Alex Thomason

ALEX THOMASON

BOARD MEMBER

Alex has been many things—criminal prosecutor, world-ranked skier, archeologist in Israel, final 4 contestant on the Apprentice, 5-time Super Lawyer, coach to Olympic gold medalists, 13-time Miss USA State host and judge, helicopter pilot, motocross racer, and law school graduation speaker. Alex is many things—he is head attorney in a $250 million dollar wildfire lawsuit and has appeared in People Magazine, Fox News, UK Daily, NBC Nightly News, King5, KIRO, KOMO, and KREM news—but he is also a father to 5 kids he personally delivered… and is husband to beautiful Katy!

DAVID SCHIEFFELIN

BOARD MEMBER

David R. Schieffelin is the Managing Director for Women’s Leadership LIVE. He is an angel investor, entrepreneur, and skilled corporate operating officer. David has the cross-disciplined experience to create and execute a company’s strategic plan alongside founders, advisory teams, key advisors, and partnerships. David began his career with a two year stop on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange working with then trading giant Speer Leeds & Kellogg. Then, over twelve years, successfully rising to Senior Vice President at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, News America Marketing division, where he built new businesses and managed multiple teams generating hundreds of millions of dollars in sales annually, gaining extensive operational, financial, sales and marketing experience. David quickly put to use his skills for business innovation as co-founder of two successful electronic / TV retail businesses spanning more than 24 years with his wife Stacey Schieffelin. A disrupter in IoT, David developed groundbreaking wearable sensor technology in partnership with Verizon, AT&T, Cisco and Accenture that put his company on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. A Harvard graduate, he is active in numerous entrepreneur trade associations and certified by the InBIA as a Developer of Business Incubators.

David and his Women’s Leadership LIVE team are blazing trails as tactical partners with industry leading, social selling platform – CommentSold. David is a dynamic team builder and executive leader in beauty, fashion & CPG omni-channel commerce.  He develops and manages enterprise retail programs integrating live selling into social strategies. 

David Schieffelin
Denise White

DENISE WHITE

BOARD MEMBER

Denise, CEO & Founder of Entertainers & Athletes Group (EAG), specializes in handling aspects of an athlete’s career that can easily be overlooked by an agent or team with an overflowing roster. In 1996 after a successful career in broadcasting, Denise noticed a gap between the roles of player agents and front offices when it came to career management for pro athletes. In the NFL, where teams at times field 80 players and agencies sign even more, rookies and veterans alike often fall through the cracks. Denise used vision and determination to open an office where players could find individually tailored career assistance and development. Today, EAG provides the highest quality service for athletes seeking marketing, PR, event planning, Branding & Crisis Management. Denise was recently featured in a Men’s Journal article as the “Woman who bails out the NFL’s bad boys“. From this Journal, Hollywood came knocking and Fox2000 bought Denise’s life rights and now are producing a film about her starring Jennifer Aniston, debuting in 2018.

JULIE CHO

BOARD MEMBER

Julie is the wife of Rich Cho, the Vice President of Basketball Strategy of the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team. She is a lawyer, former law professor, and published author. Julie is passionate about community service and supporting public education.

Julie Cho
Rich Cho

RICH CHO

BOARD MEMBER

Rich became the first Asian-American GM in American major league sports when he served as GM of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2010-11. On June 14th, 2011 – 2018, Rich became the GM of the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (owned by Michael Jordan). Currently, Cho is the Vice President of Basketball Strategy with the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team. Cho earned an engineering degree from Washington State University and worked as a Boeing engineer in 1989-94 before leaving to enroll at Pepperdine University School of Law in order to pursue his passion in professional sports. Cho, along with two Microsoft programmers, helped design and implement one of the NBA’s most advanced and comprehensive college and professional player-evaluation systems that integrates player statistics, scouting information and contract details. An avid explorer of restaurants and cuisine, Cho enjoys staying active by playing basketball, tennis, ping-pong and softball in his spare time. He and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, Miranda and Annika.

ROYAL MALLOY

BOARD MEMBER

Royal Malloy is the founder of Royal Entertainment Group, which is under the umbrella of Sony Motion Pictures Non-Scripted. Royal was one of the original founders of American Chainsaws Entertainment where he has helped sell 30 shows to various networks.

Royal Malloy
Sabina Ghebremedhin

SABINA GHEBREMEDHIN

BOARD MEMBER

Sabina, a 9x Emmy Award winning TV producer for ABC News, currently serves as the West Coast Editorial Producer for ABC News Good Morning America. In 2015, Sabina was honored with the ABC News Division’s MVP (Most Valuable Player) award. She has worked on groundbreaking stories including the life & death of Michael Jackson, Super Bowl 50, Orlando Shooting, San Bernardino Massacre, France Terrorist Attacks, the American Heroes in the Paris Train Attack, Boston Bombing, Sandy Hook Elementary Massacre, the Ebola crisis, the protests in Ferguson and many more. In addition, she has extensive experience covering red carpet Award Shows interviewing celebrities at the Academy Awards, ESPY’s, Emmy’s, American Music Awards, Grammy’s, Golden Globes and the Billboards. Sabina’s experience includes serving as on-air talent in her native country of Sweden, for Swedish Television as well as producing positions at local stations WGN, Fox and ABC Radio affiliates in Chicago.

STACEY SCHIEFFELIN

BOARD MEMBER

Stacey Schieffelin is a Co-Founder of Women’s Leadership LIVE (WLL), the Founder of ybf (your best friend) beauty, LLC, Models Prefer Beauty, and is one of six HSN Star Entrepreneurs. She has engineered a 24-year record of success as a #1 global cosmetic line in direct TV sales on 8 networks in 28 countries, HSN (USA), QVC (UK:  England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales), The Shopping Channel (Canada), TVSN (Australia, New Zealand), HSE24 (Italy), HSE24 (Germany, Austria ), Citruss TV (Dubai & 7 United Arab Emirate States) and Shopping LIVE (Russia) with over $450 million in cosmetic sales. Stacey is known for forging a highly personal relationship with her millions of girlfriends/consumers and as a successful market disruptive business leader, deeply soulful, entrepreneur-centric and renowned beauty expert. She is a TEDx speaker, mentor, media trainer, contributing author, and is frequently sought out by national magazines such as Allure, ELLE, Fitness, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Marie Claire, Where Women Create Work and Vogue.

Schieffelin began her career as an international model before becoming a beauty expert and businesswoman. With FORD Models in NYC for over 20 years and 15 additional global agencies, she graced many fashion covers, worked alongside famous French, Italian, British and USA designers as their muse, and walked the catwalks of Paris, Milan, Rome, London and NYC.

Today, Stacey is an award-winning business creator driving economic development by being of service to other passionate entrepreneurs and creators of customer solution products. She and the WLL Team guide individuals to realize, ignite, power and sustain their goals.  And in today’s ever changing and competitive marketplace, it’s imperative that everyone maximizes all available marketing platforms that assist women in accomplishing their personal and professional goals. Stacey and the Women’s Leadership LIVE team, coach women on how to take full advantage of doing just that by using television, print, radio, ecommerce and digital outlets to achieve their beYOUtiful dreams!

Stacey and her husband, David Schieffelin have enjoyed over twenty-five years of working together and all their initiatives continue to Lead, Lift and Launch women as they excel in their journey to live the life they dream as product developers/ambassadors, spokeswomen, and entrepreneurial successes.

Stacey as a deep appreciation for the beauty competition industry and it stems from being a previous title holder, national and international judge, sponsor and Board Member of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen for over 10 years.  In 2019, The Global Beauty Awards honored Stacey with the highly respected Lifetime Achievement Award.

Stacey and David, a Harvard graduate are the proud parents of their two style savvy daughters who have won many national titles and competed in numerous pageant systems. Knox McKay Schieffelin’s favorite title was being crowned World’s Perfect Junior Teen 2010 with the amazing Michael Galanos and his talented team & Lou Delaplaine Schieffelin, becoming Miss Florida Teen USA 2018 with the loving support of her directors Julie, Savannah & Todd Chrisley of Chrisley Knows Best.

Stacey Schieffelin
David Van Maren

DAVID VAN MAREN

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

In the 80’s, David attended Pacific University and University of Oregon with an emphasis in Physiology of Exercise. While working as a personal trainer, he began working in front of the camera in the entertainment industry. A few years later, he had the opportunity to begin working as an agent which led to owning his own agency where models, actors, music artists, athletes, celebrities, etc. booked thousands of jobs. He continued to work in the industry as he transitioned into personal management. David was first introduced to the pageant scene in 1999 as a judge for the 2000 Miss Washington USA & Miss Washington Teen USA Pageants.  In 2001, he received an invitation to become a state director for Miss USA & Miss Teen USA for WA, then added ID in 2007, MT in 2012 and OR in 2015. David is happily married, has a son and currently concentrates his efforts as an entrepreneur and co-executive producer at NW Productions, LLC, producing live events, red carpet productions and pitching reality/talk shows.

MAUREEN FRANCISCO

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Maureen is the co-executive producer of NW Productions, LLC a media, PR and entertainment company. In addition, Maureen produces the state qualifier to Miss USA and Miss Teen USA for ID, MT, OR and WA, a women’s empowerment event called the Beauty|Brand|Believe Expo, and now an awards show celebrating those in the pageant industry. To keep life interesting, she’s done everything from being a published author, It Takes Moxie, a book about achieving the American Dream to appearing on a game show and reality show, and being a TV news reporter. Her favorite role though is being a mom.

Maureen Francisco

TESTIMONIALS

BTW, I wanted to tell you how much I loved my swag bag from GBA!  Please let your sponsors know how wonderful they are. I especially enjoyed all of the incredible products from IT Cosmetics. OMG!  That makeup remover (Bye Bye Makeup) is Killer!  I don’t have to use any eye makeup remover oil with it, and it smells great. I also am crazy about the eye shadow pallet! Wow!  Such fabulous colors and they are so luscious and gorgeous on my eyes. I was seriously blown away by the amount and quality of the products. I felt so pampered!!!! (Julia Stone, Pageant Planet)

Dear David, Maureen, and Malachi: “The sharings of the most beautiful people in the world will stay with me forever.  I want to acknowledge the love and humility you excude in everything you do. This was truly and unforgettable experience for me. I am so happy to be given the honor of meeting you.” With love and honor (Nancy Berhorst, Ms. Super Senior Arizona 2019)

I just wanted to thank you for everything last weekend and for putting on a fantastic event! I had a great trip and enjoyed getting to meet many people at the expo and Global Beauty Awards. It was a fun weekend and I was happy to be apart of it! (Chris Nieves, MS)

My daughter, Macy, is relatively new to the pageant world but at the encouragement of her first pageant director, Tami Uhler of Up Pageantry, we became VIP members and attended the 2019 Global Beauty Awards.  Macy was an official nominee for Photogenic/Fitness and the newly crowned IJM California Teen.  We were both star struck from the moment we arrived!  Being embraced by Sarah Summers, Miss USA 2018 and welcomed by all the attendees at the evening reception was surreal.  The following day, we attended the Beauty Expo and were in the front row for presentations by Lu Sierra, Sarah Summers, Stacey Schieffelin, Founder/CEO of ybf beauty and an Amazon influencer!  The expo vendors were all top notch and we enjoyed trying products and dresses all morning! The awards show itself was over the top.  From the swag bag filled with products we LOVED, to meeting Jonathan Kayne, Lu Sierra, Stacey Schieffelin – all in person and all took fantastic photo with Macy – we were blown away.  Every detail was perfect and Macy’s love of beauty, pageantry, fashion, modeling, singing and everything in between was forever ignited because of the Global Beauty Awards.  We can’t wait for March to be a part of this phenomenon again and are humbled that Macy was nominated in two categories this year!  Being VIP members of the Global Beauty Awards are memberships we value and see as a vital part of Macy’s journey.  Anyone thinking about becoming a VIP member and attending the GBAs should jump on the chance! Jennifer Roth~ VIP Member, pageant mom and beauty enthusiast. Macy Roth ~ VIP Member, 2019 IJM California Teen and 2019 GBA official nominee.

