The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship hosted its February Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series featuring Regina Koetters as the keynote speaker on Friday, February 13. The event was hosted in the James Laughlin Music Hall on campus.
The Breakfast Series tries to bring in local women who hold prominent positions in business to speak about their experiences. Each event has a different focus. Koetters goal was to showcase that not everyone who is successful in business started out life with a goal of owning one.
Koetters is the CEO and Founder of Marty’s Market, a restaurant and market located in the Strip District. She moved to Pittsburgh in 2008 and four years later started up her business. Its goal was to create an establishment that provided a unique and fun experience using fresh and locally grown food as the main focal point.
Her animated talk, peppered with anecdotes about lessons she learned while working in the Navy, was warmly met among an audience that ranged from first-year Chatham students to people who have been in the business world for many years.
While the event was geared towards people who own their own businesses Chatham Students also found themselves being drawn to the event. Marisa Rosner, a sophomore, was attracted to the event by Koetters’ business focus on organic and locally grown food. Catrina McMullen, a senior, came after a professor prompted her. She was attending her second Breakfast Series. A third student, Katherine Sclabassi, who is a first-year at Chatham, wanted to learn more about networking.
Dr. Sean McGreevey, Assistant Dean for Career Development at Chatham University, had nothing but glowing words about Koetters.
“She approached career direction, skills, and competency spectacularly. She flawlessly talked about landing a C5 airplane in the Navy and how she transferred these skills to something completely different like owning a small business,” he said.
Immediately after her speech, Koetters found herself surrounded by many of the attendees who were anxious to give business cards and learn more about her. Others at the event continued to mingle and network.
The organization hosts this series once a month, tackling different topics related to women in business.
One attendee, Beth Bershok a Regional Marketing Director for Herbein + Company, Inc. stated that, “It is a nice spin on business, and the all-female atmosphere is unique. The speakers really add to the events.”