Join us for Rise and Thrive, a dynamic breakfast event designed to inspire and empower! Enjoy a delicious meal while networking with like-minded professionals and learning from a panel of successful Women Business Owners. These trailblazing entrepreneurs will share their experiences, insights, and practical advice on building your support network, navigating challenges, and thriving in business.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, this event offers the perfect opportunity to “build your village” through meaningful connections and powerful takeaways. Don’t miss out on this chance to rise and thrive in your entrepreneurial journey!

Panelists Include:

LIBBY GRAY
Libby Gray is a Managing Partner and Commercial Litigator for Gray Ice Higdon, a law firm providing Intellectual Property protection (like patent and trademark), transactional services and commercial litigation representation.  Gray Ice Higdon was formed in late 2022 and currently has 37 attorneys and 60 employees with its offices in St. Matthew’s in the old Bacon’s building.  Libby assists clients in prosecuting and defending unfair competition lawsuits, such as misappropriation of trade secrets and breaches of restrictive covenant agreements, including non-competes.  She has been qualified as an expert witness in Federal Court on the standard of care in a trade secret misappropriation cases, and has taught an e-discovery class at the College of Legal Studies at Sullivan University.  Libby was selected by the Kentucky Supreme Court to serve on the Jefferson Circuit Court Business Court Pilot Project committee, and has recently chaired the Litigation Section of the LBA.  Libby has two daughters who are both in college, and enjoys cheering her favorite sports teams with her husband John.

MAGGIE HARLOW
Maggie grew up in an entrepreneurial family. Her experience running the family dealership, Tom Payette Jaguar, prepared her well to open her first franchise, Signarama, in 2003 in partnership with her husband, Brian Harlow. While Signarama is their flagship enterprise, they have had many other businesses over the years. Since then, they have continued to expand and grow the business, worked hard at becoming good community members through time and treasure, and have worked to develop a team of high performers who thrive in serving their customers. Maggie has served many nonprofits and business organizations in Louisville. Most proudly, they created their own grant program called Signs of Support which has been adopted by many Signarama’s in the US and Canada. They are parents to two adult sons; Clay, an entrepreneur himself, and Jack Harlow, a world-famous rapper and actor who is pursuing his own legacy in entertainment, business and philanthropy. Maggie and Brian still live in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, where they raised their kids, surrounded by family.

HEATHER SPENCER
Heather is a senior tax manager in the professional services and small business groups, specializing in medical practices, transportation and real estate companies. Prior to joining MCM CPAs and Advisors, now Cherry Bekaert Advisory, she worked as a staff accountant, sales associate for Bellsouth and estimator for her family construction business. These previous roles helped develop her expertise in working with different types of businesses to provide a wide range of services. During her 14 years at MCM and Cherry Bekaert, Heather has worked with the nonprofit group and served on various committees such as the Women’s Initiative and the training team.

ANGIE HOWARD
Angie Howard is a Relationship Manager at Greater Louisville Inc., the Metro Chamber of Commerce and Regional Economic Development Organization. She brings over 25 years of sales and marketing experience to her role at GLI. With a background at Fortune 500 companies, she understands the value of strong relationships and the power women bring to the workforce. Angie was recognized as Internal Sales Associate of the Year during her time at LabCorp and received Sales Excellence Awards from Hughes Environment and Life Safety Services in 2017 and 2020. Originally from Kentucky, she spent a decade in the Washington D.C. area, primarily in the newspaper industry. In her spare time, Angie enjoys game nights with family, time on the lake with friends, and volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters.