Marion Chamberlain, 10/16/12

Founder and CEO, Chamberlain Leadership

There was a lot of head nodding in the audience. I thought about my own experiences and could relate. Over the past 10 years, I've had mostly male mentors to guide me along on my own career journey and have read lots and lots of books. However, it hadn't always been this way.

Brandon Greene, 10/16/12

Law student, Boston University School of Law; Director of Strategic Media & Marketing, FuelEd

If teachers are our number one resource, why do we treat them so poorly?

Melinda Emerson, 10/16/12

Author, Speaker and Small Business Coach

The popular platform has spawned millions of tools that make it possible to reach further with Facebook. However, if you really want your small business to benefit from Facebook, you must engage and encourage participation from your audience.

Ash Kumra, 10/15/12

Startup America California co-leader, DreamItAlive.com co-founder; Public speaker

We're learning to share. Well, at least our entrepreneurs are. It's called collaborative consumption, and more and more small businesses and entrepreneurs are using this concept to launch their companies.

Lori Wallach, 10/15/12

Director, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch

In an election dominated by the urgent agenda of U.S. job creation, it is a sorry statement about the domination of corporate money in American elections that both presidential candidates tout NAFTA-style "free trade" deals.

Gene Marks, 10/14/12

Small business management columnist, author, speaker, and business owner

Maybe Romney only admitted his mistake because he had a little extra political capital to spend after his successful debate. Or maybe he just did it because it was the right thing to do. Smart business people admit their mistakes immediately.

Marc Stoiber, 10/16/12

Futureproof Brand Consultant

Sustainability has become a design filter, pushing new materials and engineering to the forefront. Original, better products are everywhere.

Steve Mariotti, 10/11/12

Founder, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

The paralysis of financial fear can be life-destroying. But, utilized in a positive way, fear can create a heightened sense of awareness, be a motivator and instill determination leading to success.

Sandi Vidal, 10/12/12

Executive Director, Christian HELP and the Central Florida Employment Council

What does it take to get a job these days? From my experience speaking with the Central Florida Employment Council Members, a group of 800 recruiters and HR professionals, and our employment counselors at Christian HELP, here is what we have found to be solid advice.

Sara Sutton Fell, 10/16/12

Founder & CEO, FlexJobs

Hiring not in the budget? By embracing telecommuting, which can reduce overhead costs, saving millions of dollars, companies that haven't been able to increase hiring in the last few years might finally be able reduce the nation's continually high unemployment rate.

Karen Mills, 10/11/12

Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration

Forty years ago, women owned just five percent of all small businesses. Today, it's 30 percent. And as part of National Women's Small Business Ownership Month, the SBA will host a series of webinars to help educate and empower women entrepreneurs.

Adam Kleinberg, 10/12/12

Co-founder and CEO, Traction

Are we better off than we were four years ago? Hell yes, we are. I was standing in the middle of my office with tears on my face as I was laying off 25 percent of my staff and cutting everyone else down to a four-day work week four years ago.

Rob Kelly, 10/11/12

CEO, Ongig

There are 4,813,400 jobs advertised in the U.S. right now, yet 12.1 million people looking for work. "What gives?," you might ask.

John Arensmeyer, 10/11/12

Founder and CEO, Small Business Majority

Despite being one of the most respected constituencies in the country, small businesses are a group that many people understand little about -- the very smallest ones, especially. Micro businesses are vital contributors to the economic recovery ahead.

Hulya Aksu, 10/12/12

Entrepreneur and Publisher

For all the ideas I implemented, there have always been a dozen more I thought about that others also later thought about -- and made a killing implementing them. Feeling the atmosphere in business terms and making predictions is a talent one is born with.

Robert E. Johnson, 10/11/12

President, Becker College

Peter Thiel, the co-founder of the online payments system PayPal, provided $100,000 scholarships to two dozen students to pursue "entrepreneurial ventures," on one condition: They had to drop out of college for at least two years.

Brad Jacklin, 10/11/12

Project Director, New Beginning Initiative, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

I was a privileged white kid with a circle of friends and family who were, if not outright supportive, at least working out their issues on their own instead of burdening me. So, when I took a job during my junior year, it didn't occur to me that being out at work could be risky.