Laura Flessner

Mindtap LLC

Be Recognized. Be Valued. Being You. 

Mindtap helps diverse professionals break through unconscious bias so their authentic leadership can be seen and valued using proven innovation techniques and applied neuroscience. 

Change how others see you, without needing to change who you are. 

Mindtap offers services for professionals at all levels, from entry to CEO. 

Reach out to explore how we can help you reach your next level of impact!

Founder & CEO

Forbes

Coaches Council

Global Innovation Advisory

We help move stuck innovation in corporations by cutting through years of internal layers. We help corporate innovation leaders to simplify and fuse inter-company connections to drive growth, without incremental costs. 

How can you do more with what you already have?

www.GlobalInnovationAdvisory.com

Partner

GSK Consumer Healthcare
Co-Founder of 3 Startup Businesses: CBD & Hemp, Functional Food & Beverage, Personalized Supplements. Dedicated hands-on business building, from strategy and execution of MVP to pivots based on learnings; Venture Board pitches and buy-in.

New Venture Founder / Insights Lead

Pfizer

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare
Led New Business Innovation strategy and implementation within Global Wellness white space category, resulting in a consumer-grounded Immunity Innovation pipeline and a strategic plan to grow the business by $500M in 5 years.

Director, R&D Product Design for New Benefit Innovation

Actively grew new function (Products Research) within R&D: set strategy, created procedures, grew internal awareness and demand, pushed for deeper insights through cutting-edge methodologies across dietary supplements, analgesics, respiratory, & personal care.

Senior Manager, R&D Products Research

Procter & Gamble

Spearheaded upstream product development, new consumer modeling, and new business models.

Senior Products Research Engineer

Designed packaging for PUR Flavor Options launch, which won 2009 Consumers' Choice Product of the Year.

Packaging Engineer

I Help Diverse Professionals Break Free Of Bias And Level Up Without Changing Who You Are // Ready To Do More, Be More? Register for my Personal Branding Masterclass, July 7 (free) -> Link in Featured Section

I help diverse professionals to break through unconscious bias so they can be seen, heard & valued. 

Essentially, I help you to be recognized as a leader in your organization, no matter your level, experience or role.

What is a diverse professional? Women, minorities, introverts, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse… anyone who looks, sounds, or thinks different from others in the workplace. 

Is this you? 

It’s me. I’m a woman, Asian, an introvert, who looks really young. 

In past corporate roles, I felt frustrated, like I could do more, but I wasn’t always given the chance. The confusing thing was, I was getting fantastic feedback. 

There wasn’t any obvious bias or anything overtly intentional… but that didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t where I knew I could be. 

Unfortunately the traditional advancement system puts diverse professional at a disadvantage. Unconscious bias sneaks in, without people noticing - because it disguises itself as logic. 

It took me a while… but I found a way to break through - outside of the system. 

If the normal path to advancement:
- giving your all in quality work, 
- increasing your expertise, 
- directly asking for more

isn't allowing you to move forward... 

--> You need a different strategy. 

Transform what makes you “diverse” from a disadvantage to a superpower.  Your competitive advantage. 

I use neuroscience to help my clients break through unconscious biases their leadership and peers don’t even know they have. 

I use proven innovation tools and processes to help you to lead an idea, something you know will make a big impact, a meaningful difference. 

This strategy works at any level, in any industry, and at any organization.

Here’s 3 ways to work with me:

📚 Take a self paced course: Daring Different is a video based course with a step-by-step process to establish your authentic leadership. For the pre-manager and new entrepreneur. Go to: Thinkmindtap.com/daringdifferent

🚀 Join a live training cohort: Rise is a 8-week program where you will rise to your next level and people will notice a difference in you, guaranteed. For the committed pre-manager and new entrepreneur. Go to: Thinkmindtap.com/rise

🎯 Partner through coaching: Individualized guidance to create your next level of impact and personal power. For senior managers and business owners. Go to: Thinkmindtap.com/catalyst-coaching

It’s time for your voice to be heard. 
For your authentic leadership to be seen. 