  Macy & Jennifer Roth

Some call The Global Beauty Awards as an organization that hands out awards to exemplary work within the pageant community, I see it as an amazing reunion of The Who’s who of the pageant world. Being part of the Global Beauty Awards first edition truly connected and aligned me to some old and new friends former Miss Universe Michelle McLean, which made my show “The People’s Queen” even a sweeter show to make. Cece Asuncion (Executive Producer of The People’s Queen on ABS CBN Global and Co-Host of the 2018 Miss Teen USA)

Before we leave Seattle tomorrow, I wanted to reach out to say “thanks” again! I’ve been planning/producing events for many years….and the level of planning, level of professionalism, level of excitement, level of execution….were off the chart! Impressed is an understatement to be honest!!! And the value for what we got…amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything! We had a blast and WILL be back! Troy Fienhold-Haasis (National Director Nationwide Pageant System)

Jacy and I are so fortunate that she was a titleholder for Pageants NW, and through that experience we became involved with the Global Beauty Awards. We have attended it twice now, and have learned so many new things every time. It has also opened up phenomenal opportunities for Jacy, having just signed with MMG modeling agency out of New York and Beverly Hills! It is about time we had an event like this to celebrate the industry we know and love. So many passionate, accomplished, dedicated, and talented people are part of this event, from the staff, to VIP Pro voting members and the Board, nominees, and attendees, that one testimonial can’t do it justice. You simply MUST attend to understand and be a part of it ! Tami Uhler (CEO and Founder, Up Pageantry)

I hope you’re having a wonderful day with your family! I wanted to tell you that Sabina passed my information along at ABC and I interviewed and was offered a job as a desk assistant at the LA Bureau (Good Morning America Show). ️I will be moving down to LA this week to chase some dreams, all of this possible because of you. THANK YOU! For always believing in me and encouraging me and also being so wonderful at connecting me with amazing people. I couldn’t have done it without you! Abby Shalala (TGBA Volunteer)

The Global Beauty Awards were absolutely unforgettable! It was an evening organized to perfection. The Founders and Executive Producers, Maureen and David are the most impressive team. Not only are they very giving, but extremely intelligent leaders and passionate to make a difference. Maureen and David are the type of inspiring people you want to surround yourself with. The Global Beauty Awards undoubtably enhanced my career by giving me the opportunity to network with industry professionals. The entire evening I felt like I was sitting at the Oscars! Tori Kruse (Miss Missouri USA 2018 & Professional Speaker)

This weekend was one of the most amazing times of my life. I was so honored to have had the opportunity to present an award at the 2nd Annual Global Beauty Awards @thegbasofficial @maureenfrancisco alongside Miss Universe Cayman Islands, Miss Universe Sri Lanka and Miss India Worldwide. I got to meet some of the most beautiful people inside and out including MISS USA! This awards show is to celebrate pageantry around the world. I’m so happy for all the award winners and nominees, can’t wait to attend again next year! Thank you Rashing Women’s Show for always supporting me! Shifa Aliya (Miss Teen India Seattle 2018)

The weekend of the Beauty Brand Believe Expo and  Global Beauty Awards was nothing short of a spectacular experience! My daughter Lily has gained confidence and experience from attending the Expo year after year. She took the title of Miss Washington Teen USA because she developed the skills from the 1×1 coaching opportunities during the BBB Expo. Meeting the industry leading coaches and influential speakers made all the difference in her. The Global Beauty Awards is the Oscar’s of pageantry and our family looks forward to this every year.  Jennifer Lloyd (Best Pageant Parent 2018-2019 and Mom of Miss Washington Teen USA 2019)

Thank you SO much for the photos and for the Global Beauty Awards itself!! It was such an honor to see my name listed among the 15 fabulous finalists. I never expected for anything of this stature to come to me at 77 years of age.  And we of Ms. Sr USA/Universe were so proud to see one of our own receive such a prestigious award.  Peggie Fowler is an humble, friendly, helpful and lovely lady that has “pulled herself up from her bootstraps” as the saying goes, and we all love her and I feel that you couldn’t have picked a more deserving person. Thank you again for a  wonderful fairy tale experience.  I was awestruck the whole time I was there and felt like I was walking the red carpet in Hollywood! The planning of the event and the outcome was unbelievable!  The people that I met made a tremendous impression on me as we senior ladies were met with acceptance, warmth and friendliness by the younger ladies, planners, sponsors and attendees. Thank you again for such a wonderful experience!  Sally Beth Vick (Ms. Super Senior Universe 2018-19)

