Event Committee Team
Meet the amazing forces behind this awesome event. They’re passionate about equipping and empowering business owners and freelancers for success. You can connect with them before the event to get tips, advice, and resources that will help you reach your business development milestones.
Jalen Vasquez
Community Manager & Events Coordinator
Jalen has worked with the Freelancers Union for the last 4 years. As a freelancer himself, he knows all the struggles that freelancers may face. Using this knowledge, he organizes various workshops for Freelancers Hub (Freelancers Union’s coworking space) to help other freelancers get their business to the next level and helps their community members find the right tools and resources for their business. Jalen freelances in graphic, web, and toy design, as well as digital marketing and photography.
Miriam Colon
Acting Director
Miriam is a serial entrepreneur and acting director of the Brooklyn Small Business Development Center. She is passionate about helping small business owners fund and grow their businesses. She cannot wait to help small business owners reach their milestones.
Roxana Colorado
International Business Strategist
Roxana Colorado is an international business strategist and philanthropist dedicated to developing changemakers and building a future that delivers inclusion, sustainability, and growth. Roxana has lived in 7 countries and leverages her international corporate and nonprofit experience to develop programs, policies, and activities that improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community. In addition, Roxana has collaborated as a workshop facilitator, mentor, community leader, and counselor for national organizations including Score, Freelancers Union, and most recently the Small Business Development Center (a government-funded organization dedicated to supporting small businesses in the United States).
Marley Spooner
Senior Director of Marketing
Marley works with Start Small Think Big and is experienced sales and marketing communications professional with a proven record of accomplishment of delivering results, driving customer success, and supporting revenue growth for corporations and nonprofit organizations serving the education sector. Adept at developing and implementing strategies for branding, product marketing, lead and revenue generation and market growth. Knowledgeable about how to optimize and use marketing tools and systems to track impact, optimize SEO and analytics to customize the customer experience and a keen understanding of how to use CRM and customer analytics to support growth goals. Skilled communicator with a passion for cross-functional collaboration and inclusive company culture.