About Us
Bakersfield Women's Business ConferenceOur Story
The vision for the Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference originated during the International Year Of The Woman. Phyllis Hullett, then Director of Student Services at Bakersfield College, gathered a group of community-minded women from industry, government, education and service-oriented areas on March 28, 1989. The goal was to discuss the feasibility of producing a business conference geared toward the needs of women. Out of this meeting, twelve women and one lone man, Pat Shaffer, Dean of Development at Bakersfield College, agreed to serve on the executive board. Options Unlimited, The Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference was born.
Phyllis Hullett and Cynthia Icardo, then President of Junior League of Bakersfield, jointly chaired the first event. The initial conference was scheduled April 18, 1990, at the Red Lion Inn, and featured Georgette Mosbacher, owner and CEO of La Prairie Cosmetics, as the first keynote speaker. There were twenty-one breakout seminars geared toward re-entry to the workplace, small business, career advancement and general interest. The committee hoped for five hundred guests and was overwhelmed with 729 attendees the first year. In 1991, the conference site was moved to the Bakersfield Convention Center to handle the average gathering of 1,400 attendees.
The goals of the Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference remain the same today as when the conference began three decades ago: to provide information, skills development , and encouragement for women at a crossroads; seeking higher education; first time employment; making a career change or looking to advance their careers. Over the years, however, the conference has evolved according to attendees’ needs.
In 1993 , a Career Development Center was added to give women the opportunity to receive personal job skills assessment and evaluate resumes. In 1994, Dr. Bobbie George created the idea of the R.O.S.E. Mentoring Program. R.O.S.E. is an acronym for Realizing Options for Student Excellence. Approximately 75 high school students have the opportunity to shadow an adult mentor beyond the conference. In 2001, Options joined with the California Elected Women’s Association for Education and Research (CEWAER) and created the First Women of Kern Project to identify and recognize female firsts in Kern County’s history.
Every aspect of our conference is designed to encourage, educate, and empower women in our community. Join us on Thursday, April 24, 2025 to see what it’s all about!
2024-2025 Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference Board
Angel Cottrell, 2025 Chair
Apollo Consultancy Group Inc.
KHSD Entrepreneurship Resource Centers
Lizette Gomez Patterson, Vice Chair
Cazador Consulting Group, Inc.
Volunteer Committee
Christina Springstead, Treasurer
Springstead Solutions
Marketing Committee
2016 BWBC Chair
Kathryn Mears, Secretary
University of LaVerne
Keynote Speaker Committee
2014 BWBC Chair
Deanna Blaise, 2024 BWBC Chair
Valley Strong Credit Union
BWBC Chair 2013, 2024
NaTesha 'T' Johnson
Upside Productions Management
Historian & Power Pitch Committee, SWAG Chair
2023 BWBC Chair
Ashley Davis
Aera Energy
Facilities Committee
Norma Dunn
Kern Women’s Business Center
Exhibitors & Workshops Committee
Janelle Capra
Greater Bakersfield Chamber
Marketing Committee
Marelle Williams
Logistics & Sponsorship Committee
2021 BWBC Chair
Trista Carter
R.O.S.E Mentor Program Committee
Susan Spears
Retired Sedgwick SISC – Work Comp Examiner
R.O.S.E Mentor Program Committee Chair
Norma Rojas-Mora
Bakersfield College
Power Pitch Committee
2019 BWBC Chair
Danielle Patterson
SeedCore Foundation
Registration Committee
Staci Martinez
California Resources Corporation
Workshops Committee
Jessica Neeley
Dignity Health
Keynote Speaker & Marketing Committee
Pawan Gill
Kern Health Systems
Workshops Committee
Colleen Bauer
Fairy Godmother Wedding & Event Planning
Keynote Speaker Committee
2009 BWBC Chair
LaMeka Ross
Facilities Committee
Advisory Board Member | 2012 BWBC Chair
Dayna Nichols
Advisory Board Member | 2004 BWBC Chair
Contact Us
(661) 378-4707
Sponsorships: bwbcsponsorships@gmail.com
Workshops: bwbcworkshops@gmail.com
Exhibitors: bwbcexhibitors@gmail.com