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Natalie Cofield        

Entrepreneur, Economic Activist, Former Head of Women's Business Ownership at SBA

An award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, political appointee, and economic activist, Natalie Madeira Cofield has provided some of the nation's most prominent CEOs of billion-dollar organizations, executives of global brands, senior advisors to the White House, mayors of leading national cities, and community activists and leaders with inspiration, insight and advisement.

Her efforts have been responsible for supporting the deployment of more than $200 million in funding to ecosystems and entrepreneurs throughout the country. As the former head of the Office of Women’s Business Ownership at the U.S. Small Business Administration, she advised on the deployment of $1.2 trillion in funding and was directly responsible for architecting programs that distributed $200 million in funding to ecosystems during the greatest economic crisis in modern history. Cofield funded the largest expansion of the Women’s Business Center network in the history of SBA, with a total of 146 centers located in every state in the US, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Cofield is the founder and former CEO of a digital platform recognized on Inc Magazine's list of top "25 Companies Determined to See Women Succeed." She also established a supporting foundation for income-limited women through financial literacy and economic security, and funded a $25,000 Enterprise Women of Color scholarship at Howard University School of Business. In 2019, Cofield was named the inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the District of Columbia, leading Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 202Creates Program, providing entrepreneurship advice to creative economy businesses within the District of Columbia.

She transformed a vacant property into Urban Co-Lab, a coworking space that collaborated with clients like SnapChat, Google, and HPE. Her teaching and advisory roles extend globally, including her work as a member of the founding advisory board of the Google Supplier Diversity Council, and sessions at institutions such as Zumbi Dos Palmares University in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

An honors tech graduate, Cofield leveraged her coding experience to build a career centered on empowering businesses, entrepreneurs, women, and underrepresented communities. Her work has been featured on and by major publications including CNN, NYTimes, Fast Company, Forbes, and BusinessInsider. She has also been recognized among the Women Who Mean Business and named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Business by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2019.

Speech Topics

DIVERSITY

Companies who do take the time to understand power of diversity and how to harness through their labor force and customer base will struggle through growth over the next decade and beyond. Through this featured speaking engagement we will discuss how value propositions of gender, ethnic and age diversity, among other areas, that have demonstrated positive implications for business performance and operations.

WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

The 21st century belongs to the woman. Women represent more than 70 percent of consumer spending and represent roughly 50 percent of all college graduates yet account for less than a third of all management level roles within major Fortune 500 companies. Breaking the glass ceiling requires initial corporate strategy, meaningful programs and policies and an awareness of how women lead. Through this keynote we will explore significant entrepreneurial and/or corporate examples of women in leadership and strategies for engagement and advancement.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

More than 90% of the US Economy is comprised of the contributions of entrepreneurial small business leaders. Through this keynote we will explore common challenges faced by entrepreneurs - strategies to overcome them - as well as key trends and advancements across industry that are helping companies to rapidly scale.

THE BOOTSTRAPPING ENTREPRENEUR: HOW TO START A BUSINESS WITH NO INVESTMENT CAPITAL

Where you may be seeking a traditional business loan or venture investment, access to capital is one of the most difficult challenges faced by entrepreneurs. In this keynote we will discuss strategies for building a business on a budget, using your own capital, and still achieving success. We will also look at examples of highly successful entrepreneurs who have leveraged practices to grow their companies with limited funds, their philosophies and how you can leverage these principles for your own company.

MEET THE NEW UNICORNS: UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS A

African American women represent 56.9% of all Black-owned businesses in the US. They also saw a 322% increase in total number of firms from 2007 to 2012. Latina firms saw a 186% growth during this same time period. Making them the fastest growing entrepreneurial segments in the nation. Who are these new ‘unicorns’? What industries are they building businesses in? What opportunities and challenges do they face? This keynote aims to shed light on an oft under-tapped but high potential segment of entrepreneurs: minority women.

THINKING LIKE A CEO

When I was a child I thought like a child… now that I am the CEO I think like a boss. Going from employee to CEO mindset can be a challenge for new entrepreneurs. You are now responsible for every aspect of the business. Every decision you make - or don’t make - has financial implications. Are you thinking like a CEO or an employee? In this session we will discuss how focusing your energy on strategy, growth, partnerships and understanding operations are the most optimal uses of your time as head of household.

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BUILDING BUSINESS TEAMS

Just like any team, whether sports, family or work, understanding roles and the implications of new additions is critical to running a functioning and well oiled machine. Do you know who you need next? What skill-sets or personality traits they will need to be successful in their role and to the growing business? In this session we will explore the critical roles every entrepreneur or small business owner needs on their team, how to get them with finite resources and when and how to stop doing everything yourself.

CREATING THE LIFE YOU WANT/DEFINING SUCCESS ON YOUR OWN TERMS

Are you struggling to find inspiration in work or business? Do you feel stuck and limited by the parameters of your life? Is your definition of success constantly changed by external factors? We’ve all been there. In this session we will explore true definitions of success, building a life built on happiness, and removing the self-inflicted limitations that are hindering you from having the life you really want and deserve.

ANXIETY AND ACHIEVEMENT: OVERCOMING FEAR, DOUBT AND ANXIOUSNESS TO REACH YOUR FULLEST POTENTIAL

Do you think about what success could look like and become paralyzed by feelings of doubt, anxiousness and worry? Do you say to yourself, “I wish I could do … but I don’t have what it takes to be successful”? Does your lack of self-belief keep you from achieving your dreams? In this session we will explore how anxiety, fear and self-doubt keep us from reaching our fullest potential - even for what appear to be the highest of achievers, and how to overcome to achieve success.

GAINING PERSPECTIVE: STRATEGIES TO BEST ACHIEVE WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Do you think about what success could look like and become paralyzed by feelings of doubt, anxiousness and worry? Do you say to yourself, “I wish I could do … but I don’t have what it takes to be successful”? Does your lack of self-belief keep you from achieving your dreams? In this session we will explore how anxiety, fear and self-doubt keep us from reaching our fullest potential - even for what appear to be the highest of achievers - and how to overcome to achieve success.

USING A POSITIVE MINDSET TO PRODUCE POSITIVE BUSINESS RETURNS

You are what you think and inevitably what you speak, so what exactly are you saying about yourself and your possibilities? Building a positive mindset is not just for for a spiritual or yoga retreat, its also necessary in business and entrepreneurship. If you say you will be successful, you will act to your best ability, in accordance with your thoughts, and that’s a major step toward becoming successful. In this session we will explore how to manage your inner-thoughts of self-defeatism, how to speak positively about your goals and others and how to manifest your success one positive thought at a time.

FAILING FORWARD: LEARN HOW TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

You are what you think and inevitably what you speak, so what exactly are you saying about yourself and your possibilities? Building a positive mindset is not just for for a spiritual or yoga retreat, it’s also necessary in business and entrepreneurship. If you say you will be successful, you will act to your best ability, in accordance with your thoughts, and that’s a major step toward becoming successful. In this session we will explore how to manage your inner-thoughts of self-defeatism, how to speak positively about your goals and others and how to manifest your success one positive thought at a time.

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