Dr. Angel Brutus, President and CEO of Synergistic Solutions

Dr. Angel Brutus, LPCC, ACS, BC-TMH, CMPC®, F-AASP serves as an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at UWS and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Synergistic Solutions, a B2B clinical, sport, and performance consulting firm. Through this work, she curates professional development experiences for high-performing professionals across multiple domains and facilitates customized trainings for sport organizations. She is a member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's psychological services team within the Sports Medicine Department, which she joined in 2021 after serving as the inaugural Assistant Athletic Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology for Mississippi State University’s Department of Athletics. Dr. Brutus is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) and an AASP Fellow (F-AASP). She is also a certified workshop facilitator with Positive Coaching Alliance® (PCA), a HeartMath® practitioner, and a training facilitator in Mental Health First Aid® for adults.   LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-angel-brutus Website: www.sportpsychsynergy.com

After two decades in corporate learning and development, Andria Taylor felt called to something bigger — a vision to elevate and empower women. She answered that call by launching The Mentors Collective, a community built on the transformative power of mentorship. Through this work, Andria helps women replace self-doubt with confidence, courage, and clarity. Her mission is simple but profound: to ignite the power of women so they can step fully into their potential and pursue their dreams with boldness. At the heart of The Mentors Collective is Andria’s belief that every woman deserves to be seen, to know her worth, and to recognize that she is courageous, amazing, and fully capable of impacting the world for good. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/andriataylor Instagram: www.instagram.com/andriaktaylor Website: www.thementorscollective.com

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.collegeadvisingboutique.com  

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

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. Instagram: @montagelegal Facebook: http://facebook.com/montagelegal Website: montagelegal.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.

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