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.

A fresh perspective

I bring a fresh perspective when serving and leading growing organizations. My passion is to inspire excitement about the vision of a company so there can be enthusiastic and devoted staff, customers, and stakeholders. Creativity and positive psychology training combined with years of experience in various sized organizations have given me the knowledge and skills to use an integrated approach to bringing focus and productivity to organizations.

My passion is helping others explore and expand their potential, utilizing their strengths.

I bring a fresh perspective and practical approach, grounded in academic research, to inspire creative thinking and action in individuals and teams. As a human scientist, she’s curious and passionate about human potential, and about discovering how people and organizations can grow to become their better selves.

I set clear paths in ambiguous and changing environments by balancing creative and strategic thinking.

As CEO, I led XLerant to achieve the industry's top customer satisfaction scores and the perfect score for ease-of-use and customer support for 7 consecutive years.

 

She has used this approach in over twenty years of successful management and consulting experience creating structure for start-up organizations, directing innovation programs, managing software development, and coaching teams. She is comfortable and experienced working with both startups and established financial, software, internet, telecommunications, and manufacturing organizations.

 

Hands-on manager, consultant, vendor, CEO.

 

My passion is helping others explore and expand their creative potential. As CEO of XLerant, I’ve led product and process innovation resulting in the industry’s top customer satisfaction scores for 6 consecutive years. Every day I utilize my experience from large company divisions and lean start-ups to help teams serve the clients through great products and exemplary services. I set clear paths in ambiguous and changing environments by balancing creative and strategic thinking. Everyone: involved, aligned, and committed to the vision.

 

Accomplished, results-oriented executive with a wide depth and breadth of experience and a multi-disciplinary and integrated perspective. Skilled in analyzing structure and process needs for new functions and start-up organizations.   Experienced in hiring and building successful teams, and directing cross-departmental projects and teams in diverse environments. Strong record of success in planning, analyzing and delivering against strategy. Highly effective at designing and managing change initiatives. Adept in presenting, and facilitating to create a dynamic environment for innovative change.

 

I have created and grown departments, exhibiting a proven track record of creating exceptional, highly functional teams. My organizational skills and creative aptitude has allowed her to institute processes and create procedures for diverse environments. I have delivered outstanding products, successfully managing the delicate balance among resources, time, money and features.

 As CEO, I created a scalable and profitable cloud-based (SaaS) budgeting, forecasting and reporting software organization, XLerant, for a small-to-midmarket client base. In 2018, I led XLerant to a successful exit and acquisition by a global public company including initiating and pitching the deal, managing the due diligence process and overseeing the transition after acquisition.  

 

One of the most gratifying aspects of leading XLerant, is hearing customers voice how much they love our product because it has made their work life easier and their organization more collaborative. XLerant’s 6-year long history of top scores in customer satisfaction and product ease-of-use over 15 competitors is due in large part from our exceptional team working well together and believing in and advancing XLerant’s vision.

 

Every day I utilize my experience from large company divisions and lean start-ups to help teams serve the clients through great products and exemplary services. I set clear paths in ambiguous and changing environments by balancing creative and strategic thinking. Everyone: involved, aligned, and committed to the vision.

 

My passion is helping woman business owners and their teams explore and expand their potential, so that they can be as successful as they dream to be.


  • 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.