IPWEC - 2020 Women's Empowerment Summer Summit - Sophia Ruffalo

Putting the pieces together of a new business can be a challenge. You need funding. You need capital. You need a production process. If you’ve been spinning your wheels, join us for a frank conversation on getting it done.

If these questions have been keeping you up at night, this is the event for you: 

• How do I get from start-up to scale-up?
• How much should I ask for and when?
• Do I hve enough operating capital?
• Am I too late to get started?

Outcomes:

• You'll walk away with the knowledge on the above questions.

SPEAKER BIO:

Sophia Ruffolo, Co-Founder and CEO, femmebought  Sophia Ruffolo is the Co-Founder and CEO of femmebought, an online women’s business directory, community, and education hub that’s meaningfully connecting and inspiring women, giving entrepreneurs the tools required to grow their own businesses.   

Femmebought launched in 2018 and already has a digital presence in over three continents and 10 countries, with community hubs in Toronto, Chicago, and Tel Aviv.  Through femmebought, Sophia builds bridges, offering real advice where there are gaps. She prides herself on connecting people with the resources and networks needed to launch and scale businesses.  

An experienced executive, Sophia has worked in a variety of senior roles for a global financial institution, including Chief Compliance Officer of investment firms and trust companies. People love working with Sophia because of her endless energy and drive to help women launch businesses on their own terms.  

Her work as an advocate for women scaling businesses has also included participating as an advisor to a tech start up and a mentor for programs helping entrepreneurs succeed including the Toronto edition of the Tech Stars accelerator collaboration with The Big Push.   

Sophia champions diversity and inclusion, especially for underserved populations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Metropolitan Family Services, a social and legal services organization servicing 80,000 families in the Chicago area and participates on the host committee for the organization’s annual gala, which raises more than $1 million and supports vital services.  

Sophia is also a leader in pro bono legal services. She led the team that provided first-of-its-kind pro bono legal services to Pro Bono Ontario as well as a North American program for asylum seekers to access legal support. Sophia has been invited as a speaker to the at the 6th National Pro Bono Conference in Canada and was interviewed for an article about the topic in the legal journal Lexpert.   

Sophia is also a sought after speaker, participating at events as a panelist, moderator and speaker on topics including funding, angel investing, social media, risk management, regulation, and building and scaling a business.

To Learn More About Sophia, visit: www.femmebought.com