Alicia Nassardeen is a thoughtful and collaborative leader who prides herself on her ability to foster relationships across agency disciplines while working to mitigate risk without compromising creative vision. Based in Los Angeles, she is currently the Head of Business Affairs at Mother Los Angeles and New York. Throughout her career, she has managed Emmy winning work both for Apple and Nike among other award winning and notable commercials, campaigns, and activations for additional clients such as KFC, P&G, Secret, Postmates, Sonic, and Bungie.

Beyond marketing, Alicia, through Mother’s Love Thy Neighborhood program, gets to do what she calls heart work: community service at a local level with tangible impact. Her preferred areas of focus are creating pathways into advertising for underrepresented talent and lending efforts to serve impoverished members of the community, partnering with organizations like Film2Future and the Good+ Foundation, respectively. Daughter of Muhammad Nassardeen, founder of Recycling Black Dollars, Alicia is also passionate about championing and supporting Black owned businesses through both personal efforts and agency level involvement with the annual Black Owned Business Challenge. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a proud graduate of the University of Southern California, and mother to a newly minted middle schooler.

A proud double HBCU grad from Jackson State University and North Carolina A&T State University, Andriena Coleman is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Omnicom Media Group’s Hearts & Science. She also holds a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Southern Wesleyan University. Andriena has a robust background in Local Media Investment and has experience in every major category (Telecom, Finance, Automotive, Entertainment, etc.) from her 20-year media career. She is an active member of several cultural and community BRGs at Omnicom Media Group while serving as co-chair of OMG’s Black Leadership Network. Andriena is a member of the executive leadership team of Omnicom’s Global ERG, Black Together. Additionally, Andriena was instrumental in launching the Atlanta chapter of OPEN Pride (an OMC Global ERG). She is passionate about amplifying voices with intention and mentorship. Andriena is based in the booming metropolis of Atlanta, GA along with her husband and daughter.

Bernice Chao (she/her) is an award-winning creative and has worked on the world’s top brands. She is among the few female Asian American creative leaders in the industry and is helping to shape the AANHPI community through Asians in Advertising, a global non-profit. The organization inspires the next generation of talent through its podcast, events, mentorship, and scholarship programs. Chao co-authored the award-winning bestseller The Visibility Mindset and has given talks on over 100 stages, including SXSW, 3%, and AdColor. She is a professor at Loyola Marymount University and president of TEDxCulverCity. Bernice was inducted into the 2022 AAF Hall of Achievement, 2023 She Run’s It Working Mother of the Year award, and the 2023 Cannes See It Be It Program.

I am a tenured seller with nearly 20 years of experience in customer and client digital marketing and sales. I have experience in the brand, publisher and ad tech spaces with roles at top companies like ESPN, Walgreens, Oprah Winfrey Network and WPP. Currently, I am a Senior Client Partner at Doubleverify, the leading ad tech provider in the media measurement and verification space, where I call on top agencies and Fortune 500 brands in the Midwest. In 2020 I won Doubleverify’s “All In Award” which is Awarded to someone who truly exemplifies DV’s values and spirit. I currently serve as the Co-chair of Doubleverify’s Global DEIB Council, which I helped form with our Chief Human Resources Officer, were we work to foster a culture of authenticity and belonging at Doubleverify. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio as one of 5 children, I attended Florida A&M University where I received my Bachelor Degree and MBA. My first published book, A Very Good Helper, captures the spirit of a young Black girl protagonist who is independent, confident and does everything in love. I live in Chicago with my husband, two sons and daughter. I enjoy volunteering in my community as an Associate Board member of the non-profit New Moms.

Dimas is a creative and dynamic advertising leader with a successful track record of almost 20 years overseeing the development and execution of multifaceted marketing campaigns for both global and domestic brands. His deep understanding of how to develop effective and compelling creative messaging across various platforms, from ideation to execution, has been evident on a number of high-profile brands across multiple industries, with such clients as American Express, GE, Bank of America, ExxonMobil, and Jeep & Chrysler. Having been with FCB for 8 years, Dimas is currently the SVP, Group Account Director overseeing and managing the FDA business, which is the largest federally funded tobacco public health education campaign in the United States. His team is responsible for all aspects of the government contract including research, strategy, creative, media, measurement and analytics, and financial contract management. His team is accountable for the successful performance of 8 subcontractors and partner agencies with over 80+ labor rates across all functions. Also leading the global Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation account, Dimas oversees the development and integration of strategy and creative messaging activities across South Africa, U.K., China, and India. Dimas is responsible for directing the account’s functions and operations across five FCB global offices (New York, Johannesburg, London, Shanghai, and India). Dimas is a New Yorker at heart, a Midwesterner by education, and a West Coaster by birth. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Indonesia, but has lived most of his adult life in the United States.

Eniola Tay-Agbozo is the Head of Analytics & Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Grocery at Amazon Advertising. She is responsible for leading a team to provide advanced analytics and insights to premium advertisers on Amazon. She has over 10 years’ experience in marketing and strategy working in both developed and emerging markets. Prior to Amazon she worked as a consultant at the Cambridge Group, a growth strategy firm; Starbucks and Paga, a company focused on financial inclusion.

She holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Economics and Africana Studies from New York University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management where she specialized in Management & Strategy and Marketing. She’s a fervent advocate for childhood education, driven by a passion to empower the next generation. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and is married with two children.

Eric Payne is the Senior Content Manager at theCut, a barber booking app for clients and barbers. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in Social Science with a concentration in organizational psychology from Binghamton University, Eric has used his know-how to create compelling content that entertains, informs, and empowers. Eric is a tinkerer who’s unafraid to try new things or fail quickly to learn. Over the past twenty years, he has worked for brands and agencies on successful content marketing for brands such as Home Depot, Morehouse School of Medicine, Publix, and Wells Fargo.

At theCut, Eric has revamped the company blog into a lifestyle guide and is its editor. He also boosted marketing email open rates from 16% to 47% and produces and directs the brand’s consumer-facing videos. Eric is a natural storyteller who began writing at six years old when he adapted A Charlie Brown Christmas into a play. He has gone on to write a book of poetry, a parenting book, and an award-winning fatherhood and marriage blog, Makes Me Wanna Holler. In 2019, he launched The Dating After Divorce Survival Guide, a humorous and inspirational podcast listened to in over 100 countries by divorcees and anyone who has suffered an unexpected loss. Eric is most passionate about telling everyday stories of people of color, Black men specifically. He believes these stories showcase the beautiful tapestry of differences that make us unique and highlight how our humanity unites us all.

Gilbertson Cuffy, is VP of Marketing, Partnerships and Promotions at Illumination where he is responsible for bringing to life all global marketing partnership campaigns and activations in support of Illumination’s films, which includes the Despicable Me Franchise, the biggest global animated franchise of all time and the record breaking The Super Mario Bros Movie. Gil also helps lead the studios multicultural activations in partnership with Universal Pictures. Prior to his time at Illumination, Gil, was Director of Marketing Communications for Pepsi trademark at PepsiCo bringing to life brand creative and communications across Pepsi’s new product launches, strategic sub brands and seasonal programs. Along with other marketing roles at PepsiCo, Gil, has held brand marketing roles at RB and Sara Lee across Lysol, Finish Dishwashing and Senseo Coffee brands. Gil is passionate about culture and enabling its advancement, the democratization of content and the new ways that technology is impacting our lives as well as helping to tell and advance the stories of seldom heard members of underrepresented communities. He received his BA in Marketing from The University of Miami and his MBA from Nova Southeastern University. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California but Miami, Florida and Harlem, New York will always be home.

Jennifer Lin is a certified DEI communicator who leads strategic positioning and marketing strategy for DEI at Deloitte. She has broad experience in corporate and social impact, and is passionate about elevating community voices to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Jennifer most recently led communications at the Salesforce Foundation, whose mission is to create economic opportunity for underrepresented youth. Her portfolio of work includes Blue Shield of California Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and the Gates Foundation. She also served as a Director of Communications in the anti-slavery movement.

Jennifer brings expertise in the publishing industry, having started her career as a book editor at Chronicle Books, working on over 100 titles including the bestselling Boo the Dog series.

She holds a MA and BA in English from Stanford University. She volunteers with Asians in Advertising and API Rising, and served as Board Chair of the nonprofit CORA.

Jonathan Daly is the definition of a hybrid strategist, with more than 15 years industry under his belt earned both in agency and in-house, and ranging from government relations to public relations to pure play advertising. He joins Johanness Leonardo from Droga5 where he served as Head of Communications Strategy. Prior roles include senior engagements at agencies that include Ogilvy, dentsu | mcgarrybowen, Anomaly, Lowe Roche, & Maclaren McCann. 

Before that, he served as a Senior External Relations Officer with the World Bank Group in the agency’s Washington and Paris offices, where he was part of the communications team tasked with advancing the Bank’s development agenda through coordinated, high-profile stakeholder and media initiatives, branded government relations efforts, and crisis response management. 

Jonathan’s diverse background includes a wealth of brand experience. He has led brand and go-to-market strategy development for brands including Meta, Hard Rock Sportsbook, Instagram, Coors Light, Hard Rock Sportsbook, Meta, Northrop Grumman, Verizon, Subway, United Airlines, BRP, Budweiser, Bud Light, Shock Top, Rosemount Wines, Penfolds, MINI, Spotify, Hershey, COTY, Sally Hansen, Northrop Grumman, Becel, Tresemme, Johnson Insurance, KPMG, Microsoft, MINI, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Circle K, Johnson & Johnson, and the Canadian Cancer Society.

In his off time, he’s a pop-culture junkie, likely found threading (RIP Twitter or whatever we call it now) about the latest meme trending across the Web or Instagramming his weekend. 

He is also incredibly tall.

Jonelle Brown is an award-winning marketer and brand strategist with over 15 years’ experience working at top entertainment brands. She is the Director of Global Franchise Planning & Studio Marketing at Paramount. She is responsible for the development and execution of consumer products and marketing strategy for the Paramount studio business and Paramount Consumer Products & Experiences. Ms. Brown currently oversees consumer product marketing campaigns for movies like Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and select anniversaries from the Paramount Catalog. Prior to this role, she was the Senior Manager of Nickelodeon Movies & Partner Marketing. She returned to Paramount after two years at Macy’s Parade & Entertainment Group. As the Manager of Brand Marketing & Campaign Strategy, she was responsible for the strategy, development, and execution of the on-site digital marketing and website creation for Macy’s national annual events, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks. Earlier roles include Brand & Events Project Manager at Nickelodeon, where she oversaw branding of events at Nickelodeon like the Kids’ Choice Awards. She also led a successful experiential marketing exhibit for The Lion King’s 15th anniversary while at Disney Theatrical Group.

Kai leads dentsu Media’s efforts to further champion diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, programs, and education across its media agencies and scaled offerings in the Americas. Kai works closely with client teams to drive diversity and inclusion initiatives and campaigns to foster meaningful content. She also empowers an equitable and thriving culture that drives belonging and equality.

Kai is a seasoned DEI, marketing, and business development leader with 16 years of experience. Prior to joining dentsu, she was a Diversity & Inclusion Client Partner at Bloomberg LP, where she partnered with Bloomberg leadership across Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Media to drive DEI initiatives related to recruitment, retention, and equity. Before that, Kai led diversity and inclusion for McCann New York as their Director of Diversity & Engagement. Kai also was the Director of Mosaic Center & Education Services for the American Advertising Federation (AAF), where she managed and developed DE&I programs, thought leadership platforms, and best practices that are considered today as the foundation of employee training in the industry. During her tenure at AAF, Kai served as the liaison for the Mosaic Council, AAF’s diversity and inclusion think tank of senior professionals representing top agencies, brands, technology, and media companies.

Kai is a veteran synchronized swimmer with 17 years of competition experience at the youth, collegiate, and Masters level. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Kali Williams is a distinguished alumna of Howard University, harnessing nearly two decades of expertise in brand marketing and communications, a feat that has garnered her multiple accolades. Her leadership prowess shines through collaborations with global giants, driving awareness, sales, and interconnections. As the founder of The Eclectic Group LLC, Kali empowers businesses and minority communities through Consultation, Networking, Procurement, and Exploration. Her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion fuels media strategy development, business planning, and new opportunity identification.

In 2023, Kali’s visionary concept materialized as “www.MoreThanThreeFifth.com,” an empowering website that nurtures entrepreneurship and refines precision marketing while incorporating multicultural strategies. This platform plans to spark new business ventures, fusing empowerment with meticulous and culturally resonant marketing approaches. Collaborating as a co-author on “Building Successful Brands with Limited Resources: A Guide to Black and Brown Entrepreneurship” further underscores her dedication to empowering marginalized communities through inclusive and strategic initiatives.

Hailing from Detroit and rooted in Brooklyn, Kali’s impact stretches beyond professional achievements. Her embrace of global exploration, enriching experiences, fitness endeavors, and cherished connections encapsulates her multifaceted approach to life. Kali Williams’ is a beacon for doubled-down efforts and deepening diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments. Her journey is etched in her achievements and the trail of inspiration and progress she blazes for others.

Kristin Jarrett is a social impact and creative leader who works to deliver effective strategies that drive equity and social justice through inclusive media and community engagement. Kristin’s work aligns industry resources with community institutions to help rebalance power for the most marginalized communities. Through her work, Kristin strives to shift culture by building inclusive communities through diverse and nuanced media representation. Currently, Kristin leads Spotify’s Equity & Impact strategy with a focus on leveraging Spotify’s platform to drive advocacy, accountability, and action on critical global issues including civic engagement, race equity, mental health access, and climate action. Kristin also co-leads Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund initiative focused on delivering an inclusive portfolio of content and content creators from historically underrepresented groups in music and podcasts. Through the fund, Kristin and her team are designing opportunities to build creator communities and support the next generation of primarily Black and LGBTQIA+ artists, songwriters, and podcasters to seed the industry with their talent. In 2022, Kristin expanded NextGen – Spotify’s initiative to grow podcast culture on college campuses and in GenZ creator communities – to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) across the U.S. by delivering custom audio curriculums, scholarship funding, and new audio equipment. Kristin previously led Community Impact and Engagement work at Booz Allen Hamilton and District of Columbia Public Schools. Kristin lives in Washington, D.C. and is a graduate of Spelman College, Vanderbilt University (M.Ed.) and holds an executive certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Laurel Stark is a Silicon Valley based creative director and brand marketer who builds teams, structures, and experiences that challenge the status quo, pierce culture, and drive business and humanity forward. From her globally recognized inclusion efforts like the One Club for Creativity’s Next Creative Leaders program, to her boundary-pushing brand work, Laurel’s ideas have been called “world changing” by Fast Company and “industry bettering” by Adweek. Her creative work has been honored by the Effies, the Webbys, the Clios, and the One Show, and profiled in Vogue, Rolling Stone, Adweek, and Pride Magazine. She has been recognized by the Adweek Creative 100, the Brand Innovators 40 under 40, and the Pitch 100 Superpeople. And she was recently identified as one of “Seven women shaping today’s ad world,” by 3% Movement Founder and CEO, Kat Gordon. After holding leadership roles at agencies like Media.Monks, global consultancies like Gensler, and marketing teams at Google and TikTok, Laurel joined EA (Electronic Arts) in 2021. She currently heads up global marcom creative and out-of-game brand expression for one of the world’s best selling, beloved, and most inclusive gaming franchises, The Sims.

After years of looking for an exit out of the marketing world, Lopaka realized he had been walking his path all along. In 2023, after twelve years of steady business and leadership development, Lopaka became the president and owner of Waldinger Creative, a branding and strategic communications practice based in Baltimore, Maryland. Over his career, Lopaka has supported many organizations as they have considered new opportunities to tell their stories. He has led development of sustainability and ESG strategies and supported diverse non-profit sectors including early childhood education, eldercare, immigration policy and indigenous rights. He completed his graduate study of globalization, ethnicity and culture at the University of Sussex. As a Kanaka Maoli, supporting the aspirations of Native Hawaiians and indigenous peoples is deeply important to him. Traveling, surfing and starting (and sometimes finishing) house projects are some of the things he savors. Lopaka resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with his partner and two children.

Nicky is a Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director and writer currently sharing her leadership at 305Worldwide, NY. With over 19 years of experience in the ad agency world, she enjoys working on global campaigns where ideas transcend language and tap into human truths. Nicky has flexed her creativity on iconic brands such as Pfizer, L’oreal, SC Johnson, IKEA, Lenovo, Verizon, Wendy’s, Guinness, & AIG, to name a few. She’s multi-cultural, multi-faceted, and genuinely a lover of all things marketing.

Nina Bell is an executive marketing professional, with over a decade of experience building brands and consumer loyalty for organizations. As the Senior Director of Experiential Marketing at Essence Ventures, Nina oversees the execution of experiences for various company owned brands like Essence, AFROPUNK and GU Summit. Her curiosity for life and people, is what’s kept her outlook fresh in this field and it’s also what caused her to spread her wings to become a trauma informed meditation instructor (in training). She has a love for life and new experiences that’s only surpassed by her love for her family, friends and community.

I’m not a fan of labels.

I started out as an artist. Then I became a graphic designer. Then UI designer, developer, art director, creative director, executive creative director, photographer, consultant, journalist, influencer, rum connoisseur, and entrepreneur—among others.

The one label I do think works is Creative. It’s broad enough to encompass my passion for structured design systems, wild photoshoots on rollercoasters, and everything in between; while still feeling focused on effective outputs that drive results. I also like that it alludes to my love of rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty to solve problems—whether alone or with a team.

As an ECD at Momentum Worldwide (AdWeek’s Experiential Agency of the Year), I strive to lead the creative vision of our New York team and provide brands such as Walmart, Verizon, American Express, Corona, Pacifico, among others, effective and unique solutions to their challenges.

Another label that fits is Black. Or, more specifically, Afro-Caribbean. I was born and raised on the little island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. And went to college in the middle of Amish country (Lancaster, PA). But for the past 20 years, I’ve called Brooklyn my home.

Most recently, I had the opportunity to join six others Black ECDs on the documentary ‘Black Madison Ave: 7 is not Enough’, where we discussed the current state of the advertising space and how we can improve representation in creative work.

I’m the founder of Good Black Art: the first and only platform that is centered around the most promising emerging Black artists from around the world offering e-commerce, media and partnerships and exhibitions.

After studying International Business at Elon University, I started my career living in Asia for nearly 10 years as a global marketer at Imagination leading accounts for Ford, Lincoln, GE, Disney and many other top brands. In 2017, I moved to NYC to lead Global Music, Entertainment, Arts and Theatre partnerships for American Express at Momentum Worldwide. In 2021, I started a new role as Global Head of Digital for Camron PR leading multiple accounts across design, art and culture.
Before transitioning from being a global marketer and art collector to a social, creative and arts entrepreneur, I developed deep relationships with Black artists and collectors and observed that they faced many barriers: high costs, lack of industry knowledge, and limited access to the art ecosystem. This experience left me asking how can I make engaging with art work better for my community?
Good Black Art is not only a love letter to my younger self growing up as a queer Black creative in the south with little access to the arts, it also positioned me to serve the underserved by using my professional background, international experience and passion for art to solve the root problem for emerging Black artists and collectors across the world which is lack of mentorship, skills and access to the art ecosystem.

Priscilla Lau is an impact player, community builder and business leader. She spent the last 15 years at Google and YouTube working with Top Fortune 500 advertisers growing their business and with YouTube’s most influential creators and partners in food, lifestyle, news, publishing and technology. She is a DEI champion and the former co-founder of the YouTube AAPI Taskforce, the advocacy arm of YouTube’s Asians@ ERG. She is passionate about social justice and cultivating a community that drives meaningful change to increase equity and representation through storytelling and human connection in a world of AI.

Renowned author, visionary and speaker, Quency Phillips has been building brands and cultivating communities for nearly 25 years; his brand is in a league of its own. Strong relationships and recognition for brand innovation in sports, philanthropy and not-for-profits have shaped his career. As Founder and Executive Director for Lighthouse Silicon Valley, Phillips oversees a network of over 150 organizations united to bring justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to the region. Prior to this, he worked as part of Google Development Ventures’ $15B development, LISC Bay Area, and helped establish the $500M Bay’s Future Fund. Over his dynamic career he has established relationships across business, entertainment, and sports – including the NBA, WNBA and the NFL. As a marketer, he founded Fuzion Marketing Group and Fuzion Artist and Athlete Management, where he helped lead and manage the careers of professional athletes, Broadway stars, and members of the music and entertainment community. A proud Northwestern University graduate, he holds two engineering degrees, and numerous credentials and accolades across industries. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Foundation of California and other organizations, as well as being an Association of Black Foundation Executives California Trustee. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, he credits his strong foundation as a Preacher’s Kid, and forever a #ChicagoKid. He is the proud father of a 2-year old princess who goes by “ZYP”.

Rebecca Chin has spent a decade plus orchestrating internal communications at tech companies big and small, and always through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. Her portfolio of work has ranged from traditional employee communications to mergers & acquisitions to product education to business integrity. Notably, Rebecca created experiential storytelling and empowered diverse perspectives at Jet.com / Walmart eCommerce and navigated how to protect elections at Meta. Her work has always centered on simplifying complexity, building bridges, and making companies feel more like a community. She is now managing all things diversity & belonging at Airbnb.

In her free time, Rebecca serves on boards and committees of several organizations that focus on championing intersectionality and economic mobility. This comes from being born and raised in Philly Chinatown, a first-generation college graduate, and a twin. On the creative representation side, she’s involved in ADCOLOR as both a long-time judge for the annual awards and founding organizer for Asians of ADCOLOR. On the educational side, she’s involved in the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Foundation to help scholars from under-resourced communities in Los Angeles get to college and graduate.

After spending lots of years exploring the nooks and crannies of New York City, Rebecca is now based in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a dual degree in English & Communications. Her happy places are on the hardwood (basketball), strolling (exploring new neighborhoods), and traveling (especially for street food).

Roo Yeshpaul Johnson is a seasoned social marketer, known for driving creative, diverse and results-driven social and influencer strategies. As Senior Manager of Social at Adobe, Roo leads engaged and talented teams to deliver impactful, award-winning work with creativity and inclusivity at the forefront. A London, UK native, now based in Phoenix, Roo has 15 years of experience across tech, CPG and entertainment that started in television production at MTV and Endemol before evolving into marketing at several creative agencies in the UK and US. As a result, Roo has been shaped as a collaborative, curious and agile marketer that leads with empathy, advocacy and trust. Roo is an active volunteer for Adobe’s Asian Pacific Islander ERG and is passionate about fostering and uplifting diverse talent in tech and creative industries. When not strategizing and creating, her focus is on showing up fully for the key stakeholders that drive her purpose – her two sons and husband.

Sakinah Charbeneau is a diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner with added expertise in events, marketing and branding. As the Director of DEI for Omnicom Media Group (OMG), a leading global media network, she currently oversees DEI for 12 agencies which spans more than 4,000 employees, by driving transformational initiatives to help attract and retain diverse talent. Prior to her tenure at OMG, Sakinah worked at Resolution where she led all D&I and employee engagement initiatives by strategically leveraging partnerships with companies including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter. She has planned high end events with public figures at venues around the country like SXSW, the Pritzker Pavilion, and Michelin-star restaurants including Daniel, Hatfield’s and Per Se. Some of her branding work has been featured in premiere publications including Adweek, CS Brides, Conde Nast Traveler and USA Today. Sakinah graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications. She resides in Chicago with her husband Jeff, and their two children Aria and Zachary, and recently filmed a pilot episode for a reality TV show tentatively titled Chicago Moms. She enjoys nothing more than binge-watching TV, traveling the world, dining at new restaurants and dancing.

Solange Sheridan has built a 20 year career creating brand moments at the intersection of luxury, sport and culture throughout the advertising, entertainment and philanthropic sectors. She began her career in philanthropy creating celebrity driven, community partnerships for clients such as Coca Cola + LeBron James & Jay-Z, Chris Paul + JP Morgan Chase, Chance the Rapper + Google, Mastercard, and others. Her philanthropic programming + partnership work led her into the realm of experiential marketing and event production where she has managed agency operations and directed production for marquee clients such as AT&T, American Express, Google, HBO, NBA, NFL, Gucci, Chanel, Nike, Apple, Beats by Dre, United Masters and more.

As a marketing leader with deep understanding of complex marketing operations and a specialty in creating dynamic programming, branded experiences and culturally infused partnerships, she has been at the helm of many crowd favorite experiential projects throughout her tenure. Solange brings her insight into client work to ensure authenticity, premium quality, and that ideas are brought to life outside of what is traditionally expected.

Solange views both her professional and personal life as deeply grounded while open to the spontaneity of any moment. She is a graduate of U.C.L.A. and a recipient of the National Urban Fellowship Award for Urban Leaders through which she earned her Master of Public Administration (MPA). In her spare time (lol) she loves cooking, beaches and making great playlists but most of all enjoys spending time with her family.

Suzie Bao currently serves as a Group Account Director at Quigley Simpson, where she leads CRM engagement and loyalty campaigns for six Chase business units. In just her first year with Quigley, Suzie transformed challenging client relationships and continues to organically grow her accounts. She is dedicated to nurturing and advancing her team while fostering high camaraderie among all departments she collaborates with. Boasting over 20 years of experience, Suzie has been a strategic marketing leader for top brands across the financial services, telecom, automotive, technology, and entertainment industries. Often referred to as the “client whisperer” and renowned throughout the office for her fashion sense, Suzie expanded her influence by joining the Advisory Board of Asians in Advertising in 2021, a nonprofit organization promoting the AAPI community in the advertising industry. In 2023, she proudly received the Rockstar Honoree from the Ad Club of NY. She continues to be a DEIB champion inside her organization and in the community. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Suzie embraces roles as a mother, mentor, coach, and speaker.

With a career spanning over 15 years, Tia Nicole Newton stands as an accomplished award-winning Creative Director renowned for her exceptional talent in conceptualizing and executing captivating digital campaigns for globally recognized brands. Her journey is one that’s marked by innovation, transformation, and a profound dedication to the art of storytelling.

At the helm of REVOLT TV, Tia played a pivotal role in orchestrating the network’s rebranding initiative. She contributed to the development and execution of some of the network’s most iconic shows and specials including Caresha Please, Assets over Liabilities, Bet on Black presented by Target and most recently the Michelle Obama Special: A Cross Generational Discussion.

Tia’s remarkable versatility is evident in her diverse portfolio, which spans across various sectors including local government, production, fashion, beauty, healthcare, and technology. During her tenure at Allen & Gerritsen, her creative ingenuity found expression in collaborations with esteemed clients such as Visit Philly, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Dunkin’ Donuts, The Legal Defense Fund, and Allegheny College.

Above all, Tia’s passion for storytelling remains at the heart of her journey. Her ability to craft compelling visual narratives and an unwavering commitment to excellence, she continuously strives to shape the landscape of visual storytelling, hoping to make an impact in the world of creative expression.

Venkata Bhonagiri is a Sr. Partner, Group Director, Data Strategy & Analytics at Mindshare in Chicago, a global media agency network with over $35 Billion in total billings. He brings over 13 years of experience in data strategy and analytics. Venkata developed, integrated, and scaled core service offerings, including business strategy within Mindshare. In his current role, he spearheads multi-channel data-driven planning, marketing, and implementation of bespoke global media solutions for major brands such as Ferrero, Discover Financial Services, Abbott, and General Mills.

I am a Nuyorican* poet who now happens to be creative leader in the world of healthcare communications. A GenX poster-child, I was a latch-key kid raised by a single mom. I grew up living in an apartment in the Bronx, flanked by one older and one younger brother. With a lot of time on my own, I spent much of it reading and writing. I majored in English literature in college, and in my senior year, initiated an independent study focused on Latino literature because there was not one on the curriculum. After graduating, I started my career as a medical proofreader and copyeditor, which gave me the solid foundation needed to be a successful copywriter.

When I transitioned into copywriting, I made a conscious effort to focus on high-science and life-saving treatments. So, much of my experience has focused on oncology and rare diseases. And, while I used to create communications to influence healthcare providers and patients, now my expertise is used to influence key decision makers at large organizations like integrated delivery networks and commercial insurance companies.

In my current role, I also actively engage in many DE&I initiatives, including work for 2 clients around social determinants of health and health inequity drivers in America. I’m also very proud of my work with the Tyler Clementi Foundation, a relationship started in July 2022 that has allowed me to help bring awareness of the foundation and its anti-bullying programs.

*Born in NY of Puerto Rican parents.