WBC Advisory Board

The Women's Business Center of KY is grateful for the assistance and guidance from our Advisory Board. The Advisory Board helps the WBC to leverage community partnerships, advises us on the needs of women business owners, and advocates for the WBC in the community. If you are interested in joining our advisory board, please contact Phyllis Alcorn. 

Current Advisory Board Members 

Lisa Locke

Community Development Advisor, Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Lisa Locke helps to foster partnerships and initiatives that promote small-business development and entrepreneurship across the entire Eighth Federal Reserve District.  Her work includes conducting outreach, analyzing policy, convening events, providing technical assistance, and highlighting effective programs and tools.

Locke has worked at the St. Louis Fed since 1994, serving in various positions in the Payments department, Sales and Marketing, and Human Resources. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in human resource development from Webster University.
 

Vanessa Pennoyer, MBA

President & CEO, Go 2 Girl

Vanessa believes that diverse-owned businesses seek or obtain certification and lack the resource to navigate the time-consuming portal process and become frustrated that it’s even necessary. She works for transparency in corporate systems and advocacy towards fair opportunities. Services include obtaining multiple certifications (local, state, federal, 3rd party) specifically with women-owned business (WBE), minority-owned business (MBE), and disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) and (Veteran-Owned). She then leverages their certification with various business development activities including supplier diversity portal registration, network outreach, proposal writing/compliance/content, capability statements, conferences/trade shows. Lastly, Go 2 Girl offers diversity procurement compliance to make direct connections for supplier diversity spend initiatives. She processed over 100 applications in 2019 with a 99% submission approval. Her mission is to “Influence Relationships that Inspire Change.” She earned her MBA from Strayer University in 2013 with emphasis on Marketing. Pennoyer has more than 15 years of experience in sales and marketing for various industries including healthcare, architecture, food/beverage, publication and accounting. She’s the wife to Bill Pennoyer, 13yrs, and a mother to 12yr old daughter Taylor, 7th Grade as well as a 20yr old son, Noah, 3rd Year at University of Cincinnati. Vanessa serves as a song leader to her church and volunteers time to many missions as well as community committees.

Amy Williams

Project Specialist, Mountain Association 

Amy Williams is a Project Specialist at the Mountain Association. She works with clients in eastern Kentucky helping them access loans and business support services. Amy has owned small businesses as a massage therapist and business facilitator. She has a master’s degree in Community Economic Development and is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer having served in Armenia from 2011 to 2013. Amy has a passion for helping women entrepreneurs succeed. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and studying Spanish.