Amanda Goyer
Amaris Kowalewski
Allison Beyer
Alli Dillenbeck
Bethany Snare
Becca Pusatere
Audrey Bufalini
April Schobey
Gabby Fisher
Erika Martin
Dr. Rhiannon Clauss
Dr. Jennifer Okwerekwu
Kelly Schmidt
Kait Sheehan
Jessica Shattuck
Holly Gardy
Laura Ligos
Lacey Bruhns
Kristen Suraci
Kendra Zappia
Lori Ciafardoni
Lindsay Maier
Linda West
Lauren Heisinger
Patti Butler
Olfa Badri
Meredith
Lybrand
Marisa Multari
Tamana Gandhi
Rachel Seitz
Pepper Floral & Event Design is a fine arts–inspired floral design studio exploring the intersection of art, atmosphere, and hospitality.
Founded by designer Alli Dillenbeck, the studio creates sculptural, color-driven compositions that shape mood and movement within a space. She believes in a sensory experience—florals that breathe life into interiors, evoke emotion and being, and transform the guest’s perception of belonging.
Refined over a decade in event planning and design, Alli of Pepper Floral approaches flowers as living sculpture—an expression of beauty and nature.
Alli Dillenbeck
Pepper Floral & Event Design
Allison Beyer is the owner of Beyer Creative, a video production company with a creative studio in Loudonville, New York. She helps businesses and founders show what they do and why it matters through thoughtful, professional video. Allison works closely with leaders and teams to capture their work in action—real people, real stories, real impact—and turn it into video that builds trust, connection, and confidence with the clients they’re meant to serve. Since 2017, Beyer Creative has partnered with small to mid-sized businesses across the Capital Region and beyond, supporting industries including wellness, healthcare, professional services, and education.
Allison Beyer
Beyer Creative
Amanda Goyer is a strategic relationship builder who fosters partnerships that innovate and inspire excellence within the community. Part of that work is displayed in the investment she has made throughout her entrepreneurial journey as a dual business owner.
Amanda is the owner and curator of Sand Lake Merchant and Lake Bound Bookstore in Averill Park, NY. After spending a decade in the financial services industry, Goyer made a career pivot. Amanda led the renovation of a historic 1830’s building where Sand Lake Merchant operates as a mercantile, café and community gathering space that has been open since July, 2023. At Sand Lake Merchant, Goyer’s primary goal has been and continues to be to create space where the community can come together to shop, eat, gather and collaborate.
Eager to expand her vision and footprint in the community, Goyer and her husband co-created their second business venture, Lake Bound Bookstore. The bookstore located next door to Sand Lake Merchant opened in Fall of 2025 and features new books, new vinyl records, a podcast studio, conference room and co-working community.
As a recognized leader within her companies and the community, Goyer has been the recipient of several awards she’s been very honored to receive. Amanda is a native of the Capital Region, and lives in West Sand Lake with her husband and business partner Chris, their two sons Roen (10), Noah (7), their two golden retriever puppies and pet turtle. In her free time, Amanda loves to work on interior design projects, you can see her own design work featured in both of her businesses, read crime novels and spend time at Lake George with family and friends.
Amanda Goyer
lake bound bookstore & Sand Lake Merchant
LAKE BOUND
SAND LAKE MERCHANT
Audrey isa food, beverage, and lifestyle photographer based in Albany,
New York, specializing in warm, hard-light imagery that combines minimal design and natural texture. She combines creative experience and technical skills to ensure every project runs smoothly and delivers outstanding results.
Audrey partners with mid-tier to high-end brands—especially consumer packaged goods and modern dining concepts—that want to sell not just a product, but a lifestyle. Her work brings polish and approachability together, giving brands a consistent, elevated visual voice across campaigns, packaging, and social content.
Audrey Marie Bufalini
AM Knizek Bufalini
Becca Pusatere is the owner of Rebecca Loomis Branding, an Albany-based Brand Photographer working with service professionals, consultants, and CEOs. Her work focuses on creating strategic, approachable visuals that help businesses clarify their message, attract aligned clients, and show up more confidently online.
