. With decades of leadership across property management, affordable housing, and operations spanning more than 10,000 units nationwide, she focuses on helping women and minorities shift from an operations mindset to an ownership mindset. Her mission: real estate as a path to opportunity, ownership, and generational wealth. She is a featured contributor in Real Women in Real Estate and Extraordinary Latinas, and a proud mother and grandmother who believes in teaching legacy in real time.
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Debbie Mrazek, President,
The Sales Company
Topic: Sales Strategy to Finish Strong in Q4 - Start Powerful in Q1
Topic Description: Do you think it is too late to make your number for Q4 2026...it is NOT! Are you thinking of giving up for 2027? KNOCK IT OFF!! It is not too late! Join us for practical real ideas and methods to do what needs to be done with your sales! Bring your problems, concerns, questions and let's make a plan.......there will be no whining or excuse making!
Bio: Mrazek is President of The Sales Company, a Texas based firm that helps hundreds of entrepreneurs, individuals and corporations better assess, understand and engage in practical purposeful selling. Mrazek designs and delivers sales programs as well as conducts individual and team coaching. She's also an author for 13 books including the best selling Field Guide to Sales and conference facilitator. www.The-Sales-Company.com
"You don't have to be great to get started but you do have to get started to be great!"
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Deb Purvin, Founder,
Business Owner's MBA
Topic: Six Simple Steps to Grow Cash Flow
Topic Description: Many business owners are surprised when they look at their P&L and see profits -- but then they look at their bank statement and wonder why there's no cash. YIKES! I will give you 6 Simple Steps to find the Cash hidden on your P&L and Balance Sheet. We'll estimate how much your cash flow can grow in the next few months.
Bio: Deb skied on the US Ski Team, then attended Dartmouth and Harvard. After a few years in banking, she turned entrepreneur. She grew 2 businesses to $100M and successfully exited both, but not without challenges -- defaulting on $82M of debt on the first and racking up $25M of operating losses on the second. Overcoming obstacles requires perseverance, patience, and a sense of humor.
Not ready to retire, Deb returned to banking. She was uniquely qualified to lend to CEOs, having “been there, done that.” She founded Business Owner’s MBA (BOMBA) to give back by teaching owners to scale profitably (and avoid the mistakes she'd made). She's taught finance for the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program for the past 13 years.
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Emily Anne Page,
Speaker & Author,
Emily Anne Page
Topic: Turning Relationships into Partnerships and Revenue
Topic Description: Drawing on economics and neuroscience, attendees will leave with three practical habits for building trust quickly, strengthening influence, and turning first meetings into lasting business relationships.
Bio: EMILY ANNE PAGE is an author, keynote speaker and economist who has spent more than a decade proving that human connection is the most undervalued driver of success. She holds an MA in Economics from the University of Southern California, where she studied under Dr Richard Easterlin, whose famous paradox reshaped how economists think about money and happiness. “What actually makes a life rich?” That question became Emily’s life work. Her answer is the Economics of Human Connection, the framework at the heart of this book.
Emily bought her first company at thirty and built her second at thirty-two, selling it three years later. Today, she runs two companies and is the founder of START to SOLD®. She has advised leaders across Europe, Asia, and North America, speaking everywhere from rooms of thousands to boardrooms of one. She was born in Pasadena, California, and lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Dylan.
PEOPLE RICH: Build Relationships That Change Your Life. Stop Leaving Connection to Chance.
Every big break in life comes through a person, not a plan. Yet most of us keep our goals to outcomes, not relationships, and were never taught how to authentically build relationships on purpose, so we leave connection to chance. People Rich brings together the economics of happiness and real-world research to show why relationships are our most valuable asset in business and in life. Readers learn how to build trust before they need it, connect without feeling fake or "networky," and strengthen the relationships that matter most, starting the same day. The principles of building relationships that change your life apply to every area of life you care about, from your professional relationships to your personal ones. The skills taught in the book are explained with heartwarming personal stories from the author, Emily Anne Page, and practical, simple strategies you can use in everyday life to create a life that feels successful, happy and rich.
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Evelyn Molina, President & CEO,
All Janitorial Professional Services, Inc.
Topic: Customer Loyalty
Topic Description: Learn to build lasting relationships, generate consistent revenue, and grow sustainably.
Bio: Evelyn Molina is a seasoned industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in janitorial services. Evelyn’s mission is to develop lifelong business relationships, provide the highest quality and service to each and every client, and to ensure safety awareness for her employees. Evelyn has established a stellar reputation for adhering to the highest standards in her company and for her assistance to women and minority-owned businesses.
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Gail Stevens, MBA, MSW is a bestselling Author*, Speaker, Strategist,
Entrepreneur-Business Leader, Event Curator-Facilitator, and Educator
Strategic Impact Group
Topic: Workforce Transformation
Topic Description:
Bio: As Founder & CEO of a consulting firm, STRATEGIC IMPACT GROUP, specializing in Business & Community Collaboration, she works with Executives, Leadership Teams and their Companies to be more STRATEGICALLY IMPACTFUL in the Community. This is accomplished through both curated and customized Speaking, Seminars, Workshops & Consulting.
As a proud Certified WBE with Women’s Business Council Southwest / WBENC, Gail’s broad-based yet focused life & career experience span from Flint, Michigan, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Dallas / Collin County, Texas.
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Holly Sechrest, Principal & Benefits Consultant,
Lone Star Benefits
Topic: The People-Cost Puzzle: Connecting Benefits, Payroll & Business Strategy
Topic Description: Your people are one of your business’s greatest investments and one of its most complex expenses to manage. Discover how employee benefits, payroll decisions, and workforce costs intersect to impact your bottom line and long-term business success.
Bio: Holly Sechrest helps employers tackle one of their biggest financial challenges: rising healthcare costs. She helps organizations move beyond traditional health plans and explore alternative funding strategies that deliver greater control, transparency, and savings. Holly brings more than 20 years of experience as a benefits advisor at Lone Star Benefits, an independent employee benefits agency representing over 100 carriers.
Known for her results-driven approach and commitment to lasting relationships, Holly serves as a year-round partner to employers, designing smarter benefit programs that support both their businesses and their people. Guided by her values of faith, family, and freedom, Holly enjoys life on her Celina farm with her husband and five children. Outside of work, you’ll often find her out for a jog or soaking in a Texas sunset.
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Kathleen Hunt, President,
Personalized Payroll Services
Topic: The People-Cost Puzzle: Connecting Benefits, Payroll & Business Strategy
Topic Description: Your people are one of your business’s greatest investments and one of its most complex expenses to manage. Discover how employee benefits, payroll decisions, and workforce costs intersect to impact your bottom line and long-term business success.
Bio: Celebrating 15 years in business in 2026, Kathleen Hunt founded Personalized Payroll Services, Inc. (PPS) with a passion for helping businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, thrive and prosper. She has built a nationally recognized company grounded in exceptional customer service, trusted relationships, and a commitment to helping businesses succeed.
As a WBENC-certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), PPS serves businesses nationwide, providing customized payroll, tax administration, human resources, and workforce management solutions. Through its strategic partnership with isolved, PPS combines innovative technology with personalized service that sets it apart. With an average client relationship spanning 10 years, PPS takes pride in building lasting partnerships. Kathleen credits much of the company's success to her dedicated team, including Allison Kauffman, Vice President of Operations, Nicole Lee, and Sherry Chamblee.
Kathleen's leadership has earned her numerous honors, including recognition as a 2026 Titan 100 honoree, 2023 WBENC WBE Star, and recipient of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award. She has also received Volunteer of the Year honors from both WBCS and WBEC South.
A passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, Kathleen serves on the Board of Directors of the Women's Business Council Southwest (WBCS), where PPS is a proud Platinum Sponsor. She remains actively involved in the WBE community through mentorship, advocacy, and business development initiatives. Kathleen believes some of the greatest business opportunities begin with a simple introduction. Known for connecting women business owners, making referrals, and opening doors, she is committed to building relationships that create opportunities and help fellow entrepreneurs success.
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