Leslie Short

Owner and CEO, The Cavu Group

Leslie Short is the owner and CEO of The Cavu Group, a company focusing on expanding beyond the current culture of companies and organizations through the diversity and inclusion lens. Leslie also owns K.I.M. Media LLC, a multimedia agency that specializes in branding, events, design and weddings.

Leslie’s eclectic career began more than 20 years ago, when the trained alumnus of the Joffery Ballet School, began performing for national and international audiences. She lived in Europe for more than 10 years and Asia for 2 1/2 years utilizing both her creative and business mind. In 1994, her company, J. Men’s Tokyo, was named the 4th best business venture in Japan, where she produced, directed and choreographed (the 1st Male revue show in Japan) and also handled day-to-day business decisions and international press and marketing.

She then successfully changed her career in 1996, when she returned to the U.S. Leslie began a career in television, working as an associate producer for the Montel Williams Show and was the music coordinator for Thirteen/WNET in New York City. Her next move was with Macy’s Department Store (Federated) as the special event manager, where she conceptually designed and executed dynamic events.

Leslie is the past chief operating officer for both the The Shark Group and blueprint +co. The Shark Group is a marketing- branding company and blueprint +co is a co shared executive work space that Leslie handled full build out, design and operations curated by Daymond John star of ABC’s “Shark Tank”. Leslie has since made them clients under her role as a corporate operations strategist. Leslie has worked with Daymond John for more than 20 years and spent 10 years as the president of marketing, advertising & PR for FUBU The Collection and FB Entertainment.

As a corporate operations strategist Leslie gives companies a level of executive management without having to bring in an executive full time in the role of chief operating officer. Leslie provides the leadership, management and vision necessary to ensure that the company has the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow the organization and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency.