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Segun Abiona

Nicole & Giovanni Limited

A Salesman, Entrepreneur, Ex- Investment banker, and founder, Nicole & Giovanni Limited. He has a degree in Finance from the University of Lagos, MSc. Financial Management with Corporate Accountability from Middlesex University in London specializing in Corporate Governance and attended Harvard University course on Innovation and Strategy. Worked at NurnBerger (Fashion Outfit), Cashcraft Asset Management, Cordros Capital Limited (Both Members of the Nigerian Stock Exchange), Barclays Bank, London and First City Monument Bank, Nigeria all spanning 14 years. An astute advocate of Sales, Marketing, Branding and the Act of Execution.

Mohamed Aboulnaga

Halan

Mohamed Aboulnaga is an experienced entrepreneur and executive with more than 15 years of experience. Currently, Mohamed the Cofounder/CEO of a fintech startup in Egypt and a co-founder/advisor of Halan (2018-present), Africa's super app and Egypt's most funded app in 2020 according to Forbes middle east. Prior to co-founding Halan, Mohamed served as Regional Director at Careem, the Middle East's number one ride hailing application recently acquired by Uber for more than $3 billion. He also sits on the board of several Tech companies inlcuding Koinz, Robusta, Touchless and Cashcows and Waffarha he is also an advisor to disruptech ventures and an investor in Breadfast. Earlier, Mohamed, started his career at Fawry in account management and business development, and in sales with Haymarket Media Group. Mohamed has completed the CXO Academy program at INSEAD, France, and a B.Sc., in Electronics Engineering from the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Diop Adisa

Kheprw Institute

Diop Adisa was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a graduate of IUPUI studying philosophy. He has been with the grassroots community organization Kheprw Institute (KI) since its inception back in 2003. To describe him simply, he's an artist, activist and entrepreneur. He's a founding partner of Scarabys Consulting where he is a leader in curriculum development, speaking and facilitation. He’s also an independent hip hop artists who has work within the Indianapolis hip hop community for the past 10 years.

Imhotep Adisa

Kheprw Institute

Imhotep Adisa is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Kheprw Institute, a non-profit organization focused on youth development in Indianapolis, IN. Over the course of a momentous 18year period, Imhotep has guided the Kheprw Institute (KI) as it has blossomed from a small mentorship program serving 5 African American high school males to a mid-size intergenerational multi-racial org.

Dr. Akindele Akintoye

Platform Capital

Dr. Akintoye Akindele is an investor, entrepreneur, lecturer, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Platform Capital, is a growth market-focused, sector agnostic, principal investment firm. Platform Capital deploys patient, value accretive capital alongside international and local value investors to create champion businesses with the ability for regional scale. It has 15+ investments in multiple sectors across the world.Dr. Akindele is also a faculty member at the University of Lagos Business School, lecturing on finance and entrepreneurship.Dr. Akindele completed his tertiary education in Nigeria, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with honours from the Obafemi Awolowo University. He received a doctorate degree in Business Administration (Finance) from the International School of Management - Paris, France. Dr. Akindele is a CFA charter holder and a trustee of the CFA society of Nigeria. He is also an alumnus of the London and Said Business Schools, having attended various senior executive programmes in Management and Strategy, Advanced Corporate Finance and Private Equity amongst others.Dr. Akindele is passionate about the development and growth of entrepreneurs in Africa. He is a frequent speaker at leading business schools, conferences and seminars on investing in Africa, private investment in Africa and the role of entrepreneurship in Africa’s evolution. He supports and donates to various institutions that provide grants to entrepreneurs.

Nike Anani

Nike Anani Practise Ltd

Nike Anani is a succession specialist. She has extensive experience in helping business families with succession planning.She has over a decade of family business expertise in Nigeria as a second-generation family business owner and leader. In addition she pioneered her family office. She is the co-founder of African Family Firms, a pan-African association of family businesses. She studied Economics at University College London and is an accountant (ex-Deloitte UK). Nike sits on the boards of several companies including Mixta Real Estate Plc and ARM-Harith Infrastructure Fund.

Kristian Andersen

High Alpha

Kristian is currently a co-founder and partner at High Alpha - a Venture Studio that conceives, launches and scales technology companies. Prior to High Alpha, Kristian founded Studio Science - a leading design + innovation consultancy that he sold to an investment group in 2019. Kristian is an active angel investor and previously co-founded Gravity Ventures, a seed-stage venture fund that raised 6 funds and made investments in Indiana and Arkansas. He has founded a number of software companies including Octiv, Lessonly, Visible, and Pathagility. In addition to serving on several corporate boards, Kristian is actively involved in a number of philanthropic and nonprofit endeavors. He co-founded The Speak Easy, serving as the first board chair, founded the Arkansas Fellowship, and previously served as the Chairman of the Harrison Center for the Arts. Kristian has a diverse background in technology, design, and venture capital. He is frequently invited to speak on the intersection of design and entrepreneurship at events, such as SXSW, HOW Design Conference, and Transform (Oslo, Norway). Kristian and his work have been featured in publications, such as Inc., Print Magazine, Graphic Design USA, Logo Lounge, and on cable and network TV, including Your Business (MSNBC), Inside Indiana Business (WFYI), and more. Kristian has been recognized as a member of the Forty Under 40 class by both the Indianapolis Business Journal and Arkansas Business. He was the 2020 recipient of the TechPoint Trailblazer award and was recognized as the Alumni of the Year (Anderson University) in 2016. Kristian has been married to his wife Brandi for 19 years, and together they have 6 very independent children. He prioritizes his faith, his family and is passionate about Indianapolis, entrepreneurship, design, conservation and a variety of outdoor pursuits - especially those that involve fly-rods or camouflage. You can find out more at www.kristian.vc.

Vincent Ash

Indy Chamber

As Director of Indianapolis Economic Development at the Indy Chamber, Vincent focuses on economic development initiatives, business retention & attraction , workforce development, and real estate redevelopment in concert with City of Indianapolis and Mayor’s Office. A native to Indianapolis, Vincent graduated from Arsenal Technical HS and IU Kelley School of business where he majored in Finance. Previously Vincent worked for Simon Property Group as a analyst. Vincent loves staying involved with the community and serves on the board of Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, Elevate Indianapolis, and Providence Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Board . In his free time Vincent loves attending concerts, sporting events and game nights with his family. Vincent lives in Speedway with his fiancé Ashanti and two kids, daughter Noelle and son Grayson.

Rona Asuncion

MetaCX

Rona is the co-founder and director of product design at MetaCX. She has extensive experience with designing enterprise products and has focused primarily on complex B2B solutions. She is passionate about untangling the intricacies of human behaviors, especially pertaining to creating meaningful and impactful design solutions.Rona holds a BA in psychology and a BA in industrial design—the combination of which led to her pursuit of user experience design and the lifelong ideology that everything should be made thoughtfully to serve people's needs. She kickstarted her UX career as an intern at a company called Opower—a SaaS platform acquired by Oracle—then moved on to build her expertise as a product design consultant at an SF-based design agency called DesignMap. It was there that she was initially connected to Scott McCorkle, then the CPO of ExactTarget and subsequently CEO of Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Years later, she, Scott, and other co-founders would reconnect to form the vision for MetaCX.Rona currently lives in Oakland, California and has been in the Bay Area since immigrating to America with her family in 2000. She is a proud Filipina who looks forward to see more brown women representation in tech leadership, and generally more BIPOC representation in STEM-centric industries.

Paul Babcock

Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County

Paul Babcock is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. As President & CEO, Paul oversees a range of population and public health entities that includes Eskenazi Hospital, the Marion County Public Health Department, the Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center, the Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services, and a portfolio of long-term care facilities. Under his direction, HHC agencies are focused on improving their reach within traditionally underserved communities, while providing critical health services for Marion County residents through the ongoing pandemic. Previously, Paul served as Director of the City of Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety. As Director, Paul managed the development of food and re-entry policy initiatives, convened support services for those currently experiencing homelessness, and oversaw the city’s public safety communications functions. With the office serving as the lead agency, he also coordinated city-wide efforts toward comprehensive, holistic reform of the criminal justice system in Indianapolis.Paul has over fifteen years of experience in policy analysis and law, specializing in public health and criminal justice. Before working for the City of Indianapolis, Paul held the role of Project Director for the Marion County Public Health Department, where he administered public health policy, as well as oversaw preparedness and innovation efforts. Paul is a graduate of Butler University with degrees in Political Science and Communication. He earned a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Policy from the Indiana University, Purdue University-Indianapolis School of Public & Environmental Affairs. Paul also holds a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Indiana International & Comparative Law Review. He is a member of the Indianapolis, Indiana, and American Bar Associations. In addition to his service to the Indianapolis community, Paul is an affiliate faculty member at the Indiana University Center for Bioethics. His publications include an article in the global business review Drug Discovery World titled Mass Spectrometry in Drug Discovery and Development. Paul spent two years with the Peace Corps as a Community Healthcare Organizer in Uganda, where he launched field-based advocacy in partnership with 15 women living with HIV.

