Quick Mentoring, Big Results

30-Minute Mentor Sessions

Running a business comes with big questions—and sometimes, you just need quick, clear answers from someone who gets it.

That’s where our 30-Minute Mentoring Sessions come in.

These focused, high-impact conversations connect you with experienced women business leaders who’ve faced the same challenges and found the solutions you’re searching for—all for just $50 per session.

Fueling Dreams With Expert Advice

Why Choose WSBA Mentorship?

  • Targeted Advice

  • Real World Experience

  • Immediate Insights

  • Diverse Expertise

  • Affordable Investment

Think of it as your business power boost—a dedicated 30 minutes focused entirely on you and your success. Don’t wait for clarity to come to you—book your 30-minute mentoring session today and start moving confidently toward your next big win.

How It Works

Your Guide to a Successful Mentoring Session

Getting expert advice has never been easier! Follow these simple steps to make the most of your 30 Minute Mentoring Session:

1

Identify Your Needs

Pinpoint the specific challenge, question, or goal you want to tackle during your session. Clear focus = better results!

2

Choose Your Mentor

Browse our list of experienced mentors and select the one whose expertise best aligns with your needs.

3

Book Your Session

Complete the form at the bottom of this page and we’ll be in touch to book your session.

4

Listen and Learn

This is your time to soak up insights! Listen actively, take notes, and be open to feedback—you’ll get more value if you let your mentor lead the conversation.

5

Come Prepared

Maximize your time by preparing your questions in advance. Think about what success looks like for this session.

6

Book Again

Book as many mentoring sessions as you need to keep your business moving forward. Find a mentor' who’s the perfect fit and hire them directly for ongoing support!

Remember:

Mentoring is about gaining clarity, insights, and actionable advice—not about someone doing the work for you. Show up ready to learn, grow, and make big moves!

Mentor Directory

Our mentors are experts in categories such as:

Business Operations | Communications | Event Planning | Financial | Funding | HR | Launching a Business | Running a Food Business | Sales & Networking | Website Development | Marketing

Ali Velas | Founder & CEO, Creative Ave Co

  • Business Operations

  • Launching a Business

  • Marketing

  • Sales & Networking

  • Founder & Owner of Creative Ave, a boutique digital marketing agency based in Columbus, OH, specializing in crafting marketing roadmaps and creating compelling content for businesses of all sizes—from small startups to Fortune 500 companies worldwide. With over a decade of experience in marketing and a focus on social media strategy, I’ve built a thriving 6-figure agency in under three years. My work has helped over 50 brands define their unique stories, launch viral-worthy campaigns, and cultivate engaged online communities. I’m passionate about empowering businesses to navigate the digital landscape with clarity and confidence.

Amanda Kern | Founder & CEO, Emerald Creative Content

  • Website Development

  • Launching a Business

  • Marketing

  • Sales & Networking

  • Amanda Kern is an accomplished SEO strategist and creative leader with a passion for helping businesses thrive. As the founder and CEO of Emerald Creative Content, a premier digital marketing agency, Amanda has built a reputation for delivering data-driven strategies and bold creative solutions that help brands scale smartly. With a background in education, Amanda brings a unique blend of analytical insight and storytelling expertise to every project. Under Amanda’s leadership, Emerald has doubled its revenue the last two years in a row and has grown into a trusted partner for businesses ranging from startups to multi-million dollar agencies.

Cindi Englefield | Angel Investor, Fund Manager, Business Advisor & Coach

  • Business Operations

  • Financial & Funding

  • Launching a Business

  • Marketing, Sales & Networking

  • Cindi grew up in an entrepreneurial family where she caught the business bug early. Her father started Englefield Oil Company in 1961 and she learned that growing a business took hard work and dedication. Cindi’s brothers were groomed to take over the family business and she married and started a family. But, she still had that entrepreneurial itch. In 2001, she launched Show What You Know Publishing, an educational publishing company that focused on test preparation and reduction of test anxiety for K-12 students in response to the increase in high-stakes tests. She sold the company 20 years later after expanding into 5 states and multiple product lines, including an online product. Cindi is proud that two of her three children are entrepreneurs and all three children are very successful. Cindi’s passion for business continued as she opened Englefield Business Advisors to advise

    and coach female small business owners with the challenges in business and to help them

    increase profitability and grow. At the same time, she joined the board of the Women’s Small

    Business Accelerator and began Angel Investing. In 2022, Cindi co-founded Accelerating

    Angels, an angel investment group and fund that invests in early-stage, high-growth, and

    exceptionally led women-owned businesses. She remains focused on helping female founders access the much-needed capital to scale their businesses. Her mission is to make female founders wealthy in an exit and generate a return on investment to the investors in the fund.

