Featured Speaker(s)

Deborah Kainer, CPA, is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Houston, Central Campus, having received a BBA in Accounting in 1983. After sharpening her pencils at a Big 8 and another national accounting firm, Deborah embarked on the entrepreneurial accountant's journey. Eleven years ago, she started Kainer & Company, P.C., and hasn't looked back since.

Janice Dorr's unique cross-functional background allows her to meld creativity with functional design to create new initiatives, building collaborative support from the business community for ideas that were once considered the domain of community based organizations.

Currently, as Director of Educational Services for the Houston Technology Center, Janice leads TECbridge, a collaboration among Houston’s business, non-profit and educational communities created to accelerate the employability of Houston’s inner city un-and under-employed workers. Ms. Dorr also works closely with HTC’s initiatives to build bridges among the many diverse business communities, with non-profit organizations focusing on bridging the digital divide, and with foundations supporting the growth of human capital.

Cindy Boyd is an experienced technology executive whose dynamic leadership style and passion for business has catapulted her to success in every endeavor she has undertaken. She is recognized for creating experienced, high performance technology teams that provide solutions where “it’s never been done before” and solving customer problems where others have failed. Her commitment to excellent client service has enabled her companies to grow quickly and profitably, with two of them appearing on the Inc. 500 fastest growth list.

In 2001, Cindy co-founded Sentigy, Inc. to bring standardized systems and measurement tools to consulting in the technology and recruiting markets. Cindy’s vision was to start a firm that would be founded on the basics of “good business” �" a values-based organization that was a great place to work and also a great company with which to do business. She has achieved her mission. Opening its doors during the country’s worst recession in decades, under Cindy’s leadership Sentigy became profitable in its fourth month and has had quarter over quarter profitability since then, serving clients in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Rochelle Seade is an Attourney with Haynes Boone. Her practice primarily involves transactional counseling and the representation of business entities in all aspects of federal, state, local and international taxation, with significant emphasis on federal income tax planning.Ms. Seade has represented clients in the following:

Advising clients on corporate, partnership, international and state and local tax matters. Advising clients on the formation and operations of tax-exempt organizations. Advising clients on entity formation, including choice of entity issues. Assisting clients with reorganizations and asset acquisitions and dispositions.

Lynda Hale joined the Sterling Bank team in 1999 and serves as vice president, Cypress Station Office in Houston. A graduate of Texas A&M, Lynda holds a bachelor’s degree in finance. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in business administration at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

Before joining Sterling, Lynda served as vice president in the Professional and Executive Lending group for Bank of America in Houston. While at Bank of America, Lynda worked to develop strong customer relationships. At Sterling Bank, Lynda continues making customers her number one priority, striving to develop strong, long-term relationships. She serves on the Executive Committee for Sterling Bank's Women's Business Initiative, which develops programs focused on the growth and development of women business owners.