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What's New at WBE? Check out WBE Fast Tracks! Our new self-paced leadership learning resource for WBE members! Members log in or non-members click here to learn more. Featured Member Carol Ann Davis Click here The Women’s Business Exchange is proud to offer "The Inspiration Series," a learning program designed to bring more education to Seattle’s businesswomen this fall Click here to learn more. Beginning September 2010 - WBE will offer a free Charitable Marketing Table to help get the word out about your woman based charity or event! Click here for more details. Special Announcement – The Annual Founder’s Day Dinner which was scheduled for Sat. Sept. 11, has been canceled due to the loss of our venue. If you already registered your funds will be returned to you shortly. If you have any questions please contact Elaine Smith at 206-369-7659. Upcoming Events Click here for calendar.

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Each month at the WBE Breakfast we have an inspirational speaker. Thank you to all of our speakers! Our speaker for May 2010 was:

Senator Lisa Brown

The Personal is Political

Senator Lisa Brown is the state Senate Majority Leader and an Associate Professor in the Master's of Organizational Leadership program at Gonzaga University.

In her first year in Olympia, Lisa accidentally ignited a state-wide controversy when she brought her infant son onto the floor of the House of Representatives during late-night floor debate – an experience which served to solidify her commitment to family-friendly workplace policies and resulted in the annual event in which legislators bring children and grandchildren on the House floor. Her son Lucas, a product of Spokane Public Schools, is now applying to college.

After serving two terms in the House, Lisa was elected to the Senate in 1996, where she was quickly appointed to serve as chair of the Ways and Means Committee in her first term. In 2002, she was elected minority leader. In 2005, she became the first Democratic woman in state history to hold the position of Senate Majority Leader.

Lisa has been a passionate advocate for health sciences education and research, gaining state support for medical and dental education and advanced degree programs in nursing and physical therapy. She has gained support for bike trails, the North Spokane Corridor, The Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, and human services and community facilities throughout the region, including the Fox Theater, the Mobius Science Center, the renovated YMCAs and YWCAs, the Northwest Autism Center, and Crosswalk.

Lisa is committed to putting more economic development tools in the Washington toolbox. She was the prime sponsor of the Rainy Day fund constitutional amendment, the Life Sciences Development Fund, the Strategic Economic Development Fund, and the Local Increment Financing Tool. She is also currently contemplating running for governor in four years.

Biographical Information:

Lisa was born and raised in Robinson, Illinois. She studied economics at the University of Illinois, in Champaign-Urbana and at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, where she received a Ph.D. She moved to Spokane in the 1980’s. As an Associate Professor of Economics at Eastern Washington University, Lisa became involved in public policy advocacy for working families. Her early activities included lobbying the Legislature for dental benefits for low-income people, as part of the “Molar Majority” and organizing the first “Take Back the Night” march in Spokane to bring awareness to victims of domestic violence.

At the request of friends and colleagues, she decided to run for a seat in the state House of Representatives in 1992, and her election helped make that year the “Year of the Woman”, when Washington State led the country in the percentage of public offices held by women.

Sen. Brown, holds a PhD and MA in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, as well as a BA from the University of Illinois. Originally from Robinson, Illinois, Senator Brown is a single mom with one son, Lucas.

Breakfast Speaker

Janis Avery

Challenge, Change and Creativity - How To Turn Life's Obstacles into Business Opportunities (and Opportunities for Growth)

If you’re searching for purpose and path, you won’t want to miss our September breakfast event where Janis Avery, the CEO of Treehouse, shares her inspiring story of how life's personal challenges can shape leadership and create opportunities for growth and unprecedented business success.

Click here for more information about the speaker’s topic and background.

Click here To learn more about breakfast location and schedule.

Click here to hear an excerpt of one of WBE’s recent breakfast speakers, Leta Hamilton, speaking about "The Energy of Transaction: Giving and Receiving in Business and in Life”.