About Our Afternoon Seminar Speakers

Intermittently referred to as the “Guru of Laughter,” and “The Chubby Broad from Brooklyn. Joyce helps people lighten up wherever she goes!

Joyce is a professor of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT  she chose to receive her doctoral degree from Columbia, because she loved the color of their doctoral gown.  It was no small feat that she was able to persuade her mentor to allow her to write her dissertation on “Humor in Adult Learning.”  She also holds four graduate degrees in the fields of Special Education and Counseling.  Joyce’s innovative teaching style has led to the development of a graduate course entitled. “The Enhancement of Learning Through Humor,” as well as a summer institute called, “Healing, Education Laughter and Play (HELP). 

In her previous life, her spirit of adventure led her to appear as a stand-up comedienne for dozens of organizations and clubs, including Dangerfield’s and Good Times in New York City. 

Michelle Porchia is a leading authority in communication and conflict resolution and provides innovative solutions to life’s challenges. Ms. Porchia is a dynamic, interactive, down-to-earth coach, trainer and speaker who taps into the inner strengths of each individual.   She provides practical tools necessary to take you from a blueprint for success to a foundation that will support the development of your personal and professional goals and objectives.

Michelle practices what she teaches. She is the founder of the annual Innergize Day, a day dedicated to taking time for YOU - starting with one day a year. She believes people, especially women need to break the paradigm of doing it all and taking care of others before meeting their own needs. She is the author of "Innergize Day: The Importance of Taking Time for Yourself" and co-author of "Getting Things Done: Successful Women Speak".  Michelle has been conducting seminars and workshops and working with people both in the public and private sector for over 20 years. For 11 years she was the Corporate Training Manager at HBO.

In addition to working in the corporate arena, she also works extensively with solo-preneurs, entrepreneurs, women and youth.   She is a representative with My Life Compass, helping women to receive affordable coaching. 

For over 20 years, Rahna Barthelmess has passionately built some of the world’s beloved brands and shared her expertise and branding programs with over 2000 people in a variety of industries.

From her work in a top NYC advertising agency to the international conference rooms of a leading toy company, she has turned branding into business for a variety of leading brands, most notably LEGO®, Toys, Miracle-Gro® Plant Food, and Texaco® Gasolines.

As Chief Marketing Strategist and President of Beacon Marketing Group, Rahna understands how to translate classic marketing ideas into practical “how-to’s” that audiences can immediatley

apply to their own business lives. Rahna pulls from real-life experiences—lessons learned from some of the marketing greats over the past two decades. During these sessions, audiences will discover that marketing is fun; her conversational style and her infectious enthusiasm for branding inspires audiences to action.

Fran is the Founder, President & CEO of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), the leader of entrepreneurial training for women in Connecticut for nearly 13 years.  A devoted catalyst for women seeking economic self-reliance through small business ownership, she and the WBDC team have helped create thousands of jobs and taxpayers in Connecticut.  Fran’s entire career has been dedicated to helping women achieve their dreams of economic empowerment for themselves and their families. 

An ardent supporter of equality for women, Fran is a member of the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC), a political advocacy group to the U.S. Congress.  Since 1999 she has served on former Mayor Dannel P. Malloy’s Economic Development Commission in the City of Stamford.  The U.S. Small Business Administration honored her as the Women in Business Advocate of the Year in 2000.  She was also a member of the original steering committee of the Fairfield County Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls. 

Most recently Fran was appointed to the Executive Council of The Business Council for Peace (BPeace) whose mission is to foster world peace in formerly war torn countries by creating jobs through business development.  Fran is a member of the BPeace Rwanda Mission.  She recently returned from Rwanda where she helped to teach women who are survivors of the 1994 genocide how to launch and operate a micro business.

Fran has been a resident of Stamford for twenty years, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.