Laura Christianson and Jim Rubart / He Blogs, She BLogs

This dynamic duo has turned their passion for writing into a leading-edge business that helps companies and individuals maximize their blogging, marketing, and writing skills. With a combined 50+ years of experience in broadcast and print journalism, teaching, marketing, advertising, PR, and book authoring, Jim and Laura serve up a plateful of practical, entertaining, effective tips for entrepreneurs.

They’re married (not to each other) and delight in parenting two teenage sons apiece. Jim’s an avid photographer, guitarist, golfer, and semi-pro magician, while Laura enjoys swimming, rollerblading, photography, and camping. They both live in the Seattle area. Visit them at HeBlogsSheBlogs.com.

Tracy Corley / TsuluWerks

Change agent, serial entrepreneur, speaker, and writer Tracy Corley has a knack for doing what has not been done before. Her writing, coaching, and consulting services make it possible for small businesses to increase cash flow, enhance competitiveness, and improve efficiencies. Contact Tracy and sign up to receive blog updates and her newsletter through her website, tsuluwerks.com.

Hazel Grace Dircksen / Socialbees

A consultant and entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley, Hazel Grace Dircksen has helped numerous companies leverage social networking tools to expand visibility and reach new audiences. Her most recent compan, Socialbees, specializes in crafting optimized Facebook business pages and ads that drive engagement from the right audience for your business--never trash traffic.

As an early adopter, product expert, and industry insider, Hazel Grace has organically gravitated toward social networking sites, from Friendster to Facebook and everything in between. Her technical savvy, forward thinking, and personal connections to numerous social networking companies allows her to immediately cut through the clutter to see the true potential in a particular product and, ultimately, the business value for her clients. When she's not working on a project for one of her many clients, you can find Hazel Grace on MySpace (member at the 500,000 mark), Yelp (Elite member for the past four years), Facebook (first GEO network user-ask about her top secret Facebook account!), Savor the Success (where she heads the Social Networking Expert Cafe) and Twitter... just to name a few.

Lara Eve Feltin / Co-Founder of Biznik

Lara Eve Feltin spent the first half of her career life as a freelance designer and photographer. As Studio LEAF, she specialized in photographic portraiture on film. In 2005, frustrated with the networking options available for "indie" business people, Lara and her husband, Dan McComb, co-founded Biznik (www.biznik.com) with the simple premise: business networking shouldn't suck. Today Biznik is an award-winning community that connects more than 22,000 forward-thinking business people in 120 countries. Members connect using Biznik's social network and strengthen relationships at more than 100 member-hosted events every month. In October 2008, Lara was named one of Seattle's top 25 most innovative entrepreneurs by Seattle Business Monthly, and included in Seattle Magazine's 2008 Power Players list of most influential people. "Biznik is not just a tool, and it is not a place to sell. It's a community of people who share one thing in common: they're passionate about what they do and their businesses are an extension of their self expression."

Michael Flynn / Compendium

Compendium is a 20-employee company that has seen amazing growth in recent years, doubling in sale volume since 2005 and growing nearly 40 percent last year in spite of a slowing economy. Compendium is a Seattle-based company that designs and distributes inspiring gifts, stationery, journals and desk accessories that are sold in more than 3,500 specialty retail locations across the United States. Gited at the art of combining the best of contemporary design with writing and quotations that powerfully touch the heart and uplift the soul, the company's ever-growing catalog of one-of-a-kind products each deliver a message that makes a lasting impact on the recipient and reinforce the company's motto, "live inspired." As a result, Compendium over its 20-plus years in business has earned a loyal following among a broad base of consumers and business leaders alike.

Gary Greenberg / Fisher Radio Seattle

Gary is a self-proclaimed radio junkie and onetime DJ wannabe. Upon graduating from the University of Washington, Gary discovered the world of radio sales and has been there ever since. For the past 25 years, Gary has worked in Seattle for Golden West Broadcasters and then Fisher Communications. He is currently the National Sales Manager of Fisher's STAR 101.5 (KPLZ), KOMO 1000 Newsradio, 570 KVI and Classical KING-FM.

Michael Kim / Grapevyn

Michael Kim is the CEO and founder of a new word-of-mouth referral platform called Grapevyn. Grapevyn helps you find and share personal referrals among your most trusted "real" friends and enables businesses to foster viral, peer-to-peer word-of-mouth referral networks. CRAVE and Grapevyn will be introducing an exciting new initiative available by invitation only to select members of SHOP Symposium. Come hear what CRAVE and Grapevyn are up to!

Prior to Grapevyn, Michael was Director of New Consumer Products at Microsoft's intrapreneurial consumer venture incubator which generated over $100 million in new consumer software and services investments. While at Microsoft, he helped launch several new interactive platforms including Surface (a revolutionary multi-touch and sensing computing platform), XBox Live Video Marketplace (now the #2 social network of HD video, TV, and feature film content reaching over 17 million users), MSN Mobile, bCentral, and others. Michael also designed and led Microsoft's innovation management and product planning councils and has been a guest lecturer at the Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Prior to Microsoft, Michael advised Fortune 100 companies such as AT&T, Motorola, and Sony on new technology ventures. He holds a MPP degree from Harvard University with joint studies at Harvard Business School and a BA degree from Yale University. He is a recipient of the CORO Foundation and International Radio and Television Society Fellowships.

