Connecting Women Entrepreneurs & CEOs to Encourage, Empathize & Inspire

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Dr. Melanie Hicks is the Founder and CEO of the InPursuit Research Institute, a 501c3 focused on offering research and face to face consulting in three strategic areas: Organizational Development, Business Training and Literary Services. For nearly two decades Dr. Hicks has been helping non-profit and small business start-ups with strategic planning, grants, ghost writing, advocacy volunteer training and collaboration. Using that experience, Melanie is now actively engages in connecting women entrepreneurs and CEOs to encourage, empathize and inspire them for success.

Dr. Hicks began her career in local and state government policy advocacy more than 15 years ago working on behalf of clients before the Miami-Dade County Commission and eventually moving to Tallahassee to become the first Aide to Mayor John Marks. While in Tallahassee she served as a special projects coordinator with the State Legislatures’ Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability and as an adjunct professor of Public Administration for Florida State University and Barry University. Among her published works is a chapter in Moc Ideja, a grassroots policy manual written for policymakers in Bosnia and funded by the US Department of State. She also has numerous works on psychological contract theory.

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Upon leaving the Mayor’s office, Dr. Hicks served as the Director of Research for the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, and concurrently as the Managing Director of the Florida Independent College Fund, a 501c3 foundation. While at ICUF/FICF she implemented a four‐prong system for federal and state grant funding applications resulting in enhanced collaborative partnerships and led ICUF’s governmental affairs research for advocacy in Tallahassee and Washington, DC.

In 2011, Dr. Hicks accepted an invitation to become the first Assistant Provost & Director of Sponsored Programs for the University of Tampa where she created UT’s first Office of Sponsored Programs, served as the committee chair for Sustainability and Community Outreach committees, project manager for campus wide faculty initiatives and assisted with the development and mentoring efforts of the UT Lowth Center for Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Hicks is active in the Tampa Bay community, serving on the Program Board of Leadership Tampa Bay and the advancement committees for a host of other non-profit organizations. Recently she founded an organization called Unrefined & Fine, focusing on connecting and encouraging women entrepreneurs and CEOs

Network, learn and mingle with fellow professionals from Manatee & Sarasota counties and the surrounding area all along the Innovation Coast. We feature informative and exciting events with engaging speakers handpicked from the area's best and brightest people, all of which will propel your skills and businesses forward.

You'll learn fresh perspectives and about new innovations in technology, business, education, and more. Mark your calendar and be prepared at each session to learn new tools and tactics and arrive early for business networking opportunities.

Each evening begins with networking, a great time to get to know others in our community of Entrepreneurs and Startups. Snacks and refreshments are sponsored each week. If you would like to sponsor future events, please drop us a note at info@sparkgrowth.net.

Be sure to subscribe to the Station 2 Innovation newsletter which includes our events and other important happenings that you're sure to benefit from.

Important Links:

Newsletter - http://station2innovation.com/contact-us/

Events Info - http://station2innovation.com/events-info/

Email - info@Station2Innovation.com

Phone - 941-877-1599