Ms. Sagester has over 25 year’s business and economic development, strategic planning, networking and innovative coaching and consulting experience within public, private and non-profit sectors. Customers have included: DoD, all branches of U.S. military, Veterans Administration (VA), entrepreneurial, small to mid-size and large businesses, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic area of Virginia,

D.C. and Maryland; as well as, in the Central Florida area. This experience includes business development and management positions held at Fortune 100 companies such as, Xerox, AT&T and small to medium size defense contractors, such as Intelligent Decisions, Inc., along with military and veteran non-profit organizations. Customer industry experience includes: Information Technology, Simulation & Training, IT Communications, Bio-Medical Research, Bio-Science, Pharmaceutical, Filtration, Military & Commercial Shipbuilding, Defense, and Manufacturing among others.

Throughout 12 years with Allied Materials, she served as Business Development Lead and Contracts Administrator; developing, negotiating, implementing and executing military, defense and commercial contracts; as well as, monitoring, measuring and interpreting contract performance, status and budget compliance. She also, analyzed and evaluated proposals, contractual provisions, rights and obligations and contract compliance. It was at this time her experience with entrepreneurial companies began, as Allied Materials was one of the first Woman-Owned small business entrepreneurial start-ups in the military/defense industry in Hampton Roads, VA. She went on to open her own Woman-Owned small business coaching and consulting firm, Ideal Life Management (ILM), as founder and president in Orlando, FL. For seven years she coached and consulted executives and businesses in the Central Florida area. Clientele focused mainly on entrepreneurial and small to mid-size businesses in the areas of: technology, residential/commercial mortgage, financial advising, insurance, professional ‘gifting’ companies and others. However, her customer base also included such clientele as Florida Department of Transportation and Raytheon executives. It is at this time her demand as a business coach and motivational speaker throughout the Central FL Region occurred; speaking at the University of Central FL (UCF)

Annual Finance and Accounting Conference, NOVA Southeastern University’s Annual Student Finance Conference, Central FL

Professional Women’s Conference, regional Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs among others; while also developing and presenting business training and motivational seminars.

Ms. Sagester then held a primary client, USA Cares, Inc. where she established and supervised the southeast region of the U.S. for this military assistant non-profit organization, based out of Radcliff, KY. She managed a multi-state territory to include annual and quarterly development of territory business and marketing plans, fund development plans, budget and donation projections, fundraising projects, events and conducted community outreach. She also managed a large multi-state volunteer base; while also developing and executing a successful grant writing program for this non-profit organization, to include over $2.2 Million in grants and over $150,000 in gifting the first year. Continued fundraising, proposal and grant writing (private, local, state and federal grants), corporate and individual donor campaigns helped to achieve USA Cares annual $3 Million dollar goal. Cherylynn also holds a Certification from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business, as a Professional Grant Writer.

In March of 2013, Cherylynn joined the Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC) at Old Dominion University Research Foundation (ODURF), Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE), as the Director and Senior Business Advisor. The VBOC is a U.S. Small Business Administration funded grant program awarded to ODURF in Norfolk, VA; where she currently, oversees operations of the Center; grant/budget management, serves veteran entrepreneurs and small business clients in the Hampton Roads and Mid-Atlantic region to grow their small businesses thru economic development, business advising and or mentoring, she also delivers business training for veteran-owned start-ups, military spouses and existing veteran-owned small businesses; in all areas of the business cycle, no matter the industry, to include non-profits and franchising.

Cherylynn’s academic experience includes a Masters of Science Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Old Dominion University. She is also an Adjunct Professor for Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, VA, Webster University and Barry University, Orlando, FL teaching entrepreneurship, business management, finance and marketing courses to both undergraduate and graduate students.