Board Members
and
Advisory Board

Tiffany R. Warren is EVP, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Sony Music Group. In this newly created role, Tiffany will expand equity and inclusion activities and policies across of all Sony Music Group’s (SMG) global recorded music, publishing and corporate divisions.

Recognized as a leader in the field of diversity, Tiffany is a talent strategist with 22+ years of championing diverse professionals in the advertising industry. In 2005, she founded ADCOLOR, which has launched the ADCOLOR Industry Conference, ADCOLOR Awards and ADCOLOR University. As President of ADCOLOR, she is deeply involved in the direction the industry is taking around diversity.

As CEO of Droga5 New York, Susie Nam sits at the helm of one of the most influential agencies in the advertising industry, driving client business across North and South America. Since joining Droga5 14 years ago, Susie has risen to the top of the organization and been instrumental in the agency’s significant growth from a 35-person crew in NYC to an industry-leading brand with 500+ employees in their flagship office, and 4 global hubs supporting international clientele. She has been critical in designing systems and culture that yield breakthrough ideas and advance best-in-class talent. Susie is an Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow (2020) and has been recognized on the GoldHouse A100 List (2018, 2022) and Adweek 50 (2017).

After seventeen years at the American Advertising Federation, Constance Cannon Frazier knew it was time to share her wisdom, judgement, and experiences on a broader level, resulting in her creating Cardinal Change Consulting, where she is the principal. Connie has spearheaded countless programs and initiatives, successfully managed budgets during economic downturn and conceived numerous ideas resulting in increased revenue, while earning the respect of colleagues across the advertising, higher education and public broadcasting industries. She has served on numerous non-profit boards, including ADCOLOR since its inception and was recently appointed to the Quantcast Board of Directors.

Meet Ashley McGowan, a passionate marketer and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusivity in the industry. As the Global Lead for Business Equity at Meta, Ashley is dedicated to showcasing how businesses can accelerate a more diverse and inclusive future through intentional practices.

Based in Chicago, Ashley has embarked on a unique professional journey that has taken her to several creative agencies, Microsoft, Under Armour, and now to her current role at Meta.

Throughout her career, Ashley has made it her personal mission to create opportunities for diverse professionals. In 2012, she founded Coalesce Chicago, a community-driven organization that provides resources, networking opportunities, and mentorship to diverse talent across Chicagoland. The program has impacted over 1,500 diverse professionals in Chicago and is acclaimed as the premier resource for diverse talent in the city.

Ashley’s impact has been recognized globally, including three ADCOLOR recognitions and a 2019 appointment as an ambassador to the Cannes Diversity Collective. She is also a 2020 appointee to the 4As Foundation Board of Directors, where she continues to champion diversity and inclusivity in the industry.

When she’s not working, Ashley loves listening to 90s music, exploring new cities, and learning about Chicago’s rich history. She is determined to leave the industry better than she found it and is on a mission to make that a reality.

Carla Eboli is a seasoned communications professional with practice in Latina America and US. With over 20 years of experience in communication, Carla has a strong knowledge of Public Relations, Advertising and Social Media. She joined the Dieste family in 2008 as Chief Marketing Officer, and since then has been working to promote the agency’s growth and helping Dieste stay top-of-mind among the media and key opinion leaders.

Prior to Dieste, Carla worked as the Director of Healthcare at Ketchum Brazil, maintaining a close working relationship with clients in Latin America, Europe and North America. She was also part of Ketchum’s Board of Directors and the Crisis Management Group, and served as Coordinator of Media Training for CEOs and directors.

Carla graduated in Journalism and was part of the Presidential Media Committee in Brasilia, where she covered well-known government, entrepreneurs and businessmen as a special reporter for media vehicles. She then worked for the Culture State Department in Brazil, where she implemented the communications platform and led its public relations services. She continued to serve as Communications’ Consultant for the United Nations, managing the communication team of one of the largest NGOs in Brazil, Alfabetização Solidária.

CP is a sales leader with 20+ years-experience growing tech businesses and innovating through new technologies. As H&W Head of Industry, CP works with client partners to redefine the future of digital marketing in Pharma and Health Services. Before that, CP built businesses in gaming, advertising, SMB/Corporate marketplaces and Enterprise Sales. CP is uniquely talented at creating energizing, driven and high-performing teams that win through inclusivity.

As President & CEO of The ADVERTISING Club of New York, the industry’s premiere forum for exchanging ideas, recognizing creative excellence, innovation, cultivating talent and promoting inclusion, Gina Grillo is a champion of the industry. She leads The AD Club team and over 5,000 members with access to a network of thought leaders; the fuel for creativity; progress toward greater diversity and inclusion; and the best training for professional development.

In her 20+ years at The AD Club, Gina has transformed the Club into the voice of the modern ad industry which, in turn, shaped the conversation around diversity of thought, start-up innovation, support of Young Professionals, cultivated the importance of bravery in advertising, and has become a platform to the entire advertising, marketing and media community in New York. The Club, now in its 120th, year remains a reliable and trusted source for thought leadership, giving back to serve the community and fostering young and diverse talent.
Through i’mPART, the Club’s diversity initiative that aims to raise awareness of the benefits of diversity in business and the importance of increasing and retaining a diverse workforce, The AD Club has made a $2 million investment in the nation’s leading diversity programs thus far.

Gina is a force to be reckoned with – she oversees the International ANDY Awards, leading them to hold the first ever LIVE judging event accessible to the entire industry in 2018. In an effort to strengthening the advertising/marketing industries and advocate for diversity retention, she sits on the NYC Virtual Enterprise Advisory Board, the Advertising Week Board, and is also a Founding Member on the Board of the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition. In 2017, the 4A’s named her to their esteemed list of ‘100 People Who Make Advertising Great.’
Gina also works closely with the prestigious industry leaders who comprise The AD Club’s Board of Directors to support the Club’s mission to move the advertising industry forward. Prior to joining The AD Club, Grillo held positions at Young & Rubicam and MTV Networks. A St. John’s University graduate and native New Yorker, she resides here with her husband and three children.

Keesha Jean-Baptiste is senior vice president, chief talent officer for Hearst Magazines.

Before joining Hearst, she was senior vice president of talent, engagement and inclusion at the 4A’s. While there, she represented talent issues impacting the industry and oversaw the 4A’s Foundation.

Keesha spent six years at Wieden+Kennedy Portland as director of talent and HR, while there she led a strategic refocus of the HR function. Prior she held various senior-level HR roles at Digitas. She started her career in marketing at Wunderman.

Jean-Baptiste is a graduate of James Madison University and holds a Master’s Degree from Emerson College.

Kim Getty leads a team of world-class creative thinkers who help businesses thrive. She’s helped build Deutsch LA into what Fast Company has recognized as one of the industry’s Most Innovative Companies. During her tenure, Kim has developed new practice areas and led breakthrough campaigns for Taco Bell, Walmart, Dr Pepper, Snapple, PetSmart, Nintendo, Opendoor and Lowe’s among others, earning Deutsch LA top spots on Ad Age’s Agency A-List numerous times.

