Talk 1 in the “From Passion to Profit: Local Women Doing What They Love” 6-part series

Alissa Leigh Pours Herself Into Her Paintings

Alissa Leigh, a self-taught abstract painter, resides with her husband and two sons in Bedford, New York. Her artistic journey began as a young girl as she was influenced by her mother’s style and creativity. Alissa’s energetic paintings are inspired by her upbringing as well her passion for color, photography, and the time she spends in her gardens. Using mainly acrylic paints, she also incorporates oils, pastels and collage elements in her designs. Through her distinct use of color, gesture and a visual language that is recognizably her own, her paintings become powerful focal points in the spaces they inhabit. Her style and design concepts are constantly evolving as she learns new techniques and discovers new inspirations for her color palettes and compositions.

About the series

From Passion to Profit: Local Women Doing What They Love

Today’s financial freedom is all about the passion project, the side hustle you daydream about, but what does it take to turn that passion into profit? We all have that friend or friend of a friend who’s taken their creativity and found a way to monetize. How’d she get her start? Chances are that she stumbled along the way.  How’d she pick herself up and find her inner shine? What inspires her today and better yet, what will she achieve tomorrow that can inspire your journey? Wanna know her story?  Join us and find out.

We’ll be hearing the inspirational stories of six amazing local women, Alissa Leigh, Jenn Streicher, Deanna Marano, Tina Villaveces, Fran Hauser, and Tia Cibani.  They are doing what they love and supporting others along the way. They will share the mindsets, practices, and resources they found helpful throughout their journeys. Here’s your opportunity to learn from, be inspired by, and share appreciation for these terrific local women.

Organized by Yellow Studio in collaboration with Fran Hauser. We can’t wait to share this space with you!

Participants will be invited to join a group slack channel to continue sharing resources and learn from one another: #from-passion-to-profit

Space is limited.

Series lineup:

Jenn Streicher is at the Forefront of the Beauty Industry

Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30pm

Jenn Streicher is one of the beauty industry’s most sought-after makeup artists. Known for her signature ability to accentuate a woman’s natural beauty, her longtime clients include Emily Blunt, Mandy Moore, Anne Hathaway and Greta Gerwig. The products that make it to SCOUT’s shelves have been hand-selected and vetted by Jenn personally. She will champion brands that are clean, sustainable and responsible, and her years of real world and celebrity experience in the beauty industry have helped create a space filled with thoughtful, curated beauty products.

Deanna Marano is Bringing People Together

Tuesday, April 11 at 6:30pm

Deanna Marano, co-founder of La Maison Fête and a native New Yorker, started her career in the fashion and accessory industry, helping develop and launch collections with luxury brands such as Calvin Klein and Ghurka.  After 10 years in the fashion industry, Deanna started her own event planning company in 2003, Deanna Marano Events.  Inspired by fashion, Deanna created a fantasy world for her clients dressing their festivities and weddings with classic to modern table and space designs accompanied by panache accouterments.  Her meticulous attention to detail and creative edge has drawn the attention of high profile magazines such as Town & Country Weddings, Quest Magazine, Greenwich Magazine, Brides and others.  Deanna’s passion is all about aesthetics, taking a vision and creating beautiful events, intimate gatherings, and soirées that are enjoyable and distinctly memorable.

Tina Villaveces is Supporting Women Artists

Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30pm

Tina Villaveces is a recent Brooklyn transplant who has dedicated the majority of her career to the arts. Having spent almost a decade working in commercial art galleries and museums in NYC, she has a deep appreciation for those who create and holds a strong sense of commitment for authenticity. Tina worked at Pace Gallery, Sean Kelly, James Cohan and D’Amelio Terras, plus interned at numerous museums including the MoMA, Guggenheim and Whitney. She also worked as a Project Manager at Pentagram. Most recently, she did a stint at The Aldrich in Ridgefield and volunteered at the Katonah Museum of Art. She is currently an associate board member of the Katonah Museum Artists’ Association. Tina lives in Pound Ridge with her husband and their two young sons.

Fran Hauser is Leveling the Playing Field for Women

Tuesday, May 9 at 6:30pm

Fran Hauser is passionate about leveling the playing field for women. She does this through her investing, writing, and speaking. Fran has invested in over 30 female-founded companies across consumer tech, CPG, media & publishing, and wellness. She is the best-selling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate which has been translated into six languages and was named “Best Business Book of the Year, 2018” by Audible. Fran’s new book, Embrace the Work, Love Your Career is quickly becoming the go-to for women seeking more joy and fulfillment in their career. Fran regularly speaks at conferences and organizations to help women build careers they love while staying true to themselves. Much of her current work is informed by 15 years spent in media, where she rose through the ranks at Time Inc. to President of Digital. She grew up in Mount Kisco and lives in Bedford with her husband and two sons.

Tia Cibani has a Passion for Fashion

Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30pm

Having led the Creative Direction of Ports 1961 for several years, Tia Cibani is an industry veteran in designer women’s wear. During New York Fashion Week in September 2012, Tia introduced her namesake brand, and was quickly named a new designer to watch by Style.com, Vogue Italia and WWD. In her debut season, Spring/Summer 2013, Tia won the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in women’s wear, honoring the best in emerging fashion talent. Tia applies her deep knowledge of high craftsmanship to her current work making heirloom quality children’s wear. She believes that good design should be inventive, uplifting and functional! She draws inspiration from her North African heritage and the world in which we live, making for a juxtaposition of poetic charm and modern day pragmatism. Textiles are Tia’s first love as a fashion designer. Each season presents a myriad of textures in cotton, wool, silk and linen cloths researched and developed in collaboration with artisans and reputable mills. Tia and her young family currently live in the beautiful countryside of New York state.