Danielle LaPorte / White Hot Truth

Danielle LaPorte is the founder of White Hot Truth, the lead author of the bestseller, Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design, and the co-founder of Carrie and Danielle. A former think tank exec, she helps social entrepreneurs rock their careers and creativity with her signature Fire Starter Sessions. Danielle has been featured in Elle, The Huffington Post, Vogue Australia, The National Post and Domino. You can reach her at d [at] daniellelaporte.com

Amy Martinez and Melissa Allison / The Seattle Times

Amy Martinez and Melissa Allison write about retailing for The Seattle Times, including a column every Friday that features news about a local small business. Melissa was thrilled when her editors suggested she move from the banking beat to food and coffee. Having covered banking for The Charlotte Observer and an airline bankruptcy for The Chicago Tribune, she finds nothing as exciting as writing about Starbucks, Jones Soda, wineries, breweries, chocolatiers and other local food businesses. Amy jumped at the chance to write about Nordstrom and other local retailers when the beat became available in fall 2007. She moved out here from Miami the previous fall and spent a year covering Seattle's commercial real-estate market when it was still going gangbusters. As interesting as that was, writing about shopping seemed like an opportunity too fun to pass up. She's also covered the Miami cruise-ship industry, North Carolina's changing economy, and workplace issues during 10-plus years as a newspaper reporter.

Cal McAllister / principle, creative director Wexley School for Girls

Cal is a proud Detroit native who cut teeth as a beat writer for the Chicago Tribune. After getting in a lot of trouble for making things up, he switched to advertising. Before co-founding Wexley School for Girls in 2003, he worked on regional, national and international business at small shops like WONGDOODY and global agencies like Foote, Cone and Belding and Publicis Worldwide. Cal’s worked in every major consumer and trade category on brands like Nike, ESPN, Microsoft, Xbox, T-Mobile, MADD, Coca Cola, The Red Cross, RealNetworks, Amstel Light and NASCAR, to name a few. His work has been recognized by most every international advertising award show, including Cannes, the Clios, Communication Arts, New York Art Director’s Club and the One Show. As a screenwriter, his films were selected and screened at the Seattle International Film Festival, Slamdance, the Chicago Short Film Festival, Atom Films and the RESFest International Film Festival, among others. In 2007, he was named one of the Northwest’s Top 40 Under 40, a list of promising young business leaders by the Puget Sound Business Journal. In 2008 he was named one of Seattle’s 25 most influential people by Seattle Magazine.

Dan McComb / Co Founder Biznik

Dan McComb is a former photojournalist whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines such as Time and Newsweek. After working for 5 years as a freelance web developer, in 2005 he and Lara Eve Feltin co-founded Biznik (www.biznik.com), with a simple premise: business networking shouldn’t suck. Today Biznik is an award-winning community that connects more than 22,000 forward-thinking business people in 120 countries. Members connect using Biznik's social network and strengthen relationships at more than 100 member-hosted events every month. In October 2008, Dan was named one of Seattle's top 25 most innovative entrepreneurs by Seattle Business Monthly, and included in Seattle Magazine's 2008 Power Players list of most influential people. He is approaching his goal of completely forgetting what it's like to be a corporate drone, and is on a mission to connect great minds with interesting work.

Kelli McCusker / Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, LLC

Kelli McCusker joined Gene Juarez Salons & Spas as the Vice President of Marketing in October, 2008. Prior to this, Kelli spent sixteen years at PepsiCo in a variety of marketing positions across the United States and Europe where she helped build and lead a handful of Pepsi’s marquis brands including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7Up, Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino and IZZE Sparkling Juice. Kelli has extensive experience and achieved success across the broad marketing discipline including brand planning, advertising and promotion, new product development and launch, consumer insights, grassroots/viral, digital, and customer-focused marketing. She received a BA in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts and an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University in New York City. Kelli grew up in New York and has lived in Seattle three times since 1999 interrupted by stints in London, England and Boulder, CO.

