“We bring together entrepreneurs and women who are rising in large organizations, diagnosis hospital ” says Oliver Singleton, cialis President of the Metropolitan Business League.

The Metropolitan Business League and its community partners will bring local and national role models to its Women Who Mean Business Summit on Friday, there September 13. America’s #1 crisis management expert, Judy A. Smith, the inspiration behind ABC’s hit-drama, Scandal is the keynote speaker. Ms. Smith is the founder and President of Smith & Company, a leading strategic and crisis communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Perhaps best known in media circles for her expertise as a crisis management advisor, Smith has served as a consultant for a host of high profile, celebrity and entertainment clients over the course of her career. The Women Who Mean Business Summit is a signature event for the Metropolitan Business League. According to this year’s honorary chairwoman, Carter Reid, Dominion Resources’ Senior Vice President – Administrative Services; Chief Compliance Officer; and Corporate Secretary, “The Metropolitan Business League has worked very hard over the last few months to secure exceptional speakers from the fields of banking, public relations, health care and more. I am confident that everyone will find this summit to be educational and worthwhile.”

Through various panel discussion and interactive sessions, many extraordinary women who are extraordinarily successful will share their story, advice and knowledge. Based on MBL President Oliver Singleton’s experience, “It’s a prime opportunity to network and confer with other professionals to establish beneficial and long lasting relationships. For more than 40 years, the Metropolitan Business League has served as a catalyst for a healthy business environment in Central Virginia. The Women Who Mean Business Summit is just one of the many ways we help regional businesses. The MBL is thrilled to host this event.”

Among the event’s powerhouse line-up of role model speakers is:

Linda Nash, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PartnerMD. In 2003, with 40 patients and one physician, Linda Nash opened the doors to PartnerMD, a membership medical practice that provides patients with unparalleled round-the-clock access to their doctors. Today PartnerMD has 18 physicians, six locations, 5,000 members and performs hundreds of executive physicals for local and national companies annually.

Michelle S. Lee, the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of STG International, Inc. (STGi), a $150+ million firm providing specialized support in the areas of healthcare services, business and human capital management, early childhood education program support services to government and commercial agencies. She founded the business in 1997 in her basement.

Nancy Harrison is the Senior Regional Credit Officer in Business Banking for Wells Fargo’s Mid- Atlantic Region that includes Maryland, D. C. and Virginia. She started as a Commercial Banking Analyst and has been in Commercial Banking for over 35 years working in various positions including Commercial Lender, Credit Administration Manager, and Special Assets Manager. Nancy is a graduate of the McIntyre School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

Christen Barber is a Senior Strategist at Scalability Project, a digital inbound marketing agency where she helps businesses with digital, social and inbound marketing. She specializes in developing results oriented, strategic marketing advice for business. Christen’s years of experience include developing and launching corporate brands, online marketing strategy, social media campaigns, maintaining corporate blogs, as well as traditional advertising campaign development and execution.

The Metropolitan Business League understands the importance of collaboration. It works with many stakeholders who share the common goal of supporting entrepreneurship as an ingredient to economic growth. Sarah Williams, Director for The Center for Women’s Enterprise, adds, “In our region, women are starting businesses at a rate of 1.5 times of new businesses opened by men. We have many successful women in business who are giving back as mentors or as speakers at important events such as the Women Who Mean Business Summit led by Oliver Singleton and his team at the Metropolitan Business League.

Research shows that we can teach management, leadership and entrepreneurship. Certainly, education is key. The game changer is mentorship. The need is role models who share their story and encourage women to start their business, or ask for venture capital to grow their business or approach their boss and ask for the next promotion. When women have access to hear successful businesswomen like Linda Nash or Michelle Lee tell their story, lives are changed and doors are opened.”

The Center for Women’s Enterprise provides one on one counseling and advice on capital structures. The Small Business Administration funds The Center for Women’s Enterprise in Richmond, Virginia.

Without community partnerships, the Women Who Mean Business Summit would not be possible. The Metropolitan Business League is grateful to the following partners and their support:

AT&T, Dominion, MeadWestvaco, SunTrust, WTVR-TV CBS affiliate, Altria, Richmond Times Dispatch, Work It, Richmond, Wells Fargo, tmi, Premier Bank, Parallon Business Solutions, Radio One, CBS-6, Summit Media, Venture Richmond as well as a score of other organizations that have contributed to the success of the event.

Get in on the conversation. Be inspired. Connect. Take advantage of the opportunity to interact with and learn from local and national women business leaders. Join the Metropolitan Business League at the Women Who Mean Business Summit. To register for the Women Who Mean Business Summit, visit: womenbusinesssummit.com

The Metropolitan Business League’s mission is to promote economic prosperity in Virginia through leadership, education, training and advocacy for small, women and minority-owned businesses. To learn more visit: thembl.org.