Meet the Board of Directors

No stranger to the business & creative world, Leslie Swedish is a Jill of many trades.

She has been an Instructor at the ARC, a CNA, Rehabilitation Services Aide, Real Estate Agent, Bartender/Waitress, Office Manager, Airbrush Artist, Tattoo Artist, Administrative Coordinator, a Cosmetologist, and a Beauty Educator throughout the years.

Leslie got the idea for the Moxxi Women's Foundation at the planning stages of the Moxxi Coffee Company. Reflecting on careers of the past made her realize that it was typically a financial need that caused her to stray from her passions.  She then decided to donate $1 for every item sold from the Moxxi Coffee to the foundation so that other women would not have to make the choice to walk away from a passion like she had so many times. 

In 2020, Leslie became the Owner & Founder of Moxxi Coffee Company and the Moxxi Women's Foundation.

Owner of Saratoga Coffee Traders in downtown Saratoga Springs, NY, Scott was born in Springville, NY just west of Buffalo near the Pennsylvania border and moved to Waterford NY at the age of 5. He graduated from Canisius College in 2001 and received his master's degree from SUNY Albany in 2005 for teaching. After bouncing around a few teaching jobs, he decided he wanted to work for himself and took a job managing a small coffee shop in Saratoga Springs in 2009 for a friend. From there, he and his friend grew the business to unbelievable heights and in 2017 he bought him out of the shop.  Since then he has been able to get married, have a daughter, buy a house and become VP of the Moxxi Women's Foundation and become an advocate for preventing sexual harassment in the service industry.  Moving forward, he believes that the foundation will become a force behind the hard work and dedication of it's President, his wife, Leslie.  Scott says "I'm excited to be on board and cannot wait to see the progress we make in the coming years."

 Joshua Jaquish is a Junior Project Manager at BPI Piping in Waterford, NY.He grew up in Fleischmanns, NY a small rural town outside of Delhi, NY. There, he split time between homes my parents houses until he was 14 years old, when he moved with his mother to Waterford, NY. He graduated from Stillwater 3 years later. He was able to work a lot as a teen and ended up buying his first Rental Unit Property at the age of 20 in Mechanicville, NY. Ultimately,he has no idea what he wants to do when he gets older, but he does know that he has a passion for cars. Specifically, he doesn't have a favorite, but he enjoys anything that’s pretty and goes fast like a Subaru STI 22B. He joined onto the Moxxi Women’s Foundation as the Treasurer because he watched how ambitious his mom had been growing up and wanted to be a part of her mission. "I am excited about my future and the future of this Foundation."

At only 16 years old Olivia is likely the youngest person to serve as Secretary of a foundation. She is a straight A student who makes Principals Honor Roll nearly every quarter, Plays Varsity Soccer and Softball as a sophomore and is more than competent at the several jobs that she holds.  As a barista at Saratoga Coffee Traders she is the standard to which any employer would  and very highly regarded by the regulars who, more often than not, are not aware that she is still a high school student.  Olivia is organized and articulate making her an ideal secretary.  Olivia enjoys being part of the foundation because it gives her the opportunity to help women in this community. It also gives her a platform to raise awareness about women's equality in other communities that are in need of a strong female voice. 

Katie has played an active role in patient care in Saratoga County for several years. She started as a technician with CVS Pharmacy in 2008, became a staff pharmacist for several years, later held the Pharmacist in Charge position at her Wilton, NY CVS location for 3 years, and she is currently the dispensary manager and consulting pharmacist for RISE dispensary in Halfmoon, NY. Aside from her expertise in retail and cannabis pharmacy, Katie has also worked for several years in a compounding pharmacy, incorporating her knowledge of compounding techniques and nutritional supplements in patient care. Her expertise in cannabis lends to an understanding of a more natural approach to health and wellbeing, helping hundreds of patients with ailments ranging from seizure control to chronic pain. She is also a mentor for American Corporate Partners (ACP), a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans and active-duty spouses find their next careers. Katie completed her pharmacy schooling at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2013 with her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree. Katie has previously served as president of the Consolidated Health District of Stillwater, NY. Katie lives with her Husband on Saratoga Lake, and they own a horse farm in Stillwater, NY. She spends her free time hiking, hunting, traveling, and horseback riding.

Amy Gulbrandsen is a licensed massage therapist. She graduated from The Center for Natural Wellness in Albany, NY in 2018 and is currently renting her own space within The Saratoga Day Spa. Manipulating muscles isn’t her only passion though. Amy also loves crafting and creating delicious cocktails, and someday wants to run her own vintage camper mobile bar. She was drawn to the foundation because it is a great platform for women who are driven and goal oriented, but also need support to achieve those goals. “I feel that there are a lot of women out there trying to achieve something, but feel stuck. Whether it be financially, emotionally, or they just don’t know how to get the ball rolling, MWF has the tools and resources available to help women achieve those goals. We come together to support and lift each other up. That’s what Moxxi Women’s Foundation is all about.”

Jess is a Financial Consultant at Gretchen Meyer Financial. After growing up in her small town of Ballston Spa and attending Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, Jessica grew very fond of the community and decided to venture back to the area after graduating college.

With a firm desire to create positive impacts in people's lives and the hope to give back to the community that did so much for her, Jessica researched careers thoroughly that could benefit others given her skillset. Understanding that financial literacy and proper money management have the opportunity to change someone's life and legacy, Jessica decided to throw herself into the financial advising space.

By teaming with Gretchen Meyer Financial, Jess has the resources and support to help not only the residents of her community work towards their financial goals but those she feels are marginally underrepresented. Due to the traditionalist notion that men are the primary "breadwinners" for decades women have been overlooked as candidates for financial planning. Knowing that women also deserve the opportunity to have access to a solid financial plan, Jessica dedicates her time to specifically helping women pursue their own unique financial goals while running educational women-centric financial literacy workshops. More than 90% of Jessica's clientele are women.

Jessica has a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from SUNY Oneonta and holds the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 Securities Registrations with LPL Financial and New York State Life, Accident & Health Insurance License. Jessica has earned the Accredited Behavioral Financial Advisor (ABFP™) Designation and the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA®) to add extra value to her client interactions.

Outside of work, Jessica loves involving herself in organizations that actively help women in her local community. Jess lives in Ballston Lake with her German Shepherd, Gracie.

Dr. Sarah Avery, DPT, PYT, RYT-200 is a women's health specialist and physical therapist. She is the owner of In Motion Physical Therapy, and is the Founder of Moon Cycle Seed Company. Sarah's mission is to provide her clients with an integrated experience to live a life full of vitality by combining the science of physical therapy and the philosophy of yoga.

Shawn is a Proposal Manager at Public Consulting Group, a management consulting company that supports public sector agencies. She leads business development efforts in the Health practice area and has experience with creating communications and marketing materials. She also manages their internal Proposal Center SharePoint site and has developed both trainings and resources to support proposal development efforts. Prior to this position she served as the Director of Administration for the SUNY Charter Schools Institute where she was responsible for managing general operations including all financial transactions, personnel related actions, and the overall administrative support of the programmatic team. Shawn resides in Saratoga Springs and has two children and a cat named Harley!