Professional organizer Mary Astadourian has been organizing since she was a child when she would line up her dolls by height. Fortunately for her clients, she turned her passion for order into a career. She has taken on the challenges of organizing homes, offices, storage spaces, and eventually, the lives of supermodels, pop icons, movie stars, and others, helping them to live tranquil, clutter-free lives and giving them piece of mind.

Mary’s discovery of her calling, however, came after several major career transitions. Moving to New York straight out of college with dreams of a future in journalism, Mary spent a year working at the United Nations only to decide it wasn’t what she had hoped for. She also worked in publishing, co-founded a company specializing in training corporate trainers, and was vice president of a production company. Four years ago, Mary was in the midst of studying to become an interior designer, when she accidentally landed a job organizing a home.The rest, as they say, is history

Rashi K. Khangura has had a broad experience in accounting having worked for a variety of companies, including family businesses. Although accounting is not her passion, she learned to combine her skills in accounting and her passion for people. Rashi’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for people comes from her experience with several family businesses. The experience of working for different companies made her realize that the environment and focus of the company had a huge impact on her job satisfaction. After realizing this she focused on positions in the accounting field with companies that were more in tune with her passion for people. Currently she works for Corazonas Foods, Inc. Corazonas focuses on creating food products that taste great and lower cholesterol. Being part of a company that positively affects the health of others is why she loves Corazonas. Even with the short time she has spent in the work world she realized that it is possible to fulfill her passion and utilize her skills without changing her career.

STEPHANIE PALMER helps business leaders, senior executives and established creative professionals from a wide variety of industries to increase revenue, find more clients, get promoted, and secure financing for their ideas. As part of MGM’s executive team for six years, she supervised twenty films with multi-million dollar budgets, including the international screen hit, Legally Blonde. Stephanie has been featured on NBC’s Today, CBS’s Early Show, National Public Radio and in the Los Angeles Times. She is the author of Good in a Room: How To Sell Yourself and Your Ideas and Win Over Any Audience. (www.stephaniepalmer.com)

Buttercream Cosmetics’ Jayne Polan, is the co-owner and creative force behind Shampowder, the revolutionary new cosmetic hair powder, designed to freshen hair and extend time between washings. Shampowder is produced by her Los Angeles based firm, Buttercream Cosmetics, Inc. Known for her creative flair and interest in the arts, Jayne Polan, for as long as she can remember has looked for the solution and unique way to work with her makeup and hair. Her love affair with beauty dates back to her earliest childhood memories.

A professionally trained singer and dancer reaching back to age three, Jayne further developed her creative talents within the performing arts while attending School of Communications at American University. It was during her dancing days that she first discovered the trick of putting baby powder in her hair to absorb the oils. The baby powder did the job, but not without its limitations, most notable were the discoloration and strong odor. Not realizing it at that time, the idea for Shampowder was first born an Jayne would eventually combine her entrepreneurial spirit and talents together to launch a new brand.

Born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey, Jayne moved to Los Angeles immediately after college graduation to apply her talents to the Entertainment industry. Starting out literally at basement level sorting mail for a talent agency, Jayne worked her way up the ladder. Thriving in a fast paced creative atmosphere, it wasn’t long before she was working in production for major television shows such as The Sharon Osbourne Show, The Dr. Keith Ablow Show and most recently The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

After the birth of her son, Jonah, just one year ago, Jayne decided to take a short break from the Entertainment world. She quickly realized that the fast paced, hectic world of entertainment was nothing as compared to motherhood, and with absolutely-no-time-to-spare-to-wash-her-hair, Jayne was back to the baby powder. Knowing that there was a better way, the idea for Shampowder was born.

Teaming up with her husband and co-creator, Barry Polan, they began the process of developing and formulating the perfect solution.

(www.buttercreamcosmetics.com)

Clark Crawford has been developing award winning products and creating successful businesses in the technology sector since 1985. His technology career spans from start-ups to public companies ranging from pre-revenue to billion dollar divisions at companies including Micron Technology, Tektronix, 3D Systems, Idealab and Xerox. His experience includes management and executive positions within these companies developing semiconductor, electrical test and measurement, computer peripheral, software, wireless telecommunication, and solar energy products.

Most recently he was the founder of an early stage start-up utilizing ink jet printing to improve the price/performance ratio of solar cell manufacturing. He recently had the opportunity to be the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and worked toward launching a company utilizing printing technology for the fabrication of electronics. Previously he joined Idealab as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and was the Founder and President of MeshTel, an Idealab company, focused on developing wireless mesh networking for consumer and commercial voice communication applications.

While working for 3D Systems, the Rapid Prototyping industry pioneer, he developed a new product category by introducing the first 3D Printer along with the company’s subsequent 3D Printer products including the InVision Si2 3D Printer which received CADENCE magazine’s 2002 “Editors’ Choice Award”. These category defining products helped to establish the 3D Printer market segment that today generates in excess of $150M in revenue and is growing more than 50% annually.

Clark is the holder of 21 U.S. patents and co-inventor of a novel color printing technology. He managed the development of several award-winning products utilizing this technology including the first color office printer under $5000, which received PC Magazine’s “Innovation of the Year Award” in 1995. Acquired by Xerox in 2000, this technology is currently incorporated into the Phaser 8650 the leading “laser-class” color printer offering from Xerox generating in excess of $500M in annual revenues.

Clark draws upon his technology and early stage market development, team and company building experience to foster the development of next generation technologies and to mentor the people that conceive and develop them. Clark holds an MBA from University of Southern California, a graduate engineering degree from Washington State University along with an undergraduate engineering degree from the University of Idaho. He also completed the 31st Annual Venture Capital Institute (VCI).

Bill Crookston combines a career in sales, sales management and entrepreneurship with teaching, consulting and coaching emergent companies. His interest is in social entrepreneurship and serves on various NFP boards.