Send me a DM (direct message) to explore your options!

💜 Laura

When what you’re given… isn’t perfect. 
(And it rarely is.)

The people on the team 
aren’t the ones you would have picked. 

The tools are outdated. 
The process was built for a market that no longer exists. 

It looks a lot like the messy sketch 
the artist started with. 
All potential… but no clarity. 

But here’s a truth professionals can forget: 

Leadership doesn't wait for ideal conditions. 
Leadership creates something valuable 
with what you’re given. 

To be resourceful. 
To see potential others overlook. 
To hold a vision of what’s possible 
before anyone else can see it. 

Leadership isn’t about perfection. 
It’s about perspective. 

It’s the ability to look at a broken process 
and notice the opportunity hiding inside it. 

To look at a team that feels mismatched 
and spot the strengths waiting to be shaped. 

To look at outdated tools 
and reimagine what they could enable. 

Adjust. Support. Add. Subtract. 
Piece by piece. 
Bit by bit. 

When you stay committed to the vision, 
not the circumstances, 
you create something extraordinary. 

Not because you had the perfect starting point. 
But because you led it into something better. 

That’s the work. 
That’s the impact. 
That’s leadership.

Leadership Coach for Diverse Professionals // Lead authentically at any level, using Innovation & Neuroscience // Get your free copy of "7 Steps to Authentic Leadership" --> DM me ‘Unlock’

Some think changing your goal is giving up. 

I think it's dangerous not to...

Your goals can change. 
And they should. 

What you defined as “success” 10 years ago… 
likely isn’t what success means to you now. 

A lot can shift in a decade. 
These days, a ton can change in a year.

And when things change, 
change also happens in you.

Here’s how my own career goals unfolded, 
chapter by chapter: 

0–5 yrs: Get a strong start + grow as fast as I can 
5–10 yrs: Deliver great work, and grow my family (3 kids born!) 
10–15 yrs: Become a subject matter expert + aim for VP 
15–17 yrs: Follow my passion in Innovation + broaden my experience 
17+ yrs: Build my own business 

Every chapter fit who I was and what I valued 
in that moment of my life. 

None was “better” than another. 
And letting go of a goal (like aiming for VP)
wasn’t quitting. 

It was adjusting. Listening. 
Learning more about what mattered to me. 

Because things do change: 

Your life situation 
(family, health, economics) 

Your focus 
(advancement, breadth, pivoting) 

Your definition of success shifts with each chapter. 

But here’s the biggest watch out: 
When life changes, but your picture of “success” doesn’t. 

That’s when frustration grows. 
That’s when people feel stuck. 
 
Like they’re swimming upstream 
against a current that’s getting stronger. 

A goal that served you well before 
no longer serves who you’re becoming now. 

But that next goal? 
It isn’t always obvious. 

This is why so many clients come to Clarity Coaching, 
to design their next chapter with intention, not pressure. 

To step into their next level of leadership 
in a way that fits. 

Like Sarah—who chose to leave her current role 
to be a strong female leader in cybersecurity. 

Like Penny—who found a path to prioritize family 
and support her career at the same time.

Like Amanda—who discovered a culture 
that embraced her authentic leadership style. 

Your next chapter will ask something new of you. 

The question is: 
Is your next chapter built for who you are today—or who you used to be?

Setbacks don't have to be the end. 

(They're a secret beginning)

"Setbacks are a setup for success."
A quote from Dr. Ruth D. Jones perfectly captures the start of my business Mindtap. 

It began the moment my role was eliminated. 

My company entered a joint venture. 
Suddenly, there were too many innovation groups… 
and mine was the one dismantled. 

So what now? 
(That question kept looping in my mind.) 

Then I realized: 
My last role, 
which had been my favorite of my career, 
had quietly been teaching me (for 2 years) 
exactly how to build something new. 

