Featured Speakers

Susan Lacz
Principal and CEO of Ridgewells
"Thinking Big."

Susan joined Ridgewells in 1986 and purchased the company with her partners in 1997. As Principal and Chief Executive Officer she has brought her signature passion and fervent respect for detail to every niche of the Ridgewells operations. She directly oversees the marketing, advertising, public relations and sales for the company.

A recognized leader and sought-after public speaker in the catering and special events industry, Susan Lacz is passionate about her work. In January 2007, Susan was the keynote speaker at the Catersource Trade Show. She was also a speaker for the “Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship” (WISE) Conference at Syracuse University and the International Catering Association (ICA).

Over the years Susan has received a number of industry and professional awards including, The Washington Business Journal “Women Who Mean Business” award. Susan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington Board of Trade, Fidelity & Trust Bank, the Kosciusko Foundation, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC) and the Women’s Advisory Board for GSCNC. She is also an active member of the Young Presidents Organization. Susan is a single mother residing in Chevy Chase with her sons Nathan, 17 and Ayden, 6.

Visit www.ridgewells.com for more information.


Georgette Pascale
President, Pascale Communications
"Falling off the bike and then getting into a new car - my journey is still so young"

Georgette started her public relations career as an intern at Bender, Goldman and Helper in NYC. She then delved into the world of "powerhouse" PR firms by working at Hill & Knowlton where she worked on corporate, fashion and travel accounts. After that, she enjoyed music PR and worked with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Shania Twain. Georgette also tried her hand at technology PR at ExcitePR before happily settling into the healthcare world. Prior to opening her own company, she was the Director of the healthcare practice at RLM PR.

Pascale Communications (PC) is a virtual, healthcare specific, all female PR firm. A focus solely on healthcare PR, coupled with our ability to cultivate and maintain relationships with the people that matter most, is what differentiates PC from other firms. With combined backgrounds in medical writing, event planning, trade/consumer public relations and integrated marketing, our team understands the intricacies of a well-run healthcare PR campaign. Clients, physicians, editors and third parties organizations have called Georgette "efficient", "effective", "the best medical public relations person ever encountered" and "impressively knowledgeable". Georgette’s belief is that PR is PR in any field; as long as you know that it is entirely about learning your client's products on non-billable hours as well as building relationships with the people in industry that matter.

Georgette has a B.S. in marketing communications from The Fashion Institute of Technology and is on the marketing committees for both Prevent Blindness America and Ophthalmic Women Leaders organizations. She also sits on the Board of Directors for both The Children’s Home and Lemieux Family Center and The Children’s Museum in Pittsburgh, PA. She is an active member of the National Association of Female Executives and the Executive in Residence for the 2008 calendar year for Chatham University. She happily resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, two daughters and two dogs. Visit www.pascalecommunications.com for more information.


Gauri Nanda
Founder of Nanda Home Inc
"Bringing Smart Objects to Market: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

Gauri Nanda is a designer and entrepreneur. Gauri earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan Arts and Technology program, and then went on to work for Apple Computer. In 2003, the opportunity to pursue graduate work at the MIT Media Lab presented itself and Gauri credits the lab for nurturing her tendency to take common objects that frustrate her and 'fix' them.

The Clocky alarm clock evolved out of Gauri's own need for an alarm clock that wouldn't let her snooze repeatedly. She created a prototype for a class project and a flurry of unexpected attention by the press ensued. Fueled by the realization that many people were like Gauri and needed a Clocky, she founded Nanda, a company devoted to combining unique designs with simple ideas that re-invent products we use everyday. The first shipments of Nanda's Clockies arrived at the homes of over-sleepers in December 2006.

Nanda and her work have been nationally and internationally recognized. She has featured on the cover of Inc. Magazine and the Boston Globe. Her products have been discussed in I.D., Dwell, the New York Times 'Year in Ideas' magazine, on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Jay Leno, and most recently, the Big Idea Show with Donny Deutsch. She is a prominent speaker in entrepreneurship at Harvard University Business School, Columbia and New York University. Gauri is now expanding the Nanda brand by developing new ideas for the home and for travel-things that once they're used, you don't know how you lived without them.

Visit www.nandahome.com for more information.