Flight Club

Eva Goetze has dedicated more than 15 years to helping teens excel academically and professionally. From teaching English abroad in Italy, Spain, and Central America to mentoring high-achieving students in San Diego, she has guided over 1,500 students to acceptance at top schools including Yale, Duke, Brown, USC, Michigan State, the University of Miami, all the UCs, and more. As the founder of College Advising Boutique, Eva blends her extensive advising experience with a strong professional background as a former COO and Chief of Staff, where she partnered with organizations such as Walt Disney World, PayPal, Zillow, and San Diego-based nonprofits. This unique perspective allows her to help families strategically navigate trending careers, majors, and graduate pathways. Her mission is clear: to empower teens and young adults ages 14–24 to become the top 1% version of themselves—relentless, strategic, and unstoppable. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/evagoetze Instagram: www.instagram.com/evagoetze Website: www.c

Lynette Correa-Velez, M.Ed., is the Founder and CEO of Pagame Project, an AI/H.I.-powered CareerDevTech platform based in Chicago focused on closing the women’s wage gap. With over 20 years of experience as a Critical Career Coach, she brings a DEIAJ-centered lens to supporting professionals across industries. Lynette has received 18 awards for her advocacy work, including being named a 2024 “Latina to Watch” by ALPFA National, and is actively involved with organizations such as ALPFA, Techqueria, and Latinas in Tech. She holds a B.S. in Business and HR Management from Lesley University and an M.Ed. in e-Learning and HRD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she also completed doctoral coursework in DEI in Education. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lcorreavelez Website: www.PagameProject.com

Kimia Talebian is the founder of Amara Insights, an AI-powered platform redefining what we expect from analytic and research software. With a passion for using technology to help operators, she is building a platform that proposes the types of analysis and research to run, does the work and uncovers the insights. When she’s not working on her startup, Kimia enjoys doing yoga and hosting group dinners to create meaningful connections with people in her community.

Erin Giglia co-owns and founded Montage Legal Group, a nationwide freelance attorney company comprised of over 450 exceptionally trained freelance lawyers who handle substantive legal projects for law firms. Erin has been an attorney since 2001, but opted out of traditional legal practice in 2009 to create a flexible alternative for lawyers seeking career balance. Erin and Montage serve the community through philanthropic efforts, and were named the National Philanthropy Day Small Business of the Year in 2017 for their charitable leadership. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of WISEPlace, and the University of San Diego School of Law Alumni Board.

Kelly is an executive coach, team coach and strategic consultant, specializing in supporting employee-owned companies. She founded Elevate Coaching & Consulting to help transform organizational cultures by developing senior leaders who cultivate strength-based, human-centric environments where both individuals and businesses thrive. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellywchewning Website: Elevate Coaching & Consulting

Kim is a sales coach who unsticks small business owners so they can sell their services comfortably and authentically without pressure, gimmicks, or compromise. She doesn’t teach a hard to remember system but focuses on developing the right kinds of questions for natural sales conversations that come from a place of service. Kim drills sales skills with you, just like your childhood soccer coach, so that you can help more people and earn more money. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kim-fredrich Books: If You Can Have a Conversation, You Can Sell: The Consultant’s Guide to Career Advancement

Sarah Mariano, known as The Stretch Therapist, is the founder of The Stretch Therapists Inc. and creator of the Performance Stretch System, a certification program with over 600 members worldwide. As a sought-after mobility expert, she has worked with high-profile clients, including Drake, Will Smith, and elite NFL and NBA athletes. Sarah’s mission is to help fitness and wellness professionals stand out, attract dream clients, and build thriving businesses on their own terms. Embracing a nomadic lifestyle, she runs her company remotely while traveling the world with her partner, Derrick.  Website: www.thestretchtherapists.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/thestretchtherapist

Brenda-Lee Smith, BSN, CSA, CDP, CADDT, empowers San Diego seniors through Oasis Senior Advisors, offering personalized aging services. With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing focused on mental health care, she utilizes her extensive network to provide sustainable support solutions. Brenda-Lee’s personal relationships with clients ensure respectful life transitions. An expert in creative problem-solving, intuition, and communication, she excels in client satisfaction. A confident public speaker, she shares her expertise as a compassionate leader in senior care. Website: www.oasissenioradvisors.com/local-advisors/coastal-san-diego Social media handles: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-lee-smith Facebook: www.facebook.com/OasisSanDiego

Deanna Ratnikova loves to get out and about with her friends and family. She believes time spent outdoors leads to a happier, healthier life. Deanna created The GO Deck to help people connect with one another, outdoors and on the go. Website: thegodeck.com Social media handles: Instagram: @TheGODeck Facebook: The GO Deck

Krystal Gillis, the founder and CEO of Tighties™ functional activewear, is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader. Krystal’s career trajectory has been a dynamic blend of entrepreneurial ventures and corporate experience from sales for a large payroll company to founding her first business in payroll software at the young age of 24. After successfully building and eventually selling her first venture, she transitioned to corporate roles in the medical devices sector, contributing her skills at Abbott and Stryker. In 2017, seeking a balance, she took on a consulting role, overseeing the launch of five companies, three products and a foundation before the inception of Tighties in 2022 during her work on a product launch for an orthopedic company in San Diego. As the driving force behind Tighties, Krystal is deeply involved in every aspect of the business from product development and project management to overseeing finances, sales and pipeline management. With a strong focus on injury prevention and longev

