Business Strategist for Woman-Owned Small Businesses

A practical approach

I have helped many women-owned small business owners figure out what’s next and how to get there – without losing their sanity.

As a CEO for over a decade, and previous roles as a senior executive, consultant, and vendor in various industries, I have hands-on experience with the same challenges that you have.

My journey

I love working with woman business owners and their teams to explore and expand their potential so that they can be as successful and happy as they dream they can be in seeing their vision manifest in the world.

Creativity, positive psychology, and human sciences training combined with years of practical experience in various sized organizations have given me the knowledge and skills to use an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to bringing focus and productivity to organizations.

I have 10 years as a CEO, and counting, and an additional 20 years of successful leadership and consulting roles. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work in many different industries and in many different roles. I started my career in very large organizations but always knew that I wanted to run my own business one day. I decided to work for smaller and smaller organizations so I could be more involved with management of the entire business and start to understand how all of the pieces fit together.

Although I ran my own consulting business for many years, it was only when I became CEO of XLerant that I really understood the challenges and complexities of running a small business with employees.

And I absolutely loved it!

While leading XLerant I was able to utilize my training in creativity and positivity psychology, my studies of human science and human potential, and lots of practical, hands-on knowledge I learned along the way.

I feel particularly strongly about supporting women business owners from my experience volunteering as a mentor with the Women’s Business Development Council of Connecticut, and of course from my own company experiences as a first-time female CEO in a predominately male industry.

As CEO I have learned that it is of utmost importance to have a strong vision for your company - so that you can inspire excitement about what lies ahead and create the conditions for a community of enthusiastic and devoted staff, customers, and community.

  • CEO/General Manager – JONAS SOFTWARE USA LLC d/b/a XLerant (a division of Constellation Software, Inc.)
    -Top-rated for 7 years by our clients in customer satisfaction, product functionality, and ease of use out of a field of 15 competitors in an annual survey by BPM Partners, industry leading independent authority.
    -Direct strategy and operations of XLerant as an independent and profitable business unit.

    CEO - XLERANT, INC (acquired by Jonas Software)
    -Led XLerant to a successful exit and acquisition by a global public company. Initiated and pitched deal. Managed due diligence process. Transitioned and integrated processes.
    - Created a scalable and profitable organization to grow a SME client base. Restructured and downsized to a cash flow positive position, and remained profitable for exit, without any additional funding.

    VP Product & VP Client Services (XLERANT, INC) – Built onboarding process, structured implementation process, product roadmap.

    Owner - J.E. Brunn, LLC Consulting
    -    Pitney Bowes, Verizon – various projects including Employee Innovation Program, End-to-end contract management system, Export Compliance Analysis

    Director of Product - LEGO.COM / AGENCY.COM
    -Hired, built and managed production department spanning design, content, community, e-commerce, and sales

    Director of Software Development - HYPERION (ORACLE)
    -Managed development, QA and documentation teams for multiple financial consolidating and reporting products

  • Positive Psychology Certification - Studied with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, a pioneer and leader in the field of positive psychology.

    Creative Problem Solving Credential - Trained with the Creative Education Foundation at their CPSI (Creative Problem Solving Institute) conferences

    Ph.D., Human Sciences with a concentration in Creativity Studies - Saybrook University
    - Developed curriculum for first Organizational Creativity course offered at Saybrook University

    MBA, Finance - NYU Stern School of Business Administration

    BBA, Computer Science - Hofstra University

  • Mystery School participant - Studied with Dr. Jean Houston, a pioneer in the human potential movement.
    -Chosen by Dr. Houston as one of the first group of trainers in her advanced train-the-trainers program in Social Artistry for work with cultures as part of the UN leadership development mandate.

    Indigenous Studies research and training
    -2-year Ritual Village training with Sobonfu Some, indigenous woman from the Dagara tribe in Burkina Faso area.
    -Ph.D. Dissertation: Bridging the Gap: Exploring Indigenous and Western Students’ Experiences in an Indigenous Perspectives Cultural Immersion Program

    Solo Backpacking throughout New Zealand, Australia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Java
    -In China, with REI Travel Co., first group of Westerners to hike parts of the Great Wall previously closed to outsiders.
    -In Australia, 3 day overnight camel trek in Outback.
    -In Thailand, retreat at a Buddhist Wat

    Dream Change Coalition - traveled to Equador with John Perkins and the Dream Change Coalition to learn from indigenous Shuar and Quecha peoples in the Amazon rainforest and ??

  • Workshops and presentations included:

    Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness

    Going for a Big Insight? Understanding the Stages of Creativity

    What can Dagara Indigenous Wisdom Teach us about Creativity?

    Rewire! Refire! – Wake up senses to change your brain and think more creativity

    Also presented at Mindcamp Creativity Conference, and the Qualitative Research Consultants Organization Annual Conference

  • Adjunct Faculty for Mercy College, Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership

    Taught and developed curriculum for:

    -Implementing Change Initiatives
    -Leading Team Projects
    -Team Building
    -Developing Learning Systems (Peter Senge’s work)

  • Volunteer Mentor, Women’s Business Development Council
    -    Participated as a Mentor for 1:1 and group programs for female entrepreneurs and business owners.
    -Provide guidance for business strategy, operations, growth/expansion, and employee relations.

Click below to find out more about my professional background, teaching, presentations, and volunteer activities, as well as some fun facts.

Let’s talk.