2025 Women in Business - September Event

Description

Finish out 2025 with purpose and inspiration! Join us for a positive half-day Women in Business Conference, designed for women in all roles—entrepreneurs, professionals, and dreamers alike.

This empowering event is your opportunity to connect with like-minded women, gain actionable insights, and set achievable goals for the year ahead. Through panel discussions and a dynamic keynote from Stephanie Hebert, you are sure to walk away feeling motivated and prepared to make 2025 your most successful year yet.

Don’t miss this chance to invest in YOURSELF, build friendships, and kick off the new year with clarity and confidence.

Seats are limited—reserve your spot today!
Disclaimer: If you need to cancel your spot at Women in Business, your payment will be credited toward another Broussard Chamber event of your choice.

Stephanie Hebert is a child and family therapist practicing in Lafayette. She earned her bachelor's and master's degree from UL-Lafayette with a concentration in School Counseling. She has worked as a school counselor for various private schools for 6 years following graduation. Shortly after the COVID pandemic, she chose to return to school to pursue private practice mental health counseling while working in administration for another private practice.

Upon licensure, she chose to open her own business, Align Therapy and Wellness, where she has successfully maintained a full time, private pay case load for the past 2 years. Stephanie specializes in working with children, teens and young adults ages 4 and up through a family systems lens, working closely with parents along the way. She has also been featured as an event speaker for her Alma maters, podcasts, and media interviews offering support and insight in various areas of expertise. As a wife and mother of three girls, she enjoys the freedom and empowerment of being a private practice business owner and connecting those in our community to resources that help our children and families. 

Panelist


Melissa Bowen
Founder, The Authenticity Center & LPC-S

Melissa Bowen is a champion of courage, resilience, and wholehearted living. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, Supervisor and Coach, she helps individuals transform their lives through authenticity, connection, and courage. As a Certified Daring Way Facilitator, trained in the research of Brené Brown, she specializes in building resilience to shame gremlins. Based in Lafayette, LA, Melissa runs a private counseling practice, The Authenticity Center, where she also supervises counselor interns, and has collaborated with organizations like The United Way, brandRusso, Chamber and non-profits for professional development. Melissa is a TEDx speaker, a mentor for the705 program, consults for The Hub Urban Ministries, and is on the Board for the non-profit, The Confidence Campaign. To learn more about her work and agency at www.TheAuthenticityCenter.com.

Shyra Moran, CUDE
Community Relations Officer, Advancial

Shyra Moran is a proud native of Geismar, Louisiana, now residing in Lafayette. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2005 and received her Development Education certification in 2025 through the National Credit Union Foundation. A devoted member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated since 2003, Shyra continues to lead with service and purpose.

Currently serving as the Community Relations Officer for Advancial Credit Union, Shyra brings her passion for connection and impact to the forefront of her work. She is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for CASA of SOLA and actively serves in the Junior League of Lafayette, where she is currently the Chair of Community Impact.

Her leadership and dedication to the community have earned her numerous accolades. She was named one of Acadiana's Top 20 Under 40 in 2022, honored as a 2023 Girl Scouts of Louisiana – Pines to the Gulf Woman of Distinction, and most recently recognized as one of Acadiana’s Finest by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She is an alumna of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana Class 36 and was honored as the 2024–2025 Junior League of Lafayette Volunteer of the Year. She also served as a former Commissioner for the Lafayette Commission on the Needs of Women, where she advocated for issues impacting women and families across the region.

Rooted in her faith, Shyra serves at Progressive Baptist Church on the Benevolent/Outreach Board. Her favorite scripture, Luke 1:45 (NKJV), serves as a guiding light: "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be fulfillment of those things which were told to her from the Lord."

A passionate servant leader, Shyra is devoted to making a meaningful impact in every space she enters—living out her purpose with grace, authenticity, and unwavering commitment.

Kate Bailey Labue 
Attorney and District 7 School Board Member for LPSS

Kate Bailey Labue is a Lafayette native, attorney, public official, and former nonprofit executive with nearly two decades of experience in transactional law, litigation, and organizational leadership. She currently serves as Corporate Counsel at VieMed, Inc., a publicly traded nationwide company headquartered in Lafayette, where she advises on commercial agreements, compliance, and governance matters. Kate’s legal career spans roles with national and regional firms, where she represented clients in oil, gas, and renewable energy transactions, complex title work, and regulatory matters. In addition to her legal practice, she has held leadership positions in the nonprofit sector, serving on multiple boards. She is the former Executive Director of the Acadiana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen and currently serves as an elected member of the Lafayette Parish School Board, representing District 7, which includes a portion of South Lafayette and Broussard.

Beyond her professional work, Kate is deeply rooted in her family and community. She and her husband of 20 years, Jared Labue—portfolio manager and financial advisor with First Horizon Wealth—are proud parents of two children. Their daughter, Maria, is a sophomore at LSU majoring in nutritional biochemistry and serving as senator for the College of Agriculture. Their son, Vito, is a junior who is currently in the Brent Henley Leadership Program through the Broussard Chamber

Torilyn Williams, CBAP
AVP|BSA Manager, HomeBank 

A native to New Orleans, Louisiana, Torilyn is a dedicated professional and community leader living in Lafayette. After relocating to pursue her education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Life Sciences. In 2016, she began her career at Home Bank, where Torilyn currently serves as the BSA Manager, leading a team responsible for ensuring compliance and upholding the highest standards in financial regulatory practices. Torilyn is deeply committed to service and civic engagement outside of her career.
She is an active member of the Junior League of Lafayette and serves on the board of Junior Achievement, where she mentors and inspires future leaders. Her passion for community extends to volunteer involvement with the 24-Hour Citizen Project, Acadiana Fatherhood Initiative, American Heart Association, and Good Hope Baptist Church. She also shares her voice as a writer for Lafayette Mom and is a proud graduate of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana Class XXXVII. A devoted wife and mother, Torilyn values family above all. Together, they enjoy new restaurants, attend sporting events and local festivals, and explore new destinations, in addition to cheering on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the New Orleans Saints.

Emcee

Sarah Mary (MDiv) Toce-Donlon
National Speaker & Master of Divinity

Many Thanks for our wonderful Sponsors: