C-Sweet Announces launch of Midwest Chapter in Chicago

October 7^th event on Business Transformation and Empowering your Workforce

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–C-Sweet, a rapidly growing national organization with a mission to foster executive level relationships for women across sectors in business and industry, today announced the launch of their Midwest Chapter in Chicago with an engaging in-person event — Business Transformation and Empowering your Workforce — set for Thursday, October 7th, 2021, at 6 PM CDT at The Metropolitan City Club, Chicago. This event will feature Robin Gareiss, CEO and Principal Analyst at Metrigy Corp; Vita Merlotti, Vita Merlotti, President and Chief Transformation Officer, Avalon LLC; and Beth Hilbing, Co-CEO of C-Sweet and Senior Program Manager and Principal IT Business Partner at Boeing.

C-Sweet has also announced the next up-coming event in Los Angeles — C-Sweet Networking Night in LA — set for Thursday, September 30^th, at 6PM PDT at The Los Angeles City Club. This event will feature an opportunity to take updated headshots, as well as a DEIB exercise and discussion lead by Otesha (OT) Mosley-Bremond, Director of Community Partnerships and Wine Experiences, Teneral Cellars.

“We are thrilled to not only host in-person events once again, but to hold our first Chicago event on such an important topic as empowering women in the workforce,” said Beth Hilbing, Sr. Program Manager and Principal IT Business Partner at Boeing, as well as Co-CEO of C-Sweet. “Creating a space for women by women in different parts of the country is a goal we are excited to achieve.”

“Presenting our first event in the Chicago area is the starting point to reaching global chapters and initiatives,” said Dianne Gubin, President of Amplify Professional Services Inc., an executive search and IT consulting firm, and Co-CEO of C-Sweet. “As we slowly re-introduce in-person events, it is important for us to engage with women across the U.S. and globally.”

About the Speakers – Chicago

Robin Gareiss

Robin Gareiss is CEO and Principal Analyst at Metrigy, where she oversees research product development, conducts primary research, and advises leading enterprises, vendors, and carriers.

Gareiss has advised hundreds of senior IT executives, ranging in size from Fortune 100 to Fortune 1000, developing technology strategies and analyzing how they can transform their businesses. Over the past 25 years Gareiss has developed industry-leading, interactive cost models for some of the world’s largest enterprises and vendors.

Gareiss leads Metrigy’s Digital Transformation and Digital Customer Experience research. Gareiss also is a widely recognized expert in the communications field, with specialty areas of contact center, AI-enabled customer engagement, customer success analytics, and UCC. Gareiss is a highly sought speaker for conferences and trade shows, presenting at events including Enterprise Connect, ICMI, IDG’s FutureIT, Interop, Mobile Business Expo, and CeBit. Gareiss currently writes a blog for No Jitter.

Additional entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding and overseeing marketing and business development for The OnBoard Group, a water-purification and general contracting business in Illinois. Gareiss served as president and treasurer of Living Hope Lutheran Church, led youth mission trips, and ran successful fundraisers for children’s cancer research. Gareiss serves on the University of Illinois College of Media Advisory Council, as well.

Before starting Metrigy, Gareiss was President and Co-Founder of Nemertes Research. Prior to that, Gareiss shaped technology and business coverage as Senior News Editor of InformationWeek, a leading business-technology publication. Gareiss has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois.

Vita Merlotti

Vita Merlotti brings 30+ years’ experience in the advertising, marketing, media & technology industry to her role with Avalon LLC. Merlotti is a ‘go-to-executive’ for a number of CEOs, CFOs and COOs to ensure the viability and ongoing health of their organizations. Merlotti is an executive advisor with a proven track record across the full spectrum of business, operations & technology transformation solutions, with significant experience in growth and distressed situations. Merlotti is also a Certified Advisory Board Chair, having recently completed her certification with the Advisory Board Centre.

Prior to creating Avalon LLC, Merlotti was the Director of Business Transformation for The Interpublic Group of Companies, a $7.0+billion marketing, media, entertainment and communication multi-national. Merlotti has delivered measurable results as an employee, and as a consultant, across a diverse set of responsibilities – Director of Business Transformation, Global CIO, Director of Operations, Chief of Staff, Program and Account Director.

Merlotti is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Wayne State University with additional discipline studies at Northwood Institute. Merlotti, the Midwest Co-Chair for C-Sweet, is a member of the Michigan Women’s Foundation, The Power of 100 Women, on the board of Cook For YOUR Life, and a Certified Facilitator for the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac Tech Venture series.

Beyond Merlottis’ individual mentorship and advisory work, the Avalon LLC team is committed to the health, growth and sustainability of the communities that they live and work in. As part of their efforts to support growth, a vibrant future and long-range success, the team proudly supports advisory, coaching and mentor services for a variety of community and entrepreneurial organizations, including the Michigan Women’s Foundation and the University of Michigan Entrepreneurial Panel.

Moderator – Chicago

Beth Hilbing

Beth Hilbing, Co-CEO of C-Sweet, is a versatile, experienced, successful executive with extensive experience in managing infrastructure and global client services for the entertainment, insurance, aerospace, and banking industries.

In Hilbings’ most recent role at Boeing Corporation as Sr. Program Manager and Principal IT Business Partner. Hilbing focuses on innovative technologies in Engineering, Manufacturing and Supplier Management, and Data Analytics. Delivering agile, cost-competitive solutions, so customers can reduce costs, drive efficiency and optimize operations. Manage IT costs and budgets and IT spend in excess of $85M. Hilbing also remains a Senior Consultant with Strategic Alliance Consulting Division working with client offerings and key engagements.

Prior to that, Hilbing was director of Global Collaboration Services at Northrop Grumman Corporation (NG), focused on engineering and operations to support collaboration technology spanning domestic and international operations for NG. Prior experience includes managing teams up to 500 in size, budget responsibility of $120 million+, Project/Product Management, Mergers and Acquisitions, Vendor Management, Cloud, Mobile, Cyber Security, Global Client Service Structure and Support, Application Support, and Financial management.

As a former Vice President for Northrop Grumman Federal Credit Union, Hilbing was responsible for all design and implementation for Information Technology Systems and Program Solutions, including Enterprise Resource Planning programs, Internet security, and disaster recovery.

With a strong ability to clearly articulate how complex technologies improve business operations, Hilbing is a highly sought-after speaker at executive forums and technical conferences. Hilbings’ topics include organizational key strategy and leadership, collaboration technology, unified communications, cloud-based services, and mobility.

Hilbing’s education includes a Master’s in Business Administration from California State University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Webster University. Additionally, Hilbing is a certified Project Management Principal, Six Sigma Black Belt, and has earned technical, leadership certifications.

About the Speakers – Los Angeles

OT Bremond, Director of Community Partnerships and Wine Experiences, Teneral Cellars

Otesha (OT) Mosley-Bremond, South Los Angeles native, community advocate and educator believes her passion and responsibility to the world is to create spaces for growth and transformation. Bremond has served the South Los Angeles community for more than 10 years, providing culturally adept programming and events that encourage inclusivity, community awareness, and community building. Bremond believes creating cultures of engagement and belonging are the foundation of community building, which fuels the development of trust- based relationships and transformational change.

Bremond holds a BA in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University; a master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University; and a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at both LinkedIn and Cornell University’s eCornell program.

C-Sweet corporate sponsors for these events include:

Converge Technology Solutions, a North American Software-enabled, Hybrid IT solution provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions and services. Visit https://convergetp.com/

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the firm represents sophisticated clients — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

Woodruff Sawyer- Woodruff Sawyer is one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US with global expertise. Visit https://woodruffsawyer.com/

Google- Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software and hardware. It is considered one of the Big Five technology companies in the U.S., alongside Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft.

Registration and Featured Nonprofit

To register for these events, to go https://www.csweet.org/Events and sign up.

Tickets to the C-Sweet in Chicago: Midwest Chapter Launch event is free to members and guests. Go to: https://www.csweet.org/event-4459603/Registration

Tickets to the C-Sweet Networking Night in LA event are free to members and $75 for non-members/guests. Go to: https://www.csweet.org/event-4465983/Registration

The webinar’s featured nonprofit: RedRover staff and volunteers provide temporary emergency sheltering, resources, financial assistance, and emotional support when animals and people are in crisis. RedRover empowers educators to help kids develop empathy and awareness of animals’ well-being and increase awareness about the importance of the human-animal bond. RedRover

About C-Sweet

C-Sweet creates opportunities for women across sectors for business development, brand acceleration, partnerships and expanded career paths through curated receptions and digital engagement. This includes female CEO, CFO, COO, CIO / CTO, CMO, President, Vice President and Director level attendees, as well as Founders across industries. Finance executives include women in Venture Capital, Private Equity, Institutional Investment, Family Offices, Hedge Funds, Angels and more.

C-Sweet™ fosters executive level professional networks of female colleagues in leadership positions to promote innovation and create new opportunities for trusted and confidential exchange and business / career development as members connect with others to freely brainstorm and discuss challenges facing business and individual projects.

Emerging leaders are supported by Women who support Women on their way to the top and extend a hand to those that follow through the creation of learning and networking opportunities that lead to professional growth and personal advancement.

The organization consistently offers exclusive educational networking events, panels, keynotes and mastermind programs. To sign up for the mailing list and attend future events, send an email to: CSweetExecs@gmail.com. To join C-Sweet, or become a sponsor, go to www.csweet.org.

Contacts

Media@Csweet.org
D. Chmielewski

949-231-2965

Sydney Drayton

Sydney@madisonalexanderpr.com
978-210-7500