:shakira niazi

Born in Afghanistan; Shakira's family relocated to the United States when she was a child and provided her the kind of upbringing and education she never would've gotten otherwise.

Her drive to achieve the "American Dream" led her to complete a Masters in Business Administration and pursue on a career in finance.  She spent several years in corporate banking  and eventually founded of a private mortgage company in residential and commercial lending that managed loans of up to $5 million.

"Having grown up with very little," she explains, "I was convinced that a lifestyle full of luxuries and name brand items would give me the happiness and respect I longed for. As I reached my goals, I realized that money, to some degree, can and will buy respect. However, my inner soul-the part of me with childhood memories growing up in a third world country; didn't have much respect for this person who simply lived a comfortable life."

This was the beginning of Shakira's re-evaluation of her career and search for her purpose in life...Her search awoke her to the prevalence of dirty drinking water and its dramatic impact on the lives of so many people, especially women and children around the world. That's when she realized she had found her purpose. SALVARE LA VITA was born.

:shyam kamath

Dr. Shyam J. Kamath is the author of more than 70 articles in leading management and economics journals, nd three books including the recent “Corporate Governance Failures: The Role of Institutional Investors in the Global Financial Crisis” (with Jim Hawley and Andy Williams eds), University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011. He has been a consultant to over 100 international firms on four continents and has worked for multinationals and government agencies as a manager and strategic planner. He is the recipient of a number of international teaching and program excellence awards. His current research focuses on issues of global business strategy and marketing, the role of technology and entrepreneurship in economic development ,and business and livelihood creation at the base of the economic pyramid (those who earn less than $1 a day). Dr. Kamath earned his M.A. and Ph.D. fro

:starla sireno

Starla is the co-Founder and CEO of Fearless Women Entrepreneur Network, an organization that fosters emerging women entrepreneurs through business building programs, monthly events and business consulting. Fearless Women is dedicated to providing programs, tools, resources and connections that enable women to reach their full economic potential through entrepreneurship.

Prior to Fearless Women, Starla spent 12 years in institutional finance as a portfolio manager and in multinational sales and service. Starla holds a Masters in International Economics and Finance, but it has been the past 6 years as an entrepreneur that has given her the education of a lifetime.  

:virginia turezyn

Virginia M. Turezyn has more than 25 years of technology, investment, M&A, strategic planning, finance and executive management experience across a variety of industries and markets. She is currently advising entrepreneurs and early stage companies. Virginia was most recently Managing Director and Co-Head of a new private equity technology initiative in Palo Alto, CA for American Capital. She built a bi-coastal team and spearheaded the Firm’s investments in various internet and media growth businesses including industry roll-ups and strategic acquisitions. Key investments included HomeAway, Moxy Media, CreditCards.com, and PeopleMedia.

Previously, Virginia spent 3 years in New York City with Constellation Ventures II, a digital media, internet and communications focused Fund. She was brought in by a member of the Investment Committee whom she formerly hired and worked with at Morgan Stanley. She joined two digital media operating professionals and assisted them in restructuring and selling several businesses amidst turbulent market conditions and played a role in making successful new investments including K-12, a recent IPO in the educational market.

In the mid 1990s, Virginia was a co-founder and partner in Information Technology Ventures (ITV) and a successor Fund, Infinity Capital. She assisted in raising 3 funds totaling over $400 million targeted at early stage technology venture investing over a 9 year span. Their first Fund was one of CalPERS most successful venture funds in history.

Prior to launching ITV, Virginia spent 12 enriching years at Morgan Stanley, originally in New York City and then transferring in 1988 to the San Francisco office where she helped establish and build a west coast technology investment practice as part of the Venture Capital group. She started at Morgan Stanley in the Finance, Planning and Administration group managing investments for the partners of Morgan Stanley during its private ownership. Virginia worked on the Firm’s IPO and she transitioned the Firm’s internal lending to the partners to bank sponsored financing. She was also part of the fund raising team for several Morgan Stanley Venture Capital Funds.

Virginia started her professional career at Ernst & Young (formerly Ernst & Whinney) and was a Senior Accountant and CPA for a diverse set of clients and industries.

Virginia has a B.A. in Accounting from Queens College and is a CPA emeritus in NY. Virginia has been named to the Forbes Midas List and has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the Smartest Women in the Money Business. She has been a Registered Representative (Series 7) and enjoys helping women in business independently and through angel investing with Golden Seeds, and working with Watermark and the Women's Initiative for Self Employment.