JJ McKay / JJ McKay & CO

JJ McKay’s experience in building strong organizations and business models reflects his desire to create stronger communities as a whole. With proven success in both non-profit and for-profit sectors, he continues to maximize his global connections and negotiation skills to create win/win results for his clients. McKay has and continues to build nationally recognized organizations. As a natural leader, he works to establish benchmarks in brand recognition, fundraising, and organizational process. His many accomplishments include spearheading the single largest fundraising walk in the United States, developing national partnerships for material and informational distribution, managing appearances on national television, including the Oprah show, and playing key roles in establishing broad based internal and external campaigns. McKay’s media experience, including work on television, has brought positive attention to organizations and causes close to him. With a range of experience that encompasses local and national politics and policy making, the life sciences industry, branding and information distribution, JJ McKay and Company focuses on business growth strategies, community positioning and pipeline development. Regional Puget Sound media have called McKay the “Perle Mesta” of Seattle, as he is known for his frequent and wide scale personal entertaining in Seattle, New York and other cities with dinners, cocktail parties and dinner dances. McKay has also been named a fashion leader in the Northwest. McKay is very active in the philanthropic arena, currently serving as a trustee for Seattle Opera, Pilchuck Glass School, and numerous other boards and committees. 

Jessie Oleson / Cakespy

Jessie Oleson is the founder and Head Spy at CakeSpy.com, a dessert detective agency
dedicated to seeking sweetness in everyday life. The site features great recipes and products for the lover of baked goods, as well as the sweetest cupcake and pastry-themed artwork around. She also runs the retail and wholesale division of the company, which consists
of a product line of cake-themed artwork and gift items, which can be found at cakespyshop.com.

Britt Olson / DailyCandy

Britt Olson is the Seattle Editor of DailyCandy, Inc, and as such a seeker of unique, new things in the city. Prior to this position, Britt was a freelance writer for numerous online and print publications, a copywriter for Nordstrom, Inc., and an enthusiast of ancient languages.

Peter Richards / Proof Of Brand

While it is important for companies to offer compelling reasons to trade with them, it is imperative that they create deeper emotional bonds with their customers. The reasons are simple. Strong relationships make the cash register ring, fend off competition, and are resistant to the vagaries of the marketplace. Proof Of Brand’s reason for being is to help companies build connections with their customers that lead to deeper emotional acceptance for their offers. All toward building strong, enduring and profitable relationships. Peter Richards over the last 25 years have brought his strategic thinking to some of the area’s most recognized brands, including Boeing,Weyerhaeuser, Safeco,Westin Hotels Worldwide, Chateau Ste. Michelle, SupremeCorq, Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, Gargoyles Performance Eyewear, SupremeCorq, Nike (i.e. shoe line), Dream Dinners and more.

Lynn Baldwin-Rhoades / Marketing Shebang

Lynn Baldwin- Rhoades is a copywriter and consultant who helps women-owned businesses grow more profitable. Educated as a journalist, Lynn discovered a love for marketing early on as she forged a career writing for corporations in the retail and publishing industries. Beginning in 2004, she wrote exclusively for Nordstrom to create print and online content, honing her skills in connecting with customers, branding strategies and maximizing profits. She resigned from Nordstrom in 2008, leaping from her safe corporate-world job to the risky, remarkable life of business ownership. Now Lynn merges her 15+ years' experience with her passion for helping women entrepreneurs grow strong, sturdy companies. Clients depend on her to write effective website content, e-newsletter campaigns and print marketing pieces as well as consult on marketing strategies, blogging, social networking and more. Lynn thrives on the energy and inspiration she finds in her smart, savvy clients. When not working with them, she spends time with her family, cruises on her motorcycle, travels as much as possible and, now and then, sleeps. Check out Lynn's blog here.

Jane Park / Founder & CEO Julep

Jane is an enthusiastic organizer of gatherings. She brings this passion to Julep, along with her business leadership experience from working at Starbucks Coffee Company and The Boston Consulting Group. A long time ago (and briefly), Jane was a lawyer. Even longer ago, she graduated from The Yale Law School and Princeton University. Jane is married and has two children, two sisters, and many friends she wishes she could see more often.

Lindsay Perkin Wassell / SEOmoz

Lindsay began her Internet Marketing and SEO career in 2001 with Robeez Footwear Ltd where she transformed a mediocre web property into a high performing global ecommerce operation. Despite widespread apprehension, it turns out that the market was ready to buy baby shoes online not only in North America but in Europe and Australasia. Sales soared 900% in 18 months.

After a year of backpacking and odd jobs in Australia and Asia, Lindsay returned to Canada where she rejoined the Internet Marketing space with Hcareers (onTargetjobs), a job board company with multiple web properties. The job eventually brought her to Denver, Colorado where she assumed the role of Director, Search Marketing & Analytics. Lindsay gleefully joined SEOmoz in January 2009, where she now manages the SEO Consulting team, helping companies from the Fortune 500s to niche players succeed on the web.

Jacqueline Voci / Partner, Soya Marketing

Jacqueline is co-founder of Soya Marketing (aka Sit on Your Ass Marketing), a new kind of PR agency that empowers businesses to use Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to get their stories to the market. Soya has been featured in Business in Vancouver and the Vancouver Province. Jacqueline has applied her web storytelling skills to help Blast Radius market to Fortune 500 executives and to help The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education promote an education revolution. Prior to Soya, Jacqueline was a marketing director at Intrawest, a communications director at Pivotal (during the height of the dotcom boom), and a PR consultant at National PR.