2022 iLeadership DEI Summit - Virtual
“Navigating Mental Health And Emerging Needs Amidst Multiple Pandemics”
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Nzinga Shaw
Keynote -
James D. White
Keynote -
Partners
As companies continue to navigate the global pandemic and Black advocacy, mental health and DEI are increasingly top-of-mind for many leaders. Historically, both topics have grown only in parallel with their junctures often less explored. For companies to truly support employee mental health and drive impactful DEI strategies, they must approach their strategies with greater nuance, understanding, and intentionality.
On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, Rogue Media Group (RMG), in partnership with The Network Journal, a widely used global business media outlet and resource for Black professionals and emerging business owners, produced the 5th Annual iLeadership DEI Summit - Navigating Mental Health And Emerging Needs Amidst Multiple Pandemics. Hosted by Ms. Jodi Brockington, Founder & CEO at NIARA Consulting, RMG iLeadership DEI Summit, attracted over 300 + corporate executives across the public and private sectors as attendees explored how diverse leaders are maintaining mental fitness for themselves and employees during the racial and health pandemics.
featured 2022 SPEAKERS
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Maximillian L. Hamilton
Founder & CEO
Rogue Media Group, LLC -
Jodi Brockington
Founder & CEO
NIARA Consulting -
Stacey A. Gordon, MBA
Founder
Rework Work -
Dr. Thelá R. Thatch
CEO
Thelá R. Thatch Consulting -
Nzinga Shaw
President, Global ESG & DEI
ZRG Partners -
Edna Kane Williams
EVP/Chief Diversity Officer
AARP -
David Lipscomb
CEO and Head Coach
CIS Training Systems LLC
Director, DEI, USA Cycling -
Gerald Prince
Director of Benefits
& 401K
American Airlines -
Vanessa Vining
Chief Diversity Officer
VaynerX -
Seanne N. Murray, J.D.
CEO
Attain 9, Inc. -
Dr. Denise Caleb, Ed.D.
M.Ed., CME, PHR
HRSI, A HRCI Company -
Dr. Stacie CC Graham
Author/Global Racial Equity
Programme Director
WPP -
Fatimah Gilliam, Esq.
Founder & CEO
The Azara Group -
Vonetta Hawkins
VP, Senior Business Growth
& Strategy Consultant
Diverse Segments, Wells Fargo -
Ty Bledsoe
Senior Director of DEI, People
Development and Engagement
Alto Pharmacy -
Fred Smith
EVP of Operations
Global Reflections/UWG -
Bershan Shaw
CEO, Tech Founder
Urawarrior Mental Health App -
Michel Edwards
CEO & Co founder
Bluu Kazi -
Dr. Jean C. Accius, PhD
SVP, Global Thought Leadership
AARP -
James D. White
Board Chair, The Honest Company
Former Chairman & CEO
Jamba Juice, Inc.
Maximillian L. Hamilton
Maximillian L. Hamilton is the CEO & Founder of Rogue Media Group, LLC (RMG), a U.S. Veteran Owned & Operated Company. RMG is the premier multicultural advertising, marketing and media agency that leverage the power of business data, virtual & live experiences, digital media, social media, original content, advertisement and network affiliates to connect brands to an affluent, educated and influential target audience.
Headquartered in New York City, with operations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Houston, RMG maintains a list of esteemed clients. Today, this list includes AARP, Belvedere Vodka; a LVMH Company, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., Legal & General America, Lee Hecht Harrison, Lexus Automotive, MetLife, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and Toyota Motor North America. As one of the country’s leading multicultural agencies, RMG services its clients with General Market, Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBT marketing & advertising, digital & traditional advertising, experiential marketing, diversity & inclusion and corporate social responsibility consulting. Additionally, Hamilton established partnerships with Asia American Business Development Center, Bloomberg, LP, Corporate Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners & Operators.
Hamilton founded RMG in 2013 under the influence of Earl G. Graves Sr., (Founder & Publisher of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise and Richard “Dick” Parsons former chairman of Citigroup and the former chairman and CEO of Time Warner Communications). Hamilton brings more than two decades of experience in media, technology, marketing, strategy, business development and executive management experience to his role with the company. Under his leadership, Hamilton created these agency franchise programs: iLeadership Summit, FUEL; The Ultimate Men’s Summit, Harlem Whiskey Festival, TechCast; The Future of Cybersecurity Summit; Women of Influence Brunch Series; and the Business of Medicine Summit.
