SANDY CLEARY
Founder/CEO, Sandy Cleary – a.k.a The High-Heeled Investor™.
Sandy is the angel investor behind SLC Group Holdings with a heart of gold.
Her mantra is “Go Big or Go Home” and she lives it every day.
Other “Fun Facts” about Sandy:
- Sandy is an ACTUAL rocket scientist!
- Upright toasters would NEVER be found in the SLC office kitchen.
- Sandy is always dressed for success, high-heels and all!
- Partnering for a good cause has always been a top priority for Sandy.
- One of Sandy’s favorite parts to her day is being greeted at the door by her four-legged children.
Jeanine Kilgallen
General Counsel and VP, Strategy & Development
Jeanine is SLC’s General Counsel & Vice President of Strategy and Development.
She is the voice of reason, or ‘Thunder Cloud’ as Sandy has lovingly nicknamed her, in all things legal. She gives the team guidance on a myriad of procedures while they work with our portfolio of investments.
She has a keen eye for detail that keeps us all on our toes! But don’t let her serious demeanor fool you, she has a killer sense of humor and the skills to sanitize an airline seat in ONE minute flat!
Other fun facts about Jeanine:
- She and her husband love taking their young kids to watch planes at the local airport.
- She volunteers with local organizations close to her heart.
- She loves to enjoy a glass (or 2) of red wine (box is fine with her!).
- She once rocked purple hair… while she was clerking for a judge.
- She used to drive the beer cart at the local golf course.
- Her dance moves are epic, and can be a great source of entertainment at the office!
Debbie Adams
VP, Investment Management
Debbie is SLC’s Vice President of Investment Management. If anyone on our team needs multiple arms it would, hands down, be Debbie. She not only works on our current investment portfolio but also makes sure the SLC building is running smoothly, acts as a property manager for other SLC real estate endeavors and is our resident foodie. The best lunch ideas come from her and her warm personality is sure to be a highlight of the day.
Other fun facts about Debbie:
- Debbie is a Civil Engineer and attended UVM on soccer and track/field scholarships.
- She was inducted into the Hall of Fame at her high school.
- She is passionate about supporting her local church & community through ongoing volunteering.
- She is grateful to have traveled throughout the world and meet wonderful people on her journey.
- Her favorite Food is ice cream….”I LOVE FOOD!”
- She loves all things 80s and sings well… in the car!
- She enjoys comedy, going to concerts, family time and getting together with friends
Jen Urban
Finance Manager
Jen is SLC’s Finance Manager. If it has to do with money, Jen is there with her eagle-eyes!
She also heads up the real estate side of SLC’s portfolio and is
the liaison with our developers on new and ongoing projects.
Jen has one of the biggest smiles and her infectious laugh can be heard throughout the office. She never hesitates to look at an issue or project
from a different angle, thinking out of the box is her superpower.
Other fun facts about Jen:
- Jen’s dream date would be with Will Smith.
- She collects fun pens and has the snazziest one at every meeting.
- Jen LOVES everything Bon Jovi and has an enviable t-shirt collection to prove it.
- She has been to 49 of the 50 states…hmmm, which one is she missing?
- She has 2 beagles, one of which she personally rescued from Key West.
Karen O’Brien
Project Manager
Karen is a Project Manager at SLC. In essence she is a jack of all trades, working directly with entrepreneurs, writing content for blogs and social media posts, as well as brainstorming ideas for SLC’s charitable endeavors. Her organizational skills are guru-level and combined with her photographic memory she is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to recall of facts or events. She sneezes like a Disney Princess and can sing like one too!
Other fun facts about Karen:
- Karen is a voracious reader and at times has 4 books going at once!
- She was a Montessori Pre-K teacher which explains her love of effective communication.
- Peonies are her favorite flower.
- She is a bit of a daredevil and loves going on rollercoasters with her husband and four kids.
- Snuggling up with her two lab pups is her favorite way to relax.
Shawn Tewksbury, CPA, CFP®
Business Investment Analyst
Shawn is SLC’s Business Investment Consultant and also has an endearing nickname from Sandy…‘Dream Crusher’. He is adept at all things accounting, finance and has a shrewd understanding of the inner workings of large and small businesses. He answers all the hard questions and imparts knowledge regarding the intricacies of angel investing. Plus, he brings levity to an office full of ladies!
