US journalist to star at women’s business conference

(CNS): Sheila Brooks, Emmy-award winning journalist, entrepreneur, and dedicated advocate for women’s issues and small businesses will be the key note speaker at the 4th annual Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs conference scheduled for March 11th at the Westin.  The event, organized by the Cayman Islands Department of Commerce and Investment (formerly CIIB), is held each year as a part of Honouring Women Month to celebrate the advancements of women in business and give them a platform to share valuable experiences and best practices.

According to Lesley-Ann Thompson, DCI Head of Marketing, the conference theme this year is “When opportunity knocks, let it in”. Thompson says it was selected because businesses are facing tough economic times but local companies don’t need to be lulled into a feeling of despair. “Research shows that more than half of the largest and fastest growing companies in the United Sates were formed during an economic downturn and there is no reason why the same principle can’t apply to the business sector here in Grand Cayman as well,” said Thompson.

Brooks has been specifically asked to lend her insights into uncovering the blocks to business growth and cultivating a spirit of innovation even in lean economic times.

Brooks is founder, president and CEO of SRB Communications, LLC, a full-service media and communications agency and post-production facility in Washington, DC. Prior to starting her company in 1990, Brooks built a distinguished television career as a news director, reporter, anchor, and documentary producer at CBS, NBC, PBS and Fox owned-and operated and affiliate TV stations across the country.

She has won many awards for journalism excellence and entrepreneurship, and she is a nationally recognized speaker on women and business issues in the US. She serves as National Spokesperson for "Accelerating the Growth of Businesses Owned by Women of Color" Research Project, and is an alumna of the Leadership Greater Washington program, the Minority Business Executive Programs at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and Dartmouth College’s Amos Tuck School of Business

The conference is scheduled to begin at 5pm and includes brief presentations from local business women before the key note address. It will be followed by a lively panel discussion where attendees can ask questions. A short reception is planned for afterwards to facilitate further networking. Private sector partnerships are still being sought to offset costs and all companies interested in sponsorship opportunities are invited to contact the Department of Commerce and Investment at 945-0943.