We were launching brands from scratch. 
Creating product lines from zero. 
Designing, experimenting, iterating. 
I had the blueprint. 
Why not use it for myself? 

So I did. 

Now, I could stop here and make it sound effortless. 
It wasn’t. 

The first business model I tried? Failed. 
The second try? Failed. 
The third? Worked okay… 
but deep down, I knew it wasn’t the work I wanted to do. 

Those attempts weren’t mistakes. 
They clarified what mattered. 
They helped me build the business today. 

The business that aligns with my strengths. 
The business that connects to my personal passion. 
The business that provides real value. 

Mindtap didn’t start with certainty. 
It started with what looked like an end. 

See setbacks as what they secretly are. 
A new beginning.

The hardest part of leadership? 

(It’s not the plans or presentations)

Strong leaders know… 

The technical challenges are the easy ones. 
The people challenges are the hard ones. 

And there’s only one thing 
that truly shifts a people challenge: 
A conversation. 

This is what I've seen most people avoid:

→ We schedule another meeting— 
instead of addressing what went wrong in the last one.

→ We change the subject 
the second things get uncomfortable.

→ We use jargon like "let’s circle back"
to avoid saying: This isn’t working.

→ We cc half the team on the email— 
hoping someone else will say it.

→ We blame “timing” 
instead of being honest.

→ We stay “nice” 
instead of staying real.

All different ways of saying: 
“I see the elephant… but I’m hoping it disappears.” 

Your brain thinks it’s keeping you safe. 
Conflict = threat. 
Silence = protection. 

But in reality... 
The scariest thing isn’t naming the elephant. 
The scariest thing is letting it grow. 

Big enough to: 
→ squash your team 
→ derail your project 
→ quietly erode your vision and impact as a leader 

Brave leadership is being willing to feel uncomfortable, 
and addressing issues head-on as soon as they arise. 

Your brain may scream “danger.”
Your leadership says “go, this is important.”

Why do I incorporate neuroscience into leadership?

I get asked this often.

In this video, I give 5 ways
knowing how your brain works
can accelerate your leadership. 

Lead smarter. Lead calmer. 
Lead in a way your brain was built for.

Benita Lee Professional Services

🌍 International Import/Export Operations strategy
🌎 Trade Compliance & Supply Chain specialist
🌍 Dual-designated Certified Customs Specialist (CCS), in Canada & the U.S.
🌍 Business Development Services & Social media strategy

Management Advisor

Canadian Heavy Oil Association

▪️Content writer
▪️Social Media campaigns / Event promotions
▪️Digital Engagement 
▪️Audience Growth

Social Media Communications

Supply Chain Canada - West

▪️Campaign membership renewals
▪️Promote and participate in Supply Chain Canada - West events: 
     HACK•A•THONS -Bill S-211, Fighting against Forced Labour in Supply Chains, Shortages in Trade
     Post-It Events

Industry Specialist, Trade Compliance 

Progressive Plan International

• Management Advisor (Fractional Role)
• Subject Matter Expert on cross-border trade and supply chain management 
• Relationship Development

TRADE FORWARD

▪️ Canadian Subject Matter Expert, Trade Compliance
▪️ Chemical Classification Specialist 
▪️ Software reseller of Trade Analytics tool

Contract Specialist

Inter Pipeline

🔵 Supported the Midstream Marketing group to understand non-resident import challenges for commodities imported into USA  (Exports)
🔴 Supported Heartland Petrochemical operations and transportation group to manage Customs Broker support in pre-commissioning stages of a mega project in Alberta (Imports)

Consultant (Trade Compliance Project)

Trican Well Service Ltd. (Oil & Gas Services)

🌎 Governance of US & CAN Importer Numbers and associated NRIs 
🔵 Recovered 2 Mil USD in unresolved TIB claims over 6 months
🌏 Export Sanctions (EU, CA, US on Russia) 
🌍 Dismantle EMEA Operations and repatriate physical assets
🌎 Free Trade Programs management

Sr. Customs & Compliance Specialist

Cenovus Energy

🔴 CEI & FCCL Upstream Operations (Supply Chain Management unit)
🔵 CEMSL Midstream Operations (Marketing, Transportation & Power unit)
Customs Compliance Advice & Analysis of end to end value chain - from exploration, production to shipment into US market.

