NAWBO Orlando
NAWBO Orlando
In today’s landscape, where cyber attacks and hacking attempts are more frequent and sophisticated than ever, protecting your business is no longer optional—it’s essential. Join us at NAWBO Orlando’s October Lunch & Learn during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and discover how to safeguard your business from threats that could compromise everything you've built.
Featuring Regine Bonneau, aka "Regine the Cyber Queen" (and NAWBO's Chapter President), CEO of RB Advisory, LLC and Earl Biggett, Jr., Security Administrator, Orange County Convention Center, this session will equip you with the critical knowledge and tools to identify potential risks and fortify your defenses. Rose LeJiste, NAWBO Orlando's Membership Chair and CEO of RL Engineering & Tech Solutions, an accomplished professional with a strong background in tech, will moderate this exciting event.
Don't miss this chance to learn from industry leaders, network with like-minded women entrepreneurs, and take proactive steps to secure your business in today’s digital battlefield. Your business’s security is only as strong as the knowledge behind it—get informed now!
NAWBO Orlando members attend free! Non-members are $20. Includes lunch!
Welcome to the Orlando chapter of the
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
Get a seat at the table or build your own table, and make sure to include other women™
NAWBO Orlando is dedicated to fostering the economic empowerment and success of women business owners in Central Florida.
A 5-Star Award Recipient, NAWBO Orlando’s vision is to propel women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of power worldwide. Our mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of NAWBO Orlando’s members and promote economic development; create innovative and effective changes in the business culture; build strategic alliances, coalitions, and affiliations; and transform public policy and influence opinion–makers.
Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of more than 12 million women-owned businesses in the United States, representing the fastest-growing segment of the economy.
NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries with chapters across the country. With far-reaching clout and impact, NAWBO is a one-stop resource, propelling women business owners into greater economic, social, and political spheres of power worldwide. We have 60 chapters across the country with more than 5,000 members.
Respected with elected officials in Washington, D.C. and state capitals across the country, recognized in the media as a thought leader on women’s business issues, and joined with corporate partners and other non-profit organizations who share our mission and expand our influence, NAWBO is the country’s premier women’s business organization.
NAWBO’s many milestones and awards over the decades exemplify the rich history of success the organization and its thousands of members have enjoyed.
WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS!®
Mission
Strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of NAWBO Orlando’s members and promote economic development;
Create innovative and effective changes in the business culture;
Build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and
Transform public policy and influence opinion–makers.
vision
To propel women business owners into greater economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.
diversity statement
NAWBO seeks full participation in the organization by all business owners who support our mission to empower women entrepreneurs, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. NAWBO’s goal is to effectively represent the full diversity of the women business owner community and to expand access to leadership opportunities across the full spectrum of our membership.
Board of Directors
Meet the Members of the 2024-2025 Board
Board of Directors
Meet the Members of the 2024-2025 Board
REgine Bonneau
President
Regine Bonneau, CTPRP is the Founder and CEO of RB Advisory, LLC, which provides cyber risk management, security assessments, compliance services, forensic audits, and privacy consultations for private sector and government clients. She founded RB Advisory after years of working in the risk management and compliance industries. With her strong leadership skills and expertise in business consulting for large and small companies, Bonneau will play a key role in shaping the chapter's initiatives and advocating for women entrepreneurs.
Christa K. Santos
Immediate Past President
Christa Santos, MPA is president of CKS Marketing Communications LLC. Santos brings extensive experience marketing entrepreneurship initiatives, high technology, and professional services companies, as well as a deep commitment to empowering women in business. As NAWBO Orlando’s Chapter President, she will provide strategic direction and foster a supportive network for women business owners emphasizing industry collaboration and creating valuable industry partnerships.
karen kurta
President-Elect
Karen is a commercial and portrait photographer, graphic designer, and owner of Karen K Photo. She specializes in photography for business and uses her 20+ years of corporate marketing experience to plan and create branding and marketing images. She currently serves as Communications Chair for NAWBO Orlando. Kurta leverages her creative talents and marketing skills to enhance the chapter's communications strategies and outreach efforts.
tracy rickard
Secretary
Tracy Rickard is president of Tracy’s Total Wellness, a women’s health coaching organization empowering women to live in a body and life they love. She is a Certified Health and Life Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Licensed Massage Therapist and Energy Worker. She formerly served as Program Chair for NAWBO Orlando.
ANSI FERNANDEs
Treasurer
Ansi helps everyday entrepreneurs implement systems and process in the business side of their company. Owner of Every Penny Accounting, she provides services that include bookkeeping, payroll, accounts receivables/payable support, and consulting. She is a Certified Bookkeeper by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and is a Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach. She is serving as the Treasurer of NAWBO Orlando.
shameka allen-lane
Director, Communications Chair
With 15 years in the Event Management industry and 1200+ successfully managed events, Shameka of Catalyst Event Coaching has event management down to a science. She provides all of her clients with “white-glove” service taking care of the logistics and details while you focus on what their companies do best. She is serving as the Director of Communications.
Rose Lejiste
Director, Membership Chair
Rose is CEO of Altamonte Springs-based RL Engineering and Tech Solutions, offering a comprehensive set of services including data analytics, AI, performance management, process analysis and improvement, reliability engineering, and strategic planning. She is also a mentor and advocate for diversity in tech, having served as Executive Director of Black Orlando Tech and on the advisory board of BizLink Orange. Rose brings her expertise to help grow the membership of NAWBO Orlando
amber kelley
Director, Programs Chair
Owner of M.A.D. Cleaning Services, Amber and her husband have been perfecting the craft of making a clean home while providing a better quality of living, because they realize it can be a daunting task to accomplish this with work, kids, and all the other multitude of tasks we face on a day to day basis. She will serve as Programs Chair for the 2024-25 board year.
SHAWNTIA LEE EMILUS
Director
Shawntia was the first in her family to go to college and found it challenging trying to balance school, work, and academics. That’s why she set out to help first-generation/minority students reach their full potential by providing resources within College-Thriver Education, a pioneering organization dedicated to helping first-generation and minority students navigate college admissions and career readiness. Emilus's entrepreneurial spirit and expertise in education will contribute to NAWBO Orlando's efforts to grow and thrive. She was the winner of the chapter’s PropelHER Pitch Emerging Business in 2022 as part of its annual Take Flight Business Conference.