Becca Pusatere
Rebecca Loomis Branding
Welcome to Bethany Autumn Arts! I’m an artist, musician, and professional photographer based in the beautiful Capital Region of New York. My journey began at Fulton-Montgomery Community College, where I earned my associate’s degree in Fine Arts, and I later graduated from the University at Albany with a bachelor’s degree in the same field.
Photography captured my heart during my college years, and I’ve been bringing moments to life with my lens ever since! With over six years of professional experience, I’ve had the honor of being featured in the Photographer Forum’s Best of Photography 2018 textbook and shooting the cover of the Loudonville Neighbor magazines from 2018 to 2019.
I can’t wait to collaborate with you and turn your visions into reality!
Bethany Snare
Bethany Autumn Arts LLC
Dr. Jennifer Okwerekwu is a reproductive psychiatrist, founder of Coral Psychiatry, and a women’s mental health advocate who helps women move from merely getting by to feeling more grounded and genuinely well. Through her female-first, integrative practice, Coral Psychiatry, she supports women through reproductive and hormonal transitions like pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, and perimenopause with a blend of medication management, psychotherapy, and holistic strategies. Through her education at Harvard College, Columbia University, and the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and her residency and fellowship at Harvard Medical School training hospitals Cambridge Health Alliance and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, she brings deep expertise in women’s mental health and narrative medicine to her work with patients. In addition to her clinical work, she is a physician-entrepreneur and mom who cares deeply about helping women design lives that feel aligned, sustainable, and truly their own.
Dr. Jennifer Okwerekwu
Coral Psychiatry
Dr. Rhiannon Clauss is a neurologically-focused pediatric and family chiropractor with over 15 years of experience. In 2022, she founded Capital District Family Chiropractic (CDFC), the only certified pediatric and perinatal neurologically-focused chiropractic practice in the Capital Region dedicated to nervous system repair & healing. Her primary work supports children with ADHD, sensory processing challenges, anxiety, on the spectrum as well the perinatal journey.. Dr. Clauss also teaches workshops such as Perfect Storm, Birth & Beyond, and Family Wellness Blueprint empowering families with tools to better understand and support their child’s nervous system.
Dr. Rhiannon Clauss
Capital District Family Chiropractic
Erika is a strategically-minded Virtual Assistant who supports business owners enhance their workflow by creating efficient processes and managing their behind-the-scenes operations freeing them up to do more of what they love in their business.
She has had many exciting chapters in her life, including being a collegiate athlete and working in marketing for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. These experiences taught her how to manage her time effectively, stay organized under pressure, and collaborate with people across all departments and levels of an organization.
Erika is excited to support more business owners in achieving their goals through her attention to detail and genuine passion for creating smooth processes.
Erika Martin
Virtual Assistant & Marketing Support
Gabby Fisher is a freelance content strategist and keynote speaker who partners with brands and community organizations doing meaningful, impact-driven work. She helps teams turn big ideas into clear, compelling content and delivers high-energy talks that inspire confidence, clarity, and action.
Gabby Fisher
In 2017 I realized the market needed an honest, reliable, trustworthy cleaning company in the capital region. I poured my all into starting this business with so much love behind it. I was all alone with no real idea on what to do or how to do it. I started with one client who then spread the word to multiple people growing my business into something I could have never imagined. Now we are a rapidly growing company with over 300 regular clients and counting.
Holly Gardy
Hollys Housekeeping
Kait Sheehan is the founder of Bend and Zap, a permanent jewelry company she launched in 2022 after becoming a mom. What started as a way to get out of the house a few times a month after having her son quickly turned into a passion for bringing women together—creating connections, networking, and making meaningful memories (with a little sparkle involved). Kait works full-time in marketing and communications, balancing her career with life as a mom to her four-year-old son, Liam. When she’s not working or zapping jewelry, you can find her reading a good book, traveling, or trying new foods wherever she goes.
Kait Sheehan
Bend & zap
Kelly Schmidt is the founder of Loudmouth Co, a brand storytelling studio helping small businesses, nonprofits, and leaders turn their big ideas and expertise into stories that fuel their brand and marketing.