Customs Compliance Advisor

Agrium

(Now Nutrien)
🌎 Wholesale/Retail/Supply-Chain/Sales & Distribution, Global Logistics, Customs & Trade  Compliance roles

Six different positions with 4 different departments over a 15 year span: 

• Facilities Management
• Energy Raw Materials & Supply Chain Mgt. 
• Sales & Distribution / Global Logistics 
• Global Customs Compliance

Analyst/Advisor, MM, Supply Chain, Global Logistics & Distribution, Customs Compliance 

Murphy Oil, Marine Logistics & Customs

🌏 Academic research and business analysis  (Marine Logistics & Customs unit) 
🌏 White paper on socioeconomic conditions of offshore projects in SE Asia and China
🌏 White paper: The Female Expatriate Advantage (received an A+ for academic & work experience)

Marine Logistics & Customs Analyst

Management Consultant | Trade Compliance Professional | Certified Customs Specialist in Canada & United States (CCS) | End-to-end Supply Chain Management | Avid Reader

With a quarter of a century of experience in supply chain, customs and trade compliance,
Benita Lee helps companies navigate the complex regulatory landscape of global trade. 

As businesses expand internationally and technologies reshape supply chains, her work
ensures that operations remain compliant, efficient, and future-ready.

A Certified Customs Specialist in both the U.S. and Canada, she has advised companies
across upstream, midstream, and refinery sectors on trade compliance governance, risk
mitigation, HS classification, free trade agreements, and ERP/GTM system alignment.

Use the blue "schedule a meeting" link under profile picture. The fee will be credited to your first invoice. 

Purchase a block of 10 to 20 hours per month and receive a discounted rate. 

Unused hours roll over to next month and never expire.

Benita Lee, B. Mgt., CCS

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱. Connection makes it easy. 🤝

I’m thrilled to be joining a powerhouse panel in Calgary on November 26th | 3 to 6 pm MST to unpack real-world strategies for navigating import tariffs and trade complexity. Sabrina A. Bandali, a leading trade lawyer from Bennett Jones will be speaking followed by what will likely be a lively panel - Kevin Orr, Greg Gerritsen, CITP, LCB, Mackenzie West and myself.  

Hosted by GHY International, this in-person event brings together industry leaders, compliance experts, and cross-border problem-solvers to share insights that matter. 

Let's dive into the tactics that help importers move with confidence -especially in today’s shifting regulatory landscape.

Whether you're a seasoned trade professional or just starting out, this is a chance to connect, learn, and elevate your impact. Professional Development points are available.  Bonus points for those who bring their leaders and CEOs. 😜- I'll be inviting mine.  

If you're in Calgary or nearby, I’d love to see you there. Drop a comment if you're attending or message me if you'd like to connect at the event! 

Link to register in comments. Don't miss this opportunity.  💡

#SupplyChain #TradeCompliance #Networking #CalgaryEvents #GlobalTrade

Benita  Lee, B. Mgt., Certified Customs Specialist, US/CA

Trade Advisor | Helping organizations grow—through compliance, connection, and communication | Proud Energy Ambassador

𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗥 last week was uplifting, so I had to share for Wellness Wednesday.   

Thank you to Lori Ann LaRocco for inviting me to spend an hour with her incredible students at the Pollee and Rose Allen School of Logistics and Trade. 

Their curiosity, energy, and willingness to ask big questions reminded me why mentorship matters so much.

There’s something special about being in a space where people are not only learning the rules of trade - but learning how to build confidence, courage, and community along the way. 