Renee Zau is the Co-founder and CEO of DonationMatch, a platform that has revolutionized how ticketed attractions and businesses–such as Six Flags Parks, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and Hera Hub–manage donation requests. Since its founding in 2010, DonationMatch has streamlined the process and reduced administrative burdens for both nonprofits and donor companies. Renee’s innovative system saves businesses hundreds of labor hours annually while amplifying their marketing visibility. Her commitment to charity fraud prevention through rigorous validation has made DonationMatch a trusted leader in secure, impactful giving. Website: www.donationmatch.com Social media handles: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/reneezau LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/donationmatch Facebook: www.facebook.com/donationmatch Instagram: www.instagram.com/donationmatch

Amrita Khanna is the founder of Humaara, a pre-launch e-commerce brand that is on a mission to help the Indian diaspora in the US seamlessly weave pieces of our rich culture into everyday American lifestyle. Amrita has 10 years of experience working for industry-leading e-commerce and digital marketing corporations where she honed her expertise in scaling brands and optimizing digital ecosystems. Now she’s excited to leverage those skills to build her own business. She’s driven by a belief in the power of community, especially the collective strength of ambitious women. Website: www.humaara.com Instagram: @humaaraofficial

Amanda Black is the heart and soul behind The Solo Female Traveler Network and Kindred Community, two ventures born from her deep love for adventure and empowering women to travel solo. She created The Solo Female Traveler Network to be more than just a community— she offers incredible multi-day tours to countries perceived as less safe for solo female travelers. These tours are where her 550k+ community of solo traveling women meet in real life and find inspiration, share stories, and connect. Through Kindred, Amanda curates Weekend Away, relaxed experiences that are all about mking real friends in adulthood. 99% of women who join both The Solo Female Traveler Network and Kindred come solo and leave with lifelong friends. Amanda is driven by a belief in the power of women supporting one another, and she inspires women to step outside their comfort zones, connect with the world, and find joy in every adventure. Website: kindredcommunity.co Instagram: @kindred.sd

Vesna Rysdale is the Founder and CEO of Nourished Alive, Health and Nutrition Coaching Company for Health Conscious and high performers. Vesna is a Certified Integrative Nutrition and Health Coach, Certified Hormone Health Coach and currently getting her Certificate in Gut Health. At the pinnacle of her corporate career, she left the pharma industry to pursue health and nutrition coaching for individuals and corporations. ​Before founding Nourished Alive, Vesna spent 23 years working in the life sciences industry, working on cancer drugs, rare disease treatments, and even COVID vaccines, and had a wake-up moment, realizing, although medicine can save lives, so can the food. ​​As an integrative health and nutrition coach, she now practices a holistic approach, helping clients discover what intuitively nourishes them on and off the plate. She and her family have been plant-based for the last 10 years, and in her spare time she enjoys surfing, hiking, gardening, she’s a mom and a wife and a community advocate; h

Monti Pace has a specialty in implementing systems that foster stable growth to help you through your business’s growing pains. With a background in administration, coordination, and project management, she leverages her expertise to create customized “minimum viable systems” that enable clients to focus on high-impact goals and achieve them with ease. Monti enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew and going to Orioles baseball games. Her partner is an Executive Chef, and they bought their first house just outside of Baltimore, MD where they currently live. Website: www.twopointohenterprises.com Social media handles: Instagram: @monti.pace and @twopointohllc Twitter: @montipace LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/montgomerypace

Deanne is founder and CEO of Emerge Positive, a mindset company helping individuals shift their mindset and improve their life. Working with both corporations and individuals alike, Deanne is introducing the importance and impact of mindset. She created Connect by Emerge Positive, a cloud-based SaaS service designed to enhance workplace productivity and well-being through personalized daily motivational content. With extensive corporate and leadership experience within the Fortune 500, Deanne offers a unique perspective to companies and individuals looking to elevate their career and life. Website: emergepositive.com Social media handles: Facebook: www.facebook.com/emergepositive Instagram: www.instagram.com/emergepositive LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/deanneclewis

Fran Maier is a serial entrepreneur and Super Founder with over 25 years of experience building and scaling disruptive B2C and B2B internet businesses. She is the founder and CEO of BabyQuip, the #1 baby gear rental service worldwide, and co-founder of Match.com, as well as the founder of TRUSTe (now TrustArc). A trailblazing Latina business leader, Fran is recognized for her leadership in family travel, privacy tech, and the gig economy, with extensive media coverage and numerous accolades celebrating her influence in the tech industry and female entrepreneurship. Website: www.babyquip.com Social media handles: www.linkedin.com/company/babyquip www.linkedin.com/in/franmaier www.instagram.com/babyquip

Lindsay is an attorney and the founder of Lindsay Lieberman LLC, a legal services and consulting firm specializing in cyber sexual abuse, sexual violence and domestic violence prevention and response. The firm provides direct legal services to victims and survivors in family court, criminal proceedings, and civil court, and offers proactive and preventative resources for schools, parent groups, and law enforcement. Website: lindsaylieberman.com Social media handles: Instagram – @LindsayLiebermanEsq LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-lieberman-cyber-sexual-abuse-attorney

Whitney McFadden turns no’s into yeses when doctors say “I don’t know” and “your labs are fine” but you still feel like your body is betraying you, and you don’t have control over how you feel. She is a holistic psychiatrist and neuroscientist who brings hormone health, nervous system science, and medical science together to uncover new levels of health for people who didn’t think it was possible feel better. Your mind and body will thank you for listening. Website: www.willowmindhealth.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/whitneymcfaddenmd

Gema Lynn Almilli is a certified Growth Strategist with over 15 years of digital marketing experience. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, Gema understands the struggles business owners face when trying to scale. Through her powerful 90 Day Leap process, she helps businesses hit specific revenue growth targets with clarity and focused strategy. Her warm and professional approach has benefited national brands and local service-based firms alike, providing leaders with the peace of mind to reach their full potential. Website: gemalynn.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gemalynn