Our Team

Executive Team

Valeri Bocage
President & Chief Executive Officer

Read About Valeri
Valeri has been assisting people in living their dreams for over 25 years. She has inspired hundreds of people to fulfill their life's mission. She has consulted with authors, entrepreneurs, parents, families, public speakers and artists to expand their vision for what was possible in their professional and personal lives.

Valeri was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, she lost EVERYTHING, except her indomitable spirit and true passion for life. She took the loss as an opportunity to start a whole new life. She moved to San Francisco to fulfill her dream of "EMPOWERING WOMEN TO IMPACT THE WORLD." Powerful Women International is doing just that.

Carrie A. Nikitin
Chief Business Strategist

Read About Carrie
Carrie is Chief Business Strategist (CBS) for at Powerful Women International Connections. Carrie is also is a business strategist for small and large businesses that are geared to making a difference, including Mavericks Renewables, Cytokind and Ergouture. She is also currently CEO of Avatekh, Inc., a Lawrence, Kansas high tech start-up developing and monetizing Intellectual property in noise suppression, mitigation and analysis with applications in military, medical devices, consumer electronics, telecommunications, power management, data over power lines, navigational, sensors and biometrics.
Her interest in business began when starting her first company (import/export in partnerships with companies in Japan and South Korea) at the young age of 18. With over 40 years of experience in business building, development, strategies, modeling and funding in both start-ups and existing companies, she has worked at the executive level in various areas including alternative energies, medical and the technology industry. She has gained much experience in:
- Working with companies in various stages, such as start-up mode, expansion, downsizing, turnaround, branding and re-branding phases.
The development, structure and negotiation of joint ventures, collaborative development and licensing agreements, as well as mergers and acquisitions.
Working with Universities in development of prototyping, grant writing and technology transfer and industry partnerships.
Carrie has strong skills in constructing and negotiating licensing agreements, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and collaborative development and research agreements in both domestic and foreign markets in various industry, academic and government
sectors.
Her experience in this arena includes building revenue growth within new and existing competitive markets. Working with several start-up companies, she has acquired a great knowledge of business strategies, models, monetizing and managing deal-flow and leveraging both monetary and human assets to create sustainable environments within a company to capitalize in its given market or business sector; diversification from working in multiple industries such as telecommunications, consumer electronics, toys, cosmetics, sports science, medical, education, banking, energy (nuclear and alternative), materials and commercial real estate; and experience as a grant writer at state and local levels (economic development and training), and federal level  (SBIR-NSF-NIH).

Pam Terry
Chief Operating Officer

Read About Pam
Pam Terry is COO of Powerful Women International Connections. Pam is also, CEO and Founder of NOWW Media, which encompasses public speaking, virtual events, and marketing consulting, coaching, and training for humanitarian activists, leaders, coaches, consultants, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and executives. In addition, NOWW Media includes NOWW News, an upcoming news agency that focuses on solutions to humanitarian issues such as reducing the rate of recidivism, pollution and recycling in its many forms, human trafficking, homelessness, gun and domestic violence, poverty, and at-risk communities, to name a few. Pam is a savvy marketing strategist with more than 40 years’ experience in public speaking, marketing, public relations, sales, and systems development. Pam’s passion for improving communities and making a difference led her to create her moniker, NOWW which stands for Network Of What’s Working.
As a writer, trainer, interviewer, and newscaster, Pam trains and works with conscious entrepreneurs and corporate teams (those that ensure social responsibility), teaching them how to connect and engage from the stage and promote and host their own virtual events.
A frequent keynote speaker, Pam is a conscious community leader and a former Executive Director and President of the Galleria Chamber of Commerce in Houston, Texas. 

 

Management Team

Mark Wilson
IT Development and Support

Read About Mark
Mark Wilson is an Information Technology Renaissance Man. He has over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry working for Fortune 100 corporations AT&T and Hewlett-Packard as well as a variety of medium and small sized companies working in every field from batch data processing, systems administration, network administration and database administration to systems development, website development, management, security and application development. His company, The Mewd, is dedicated to developing websites that generate results, with an emphasis on the mobile world.

Mark has worked in a variety of industries including healthcare, home furnishings and family entertainment. He is also an award-winning writer and restaurateur.

Robin Tai
International Membership Liaison

Jo Ann Rotermund
Director International Membership Services

Read About Jo Ann
Jo Ann spent her life being a victim until 2001, when her study of forgiveness helped heal her past and bring personal power, freedom, and joy into everything she does. She is an accomplished author, public speaker, and workshop leader.

Currently retired from a 30-year career in social research, Jo Ann, who is absolutely passionate about forgiveness, has committed the rest of her life to inspiring others to make forgiveness a natural way of living, healing themselves and their world in the process. Her book, THE FORGIVENESS HABIT: an Action Plan for Healing Ourselves and Our Planet, with a foreword by Desmond Tutu, provides all you need to know to start making forgiveness a natural part of your life.

Kelly Mizener
International Members' Support


 

Advisory Team

Alice Davidchack
Financial Advisor

Read About Alice
Alice has always loved numbers because they tell the truth about a business. Even at university, she turned down a place on the MBA program to study accounting. Over the last 15 years, she have helped business owners and managers to grow and improve their businesses by understanding the stories behind the numbers.

Alice is a founder and managing director of Business Engine Room. She earned a BA in Business and Masters in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Kansas and qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in the USA in 1999. Having worked through university as a part-time accountant for a number of small businesses, Alice started her post-graduate career with Deloitte. Having moved to the UK, Alice qualified as a management accountant (ACMA) with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and worked in senior roles across a range of sectors, including higher education, voluntary sector and local government.

Having worked as the Finance Director of a national charity which trebled its turnover during her time with them, she wanted to learn more about bringing the best out of people: She took a job managing a 65-strong finance team and completed a post-graduate degree in counseling. Over the last few years, her focus has been on supporting public services to improve efficiency, reduce cost and deliver more for less.

Being a successful FD focuses around 4 things:

1) Getting the basics of finance right
2) Acting as a business partner and adding value to the business;
3) Finding and developing talented people
4) Improving efficiency.

Alice worked hard throughout her career to develop in all four areas. She is currently looking for an opportunity to partner an ambitious CEO and their management team to help take their business to the next level.

Cheryl Rae Fidleman
Team Support

Read About Cheryl
Cheryl began her career in administration 15 years ago at one of New York's busiest real estate law firms.

She went on to coach entrepreneurs and business executives in public speaking, performance, and diction. She studied psychology & creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College (NY) and holds an International Shakespeare Scholar Certificate from Cambridge University (UK). She currently provides administrative support for Open Temple in Venice, CA and Uniregistry - a top player in the domain naming industry.

Cheryl has helped to create guidelines and procedures for PWIC and is proud to be one of its founding members.

Nicholas Zaldastanin
Business Consultant

Read About Nicholas
We focus on organizations and companies that positively impact the world

Nicholas Zaldastani is the Managing Director of Zaldastani Ventures and a Mentor Capitalist leveraging his venture capital and serial entrepreneurial experiences.

He has contributed to the growth of companies including Oracle, Ogilvy and Mather Advertising, SABA Software, Salary.com, World Energy, NewReality, Nexus, and CrocPond.com. Also, he has operational experience, Nicholas focuses on great investment opportunities and brings solid returns to his investors.

Nicholas also contributes to The American Academy in Tbilisi as Co-Chair of the high school. The school is in the country of Georgia and focused on educating Georgian children and feeding them into top American college and universities.

Nicholas received his MBA from Harvard Business School, a French Diploma from the University of Paris, and Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University.

In addition, Nick brings over 12 years of experience in children’s entertainment to the company. Leveraging his VC and entrepreneurial experiences, Nick focuses on organizations that positively impact the world. Nicholas’ leadership and investments have contributed to the growth of corporations such as: Oracle, SABA, Open Horizon, World Energy Solutions, and Salary.com. His board affiliations include: The Board of Visitors, Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering, and Co-chairman of The American Academy high-school in Tbilisi, Georgia. He holds a BSE from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Nancy Lewellen
Legal Advisor

Read About Nancy

Nancy Lewellen brings together a unique mixture of skills and experience. Her 35+ year career includes work in corporate, international, business, real estate, consumer lending, and law. She has an MBA in finance/international business, has been a licensed California real estate broker for more than 20 years, and has worked as a real estate lender and mortgage broker. This broad expertise allows her to approach client issues from varied perspectives.

As a successful serial entrepreneur, Ms. Lewellen is especially qualified to understand the needs of her individual and small-business clients from both legal and business standpoints. Ms. Lewellen advises clients on a transactional, mediation, arbitration, or litigation basis in the following areas:

Business Law

  • Corporation, LLC, LLP, and LLLP business entity formation and maintenance
  • Buy/sell agreements for management succession
  • Contract drafting, review, and negotiation

Real Estate Law

  • Residential and commercial lease drafting, review, and negotiation
  • Landlord–tenant issues, including eviction and unlawful detainer
  • Boundary disputes
  • Purchase/sale of real estate, including drafting, review, and negotiation of purchase agreements, escrow instructions, and loan documentation
  • Light/air/nuisance disputes

Richard and Sally Crawford
Communications 

Read About Richard and Sally
Richard and Sally Crawford are world-class filmmakers, Emmy award winning television producers, marketing/branding experts, and masters of media for corporate, commercial, and industrial webcast media presentations and communications.

Their work in entertainment includes: Emmy award-winning broadcasts, as well as, non-scripted reality programs, documentaries, and feature films.

Their corporate expert communication skills as writers, producers and directors have assisted Fortune 100 and 500 companies, including Ernst & Young, Apple, IBM, NCR, Caterpillar, Ford, and Nissan, to achieve their image positioning, training, marketing, and corporate messaging.

