In today's newsletter:

• Winning Strategies: How to Lead Through Constant Change
• 7 Networking Truths Every Business Leader Should Know
• WBENC Extends Early Bird Pricing Until May 8
• Dawn Staley to Speak at WBENC Annual Conference
• WBEC FL Discount for WPO Conference in Hollywood, FL
• Ready to Do Business in Latin America? Try This First

Join Our May Winning Strategies Session

with WBEC FL WBE Lisa Rigoli

Readiness Before Reaction:

Leading Through Change Without Breaking Trust

Guest: Lisa Rigoli, Element of Change

Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Time: Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Price: Free for members and nonmembers

Location: Zoom

In today’s environment, leaders are expected to move fast, through AI adoption, restructures, and constant change, often without time to pause.

This session explores why resilience breaks down when organizations react faster than people can process, and how leaders can create the clarity, shared expectations, and human space needed to navigate change without eroding trust.

Participants will walk away with a simple, repeatable framework for leading change in a way that stabilizes people and sustains performance.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Lisa Rigoli is the CEO of Element of Change, the leadership transition firm organizations turn to when the stakes are highest — restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, right-sizing, AI adoption, and C-suite succession.

Before founding EOC, Lisa spent 15+ years leading workforce transformations inside large organizations. When her own market of 5,000 employees was dissolved, she was asked to lead the transition, personally placing 42 of 50 displaced leaders using a systematic approach most organizations never see. That experience became the foundation of Element of Change.

Register for this webinar today! And bring your HR and operations leaders, too!

Connect. Collaborate. Shift.

Position your business for greater visibility, opportunity, and impact.

Insights from Our Winning Strategies with a WBE Series

7 Networking Truths Every Business Leader Should Know

It's Not About the Quick Win ... It's About Building Relationships

By Jacqueline Whitmore | Founder

The Protocol School of Palm Beach

Most people approach networking like a transaction. They walk into a conference looking for leads, clients, or the next big opportunity. That mindset is exactly why networking feels awkward.

The best networking is never about the quick win. It is about relationships.

Before your next conference, client dinner, or industry event, remember these seven truths:

1. Make friends first. Friendship creates far more opportunity than a forced sales pitch ever will.
2. Think farming, not hunting. Networking is not about chasing immediate results.
3. It is not about you, it is about them. The strongest networkers ask better questions, not deliver better speeches.
4. Help others and you help yourself. The people who give the most often gain the most.
5. Planning precludes poor performance. Walking into a room unprepared creates unnecessary anxiety.
6. Everyone you meet is a potential connection. Do not only focus on the CEO or keynote speaker.
7. The fortune is in the follow-up. Most people leave an event inspired, then do nothing. That is where opportunity is lost.

Networking is not about collecting contacts. It is about cultivating relationships that last.

This is an excerpt from an article by Jacqueline Whitmore, our presenter for Winning Strategies with a WBE in April. Read the entire article in the Resources Section of the WBEC Florida website.

Discount Pricing Available until May 8

WBENC Announces New Keynote: Coach Dawn Staley

If you haven't registered yet for the WBENC Annual Conference June 15-18 in Salt Lake City, now is your chance to save with Early Bird pricing! To sweeten the deal, WBENC has announced a new keynote speaker.

The incomparable Dawn Staley is the head coach of the 3-time championship NCAA women's basketball team the Gamecocks from the University of South Carolina. She is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee and well-known for her enthusiastic coaching style.

Join your WBEC Florida team and sister WBEs at this year's conference!

WPO Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum

Heads to South Florida May 7-9

Through our partnership with WPO, WBEC Florida is able to offer a discount to our members for the Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum. Use the code WBDCFL2026 for $150 off the WPO nonmember rate.

There's still time to register for the Women Presidents Organization annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum. The organization is for owners of businesses that generate $2 million or more in revenue ($1 million for a service business), and you don't have to be a member to attend.

Event: WPO annual conference

Dates: May 7-9, 2026

Location: The Diplomat Beach Resort, 3555 South Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Florida 33019

Cost: See WPO site for pricing

REGIONAL OPPORTUNITY

Event: LATAM Trade Show 2026

This international expo features a chance to meet companies, government buyers, and investors from Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

Host: Central Florida International Trade Organization (CFITO)

Dates: May 6-8, 2026

Locations: Tampa and Orlando



Price: Free; registration required

We’re Here to Make Recertification Easy

Thank You to Our Sponsors

WBEC Florida and WBENC Anti-Discrimination Policy

As a community of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and economic development thought leaders, WBENC and the WBEC Florida Regional Partner Organization are committed to the elimination of discrimination in all areas of business and the provision of equal opportunity when accessing capital, contracts, and contacts. In compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any of our policies, procedures, or practices. This anti-discrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment, in all programs and activities.