| Defining Moments Annual Gala |
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The 2010 Defining Moments Galawill be held on October 4, 2010 at Capitale
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The online auction will be held September 21 - October 13, 2010.
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2010 KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Samantha Ettus
Samantha Ettus is a best-selling author, TV personality, personal branding expert and entrepreneur who has brought together over 500 top celebrities, experts, and industry leaders in her print, video and online media properties.
A Harvard trained social anthropologist and MBA, Samantha began her career by launching Ettus Media Management, the first-of-its-kind talent agency for personality-driven brands. Her talent for selecting the people at the forefront of lifestyle trends, her skill in cold calling and networking, and her on camera and print communication experience led Samantha to create the best-selling Experts’ Guide series of books (published by Random House) and the Internet’s premier web talk show, Obsessed TV. Her interviews and books have included Sir Richard Branson, Rachael Ray, Jennifer Capriati, Larry King, Al Roker, Colin Cowie, Eric Ripert, Donald Trump and countless other luminaries.
Samantha also penned "Celebrity Assets," a weekly syndicated column for Scripps Howard News Service focused on how celebrities manage their brands. She appears regularly on various television programs as a prominent branding expert including the TODAY Show, The Early Show, The O'Reilly Factor, Inside Edition and Your World with Neil Cavuto and was the host of the iVillage "iCelebrate" series for NBC as well as a correspondent on WNBC's and NYCTV's New York 360°.
Samantha has several projects in development with women entrepreneurs and her next book is a personal branding guide for women in business. She writes frequently for ForbesWoman and she continues to be a highly sought after speaker on the subjects of personal branding, networking, and entrepreneurship.
Samantha is on the board of ForbesWoman and The Friends of Baby Buggy. She lives in New York with her husband, Mitch Jacobs, and their two young daughters.
2010 Defining Moments Honorees
SUSAN BERMAN, PRINCIPAL AND MANAGING DIRECTOR UNDERLINE COMMUNICATIONS
Susan is Principal, Managing Director of Underline Communications, a relationship marketing agency that connects businesses with customers through strategic interactive programs. Their work includes: email, print and e-newsletters, websites and landing pages, online advertising, mobile applications, and direct mail.
Underline works with the world’s best-known brands and nonprofit organizations, across all industries. American Express has been one of the company’s largest and most longstanding clients, and Underline would like to thank them for their support, both personally and professionally.
Founder of Underline Communications in 2001, Susan co-manages the strategic and conceptual development for new projects, and oversees the agency’s operations, business development, and finances.
Susan was previously a Partner at Lippincott & Margulies, a leading brand strategy firm owned by Mercer Management Consulting, where she was responsible for large-scale projects for Fortune 500 clients.
Prior to joining Lippincott, Susan was Chief Operating Officer of Donovan and Green, a 60-person marketing communications firm. During her tenure, she also directed many major projects, including American Girl Place in Chicago; the retail renovation of Citicorp Center in New York; the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul; and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library public exhibition space.
Susan began her career with architect Richard Meier & Partners. She received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from The Cooper Union and is a registered architect.
2009 Defining Moments Gala
September 22, 2009
2009 Defining Moments Honorees
Mimi So
Mimi So has been devoting herself to fulfilling a dream to build a brand – a world of luxury for all to share. Her brand building and success stem from a background as a third generation jeweler working with her family in their atelier, and her training as a Graphics Designer at the Parsons School of Design.
In 1993, Mimi opened a retail boutique in New York City. For several years, she was primarily a fine jewelry retailer who produced custom bridal sets for clients including celebrities, while also attracting a growing following, especially within the fashion industry.
Mimi So’s designs are art-based, with a very definitive and distinctive style. The collections, focused on the brand’s signature design principles, are firmly positioned as modern. They are created for what global women want today and tomorrow – wearability from day into evening, and styling for vintage and couture casuals.
In 2000, Mimi So debuted her wholesale business in Neiman Marcus precious jewelry salons. Over a short span, the company drew the attention of some major brands including Richemont, who in 2004 made a significant investment in Mimi So International. During the partnership with Richemont, Mimi So expanded globally and built the Fifth Avenue Mimi So Studios and Penthouse Workshop. Additionally, Montblanc asked Mimi So to design their first fine jewelry collection which became an instant success. Richemont sought to acquire the exclusive ownership of Mimi So International, however, Mimi turned them down, and subsequently she bought out their ownership share. read more...
Also visit Mimi So's website located at www.mimiso.com
Jen Groover
Tagged by Success Magazine as a "One Woman Brand" and “Creativity and Innovation Guru”, a leading "Serial Entrepreneur" by Entrepreneur Magazine and having drawn comparisons to Walt Disney and Benjamin Franklin, Jen Groover's name has quickly become synonymous with innovation, entrepreneurship, and evolution. This concept and product development expert has not only masterminded and built her own companies but she also has assisted in the launch of over fifty other companies and, in the process, taken on more roles than a Shakespeare theatre. She has gone from guest-hosting spots on QVC to inking deals with some of the industry’s biggest heavyweights.
Although it was Jen’s innovative handbag company (the award-winning Butler Bag Company, which launched just over 2 years ago and is now being tracked as one of the fastest growing handbag brands in history) that catapulted her into the spotlight, don’t make the mistake of assuming her experience, appeal, and expertise extend only to the fashion industry. With a sharp, relevant, and vast breadth of knowledge on everything from business issues to education to government policy and with a natural, energetic on-air presence, Jen is a progressive force to be reckoned with. She has already become a regularly featured business and lifestyle expert for such programs as Fox News’ “Strategy Room”, ABC’s “Money Matters”, CBS’ “Early Show”, CNBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch”, and Meredith Corporation’s “Better TV”. read more . . .
Also visit Jen Groover's website located at www.jengroover.com.
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