Women's Business Network - Fourth Tuesday of Every Month!

Description

Women's Business Network
Fourth Tuesday of every month, 11:30-1:00.

Lunch will be catered by Tacos al Molcajete!

Held at Lafayette Public Library
Join the Lafayette Chamber for the Women’s Business Network Luncheon, a monthly event designed for professional and entrepreneurial women in and around Lafayette. This welcoming and engaging networking and learning environment offers an excellent opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals while gaining valuable insights on relevant business topics.

The event kicks off at 11:30 AM with a half-hour of networking, followed by a catered lunch and a featured speaker or activity from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

Upcoming topics include Business Continuity 101 and Small Business Cybersecurity.

The featured speakers are Amelia Iraheta, Suzanne Malcolm, and Kirsten Maltese, Kindra Brewer. 

Amelia Iraheta is the Regional Preparedness Liaison for FEMA Region 8. She has 10 years of experience in Emergency Management, with expertise in managing emergency sheltering operations both internationally and domestically, writing emergency plans for local government, and training community groups and youth in preparing for disasters. Having lived in 5 US States and 4 counties, Amelia’s passion lies in building bridges between diverse communities to enhance resilience and preparedness. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Disaster Management from the University of Manchester, U.K Outside of her professional work, she spends as much time as she can in the mountains, near the water, and daydreaming about how to get to her last unvisited continent—Antarctica.

 Suzanne is a Program Analyst in the National Preparedness Division with FEMA. She has worked on several disaster response teams as an individual assistance specialist, planning specialist, and crisis counselor. She has a background in survey statistics, emergency response, and international economic development. Previously, she worked as a survey statistician for the U.S. Census Bureau and as an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During 2010 and 2011, Suzanne also served in the Peace Corps in Panama, where she worked with coffee farmers to improve their marketing options. Her time there solidified her passion for helping communities in need. After the Peace Corps, Suzanne returned to her home state of Colorado and completed her MA in Global Finance, Trade, and Economic Integration at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. She also has a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Colorado. In her free time, Suzanne enjoys community theater, traveling the world, and hiking with her dogs Miel and Charlie.

Kirsten Maltese is the Region 8 Community Preparedness Officer and Youth and Adolescent Program Manager. In her role, she develops programs, events, and curricula that inspire communities, families, and individuals to take preparedness actions. Most recently, she helped create the FEMA Administrator Award-winning Disaster Mind computer game, which teaches teens how to make decisions in disasters. Kirsten is a former journalist, digital media manager, and education sector consultant who has worked on projects with the Department of Education, Department of Labor, Department of Defense Educational Activities, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Texas Education Agency.

Ms. Kindra Brewer serves as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Region 8 Cybersecurity Advisor for Colorado. She supports the CISA mission of strengthening the security and resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure. Her daily responsibilities include coordinating cyber preparedness information sharing and collaboration, risk mitigation and incident response, and providing cybersecurity resources, including assessments. Ms. Brewer has over 25 years of professional information technology experience, which includes over 20 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army and more than 15 years specializing in Cybersecurity. She began working with CISA as a Cybersecurity Advisor in November 2022 after serving more than 10 years as the Information Systems Security Manager for the Cyberspace and Operations Directorate, U.S. Northern Command. Ms. Brewer’s certifications include the Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP).

Don’t miss this opportunity to network, learn, and grow with the Lafayette Chamber’s Women’s Business Network.