Recognized as a Trailblazer by Adweek, one of the Most Powerful Women in Advertising by Business Insider and awarded the AAF’s Mosaic Award for Career Achievement, Kim is a champion of change and staunch advocate of equality in the marketing industry. She’s been honored by ‘She Runs It’ as one of the top Working Mothers of the Year and has made progressive parenting policies a priority at Deutsch LA by advocating for unlimited PTO, flexible work schedules, remote years and sabbaticals.

Committed to nurturing young talent, Kim serves on the faculty at USC’s Annenberg School and sits on the Board of Directors for ADCOLOR, and The Paley Center for Media. Kim is a proud mother of two daughters, a struggling surfer and an SF native turned Angeleno.

Mark D’Arcy is Chief Creative Officer of the Facebook Creative Shop. In this role, he leads a team of creative strategists in 18 cities around the world tasked with creating and building ideas that transform how the world’s largest and most innovative marketers use Facebook to drive business growth.

After two decades working as a writer and Chief Creative Officer in advertising and media, Mark joined Facebook in 2011 to better explore the creative potential of the Facebook platform.

As part of this effort, last year he founded the Facebook Creative Council. Comprised of some of the most highly regarded and influential creative voices in the world. The council provides Facebook with invaluable perspectives and ideas to better engage and educate the global creative community, Identify and celebrate breakthrough work and influence how Facebook develops to be an even richer and more engaging place to connect brands with the people they serve.

Prior to joining Facebook Mark spent seven years at Time Warner in New York, as Chief Creative Officer of its Global Media Group. Here he co-developed the first truly creative media arts practice within a global media company designed to better leverage the company’s extensive television, film, print and digital assets for its key marketing partners. In 2009, Mark was also named President of the Group and Senior Vice President of Time Warner.

Mark has been widely recognized for his creativity and leadership in the creative industries and regularly speaks all around the world on the subject of creativity in social media, the transformation of marketing, the communication arts and the role and purpose of brands in society. Mark has served as a juror on numerous international awards shows including the CLIO Awards, LIA Awards, The International ANDY Awards and in 2013 served on the inaugural Innovations Lions jury at the Cannes Lions Awards.

Mark currently lives in London, mainly Heathrow.

Mark is a Human Resources and Operations executive with extensive experience in recruiting and developing employees to achieve overall company goals. He builds partnerships with all levels of an organization to gain alignment of objectives and develops strategies for implementation of programs in talent management, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, training and evelopment, succession planning, change management, organizational development, employee relations and recruiting.

Mark has spent the majority of his career working in the Advertising/PR industry. Prior to Edelman, he worked at D’Arcy Advertising and Publics Worldwide, where he led the HR function through three separate mergers and honed his skills in change management and cultural development.

Being a very active member of the industry, he had served on the AAAA committees for Human Resources and Diversity for 14 years. He currently serves on the ADCOLOR Board of Directors and is proud to be a founding member.

Michael Muñoz is Google’s Global Marketing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Lead.
Michael is responsible for leading the efforts to build a more representative and
inclusive team, whose work represents its users. He is tasked with developing and
executing the DEI plan in service of accelerating progress on workforce
representation and driving racial & social equity for the organization, including driving
execution of Marketing’s DEI Commitments and Operational Plans. In his role, Michael
advises senior leaders to build capability and shared accountability for DEI efforts and
outcomes; partnering cross-functionally, leveraging trend data and solutions to
advance DEI efforts, objectives and support the work of Google’s Marketing org.

Prior to joining Google, Michael has been a part of the Diversity & Inclusion efforts at
Aetna, MassMutual, EY and ESPN where he’s led several Women’s Leadership
Development efforts, launched ERG’s, created D&I Scorecards, developed and
delivered company-wide trainings and influenced Diversity Staffing efforts. Michael
has also been active in facilitating Anti-Defamation League’s ‘A World of Difference’
Training for the last 20+ years.

Michael has a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of
Connecticut and a Masters in Human Resource Management from Cornell. He and his
wife Courtney currently live in York, Maine with their children Ariana and Noah.

After 25 years in the media and entertainment space, Michele Thornton Ghee decided to pursue her passion of elevating the importance of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity by forming her firm: The Stratechic Alliance. As the managing partner, Ghee helps company’s leverage their most important resource: Difference.

Ghee has worked for: WME, CNN, A&E, THC and BET. Ghee created and ran the only network for black women: BETHer.

Ghee is a 2009 ADCOLOR Change Agent.

Ghee wrote 3 books: Stratechic, Stratechic 2.0, & Success on Your Terms.

She resides in New Jersey with husband Tony & kids Taylor and Jordan.

Nicole Hall is a 20-year Human Resources veteran with leadership experience at some of the largest global advertising and communications companies.

In 2020, Nicole founded Kol Consulting, a comprehensive executive coaching firm built on the principle of partnering with clients to reach their professional potential and business goals. A proponent of transformative employee development, her work is fueled by the Columbia University Coaching Methodology. Nicole’s practice focuses on mid-to-senior level professionals.

An avid mentor and industry influencer, Nicole currently serves on the Board of ADCOLOR, and a member of Baruch College Executives on Campus program.

Born and raised in Istanbul at the intersection of many cultures, Sedef lived in Boston, New York, London and now calls Los Angeles home. As a first-generation immigrant and a white passing minority, Sedef’s multicultural lived experiences and non-linear career path help bring an expansive perspective in life and in her work. Sedef proudly serves on ADCOLOR Board of Directors, is a member of MENA (Middle East and North Africa) for ADCOLOR steering committee, and helps support women new to the U.S to start or enhance their careers through her involvement with the Turkish Women’s Initiative Ignite program.

Sedef is currently the Global Chief Talent Officer of JKR where she partners with the leaders to help create an inclusive environment that fosters and celebrates bravery, diversity, individuality, and creativity.

Singleton Beato is the Global Chief Diversity & Engagement Officer at McCann Worldgroup, where she is responsible for designing and leading strategic initiatives that increase organizational capacity, innovation and growth. With over 25 years of experience as an accomplished executive, Singleton is recognized for her success driving large scale people and organizational change initiatives across a wide range of industries, having held talent leadership roles at J. Walter Thompson, Crunch Fitness International, and Bloomberg L.P.

Previously, Singleton was EVP, Diversity Strategy and Talent Development at the 4A’s where she provided leadership and advice to senior advertising and media agency executives working to create and activate a strategic approach to D&I. Singleton was the visionary and architect of high-profile initiatives including The Face Of Talent symposium and the Ad industry’s only Talent Leadership Conference, Talent@2030. She also led the transformation of the renowned Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) and the 4A’s Foundation. And, after assuming P&L responsibility for Talent Development and Diversity related revenue streams, Singleton consistently delivered on revenue and margin growth targets for the organization.

Singleton received a MS from Fairleigh Dickinson University and serves on several non-profit boards including the Brand Erwin Center for Brand Communications, AdWeek’s D&I Council, the AAF’s Mosaic Council, NYWICI, Own The Room and Figure Skating in Harlem as well as the Advisory Board of the Brand + Integrated Communications program. She has received numerous awards and accolades from the AAF, the 4A’s, the ADCOLOR Coalition, the National Diversity Council, the World Diversity Leadership Summit. Additionally, Singleton was named one of 2019’s Most Influential Women In Corporate America by Savoy Magazine, one of AdWeek’s 2020 Women Trailblazers and one of New York’s Most Outstanding Corporate Citizens.

