SCORE of Middle Georgia will host the first-ever Women Entrepreneur Leadership Conference.

The full-day event featuring women business leaders as panelists, speakers and moderators will take place on Saturday, September 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Middle Georgia State University's Professional Sciences Conference Center. However, there is also a networking reception on the eve of the conference, taking place Friday, September 16, at Travis Jean, a woman-owned gallery and boutique, in Downtown Macon from 6-9:00 p.m.

The conference will include panel discussions and workshops covering topics that include business ownership, technology, media, start-ups and franchising. Attendees will hear from a diverse group of women entrepreneurs with veteran experience and real-life business insight.

The keynote speakers will be Erin Bickley and Jenny Greer, owners of Hold Your Haunches, who landed a spot (and a deal!) on ABC's "Shark Tank." Vera Stewart, business owner and host of the "Very Vera Show," will be the speaker during the luncheon portion of the event. Other speakers include:

● R. Pamela Alexander, Chief Digital Officer, BizLynks Consulting Group, LLC

● Sarah Clark, Advertising Sales, iHeart Radio

● Juliet Denise, Franchise Specialist, FranNet of Georgia

● Saralyn Collins, Owner, Grow fresh local food

● Terri L. Denison, District Director, US Small Business Administration, Georgia District Office

● Shawna Early, President, iDreamTechnologies, LLC

● Dr. Anissa Jones, Owner, Total Health Chiropractic and Wellness Center

● Dr. Ulrica Jones, President, Eventual Success, LLC

● Katrina Julia, Owner, Fit for Life Creation

● Dede Gossage, President/Owner, GetToItTODAY

● Trudy Lawrence, Program Coordinator, University of Georgia, Small Business Development Center in Macon

● Queen Marrero, Project Coordinator, Research Administrator, Georgia State University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

● Susannah Maddux, Founder, Goods Public Relations

● Jodi Palmer, Co-Owner, Macon Magazine

● Scottie Loree Paul, QuickBooks Advanced ProAdvisor, Partner, Saturna and Company, CPAs

● Mary Pinson, Owner, Mary Pinson Inc.

● Amy Rowley, Local Sales Manager, Cox Media

● Christine Rider, Founder & CEO, CJR Unike Consulting LLC

● Dr. Sam Lankford, Director, Mercer Innovation Center

● Elizabeth Schorr, Owner, Elizabeth Schorr & Co.

● Charise Stephens, Owner, Pearls and Priorities

● Jessica Walden, Communications Expert

● Maxine Wilson, HR Manager, PP&A

● Aileen Zoellner, Government Procurement Counselor and Certified VA Verification Counselor, Georgia Technical Procurement Assistance Center, Georgia Tech-Enterprise Innovation Institute

"The Women Entrepreneur Leadership Conference is being hosted to further a personal quote of mine, 'Knowledge is Power only when you use it, then share it,'" said Dr. Ulrica Jones, owner of Eventual Success, LLC and chair of SCORE Middle Georgia. "The conference attendees will gain knowledge about starting or growing their businesses through networking and participating in hands-on training from local and state experts willing to donate their time to provide empowerment. I am so grateful to be a part of this history-making event."

SCORE is a non-profit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The organization aims to provide the support necessary to thrive as a small business owner. In additional the Middle Georgia State of Small Business Summit, SCORE Middle Georgia hosts regular workshops, including Business Essentials for Non-Profits and the Entrepreneur Academy, in partnership with NewTown Macon, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and the Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce. SCORE Middle Georgia also provides counseling and mentoring through SCORE volunteers at chapter locations in Macon and Warner Robins.

"With over 300 chapters of SCORE across the nation, including six in Georgia, small business is able to make a big impact through our range of resources that include volunteer mentors, workshops, seminars and large-scale, yet personal, local networking opportunities like the debut of the Women Entrepreneur Leadership Conference," said Art Slotkin, Director, Georgia District of the SCORE Association.

To register for the Women Entrepreneur Leadership Conference or to find out more about the resources SCORE Middle Georgia offers to our region, visit middlegeorgia.score.org.