SHANNON MANTARO

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY, CENTER FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS, DIRECTOR

Shannon Mantaro is an economic development professional with more than 15 years of senior management experience in planning and implementing strategic programs and initiatives.  She currently serves as the Director of the Center for Women in Business at Texas Woman’s University. The Center for Women in Business provides the tools for new and expanding woman-owned businesses to succeed including training, funding, business advisement and networking and mentoring opportunities. Prior to her position at TWU, she served as the executive director of Colgate University’s economic development arm in downtown Hamilton, NY.  In her positon, she worked collaboratively with various university and community stakeholders, and provides leadership and oversight for Colgate’s limited liability companies with total net assets of over $19 million. 

She has also served as marketing and operations director for a private, non-profit economic development agency in upstate NY. In this position, she was the administrator of the Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training through which she facilitated promotional and networking opportunities and developed monthly professional training programs for women business owners. She also founded “The Next Great Idea” business plan competition and “Connections”—an annual Women’s Entrepreneurial Conference and day-long training and networking opportunity for women business. She holds a Master’s degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications