Dr. Laura Bokar is the CEO of Fox Valley Institute and has been an individual, marital and family therapist for over 30 years. Fox Valley Institute (FVI) was started in 2001 with one therapist (Dr. Laura). Since then FVI has grown into a thriving practice and continues to seek new professionals to expand their services.

Dr. Laura's team has been awarded numerous accolades for their distinguished work over the years including Best of Naperville in the Marriage and Family Therapist category, The Business Ledger Influential Women in Business Award, Naperville Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards, Jaycee's Distinguished Service Award in the Health and Wellness category, The Business Ledger Award for Business Excellence in the Emerging Entrepreneurial Company category and others.

Dr. Laura has been featured in the media including WGN's Daytime Chicago, WGN Radio, ABC7 News Chicago, Inside the Chamber (Naperville, IL), The River 95.9, and others. Dr. Laura is a public speaker, writer of articles published in industry magazines and author of her most recent book We Need to Talk: 24 Simple Insights for Relationships.

Dr. Laura received her Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision, and holds a Master's Degree in Human and Child Development with a specialization in Marriage and Family therapy. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical professional counselor, and an approved clinical supervisor. She is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), certified in Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT), a safe, gentle, and effective approach to dealing with trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Critical Incident Response, Prepare/Enrich Pre-Post Marital Assessment, Primary Care Behavioral Health and Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Anita Knotts is a highly accomplished senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. As a woman of color, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry and advocating for diversity and inclusion. Anita is a respected advisor, keynote speaker, and mentor, dedicating her expertise to empowering women and traditionally under-represented groups in finance.

As the Founder and CEO of Lotus Women's Institute, Anita is passionately committed to bringing more women and people of color into the wealth management industry. Through her leadership, she works tirelessly to bridge the gender and diversity gaps by providing opportunities, mentorship, and resources for both seasoned and aspiring professionals.

With a wealth of knowledge in sales, marketing, and business development in the competitive wealth management market, Anita has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and communication skills. Her ability to recruit, develop, and lead diverse teams has resulted in exceptional outcomes and propelled her success in the industry.

Anita firmly believes that the wealth management industry is at a critical juncture, and organizations that embrace diversity by implementing initiatives to hire diverse teams, particularly for frontline roles, will gain a competitive edge in serving the clients of the future.

Anita holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, and a Masters in Business Administration from DePaul University. She is an active member of her community and is engaged in several organizations.

Connect with Anita on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on her insights and initiatives. For more information and to subscribe to her free weekly email, visit www.lotuswomensinstitute.com, where you can access valuable resources and join the movement towards a more inclusive and empowered financial industry.

Adam is a Clinical Social Worker by training, and founded an outpatient, behavioral health practice in 2004. He was able to scale and grow his business to over eight figure revenue and 140+ employees over the next 15 years, and sold his practice in 2020. He then became a Regional VP of Operations in the group that purchased his company, overseeing a dozen integrations of acquired businesses in his region. 

After 2 1/2 years in the role, Adam missed working with small business owners and other executive leaders, and founded Reliable Coaching and Strategy. Business and Executive Coaching blends his clinical training with his entrepreneurial experience, and now he works to push his clients to think differently in order to maximize their strengths and achieve the success they desire.

Ashley Shi is the proud owner of Office Evolution Naperville and Office Evolution Lisle, two vibrant coworking spaces in DuPage County. Ashley loves developing the community and the people there. She spends a lot of time mentoring and facet new relationships to help local business owners and professionals to bring their business to the next level. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Young Professional Network Committee liaison, past board liaison of Women in Business. Ashley is also a classical music instructor, and she has been the recital chairperson of the Naperville Music Teacher Association for over a decade. Ashley lives in Naperville with her husband and three children.