About Us

OUR FOUNDER

Carrie Murray, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Carrie Murray is the founder of BRA – Business Relationship Alliance, a network of powerful women devoted to advancing female-owned businesses by providing the community, collaboration, mentorship, empowerment and support needed to flourish as an entrepreneur.

Carrie began working to advance the rights of women when she became the first in her family to graduate college with a Bachelor’s in Social Work from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in Domestic Violence. She went to work as a court advocate, working for victims trying to understand their rights and navigate the judicial system. She then went on to get a Master’s Degree from Antioch University with an emphasis in Social Justice.

After that, Carrie joined the Los Angeles School System and became a teacher working her way up to be an administrator at a LAUSD public charter school. Fueled by her passion and the inspiration that her mother instilled in her, Carrie rose up through the ranks and eventually became a Principal. She then excitedly made the jump to entrepreneur in 2011 and started her own school, Prestique Academy of Innovation and Technology, a school for twice exceptional kids. In doing that, she became the first person in her family to own a business. As a solopreneur, she realized that although she knew so much about education, she knew very little about running a business. Carrie would spend every spare minute researching all the best business practices possible, from finance, earning capital and business development, to marketing and public relations.

Simultaneously, while doing double-duty as a mom of two young kids, she would eventually build a circle of friends who were also in the same boat; not only “solopreneurs,” but “mompreneurs” who shared the same frustrations, limitations and struggles that she did. Through these friendships, Carrie quickly realized these women also had nowhere to turn but each other for answers and there had to be a better way. So what started out as casual dinner parties at her house, morphed into fruitful networking sessions as more and more women outside her immediate circle wanted in. At first, they would come together monthly, and then weekly to discuss all things business. It was through sharing their own personal experiences and providing advice, education and support to one another that they found a like-minded community of women who shared the same vision. From those dinners, BRA – Business Relationship Alliance – was born.

Carrie Murray and Shayna Marks
Michelle Sciuto and Carrie Murray

OUR Mission

At the heart, Business Relationship Alliance exists to foster collaboration, connection, and community
amongst female and non-binary entrepreneurs.
Our mission is to foster a community where we uplift female and non-binary entrepreneurs and provide support, resources, and opportunities for connection in an inclusive space where you are seen, respected, and accepted. With continually evolving programming, BRA offers education and inspiration to empower Members at every level. The glass ceiling is broken, the sky is the limit. No matter what your personal vision of success looks like, come thrive with us.
OUR PROMISE TO OUR MEMBERS
  • We provide an inclusive and supportive environment, always.
  • We value and promote education in all forms, including what we can learn from other Members, no matter their number of years in business. We provide educational takeaway whenever possible to help our Members continue to grow.
  • We dedicate ourselves to providing a community full of vetted, like-minded, empowered Members who reflect our high standards in business and life.
  • We provide Members with opportunities for authentic connection.
  • We provide Members opportunities to uplevel their business(es).
  • We value you regardless of your experience level.
  • We promise Members will not need to walk through their entrepreneurial journey alone.

…all you have to do is show up!

OUR SHARED CORE VALUES

A BRA Member shares in the understanding that:

  • We embody a collaborative mindset and encourage our Members to hire each other first.
  • We believe entrepreneurship is part of your multi-faceted, integrated human experience. It IS personal. It’s business.
  • We believe that vulnerability is a superpower. You’re safe with us.
  • We invest in one another — and women and non-binary people everywhere — by sharing our resources (knowledge, experience, connections, time, energy, and money).
  • We help our Members get more business thereby changing the landscape of the current global economy and our place in it.
  • We are purposeful in building businesses that are reflections of a diverse inclusive community and not a homogenized group.
  • We have a shared obligation to build businesses that think globally and act ethically in their business practices and production. We give back to our greater communities whenever possible, individually and as a collective.

… and we enjoy the journey!

Chief Operating Officer

Michelle Sciuto (she/her) is a Founding BRA Member and has been part of Team BRA since early 2017. She’s our very own “wizard” – the woman behind the curtain, if you will – and she ensures that our website, emails, and promotions are both strategic AND functional. 

A self-professed data nerd with a profound love for spreadsheets, Michelle manages all our marketing, analytics, and operations from her home office in San Antonio.

Not only does Michelle have over 25 years’ experience as a marketing professional, but she’s also partnered with dozens of small business owners (primarily service-based female entrepreneurs) for the past 15 years as the Founder of Sciuto Marketing.

Backing up her expertise with education, Michelle holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) as well as Bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Psychology from Saint Louis University (SLU).

FUN FACT: Michelle is a Missouri girl living in Texas with her small zoo of 6 cats, 2 dogs, 2 teenagers, and 1 spouse. Her lifelong goal is to live near a beach someday.

Social Media Maven

Shayna Marks (she/her) is BRA Network’s resident social media maven. Shayna owns and operates Citrine Marketing Inc., a boutique social media marketing agency that specializes in brand storytelling through digital content for female-empowering brands and businesses.

Shayna loves working for BRA because “the community has given me so much as a Member and I truly believe that every woman in business—and the world at large—can be benefited by this powerful group and our mission.” She has been a BRA Member since 2017.

Shayna has a B.A. in Literary Journalism from UC Irvine. Outside of the 9-5, she spends her time with her two pups, friends and family, doing yoga, and working on home décor projects.

New BRA Member Business Details

Welcome to BRA - Business
Relationship Alliance