Conference Agenda
9:00-9:05 am Overview and Welcome Message from Jaynee Groseth
This session is for leaders and soul-driven humans committed to creating positive
change in the world. Widespread impact doesn't happen in one fell swoop, it happens
in small "seismic shifts." Just like real seismic activity in nature, lasting change
happens one millimeter, one vibration, one rumble at a time. For anyone that has witnessed
the beauty of mountain ranges, you have experienced how these seismic shifts in nature
collect, collect, collect over time to create astounding results. For humans, living
and leading with a clear, passionate purpose will pave your path to lasting change
with the same brand of seismic force and magnetic energy. This session will inspire
participants to live and lead with more clarity and passion, and will teach participants
how to create a career vision/mission that empowers them to identify the tangible,
daily moments they make seismic shifts for positive change.
10:00-10:55 Break out Session I: Select one
Building Your Marketing Stack & Top Bootstrapping Tools: Hillary Sinclair
Marketing: It's a big word and can be overwhelming, especially thinking about all
the aspects to your marketing stack. Come join us as we talk marketing from 10,000
feet level down to the minute details. You'll walk away with... * Primary and secondary
marketing channels, including branding, social media, website, email, text and more
* How to streamline your marketing flow * Specific tools that help even the newest
marketer hit the ground running * Leading a marketing team
Simple Steps to Create Powerful Change: Marissa McDonough
A session focused on simple, daily steps that you can take to improve both personally
and professionally. Focusing on gratitude, an anchor, and focusing on activity goals.
You Make the Rules! Designing Your Life: Julie Scates
Life isn’t always finding a way to make your schedule work for your career, it incorporates
so much more. In this session, come prepared to learn how to make your career work
for you and still be able to live your most fulfilling life.
11:00-11:30am Break out Session II: Select one
What I Gained from Losing it All: Amy Schulte
In 2019 I was official diagnosed with alopecia areata, which is an auto-immune disorder
that causes people to loose their hair. Being in the marketing industry, I have always
been very detail oriented and work hard to make sure that my ads were "perfection".
Over the course of 2 years, I continued to lose my hair and am now a bald woman operating
in an industry where celebrating differences is not the status quo. Through losing
my hair, I have gained perspective on what is really important in my life. Through
this journey, I have quit my great cooperate job, started my own business, created
a non-profit, volunteered and found ways to make a meaningful difference in my community,
and most of all, for the first time in my life, I know that I am beautiful. The purpose
of this session would be to inspire women to reflect on who they are, what they want
out of life, and tips I have learned to help them get there.
Leading from the Heart: Carolyn Williams & Jackie Adamek
Carolyn Williams and Jackie Adamek, studio owner and studio director (respectively)
at Zephyr Cycling Studio, share their insights on building a business and community
from a place of trusting your gut, leading with intuition, and tuning into your heart
to make authentic decisions that result in a strong foundation from which to grow
a successful organization.
How to Avoid Being one of the 90%: Hillary Sinclair
Over 90% of startups fail… and mine did. If only I’d known then what I know now! Come
learn the main takeaways from my experience and the experience from other founders:
what to expect, what to avoid and how to maximize your success.
Many Heads are Better than One: Melissa Herron & Serena Rundberg
Melissa Herron and Serena Rundberg will speak about their business backgrounds, and
their respective journeys toward their current roles with Steep Mountain Tea House.
Melissa was a previous owner, but discovered in the midst of the challenges of the
pandemic the need to step back, to take on less responsibility and ask for help in
order for the Teahouse to survive, thrive, and evolve to its next potential. This
meant taking a step back from ownership and asking for help carrying her responsibilities.
Melissa is now the manager of the Teahouse, and no longer part owner. Serena saw an
opportunity with the creative and skilled staff, and the sustainability-based mission
of her company, Inspired Madness, to help her good friends and to keep an important
part of Bozeman's community and culture alive by incorporating the Teahouse into her
restaurant family and helping the next chapter of the teahouse in Bozeman unfold.
11:30-12:00 Optional Wellness Workshop: Select one
Reenergize & Rejuvenate Yoga Session: Darcie Warden
Reenergize and Rejuvenate. This gentle yoga class will connect you with your body
and breath. We all spend a fair amount of time sitting in front of our computers on
video meetings. Take 30 minutes to bring some energy with your online community, move,
breath and stretch into the next section of your day.
Tea 101 with Steep Mountain Tea House: Melissa Herron & Serena Rundberg
With the owner and manager of Steep Mountain Tea House, Serena Rundberg and Melissa
Herron respectively, will bring tips and tricks to brewing the right cup of tea. Not
only this, but what benefits are associated with those teas.
12:00-12:55pm Breakout Session III: Select one
Resilient Women, Resilient Leaders: Lorca Smetana
Designing ourselves and our businesses for resilience is truly designing for deeper
wells of energy and capacity. Rather than needing to prepare for all possible challenges,
we can cultivate our ability to face change and be with loss in a very different way.
This is the way of a deeply responsible leader, one who greets uncertainty and the
future with wisdom and fluidity. These are tools for this kind of radical resilience.
Enhance your Effectiveness by Developing the Skill of Welcoming Conflicting Ideas: Carmen McSpadden
Encouraging the exchange of diverse ideas and information among the people we work
for and with is a skill that transforms organizational obstacles into innovations.
In this session, we will explore how you can build trust that welcomes conflicting
ideas, and why this skill is important for women leaders. Additionally, we will examine
effective strategies for team leaders to enhance engagement and credibility. Because
a high level of trust is imperative for today’s businesses, leaders who can skillfully
foster a high-trust culture will flourish.
1:00-1:45pm Know Your Worth: Navigating the Employee & Employer Puzzle.
Employers want to recruit and retain high-quality employees that are the right fit
for their organization, add value, and care about the organization’s mission and goals.
Employees have similar desires. They wish to feel a sense of commitment to their work,
value and appreciation from their employer, and appropriate compensation. This panel is
designed to cover various perspectives, from company's looking to hire great talent
with a multitude of competitive factors in play, as well as employees looking for
their best career fit in an equally competitive landscape. Employers will learn how
to successfully sell their strengths and attract ideal teammates, and job candidates
and professionals will learn how to evaluate the career elements that are most important
to them and negotiate for their worth.
1:50-3:00pm
Spark of Innovation: Lessons from an Entrepreneur Lara Hodgson
Innovation comes from the most unlikely places. Lara Hodgson will share her unintended
path to entrepreneurship and the lessons she has learned along the way. She will share
some of the tools and techniques she has developed to spark innovation both from herself
and from those around her. The next big spark may just come from you!
3:00-3:15pm Awards & Closing
4:00-5:30pm Optional In-Person Networking Event at Dry Hills Distillery
(106 Village Center Lane, Bozeman, MT 59718)
Morning Group Speaker
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 Whitney Hinshaw Sullivan is a leadership & life coach, speaker and writer committed to helping leaders and
soul-driven humans create, manifest and nurture their best, most authentic selves
in order to live and lead from a place of energy, connection and personal power. Whitney
is a passionate advocate for leadership and lifestyle education that emphasizes the
mastery of social, emotional and somatic intelligence. Whitney is also an avid reader,
spin instructor, Enneagram coach and proud Montana adventurer. Whitney lives in Bozeman,
Montana with her soon-to-be husband (and best friend!), Tim.
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Breakout Presenters (Listed in order of agenda)
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 Hillary New Sinclair is OntheMuv's Chief Marketing Officer. With a passion to leverage technology to make
the world a better place, Hillary creates scalable multi-marketing strategies that
drive revenue, engage users and accelerate company growth. Prior to joining Onthemuv,
Hillary was Executive Director of Founders Network, a successful entrepreneur and
marketing consultant. She has developed B2C marketing solutions for F500 companies
including Avon, Yahoo!, eBay, Kraft Foods, Charles Schwab, DirecTV and Visa. Hillary
is on the Steering Committee for Changing Tides, a member of the Women's Leadership
Committee for Founders Network and was a 2018 Finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year with
the Women in IT Awards.
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 Marissa McDonough has been an entrepreneur for over 17 years and has built four successful businesses
from the ground up. Marissa's first career was in real estate where she was a Broker
in Montana. Marissa was named the Rising Star of a billion-dollar company and is known
for her grit and realness. Over her career, Marissa is known for her influence and
ability to help others get out of their comfort zone, get to the heart of the issues,
be authentic, and create real results. With over 9 years of personally coaching thousands
of people, Marissa has developed a system that creates results and focuses on the
action. Marissa is a highly sought-after coach, speaker, and trainer whose down-to-earth,
humorous approach captivates audiences, no matter their age or location. If you are
looking to create results and inspire your audience look no further than Marissa McDonough.
Marissa is a Montana native, born & raised in Butte America, and now living in Bozeman
with her husband and three daughters.
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 Julie Scates speaks nationally on topics ranging from women in entrepreneurship, designing your
life, taking a seat at the table (don't wait to be asked, just sit down) and pay equity
and our responsibility as women to move the needle. Her firm was recently recognized
by the Denver Business Journal as the Top Women Owned Business in Colorado as well
as one of Colorado's best places to work. She recently expanded the firm into Montana
to provide the same caliber of services and employment opportunities to our growing
community. She has been a resident of Bozeman MT for 13 years and although a native
of Colorado, considers Montana home.