Prior to Rogue Media Group, LLC, Hamilton served as Director of Multimedia Sales of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise. Hamilton was responsible for all global sales and marketing activities within the beverage, government, military, technology and telecommunications categories. Hamilton brought Bacardi USA, BASF, CIA, Goldman Sachs & Co., IBM, Movado Timepiece, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines, and a portfolio of other enterprises to the company as roster clients to the publication. His focus was on Fortune 500 customer acquisitions, custom integrated media programs, improved operational efficiency, and execution, which led to significant company growth in excess of $30 million dollars during his tenure.
From 2002–2007, Hamilton was the Director of Advertising Sales for The Network Journal (TNJ). During his tenure, he spearheaded TNJ’s “25 Influential Women in Business” and “40 Under Forty” awards recognition programs. Additional, Hamilton created TNJ’s Top Black Lawyers and Top Black Doctors Forums. His client roster there included IBM, FedEx, GE, and Major League Baseball, Macy’s, to name a few.
Hamilton is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he served with honors during tours of duty in England, Germany, Turkey and Panama. He held dual careers both in the aviation and healthcare industries. He was honorably discharged.
Today, Hamilton leadership extends beyond his C-suite at RMG. He contributes to many organizations and charities. Hamilton previously served as a board member for National Association of African American in Human Resources and ScottCare Foundation. He is a member of the Advertising Club of New York, the Financial Communications Society and the National Black MBA Association. Hamilton earned his A.A.S. from the Community College of the Air Force. In 2018, he received the Made Man Award, presented to him by Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative for New York's 8th congressional district.
Jodi Brockington
Jodi Brockington embodies the term “multi-hyphenate.” Many of her colleagues know her to be a Master Networker, Super Connector, and “Diversity Disruptor”, creating seamless and authentic interactions within the workplace, marketplace, and community. An entrepreneur’s entrepreneur, she has represented, coached and advised thousands of leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals helping them launch, manage and develop their business. She truly enjoys connecting people as her professional expertise lies within the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)space. She is a champion of investing in the workforce of the future, driving evolution, implementing effective and sustainable business strategies while consistently delivering tangible outcomes. In her spare time, Jodi is an author, speaker, traveler and fitness enthusiast.
As the founder of Niara Consulting, Jodi has developed a solid global network leading strategic and major accounts defining strategies creating innovative solutions for non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies. Her latest entrepreneurial endeavor is BLENDiD, a real-time information platform enabling people with biracial and multiracial backgrounds everywhere to connect through personalized content and community. A proud native New Yorker, Jodi has been highly educated on both coasts of the US and is a self proclaimed foodie that also helps to elevate representation in the culinary industry.
Stacey A. Gordon, MBA
Stacey Gordon is Executive Advisor and Diversity Strategist of Rework Work where she and her team coach and counsel executive leaders on DEI strategies for the business. Not only has she been published in Forbes, Fast Company and Harvard Business Review, Stacey’s unconscious bias course is number 1 on the LinkedIn Learning platform and it has also been translated into several languages. You can find Stacey’s book, UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work, at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and wherever books are sold.
Leading at the intersection of diversity, inclusion, and workplace culture, in her role as Executive Advisor and Diversity Strategist of Rework Work, Stacey Gordon coaches and counsels executive leaders on DEI strategies for the business. She has worked with people managers and executive leaders from companies such as American Express, ADP, Kia Motors, Hewlett Packard, Walmart, GE and many others to deliver education, coaching and consulting sessions that support their D&I efforts.
As a globally recognized keynote speaker, leadership consultant and DEI strategist, Stacey has provided subject matter expertise to Harvard Business Review, SHRM, Fast Company, Skillsoft, Forbes, NPR Radio, BBC Radio, and the Association for Talent Development.
