Dr. Julie Ducharme is one of the most multi-talented individuals you could meet. Her resume would span ten pages if everything she has accomplished were listed. It’s as if she has lived three lifetimes in less than fifty years. Dr. Ducharme’s first love was sports, and she pursued college athletics despite being told she wasn’t smart enough for higher education. She persevered, earning three degrees: a BA in Communication with a specialization in public speaking, an MBA with a specialization in Marketing, and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) with a specialization in Leadership. After playing volleyball and basketball overseas, Dr. Ducharme returned to become a head volleyball coach at a local college, which led to her becoming a professor at the young age of 23. As an overachiever, within seven years, she became the chair of three programs, then a dean overseeing 20 business colleges, before retiring to start her own technical vocational college, where she has served as president for the last decade at Synergy Learning Institute.

Dr. Ducharme has authored several bestsellers, including “Authentically You: Empower Your Way to Success.” While advancing her academic career, she also built multiple businesses. Her first venture, Julie’s Party People, an event company, has successfully served San Diego for 23 years and continues to thrive. Dr. Ducharme is an inventor as well in creation mode with new sports products she is bringing to the market.Not stopping there, Dr. Ducharme founded JD Consulting, a company that has evolved over the past 20 years into a digital design agency, course design firm, commercial production company, . She once said, “Once I started building businesses, I was hooked. I am an entrepreneur through and through.” She then established a sports Equipment company Taylor Elite sports and co-founded Your Authentic Genius, a PR company focused on branding women, with Shelby Jo-Long. Additionally, Dr. Ducharme has been developing Lead and Empower Her She Talks for the past seven years. This initiative has grown from a conference into a magazine, a membership organization, and a movement. She is passionate about this work and dedicated to changing the paradigm for women, expressing her commitment to this cause for the rest of her life.

Amanda Taylor is a seasoned investor, strategist, and financial educator with a passion for helping professionals build lasting wealth through smart, aligned investing. With over a decade of experience advising entrepreneurs, high-income earners, and emerging investors, Amanda blends practical finance with mindset mastery to unlock generational wealth and financial independence.

As the Managing Partner at Aquillius Ventures, I oversee the investment strategy, portfolio management, and deal sourcing of a leading VC firm that focuses on early-stage startups in the biotech, medtech and agtech sectors. I also serve as the Vice President at the Aquillius Innovation Hub, where I manage the operations, financial planning, and business development of the firm. Additionally, I am a board member of Microtek, Inc., a microelectronic manufacturing company that provides innovative solutions for the medtech industry. I hold an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado Denver and a certificate from VC University, where I learned the latest trends and best practices in the VC field. I am proficient in investment analysis, data analysis, and SWOT analysis, and I have a passion for finding and supporting disruptive and scalable businesses that can make a positive impact on the world. I value collaboration, diversity, innovation, and social responsibility, and I seek to work with like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, and partners.

MyPhuong obtained her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics and Translational Research from University of Florida. From her work at the University of Washington, Blue Heron Biotechnology, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, she has over 20 years of experience in the life science field, including drug and device development.  In addition to research projects, MyPhuong developed and managed the quality management system under ISO 13485 for medical devices for Microtek. MyPhuong enjoys DIY projects and woodworking.