That’s the kind of hour that makes my heart smile. 
It also reminded me of one of the most meaningful messages in Lori Ann and Abbey's book, "Embracing Your Past to Empower Your Future":
that our experiences - the wins, the struggles, the detours - can become fuel for someone else's journey.

If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it.
Every purchase also contributes to the “Each One, Teach One” stipend, which helps students buy textbooks and continue their education. A small act that makes a big difference. 💞

Here’s to paying knowledge forward. To lifting as we climb and to every student out there building their future, one question at a time.  

For more detail about the school, the book and the stipend: https://lnkd.in/g88yfNeY

Giving to others, creates wellness beyond measure.  Who's read TRADE WAR or any of Lori Ann's books?  

#WellnessWednesday #Mentorship #GlobalTrade #Logistics

So pumped to be on this panel discussion next week.  It's not every day we get to hear Sabrina A. Bandali in Calgary!  Let's connect over BBQ, CCS points and #TradeTalk.  

#Networking #Panel #ProfessionalDevelopment

🚀 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆. If you work in international trade or customs, this is the room you want to be in. 

🎙️ 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗽:

✅ 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿: Sabrina A. Bandali — delivering a timely, insider-level look at Canada-U.S. trade policy and what to expect heading into the 2026 CUSMA review.

✅ 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
 • Kevin Orr
 • Greg Gerritsen, CITP, LCB
 • Benita Lee, B. Mgt., Certified Customs Specialist, US/CA

Sharing real-world perspectives, real cases, and what’s actually happening on the ground.

💬 𝗡𝗼 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳. Just smart conversations, candid stories, and high-value networking over BBQ and drinks.

🎯 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

🪑 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 — 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝟱 𝗖𝗖𝗦 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 + 𝟱 𝗖𝗧𝗖𝗦 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/gJECYmb7

Connect next week and dive into the issues shaping North American trade.

Benita Lee, B. Mgt., Certified Customs Specialist, US/CA

My two cents on the IEEPA tariffs - if importers want refunds, they should create a General Ledger line named "Tariffs" separate from "Freight", separate from "Duties" and any other fees.  

The thought came to me when I watched the interview embedded into this article last year's IEEPA tariffs paid = zero, 2025 IEEPA Expenses = 14 million USD.  

Track your taxes paid.  

Tonight is the night, MENTOR HOUR with Lori Ann LaRocco.  The students have read this article and I'm going to hear their thoughts and share mine.  I'm so excited.  

#ThursdayThoughts share yours with me!

Open article: If the Supreme Court orders Trump to repay tariffs, U.S. importers say it wouldn't be 'messy' by cnb.cx

If the Supreme Court orders Trump to repay tariffs, U.S. importers say it wouldn't be 'messy'

Couldn't make it to Mexico, don't worry - we've got you covered ‼️

Come to the post-conference event, hear about the take aways, hear from speakers, meet professionals in our industry AND get an exclusive early-bird discount for the next ICPA, Inc - International Compliance Professionals Association conference in the spring.  

You might even snag a free pass!  
Next stop: San Antonio, TX ✈️

Register Now: https://lnkd.in/eaqEC3h9
Don't forget cameras and audio ON!  💻

#VirtualNetworking #TradeCompliance #USMCA

𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚... your FREE virtual networking event pass is waiting. You might have missed MIC Customs Solutions' MEXICO SEMINAR: Navigating the Trade Landscape, but you don't have to miss the after-party.  

Register now for a chance to win a pass to ICPA, Inc - International Compliance Professionals Association Annual in San Antonio for 2026.  

Lila Landis, LCB CUSECO® CCEP-I CGSS | Elisabeth Sherrell, CED, CCS | Alyson Hachey | Brenda Cordova | Francisco de la Cruz 

Register and add to your calendar: https://lnkd.in/eaqEC3h9

#CustomsCompliance #USMCA #VirtualNetworking

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Benita Lee, B. Mgt., CCS

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The Battle

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