KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Egypt Sherrod
Emmy Nominated TV Host and Author, Real Estate Entrepreneur
Indigo Road
Fireside Chat: Rewriting Your Rules
Dr. Egypt Sherrod is a dynamic, Emmy Award–nominated television host, real estate expert, designer, author, and serial entrepreneur whose career spans media, real estate, philanthropy, and design. She is best known as the host and executive producer of HGTV’s top-rated seriesMarried to Real Estate, which drew over 19 million viewers during its broadcast season and continues to air in more than 82 countries.
As the Founder & CEO of the Indigo Road family of companies, Egypt leads a multifaceted business empire that includes:
•Indigo Road Realty, a premier residential brokerage
•Indigo Road Design Group, offering top-tier design services
•Indigo Road Home Furnishings, her signature home décor line
In spring of 2025, Indigo Road Home Furnishings—where comfort and luxury align—made its highly anticipated debut in 307 JCPenney stores nationwide, with expanded availability online via Kohls.com, Amazon.com, Wayfair.com, and BedBathandBeyond.com. Designed with sustainability, style, and functionality at its core, the collection reflectsEgypt Sherrod’s mission to make elevated yet livable design accessible to every home.
A passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, Egypt co-founded 1000 Women Owned, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting 1,000 women-owned businesses by 2030. Through funding, mentorship, and personalized business support, the initiative fosters a global community where women rise together.
Despite her expansive professional achievements, Egypt holds family closest to her heart.She is a proud mother to three daughters—Harper, Kendall, and Simone—and shares both life and work with her husband of 14 years, Mike Jackson. Together, they co-host the award-winning podcast Marriage & Money with Egypt & Mike, offering candid insights on relationships, business, and purpose-driven living.
Egypt Sherrod is more than a mogul—she is a trailblazer, mentor, and advocate for women's empowerment, continually redefining success and transforming lives in the process.
SPEAKERS
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Liza Amlani
PRINCIPAL
Retail Strategy Group
Beyond the Corporate Ladder: What Does Growth Look Like When You Stop Just Climbing?
Liza Amlani is a trusted voice on process innovation in product creation and merchandising. She is Principal & Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group, where she partners with global brands and retailers to install materials-first operating models, accelerate time-to-market, and sharpen product decisions. With over two decades of experience, Liza has held leadership roles across global brands including Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco. She frequently contributes her expertise to Sourcing Journal, Retail Dive, The Robin Report, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more. She has been recognized by RETHINK Retail as a Top Retail Expert and has been selected by the National Retail Federation as an official Retail Voice. Liza is also co-author of The Whole Sale: Profitable Wholesale Strategies for Brands (2025) and The Material Life: Process Innovation for Retailers and Brands (Routledge, 2025). Liza sits on the board of Goodwill and is a Fashion Scholarship Fund Mentor and Adjunct Professor.
ASHLEY ATKINS
Senior Vice President
Inizio Evoke
Beyond the Corporate Ladder: What Does Growth Look Like When You Stop Just Climbing?
Ashley Atkins is a strategic communications leader with 20 years of experience helping organizations navigate transformation, build trust, and drive meaningful engagement. She specializes in developing integrated communications strategies that align business objectives with authentic storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and measurable outcomes. Throughout her career, Ashley has advised leading healthcare, biotechnology, government, and nonprofit organizations, guiding complex communications initiatives that support reputation, growth, and change. She has held positions at globally recognized communications firms, including Ogilvy, Edelman, Porter Novelli, and Spectrum Science working with clients including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, Genentech, and BMS. Before transitioning to agency, Ashley served in nonprofit executive and development roles, including overseeing a $10 million capital campaign to support the development of the nation’s largest veteran housing complex. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Emory University and is based in Washington, DC.
ASHLEY ATKINS
Senior Vice President
Inizio Evoke
Beyond the Corporate Ladder: What Does Growth Look Like When You Stop Just Climbing?
Ashley Atkins is a strategic communications leader with 20 years of experience helping organizations navigate transformation, build trust, and drive meaningful engagement. She specializes in developing integrated communications strategies that align business objectives with authentic storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and measurable outcomes. Throughout her career, Ashley has advised leading healthcare, biotechnology, government, and nonprofit organizations, guiding complex communications initiatives that support reputation, growth, and change. She has held positions at globally recognized communications firms, including Ogilvy, Edelman, Porter Novelli, and Spectrum Science working with clients including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, Genentech, and BMS. Before transitioning to agency, Ashley served in nonprofit executive and development roles, including overseeing a $10 million capital campaign to support the development of the nation’s largest veteran housing complex. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Emory University and is based in Washington, DC.
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AMIRA BARGER
Executive Vice President
D&A Communications
Beyond the Corporate Ladder: What Does Growth Look Like When You Stop Just Climbing?
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AMIRA is an award-winning executive and author of The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck—And 4 Actions for Real Change, a bold exploration of how “niceness” upholds inequity and a call to action for real change.
Named to 2026 PRWeeks’ 40 Under 40 and 2024 Woman of the Year by Women Health Care Executives, Amira has also been recognized as one of 50/50 Women on Boards' Top 50 Women to Watch, Involve People’s Top 100 Executives, CMO Alliance’s Top CMOs, Top 50 Global DEI Professionals by OnConferences, Mogul’s Top 100 People Leaders, Leaderology’s Fearlessly Authentic Leaders, and Business Insider’s 30 Under 40 in Healthcare Innovation.
A scholar, practitioner, and thought leader, Amira brings more than 20 years of expertise in strategic communications, mobilizing communities, influencing stakeholders, and driving action. She has global experience and has advised and led strategies for CVS Health, Eli Lilly, Walgreens, Hologic, Genentech, Pfizer, GSK/Haleon, BMS, Zoetis, Alkermes, Regeneron, Amgen, Medtronic, Children’s Miracle Network, Kaiser Permanente, First 5 Los Angeles, Covered California, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FEMA, and California Community Colleges.
A dedicated educator, Amira serves as a Professor of Marketing, Communications, and Change Management at California State University East Bay. A data-informed organizational architect, she leverages design thinking to advance equity and solve complex challenges that impact us all.
CANDACE BARNES
Founder & Business Coach
Luminary Leadership Partners
Micro-coaching Sessions
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Candace Barnes, MBA, PMP, is a talent, leadership and transformation executive and founder of Luminary Leadership Partners. She partners with leaders and organizations navigating growth and transformation to strengthen leadership capability, talent strategy and culture.
Candace has led enterprise talent, leadership and culture strategies in complex global organizations, partnering with senior executives to translate business priorities into leadership, talent and organizational action. Her work spans executive coaching and leadership development, talent strategy, culture and organizational transformation.
Through Luminary Leadership Partners, Candace helps leaders, teams and organizations build greater clarity, alignment and impact. Her approach combines strategic perspective with practical action, helping leaders see what the moment requires, lead with intention and take ownership of the impact they create—with trust as the foundation for sustainable leadership and organizational effectiveness.
TAI BEAUCHAMP
CEO
Tai Life Media, LLC
Morning Mindset with Tai
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Tai Beauchamp is an award-winning media personality, brand strategist, entrepreneur, and cultural authority at the intersection of beauty, wellness, and business. A proven growth architect, she made history as Seventeen Magazine’s first Black and youngest Beauty and Fitness Director before building a career defined by scaling brands and shaping culture.
Tai has advised Fortune 500 companies including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Walmart, helping translate cultural insight into measurable business growth. As Co-Founder and former Chief Brand Officer of Brown Girl Jane, she led the company from launch to $3.5 million in revenue in under three years, securing retail partnerships with Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale’s, and generating over one billion media impressions.
She is the Creator, Executive Producer, and Host of The Shift on BET, and the founder of Morning Mindset with Tai, a globally recognized platform and framework (Affirm, Move, Connect, Reset) that drives community, leadership, and transformation. Known for her clarity, speed, and strategic precision, Tai delivers actionable insight that accelerates brand positioning, audience growth, and revenue—making her a trusted partner for leaders ready to move from idea to impact.
ANNA BLUE
FOUNDER & CEO
Blue Moss Group
The Imposter Problem: The language, labels, and lies that keep you bought into the system
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Anna Blue’s career is built on one belief: doing good is good for business. She is the CEO of Blue Moss Group - a consultancy that sits at the intersection of business, people, and purpose - and Founder of the Hospitality Creator Group, which brings together hospitality's most influential storytellers, brands, and industry leaders to shape the future of the travel business.With more than two decades of leadership experience, Anna has worked with global brands including Disney, Apple, Google, P&G, and WWE, and today advises organizations across the hospitality ecosystem on leadership, brand and event strategy, and workforce equity.Anna has spoken on more than 50 stages around the world, including SXSW, Cannes Lions, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the World Economic Forum, hospitality's premier conferences, and even WWE's WrestleMania. She was named a Historic Feminist of our Time by the Feminist Institute, for her work on global gender equity.
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Camille Stewart Gloster
Founder and CEO
CAS Strategies
Plot Twist: What AI Can't Replace: Future of Retail, AI and Innovation
Camille Stewart Gloster is CEO of CAS Strategies and author of “The Insider You Built: How Organizations Stay in Control of Autonomous AI Agents.” She is one of the few leaders who has built and operated across national security, enterprise execution, and the environments where emerging technologies move from ambition to reality. Across leadership roles spanning government and industry, including Google, Deloitte, DHS, and CrowdStrike, she has helped organizations govern, secure, and operationalize emerging technologies at scale. She served two U.S. presidents, including as the first Deputy National Cyber Director for Technology & Ecosystem Security at the White House. Camille sits on the Board of The Cyber Guild. She is co-founder of Foundation Layer Institute and advises leading industry convenings, including the Black Hat CISO Summit and the AI Security Forum. She holds a CISSP, a PMP, and a Chief Information Security Officer certificate from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Dwayna A. Haley
FOUNDER & CHIEF PRGIRL
Haley Communications Group, LLC
Podcast, Big X Speaker
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Dwayna Haley is an award-winning communications executive, brand strategist and trusted advisor to brands, executives and organizations navigating moments that define reputation. Over more than two decades, she has helped some of the world’s most recognized brands turn culture, consumer insight and powerful storytelling into relevance, trust and growth. As Founder and Chief PRGirl of Haley Communications Group, Dwayna advises leaders at the intersection of brand, reputation, culture and business transformation. Her career spans senior leadership roles at global communications agencies and the Metro Atlanta Chamber, with work touching brands including The Home Depot, Delta Air Lines, Victoria’s Secret, Invisalign, BET Networks, Bayer and P&G. A PRWeek 40 Under 40 honoree, Dwayna is also a sought-after speaker and provocative voice on modern leadership, brand building and the realities facing women in corporate America. She believes the most powerful brands, and leaders, don’t simply command attention. They earn belief.
Maya Hamilton
VP, AI Practice Lead
Sophelle
Putting AI to Work: Five Practical Ways to Get More from AI
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Maya Hamilton is VP, AI Practice Lead at Sophelle, where she helps retail leaders turn AI opportunity into measurable business value. With more than 20 years inside retail — spanning merchandising and planning, P&L and digital leadership, and enterprise transformation at brands including Kipling, VF Corp, Ann Taylor, LOFT, and Banana Republic — Maya brings an operator’s perspective to AI transformation.Her work spans AI strategy and opportunity prioritization, workforce enablement and adoption, technology selection, practical governance, and scaling successful initiatives into repeatable business capabilities. Maya helps organizations identify where AI can create meaningful financial and operational impact, build a practical path from opportunity to execution, and establish the organizational capabilities and guardrails needed to adopt AI responsibly and at scale.
John Haynes III
Founder & Leadership + Business Coach
The Accelerant Strategy Group
UnMuted: Speak Up, Advocate and Advance
Micro Coaching Sessions
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John Haynes is a People Geek and an accomplished Human Capital executive, coach, and trusted advisor with more than 25 years of experience guiding leaders and organizations through growth, transformation, and business evolution. His experience includes serving at the Fortune 15 enterprise level, where he coaches and advises executives and leaders navigating complex business, talent, organizational, and leadership challenges. A strategic HR Business Partner and corporate diplomat, John brings global expertise across organizational development, talent and leadership development, high performing culture and teams, employee engagement, talent acquisition, total rewards, enterprise risk, workplace safety, HR technology, and continuous improvement. His career spans globally influential industries including industrial, government contracting, international development, energy, architecture and engineering, start up, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations. Known for connecting business strategy with people strategy and leaders to purpose, Trey works from the customer facing level through the C suite, helping leaders strengthen organizational effectiveness, elevate leadership capability, navigate change, and build cultures positioned for sustained performance, strategy achievement, and transformation navigation.
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Cassandra Illidge
Getty Images
Vice President Strategic Partnerships and HBCU Programs
Culture Sells: The Business of Cultural Relevance
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Cassandra Illidge leads initiatives that strengthen visual content ecosystems through data-driven acquisition strategies and strategic collaborations.
With more than 20 years at Getty Images, she has shaped major licensing and distribution deals with leading technology, advertising, media, and service providers. She also dedicates her efforts toward advancing equity by championing partnerships that create new pathways for representation and measurable growth.
Cassandra oversees the Photo Archive Grants Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), launched in 2021 to preserve HBCUs’ photographic archives. The not-for profit program digitally preserves thousands of photos, expanding access to rarely seen imagery that documents Black culture and educational milestones. The program also funds scholarships, fosters career pipelines for aspiring photojournalists, and supports genealogy research. She also leads the Black History & Culture Collection,a not-for-profit initiative that expands access to culturally significant imagery to support the creation of editorials and teaching aids that enhance understanding of the Black experience.
She is a recognized thought leader and public speaker, honored by the Campaign’s Inspiring Women Awards for progressive leadership.
Cassandra holds a master's degree in political science and a bachelor's degree in television production from Brooklyn College.
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STACIA MARIE JONES, ESQ.
Global Vice President, IDEA, Employee Relations, OHE, and Employment Policy & Compliance
Lululemon
When Everything Around You Shifts
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Stacia Marie Jones, Esq. is a forward-thinking executive with nearly 30 years of experience leading global employee and labor relations, human resources, compliance, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. She serves as Global Vice President of IDEA, Employee Relations, OHE, and Employment Policy and Compliance for lululemon athletica. Her teams comprise highly skilled, values-driven professionals who strengthen and protect lululemon’s inclusive culture by advising on complex employee and operational matters, advancing equity, and leading labor relations, organizational employee health, conduct management, workplace investigations, and employee compliance initiatives across all facets of the business. Stacia is also Dean’s Impact Scholar Emeritus and an Affiliate Instructor at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, where she teaches undergraduate, MBA, and executive education courses focused on corporate equity, including the impact of employment land labor law, employee and consumer activism, and historical patterns of discrimination.
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Ekaette Kern
Founding Partner and Head of Brand Consulting
BrandSavor Media & Marketing
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Culture Sells: The Business of Cultural Relevance
Ekaette is a seasoned strategist with over 20 years of experience transforming brands, shaping conversations, and bringing clarity to complex scenarios. With a keen eye on emerging trends, she inspires teams, navigates ambiguity, and fosters innovative thinking to drive execution, effective communication, and achievement of KPIs - spearheading campaigns for notable brands including Freshbooks, Albertsons, Ingenico, Autotask, Reebok, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Her superpower lies in cultivating strong, collaborative relationships across disciplines, leading to award-winning campaigns, unparalleled consumer experiences, and groundbreaking tools that redefine brand visibility, market share, and ROI.
Specializing in executive, internal, and external communications, Ekaette steers strategy implementation and develops innovative solutions that bolster organizational reputations, drive measurable results, and motivate consumers and communities to take action.
As a values-driven leader, she empowers individuals, reinforces culture, and clears obstacles, fostering winning teams that generate cutting-edge ideas and close gaps in enterprise strategies.
SOON MEE KIM
Chief Marketing Officer
Zero RFI
CANT ACCESS BIO
UnMuted: Speak Up, Advocate and Advance
My career lives at the intersection of brand reputation, technology, and inclusion, where culture, conscience, and communications converge. I architect transformational systems, create award-winning campaigns, and build industry-leading teams. I advise organizations on market positioning, narrative storytelling, and brand messaging, that deliver maximum impact.
I believe in the power of the workplace to drive change — and in the overwhelming advantage that comes when organizations lead courageously. The result: transformed industries, irresistible talent hubs, cultures of possibility, and opportunity that reaches everyone. Above all, I'm a dreamer and a doer — relentlessly turning vision into reality.
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Kara Allen Lacayo
Brand Architect / Design Executive
Kara Allen Lacayo Studio
BIG X TALK
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Kara Allen Lacayo is a brand architect, design executive, and creative consultant with nearly three decades of experience building products women actually want. She has built her career — from Victoria's Secret, where her designs appeared in the iconic Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows, to Betsey Johnson Intimates, where she brought irreverent vision into the category — working across intimates, shapewear, swim, and apparel. Her global perspective includes work in Australia and a role as concept and trend expert for WGSN, giving her a design lens across international markets that continues to shape how she creates today. Most recently, she served as VP of Design at Yitty, building the brand from concept to a multi-million dollar business. Her work has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, and Harper's Bazaar, with performance and editorial collaborations for artists including Lizzo, SZA, and Chloe Bailey. Now based in Los Angeles, Kara advises brands on design leadership, growth, and product strategy — and is stepping into a new chapter of building for herself.
Tareia Williams Lee
Vice-President, Strategic Brand and Talent Communications
TNT Sports
When Everything Around You Shifts
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Tareia Williams Lee is Vice-President, Strategic Brand and Talent Communications for TNT Sports. In this role, she leads communications and publicity campaigns for TNT Sports' major events, MLB Postseason, NHL Opening Night, and NCAA March Madness and signature on-air talent, while driving brand storytelling across TNT Sports properties. Tareia also raises awareness among students pursuing sports careers through ENGAGE, an internal group supporting underserved college students. Tareia was named as one of the 2024 CableFAX Most Powerful Woman, 2023 Cynopsis Top Women in Media honorees and Rolling Out Magazine’s 2015 list of Top 25 Women in Atlanta. Tareia serves as president of the Sports Task Force of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
MEREDITH LIPNICK
DIRECTOR OF PRIVATE SECTOR STRATEGY
Moms First
The Business of Care: Investing in Childcare to Strengthen Retail’s Workforce
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Meredith Lipnick is the Director of Private Sector Strategy at Moms First, where she leads the National Business Coalition for Child Care. Before joining Moms First, Meredith spent nearly 15 years in the retail and apparel industry, holding leadership roles at Tommy Hilfiger, PVH, Stitch Fix, and Timberland. Her work spanned merchandising, corporate responsibility, and product sustainability, where she developed a reputation for bringing together cross-functional teams to solve complex business challenges. Drawing on both her corporate and nonprofit experience, Meredith believes business has a unique ability to accelerate change when leaders are equipped with credible evidence, inspired by their peers, and engaged alongside the public sector. Today, she brings that same collaborative approach to building public-private partnerships and business coalitions that strengthen the workforce and economy. At home in Boston, Meredith lives with her husband, two toughest stakeholders (ages 4 and 6), and two giant puppies who are probably chewing on something right now.
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Nichole Barnes Marshall
Founder & Chief Strategist
Marshall Matters, LLC
When Everything Around You Shifts
Nichole Barnes Marshall is a visionary leader dedicated to creating high-performing, inclusive cultures that drive growth and innovation. Passionate about empowering people and organizations, she has built a distinguished career transforming workplaces and unlocking potential. As Founder and CEO of Marshall Matters, LLC, Nichole leads a trusted management consulting firm committed to transforming workplaces through expert guidance in human capital management. Marshall Matters specializes in creating dynamic, inclusive, and high-performing organizations by fostering inspired cultures and unleashing employee engagement. With over 25 years of executive leadership experience, Nichole has shaped business and culture strategies at some of the world’s most renowned companies. She most recently served as Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Pinterest, where she championed initiatives to make inspiration accessible for all. Previously, she was VP and Chief Inclusion Officer at Bath &Body Works, leading talent and culture strategies for 60,000 associates worldwide. At Aon plc, she established the firm’s global inclusive culture framework, reinforcing its leadership in the insurance industry.
Janis Middleton
CEO and Founder
First, Not Only Network and each+every collective
Bold Moves, Resilience and Lasting Industry Impact
Janis Middleton is an executive leader whose career spans strategy, culture, inclusion, communications, and brand. Her foundation is 20+ years in advertising — from social strategy and media to building the client inclusion strategy at 22Squared, an Atlanta, Georgia ad agency, where she served as Chief Inclusion Strategy Officer. She works at the intersection of those disciplines, where organizations come together or quietly come apart. Her approach starts with the questions most teams skip: what's actually driving the challenge, and is it cultural rather than tactical? From there she connects business goals, brand expression, and the people who carry both. Alongside her executive work, she builds community — founding First, Not Only Network, hosting and producing SIGNAL, and serving on boards where governance meets mission. She is also founder of each + every collective, a premium community-driven collaborative space in Atlanta, Georgia, created to empower professionals to connect, create, and thrive together.
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Han Pham
OWNER
Edwin Jarvis
Bold Moves, Resilience and Lasting Industry Impact
Han Pham is the owner of Edwin Jarvis Print & CoWork, a print, shipping, and coworking business she runs in Clarkston, GA. She is also the Executive Director of Her Term, an organization that empowers women to run for political office in Georgia, and was recently selected as an Obama Leader for 2024-2025. Han is driven by a passion to create meaningful change in her community and help women find their power. She graduated from Wellesley College and the University of Minnesota Law School, before working for over a decade in the legal field. After starting a family, she refocused her attention to community leadership. Han's leadership includes founding the Decatur Lunar New Year Festival and Badass Asian Women. She currently serves on the board of The Lola, a womxn's club in Atlanta; has served as Board Chair for the Global Village Project, a non-profit school for refugee girls in Georgia; and recently delivered a TEDx talk on political representation. Han has also been recognized by Atlanta Magazine as a Woman Making a Mark and named as one of the 500 most powerful people in Atlanta. Han balances her advocacy work with entrepreneurship and homesteading on a micro farm with goats, peacocks, chickens, and dogs.
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Stephanie Revish
CFO
Shipt, a wholly owned subsidiary of Target Corporation
Beyond the Corporate Ladder: What Does Growth Look Like When You Stop Just Climbing?
Stephanie Revish is the Chief Financial Officer at Shipt, where she serves as a critical strategic partner in driving profitable growth and long-term value creation, overseeing all accounting, finance, and financial planning functions for the organization.
Before joining Shipt, Stephanie was the Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis at Target, where she held a pivotal role in directing Enterprise-wide investment strategy. She was directly responsible for optimizing and prioritizing over $4 billion in annual capital expenditure to strengthen the company’s core business and accelerate strategic market positioning across Target’s portfolio of nearly 2,000 stores. Her prior experience includes diverse financial and strategic leadership roles at organizations including Cardinal Health, Henry Schein, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
A passionate advocate for inclusivity and mentorship, Stephanie actively commits to leadership efforts focused on talent development and community advancement in Columbus and beyond. Her commitment to both her field and the community has earned her recognition, including the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Luminary Award, the National Diversity Council’s Top 50 Financial Leaders Award, and The Fisher College of Business Professional Achievement Award and Alumnus of the Year Award.
Stephanie is also a respected graduate of Leadership Columbus.
Stephanie holds both a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Accounting from The Ohio State University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). She resides in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, Jerome, and their two daughters.
TIA ROBINSON
CEO & Founder
Vertical Activewear
Bold Moves, Resilience and Lasting Industry Impact
Tia Robinson is the founder and CEO of Vertical Activewear, Georgia's first B Corp-certified apparel manufacturer, and Activate by Vertical, the brand's custom corporate merch division. Her work focuses on helping organizations create merchandise people actually want to keep — made sustainably and on demand. In her 2025 TEDxAtlanta talk, "How to Be a Sustainable Online Shopper," Tia made the case that consumers have more power to influence the fashion industry than they realize. Her clients include MassMutual, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and the City of Atlanta. She was recently recognized as a 2026 Individual Change Maker by the Global Sustainability Awards, North America Chapter. Tia serves on the board of B Local Georgia and has contributed to the resource network supporting the City of Atlanta's Climate Resilience Advisory Board and the 2026 FIFA World Cup Environmental Committee.
kim roxie
Ceo & founder
LAMIK Beauty
Big X Talk
Kim Roxie is a visionary entrepreneur, esthetician, and the trailblazing founder of LAMIK Beauty, a clean color cosmetics brand dedicated to healthy, inclusive, and sustainable makeup. Roxie began her journey in the beauty industry as a college student attending Clark Atlanta University, working at a makeup counter. At 21, she was opening her own Makeup shop in the mall in her hometown of Houston, TX. Dismayed by the harsh, toxic ingredients prevalent in mainstream makeup, and driven by the jarring reality that nearly 75% of beauty products marketed to women of color contain harmful chemicals, she resolved to build a brand rooted in wellness.
Named an acronym for Love And Makeup In Kindness, LAMIK has shattered industry standards under Roxie's leadership. Her mission became deeply personal after her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her own diagnosis with alopecia, which inspired LAMIK's acclaimed, organic-rich Revelation Brow Duo. Fueled by the philosophy that "beauty is revealed, not applied," Roxie has evolved her brand from a local Houston makeup shop into a tech-forward, e-commerce powerhouse.
Roxie’s disruptive approach caught the attention of Forbes, which spotlighted her as a driving force redefining the $580 billion dollar beauty market. Making history as one of the youngest African American women to secure space in a major department store, Roxie has scaled LAMIK into a celebrated household name. Today, the brand is carried by premier national retail partners including Nordstrom, JCPenney, and Ulta.com, proving that women do not have to sacrifice their health for high-end beauty.
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NICKI SALCEDO
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATOR
NHS Consulting
Creating a Culture of Mental Health: Awareness, Advocacy, Action
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Nicki Salcedo is a behavioral health educator who helps organizations support the needs of their most important resource: people. With more than two decades in health care and technology, she has served as a Vice President at UnitedHealth Group, DarioHealth, and Virtual Therapeutics. She has led initiatives that strengthen employee well-being through equitable access to care and health innovation. Nicki delivers mental health trainings, including Mental Health First Aid, to corporations around the world. Most recently her clients include LVMH and J.Crew Group. Her work blends evidence-based research with personal insight into the realities of leadership and high-pressure work. In her spare time, Nicki is a multi-published author and creative writing teacher. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, four kids, and four cats.
DANEYNI SANGUINETTI-URENA
SR. DIRECTOR, HEAD OF CULTURE & INCLUSIVE MARKETING
Pernod Ricard USA
Culture Sells: The Business of Cultural Relevance
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Daneyni Sanguinetti is the Senior Director of Culture and Inclusive Marketing at Pernod Ricard USA, leading enterprise inclusive strategy and building multicultural intelligence. She brings experience in consumer analytics and brand marketing from Coca‑Cola, Pernod Ricard, and roles in banking, telecommunications, direct mail advertising, and commercial construction. Her career spans driving brand relevance, shaping multicultural perspectives that influence marketing and commercial strategy, and equipping teams with inclusive marketing capability. Daneyni serves on the Collage Group, 3AF, Color COMM Inc., and Genius advisory boards and is a Top Hispanic Market Thought Leader and speaker on inclusive marketing, cultural intelligence, and brand strategy.
COREY SMITH
VP, Diversity & Inclusion
LVMH North America
Culture Sells: The Business of Cultural Relevance
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Corey Smith is a strategic inclusion executive with more than three decades of experience advancing enterprise transformation, talent strategy, supplier diversity, and market engagement across manufacturing, technology, education, consumer products, entertainment, media, sports, and luxury. He currently serves as Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at LVMH Inc., where he leads Inclusion initiatives across North America for the company’s portfolio of luxury brands. Prior to joining LVMH, Corey served as Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Major League Baseball.
Corey’s career spans Logistics, Procurement, Marketing, Business Development, Human Resources, and DEI, giving him a broad operating perspective on how inclusion can drive organizational performance. He has led culture transformation efforts, developed inclusive hiring and advancement programs, and built talent strategies designed to strengthen diverse pipelines, retention, and leadership readiness.
Additionally, his external, customer-facing work includes inclusive market engagement strategies, experiential activations, and culturally relevant storytelling designed to identify new customer segments and support market share growth. Early in his career, Corey spent 10 years in Supply Chain and Procurement, where he also built supplier diversity initiatives that expand economic opportunity for diverse businesses while supporting corporate profitability through cost mitigation.
Corey currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Virgil Abloh Foundation as well as the FIT Foundation. He has previously served on the boards of Diversity Information Resources (DIR) and the NY/NJ Minority Supplier Development Council, where he was Board Chair. A native New Yorker, Corey holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Columbia University.
TIFFANY SMITH-ANOA'I
Executive Vice President, Content Engagement, Partnerships & Strategy, TV Media
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation
BIG X Speaker
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Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i leads content engagement and strategy, industry partnerships and talent development across Paramount’s TV Media division, encompassing CBS-branded properties, BET Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and Paramount Media Networks. She oversees the Company’s creative development programs, talent initiatives and strategic engagement with agencies, guilds, coalitions and other industry partners.
Since joining CBS Entertainment in 2000 as a senior publicist, Smith-Anoa’i has held leadership roles that have shaped executive development, strengthened the creative pipeline and fostered collaboration across the organization.
A sought-after speaker and advisor, she is recognized for her expertise in media, culture and organizational strategy. She has served on numerous nonprofit and advisory boards, including The Hidden Opponent, ColorComm, BIG SUNDAY, Harness and the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Business Advisory Board, and previously co-chaired the Board of Trustees for The Archer School for Girls.
Smith-Anoa’i is a graduate of Howard University.
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Nekeidra "Niki" Taylor
FOUNDER & CEO
Niki Taylor PR
Bold Moves, Resilience and Lasting Industry Impact
Nekeidra "Niki" Taylor is a multi-industry entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Niki Taylor PR, where she leads strategic communications for corporate, nonprofit, and government agencies. Her business footprint also spans both hospitality and experiential entertainment as the owner of Vines Tasting Room—a destination centered on wine education and community gathering—and co-owner of Swing Mini Golf and Fling Axe Throwing. With over two decades of communications experience, Niki brings a wealth of hands-on expertise to empowering organizations and scaling brand authority. A Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black In Business scholar and former National Communications Co-Chair for ColorComm, she also instructs communication courses at Middle Georgia State University and leads communication workshops for corporate and civic leaders.
Vanessa Toro
Strategy Lead
Public School, A Creative Studio
UnMuted: Speak Up, Advocate and Advance
I'm the Strategy Lead at Public School, where I design live experiences for real people — human beings with limited time, strong opinions, and actual nervous systems. I care about why people gather, what makes a room matter, and how a moment outlasts what got you through the door. My work lives somewhere between strategy, culture, language, and the human art of making people give a damn.
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Michelle Tatenda Williams
VP Accounting
Mastermind, Inc.
BIG X TALK
Michelle Williams is a finance executive, mentor, and storyteller whose journey spans continents, careers, and personal transformation. Originally from Zimbabwe, Michelle built a successful career in corporate finance in the United States, rising to become Vice President of Accounting while navigating the challenges of immigration, leadership, identity, and ambition.
With more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting, she has advised CEOs, led business transformation initiatives, and helped organizations achieve sustainable growth. Beyond the numbers, Michelle is passionate about empowering others, particularly women and underrepresented professionals, to pursue opportunities boldly and define success on their own terms.
Through her talk, Crossing Oceans, Breaking Ceilings, Michelle shares lessons on resilience, reinvention, and the courage to move beyond expectations to create a life and career of purpose.
madia willis
ceo
Black Paper Party
Working Title: Future of Retail, AI and Innovation
Madia Willis is a Liberian-American designer and entrepreneur with a passion for creating beautiful, inclusive products that resonate with people. Originally from Hyattsville, MD, Madia’s journey into fashion and textiles began at Columbia University, where she earned her BA. A study abroad experience in Ghana sparked her love for textiles, leading her to launch her first clothing line, Biribelle.
To deepen her expertise, Madia studied textile design at Central St. Martins in London, Drexel University, and Philadelphia University. She kicked off her career at Target, working on Ready-to-Wear and Accessories as a textile designer. She then moved to Walmart, where she helped launch a $1 billion children’s brand and managed licensed products for girls—a role that honed her skills in product development and sourcing.
Madia’s knack for spotting trends and bringing products to life took her to Five Below, where she served as Senior Product Development Manager, shaping home, stationery, and seasonal product lines and creating trend for the store. Today, as the co-founder and CEO of Black Paper Party, Madia is all about making the holidays more inclusive and joyful. You can find Black Paper Party’s products in major retailers like Walmart, Family Dollar, Dollar General, and Macy's.
Her work has earned Black Paper Party two Licensing Excellence Award nominations for best brand, and Madia herself has been celebrated as a “Change Maker” by License Global, a SHE-EO Business Disruptor by Ebony Magazine, and even landed a deal on Shark Tank. She also took home the win at the inaugural Macy’s Workshop pitch competition.
When she’s not creating products that fly off the shelves, Madia loves to travel, play and coach volleyball, and connect with others who share her passion for design and entrepreneurship. Whether you’re a brand looking to make waves or just starting out, Madia’s experience and energy make her the perfect partner to help you achieve success.