Meet the WBL Team

When women come together with purpose, heart and hustle -
Big things happen.

That’s why we created WBL.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

All of WBL’s founding team members shared the same frustration: traditional networking just wasn’t cutting it. Instead of helping us grow, it often left us feeling discouraged, disconnected, and unsure of how to truly elevate our businesses or build the kind of meaningful
relationships we were seeking.

At Women’s Business League we believe that real growth comes from real connection. We are a community-driven organization built on the idea that meaningful, lasting relationships, not quick business card swaps, are what truly move your business forward.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to create spaces where women can connect deeply, support one another authentically, and grow intentionally. Our culture of collaboration over competition and building genuine community creates networking that is powerful, effective, and life-changing. We create opportunities for women to feel uplifted, understood, and empowered to show up as their authentic selves. Because when women are in community with one another, amazing things happen.

Women’s Business League stands apart by putting genuine connection at the center of business growth. Our unique blend of high-impact networking and heart-centered leadership creates a space where relationships thrive, referrals flow naturally, and women feel deeply supported. We don’t just talk about community, we live it, serve it, and grow through it. At WBL, success is measured not only by what you achieve, but by who you bring with you.

Melissa Gilbo

Founder & CEO

Heart-centered leader passionate about changing lives and helping entrepreneurs achieve their next level.

Melissa Gilbo is a heart-centered leader, dynamic entrepreneur, and the visionary Founder and CEO of Women’s Business League. After spending 20 years in the insurance industry, she began to rewrite her relationship with networking with a simple goal: to generate clients for her business. What unfolded instead was a powerful pivot into entrepreneurship and a mission to change the game for women in business. Melissa’s greatest joy is helping others succeed and watching women rise both personally and professionally. She’s known for making life-changing introductions and creating communities where opportunity and connection thrive. When she’s not building empires, you’ll find Melissa outdoors on a boat with country music blasting, around a campfire with family and friends, and her dog.

Nicole Leudke

Director of Operations

Read Bio

Nicole is the heartbeat behind the scenes at WBL; organized, dependable, and always ready to lend a hand. A born-and-raised New Englander, she began her career in architecture marketing before shifting into conference services in the hospitality industry. After welcoming twins (and later, a third child), Nicole took time off to focus on raising her family. When her kids reached school age, she launched her own virtual assistant business, craving both flexibility and meaningful work. A chance meeting at the local library turned into a perfect-fit opportunity to support the growing WBL community and she’s been an essential part of the team ever since. As WBL has evolved, so has Nicole’s role, growing alongside her children and her own entrepreneurial spirit. She’s a proud North Shore mom who loves cheering on her kids at sports and music events, baking sweet treats, catching a Broadway show, and sipping margaritas to the sound of country music.

Linda Porter

Director of Community Development

Read Bio

Linda Porter brings a heart full of experience and a soul made for connection. As a military spouse turned banking executive, and now a successful real estate agent, she understands transitions and the power of a strong community. After launching the Portsmouth Chapter of WBL, Linda found the supportive, intentional network she had always been looking for. Today, she leads with empathy, wisdom, and a deep commitment to showing up for women in all seasons of life and business. Whether it’s cheering on a new venture or riding her motorcycle across the country with her husband (yes, she’s visited all 48 lower states!), Linda leads with love, and a Dalmatian named Riley by her side.

Amy Perez

Director of Member Experience

Read Bio

Amy Perez is a powerhouse coach and former nonprofit leader who has spent her career lifting others up, especially women navigating major life transitions. With 15 years of experience running housing programs for veterans, survivors, and individuals overcoming adversity, Amy brings a deep well of compassion and practical wisdom to everything she does. After moving into real estate and coaching, she realized her true calling was helping people connect their goals with action. She’s known for her fierce support and no-nonsense love (imagine a nurturing mom... who also kicks your butt when you need it). Amy is a champion for women’s growth, from rebuilding after trauma to launching big, bold dreams.