Stephen Kim is a longtime promoter of Diversity & Inclusion in the media, advertising, and technology industries. In addition to having served in senior advertising sales leadership roles for 15 years at Microsoft and Verizon, Stephen was formerly an attorney, a journalist, and a startup entrepreneur. Currently, he leads the Communication & Information department at the Princeton University Art Museum with a special focus on connecting historically under-served communities through the world of art.

Stephen received his B.A. from Brown University and holds an M.A. in Communications and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.levision violence.

Aaron is a Blerd, social media enthusiast, sneakerhead, and lover of all things DEI.

He was first exposed to the marketing industry via the 4A’s MAIP program, and since then have worked across several verticals including retail, finance, gaming, and tech. Aaron takes pride in his ability to fuse cultural nuance and strategic thinking to build impactful, and inspirational consumer-focused approaches. In addition to his day job as an Associate Strategy Director, he uses his personal platforms via social and speaking engagements to cover topics such as building a personal brand, creative strategy, and building effective social strategies.

In 2022, Aaron founded Black Visionaries, a non-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission to democratize access to resources and community for Black professionals. The organization curated both virtual and in-person experiences for their community including their yearly event The Black Visionaries Brunch

Aaron’s love of community has translated into distinctive honors such as 2021 AdAge Diversity Champion of The Year Finalist, MAIPer to Watch, the inaugural 4A’s x McCann Worldgroup Billy Davis Award & Mr.ADCOLOR 2022.

Kristen Dufauchard is a connector, storyteller, and culture creator who seeks to create meaningful relationships that drive social change and economic opportunity for underrepresented populations. She is the Founder and CEO of aKrewe NOLA, a platform that provides a community to champion and celebrate the personal and career growth of diverse professionals in New Orleans and beyond.

With over ten years of experience in communications and marketing, Kristen has designed and delivered campaigns for colleges, universities, and international brands like Edible Arrangements and the Miss USA Organization. She currently serves as the Marketing Lead for Talent and DE&I at Nielsen and is responsible for the brand strategy for initiatives that affect traditional and new media industries. Prior to Nielsen, she served as the Associate Director of Communications for the NYU Division of Libraries, where she led a newly formed department and oversaw a range of creative services for campus sites in New York City, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi.

Kristen graduated from LSU’s journalism school and earned a Master of Public Administration from Southern University. You can find this proud New Orleanian exploring new countries and cultures, kickboxing, or listening to podcasts in her spare time.

Jochebed Fekadu is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Omnicom Precision Marketing Group. In this role, she leads seven workflows for the OPMG family of agencies to align efforts and internal management for an inclusive culture and equitable workplace. In addition to this work, Jochebed is dedicated to continue to contribute to the experience within Omnicom and sits on the board for OPMG BLQ and Black Together, the practice area & global ERGs within the company landscape.

Prior to joining Omnicom, Jochebed was a Digital Marketing Manager at Wpromote. At Wpromote, Jochebed led a portfolio of 25 clients across various business sectors by driving strategy and marketing efforts across Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Ads & Search Engine Optimization. She also aided in the establishment of the first Black ERG in agency history, Black Voices, and was elected as sitting president. Jochebed graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations. She was selected as an Outstanding Graduate in 2019 and sat on the DE&I Council of her college.

Jochebed is a proud alumna of The IRTS Foundation, where she actively speaks on panels and mentors summer fellows. She is also a 2021 ADCOLOR Future & is honored to be a member of the organization. Bringing people, ideas and inspiration together has helped her embrace her disruptive nature across companies and groups. Her passion for equity, quality and progress lights a fire beneath everything she does, enabling her to create lasting impacts along the way.

Alicia helps transform global brands and celebrities into cultural icons through creating marketing strategies that help them impact and connect with their audience in a meaningful way. She has led brand, engagement and social strategy for some of culture’s biggest brands including BMW, Roc Nation, Pepsi Co, The North Face, Samsung, and Pernod Ricard while working at Ogilvy New York and United Entertainment Group where she currently serves as Senior Director of Strategy.

Alicia is also the creator and executive producer of The Invisible Thread, a digital content series and community that shines a light on strategists of color to uncover how they’ve built culture’s biggest and most beloved brands.
After just one season, The Invisible Thread has proven itself to be not only a much needed in-depth look into business and strategy but also has established itself as a key source of mentorship for strategists and creatives of color as they navigate their way throughout the field of strategy and industry as a whole.

As an Ad Product Specialist at Twitch/Amazon Ads, Armando (he/him) believes that advertising’s core purpose is to help people. He uses this compassionate approach to consult his clients towards entering the gaming, video, and live streaming spaces. Armando was also an initial handraiser to develop inclusive mechanisms at scale within his company, most notably by co-creating the first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advocacy group that aims to drive an ongoing DEI dialogue across the North American region.

Being a first-generation college student, Armando deeply knows the importance of championing others and dedicates his time outside of work to connect with emerging talent. He has served on the Advisory Board for We Are Next, where he spearheaded the Brand Ambassador Program, the Young Talent in Tech team, and the widely popular Coffee at a Distance. He also serves on his alma mater’s alumni board, the James Webb Young Board, in order to consult university staff and faculty on how they can create the best programming and educational opportunities for the next generation.

Armando also loves LEGO, playing video games, annotating books so much to the point you can’t read them, and wearing watches where it’s hard to tell the time. If you ever want to chat, Armando’s virtual door is always open.

Brandon is a Sr Client Executive with Microsoft Ads and is a part of the 2016 class of AdColor FUTURES. Aside from his work with the AAB’s Alumni Engagement team, Brandon leads Microsoft Advertising’s Global Culture Squad and is chairperson for the NY Tri-state chapter of Black at Microsoft. In 2022, Brandon was recipient of Microsoft’s Platinum Club award given to the top 1% of achievers in Microsoft globally. Throughout his career thus far, Brandon has shown a clear passion for creating community and safe spaces for those around him. Brandon enjoys ideating new ways to create positive moments and brings a welcoming energy to collaboration and diverse perspectives.

Carlin currently serves as a co-lead on the Alumni Engagement Committee for the ADCOLOR Advisory Board. Outside of ADCOLOR, Carlin is currently an Associate Director of DEI Strategy at TBWA\Chiat\Day\NY, where he works with agency leadership to create an equitable and inclusive environment for employees while ensuring our work tells diverse, equitable, and inclusive stories.

Carlin is by trade an award-winning culture-first strategist with experience across brands like Hilton, The Mayo Clinic, and Brooklyn Film Festival. His accolades include being a 2018 ADCOLOR FUTURE and being recognized by BusinessInsider as a 50 Rising Star on Madison Avenue in 2021.

Carlin is a proud Midwesterner from Cleveland, OH, and holds a B. A in Media Production & Studies from Bowling Green State University, where he studied the intersection of media, race, representation, and culture.

Cherish is currently a Communications Strategy Director at Droga5 where she helps brands like Old Spice, IHOP, J.P Morgan Chase, Hennessy, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer shape the ways they show up in culture in order for them to build lasting connections with their audiences. She believes deeply in the power of a nuanced & authentic understanding of communities in order to unlock compelling creative work that is truly representative of the world & communities we live in today. Outside of her 9-5, Cherish currently serves as a co-lead on the FUTURES Alumni Engagement Committee for the ADCOLOR Advisory Board.

Her accolades include being selected for the 2018 ADCOLOR FUTURES class, where she was recognized as part of the next generation of leaders in the advertising, media, and marketing industries

Cherish has a B.S. in advertising communications from the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon. Cherish, who currently resides in New York city, hails from the sunny island of Singapore.

Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt began her career with FleishmanHillard (FH) as an intern in 2017 and is now the agency’s first Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Programs.

Over her years in client service, she helped build campaigns and social strategies and led influencer marketing programs.

In 2018, she became the Diversity Champion for FH Sacramento. She guided local DE&I efforts and ensured those efforts matched the overall agency goals. She also created Remix Your Algorithm, now an FH global initiative.

In 2020, she experienced a shift in perspective. Her career goals changed from growing in client services to a desire to create spaces with inclusion, equity and safety at the center.

Since 2021 she has worked within the Office of the CDIO (Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer) as the global Sr. Program Manager. Here, she applies her skills and passion for moving DE&I programs for FH forward and tackling FH’s goal to be the most inclusive communications agency in the world.

She uses her position to lead the DE&I Champions globally, elevate diverse voices and perspectives at every career level, create a safe and welcoming space, center learning and unlearning, and continually advocate for all companies to recognize DE&I as a moral AND business imperative.

In addition to her role at FleishmanHillard, she is a co-host of Omnicom’s “In the Black,” a TV series presented by Black Together, one of Omnicom’s ERGs.

Courtney Jones has nearly 10 years of experience leading business development and growth initiatives for both holding companies and independent agencies alike. While at The Martin Agency, the agency has been recognized as the 2023 A-List Agency of the Year by AdAge, 2021 & 2020 Agency of the Year winner by Adweek, and is one of the top 10 Most Innovative Agencies in the country (Fast Company.) Outside of her new business responsibilities, she is very intentional about infusing diversity and inclusion into multiple aspects of the business. From marketing and brand communications to new business pitches and creative work, Courtney lends a critical, yet empathetic, point of view to cultural relevance and impact.

She has been recognized by leading ad and marketing magazine Campaign US, as an Inaugural Female Frontier honoree and one of Business Insider’s Rising Stars of Madison Avenue 2021. She currently serves on the 2023-2024 ADCOLOR Advisory Board, the 4As New Business Committee, Diversity Steering Committee & Change Management Task Force; has previously served on the board of the Atlanta chapter of SheSays and #TimesUp; and is a mentor and advisor with 4As Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP). Her fearless approach and fresh perspectives have helped her to secure multiple new business wins for the agency, and further accelerated The Martin Agency’s ability to create impactful work.

Destanee Bonds is a St. Louis raised content creator and speaker currently based in Brooklyn, New York. With over five years of marketing experience, she has led the creation of content for digital and social campaigns for brands such as Diageo, Google, and YouTube.

Her passion work is channeled in her position as the creator of the Power in Prose, a platform dedicated to encouraging creatives of color to stand tall in their authority. The platform provides advocacy via her writing workshops, social content and the Power in Prose Podcast. Her voice goes beyond the podcast mic through her work as a poet and voice actress.

Destanee holds a B.J. in Journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia, is a MAIP Alum, ADCOLOR Alum and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

As a first generation Haitian American, Emmeline Jean grew up understanding the importance of leading with empathy, being resilient and viewing every challenge as an opportunity for growth.
Currently, Emmeline is an Account Executive at LinkedIn on the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions team. In her role, Emmeline is focused on building strong client relationships while providing strategic solutions to help clients exceed their goals and drive revenue. Emmeline’s empathetic, creative and client first approach to sales has contributed to consistent revenue attainment. In addition to her current role, Emmeline continues to finds ways to Rise Up and Reach Back by mentoring high school students and those early in career.
In her spare time, Emmeline fuels her creative spirit by showing off her chef skills and reviewing restaurants on her Food Blog, EmmesEveryday.

Gabrielle Gomez currently serves as the Associate Director of Creative Recruiting at TBWA\Chiat\Day NY. In a past life she worked as a creative, doing design and art direction, then pivoted into her creative recruitment career at R/GA.
Since then, she has worked at Grey NY and TBWA\Worldwide before joining Chiat NY to lead creative recruitment.

Geoff McHenry is a Group Strategy Director at Translation. His role is to lead the strategic vision for a multitude of clients and create work that is deeply insightful, culturally relevant and creatively inspiring.

Of his accomplishments at Translation, Geoff is most proud of his work with WhatsApp and NBA Superstar Giannis Anteokounmpo. Geoff’s passion, vision, and leadership helped not only launch META’s very first partnership with a brand ambassador, but helped create a powerful story around cross cultural identity entitled Naija Odyssey which was globally distributed on Amazon Prime and served as WhatsApp’s first ever piece of original content.

Before Translation, Geoff was at Wieden+Kennedy where he led strategy for the vitaminwater, Jordan Brand, and Sprite accounts. The latter of which he helped get back to its roots of supporting hip-hop culture and inspired the brand to use it’s platform and resources to help young black creators realize their dreams. Through art, fashion, and music Geoff helped pave the way for creators to do everything from star in a campaign commercial, to design an apparel line for a new flavor launch, to using their artistic expression to inspire the next generation to vote.

In his spare time, Geoff is a DJ, writer, podcaster, and playlist guru. He is a Bay Area native, a proud graduate of Morehouse College, and his passion is to create a world where people of color have the space to dream big, imagine the unimaginable, and create bold ideas that challenge the status quo.

Ivy is a Vietnamese-American senior art director and designer based in NYC.

Jacklyn (they/them) works as a strategy director at Fig, an independent creative agency. There- and at McCann New York for 6.5 years before- they’ve partnered with leading brands to be more intentional, inclusive, and innovative across everything they say and do.

Jacklyn is a proud alum and supporter of programs that champion people’s intersectional identities and challenge the industry to do the same. These include 4As MAIP, the Ad Club of Ne York’s imPART Fellowship, and ADCOLOR FUTURES.

Kevin is a connector by nature. As a Digital Partnerships Manager at Mastercard, he uses his product and industry knowledge to connect partners with payment and data solutions that help them address some of their biggest pain points.

He graduated from New York University with a major in Media, Culture & Communication with a minor in Urban Design & Architecture. At NYU, he was the President of the Student Alumni Council, an organization dedicated to fostering relationships between current students and alumni.

Throughout his career, Kevin has worked at various organizations in different roles, including the D.C. Mayor’s Office, McCann, CJ ENM, WarnerMedia, and Mastercard. Outside of work, Kevin dedicates time to mentoring aspiring marketers and has been exploring his new neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY.

Keyon Branch is currently the Manager Influencer, Talent & Culture marketing at the NFL where he creates experiences that enable influencers & celebrities to connect with players and the league as a whole. Additionally, he has an extensive background in sports & entertainment brand marketing, digital media marketing, creative storytelling, & brand strategy working with a myriad of big networks and brands such as the NBA, Electronic Arts (EA Sports), CBS, & Lionsgate FIlms.

In addition to his work in advertising media, Keyon is champion for diversity and inclusion in the marketing space and has committed himself to encouraging and developing the next group of diverse talent, by providing them with the skills and necessary tools so they are successful specifically within the HBCU network. Keyon’s ability to adapt and willingness to learn in conjunction with his analytical and creative skills have helped garner his success. He graduated from Morehouse College, Cum Laude, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing in which he attributes his passion for marketing & advertising. More recently, Keyon was named a 2019 ADCOLOR Future, a distinct honor that identifies the next generation of leaders in the advertising, marketing, media, and public relations industries.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan and now residing in New York City, Keyon lives by the mantra “But out of limitations comes creativity” in which he applies across many aspects of his life.

Kia Imani Robinson is a Manager of Social Media Strategy at Hilton. In her role Kia works with external and cross-functional internal teams to create and execute content, social media strategies and to help implement activation plans around key initiatives for some of Hilton’s global portfolio of brands.

Prior to Hilton, Kia was a Client Experience Manger at Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading global public relations firms. In her role she helped her consumer clients bring big ideas to life – from product launches, consumer events, branded partnerships, influencer programs, social stunts and more. She has developed and executed big ideas for countless brands including OREO, Excedrin, Papa John’s and Airbnb.

Kia’s work and passion lives at the intersection of culture and community building. No matter how big an idea is, her focus is to ensure it is culturally appropriate and provides consumers with a sense of community and belonging.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Kia is a social butterfly at heart and is always looking for ways to bring people together in the spirit of culture and fun. In her spare time, Kia loves traveling, journaling, discovering the best happy hours and re-watching episodes of Girlfriends (because it’s the best show ever created!).

Kia is a graduate of Hampton University and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She is thrilled to serve on the ADCOLOR Advisory Board and is excited about furthering her commitment to increase diversity in creative industries.

Lauren Guity embraces new opportunities that challenge her to grow. She traded her Seattle roots for Chicago to pursue her college education. After graduating, she began her career at Microsoft and rose to become a Senior Account Manager in the Health & Wellness industry. She partners with some of the largest pharmaceutical companies and helps them achieve their advertising goals. She has comprehensive experience in managing complex client relationships, crafting strategic business plans, and generating revenue. She has been a top performer in the Global Enterprise Media Sales segment since joining in 2017.

She’s a visionary leader who looks at the bigger picture and creates solutions for change. Lauren is passionate about DE&I and has initiated several programs to progress these values at Microsoft and beyond. She founded and leads Blacks at Microsoft Chicago, an employee resource group that empowers and advances Black employees at the company. She also started an onboarding program for new hires that fosters a positive work culture. She has mentored Chicago students, facilitated employee workshops on privilege and allyship, and shared her personal journey as a Hispanic Black woman in corporate America. She has been featured in blog posts, invited to speak at various events, and honored with awards for her role excellence.

Lauren knows how to have fun and enjoy life. She loves to travel the world, attend different events, and try new restaurants. She likes to relax by boxing, scrolling through Tik Tok, keeping up with pop culture, and cuddling with her mini labradoodle Migo while watching Real Housewives.

Marcus Andrew is a multidisciplinary creative who’s worked with some of the world’s leading entertainment platforms and Fortune 500 brands, on both the agency and in-house side.His career work is primarily driven by new platforms and forms of storytelling.

He joined Apple TV+’s marketing team in its infancy to help establish it as a leader in the streaming space, he built creative marketing strategies for Netflix’s newest vertical (Unscripted) and expanded the branded content strategy of CNN’s Great Big Story startup into the international market. He also established VICE’s presence on platforms like Snapchat Discover and helped build its one-of-kind content partnership with Intel, the Creators Project. He started his career at Ogilvy, where he helped launch one of the first agency practices focused on online video in 2011.

Outside of marketing and campaign work, you can find him spending time with his infant daughter and wife, painting, illustrating or fiercely rooting for his alma mater, the Duke Blue Devils.

If you don’t know Mefah, you should. She’s a talented marketer with over 7 years experience working at large technology companies. She is passionate about building equitable and inclusive spaces for all and will always serve in a position where she can promote diversity, equity and inclusion and weave it into a space’s DNA. Currently she serves as a global product marketing manager at TikTok where she creates global marketing strategies to bring innovative ad products to market.

Natalie Alcide is a native Brooklynite, art director, and designer whose work focuses on telling stories that often go untold. Her Haitian roots and working class upbringing inform her passion for crafting narratives that authentically represent the cultures of underrepresented communities. She’s worked on stories that lie at the intersection of relevance and social impact for brands like Proctor & Gamble, Advil, and Modelo.

Natalie’s work has been featured in AIGA, ADWEEK, and We Are Next for championing initiatives that help foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within the communications industry. Currently, Natalie is a Senior Art Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day and an adjunct professor at the City College of New York.

Nicole is a Global Creative Strategist at Spotify. In her role she helps educate and inspire creative agencies on the creative possibilities of audio. She’s on a mission to develop ideas worth talking about by uncovering human truths through cultural insights. She approaches both her corporate and community-driven work through the lens of inclusion and empowerment to shift culture.

Before Spotify, Nicole was a Brand Strategist at Twitter launching custom programs for clients such as Target, Popeyes, Pepsi, Wendy’s, and the WNBA.

Her work has been featured in AdWeek and she has moderated panels at industry events such as “Where Are All the Black People”.

Nicole is a Cannes Young Lion Academy Alum, Ad Club of NY Fellowship recipient, ADCOLOR Future Alum, AAF Most Promising Multicultural Student, and Emma Bowen Alum.

She’s a native New Yorker that loves Indie R&B, a good brunch, and traveling to new places. She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Her experience working across brand, social, and diversity equity and inclusion strategy, led to her become a Cultural Strategist— where she focuses on finding unique opportunities for companies and creatives to center diverse voices, and create socially impactful work that propels the cultural narrative.

Throughout her tenure at agencies like Leo Burnett, Havas, Cold Chillen, MullenLowe and Cashmere she’s worked across major brands such as P&G Always Global, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniels, Patron, and Amazon Music.

Most recently she Co-Founded of The New Vanguard, a creative coalition dedicated to providing resources and opportunities for new wave creatives of color.

Rachelle Olden is a Sr. Product Marketing Manager and lead of Tech Equity Collective, an initiative started by Google to increase Black+ representation and genius in the tech industry. Rachelle served in the U.S. Peace Corps, then led social advocacy programs with the U.N. World Food Programme in Liberia and World Vision International in Latin America. Her work continued at the Clinton Foundation, Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. After earning an MBA at Duke University, Rachelle joined Microsoft to manage global industry partnerships and experiences. In 2021, Rachelle launched AfroCamp – a summer camp for young hearted Black adults.

A travel enthusiast, business owner, consistent concert attendee, and pop culture aficionado. Rob is many things and enjoys recreating himself whenever he sees fit. In his day-to-day work, he works at Google NYC as a Principal Account Manager in Digital Advertising Sales, helping clients like Meta, CheapOair, and HubSpot to strengthen their brands across digital platforms like Search & YouTube. At Google, Rob is a co-lead of the Black Googler Network NYC Chapter focusing on external partnerships. He also volunteers as a mentor to Black and Latinx high school students interested in careers in STEM with the Governor’s Committee for Scholastic Achievement. As a mentor, Rob works with students on resume building, college prep, and professional development. He has been on the ADCOLOR Advisory Board since 2021 and serves as co-lead for the Hackathon team working with the FUTURES program.
Rob runs nineOH7 on weekends, selling apparel and accessories that showcase HBCUs and Black art. A self-taught graphic designer, he’s been working in the digital design space for many years – often helping small business owners build their marketing strategies; even teaching students at Google CodeNext. Born in DC and raised in Prince George’s County, MD, his roots influence his personal style and creative POV. Before Google, Rob worked in Product Innovation and Brand Marketing for the US Postal Service, merging mail and technology together for the future. He holds a B.S. in Management from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and an MBA from University of Maryland University College.

Samra is a writer and storyteller based in Brooklyn, NY. Her copywriting connects brands to people in creative and memorable ways, and she’s written everything from product marketing to advertising campaigns for global brands like Google, Twitter, United Nations, American Express, SiriusXM and Chase. In her spare time, Samra works on independent films that celebrate Black stories and mentors young women in advertising and media. Samra is all about fostering community, amplifying historically silenced voices, and speaking truth to power. She’s a member of the 2019 ADCOLOR FUTURES class and now serves as a second-year ADCOLOR Advisory Board member on the Alumni Engagement committee.

Sylvia Knight Hanner has been the Senior Manager of NA Marketing – Integrated Media Strategy at Weight Watchers Inc since October 2021.

Prior to Weight Watchers, Sylvia spent over 8 years on the media agency side as a media strategist and planner across a diverse range of clientele including: WHOOP, Janseen Pharmaceuticals, Cotton, Forevermark Inc, MovieStarPlanet, TGI Friday’s and Jaguar. Sylvia has specialized in digital media strategy and planning for the past 5 years expertly managing client, publisher and agency relationships to create innovative and bespoke media plans and partnerships. Sylvia is a strong believer in collaboration and provocation which has helped her create unique opportunities for clients while also being nimble when needed for the fast pace of the ever changing media landscape. In 2020, Sylvia also had the pleasure of being selected as one of the AdClub of NY’s imPART fellow which is a year-long executive and leadership training program designed specifically for mid-level rising female stars.

When she’s not at work, you can find this Texas native cooking or eating BBQ! She’s a skincare and makeup junkie and also loves meeting up with her monthly book club to read their next page turner. She’s finding ways both big and small to fulfill her life’s motto of removing barriers for others. One of the biggest ways she’s done that is through her over 6 year mentorship of Nora, currently a college junior, who she’s worked with to both prepare, apply and succeed in college.

Until binge-watching shows becomes a viable career, Tiffany Leung is happily building inclusive spaces and equitable opportunities. As a DEI Program Manager, Tiffany finds partnership opportunities to invest in communities, develop talent pathways, and amplify the stories of historically excluded communities. She is a proud FUTURES 2022, MPMS 2020, MAIP 2019, and The LAGRANT Foundation 2018 alum, who enjoys staying connected and involved with these communities. Tiffany also serves as the Chair of the American Advertising Federation’s Mosaic NextGen Council. Tiffany loves practicing her limited figure skating skills and mediocre piano talents. She is a self-proclaimed sushi + dim sum + KBBQ connoisseur and professional binge-watcher. Tiffany is the proud child of immigrants.

MC LYTE – a legend in the world of music and entertainment – is a pioneering artist and a formidable actress of television and film. Her most recent acting credits include a series regular on last year’s New York Undercover pilot (a reboot of the original Dick Wolf series), and she has recurred on S.W.A.T. (CBS), Power (Starz), and Queen of the South (USA). Lyte’s film roles include acclaimed Sundance Winner Patti Cakes, the Universal hit Girls Trip; Bad Hair, from Director Justin Simien; and the upcoming features Loved To Death, and Sylvie, with Tessa Thompson and Eva Longoria. Her newest venture has her taking on the role of show Creator & Executive Producer alongside Lynn Richardson & Bentley Evans for UMC’s sitcom, “Partners In Rhyme.”

MC LYTE is also an iconic Rapper and DJ. Her groundbreaking music career spans 30 years – this Hip Hop LEGEND was the first female rapper ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award, the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall, and the first female artist to earn a gold single. A true leader in the music industry, MC LYTE has also performed at the Kennedy Center Honors and the White House for President Barack Obama.

In addition to a busy on-screen career, Lyte’s production company, Sunni Gyrl, Inc., has several television and film projects — both scripted and unscripted — in various stages of development. Her voice work is also well known and admired, representing dozens of Fortune 500 companies as well as being the voice of the BET Awards and the NAACP Image Awards.

As an author, motivational speaker, and philanthropist, MC LYTE has written books and speaks globally on many inspiring topics from her vast knowledge of the entertainment and hip-hop industries, to entrepreneurialism and economic empowerment. Her charity, “Hip Hop Sisters Foundation,” has presented over $1,000,000 in scholarships.

For the past 20 years, Akintayo has built a dynamic career playing at the intersection of creativity, technology and design.  With a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a masters in Information Systems from New Jersey’s Institute of Technology and both a penchant and passion for expressing himself through the creative arts, Akintayo has made a way for himself to help individuals and organizations solve their technical and creative problems.  He believes that all good designs start with story.  All technical and creative decisions must support that story.  The result will be the best possible version of that story ever told as supported by the infrastructure of a sound design.

Akintayo’s career work as an audio-visual design engineer in the corporate sector has helped to inform his creative work musically, photographically and through film.  For the past 14 years, he has served as the music director and portrait photographer for ADCOLOR, an organization that focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion within the advertising, marketing and media industry.  His photographic subjects have spanned from the music industry, to Hollywood, to corporate and includes the likes of Snoop Dogg, Eva Longoria, Becky G, Jesse Williams, Wilson Cruz, Laz Alonso and Aisha Tyler.  He has been published in Elle, Vogue, Upscale and Essence magazines.  All of his work can be seen at http://www.adewole.com/.

Akintayo is forever a student, always pushing both technological and creative boundaries.  His latest entreprenurial venture, Darker Pixels, is based around telling high production value stories cost effectively by using a virtual production (VP) workflow. VP tools include immersive and experiential technologies such as real-time 3D rendering and virtual/augmented/mixed realities.  You can follow his chronicle into this space on his vlog, http://becomingdope.com and at http://darkerpixels.com.

Akintayo is the proud father of three amazing teenage children and husband to a patient, kind and loving wife of 20+ years, who has been supportive of him and all of his creative quests.

With over 50 million albums globally and proclaimed a “national treasure” by the Los Angeles Times, Anthony Hamilton’s voice will resonate louder than ever in 2021 with more music and performances on the horizon.

GRAMMY® Award winning singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Anthony Hamilton has achieved global sales of over 50 million albums. The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductee notably performed for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle, cementing his place in the history books as the “narrator of love.” Introduced by way of the iconic 2003 smash “Charlene,” his raw, awe-inspiring performances garnered the attention of NPR where he starred in their Noteworthy documentary series. He made his film debut in the critically acclaimed American Gangster, and lent his vocals to the song “Freedom” from the Academy® Award-nominated film Django Unchained.  Hamilton now adds author and publisher to his list of accomplishments with the unveiling of his first self-published book, Cornbread, Fish ‘n Collard Greens where he shares the inspiration for some of the iconic songs in his illustrious career and his love of southern food. Hamilton currently stars as Kyle Kirby in the feature film Carl Weber’s Influence, now streaming on BET+.