Stacey’s book, UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Release list, her unconscious bias course on the LinkedIn learning platform was the #1 most watched course of 2021 and has been translated into several languages. Her audience includes more than 2 million unique learners and Stacey has been recognized as a passionate supporter of DEI by Forbes, Pepperdine University and LinkedIn. She earned her MBA from Pepperdine University Business School and her SHRM-SCP certification, as well as the SHRM Inclusive Workplace Culture Credential. www.reworkwork.com
Dr. Thelá R. Thatch
Dr. Thelá R. Thatch drives diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations using human resource & policy strategies. Thelá has more than two decades of experience in human resources, talent management, organizational development, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Prior to serving at Paychex as Head of DEI, she served as an executive consultant to the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services where she developed a human capital and workforce strategy to recruit and train individuals to provide services to the homeless and other vulnerable populations. Thelá also led in the role as Chief Diversity Officer for Live Nation Entertainment where she laid the foundation to implement the first diversity initiative within a global organization of more than 10,000 employees. Over the years, she has worked with various Fortune 500 organizations such as Fox Television and Cablevision. Thelá is a published author of a children’s book titled “The Dog Chef” and has written shorter pieces for several publications such as the LA Times, Black Enterprise Magazine, and HR Executive Magazine. Her latest book, Inclusionomics ®, is dedicated to the study of inclusion and is scheduled for release in 2022. She graduated from Kean University with a BA in Communications, earned her MBA with a concentration in Human Resources at North Greenville University, and her MPhil from Walden University. Thelá holds a Ph.D. in public policy and administration with a law specialization from Walden University where she also serves as a contributing faculty member.
Nzinga Shaw
Nzinga “Zing” Shaw joined ZRG in 2021, serving as the first President and Global Head of the ESG & DEI practice and concurrently serving as the company’s Chief DEI Officer (for internal ZRG talent). Zing is an experienced C-suite executive with extensive hands-on experience and knowledge spanning change and crisis management, human capital management, employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational and strategic planning, branding, community engagement, and diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I). She is known for her pioneering DEI work with the National Basketball Association, serving as the first D&I Officer, representing the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena franchise. There, she launched the “MOSAIC” symposium (Model of Shaping Atlanta through Inclusive Conversations) and made the Hawks the first professional sports team to march in PRIDE and demonstrate public allyship to the LGTBQIA+ community. Additionally, she created the RISE (racial inclusion and social equity) Fellowship Program during her tenure as the Global Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s largest professional services firm.
Notably, Zing was the first Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at four blue chip organizations: Edelman, the NBA, Starbucks, Marsh McLennan. She has been recognized with numerous “40 Under 40” awards from the likes of Sports Business Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Network Journal, and PR Week. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees of Fisk University, the Board of Directors of the National Rugby Football League, ColorComm, Moth+Flame and Arctos Sports Partners. She was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve a six-year term on the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center, and she currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Honors Program at Fisk University.
Zing received her MLA from the University of Pennsylvania and her BA from Spelman College. She was a study abroad scholar at Oxford. In her free time, Zing enjoys interior design, international travel, cooking, and spending time with her husband Keith and their three children, Lacy, Hudson, and Trey.
Edna Kane Williams
As AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Edna Kane Williams has the responsibility for driving AARP’s enterprise diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy encompassing our workforce, workplace, and marketplace. She leads strategies for multicultural audiences and age discrimination and oversees the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Advisory Council and AARP’s Strategic Enterprise Employee Resource Groups. Before this appointment, she served as Senior Vice President of Multicultural Marketing at AARP.
Kane Williams holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.A from George Washington University. She was a Coro Foundation Fellow and a Diversity Executive Leadership Program fellow for the American Society of Association Executives. Kane Williams was also named one of Diversity Woman Magazine’s Elite 100 for 2022. She is currently on the advisory board for the forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, the Board of Trustees for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Company, and the Legal Counsel for the Elderly. She previously served as a board member of the Black Women’s Health Imperative and The Center for Responsible Lending.
David Lipscomb
David Lipscomb is the CEO and Head Coach of CIS Training Systems LLC, the Membership Coach for Bicycling Magazine, and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at USA Cycling where he works with USA Cycling to develop of a winning culture that supports a diverse team of staff and athletes at the local, elite and Olympic level.
Acting as a DEI subject matter expert by contributing perspective, insights and knowledge, while taking a balanced consultative and systemic approach to enable USA Cycling to capitalize on DEI through ROI strategy.
He also provides expertise in the areas of organizational development, culture, and DEI to help drive change across the organization and within the broader cycling community.
Additionally, develops and implements strategies to build a strong culture, employee engagement and elevate DEI across USA Cycling’s recruitment, development, retention, and employee engagement practices and help influence and align strategies across departments.
Lastly, provides DEI consulting on job descriptions, job postings and the hiring process to help increase the diversity of USA Cycling’s workforce.
Prior to his professional cycling career, he worked as a Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion in Banking and Finance.
Jerald Prince
Jerald Prince has been working at American Airlines as the Director of Benefits and 401(k) Operations since August of 2021. His unique pathway to becoming a Human Resources Professional started in the public sector. Jerald was a 7th and 8th grade teacher in Dallas through Teach For America (TFA) at J.L. Long Middle School. Following two years of teaching, he obtained his MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Jerald’s HR journey began at Bank of America in the HR Leadership Rotational Program. In this program, he served as an HR Business Partner and Compensation Consultant. Jerald did some additional HR Project Management work, before joining Celanese to get experience in the chemical industry. At Celanese, Jerald held various roles such as the HR Business Partner supporting the General Counsel and the Director of Executive Compensation and Global Mobility before joining American Airlines.
He has been a resident of Texas for most of his life, but also spent time living in the North Carolina area. In addition to receiving his MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill, Jerald obtained his Bachelors in Sociology and Music from Duke University and is certified in Executive Compensation.
Vanessa Vining
Culturally inclusive ecosystems are at the heart of what drives this Chicago native. Vanessa has an uncanny ability to enter a room, any room, and come away with new relationships. Learning and teaching are in her DNA and that openness in an ever-evolving world fuels her ability to articulate culture.
Vanessa is the Chief Diversity Officer at VaynerX. As a seasoned marketing executive with over 25+ years in advertising she has held leadership positions at top general market and multicultural agencies in Chicago and New York, which shaped her understanding of marketing and the importance of diversity to brands business.
She has the agile ability to envision, create and execute successful data driven omni-channel strategies that effectively deliver communication goals for brands like the P&G, Rickett, U.S. Army, Nissan/Infiniti, Beam Suntory, FDA, McDonald’s and General Motors, to name a few.
Vanessa has a profound passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Supplier Diversity and works tirelessly to improve inequality and foster inclusion in the workplace and beyond.
She is a graduate of Governors State University and holds a Diversity & Inclusion certification from Cornell University and is a member of Chief, a network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. In her spare time, she enjoys mentoring, reading, traveling, and riding her motorcycle.
Seanne N. Murray
Born in Detroit, raised in Westport, Connecticut and educated with academic scholarships at Howard University and Temple University School of Law where she co-founded the Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review, Seanne N. Murray aspired to change the world from the early age of seven.
She practiced law, was a Director on the institutional side of Wall Street, and was recruited to manage large scale entertainment organizations associated with her family’s Motown legacy where she managed a music copyright asset portfolio valued at $53,000,000. Ms. Murray has authored several works on social and environmental issues including an op-ed in the Miami Herald and published her first book, The Art of Submission, The Woman’s Guide to Fulfillment, a guide to self-actualization establishing of a new genre of content. She is a co-founder and was an editor of the Political and Civil Rights Law Review at Temple University School of Law and produced and chaired a panel on clean drinking water at Harvard Law School in 2018. She is a creative strategy consultant and has collaborated with entertainment icons including Ted Field, Berry Gordy, Larry King, Jerry Levin, and Smokey Robinson and received a Gold Record for her work in that capacity.
Since 2001, following her personal experience on 9/11, she has been devoted to social impact through media and social enterprise including Stop Stuff to mitigate gun violence, 90 Minutes of Solutions for social change, The Ara Initiative for clean water and now, The Elevator for impact enterprise.
Ms. Murray is the CEO of Attain 9, Inc., the first and only company of its kind that combines the power of media and business to achieve social impact and augmented revenue generation. She is the creator and executive producer of The Elevator with 5x Emmy award winning show runner Bill Pruitt, legendary NFL player Ray Lewis, and music mogul, Master P, etc. She is also the creator and executive producer of Robert and John, formerly known as Chicago 1919, which she is co-producing with 3-time Emmy award winner, Keith David, and NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony. Ms. Murray is also the CEO of IKAR Hera, London.
Ms. Murray is on the Board of ETA Creative Arts Foundation and The Humanity Channel, Inc.
Dr. Denise Caleb, Ed.D.
Following a career journey that has taken her from automotive to professional services, higher education, retail pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. Today, Dr. Caleb will applies her vast expertise to drive Global Diversity and Inclusion Strategy at the HR Certification Institute (HRCI®). She has a unique set of executive skills and strategic operational expertise that spans over 25 years. Dr. Caleb has served on 6 executive teams, served on multiple boards, and has demonstrated proven success with managing sizeable teams from startup and mid-range corporations to large global entities, with a laser focus on strategic operational alignment, operational effectiveness, and human capital management. She is certified by HRCI as a Professional in Human Resources® (PHR®).
