Your business has outgrown your sticky notes. Let’s fix that.

Melissa Bowen

Licensed professional counselor, coach and the only certified Daring Way™ facilitator in Acadiana (that’s the program built on Brené Brown’s research). She runs The Authenticity Center, her counseling practice in Lafayette, supervises counselor interns, and has worked with groups like United Way of Acadiana and the New Iberia Chamber of Commerce.

Keesha Buteau

Founder of Beacon of Light, which she started in 2022, with more than 20 years as a nonprofit executive, facilitator and trainer. Keesha is a Certified Nonprofit Consultant with a political science degree from UL Lafayette and an MBA, and she helps organizations build strategic plans, hit revenue goals and measure their impact.

Jolee Martin

Founder and president of J. Martin Consulting and Multi Axis Manufacturing LLC, with about 30 years in operations. Jolee builds management operating systems and accountability frameworks, runs businesses by the numbers and coaches C-suite leaders.

Pamela Mouton, CPA

Founder of Maloney Mouton LLC, where she has worked as a fractional CFO since 2016, with more than 30 years in accounting, finance and executive leadership. Pamela started at KPMG, then spent more than 18 years at Coburn Supply Co., rising to CFO and Vice President of Finance and Administration, and later served as Vice President of Finance for a private-equity-backed energy-services company. She helps owners improve cash flow, build forecasts and set the metrics they need to make confident decisions. She’s a Louisiana CPA with a BBA in Accounting and Finance from Loyola University New Orleans.

Jaci Russo

Executive Director and Founder of GrowthX Academy. Jaci also co-founded and runs brandRUSSO, the Lafayette branding agency she started in 2001, and created Brand State U. She’s spent more than two decades in brand strategy, including work on brands like Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster and USA Network, and she’s an AMA Professional Certified Marketer and a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alum.

To be announced

Tommy Dauphin

Sales strategist and entrepreneur with 20 years in business, including B2B services and technology and human capital management (HCM) sales. As both a salesperson and a business owner, Tommy skips the scripts and closing tricks and focuses on understanding the customer, asking the right questions and building a repeatable process. He brings practical help with prospecting, tough conversations and stronger pipelines, so people sell smarter and with more confidence. A Louisiana native, husband and father of two, he also makes some pretty awesome fudge.

Dr. Mechelle Roberthon

Talent development practitioner, facilitator and advisor who works on workplace culture, adult learning and stronger working relationships. She teaches career and professional development, teaches college courses, and speaks at conferences, on panels and on podcasts.

Carrie Rickert

Owner of Nomis Advisors and a management consultant with 15 years of experience in organizational assessments, strategic growth and program planning. As Director of Programming and Team Lead for GrowthX Academy, Carrie guides first-stage companies through the shift to second-stage growth, and she is also Team Lead for cXo, a partnership between GrowthX Academy and Louisiana Impact Fund. She’s known for her curiosity, her knack for connecting people to the resources they need and for making complex programs run smoothly. She is the author of Trauma is a Catalyst.