    Cindi is a board member for Englefield Oil Company, Central Point Partners, and Women’s

    Small Business Accelerator. She sits on the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and is a member of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Women for Economic Leadership Development, National Association of Women Business Owners, an alumni member of the Women Presidents Organization, and a founding member of Matriots. Cindi is a graduate of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Ohio State Early Investor Network. Cindi and Dave live in Dublin, Ohio with their dog, Zelda, a yellow Labrador retriever. Cindi works from Florida and Arizona in the winter months where she enjoys the outdoor activities of golfing, hiking, and horseback riding.

  • Dana Raymond is a dedicated Certified Public Accountant with a passion for empowering business owners through financial education. As the CEO of D2C Accounting Solutions, LLC, she leverages over 20 years of accounting experience and a decade of teaching as an adjunct professor to foster a collaborative partnership with her clients.

    Dana earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and her MBA from the University of Dayton. Dana also has a Masters in Accounting. She believes that every number in the financial statements tells a story, and she is committed to ensuring business owners not only understand their financial data but also harness it to make informed decisions that drive success.

    Dana is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and she is a wife and mother of three sons.

Lillian Zarzar MA, CSP | Owner & Founder, The Zarzar Group

  • Communications

  • Launching A Business

  • Sales & Networking

  • I have 30 years of experience as an international professional speaker and specialist in Interpersonal & Public Communication. I coach executive enterpreneurs and emerging leaders in articulating their messages and understanding the application of universal principles as they apply to human behavior and potential. I hold a BSJ in Radio TV News from Ohio University and MA in Speech Communication from Bowling Green. I'm used to working with diverse individuals through my international seminars and employment at the United Nations, NYC. I authored workshops, seminars, articles, books related to personal growth and interpersonal communication.

Mary McCarthy | Co-Founder, President/ CEO, WSBA, President, YMT Consultants

  • Business Operations

  • Financial & Funding

  • Launching A Business

  • Sales & Networking

  • If you’re going to help business owners realize their business vision, it’s important that you’re a visionary yourself! Mary McCarthy, President of YMT Consultants, uses over 20 years of business ownership and consulting, along with a strong drive to motivate others to succeed, to help thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners see past challenges and toward possibilities.

    Mary started YMT Consultants, Inc. in 2009 to assist existing businesses with growing revenue past the 1-million-dollar mark. In 2012, Mary co-founded the Women’s Small Business Accelerator, Inc. (WSBA), a non-profit accelerator dedicated to helping women launch and grow businesses through education and mentoring, regardless of their net worth and education level. In 2023, Mary co-founded Accelerating Angels, an angel fund providing much-needed capital for high-growth women-owned businesses.

    In addition to her business and the non-profit, Mary is also active in several organizations within central Ohio, including NAWBO Columbus, serves on the City of Columbus Diversity and Inclusion advisory board, Tolles Career and Technical Center advisory board, and is a founding member and board member with the Ohio Women’s Coalition.

    Mary has been recognized as a 2023 Woman of Excellence by Brady Ware & Company, 2022 Woman You Should Know by CEO Magazine, 2021 Women WELDing The Way Honoree, and was a 2016 NAWBO Visionary Finalist. In addition, YMT received the 2016 District Director Program Support Award from the Small Business Administration and the 2016 Best of Westerville award.

Sadaya Lewis | Owner at Modern Southern Table

  • Business Operations

  • Launching A Business

  • Running A Food Business

  • Modern Southern Table owner, Sadaya “Daisy” Lewis, started her restaurant and catering business seven years ago in the heart of Columbus. Combining her experience cooking southern-style cuisine and an MBA in marketing and finance from Capital University, Lewis has built an incredible southern comfort food concept offering fried chicken, gumbo, macaroni and cheese and other southern classics.

    ​

    Her love of cooking started when she was nine years old and has continued through her adult life.  Everything about the process brings Lewis joy, from selecting ingredients and creating new dishes to telling the stories of her ancestors and providing guests with one-of-a-kind culinary experiences. She seeks to give guests the same feeling of comfort she had when her family would host meals and unite around the table.

     

    “I can’t wait to share a good, wholesome meal with the people of Columbus, a community I’ve considered to be family for a long time,” said Lewis. “I’m looking forward to sharing meals made from scratch and with love; meals that will remind people of home; meals that my ancestor handed down as they journey through life. These are not just recipes, but a part of my family's story that I'm excited to share with you.

    All while hoping to create a new age gathering around the table, A Modern Southern Table. We are thrilled to announce the opening of our third restaurant in the Spring of 2025. We can't wait to welcome you to our growing family.

Sharon DeLay, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP President, Owner, GO-HR

  • Business Operations

  • Communications

  • HR

  • Launching A Business

  • Sharon DeLay is an HR consultant, business owner, national HR speaker, and trainer, and owner and President of GO-HR, an HR consultancy working almost exclusively with small and micro businesses across five areas: HR strategy and compliance, recruiting and on-boarding, training and development, non-traditional benefits and consulting, and workplace investigations. The company also provides HR project work for larger companies. GO-HR has clients throughout the U.S. and is a certified woman business by the State of Ohio and NAWBO.

