Our Team
Katrina McLarin - Chairperson
Katrina McLarin is an accomplished entrepreneur whose dynamic career spans industries and continents. Katrina has built a remarkable legacy of innovation and impact from her early start in radio broadcasting to her leadership roles in luxury resorts, corporate affairs, and international development. As President of Terra Bioenergy LLC, she spearheaded the completion of a biodiesel plant, demonstrating her ability to lead complex ventures in renewable energy.
With extensive experience in hospitality and property management, Katrina held executive roles with MP Personal Hotels & Resorts in Australia, where she led corporate affairs for high-end resorts and properties. She also served as Executive Director for The Star Group LLC, promoting The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World™ across global markets. Her career began in the news as an editor for Coromandel FM in New Zealand, then expanded to management roles in luxury gifts, interior design, and large entertainment venues in Australia.
Katrina has thrived as a New Zealand restaurateur. She continues to own a five-star luxury bed and breakfast. Her expertise in creating unforgettable guest experiences reflects her passion for hospitality and her dedication to excellence.
Now, as Chairperson of the charity Women of Worth, Katrina is providing leadership and organizational skills by managing large organizations that focus on women. Her compassion and people skills help address women's unique challenges in the U.S. penal system and the professionals who serve them. Her work with Women of Worth underscores her commitment to advocacy, offering vital support and resources to uplift and empower these women.
V. Cheryl Womack - Secretary
Cheryl's journey had humble beginnings. She grew up poor in a struggling Hispanic immigrant family in Kansas City, Kansas, where she was the third eldest of 11 children. A former elementary school teacher who left behind the blackboard for the business world, and over the years, built a corporate empire encompassing twenty-two different businesses that showcase a wide range of personal interests and concerns. Cheryl became one of America's most successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders.
Through hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, Cheryl exemplifies what is possible. Her motivational talks and mentoring programs inspire and empower people, particularly women, worldwide. Cheryl leads by example, showing others that anything is possible if they believe in themselves and are willing to work hard.
When she founded her first company in the basement of her home in 1982, Cheryl focused on succeeding in two male-dominated industries—trucking and insurance. A pioneer in the field of daycare in the workplace, she passionately believes in helping others to help themselves. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her accomplishments, which have garnered the attention of many local, national, and international publications.
Not one to retire, Cheryl now manages many business interests, including directing the efforts of a new business she founded to partner with and provide consulting and administrative services for a variety of start-up and growth companies. Cheryl has a history of generous support for many local organizations and enjoys personally mentoring budding young entrepreneurs.
Cheryl now has identified a new passion; as founder of the non-profit Women of Worth, she draws on her personal experience within the US penal system to create awareness of the rapid growth of women entering the prison system. She refers to them as "invisible" because everything related to the penal system is male-oriented. She believe these women and their specific needs should be recognized. She isn't looking to overhaul the penal system but rather to bring much-needed attention to the particular needs a woman has while and after being incarcerated.
Beyond her professional life, Cheryl's passions include philanthropic work, developing and speaking about education on women in the penal system, property management and development, interior design, needlepoint, and reading. Above all, she treasures her family and is a proud wife and mother of two sons, and a daughter in-law. She also loves spending time with her two step-children and grandchildren.
Doug Bleam - Treasurer
Doug is an accomplished financial executive with a wealth of experience spanning over 30 years in strategic financial planning, financial analysis, and hands-on management. With a track record of delivering desired financial results, Doug has an excellent understanding of a company's needs and challenges and leverages this insight to provide valuable input to the CEO in breaking through barriers and propelling underperforming entities to market leadership.
Doug's experience in both public and private accounting has proven invaluable in honing his expertise in various specializations, including process improvement, strategic and financial planning, start-up planning and implementation, transformation and business turn-around, systems implementation, capital and operational budgeting, team building, organization, and communication.
With extensive experience in all facets of financial management, as well as capital markets, Doug has a successful track record in leading functional areas such as HR, contracts and compliance, risk management, information technology, administration, and accounting.
Doug's expertise and passion for driving success through financial management make him an invaluable asset to any team. Doug is a senior financial executive with over 30 years of strategic financial planning, financial analysis, and hands-on management skills to drive desired financial results. Experience in both public accounting and private accounting has proven invaluable in understanding a company’s needs and challenges to provide the kind of input to the CEO in breaking through the barrier of a small underperforming entity to the entity becoming a market leader. Specialties: Process improvement; strategic & Financial planning; start-up planning and implementation; transformation and business turn-around; systems implementation; capital and operational budgeting; team building, organization, and communication. Experience in all facets of financial management, capital markets experience, and success leading functional areas including; HR, contracts and compliance, risk management, information technology, administration, and accounting.
Brenda Mendez - Director of Marketing
Brenda Mendez is a member of Women of Worth and the founding partner of Religious Relics. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Brenda grew up in Puerto Rico, starting her first business at age 7, she sold eggs door to door. Brenda was sentenced to 24 months in FCI Greenville. Upon her release, Brenda turned her entrepreneurial vision to helping support other women on a similar journey within the prison system.
Religious Relics is a project created by Brenda Mendez and Cheryl Womack. Its intent is to create jobs for women that are coming out of the prison system. The goal is to provide opportunities for women to craft specialty rosaries. These types of experiences help lower their chance of recidivism. Brenda’s time spent behind bars gave her first-hand experience and knowledge that inspires her to help other incarcerated women who also have to deal with being separated from their families. It is clear that from her experience. Brenda understands the difficulty of working and living within a broken system.
Brenda spent her time in prison learning to read and write in English. She studied entrepreneurism under her mentor Cheryl Womack, previously the chair of The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World, Inc.
As a mother and wife, family comes first for Brenda. She studied Criminal Justice at the Universidad Interamericana in Puerto Rico and studied as a medical assistant and massage therapist after moving back to Philadelphia at the age of 25. Brenda loves helping others, she enjoys cooking and traveling with her family.