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 Amy Schulte was born and raised in Billings, MT and graduated from Shepherd High School. She went
on to attend Montana State University and proudly competed as a Bobcat on the track
team throwing shotput and discus. She earned degrees in Economics and Marketing with
an International Business minor before moving to Butte shortly after graduation. Amy
runs a non-profit organization called Graceful Gowns which collects used prom, bridesmaid
and formal dresses and hand them out free of charge to high school girls in Butte
and Southwest Montana. In addition, Amy is the head event organizer for Hearts & Handbags,
which is an annual event that raises $15-20k each year for Safe Space Inc. to use
towards helping victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. She is Past President
of Butte Business Network ('20-'21), and is also involved in Butte Young Professionals
as the marketing chair, the Area Management Team for Special Olympics, ENCORE women’s
leadership group, NextGen through the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Prospera, and
many other organizations. Amy is also working towards completing her Master’s in Business
Administration at the University of Montana through their online program and coaches
throwing events for Butte High School's track team. When she is not busy working or
volunteering, she enjoys spending time watching Survivor, shopping, reading, fishing,
and hanging out with her husband and 3.5-year-old yellow lab named Bo and black lab
puppy named Jax.
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 Carolyn Williams is the founder and owner of Zephyr Cycling Studio. A Montana native, Carolyn's love
for music, movement, words and community created Zephyr’s foundation. Jackie Adamek is Zephyr’s studio director and a senior instructor who believes in following your
dreams and trusting your heart. She’s known for her fiery playlists and classes that’ll
have you laughing, crying and working harder than you ever thought you could – all
at once. She's also a mom; her son Larkin just turned 1! Zephyr itself is more than
a boutique cycling studio - it's a community that moves together. Zephyr stands as
a sanctuary for everyone to nurture their spirit and conviction, and our deepest aspiration
is that people make the strides they need in the studio so they can unleash their
best self on the world. Zephyr has been voted Bozeman's Best Place to Get Fit for
both 2020 and 2021 in Bozeman Magazine's reader poll, and Carolyn was voted Bozeman's
Best Community Business Leader in the same poll for 2021.
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 Melissa Herron grew up in Livingston, Montana. She attended Linfield College in Oregon from 2006
- 2010, and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology with a Minor in Music.
She lived with her husband, Scott, splitting her time between Portland and McMinnville,
Oregon from 2010 - 2013, where Melissa worked as the facilities and events manager
at Youngberg Hill Vineyards and Inn. Melissa and Scott had a dream of moving back
to the mountain west and opening their own teahouse. In November of 2020 in the midst
of continued challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic they were facing the option to
either close down without the support of their business partner, or to sell if possible.
Melissa and Scott reached out to good friends, Nick Garbiel and Serena Rundberg, and asked if they would buy Townshend's Bozeman Teahouse and incorporate it into
their local restaurant group, Inspired  Madness, Inc. Serena and Nick, with their love for tea and value of special spaces
that build community connection, purchased the Townshend's in November of 2020, and
with the transition opened a new chapter for the teahouse in Bozeman as "Steep Mountain
Tea House." Melissa and Scott were able to take a much needed step back from the
rigor of acting in dual positions as owner/managers to focus specifically on managing.
They now both work for Inspired Madness as the Steep Mountain Tea co-managers. Having
more hands on deck with a bigger administrative team and a diversity of contributors
around the table has already led to more growth, creativity, and stability for the
company and workers. Sometimes during challenging times the best move for a business
and the human beings who run it is to take a step back and make room for varied leadership
in order to move forward! Serena Rundberg is the founder and principal owner of Inspired
Madness, Inc. - a thriving food and beverage group consisting of four unique establishments
in Bozeman, MT – Feed Café, Lot G Café, Daily Coffee & Eatery and Steep Mountain Teahouse
(formerly Townshend's). Founded in 2005, Inspired Madness is known for its commitment
to creating and nurturing community while maintaining both environmental and sustainable
business practices. All of the businesses strive to operate as sustainably as possible
by composting, recycling and minimizing waste and energy consumption.
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 Darcie Warden, a certified yoga therapist and yoga instructor, works with clients to address anxiety,
depression and generally feeling stuck. She has personal experience struggling with
dark feelings, emotions and negative thoughts. One on one yoga therapy sessions helped
her shift from feeling stuck and negative to believing in herself and taking action
with clarity. This experience was so profound she achieved her yoga therapy certification
and is now supporting others in their personal work towards positive change in their
lives.
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 Lorca Smetana is a wayfinder -- an educator and creative consultant in the development of resilient
leaders, helping them design for high levels of energy, innovation, compassion, and
recovery. A survivor of the 1986 school mountaineering tragedy on Mt. Hood, Lorca
has been teaching and learning for over thirty years about risk, personal sustainability,
recovery from tragedy, and joy. She holds an MA in diplomacy and is on the faculty
in Human Leadership Development at Montana State University. A TEDx and keynote speaker,
a celebrant, a writer, and a farmer, she has helped communities of hospitals, universities,
agencies, schools, and non-profits better understand what it is to be a resilient
ecosystem.
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 Carmen McSpaddenis the Director of Montana State University’s Leadership Institute and has also directed
the MSU Leadership Fellows Program and served as an adjunct faculty in Management
for the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship. With decades of board
service to public schools and nonprofits, Carmen is currently President of the board
of Headwaters Economics, and a Governor’s Appointee to Humanities Montana’s board.
Prior to MSU, Carmen co-owned a successful world-wide adventure travel company and
other entrepreneurial ventures. Carmen also served on Leadership Montana’s Organizing
Committee, is a Class of 2006 graduate, and has been a leadership trainer since 2007.
In 2021, Carmen received her 6th Chamber of Commerce/MSU Alumni Association’s Awards
for Excellence. In 2018, she was chosen as one of MSU’s 125 Extraordinary Ordinary
Women throughout MSU’s 125 year history. She has been honored with the Community Mediation
Center’s Peacemaker Award, Bozeman Daily Chronicle’s 2008 Woman of the Year, Prospera
& JJCBE 2012 Mentor of the Year, 2015 Leadership Montana’s Service Award, and the
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Panelists
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 Amy Jacobs is the Talent Acquisition Manager for Hub International Northwest. She received her
B.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle before
relocating back to Montana in 2009. Prior to starting at Hub in 2021, she worked as
the Recruiting Coordinator for PayneWest Insurance. She has developed a passion for
talent acquisition and the crucial role great employees play in the success of an
organization. When she’s not working to find exceptional talent for Hub, Amy spends
as much time as possible outdoors. She is an avid skier and backpacker and also enjoys
travelling. She currently resides in Bozeman, Montana with her husband Brent and their
dog Westen.
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 Suzie Lalich was born and raised in MT, she grew up in Bozeman and attended Montana State University
where she obtained her degree in Business Management and found her true passion was
in recruitment and human relations. Upon graduation she worked for LC Staffing in
Bozeman as a Staffing Specialist for over 4 years and enjoyed connecting people with
employers all over the Gallatin Valley. In 2006 it was on to PFL, where she joined
the fast-growing technology company as a HR Specialist putting her recruitment stills
to good use as well as practicing other Human Resource related activities. Currently
Suzie is the Senior Director of Employee Success and leads the HR team in Montana
and Indiana plus oversees the onsite childcare center and Special Work Administrative
Team. Her passions are developing employees and strategizing with the leadership team
on how to create a world class company with high performing employees who care about
making our customers successful.
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 Pearl Michalson is the Intern Coordinator for the Internship Program at XY Planning Network. Pearl
is a Navy veteran with over 18 years of experience working with various organizations
and students together, in successfully navigating their next goals and career paths.
Pearl is keenly perceptive to the various ways in which available resources can be
used efficiently. It is this ability that allows her to help us organize and develop
this program, develop a future apprenticeship program, and help interns receive the
intellectual challenges and one-on-one training they are looking for to thrive. |
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Afternoon Group Speaker
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 Lara Hodgson co-founded and serves as CEO & President of NOW Corp. The company’s flagship product,
NOWaccount, enables businesses to get paid immediately in a way that feels like taking
a credit card for payment even when terms are offered. NOWaccount solves the problem
Lara faced while growing her manufacturing business, Nourish, when she was forced
to fund the company’s expansion into national outlets with trade credit. A “serial
entrepreneur,” Lara innovates practical and disruptive solutions to real-world problems.
Her background includes co-founding and serving as CEO of Insomnia, LLC, 5 years with
Dewberry Capital (serving as Chief Marketing Officer and COO overseeing development,
sales and leasing, and property management), EVP of Dunk, and SVP of iXL (now Scient)
where she founded and managed the Retail and Consumer Products Division.
Lara is an internationally recognized speaker, leading seminars on creativity, innovation
and access to capital. Internationally, Lara has worked in Koriyama, Japan with the
U.S. Defense Department’s EAGLE Japan Program and served as the Ambassador to Lebanon
for the 1996 Olympic Games. Lara is a sought-after board member and advisor, and has
served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Business School, Trustee of the Georgia
Tech Foundation, and Society of International Business Fellows, among others. She
received an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a BS in Aerospace Engineering
with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
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