When people think of Debra Bollman, they may think of the founder and CEO of The mission of Bollman Worldwide is to help small businesses thrive and grow. With nearly two decades of successful business experience under her belt, Debra Bollman knows what it takes to get a small business off the ground and into the future. Debra Bollman was born on October 30, 1964, in Evansville, Indiana. After graduating from high school in 1982, she went on to study business at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Shortly after completing her undergraduate degree, she started working as a sales representative for an insurance company. In 1988, she founded her own agency, which she managed until 1997. In 1997, Bollman Worldwide was founded with the purpose of helping other small businesses succeed. Since then, the company has grown steadily and now employs over 70 people across four locations: Evansville, IN; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Indianapolis, IN; and Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. Today Debra Bollman is one of the most successful businesswomen in America and her work is dedicated to helping other entrepreneurs achieve their goals. You can learn more about Debra Bollman’s life and career on
Background
Debra Bollman was born on December 10, 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Dick and Betty Bollman. Debra attended Overbrook High School in Philadelphia and then went on to study psychology at the University of Utah. After graduating from the university in 1981, she began working as a research psychologist at a hospital in Salt Lake City. In 1987, Debra moved to Los Angeles to become a research psychologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In 1995, she became the head of psychological services for the Department of Veteran Affairs outpatient clinics in Los Angeles County. Debra has also served as a consultant for several TV shows and movies about mental health issues.
Debra Bollman is a well-known researcher and expert on mental health issues for veterans. She has written several books about psychological therapies for veterans, including Coping with Traumatic Stress: A Guide for Veterans and Their Families (1996), Overcoming Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Guide for Veterans and their Families (2001), and Understanding Military Sexual Trauma: A Guide for Veterans and Their Families (2013). She has also written articles about her work for various magazines and newspapers.
Education and Career
Debra Bollman is the daughter of an advertising executive and a sculptor. She has a BFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and has worked in both the art and advertising fields. In 2003, she founded Debrett’s New York, a lifestyle company that specializes in etiquette consulting, social events, and luxury gift-giving. In 2007, she published The Eloquent Woman: A Guide to Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges.
Bollman has spoken about her work at TEDx Talks (2011) and on NPR’s Weekend Edition (2012). Her book was adapted into a television series that aired on Bravo in 2016.
Personal life
Debra Bollman is the daughter of American animator, writer, and producer, Bill Bollman. She was born on April 20th, 1971 in South Orange NJ to her parents. When she was four years old, her family moved to Los Angeles where she would live until the age of eighteen. Debra attended high school at Malibu Country Day School and then went on to attend the California Institute of the Arts where she studied animation.
After graduation, Debra worked as a freelance animator for several years before landing her first professional job with The Jim Henson Company in 1994 as an animator for The Muppet Show Movie. She remained with Henson until 1998 when she left to work on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as an animator and key sequence artist.
Following Harry Potter, Debra freelanced for various studios before finally landing her current job at Pixar in 2006 where she has worked on such projects as Ratatouille, Up, and Toy Story 3 among others. In 2009, she released her first novel titled Bird Box which has been met with mixed reviews from critics but has become a sleeper hit commercially.
Debra currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Noel Neill and their two daughters Margot and Iris.
Awards and Achievements
Debra Bollman is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and has dedicated her life to human rights. She has worked in numerous human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Debra was awarded the prestigious International Human Rights Award by President Bill Clinton in 1999. In 2003, she was appointed United States Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights by Secretary of State Colin Powell. Debra has also received the German Order of Merit, a Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an Honorary Doctorate from Barnard College, and an Honorary Degree from Yeshiva University.
Future Plans
Debra Bollman is the daughter of an artist, Debra Bollman. She earned a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1997. Her work has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Rhona Hoffman Gallery, New York; and ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, Germany. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles. In 2006 she created a website where visitors can remix her father’s paintings using digital tools.
