Career Girl Network Staff
Marcy Twete, CEO and Founder
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network, whose mission is to provide for women clear paths to career success and a large network of women to nurture, mentor, and support their goals. Born and raised in rural North Dakota, Marcy now makes her home in the Chicago Loop with her husband Charlie.
Learn more about Marcy’s background and her vision for Career Girl Network by clicking here.
Linda Konop, Director of Social Media and Web Content
Linda Konop brings to Career Girl Network a wide array of experience in events, social media, and marketing in the nonprofit, for profit and agency realms. Linda is a long-time Chicagoan. You can find her at Chicago restaurants and coffee shops, especially those that cater to her high maintenance toy poodle Olga. A native of Detroit, Linda completed her undergraduate degree in History from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and her Masters in Education from DePaul University in Chicago. In 2011, she received a Certificate in Social Media Marketing from Flashpoint Academy and looks forward to bringing her ideas and background to Career Girl to serve the needs of our network!
Kathi Toll, Vice President of Operations and Business Development
Katherine (Kathi) Toll possesses more than 20 years of management and consulting experience within the retail and beauty industry. Her industry experience combined with her special brand of irreverence fuels her mission to find the ‘must-have’ beauty products for Career Girls of all ages. She aspires to remind women the airbrushed perfection of the beauty industry must be tempered with a healthy dose of humor.
Kathi holds a general management certification from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, along with an undergraduate degree from Northwestern’s School of Communications.
Career Girl Contributors
Adrienne Asselmeier, Contributing Writer
Adrienne “Dren” Asselmeier is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, a women’s business center in West Michigan. Dren has a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature and is a blogger, runner, over-achiever, and friend to everyone. She likes to write about science-based health and fitness, small business ownership, and motivational topics.
Danielle Bilbruck, Contributing Writer
Danielle Bilbruck is an achievement-oriented and energetic professional in the sales world. She is dedicated to increasing efficiency and productivity in order to maximize profitability. Known for her ability to master a position quickly, Danielle has moved up the ladder several times in each company she has worked with. She is a direct and clear communicator, both in written and oral disciplines, and is excited about being a contributor to CGN. She is dedicated to motivating women of all ages around her toward excellence – simply because she expects it from herself.
Michele Cocouture, Contributing Writer
Michele is a goal oriented and overachieving career gal, style blogger and artist. She spends her days closing deals for a Fortune 500 company. Seeking a creative outlet, Michele combined her business savvy with her love of fashion and started a personal style blog for the sophisticated career gal with the goal of inspiring other career women one pencil skirt at a time. Michele holds a Master of Business Administration from UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia. Learn more about Michele’s style by visiting her blog at http://cocouture.org or you can follow her on https://www.facebook.com/cocouturedotorg.
Kim Dahlgren, Contributing Writer
Kim is a current undergrad student, as well as an Entertainment Reporter in the Los Angeles area. Founder of CakeandClass.Com.
Melissa Foster, Contributing Writer
A productivity coach for startups founders and entrepreneurs, Melissa Foster is on a mission to help her clients and readers create flow in their lives… and get big things done. A certified life coach, Melissa’s hyper-focused, energetic approach is coupled with wisdom, warmth, and wit. You can get more from Melissa by visiting her website: http://MelissaFosterCook.com.
Lisa Granshaw, Contributing Writer
Lisa Granshaw is a full-time freelance writer based in New York City. She began her career as a NBC Page, worked as a production assistant at Nightly News with Brian Williams, and was a producer and writer for the TODAY Show’s website. Her work has appeared on The Daily Dot, TODAY.com, NBCNews.com, Vetstreet, Blastr, and more.
Baaba Grant-Acquah, Contributing Writer
Baaba Grant-Acquah is a fashion stylist, blogger and corporate client manager. She is a curator of style and knows where to find the perfect pieces for any wardrobe. She is continually inspired by her clients and truly enjoys the process of providing creative solutions to fit her client’s needs.
Sara Hauber, Contributing Writer
Sara Hauber, M.A., is a certified wellness coach, yoga teacher, and functional-fitness specialist whose mission is to help you overcome obstacles to achieve radiant health and vitality. Since undergoing complete spinal fusion for scoliosis, Sara has been empowering others to transform their bodies, eliminate pain, and embrace joy, love, and life. In 2012 she introduced The Hauber Method™, her signature at-home method for eliminating back pain. Every year she leads yoga retreats to her happy place: Southern Italy.
Ellen Hunter Gans, Contributing Writer
Ellen Hunter Gans is a freelance writer and communications strategist. She’s also a marathon runner, an Ironman triathlete, a wildly untalented cross-country skier, a newly minted Crossfit junkie, a yoga devotee, a wannabe culinary genius, a voracious reader, a grammar snob, a world traveler, an outdoorswoman, an oenophile, a mediocre gardener, and a secret fan of awful television. Her blog is at www.lifeinreviews.com, and her business website is at www.wordcoutureconsulting.com.
Bobbie LaPorte, Contributing Writer
Bobbie LaPorte, is Founder and Principal of RAL & Associates, a consulting firm providing career and leadership development services to technology, financial services and healthcare organizations. RAL & Associates produces the “When She Speaks” – Women in Leadership Series in San Francisco, sponsored by blue chip Bay Area companies.
Before founding RAL & Associates, Bobbie served in GM, COO and CMO roles in several Fortune 50 companies, including IBM, GE and United Healthcare, as well as two healthcare technology start-ups. A certified career coach, she has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from Harvard.
She is a nationally-recognized expert on the powerful relationship between physical fitness and career success, and an accomplished triathlete and multi-sport coach. Bobbie is currently training for her fifth Ironman triathlon. When she is not coaching executives or Ironman triathletes she proudly serves on a number of Bay Area non-profit boards and happily rescues senior Golden Retriever dogs
Kelley Long, Contributing Writer
Kelley Long is a CPA and CFP® who believes that the true meaning of financial security means having choices in life. Formerly the head of her own practice, KCL Financial Coaching, Kelley parlayed the knowledge and experience gained from starting her own business into her dream job as the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Chicago-based CPA firm Shepard Schwartz & Harris. She’s also a volunteer and media ambassador for Feed the Pig and 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy and teaches BodyPump® in order to make sure she works out at least three times a week.
In Kelley’s perfect world, everyone would feel great talking about their money concerns, fears, questions and problems, because then everyone would see that we ALL have those concerns, fears, questions and problems. Kelley lives in downtown Chicago with her sweetheart Matthew and their cats Miles, Izzy and Groucho.
Lauren McCabe Herpich, Contributing Writer
Lauren’s life has definitely consisted of a series of adventures, or as she would like to call them: Why Nots! She recently left her digital marketing position at a Fortune 100 company to take the risk of entrepreneurship and start Why Not Girl!, a website empowering women to try new things, live life as an adventure and say Why Not! Lauren holds a Masters of Integrated Marketing Communication from Northwestern University’s Medill School and Bachelors in Journalism and Media Arts from the University of Arizona. You can get inspired to say Why Not! in your own life by visiting Why Not Girl! at www.whynotgirl.com.
Barbara Mednick, Contributing Writer
Barbara K. Mednick is Associate Director of Corporate Communications for KPMG LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has a passion for workforce issues/trends, particularly as they relate to women. Previously she ran a successful, Twin Cities-based PR and marketing communications consultancy and held senior account management positions at several top Twin Cities PR and marketing agencies. Barbara began her career as a journalist at a daily newspaper and holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a Mini-MBA Certificate from the University of St. Thomas. During her career, Barbara has written numerous articles and posts for various print and online media. She has garnered a number of industry awards for writing and successful PR and marketing communications campaigns conducted for clients. Also, she has taught a number of writing workshops for professionals and she blogs on the intersection of PR, marketing communications, and social media at http://bkminsights.blogspot.
Christie Mims, Contributing Writer
Christie Mims is The Radical Fairy Godmother to the Woman Trapped in Her Suit. A job reinvention specialist, she is a certified professional career and transition coach with a background working for Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense, and large Federal agencies. As a former business unit director in a top consulting firm, she has been there, done that, and worn those uncomfortable shoes. So, while she knows that career transition is hard, it doesn’t have to be lonely!
Feeling stuck in your suit? Grab her free job UNstuck kit over at www.therevolutionaryclub.com! (That is also where she keeps her sage career wisdom AND a side sass). It’s time to make your career happy!
Rebecca Niziol, Contributing Writer
Rebecca Niziol, ELI-MP, is many things: a life coach, yoga teacher, dancer, event planner, connection catalyst, and your new best friend. Her mission is to empower others to live the authentic life of their dreams. After years of traveling North America and Europe, she is happy to have found a home and community in Chicago.
Monica O’Connell, Contributing Writer
Monica O’Connell is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In her practice, she spends her career cheering on “Career Girls” as they learn how to get the most out of life. Monica works with arguably some of the most successful, intelligent, inspiring women in the Twin Cities who tackle self-discovery, career success, and what’s getting in the way of their true desires. She shares her favorite moments as those “best described not by words but by the stomach aching, face soreness that comes from spending an entire day laughing with loved ones.”
Kristi Royse, Contributing Writer
Kristi believes that leaders create success by inspiring their people to greatness through vision, communication, trust and teamwork, and that female leaders are uniquely positioned to develop this greatness in themselves and others.
CEO of KLR Consulting, Kristi is a nationally-recognized speaker, executive coach, facilitator, management consultant, and trainer. Since 1987, Kristi has been coaching executives to be stronger leaders and helping organizations optimize their most vital resource – people.
Kristen J. Zavo, Contributing Writer
Kristen Zavo is a finance and management consulting professional, with a special interest in both the retail and consumer products industry. Having always been interested in the people side of business, Kristen loves to explore, reflect on, and share stories about the challenges and adventures of being a businesswoman (aka Career Girl). No topic if off limits – whether it’s how to handle being the only woman in the boardroom, or figuring out how to to pack all your “essentials” for a 2-week business trip in just your carry-on!
Kristen earned an MBA in Finance from the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University. She also has a BS in Business Administration (Marketing) and Psychology, as well as a minor in Mathematics. Outside of work, she loves fitness (yoga, spin, running), fashion, and exploring New York City.
