Women's Exchange of Washtenaw

This panel is so high powered that Maria Thompson could power her company’s batteries with the energy.

Get inspired May 15th when the WXW will host three amazing women doing business in Washtenaw County. Maria Thompson, Debi Scroggins, and Kimberli Cumming, each representing a different sector, will share their stories and wisdom, and answer audience questions.   Moderated by Mary Morgan, this year’s panel should prove to be high energy (with Bearclaw Coffee in the house, you can’t help being high energy), and full of lessons you can use in growing your business.

Don’t miss the fun, see the complete schedule and register now!

The Panel:

Maria Thompson, Government Solutions Group of A123Systems, Inc.

Maria Thompson, photo by Steve Kuzma

Maria A. Thompson is President of the Government Solutions Group of A123Systems, Inc. (formerly T/J Technologies, Inc.), one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-power lithium-ion batteries. A123Systems is known internationally for its Nanophosphate™ lithium ion battery technology, and represents the largest lithium-ion R&D team in North America. In 2008, Ms. Thompson was honored by the Minority Enterprise Executive Council as one of 25 Powerful Minority Women in Business. She was chosen as one of Crain’s Detroit Business Most Influential Women for 2007. Among additional awards, too numerous to list here, Ms. Thompson was also invited to speak to the U.S. House Committee on Small Business as part of the Small Business Administration’s 50th Anniversary. Ms. Thompson earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan Business School. Prior to starting T/J Technologies, Ms. Thompson worked at Steelcase and IBM, where she earned numerous company awards. She and her husband, Dr. Levi Thompson, have 2 daughters.

Debi Scroggins, Bear Claw Coffee

Debi Scroggins

Debi Scroggins founded the Bearclaw Coffee Company with her husband, Doug Scroggins, in 2002.  Prior to founding Bearclaw Coffee, Debi spent seventeen years as a Customer Service Supervisor at the Detroit hub for Minneapolis-based Northwest Airlines, Inc. Her previous employment includes a stint in the food service industry at Bill Knapp’s, a Detroit-based restaurant chain. Debi’s 30 years of food service and customer service expertise have served her well in handling the daily challenges of running Bearclaw Coffee Co. She has an extensive secondary education including a B.B.A. from Eastern Michigan University as well as a Franchise Mini MBA from Nova Southeastern University. Debi is a Certified Franchise Executive through the International Franchise Association and is a charter member of the Women’s Greater Michigan IFA Business Network.

Kimberli Cumming,  The Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan

Kimberli Cumming

Kimberli Cumming, MSW, LMSW, is Executive Director of The Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan, a nonprofit women’s resource center based in Ann Arbor providing affordable counseling, financial, legal, and job-related services.  Kimberli has served as Executive Directer since July 2005, after serving as Assistant Director since 2001. As Women’s Center director, she is responsible for the administration and operation of all agency activities, including long-term planning and vision, budget management and development; program planning and evaluation; and grant-writing and reporting. She maintains a dynamic working relationship with the Board of Directors and provides supervision and support for five employees, 12 graduate student interns, and over 100 volunteers. She is a graduate of University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

Moderator: 

Mary Morgan, Ann Arbor Chronicle

Mary Morgan

Mary Morgan is publisher of The Ann Arbor Chronicle, an online local news publication that she and her husband, David Askins, launched in September 2008. Previously, she worked at The Ann Arbor News for 12 years, most recently as opinion editor overseeing the newspaper’s editorials, letters to the editor and reader-submitted opinion essays. Prior to that she was business editor at The News and wrote a weekly column on local business issues. She has a master’s degree in linguistics from Indiana University, and has taught English as a second language in China and the Central African Republic.