During her career, Dr. Caleb has worked for three Fortune 500 and publicly traded companies: Ford Motor Credit the financial arm of Ford Motor Company, EDMC Argosy University under the Goldman Sachs umbrella, and Walgreens, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. She served as the most senior HR leader within one of the leading academic health systems in the country as recognized by U.S. News & World Report, The University of Kansas Health System. When working at The University of Kansas Health System, in addition to HR, she was responsible for employee health, occupational health and urgent care with over 30k clinic visits per year, along with the administration of the flu clinic for over 10k employees and served on the Health System DEI Committee. Most recently she served as the EVP of Client Strategy, Corporate Partnerships, Diversity and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer (CSMO) for Talent Plus, Inc., a HR and Business Management Consulting Firm working with Fortune 500 organizations from across the globe. When working at San Juan Medical Center she not only led HR in that role, but oversaw the Child Care Center, Volunteer Services, Diabetes Education, and the Johnson & Johnson Full Engagement Training program. While in a regional higher education structure, she provided HR oversight for 13 campus locations, supported the Council of Presidents, and provided HR leadership for Western State Law School in California.
Dr. Caleb has led DEI initiatives and has served as a DEI practitioner for the past 15 years. She has assessed, created strategy for DEI, applied global knowledge and perspectives, remained knowledgeable of EEO and compliance laws, evaluation and needs assessments, data and analytics, customized training, environmental scans, cultural reviews, and supported the development, content strategy, as well as the review and creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). In the Fortune 500 space, she served as the HR Liaison for DEI at Walgreens for over 75k managers and employees. She served on the Diversity Committee at The University of Kansas Health System and most recently, Denise led the internal DEI Initiatives at Talent Plus where she created a multiple-faceted approach to DEI with the creation of Perspective; an all-colleague conversation on diversity, DEI Learning Pods, DEI Think Tank, DEI Learning Library, and a DEI Partnership Division. Some of Dr. Caleb’s D&I focused podcasts include PeopleTalks;
Succession Planning & Intersectionality in an Age of Diversity & Inclusion, which aired May 2020 and Racial Inequality, which aired June of 2020. She also participated in the 2020 Denver Start-Up Week Black & Brown Investors Panel facilitated by Peter Adams of Rockies Venture Fund.
Dr. Caleb has been an Executive Board Member of the Mid-America Coalition on Healthcare. She was an Executive Committee Member for Hospital Services Corporation (HSC) in Albuquerque, NM. She also served on the Steering Committee Member for the Kansas City Metropolitan Healthcare Council (KCMHC). In a volunteer capacity she served as the Nominating Chair and Board Member for The Autism Society of Colorado.
Dr. Caleb has worked as a volunteer with several military support groups and has been recognized for her leadership and guidance of the military spouses impacted by the Colorado National Guard’s deployment to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001. During her spouse’s retirement ceremony, Denise received the Commander’s Award for Public Service for 26 Years of Public Service to Army Spouses at the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Department of the Army. Other accolades include being recognized as a Life Changer during The University of Kansas Health System Nursing Annual Meeting Changing Lives Everyday Tribute. She has also received the Argosy University Top Adjunct & Compliance Recognition Award, Education Management Corporation (EDMC) HR Leader Award, and the United States Army Freedom Team Salute Certificate presented by United States Army Chief and Secretary.
In addition to her having her doctorate, Dr. Caleb graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication with an emphasis in sports broadcasting. She earned her master’s in education in 2003 with a concentration in organizational change, performance and human resource development from Colorado State University while continuing to work full time. Her master’s thesis concentrated on succession planning, and her publication “Understanding and Articulating Effective Succession Planning: A Means for Influence by NAITTE Constituencies” was published in July 2005. Dr. Caleb defended her dissertation, “The Succession Planning Experiences that African American Women Encountered When Achieving Executive Level Leadership” in August 2013, when she graduated from Argosy University, Denver, with her doctorate in organizational leadership. Her publication “Internal Succession Planning: The Research and Practice of Growing and Developing Retail Pharmacy Talent from Inside the Corporation” was published in spring 2015 in Career Planning and Adult Development Journal.
Dr. Caleb recently completed her Harvard Business School (HBS) Certificate of Management Excellence (CME) a 36-month global executive education program. She earned her Lean & Six Sigma Green Belt Certifications from Colorado State University and her D&I Certification from Cornell University.
Dr Stacie CC Graham
Dr Stacie CC Graham is the Global Racial Equity Programme Director at WPP. The Racial Equity Programme refers to the $30 million commitment that Mark Read, WPP’s CEO, made on behalf of WPP in June of 2020. Dr Graham began in this role in March 2021 to ensure that WPP delivers on that commitment with measurable impact and great integrity.
Prior to joining WPP, Dr Graham worked as an independent management consultant and coach. Her clients range from tech startups, to universities, arts institutions, healthcare charities, yoga studio chains and beyond. Her offerings were varied to meet the needs of her clients and included strategy and transformation, managing multicultural teams, co-founder conflict mediation, and more. She brings an equity and inclusion lens to all her work.
Dr Graham is the founder of Colour Balance Images, a two-sided marketplace licensing images and footage that are representative of the global majority. Colour Balance Images deliver authentic images created by local talent in Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Currently, Colour Balance Image has its strongest presence in Africa, partnering with prominent cultural institutions, such as Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Nubuke Foundation in Accra, Ghana.
Her passion, OYA: Body-Mind-Spirit Retreats, is a holistic wellness brand dedicated to improving the mental, physical, and emotional health of Black women and women of colour by making holistic wellness practices more accessible. It was the first such brand to explicitly work with these communities in the UK. OYA Retreats deliver holistic movement and mindfulness experiences and immersions with community members in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, South Africa, and the US.
Dr Graham has an MS in economics from Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg, Germany, and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Osnabruck, Germany. In her doctoral studies, she focused on neuroaffective cognitive science and human motivation theory as they relate to leadership behaviour. Further, she is registered with Yoga Alliance as an experienced Hatha yoga teacher (E-RYT 500) and is a certified coach and mindfulness teacher. She has authored several book chapters, and her first book, Yoga as Resistance: Equity and Inclusion On and Off the Mat, will be published in June 2022 by Watkins Publishing.
Fatimah Gilliam, Esq.
Fatimah Gilliam is the founder and CEO of The Azara Group, a strategy consulting firm specializing in diversity and inclusion, leadership development, and negotiation services to Fortune 500 companies, thriving privately-held businesses, and sports industry clients. She is the author of the forthcoming book Race Rules – How to Avoid Offending People & Acting Racist, an innovative guidebook and practical manual of the unwritten “rules” as they relate to race.
Fatimah began her career as a corporate attorney on Wall Street at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, went on to work for Citigroup overseeing its campus diversity recruiting for all its U.S. businesses, and oversaw corporate partnerships as the Head of Finance and Fundraising for North America for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning United Nations World Food Programme.
Today, Fatimah is a successful entrepreneur. Since launching her company in 2013, she has advised clients in tackling leadership and management challenges, developing sustainable solutions that create more inclusive environments and business relationships, tactically expanding leverage and bargaining power, strategically positioning businesses for growth and continued success, helping organizations assess and mitigate diversity challenges and risks, and mediating troubled partnerships and teams to promote relationship repair. Fatimah is a seasoned, sought-after speaker, diversity expert, and negotiations strategist. Fatimah enjoys helping people and organizations “get what they want.”
Fatimah holds a JD from Columbia Law School, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a BA from Wellesley College. She is the Careers Committee Co-Chair for the New York Wellesley Club, and a board member of the Columbia Law School Association.
Vonetta Hawkins
Vonetta is a persuasive, influential business execution leader with 11+ years of experience working as an effective change agent in diverse markets through stakeholder engagement, operational analysis, collaboration, and large-scale business execution. She is a creative strategist adept at complex problem-solving, and systems evaluation. Vonetta is also committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and driving outcome based strategies across a multitude of businesses.
Vonetta is intentional about ensuring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is embedded in everything she does within the workplace. She shares her leadership skills and expertise by serving on the following Boards:
● Member, Wells Fargo National Consumer Lending Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
● Chair, Black/African American Team Member Network NY/NJ
● Director of Business Investments & Partnerships, New York Black MBA Association.
● Vice President, Society Hill III Homeowners Association
● Director of Membership, Women’s Council of Realtors Bergen County
● Co-Chair, North Central Jersey Association of Realtors Diversity and Cultural Committee
Vonetta is also the Co-Creator of the Real Estate Investment Series. The program provides the educational tools needed to build wealth through real estate investing. In addition, Vonetta is a sought-after National speaker where she touches on topics around diversity and housing.
Ty Bledsoe
Ty Bledsoe is a transformational leader, strategic thinker and problem solver. He is the Senior Director of DEI, People Development and Engagement at Alto Pharmacy, and former Assistant Vice President - External & Legislative Affairs and Director of D&I at AT&T. Ty oversees Alto's DEI strategy, talent development, employee engagement and employee resource groups. He is the published author of The Mountaintop, and has served on multiple boards including the The University of Texas at Dallas, Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, and Plano Chamber of Commerce.
Ty is a protege of Cynt Marshall, Dallas Mavericks CEO, John Gamboa, Founder of the Greenlining Institute (think tank), and Tina Bigalke - Chief Diversity Officer at PepsiCo. Mr. Bledsoe has been a key leader at Alto, working to invigorate employee engagement, strengthen talent retention, and drive inclusion across Alto. His efforts contributed to $70M saved in employee retention and $4M ROI in employee engagement. He is a sought after motivational speaker and solutions architect among corporate executives, public elected officials and faith-based leaders. Mr. Bledsoe is a 3rd generation Christian pastor with 27 years of ministry experience. He serves in a Pastoral capacity with One Community Church's Member Care team. Ty holds an Executive MBA from California State University - Sacramento and BA from the University of California - Davis.
Fred Smith
Fred Smith is on the Global Reflections team, the diversity and inclusion practice at UniWorld Group, Inc. a global, multicultural, communication and advertising firm. Global Reflections is a sophisticated line of client offerings that provide corporations with a deep portfolio of holistic diversity and inclusion best practices, customized to the client’s specific business needs.
Additionally, Fred is Program Director at the University of Houston Learning Skills For Life and the CEO/Founder of Global Ascent Consulting (GAC), a global management consulting firm that emphasizes a collaborative, client-centric process to design solutions that improve organizational performance.
He has over 25 years of experience in management consulting, human resources, diversity management, compliance and training. His experience with a variety of clients and sectors provides Fred with the broad background to tailor solutions that deliver results. As a recognized leader in the field of diversity and inclusion, Fred has served in a variety of senior leadership roles including:
● Chief Diversity Officer for 60,000 employee retail organization in US and Mexico
● Senior Management Consultant for three leading global diversity and inclusion consulting organizations: Korn Ferry/Global Novations, ProGroup and Virtcom Consulting
In these roles, Fred has provided strategic advice and solutions on talent management, compliance, and outreach to business units, boards, and C-suite leadership. Recognizing a need for a developmental approach to understanding diversity and inclusion and implementing best practices, Fred designed a suite of strategic, multi-level courses that can customized to support specific organizational values and goals. Course levels are Compliance and Awareness, Workforce and Culture, and Leadership and Economic Value.
Fred earned a BS in Secondary Education from Texas A&M University, PHR Certification from Rice University and has attended the Babson School for Business Executive Leadership Program and the Center for Creative Leadership Executive Program.
Bershan Shaw
Bershan Shaw didn’t earn the nickname “The Warrior Coach” by accident. Her career as a sought-after international motivational speaker, business coach, women’s advocate, and author was forged through her dedication, perseverance, and a brush with death.
As a two-time breast cancer survivor with a three-month prognosis, Bershan summoned her inner warrior to conquer the impossible, defy the odds, and beat her illness. Now, she uses her leadership skills to bring a no-nonsense approach to motivate others. Bershan founded Warrior Training International to help individuals reach their full potential.
Bershan is an industry pioneer in transformational coaching, executive leadership training, and diversity and inclusion implementation. Along with this, she also coaches execs in technology, consumer products, emotional intelligence, and unconscious bias. Her unique background, dynamic presenting style, humor, real-world techniques and practical strategies leave every audience, from Amazon to the Essence Music Festival to UBS and Johns Hopkins University feeling energized, transformed, and ready to take on new challenges. Her media appearances include features on NBC, ABC, Fox, and OWN. Most recently, she can be seen on the Real Housewives of NYC as a Life Coach.
Michel Edwards
Michel has been a leader in the HR Tech space since his days at Indeed.com. As an adviser to established tech companies, Government agencies, and various technical startups, he soon realized that there were few leaders, mentors or advisors in key functional leadership roles. It was then that he witnessed the diversity gaps. "The companies that I'd worked for did not have leadership diversity. Working in a white male dominated environment meant that opportunities to advance were limited at best. It took an email from a female leader, after his promotion to a Senior Sales Executive to inspire his path ahead. That inspired me to become a leader within Indeed Employee Resource Group, B.I.G. the "Black Inclusion Group". At the helm, Michel led conversations with the CHRO, CRO and other executive sponsors that were dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in the workplace.
Following tenures at start-ups like Culture Amp, and job marketplace leader DHI Group Inc., Michel was inspired to Recruit, Train, and Develop the workforce of the future. "I did not feel comfortable asking for change, I wanted to be a part of the leadership towards change".Michel and his Co-Founder Keith Gray, launched Bluu Kazi, in a Washington, D.C. office space back in the Spring of 2019. Going back and forth they chose Swahili words to represent their own connection to the African diaspora. "Bluu" representing the Blue Collar work their mothers and fathers collectively naviaged to send them to college. Also representative of their novel ideal as digital farmers, or as Michel says "Workforce Agriculture, we're farming the talent of the future, generating a new crop of brilliant talent". "Kazi" is Swahili for work, representing the journey ahead that it will take to be recognized as a powerhouse in the global marketplace.
The journey of entrepreneurship has been worth it. Since their quiet launch in August of 2020, Bluu Kazi has quietly placed over 120 technologists into the world of work. We're officially launching our Learning Management Platform "Bluu-Tech.com" in June 2022, to Recruit, Train, and Develop global talent at scale. The future is Bluu.
Jean C. Accius, Phd.
Jean Accius is an internationally recognized thought leader who has led award-wining programs to advance positive social change and is an expert in building and cultivating strategic partnerships. He focuses his work on how business, government and philanthropy can solve the economic and social challenges related to race, age, and socioeconomics.
Jean leads the Longevity Economy Outlook series for AARP which highlights the contributions of Americans age 50-plus, worth over $9 trillion in 2018 and projected to grow to nearly $27 trillion by 2050. One of his signature programs, Growing with Age, defines the power of the multigenerational workforce and was recognized by Fast Company as a “2021 Game-Changing Idea”.
He’s been featured in the Boston Globe, The New York Times, TIME Magazine, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, Next Avenue, ESPN’s Undefeated, Congressional Quarterly, Black Enterprise, and Huffington Post. Jean also has spoken and led sessions at some of the world’s most prestigious convenings including the World Economic Forum 50th Annual Meeting in Davos.
He is a certified director with the National Association of Corporate Directors and a fellow with the Executive Leadership Council, as well as a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health program on health reform. He holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration and a master’s degree in aging studies from the Claude Pepper Institute at Florida State University, and a Ph.D. in public administration from American University.
Respected for his independent mindedness and credible voice in decision making, interpersonal skills, ability to handle complexity and ambiguity and financial competence, Jean leads with value, intentionality, and impact. Currently, as Senior Vice President of Global Thought Leadership at AARP, the world’s largest non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization, Jean leads a multimillion-dollar team that puts data into action. His work provides a framework for how CEOs and policymakers measure, and leverage the contributions of the changing demographics
James D. White
James D. White is a transformational leader with over thirty years' experience as a CEO and operating executive in the consumer products, retail, and restaurant industries, as well as an experienced corporate director and adviser with twenty years of experience on more than fifteen public and private boards.
White currently chairs the board of the recently IPO'd Honest Company and is Executive Chair of the startup Air Protein, in addition to several other boards.
As Chair, President, and CEO of Jamba Juice from 2008–2016, he led the successful turnaround and transformation of the company from a made-to-order smoothie shop to a global healthy-lifestyle brand. He has held senior executive positions at Safeway, Gillette, and Nestle Purina PetCare. In 2020, he launched his own firm, Culture Design Lab, to coach, train, and lead CEOs, boards, Chief People Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers on operationalizing his diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) playbook. White is regularly featured in the media for his work, including Harvard Business Review, The Mentor, Shark Tank, the Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, Savoy, and Black Enterprise.
videos
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Opening Remarks | Opening Keynote - The Two Most Important Days of Your Life
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Fireside Chat - Dimensions of Diversity that Impact Imposter Syndrome
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Panel - Why the Rooney Rule is not Enough When Recruiting
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Fireside Chat: Companies, Community Engagement & Public Police
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Presentation: The Shape of Leadership: A Post Pandemic Reflection
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Panel – Maintaining Psychologically Safe Workplaces in Times of Flux
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Fireside Chat - Safeguarding our Mental Health in the Same Way as Our Finances
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Panel: Tools for Interrupting Bias in the Workplace
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Presentation: Having Mental Wellness as a Leader
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Closing Keynote
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iLeadership Award - Advocacy
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iLeadership Award - Pioneer
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iLeadership Award - Supplier Inclusion
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iLeadership Award - Trailblazer
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