2025 Women Business Owners Council

Founder, CEO, and Queen of Promotional Products who holds two Industry certifications (MASI, MAS+) - an accomplishment that less than 3% of promotional and advertising professionals have!  Currently serving as a Board of Directors for the Promotional Products Association International.   A member of Wilmington Central Rotary and the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.

 

A business owner and entrepreneur since 2002, I have been helping people heal and feel better for over 20 years. After selling my massage practice in 2023, I am currently the owner of two acupuncture clinics. One in Midtown Wilmington and the other in Hampstead/Surf City. We employ two additional acupuncturists and four staff to keep the clinics open and ready to serve our communities. 
In addition to being a Doctor of Acupuncture, I am a wife and mother, plus a grandmother to four boys and one girl. Cooking and gardening are my feel-good hobbies, but my true passion lies in helping people get well. There is nothing more satisfying than watching a patient's face light up because they are no longer suffering.  

Alexandra is a double graduate of UNCW, with an undergrad in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration. She is licensed in multiple states, including NC, SC, GA, VA, SD, TN and FL. Alexandra's specialty is helping business owners consolidate their personal & business insurance under one agency as a "one stop shop".
As an active member in the community, Alexandra was a WILMA Women to Watch finalist in 2017, as well as 2020 Star News/ILM Chamber 40 under 40 Honoree. She has served on the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry Board from 2017 to 2022, and co-chaired the 2017/2018 annual Cape Fear Literacy Council Gala.
 

April has been licensed as an insurance agent in the Wilmington area since 2010 and has a broad base of customer and referral partners who have relied on her guidance and suggestions for protecting their family’s needs. She’s seen the ups and downs of the market and loves finding solutions to coastal insurance problems. It was her desire to offer more choices for insurance to provide the best rates available to her customers and to cover needs unavailable in the captive market.

She has a passion for service and is a member of the Wilmington Rotary and is a board member of WARM NC.

April lives at home with her husband, a retired commercial pilot, and is the mother to Abby and Bobby.

Tracey Newkirk, is a Certified Personal Resilience Coach and the Founder of UNEXO, a boutique consultancy helping leaders build high-performance teams. She and her husband Girard Newkirk co-founded Genesis Block, a coworking space in downtown Wilmington providing business development services, workspaces and building entrepreneurial communities. Genesis Block was created with the idea that each community needs a place to collaborate, create, discuss ideas and gather. Building the small business ecosystem and supporting community collaboration is our goal in each neighborhood.

In the book 'Blue Mind : How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do', Author Wallace J. Nichols discusses the benefits of being in, on, or near water. There are numerous studies that demonstrate how the proximity to the ocean improves performance, promotes a calm mind, and increases professional success and creativity. This is the environment we have created in our community and work space at Blue Mind Coworking.

Proud to be delivering the highest quality in commercial signage, wide format print production, and vehicle wraps. After a career in journalism and graphic design, I purchased Port City Signs in 2008 and introduced printing and sign manufacturing. From a staff of four, we have grown to a staff of 17 in a 12,000 SF manufacturing facility. We focus on commercial construction, education, healthcare, interior design, retail, restaurants, and real estate. We produce illuminated, monument, and neighborhood signage; vehicle wraps; wall murals; routed, dimensional signs; ADA Braille signs; decals; and banners. We fabricate in house with a 5' x 10' table CNC router, aluminum welding equipment, a paint booth, two 64" wide roll-to-roll printers, a 98" wide direct to substrate and roll-to-roll printer, vinyl welders, sewing machines and more. We invite you to schedule a tour with us!

As a military spouse, I have dedicated the last two+ decades to raising my family and volunteering with local schools, church, and within the community wherever we've been stationed across the country and overseas.  I'm a graduate from Eastern Virginia Medical School with a MS in Art Therapy. I have a passion for art and DIY and believe that everyone has the ability to create – that everyone is an artist in their own way – and am convinced of the therapeutic process of art. 

Our passion is building marketing materials that help your business grow - we do it by finding the real reason someone visits your website or any of your marketing and then ensuring that your product or service guides them to the solution.  Sue is a StoryBrand Certified Guide, it's an accreditation that sets Design Interventions apart for other marketers. 

Stop losing money, Book a Meeting for a free website analysis.

Hello! I am Buffy Andrews -the owner of the Made Well Center for Wholeness, a functional mental health + wellness center in Wilmington, NC. I also am your local "Wellness Buff" and offer 1:1 functional mental health healing intensives, along with keynote speaking, and women's retreats. I coach individual on their mental health + wellness journey's as well as coach individuals looking to grow their businesses. 
Feel free to learn more about our wellness center here: www.madewellcenter.org and more about 1:1 mental health + wellness coaching by visiting www.wellnessbuff.org

More than 35 years of experience in PR and marketing. Prior to founding GMG Public Relations in 1991, she was a Director of Public Relations with Ernst & Young in NY. 
 
Positions held include:

• Founder, President, Nanuet Chamber of Commerce
• President, Rockland Business Women's Network, Westchester Assoc. of Women Business Owners
• Board member, Rockland Community Foundation, Orange & Rockland Community Investment Committee
• Chair, Marketing and Communications subcommittee, Clarkstown Business & Economic Development Advisory Committee
• Co-Chair, Rockland Business Assoc. Marketing Council
• Mentor, Rockland Community College, Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business, Cameron School of Business at UNCW
• National Small Business Association Leadership Council 
• Sought-after speaker on marketing topics. 

As a strategic HR leader with 25+ years helping small/mid-sized businesses navigate people operations, I connect strategy, people, and culture to help organizations grow, mitigate risk, and extend reach. I've led HR for companies from startups to 600+ employee organizations across multiple locations.

My expertise spans manufacturing, technology, non-profit, and professional services, covering the complete employee lifecycle. Through UpLevel HR Consulting, I deliver tailored solutions for each organization's unique needs, going beyond traditional advising—asking tough questions and proposing innovative solutions.

I'm passionate about giving business owners back their time, freedom, and focus by handling HR complexities, empowering businesses to thrive one solution at a time.

I’m a leadership and mindset coach helping high-achieving professionals and entrepreneurs reconnect with purpose, clarity, and confidence. As founder of Journey of Grace Coaching, I draw on 20+ years as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, where I led diverse teams and served as a leadership coach. My diplomatic background taught me resilience, empathy, and intentional action. I support clients juggling demanding careers, self-doubt, and burnout, offering a safe, energizing space to realign with what matters. As a Certified Maxwell DISC Consultant and trained in Positive Intelligence®, I integrate proven tools to help people move from autopilot stress to purposeful leadership. Outside of work, I enjoy the outdoors, time with my son and dog, and building community.

I’m the CEO of Premier Staffing Solutions, where we help businesses solve the challenge of attracting and keeping great talent. We focus on people-centered, innovative strategies that build stronger teams, boost performance, and create positive workplace cultures. I personally bring over a decade of experience in recruiting and workforce management, paired with curiosity, empathy, and a drive for meaningful impact—qualities I carry into my work as a published author, speaker, coach, and martial artist. I love what I do. People First. Always.