    Sharon earned an MBA, as well as undergraduate degrees in HR, Education, and Communication. She maintains SPHR and SHRM-SCP HR professional certifications, and Career Coach (CPCC) and Résumé Writer (CPRW) certifications. She is also a certified EEO investigator and certified by SHRM to conduct workplace investigations. She honed her professional career in direct sales, higher education, communication, and advertising sales before creating her business that focuses exclusively on small businesses. Sharon is an Everything DiSC Certified Trainer and Authorized Partner.

    GO-HR has been recognized as a 2019-2023 Columbus CEO Best of Business honoree for HR Services, the 2022 Small Business of the Year by the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, and a 2023 Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service. In 2023, Sharon was recognized by Columbus Business First as an HR Impact awardee. She received the Lifetime Achievement award for Excellence in HR by Columbus CEO in 2019. Sharon has been honored with the 2022 NAWBO Columbus Visionary award, 2021 Business Person of the Year award from the Westerville Chamber, NAWBO Columbus 2015 Women’s Business Champion, and the 2019 WSBA Emerging Leader award.

    She lives in Columbus, OH with her husband Kevin, and their 2 dogs, Jack, and Luna the Destroyer.

  • Yasmine Robles is the Chief Sparkle Strategist behind Rebel Marketing, a bold and vibrant branding, website and marketing agency based in Columbus, Ohio. With over a decade of experience helping businesses elevate their online presence, Yasmine specializes in crafting drool-worthy branding strategies, websites, and marketing solutions that make you dance in your living room with joy.

    Her journey started with a leap of faith—leaving the corporate grind to build her own business from scratch. Since then, she’s worked with everyone from service-based businesses to non-profits, guiding them to find clarity, build confidence, and create meaningful connections with their audiences.

    Known for her approachable and collaborative style, Yasmine thrives on empowering entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge they need to stand out in a crowded market. She’s all about keeping it real, sharing actionable tips, and turning big ideas into reality.

    When she’s not crafting cutting-edge marketing strategies, you can find Yasmine managing her growing team, wrangling her kids’ packed schedules (think saxophone lessons and rock band practice), or enjoying tacos and a well-deserved margarita.

    Ready to tackle your business challenges with someone who’s been there and gets it? Yasmine’s your go-to mentor for clarity, creativity, and kicka** growth.

Alice Foeller | CEO, SiteInSight

  • Communications

  • Launching a Business

  • Website Development

  • Through her team, Alice brings communications and technical skills together to help nonprofit organization and businesses improve their web presence, rank higher in Google searches, and find new customers. Alice is a published writer, acclaimed public speaker, and marketing strategist. She has supplemented her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University with numerous advanced trainings in communications and business, including being a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Alice is also heavily involved in the Northland region of Columbus, having co-founded Elevate Northland, a nonprofit co-working and co-warehousing space to support organizations and disadvantaged entrepreneurs; and she is also the principal at Northland Collective Development, a commercial real estate firm. Alice is a member of the 2023 cohort of the Emerging Developers Accelerator Program.

Theresa Selegean | Founder, Tenacious Spaces

  • Business Operations

  • Communications

  • Launching a Business

  • Running a Food Business

  • Sales / Networking

  • With nearly two decades of experience in the restaurant industry, I’ve specialized in operations and business scaling. Most recently, I led the operations team at Local Cantina, where I played a key role in expanding the business from 4 to 14 locations over the span of seven years. I believe in a leadership style that’s fair yet empathetic, always prioritizing coaching and development over discipline. I’ve found that putting people first is the best way to ensure long-term success.

    In 2024, I transitioned from Local Cantina to pursue my own venture, Tenacious Spaces, an events company focused on graze-style catering and event design. I’m passionate about building strong teams and mentoring emerging leaders, helping them scale their businesses while fostering creativity and maintaining a healthy balance between innovation and operational efficiency.

Essence Marsh | CEO/Owner, Christian Village Academy

  • Business Operations

  • Launching a Business

  • Essence Marsh is the Founder and Owner of Christian Village Academy and Creatively Coaching. With 18 years of experience in the early childhood education sector, Essence has successfully built and managed multiple businesses that support both children and entrepreneurs.

    Christian Village Academy, an early childhood education center serving children from 6 weeks to 10 years old, has been a trusted space for learning, exploration, and joy for over 15 years. Through her leadership, Essence has cultivated an environment that emphasizes safety, growth, and discovery.

    As a coach and consultant, Essence specializes in guiding female small business owners in the early childhood education industry. Her mission is to support women through all stages of their business journeys—from inception to launch and ongoing management.

    Essence’s diverse experience spans 25 years in the field, including roles as a teacher, administrator, and business owner. She holds multiple credentials, including the Child Development Associate, SBA Scale Up America Entrepreneur Exchange Program Certification, National Administrator Credentials, and an Associate's Degree from Columbus State Community College.

    Driven by a passion for both early childhood education and business development, Essence is committed to nurturing two of America’s greatest assets—our children and small businesses.

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