Alison Durand

Lead Journey Specialist

Read Bio

Ali Durand is a rising leader in the WBL community, passionate about organization, wellness, and empowering women in their early careers. After hearing WBL’s story during a college class, Ali kept in touch with Melissa and eventually joined the organization while navigating her own professional path. Ali owns Parlin Solutions, where she works as an operational growth assistant to help bring time back in founders lives. She believes in the strength of women coming together in community. She leads with heart, curiosity, and a deep love for learning. When she’s not dreaming up new ideas, Ali is likely off exploring the world, reading a new book, or adventuring outdoors with family and friends.

Laura Crosby

Learning Experience Designer

Read Bio

Laura Crosby is a learning experience designer with a heart for growth and a mind for strategy. After two decades supporting families in early childhood intervention, she pivoted to adult learning and found her true spark in designing training that drives real change. Now the founder of Braverick Insights, Laura creates learner-centered programs that help people grow with purpose. She joined WBL after first experiencing the community as a charity partner and quickly fell in love with its mission and warmth. Laura’s passion lies in helping women own their strengths and recognize the power they already hold. When she’s not designing transformational learning experiences, she’s likely cheering on her sons at a game, lifting weights at CrossFit, or walking the woods with her dog.

Hayley Denker

Marketing Manager

Read Bio

Hayley Denker is part strategist, part cheerleader, and 100% obsessed with turning “random acts of marketing” into needle-moving magic. As the founder of Hayley Denker Marketing (HDM), she partners with growing, multi-location businesses to simplify the messy, clarify the complex, and craft marketing that actually works. Hayley has a knack for seeing the bigger picture while sweating the small details—whether that’s transforming a client’s napkin-sketched idea into a polished campaign or producing a photoshoot that looks exactly like it did in her head (her favorite feeling). A community builder at heart, Hayley is passionate about Women’s Business League, where she champions collaboration over competition. Her clients and colleagues know her for her energy, creativity, and ability to connect people and ideas in ways that spark real growth. When she’s not mapping out strategy or bringing a marketing vision to life, you’ll likely find Hayley hosting a dinner party, figuring out a new crafting project at home, or cheering on her kids with the same enthusiasm she brings to her clients.

Lorraine Connell

Young professionals Curriculum Developer

Read Bio

Lorraine Connell is a leadership development coach with a heart for equity and a mind for possibility. After more than two decades as a high school chemistry teacher, she discovered her true calling in empowering teens and educators to see leadership as a skill everyone can grow. Now the founder of Peers Not Fears, Lorraine designs programs that transform how schools and families understand confidence, belonging, and influence. She joined WBL after finding deep alignment with its mission to uplift and connect women who lead with purpose and compassion. When she’s not coaching or facilitating leadership workshops, you’ll find her reading, or watching her sons achieve new skills.

WBL Advisory Board

Sharna Favuzza

Read Bio

Sharna has built a heart-centered practice. She works with many families who are raising children, building businesses and caring for their parents. Her focus is on guardianship appointments for minor children, tax planning, family business succession planning, and long-term care planning. Her practice is built on deep relationships with her clients. Sharna has become a trusted advisor because she understands the need to balance the emotional components with the legal ones. She worsk closely with professional partners such as financial, insurance and tax advisors as the client benefits most from an integrated team approach. Sharna's experience in real estate and probate litigation have proven to be an invaluable resource in developing customized plans that meet clients’ current goals and provide solutions for the future considering diverse assets, evolving family dynamics or family crisis. What she offers is one of the most important, difficult and emotionally charged tasks on anyone’s To Do list. Her goal is to educate her clients and give them peace of mind. By bringing competence and compassion, she has been successful in providing an experience that makes clients feeling fully supported and less anxious about the planning process.

