Tawanay is a retired Army veteran and successful entrepreneur who leads SB Management & Marketing, LLC; T’s Coffee & Brews; and Geranium Women’s Ministries. She is passionate about supporting small businesses and has implemented effective strategies that foster growth and collaboration in the south metro Atlanta areas. Tawanay is an advisory member for McDonough Mainstreet and is active in many local and national nonprofit organizations. Tawanay is currently enrolled in Grand Canyon University majoring in marketing and advertising. She enjoys traveling with her husband & kids and was in the 2022 cohort for MFRI’s Focus Forward Fellowship.

Amanda Lalonde is currently an undergraduate senior majoring in psychology and forensic science and will graduate in May 2023. She holds an associate in arts degree in applied marine engineering from Coastline Community College. She is a Navy veteran serving from 2005–2014 as a machinist mate stationed aboard the USS Bataan LHD 5, the Naval Safety Center, and with SurgeMain. She currently works as the program coordinator for the Community Navigator Pilot Program as part of the Syracuse University D’Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families small business and entrepreneurship team. She lives in Baldwinsville, New York with her husband, Jon, and their three sons — Tyler, 13, and twins Jack and Noah, 11. She is a Renee Crown Honors student and a Syracuse University Remembrance Scholar. Amanda is a member of SALUTE Veteran National Honor Society, Psi Chi Psychology International Honor Society, Delta Delta Epsilon International Forensic Science honor society and American Psychological Association. Her hobbies include training and competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, reading, camping, and spending time with family.

Deborah Walker continues to serve in the Air Force Reserves as a chaplain. She honorably served on active duty initially as a medic and then as a boom operator for 11 years before being commissioned as a chaplain candidate. An ongoing passion for Deb is to encourage resiliency and spiritual strength among veterans, family members, and serve the unique needs of the woman veteran locally and globally. She is excited about facilitating opportunities for veterans and their loved ones as they seek community resources and meaningful employment while overcoming transitional challenges.

Additionally, Deborah has a background in music, education, and divinity, possessing both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music and a master’s in divinity, while starting her doctorate this fall. Her education allowed for opportunities to teach at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne and Elmhurst University. Currently, she is completing clinical pastoral education units for board certification in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling. Deborah seeks to provide humbly and compassionately for veterans, military family members, and current service members. She enjoys volunteering and serving both in the community and with her local church. She is a member of Team Red White and Blue, a Focus Forward Fellow through Purdue University and an ordained Chaplain for Workforce Chaplains and Christian Chaplains and Coaching.

Marina is a graduate student pursuing her executive master of public service and
administration (EMPSA) degree with a track in nonprofit management at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Her areas of expertise include: nonprofit organizations (marketing, outreach, and strategic partnership development), women veterans, and advocacy for the military community. Marina’s passion for public service and the nonprofit space stems from her purpose of being of service to others.

As founder and president of Military Women’s Collective, Marina feeds homeless and foodinsecure veterans and empowers and mentors military women throughout their careers. In 2021, she was honored to be a Focus Forward Fellow. Over the past three years, she has twice been selected as a panelist for the San Diego Military Summit, hand picked by her former commanding officer to moderate an all women panel at the Association of Naval Service Officers (ANSO), and asked to present her expertise about LinkedIn at multiple events for military members transitioning from service.

Marina serves as the west coast regional director for the nonprofit FourBlock, whose Career Readiness Program partners with top companies nationwide to equip transitioning service members and veterans with the tools they need to build the relationships necessary to successfully transition to meaningful civilian careers.

Marina, her husband Joshua, and their daughter live in Southern California. You can find her collaborating with local and national nonprofits and advocating for women veterans when she isn’t taking road trips, playing board games or video games, or relaxing with her family.