Brandon has spent his whole career trying to find interesting ways to not make advertising, but build brands that are some of the most loved brands in culture. He started his career on the hard streets of Madison Ave. where he worked on Hennessy, Lugz Shoes, and Sapporo Beer.

With a few years in the NYC under his Jordan’s, he decided to move to Europe where he joined the award-winning TBWA/Paris and worked on brands like Absolut Vodka, McDonalds, PlayStation, Heineken and Nissan. After five years at TBWA/Paris, he decided to take on another challenge in the most romantic city in the world and moved to Ogilvy Paris and became the Global Creative Director of Coke Zero, while working on other brands such as Louis Vuitton and Perrier.

The red white and blue was calling him back, and after seven years in Paris Brandon came back to the US of A to Leo Burnett Chicago where he was SVP, Global Creative Director of Samsung Electronics, helping usher the brand into the pop-cultural icon it has become to date. After that, he continued west to Los Angeles, taking the helm at Kastner as CEO. At the same time, Brandon was driving other entrepreneurial triumphs as co-founder and CCO of SNKR INC. and founder and CCO of Fluent Group – a venture-building innovation studio with the cultural impact of a lifestyle brand.

Brandon has won every single major award in the industry on both continents and is one of the world’s youngest and freshest CCO’s in the business including: 2019 AAF Hall of Achievement Inductee, Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Influential Marketers 2019, Ad Age 40 Under 40 2018, and 4A’s 100 People Who Make Advertising Great 2017. But when you meet him you will realize he’s just a kid with a big heart.

Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett is an experienced leader and expert in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and equity across corporate, nonprofit, and education sectors. He serves as Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Warner Music Group, a leader in global music entertainment. In his role at WMG, he spearheads the company’s equity initiatives and implements tailored strategies and programs designed to cultivate a diverse and inclusive company culture.

Dr. Stinnett previously made history as inaugural Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for BSE Global, owner of Barclays Center and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, where he provided leadership and support across BSE’s brands. Dr. Stinnett was the first Black man to be appointed Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for an NBA team.

His earlier career experience includes roles in higher education and nonprofit leadership. He held positions as Vice President of Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Cleveland State University and as Dean of Students at Central State University. In the nonprofit sector, he acted as Senior Director of Community Engagement and Education at CentroNia, a multicultural, bilingual education nonprofit located in Washington, DC, and Chairman for the World Leadership Program, a White House initiative under the Obama administration that sought to spark learning and dialogue between graduate students and universities in the Middle East and the United States.

Dr. Stinnett is an energetic presenter who is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion. He has been recognized for his work by various organizations, including receiving the Jackie Robinson Trailblazer Award from Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition and being named to the ‘The Responsible 100’ corporate leaders list by City & State New York. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Central State University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master of Education and Doctor of Education and Organizational Leadership from Columbia University.

Ryan Butler is an educator, leader and diversity and inclusion practitioner. He is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion atf the Recording Academy and formally served as a key member of the Advocacy & Public Policy team. Butler has a wealth of experience in the music industry, legal field, and academia — previously serving as Assistant Dean and Director for Innovation in Media at Hampton University in Virginia. Ryan has also worked in key roles at Atlantic Records, MTV Networks and the RIAA. Butler received his M.A. from New York University and his B.A. from Howard University.

Ted Suh has been building innovative companies in the digital music space since 2002. He was a Co-Founder and CMO of the largest ringtone company in the US, 9Squared (acquired by Zed USA) and served as a content licensing executive at Amazon Music, SoundCloud, Red Bull Media House and musical.ly / TikTok.  Ted joined Snap in August 2018 and has been focused on deepening the company’s music partnerships by developing scalable strategies for tapping into Snapchat’s young and highly engaged audience. In the past year, Ted has formalized partnerships with thousands of labels and music publishers to support music-based creative tools, like Sounds on Snapchat (creative tool that enables users to embed up to 60 seconds of music into their messages).

Tiffany R. Warren is EVP, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Sony Music Group. In this newly created role, Tiffany will expand equity and inclusion activities and policies across of all Sony Music Group’s (SMG) global recorded music, publishing and corporate divisions.

Recognized as a leader in the field of diversity, Tiffany is a talent strategist with 22+ years of championing diverse professionals in the advertising industry. In 2005, she founded ADCOLOR, which has launched the ADCOLOR Industry Conference, ADCOLOR Awards and ADCOLOR University. As President of ADCOLOR, she is deeply involved in the direction the industry is taking around diversity.

Travis L. Robinson is a people and brand evangelist, specializing in curating connections and experiences for diversity, equity and belonging.

Travis currently serves as Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Spotify. He previously served as Vice President, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Universal Music Group, the first for any major label music company. While at Universal Music Group, he also served as co-chair of the Internal/Institutional Change committee for the Task Force for Meaningful Change. Prior to joining Universal Music Group, Mr. Robinson was Head of Global Diversity Recruiting & Americas Campus Programs at Spotify. He has also served in similar roles in diversity & inclusion and people operations at other industry leading, multinational brands such as: JPMorgan Chase & Co., The Federal Reserve System, and W Hotels. In his community and economic impact work, he is involved in advocacy and change work for equity with underrepresented communities. He is an Advisory Board Member for Diversity and Inclusion We The Project, an accredited Investor with The Gaingels Network, and is Co-Founder of thought-leadership and diversity brand development organizations: Zeal Culture, The 12th Avenue Agency, and Belonging. At Monday.

Travis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Lee University and holds a master’s degree from The George Washington University in strategic public relations, through The Graduate School of Political Management. He resides in Los Angeles, California with his partner.

Valeisha Butterfield Jones serves as Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer for the Recording Academy^®. She is responsible for advancing the Recording Academy’s mission and ensuring that diversity and inclusion are core to business values and standards, and demonstrated throughout the organization.

In her role, Butterfield Jones brings business acumen and strategic rigor to inclusion practices across all areas of the Recording Academy, including internal and external programs, organizational and staff culture, membership, awards and related initiatives. As Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Butterfield Jones is responsible for designing, building and implementing world-class programs and industry standards focused on inclusion, belonging and representation for underrepresented communities and creators.

Prior to joining the Academy, Butterfield Jones served as global head of inclusion at Google, Inc., where she was responsible for accelerating diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes for underrepresented communities internally and externally across the global brand. She also served as the national youth vote director for the Obama for America campaign, delivering one of the highest youth voter turnouts in American history and in the Obama Administration as the deputy director of public affairs for International Trade. She served as the senior vice president of Rush Communications (Def Jam Enterprises, Baby Phat, Phat Farm, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network) and as the national director of diversity and inclusion for the Alzheimer’s Association. Her two decades-long career began at Home Box Office (HBO Sports).

In 2007, Butterfield Jones co-founded Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), a nonprofit, global coalition of women and men committed to the balanced, positive portrayal of women in the entertainment industry. She also serves on the National Board of Directors of ColorComm, MC Lyte’s Hip Hop Sisters Network and iVote for America.