Nina Charnley

Read Bio

Nina Charnley brings a unique and diverse set of executive leadership, digital transformation, financial, risk and regulated industries, customer experience and consulting expertise to the board room. She has successfully grown, restored and built businesses in every division of Fortune 100 financial services companies serving millions of customers. Charnley served as Head of Enterprise Customer Experience for TIAA, a Fortune 100 financial services company with over $1 trillion in assets under management and 5 million customers. As a Senior Managing Director, she was a member of the Executive Leadership Group, was selected as a leader for the Digital Transformation Team and Chaired the Customer Experience Board which she created as a governance entity. Over her career in financial services she has run multi- billion dollar businesses, reported to the Board of a large, public regional bank as head of Risk, developed and launched an online bank, digital products and capabilities and created the strategy, infrastructure, template and accountabilities matrix for Bank of America’s Diversity and Inclusion program. Ms. Charnley has deep financial acumen and broad experience across diverse and regulated industries. Charnley has been a speaker at conferences for customer experience, technology, Diversity and Inclusion, women’s financial literacy and diversified financial services. She has served as a board member and committee chair for Strong Women Strong Girls, RI Children’s Museum and RI Hospital (Lifespan) and a mentor for Babson College and Everwise.

Barbara-Ann Yates

Read Bio

Barbara-Ann is a thought-provoking, motivating and energetic women’s conference speaker, consultant and author. Barbara-Ann created WomaneuversTM system after transforming her career as an educator into leadership roles in nationally known engineering and financial companies to starting Yates Associates, LLC consulting in the area of information security. Prior to starting Yates Associates, LLC, Barbara-Ann created a successful career as an information security consultant, advising multi-million-dollar companies and government agencies on the design, management and implementation of high-level, enterprise-wide, information security systems. An expert in strategic management and team leadership, Barbara-Ann built top performing network engineering teams. As their leader, Barbara-Ann mentored each member to achieve some of the corporation’s highest recognition leading to increased compensation and promotions. WomaneuversTM addresses common career-advancing challenges encountered by women in government and private sectors; and gives women the practical and tactical tools to tackle the common challenge women face in advancing their careers into leadership positions and influence. Barbara-Ann specializes in helping women unleash their inner leader, reach their true potential in a male dominated world and achieve empowerment, confidence, career transformation and advancement. Barbara-Ann delivers the tools she personally used to successfully womaneuver through the male dominated engineering world without an engineering degree.

Lisa Keslar

Read Bio

Lisa Keslar is the chapter co-leader for the Women’s Business League (WBL) Dover, NH, where she fosters a vibrant, inclusive community of women committed to growth, connection, and support. She is known for her energy, empathy, and ability to bring people together in meaningful ways. Lisa is also a college educator, teaching entrepreneurship and business strategy at the University of New Hampshire’s Paul College. She brings real-world experience into the classroom, helping students develop the skills, confidence, and mindset to succeed in business and beyond. Her approach blends practical insight with mentorship, and she’s deeply invested in the success of her students. In her professional life, Lisa co-owns Keslar Insurance, an independent agency focused on building strong relationships and protecting what matters most to clients across New England. Outside of work, she is passionate about giving back. Lisa regularly leads fundraising initiatives, supports local nonprofits, and creates opportunities to serve the community through both personal and professional efforts. Whether she's leading a class, a networking meeting, or a community campaign, Lisa shows up with purpose, compassion, and a drive to make a difference.

Bree Vaughan

Read Bio

A proud North Carolina native and 14-year Charlotte resident, Bree Vaughan is a dynamic servant leader and licensed residential REALTOR® in North and South Carolina with Keller Williams SouthPark, proudly serving the greater Charlotte area and York County, SC. Bree is the co Chapter Leader of the Charlotte SouthPark Chapter. Bree leads with heart and purpose — she’s deeply passionate about helping her clients achieve their real estate goals while also empowering other women to thrive. Her leadership journey includes serving as CEO/Team Leader of a real estate office, where she successfully recruited and developed agents, fostered a culture of collaboration, and helped maintain profitability for the office through strategic growth initiatives. Today, Bree channels that same energy and expertise into delivering exceptional, personalized service to her real estate clients, guiding them with knowledge, care, and a results-driven approach. Her ultimate goal is to be a light in every space she enters and leave people better than she found them. Outside of real estate, Bree enjoys a life rooted in gratitude. You’ll often find her singing, crocheting (her true obsession!), and enjoying quality time with her husband, Nigel, and their beloved pups, Kingston Marley & Sarum.