Women, Money and Work 2011:

A Financial and Career Empowerment Conference

Conference Speakers

Morning Keynote Speaker: Bertha Coombs, "Lessons From The Recession"

Bertha Coombs is a general assignment reporter for CNBC, covering financial markets and business news stories throughout the business day. She is based at the network’s global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Coombs' reporting at CNBC has ranged from coverage of the spying scandal on Hewlett-Packard's board and the criminal trial of former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Mississippi. She also serves as a substitute anchor on business day programs, including CNBC's "Worldwide Exchange", broadcast live from Europe, Asia and the United States.

Before joining CNBC, Coombs was a freelance anchor and reporter at CNNfn, and served as a financial markets reporter with Yahoo! Finance Vision. She also served as an ABC News reporter and anchor, covering news stories for "ABC News One" and as a substitute anchor for "World News Now" and "World News This Morning." Her previous experience includes reporting and anchoring positions at WABC-TV in New York, WPLG-TV in Miami, and WFSB-TV in Hartford, Conn.

Coombs earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Yale University and was the recipient of a Leo Beranek Reporter Training Fellowship. She is a member and former board member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Lunchtime Keynote Speakers: Monica Bertran and Margaret Collins,
"Living Well With Less"

Monica Bertran is a reporter for Bloomberg Television, based in New York City. Bertran brings a wealth of experience to Bloomberg’s morning programming, covering breaking financial, real estate, consumer and economic stories for the InsideTrack, In the Loop and InBusiness morning business programs.

Bertran, who joined Bloomberg L.P. in 1992, has served as an anchor and reporter for several of Bloomberg TV's top programs as well as reported extensively from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She has interviewed global financial newsmakers throughout her career, including Union Pacific Railroad President and CEO James Young, DineEquity Chairman and CEO Julia Stewart, ConAgra Foods President and CEO Gary Rodkin and Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott, among others. Prior to joining Bloomberg, she held positions at CBS Radio, WHDH Radio in Boston, and 1010 WINS New York.

Bertran holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Xavier University and is a member of both the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists. She is also on the board of directors of the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester.

Margaret Collins is a reporter on Bloomberg Television’s Personal Finance team, based in New York. She has been reporting for Bloomberg's personal finance team since August 2009. She covers topics including retirement savings (such as 401ks and IRAs), health insurance, investments that have may have unforeseen pitfalls for investors, taxes and municipal bonds. Prior to Bloomberg, she was a multimedia editor for MSN's money channel and a reporter for the Bergen Record newspaper in New Jersey.

Collins holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross.

Morning Presenter: Tiffany " The Budgetnista" Aliche,
“Making Frugal Fabulous”

Tiffany has been a featured speaker at American Express, The Boys and Girls Club, Princeton University, Columbia University, Dress for Success and a number of other organizations. Her financial tips and advice have been featured in the February 2011 issue of ESSENCE Magazine, the June 2011 issues of Black Enterprise MSNBC, USA TODAY Weekend Edition, and News 12 New Jersey’s “It’s Your Money” show, as well as numerous blogs and online publications.

Tiffany Aliche is a passionate teacher of engaging, financial empowerment, and speaks under the name, “The Budgetnista”. In 2008, she started CLD Financial Life, a professional and educational services firm that specializes in the delivery of financial literacy education. CLD creates and delivers products and services that include, but are not limited to seminars, workshops, curricula and trainings. In addition to CLD Financial Life, Tiffany also wrote a book entitled, The One Week Budget, which teaches readers how manage their money, and how to do more with less.