Biography - Michelle Bergquist
Michelle is the CEO and Co-Founder of Connected Women of Influence, a private membership organization chartered exclusively for executive and professional business-to-business women. Michelle is an award-winning CEO, author and consultant who strives to help business pros achieve significant business results. Michelle’s professional background includes over 20 years’ expertise in helping businesses obtain funding, increase sales and improve business performance and success.
Michelle is the former CEO of The Corporate Basket, a nation-wide corporate gift company that specialized in packaging client appreciation and employee recognition gifts. After nine years of building her local San Diego business to an international platform, Michelle sold the company in early 2007.
Michelle is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a past board member of numerous community and professional trade associations, including Financial Women International, The Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, The National Association of Women Business Owners, The Micro Enterprise Loan Program of Orange County and the American Institute of Banking. In 2005 Michelle was a finalist for the Carlsbad Chamber Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a finalist in 2004 & 2011 for The San Diego Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Award.
Biography - Felena Hanson
Felena is a true entrepreneur. For eight years her company, Perspective Marketing, has specialized in providing high-quality, cost-effective marketing strategy services to small businesses. Felena’s latest venture is a collaborative work, meeting, and event space for female entrepreneurs. Hera Hub was conceived to fill a huge gap between the various space options available to local business women. While working from home is convenient and cost effective, it can be isolating and does not give one’s company a professional presence. On the other end of the spectrum, full-time office space is expensive and takes considerable resources to maintain. Women love Hera Hub’s spa-like environment, which offers hourly, daily, and monthly work and meeting space to freelancers, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, and authors. It is the perfect place for collaboration, community, credibility, and visibility!
Felena is the proud past president of the local chapters of Women’s Global Network & Ladies Who Launch.
Felena is passionate about education, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of San Diego and her MBA from California State University Dominguez Hills. She taught Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and at California State University Dominguez Hills for the MBA online program for eight years. She has been recognized for her efforts through her nominations for the “Women Who Mean Business Award” from the San Diego Business Journal in 2009, the “Women Business Owner of the Year Award” by the local chapter of the National Organization of Women Business Owners in 2010, the “Women Who Move the City Award” by San Diego Magazine and again for the “Women Who Mean Business Award” from the San Diego Business Journal in 2011.
