Dos and Don'ts of Starting and Scaling a Business
Kickstart 2025 with Expert Insights on Small Business Success!
Join us on Wednesday, January 16th, 2025, at 12 PM PST for an insightful session featuring accomplished professionals sharing critical strategies and actionable advice to help you start and scale your business.
Meet our incredible lineup of panelists, who bring expertise from legal, marketing, HR, AI, and entrepreneurial perspectives:
-Erica Gonzales, MBA – Director of Human Resources & Administrative Operations at Maryvale (Moderator)
-Kati Nelson – Chief of Staff, Head of Strategy, Evoker Inc. (Scaling and Growth)
-Lisa Temple – Founder; Managing Member of Temple Law PLLC (Legal Aspects of Formation and Growth)
-Deering Volkmann Viola, P.E., QSD – Co-Founder / CEO / President, Legacy CivilWorks (Entrepreneurial Insights)
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and set your business up for success in the new year!
A complimentary event, open to all.
Meet the Panelists
Kati Nelson
Chief of Staff, Head of Strategy, Evoker Inc.
A seasoned sports marketing executive with 15+ years driving global strategies, Kati Nelson brings a wealth of experience from industry giants like ESPN, Spalding, and the Chicago Bulls. Currently serving as Chief of Staff at Evoker AI, Kati is the driving force behind day-to-day operations, strategic planning, and investor relations. Her educational background includes a BS in International Business from the University of Nevada, an MS in Integrated Marketing from Northwestern University, and a certificate in Behavioral Economics from Chicago Booth.
Lisa Temple
Founder; Managing Member of Temple Law PLLC
Lisa Temple is an out-of-the-box, results-driven attorney who specializes in crafting innovative and creative legal solutions for commercial transactions, including SaaS and technology licensing, as well as corporate law. She provides top-tier legal counsel to clients ranging from start-ups to multinational companies, delivering high-quality service without the big-law price tag.
Lisa’s expertise includes supporting overburdened legal teams, addressing budget constraints, and delivering practical, impactful results. With a strong background in commercial transactions, contract negotiation, and corporate governance from her experience at Axiom and IBM, she excels in drafting and negotiating diverse business contracts, including SaaS agreements, technology licensing, strategic alliances, and data privacy provisions.
Known for her social and enthusiastic approach, Lisa brings energy and positivity to every client interaction. At Axiom, she advised Oscar Insurance on key transactions and crafted critical agreements at American Express. At IBM, Lisa served as the go-to attorney for a site with 6,000 employees, managing everything from HR matters to complex commercial contracts.
Deering Volkmann Viola, P.E., QSD
Co-Founder / CEO / President at Legacy CivilWorks
Deering Volkmann Viola, P.E., QSD, is the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Legacy CivilWorks. With over 20 years of civil engineering and management experience, she has led industry-recognized land development projects across Southern California and Nevada. As the Civil Engineer of Record for the SoFi Stadium and Entertainment District in Inglewood, California, Deering led a team to deliver one of the most iconic projects in recent history.
Deering has managed large-scale teams of 60+ professionals, overseeing diverse projects including master-planned communities like Tejon Mountain Village, as well as infill developments, single-family residences, mixed-use developments, entertainment centers, educational facilities, and industrial projects. Her design work is known for its innovative and cost-effective solutions to stormwater drainage and treatment, often on challenging project sites. Deering has served as a trusted consultant to landowners, community developers, agencies, and homebuilders, providing expertise in site acquisition feasibility analysis, entitlement procurement, and managing engineering and sub-consultant services from feasibility to construction completion.
A sought-after speaker, Deering has delivered technical presentations for organizations such as the American Society of Plumbing Engineers Los Angeles, the City of Santa Clarita, and the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing. Topics have ranged from stormwater sustainability and low-impact development (LID) to cost-effective implementation of sustainable infrastructure. Her insights, drawn from her experience on projects like SoFi Stadium, have made her a respected voice in the field of civil engineering and sustainable development.
Meet the Moderator
Erica Gonzales
MBA Director of Human Resources & Administrative Operations at Maryvale
Erica Gonzales began her dedication to Maryvale’s Mission over 15 years ago in 2007. She has served in a variety of roles including Administrative Clerk, Administrative Assistant, Housekeeping Supervisor, Operations Manager, Director of Administrative Operations and most recently as our Director of Human Resources and Administrative Operations.
Erica is passionate about ensuring Maryvale is a choice employer and strives to support our Associates by creating a Mission and Core Value-centered work environment. Aside from the day-to-day responsibilities she manages at Maryvale, she is most proud to serve the Daughters of Charity as Co-Chair on the Mission Integration Team. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Azusa Pacific University. Erica and her husband are blessed with two young girls.
***Check your calendars and join us! All event fees are non-refundable.***
New to C-Sweet?
Are you a female executive at the Board, C-Suite, Director, or Vice President level in a Fortune 1000, middle market, or fast-growth company? C-Sweet is perfect for you.
C-Sweet is a dynamic global community of female executives dedicated to working with each other, as well as uplifting and empowering women in the workplace. Our mission is to create an environment fostering innovation, collaboration, and professional development for women in leadership positions.
Join us today and be part of a powerful movement redefining what it means to be a woman in business.
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