Their business communications expertise has brought them global clients, entrepreneurs, startup companies, multinational corporations, and celebrities including:
• Divine Noni of India
• Manser Development Amsterdam
• Neale Walsh, author of Conversations with God
• Michael Beckwith, Agape Church
• Jeff Bridges, actor
• Lisa Nichols, Teacher of "The Secret"

State of California Parks and Recreational: Santa Cruz Mission
The Crawford’s have used their powerful video presentations to assist start-up companies to raise more than $200 million for their projects.

The Crawford’s recently were honored guest presenters for their film, Captain Milkshake, at the New York and Chicago film festivals and then onto Viennali, Rotterdam and Leeds London International film Festivals.

Richard and Sally have been instructors and mentors at the CEO Space business forum for 10 years. Richard also instructed film and television production classes at San Diego State University.

The Crawford’s production company, One Productions, has been the longest-running production company in the San Diego area. Their newly formed company, One Film and Television Entertainment LLC, is the umbrella company for entertainment projects as well as corporate productions.

Specialties: Filmmaker, television and screenplay writer, director of photography, lighting director, producer, director, motivational speaker, author, mentor, counselor, gestalt specialist, NLP trained, actor, voice over talent, photographer, dancer, romantic, father, artist, painter, songwriter, singer, practitioner, creator, corporate trainer, sailor, golfer, carpenter, gardener, lover of the arts, friend, juggler, magician, strategist, marketer, image maker, branding specialist, businessman, leader

Mary Kurek
Building Relationships/ Affiliates 

Read About Mary
“I connect people. Can’t help myself. I love introducing people and do it with such enthusiasm that I scare wall-huggers at a party. Don’t care.”

Mary has introduced a group of youth to a member of foreign royalty, a US Ambassador, a Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist, the winningest coach in college basketball, the late Dean Smith, and Frank Capra, Jr., the former President of EUE Screen Gems Studios, NC. She's even introduced a former Harlem Globetrotter to a casting agent who hired him for a role in a major motion picture.

In 2007, She wrote a business networking book that was published bearing the endorsement of the national CEO of the American Business Women’s Association. She was then contacted by the CEO of a software firm who needed channel partners…fast. After conducting a successful networking campaign for him, he connected me to a colleague who was starting a games portal and needed a networking campaign. She did the same thing for him, and that’s when she created a business around making introductions.  8 years of service as a Chamber Exec who counseled entrepreneurs daily and assisted economic development efforts regionally, she became professionally trained as a business advisor and launched her own agency that combined consulting, marketing, and networking.

Mary's background is a long history of service that includes several years working on the NC Gov’s Press Staff, and also working for the state’s #1 lobbyist on major legislation.  During that time, she received the Long Leaf Pine award from the Governor for outstanding service to the citizens.  Later, she created professional schedules for international business leaders/dignitaries that visited the Research Triangle Park area through the US Information Agency and worked for an international exchange program with the mission of creating peaceful ties between the US and other countries.  She directed the Chamber of Commerce next to the world’s largest Marine Corps Air Station and graduated from the US Chamber of Commerce sponsored Institute for Organization Management.  She was honored with a commendation from the Commanding General of the Air Station upon departure from the Chamber.

She found her way into social enterprise. In 2017, she began publishing The Introducer Magazine, the first international facilitated networking magazine to expand business and impact. Each issue features game changers from a particular social impact space and follow it up with blog and social postings on the interesting connections  between game changers current and past. In 2018, she developed a companion network to The Introducer with the mission to take the networking up a level. The network is called The Frontrunners League of Social Impact Innovation and this group brings their unique expertise to League projects or those presented by the League’s partner, the global impact consortium, Living Learning & Working, Inc.

Sylvia Johnson
Legal Advisor

Read About Sylvia
Having served in more than a dozen countries on every continent of the world for the U.S. State Department, Sylvia Johnson has 30 years of international experience in law, business, and social services. She has practiced law in both the public and private sectors and regularly consults on immigration and property issues while continuing to advocate for the rights of the elderly and disabled. A South Carolina native, Sylvia holds academic degrees from Duke University and Loyola University of the South.

Peter C. Freeman
Financial Advisor

Read About Peter

Peter C. Freeman has over 40 years of experience in financial management, creating financial infrastructure, and raising capital for established, startup, and turnaround companies. He has helped launch multiple start-ups, by developing business plans, identifying operational improvements, and raising capital.

He has arranged financings with a total value exceeding $1 billion, including private equity, IPO’s, real estate loans, revolving lines of credit, asset-backed loans for equipment and receivables; and a wide range of project financings. He works in a variety of industries, including energy, water, agriculture, financial technology, life sciences, construction, real estate development, transportation, and non-profits.

Peter received an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and a BA degree in Economics from Amherst College. He is a Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at Golden Gate University, receiving the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award - Finance in 2012.