Her leadership has been recognized by Forbes, Glamour, and Ebony magazine’s Power 100, The Root 100, Essence magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, Elle magazine’s Top 25 Most Inspiring Women, Fortune, and others.

Butterfield Jones earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Clark Atlanta University.

Yesenia Bello kicked off her tenured career in media sales at Telemundo Network after graduating from the City University of New York, College of Staten Island with a Bachelor of Science in Communications.

At Telemundo, the second largest Spanish Language TV Network in the U.S., Ms. Bello supported the development of the multi-million-dollar advertising business for two major regions, New York and Chicago.

Shortly after, Ms. Bello made the timely move to the subscription video start up, Hulu. At Hulu, Ms. Bello held a National Multicultural role, allowing her to partner with major brands across the United States. After several years at Hulu, Ms. Bello transitioned to Google where she focused on Multicultural strategy and sales for YouTube advertisers. Following her success at Google, Ms. Bello joined the iHeartMedia team in 2019, where she led Multicultural advertising strategy and sales for the organization. This position led Ms. Bello to an exciting new space, the Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources function, becoming iHeart’s first-ever SVP of Diversity & Inclusion.  In this role, Ms. Bello will work closely with Michele Laven, iHeartMedia’s Chief Diversity Officer, to drive comprehensive long-term and measurable diversity and inclusion strategies.

Ms. Bello immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic at the age of 11. Coming from a working-class immigrant family, Ms. Bello is deeply passionate about mentoring and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. Her individual opinions on the marketing industry can also be heard on “The Marketing Misfits” Podcast.

Captivate Marketing Group is led by, Yvonne McNair, the highly creative certified Entertainment Marketing Professional and Emmy Nominated Event Producer. Yvonne has a proven track record of conceptualizing and orchestrating small and large production events, marketing campaigns and programs to effectively create business development opportunities, increase revenue and growth. Yvonne is known as a powerhouse behind the scene closing deals, sculpting entertainment, one exquisite experience at a time. She has worked with some of the biggest names and brands in the entertainment industry from grassroots organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and A-List artists.

Yvonne started her career early in the music industry, under the mentorship of Esther Gordy Edwards, sister of Berry Gordy and creator of the Motown Museum. At the age of 22, Yvonne was featured on the cover of Crain’s magazine as “Someone to Watch in the Industry”. The tutelage from Ms. Gordy-Edwards proved as an on-ramp for her career. Yvonne has used those valuable
lessons throughout her career, establishing herself as a strategic thinker with the tenacity to over deliver for her clients. Her wealth of brand management expertise in both the branded corporate environment and entertainment industry, allows her to execute events and marketing programs that have increased ROI for her many clients. Yvonne’s experience has given her the latitude to create innovative marketing campaigns and event management for top brands and numerous media and entertainment companies over the years. The Sundance Film Festival, VH1, NBC, BET  Networks, Apple Music, and MTV are among many others and for her work designing the marketing campaign for the Chicago Urban League’s Emmy award-winning urban lifestyle television program, garnered her the Emmy Nomination as Event Producer. She was also nominated for an Emmy for her work on WVON’s 50th Anniversary Historical Documentary Yvonne’s creative reputation and work ethic have far-reaching effects that will stay with many of us for years to come. Notably so, her work with Prince. Yvonne was responsible for the Prince residency secret shows at City Winery in New York. In 2013, the shows were named as the 39th reason to love NY in New York Magazine. Yvonne was also responsible for producing Prince’s record-breaking performance at the ESSENCE Festival in 2014, along with turning the Mercedes Benz Super Dome purple to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Purple Rain.

Most recently Yvonne has continued her mission of creating historic events. In 2018, Yvonne produced the notable 30th Anniversary show of New Jack Swing at the Essence Music Festival and two historic shows at the legendary Apollo Theater. The show was led by the King of New Jack Swing, Teddy Riley and featured appearances by Keith Sweat, Guy, Blackstreet featuring Dave Hollister, Doug E. Fresh, Mc Lyte, Kool Moe Dee, SWV and DJ – D-Nice. Yvonne also produced the first annual BET Her Awards which kicked off the annual BET Experience weekend in Los Angeles. Yvonne’s work is highly respected by top industry executives as she was able to break an artist without marketing dollars, radio airplay or label support.

Accolades to date:
In 2010, Black Enterprise/WVON recognized Yvonne as one of the elite “40 Game Changers”. She was also recognized by BizBash as a 2011 finalist for Social Event Planner of the year and in 2012 as Event Producer of the year. In 2013, Yvonne was nominated for an Emmy as a producer for a historical documentary that she created. Yvonne currently resides in New York City and is a current member of International Special Events Society, Women in Music and the Recording Academy. Yvonne holds a B.A. in Management and M.B.A. in Marketing. She is also a Certified Special Events Producer and Certified in technical event production.

9th Wonder is a super producer, CEO, DJ, and lecturer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He began his career as the main producer for the group Little Brother, and has also worked with Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Destiny’s Child, Mary J Blige, Jean Grae, Wale, Murs, Drake, Buckshot, Chris Brown, Rapsody, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Big Boi of Outkast, Ludacris, Mac Miller, David Banner and 2 Chainz to name a few.

9th Wonder entered the world academia in 2007 at North Carolina Central University, where he currently is Artist of Residence, lecturing a class titled Hip-Hop History. His role as a music professor continued to expand where in 2010 it was announced that he would co-teach a class titled “Sampling Soul” with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal at Duke University. Most recently, he was accepted to Harvard University under the Nasir Jones Fellowship where he lectured and is currently researching at the Hip Hop Archive in the W.E.B. Dubois Institute, under the
direction of Dr. Marcy Morgan and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 9th Wonder is currently working on a research project in conjunction with the Loeb Library at Harvard University, chronicling the top 200 Hip-Hop Albums of all-time. 9th Wonder has also served as Artist of Residence at The University Of Pennsylvania and The University of Virginia, while also guest lecturing at The University Of Michigan, Cornell University, Columbia College, Florida Southern, Winston-Salem State University, The College Of Charleston, Fayetteville State University, The University of Denver, and several others.

In 2005, he was awarded a Grammy through his contributions to Mary J Blige’s 7th studio album, Breakthrough, in which he produced “Good Woman Down”. In 2008, 9th Wonder produced the first single “Honey”, by legendary soul singer Erykah Badu. In 2010, 9th Wonder started his independent label Jamla Records in Raleigh, NC, which fostered the career of rising star “Rapsody”, an emcee hailing from Snow Hill NC, who after numerous mixtapes landed her first breakthrough on Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”, also earning him a Grammy Nomination for sound engineering on the album. In that same year, 9th Wonder was selected to join the Executive Committee for Hip-Hop and Rap at the National Museum of African
American History and Culture at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., where he has an exhibit on the Musical Crossroads floor. In 2016 9th Wonder signed a partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint, establishing Jamla Records as one of the premier independent labels today. In 2017, 9th Wonder produced the song “Duckworth” on “Damn”, the 4th studio album of Compton MC, Kendrick Lamar. Presently, 9th Wonder continues to produce, teach, inspire, and push the culture of hip-hop forward in the community, industry, and the world of academia.