Ted Baker

VMware

Ted Baker has been in sales and technology for the majority of his career. Ted has led technology sales teams at IBM, Accenture, Bell South and in Publishing industries. He has been a customer and product marketing manager. These experiences have allowed failure and success; and a deeper understanding of what it takes to help clients. Ted’s recently leadership activity was as a Senior Manager at Accenture Ecosystems & Ventures Group. There he responsible for the Global Partner Fulfillment Team’s resale effort. He and his team were responsible for a $70M profit target. He also completed a temporary assignment as the Marketing Communications Lead for HPE Alliance/Practice. Ted enjoys jazz music; spending time with family and friends; and taking part in his community.

Ayodeji Balogun

AFEX

Ayodeji Balogun is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of where he is leading a team of experts leveraging technology, innovative finance, and inclusive agriculture to connect agriSMEs and smallholder farmers to commodity and financial markets. He holds an MBA from Lagos Business School; Global CEO – Africa from IESE Business School and a certificate in Creative Leadership from the THNK School of Creative Leadership. Ayodeji has almost twenty years’ experience trading across West Africa as well as in building and scaling businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa. He serves on several capital market boards and works with several institutions on food security and financing agriculture.With a marked focus on food security, as a personal and life-long mission, Ayodeji has been a pivotal member of several impact-oriented projects and organisations, including being the West Africa Chapter Coordinator for the Aspen Network for Developing Entrepreneurs from 2011 to 2013; the Technical Advisor for the Food and Strategic Grain Reserve on National and Regional (ECOWAS) Food Security from 2014 to 2015; a Member of the National Agribusiness Development Council in 2016; a Member of the Advisory Board of Synergos Nigeria from 2017 to 2019; and currently serving as the Chairman Steering Committee of the Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN, IFAD).His corporate career, prior to his current role, has included work as an analyst with Unilever Nigeria Plc.; an associate role at Doreo Partners, where he contributed to the development of Nigeria’s Agriculture Transformation Plan (in 2011) and the design of Doreo’s flagship impact investment – Babangona – a farm franchise out-grower scheme currently with 20,000 farmer membership that has witnessed a tripling of farmers yield and an increase in their income levels by over 200% since launch. He has also served as a visiting consultant to DFID (GEMS3) and the Ministry of Agriculture on value chain development where he was part of the design of a 30,000Ha plantation and the Ministry’s Staple Crop Processing Zones.Ayodeji’s career has been focused on answering the big question of how to build a business that provides solutions for customers at the bottom of the pyramid at a scale that can actually make an impact in Africa. To answer this question, he has paired his early experiences in running his family business with the tools afforded him by an MBA education to execute the vision of Nigeria's first private sector commodities exchange, AFEX, which is actively providing solutions to the problems of 350 million smallholder farmers across Africa; raising funds to finance their operations and improve their productivity.

Alison Bell

WGU Indiana

Alison Bell is the Chancellor of WGU Indiana, the state’s online, competency-based university. Bell also serves as the Regional Vice President of WGU’s Central Region, which consists of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania. Bell has more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience, including four years of prior experience with WGU Indiana as their general manager of operations from 2010-2014. Before returning to WGU, Bell served as Director of Degree Completion at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where she led operations and supervised academic coaching and career staff. Bell earned a M.A. in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Ball State University. She received additional training through the Indiana University Advising Leadership Institute and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Bell’s presentation accolades consist of presenting at the University Professional and Continuing Education (UPCEA) National Conference in 2017 and 2018, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) National Conference in 2017, the Quality Matters (QM) Connect Conference in 2017, and the CanvasCon Region Conference in 2017. Bell currently serves on the advisory board for TechPoint and for Career Ready Indiana, an Indianapolis Business Journal publication. She previously served on several higher education committees during her tenure at IUPUI, including: Academic Policies and Procedures Committee, the Campus Advising Council, the Recruitment Council, the Welcoming Campus Task Force, and the Mid-North Promise Program. She was also the recipient of WGU’s Excellence in University Service Award in 2011.

Tiffany Benjamin

Eli Lilly and Company Foundation

Ms. Benjamin is Senior Director, Social Impact and President of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. Ms. Benjamin joined Eli Lilly and Company in 2013. In her current role, she manages the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts, disaster relief efforts, global health initiatives, Environmental, Social and Governance strategy, and community civic engagement. In 2020, she led the company’s global philanthropic efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its philanthropic efforts to address racial inequity in the United States. Prior to this role, she served in various roles within the legal function, including Senior Director, Litigation and Legal Compliance; Assistant General Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary; and anti-corruption counsel and legal counsel on the company’s privileged internal investigation process. Prior to joining Lilly, Ms. Benjamin served as Senior Investigative Counsel for the Democratic Staff of U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, working on investigations into national matters including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Wal-Mart Mexico bribery allegations, the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak and supporting passage of the Affordable Care Act. Before joining the Committee, she worked as an attorney in the D.C. office of King and Spalding, handling white collar matters and government investigations. Ms. Benjamin has a law degree from Harvard Law School and an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University. Ms. Benjamin was the recipient of the 2021 Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Young Alumni Award. She serves on the Board of Visit Indy, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, the 2024 NBA All Star Game Committee, and the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband, three children, and a rambunctious flat-coated retriever.

Rebecca Bormann

Women & Hi Tech / Bell Techlogix

Rebecca Bormann is the Managing Director of Sales and Services for Bell Techlogix, a leading IT Managed Services firm. Rebecca is also the President of Women & Hi Tech, a 22-year-old local Indiana non-profit that exists to change the landscape of women represented in STEM to be equally inclusive to all. Rebecca is passionate about connecting with people and helping organizations grow by embracing technology and continuous improvement. She is a proven enterprise sales leader with over $50 million in sales generated in the past 5 years. Rebecca believes in empowering others to reach their full potential and lead a purpose-filled life. She is actively involved in the community and enjoys serving others. Before joining the Women & Hi Tech Board in 2017 as the Corporate Engagement Director, she was an active member and volunteer. Rebecca is also currently an Emeritus Board Member for The Brandon Foundation. She was the President of the Board from October 2013 to June 2020. Rebecca is also a Pass The Torch For Women 500 Circle member and mentor. Additionally, Rebecca is the co-founder of R&D Networking, a local Indianapolis professional networking group. She is also an active member of Heartland Church.Rebecca loves spending time with family and friends, being a dog mom to Lucky and Bonnie, gardening, reading, cooking, and traveling. As a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, she is an avid Green Bay Packers fan. Go Pack Go! Being involved with The Brandon Foundation has made Rebecca acutely aware that our children, especially our girls, are not exposed to all the possibilities and opportunities STEM can provide. When Rebecca realized part of Women and Hi Tech’s mission is to reach out to our young girls, including diverse girls and offer them opportunities to learn and be excited about STEM she knew she just had to be part of the organization.Rebecca’s goal for Women & Hi Tech is to continue to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion of its leadership and members and to reach more girls to encourage them to pursue an interest in STEM. We all agree our organization should be a place where all people feel included, welcomed, and can be their authentic selves—a place where we network, learn, and grow together as a STEM community because of everyone’s unique talents and gifts. We all share this passion. Now, we continue to put that passion to work to effect positive change in our organization, our Indiana STEM community and beyond.

Dr. Jamie Bracey-Green

National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness

Jamie Bracey Green, PhD is an award winning educational psychologist and expert in STEM talent development, equity and policy who founded and led Temple University’s College of Engineering Office of STEM Education, (and more recently the Center for Inclusive Competitiveness) for more than a decade, serving thousands of children in programs replicated across the US. Now the leader of the National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness, Bracey Green has been recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a regional “change agent” for her work leading intergenerational teams domestically and abroad providing teacher training and pre- college STEM education programs to increase diversity in engineering, science and data analytics. She actively encourages entrepreneurship in sustainability industries (agriculture, energy, water, and waste management) where STEM can be applied to improve quality of life around the world.With that in mind, Jamie is also a practicing hydroponic farmer and licensed industrial hemp processor who (which her family) owns Think and Grow Farms in Philadelphia, PA. TGF is an urban ag-tech start up growing plants and food in controlled environments that rely on STEM.Dr.Bracey-Green attended Oberlin College, the Rochester Institute of Technology and Temple University. She serves on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Governor’s Advisory Board for Diverse, Inclusive & Small Business Opportunities, the University of Pittsburgh National STEM PUSH initiative, and is a member of the global African Scientific Institute.