Through messaging strategy, copywriting, community partnerships, and brand direction, Kelly helps clients articulate their story clearly and execute it everywhere it shows up — online and offline.
Her work helps brands stop chasing vanity metrics and marketing trends and start building community, cultural influence, and real conversion.
Kelly Schmidt
Loudmouth Co.
Zappia & Fryer strives to provide excellent comprehensive dental treatment to help their patients achieve optimum oral health as well as overall health and well being.
They believe that knowledge is power and pride themselves on educating their patients and empowering them so they can be successful in achieving excellent oral health and their ideal smiles.
Kendra Zappia
zappia and fryer general dentistry
Kristen Suraci is the founder of Saucy Suraci, a full-time content creation and marketing brand rooted in the Capital Region. She specializes in helping local businesses grow through compelling social content, partnerships, and community-focused storytelling. With a background in business and marketing, Kristen bridges creativity and strategy to build meaningful brand connections.
Kristen Suraci
Saucy Suraci
Lacey is a bookkeeping professional and the founder of Branch Out Bookkeeping. She is dedicated to helping service-based small businesses manage and organize their finances more efficiently. She loves working with other women entrepreneurs and small business owners to help alleviate the stress of day-to-day financial organization and preparing for tax filing. Lacey understands how often entrepreneurs are spread too thin by wearing all the hats in their business! Her goal is to help business owners free up more time to focus on their clients and achieve a better work-life balance.
Lacey Bruhns
Branch Out Bookkeeping
Laura Ligos, RD, known as The Sassy Dietitian, is a women’s health dietitian, 2x cookbook author, former Division 1 athlete, and mom of two who helps women optimize fertility, hormones, gut health, and energy using a no-BS, evidence-based approach. Through her private practice, The Sassy Dietitian, she supports women with fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, digestive, and hormonal concerns using functional testing and real-life strategies that are actually sustainable. She is also the co-founder of Unconventional Collaborative, a practitioner mastermind helping health professionals build aligned, impactful businesses.
Laura Ligos
Laura Ligos Nutrition (aka The Sassy Dietitian)
Laura Ligos, RD, known as The Sassy Dietitian, is a women’s health dietitian, 2x cookbook author, former Division 1 athlete, and mom of two who helps women optimize fertility, hormones, gut health, and energy using a no-BS, evidence-based approach. Through her private practice, The Sassy Dietitian, she supports women with fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, digestive, and hormonal concerns using functional testing and real-life strategies that are actually sustainable. She is also the co-founder of Unconventional Collaborative, a practitioner mastermind helping health professionals build aligned, impactful businesses.
Lauren Heisinger
Where Smiles Grow Pediatric Dental
Linda West, NP-C is the founder and lead provider at West Aesthetics & Wellness, a boutique medical aesthetics and wellness clinic rooted in regenerative medicine, education, and integrity. She blends medical aesthetics with integrative wellness offering regenerative treatments, weight management, and as the practice continues to grow hormone optimization and peptide therapy are coming soon allowing patients to further support vitality, metabolism, and over all well-being from the inside out.
Linda West
West Aesthetics + Wellness
Lindsay Maier is a story-led brand photographer specializing in aligned imagery for founders and growing brands. Her work visually communicates the story, strategy, and soul behind what they’re building. With a background in entrepreneurship and corporate strategy, she approaches every project with clarity, producing real-world visuals that build trust and position brands with intention.
Lindsay Maier
Lindsay Maier Photography
Lori Ciafardoni (she/her) is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner who has been caring for patients for over 25 years. Starting her career in 1998 in her hometown of Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital's Level 1 Trauma Emergency Department, Lori has a background in family practice (treating all ages and sexes) and specialties in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gender Wellness and LGBTQ+ care, Obesity Medicine and Hormone Replacement Therapy. She is a recently retired, tenured faculty member for SUNY Delhi in their online nursing program, a previous med flight nurse, used to own a Women's Professional Football Team and has been struggling with being a Boston sports fan living in NY since moving here for her doctorate in 2013.
