New Staff Member: Lee Ann Munger

Lee Ann Munger

E-Magnify welcomes Lee Ann Munger to our staff. Lee Ann comes to E-Magnify as the director of PowerLink, unique and proven resource for advancing women-owned businesses. 

(Learn more about E-Magnify's new strategic alliance with PowerLink.)

Lee Ann's full bio is available here and also below. 

Please join us in welcoming Lee Ann to E-magnify!

Lee Ann Munger
PowerLink Director,
Seton Hill University's E-Magnify

A long-standing advocate for women in business, Lee Ann Munger joined forces with the Seton Hill University E-Magnify team in January 2013. Her results-driven PowerLink advisory programs support the growth of established women-owned businesses. The PowerLink Advisory Panel Program, a core program in the PowerLink portfolio, was established in Pittsburgh in 1991 and has benefitted over 200 regional women business owners. Additional programs include PowerLink Protégée, WBE SuperPanel, PowerBuild, Financial Boot Camp, PowerHour Lunch, CEO Circles, and Connect the Dots.

Munger's business areas of expertise include business plan development and analysis, marketing, and strategically pairing business owners with advisory professionals. She is the former Director of The Center for Women in Business at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, and the former Executive Director of PowerLink, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh. Through her 20-plus year commitment to PowerLink, both on the board and on staff, Munger has managed PowerLink Advisory Panels for more than 40 woman-owned businesses, managed the work of hundreds of volunteer business advisors, developed programs, systems and procedures, and directed the organization's marketing and recruiting.

Previously, Munger was president and co-founder of Graphics & Artworks, a graphic design and marketing firm founded in 1992. She has extensive expertise in marketing and creative graphic design services.

Munger holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Chatham College.

As an entrepreneur, she was honored by the YWCA and NAWBO. She is active in the Pittsburgh professional women’s community and has served for many years on the ATHENA Host Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh Year XII and has served on the Leadership Pittsburgh and ATHENA Award Selection Committees. She is an advocate and active volunteer for Propel Schools, where her sons attend school, and in June 2011 she was appointed by Governor Corbett to the State Charter Schools Appeal Board.

 

Winners' Circle: Call for Nominations

Now in its 18th year, Westmoreland County's most prestigious business awards program is seeking nominations for women, men, businesses or organizations who advocate for women, women-owned businesses and our community.

Nominate NOW! Visit www.wcwinnerscircle.com for details about the program and award criteria, a list of past honorees, and to complete and submit a nomination form. It's fast and simple to nominate someone online. NOMINATION DEADLINE IS MIDNIGHT FEBRUARY 4, 2013 (No exceptions). If you do not have internet access, and need assistance or have questions, please call Seton Hill University's E-Magnify, 724-830-4625.

Awards will be presented at the Winners' Circle Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at the Ramada, Greensburg. 

E-Magnify & PowerLink Form Strategic Alliance

E-Magnify, PowerLink Form Strategic Alliance to Help Women Grow Businesses

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with PowerLink. Through a strategic alliance, PowerLink programs will now be offered exclusively by E-Magnify.

"PowerLink complements the services already offered by E-Magnify, such as business counseling, education and training and mentoring programs, including ATHENAPowerLink and the Women Presidents' Organization,” said Jayne Huston, director, Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify. “Our alliance will be a great advantage to all of our clients who will now have the opportunity to participate in exciting and impactful new programs.”

"For more than 20 years, PowerLink and E-Magnify have been the recognized leaders in the western Pennsylvania women’s entrepreneurial community,” continued Huston. “This strong new alliance is a tremendous advantage for women-owned businesses in the region.”

Lee Ann Munger will lead PowerLink for E-Magnify from a satellite office at the Riverside Center for Innovation on the Northside of Pittsburgh. She is charged with continuing to direct the program's strategic plan and working to successfully integrate PowerLink with E-Magnify.

"After two great years at the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, PowerLink is returning to its roots as an organization that focuses exclusively on women entrepreneurs," said Munger.

Founded in Pittsburgh, PA in 1991, PowerLink is a unique and proven resource for advancing women-owned businesses.

The PowerLink Advisory Panel Program is a core program and provides women business owners with a high level panel of business advisors. The customized Advisory Panels are composed of volunteer business professionals who are carefully chosen to meet the specific needs of the company. PowerLink maintains a database of approximately 400 professionals who have served on the Advisory Panels. These individuals are highly experienced in their fields and represent some of the top firms in the region.

Since 1991, PowerLink has provided Advisory Panels to more than 200 women business owners. PowerLink has worked with firms in virtually every businesses category ranging from printing to technology to manufacturing. Recent survey data reveals that annual revenues increased 46 percent and the number of employees increased 22 percent as compared with the PowerLink baseline. Additional PowerLink programs that will be offered through E-Magnify include the following:

• PowerLink Protegee, an advisory program for earlier stage companies;  
• WBE SuperPanel, an advisory program specifically for WBE (Women's Business Enterprise)-certified businesses;  
• Financial Boot Camp, an intensive one-day finance workshop specifically for business owners;  
• PowerHour Lunch, a monthly lunch series on topics of interest to women business owners;
• CEO Circles, a peer-to-peer advisory program for PowerLink alumni; 
• PowerBuild, an experiential leadership development program for corporate managers and executives; and 
• Connect the Dots, PowerLink's annual event uniting the entire PowerLink community.

For more information, about PowerLink programs, please contact Lee Ann Munger at 724-552-4388.

Featured Entrepreneur: Maria Fagan

RQS co-founders, L-R: Pres. Maria Fagan,
VP Robert Markley, and VP Lisa Casavant
(image source: RQS website)

E-Magnify features women entrepreneurs in our Success Stories section. This month's featured entrepreneur is Maria Fagan, president and co-founder of Regulatory & Quality Solutions, LLC, located in Murrysville, PA. 

Regulatory & Quality Solutions (RQS) provides full-service regulatory affairs and quality assurance expertise to medical device organization.

Maria worked with E-Magnify as part of our ATHENAPowerLink® mentoring program, which provides professional advisory panels to women-owned businesses to assist in business growth.

Maria shared some thoughts on entrepreneurship and the experience of working with E-Magnify. Keep reading....