We had the pleasure of working with Maureen during our 2nd Annual Pageant – Miss Uganda North America Seattle 2018. Oh what an experience, in every capacity she breathed passion into everything she does. Her communication was always prompt and very well articulated. We invited her to join our panel of judges for a pageant with a not so common cultural diversity. She welcomed the idea, showed more enthusiasm and even introduced us to The Global Beauty Awards. She patiently worked through our changes the night of the pageant and was very flexible with us. We would strongly encourage anyone or any company that is looking for a live show or state pageant to have the confidence in Maureen and her team to helm the production. We look forward to future collaborations! Tibba Murungi Kabugu (Program President – Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant & Leadership Program)

Through our participation at the 2018 Global Beauty Awards, Dramatic Artists Agency was afforded an opportunity to network with some of the world’s most respected experts in the fields of entertainment, fashion, and pageantry.  We were particularly pleased with the connection we made in meeting Michelle McClean, Miss Universe 1992 and a renowned global beauty expert and television personality.  We are looking forward to working with Michelle as a like-minded business associate whose business mission is to help empower others to achieve their goals and dreams while conducting business in an ethical, honest and educated manner. Attending the Global Beauty Awards is a unique opportunity to make connections with inspiring, dynamic individuals who approach all their professional endeavors from a spirit of integrity and with a hope of making a positive difference in the world. Carlyne Grager (Owner of Dramatic Artists Agency in Los Angeles and Northwest Offices – SAG/AFTRA)

What a fabulous event! Thank you to everyone involved in making this fun and inspiring. I was so happy to be a part of this. Thank you for everything!! We are looking forward to next year’s event already!!! Sara Jo Burks (Ms. Senior USA 2018, and on cover of Pageantry Magazine – Fall 2018)

Hi Maureen…What a Fabulous Event!!  It will only expand and grow immensely so get ready for next year. James and I truly appreciate all the work and effort that went into such a production. You are to be highly commended…BRAVO!! What an honor. Again, on behalf of James and I and our attending Queens, thank you for coordinating such a great event. Kathleen “Kat” Ray (Founding Ms. Senior USA 2015, Founding Ms. Senior Universe 2016, Director of Ms. Senior Universe Pageant & TGBA winner of BEST VOLUNTEER)

The Inaugural event was perfect – so blessed we were there – nothing to change – really so AMAZING! I flew in from a business trip in Italy to meet my daughter Lou and we had a blast together – magical moments – then I flew back out to Germany the next day for business! It was so worth all the travel – we will never miss a year! Stacey Schieffelin (mom of Miss Florida Teen USA 2018)

We had a lovely time at the Global Beauty Awards, the entire event was well organized and seeing all of the amazing, talented and beautiful women in one room was awesome! Mary Irwin (mother of previous contestant Madeline M. Irwin and TGBA winner of MOST IMPACTFUL / BEST STORY)

Hi Maureen, I just wanted to say Thank You again for creating such wonderful events and to have the privilege of attending. This is the first time I have attended a pageant-related event…and being in an atmosphere with other contestants that I could meet and interact with without pressure of a competition…I look forward to seeing you in the future! Heather Husband (Mrs. Westmoreland County Pennsylvania America)

For most of my life, I felt like an outsider. I know what it is like to feel dismissed and unwanted because of my status as a transgender woman. However, I felt almost everyone at The Global Beauty Awards was accepting and welcoming of me. I felt diversity was embraced at The Global Beauty Awards. Anita Green (Miss Montana USA’s first openly transgender contestant)

The Beauty Brand Believe Expo and Global Beauty Awards are a must-attend event for anyone in the pageant industry. Maureen and David truly know how to gather a room of influencers and create an environment to honor people’s greatest contributions, allow for fun networking and provide a fun experience to learn and grow in the industry. Bravo! I’m grateful to be a part of this masterpiece! Alycia Darby (WinAPageant.com)

An incredible glimpse into pageantry, whether a seasoned pageant girl, or brand new to the pageant scene, the Beauty Brand Believe Expo will delight you and fill you to the brim with everything you need to know to succeed in this realm. Beth Schubert (Co-Director Miss Exceptional)

The Global Beauty Awards was one of the most exciting nights of my entire life. Being recognized as the very first recipient of the “Best Coach” Award is an honor I will carry in my heart forever. Congratulations to Maureen and David for successfully fulfilling their vision due to thousands of hours of hard work. Carl and I look forward to celebrating the dedicated people of the pageant industry for years and years to come! Faith Schway (Pageant & Interview Coach & TGBA winner of BEST COACH)