Other fun facts about Shawn:
- He has 4 boys (not 27 as Sandy always references) in age ranging from 19 down to 7
- Never misses watching a Penn State football game where he is an alumni
- His nickname in high school was “Shark”
- He volunteers to coach pretty much every one of his boys sports teams because he hates just sitting and watching from the sidelines
- He loves golfing, skiing, hiking, and entertaining friends around a good fire with a few beverages!
Donna Gilberto
Head of Website Development & Database Solutions
Donna is SLC’s Head of Website Development & Database Solutions. She works with businesses to execute strategies that define their brand, build awareness, and drive immediate results.
Her superpower is finding solutions through research and historical data and is our go-to for questions on platform operational systems.
She is always willing to roll up her sleeves and help, no matter the crisis. Donna brings humor to most situations and makes us laugh every day
which is integral to our team mantra of having fun in what we do.
Other fun facts about Donna:
- Donna paused her IT career to run a thriving bed and breakfast while she raised her daughter.
- She is a big fan of The Beatles and her celebrity crush is Paul McCartney.
- She loves spending time with her Mom in Connecticut and her daughter now in LA.
- True crime podcasts and documentaries are her guilty obsessions!
- She would love to travel the country in an RV and hopes to make that her goal later in life.
Darlene Carenza
Director of Marketing and Strategy
As the Director of Marketing and Strategy, Darlene manages the Winni Marketing team and directs the overall business strategy and day-to-day operations.
She loves developing new partnerships and bringing like-minded brands together for both Winni and SLC, and she also has a passion for writing and editing.
Darlene loves taking on new challenges (while keeping a positive mindset) because she truly believes that anything is possible!
Other fun facts:
-While in college in NYC, she worked as a bartender in the theaters of Broadway shows
-She once won an electric guitar from Lenny Kravitz on MTV’s “Total Request Live”
-She is a huge fan of Hawaii & once flew from Miami to Maui and back the next day for a business meeting
-She has a blind, senior rescue dog named Kona
-She loves visiting Disney parks with her husband and daughter
-She is a food allergy mom and advocate and is always packing multiple epi-pens and safe snacks
Alejandra Lopez
Head of Strategic Partnerships
Alejandra (or “Aleja” as her teammates call her) leads Winni Marketing’s partnership initiatives. She has a knack for bringing innovative partners to the table,
and she brings more than 17 years of integrated marketing experience with a background in everything from travel to technology.
She is a master at managing lead generation sweepstakes campaigns, and she even steps in to assist our brands with their email marketing efforts. She has a real passion for helping
entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and it shows in everything she does!
She is always smiling, and she focuses on making the most of every second of her life!
Other fun facts:
- She’s ambidextrous
- She loves sports, painting, musicals, the Bee Gees, adding white cheese to coffee (yep, weird, she knows 😉), going to the beach and traveling the world – especially to visit family or meet the new little ones.
- Started playing tennis at the age of 5, won her first tournament at the age of 9, and went on to play Division I tennis in college!
- Jelly, coffee ice cream, wine and cheese are amongst her favorite things
Susette Andaya-Gomez
Head of Digital Strategy
Susette (aka Suzy) is Head of Digital Strategy at Winni Marketing. When she is not helping Winni’s clients master their own e-commerce platforms,
SEO and media plans, she is creating content for Winni’s social media accounts or developing websites. Suzy is also a polished public speaker and
represents Winni at networking events, trade shows and on podcasts. She is our reporting guru and a master at keeping everyone organized and on track.
As a recent breast cancer survivor, Suzy now shares her story of early detection with the hopes of saving others by hosting preventative,
guided breast self-exams alongside her surgical oncologists on Clubhouse.
Other fun facts:
- Suzy has walked on The Great Wall of China!
- She’s an ex-Disney cast member.
- She has visited 21 Countries, loves to travel and is a self-proclaimed wanderlust.
- She’s a breast cancer survivor/thriver.
- She loves going to Disney with her husband and toddler son