Jeff Butts

M.S.D. of Wayne Township

Dr. Jeff Butts is a proud graduate of Millikin University (BS), Illinois State University (MS), and Purdue University (PhD). He began his career as a public educator in 1992 in central Illinois. Over the past 29 years he has held positions as a bus driver, coach, teacher, athletic director, principal, assistant superintendent, and now superintendent. He became the fifth superintendent in the history of the M.S.D. of Wayne Township on January 1, 2011. Dr. Butts is currently a Broad Fellow Candidate at the Yale School of Management. He is the 2019 AASA National Superintendent of the Year Runner-up, and a recipient of the 2019 IAPSS Indiana Superintendent of the Year, Ed Tech Digital Trailblazer Award from Indiana COSN, Administrator of the Year from the Indiana High School Press Association, the Indiana Council for Exceptional Children Advocate of the Year, Minority Police Officers Association Award for Outstanding Work in the Community, Cause Driven Leadership Award from the YMCA, Indiana National Guard Awards for Exceptional Support to the Community, The Center for Digital Education Digital Content and Curriculum Achievement Award, Hobson’s Education Advances Award, the Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers, and District V Principal of the Year from the Indiana Association of School Principals.Dr. Butts has held many leadership positions in the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, past board chair with the Hendricks Regional Health (HRH) YMCA, president of the Indiana Partnershare, and past president for the Indiana Urban Schools Association (IUSA). He was selected to serve on the transition team for Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, and served on several advisory committees with the Indiana Department of Education. Dr. Butts is currently a member of the Indiana University Education Law Advisory Board, ParentSquare Advisory Council, and Purdue University Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Advisory Board. He also serves as the HRH YMCA Emeritus Board Chair, board chair for the Emergency Services Education Center, treasurer for IUSA, a board member for the West Side Chamber of Commerce, board member for Indy Gateway Inc., committee member on the 2022 College Football Playoff - Indianapolis Host Committee, advisory board member for Safe Hiring Solution, member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Diversity Task Force, and member of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee Race and Cultural Relations Leadership Network. He is a co-facilitator and presenter for EPIC, and a mentor in the Indiana Aspiring Superintendent Academy. He has served as honorary co-chair of the UNCF Masked Ball since 2014 and served on the local planning team for the National Council for the Education of Black Children National Conference. He was honored to serve on the 2019 National Urban League Annual Conference Planning Committee.

Kathy Cabello

Cabello Associates

Kathy Cabello is a respected member of the Indianapolis business, philanthropy, and higher education communities for over twenty-five years. She started her career as a computer engineer in corporate America, ultimately transitioning to marketing and customer relationship management. Her love for strategy eventually led her to start Cabello Associates—a full-service marketing consultancy that works to develop corporate strategies, marketing plans and advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 firms and other clientele.Kathy also serves as a consultant and speaker on talent/leadership development, executive coaching, women in business and the importance of diversity in the workforce. Alongside this, promoting and encouraging higher education among Latino youth is one of Kathy’s true passions, and she truly believes that education is the key to social and economic mobility. As a first-generation American, Kathy blends her business strengths with this passion by mentoring Latino youth from across the state through her leadership of Project Stepping Stone of Indiana (PSS. This program, now in its 17th year, empowers Indiana Latino students to see the value of higher education and equips them with tools to succeed in college and beyond. Under Kathy’s leadership, PSS has awarded over $400,000 in college scholarships to more than 200 students. Kathy is also an active member of the community serving as an Indiana State University Board Trustee, Fifth Third Regional Board, Indy 500 Festival Board Director, President of Escala Foundation, Inc. and on the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Executive Leadership team. She recently served as an Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commissioner, past President of the National Association of Women Business Owners and as a founding member of Prospanica, formerly National Society of Hispanic MBAs – Indianapolis Chapter.Kathy was recently announced as the 2021 Indiana Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership Courage Honoree. She has been recognized nationally for her leadership and service as a Brillante Award winner, EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, Verizon Nueva Latina Award winner and locally has received various awards such as IBJ Women of Influence and the Mayor’s Latino Woman-Owned business of the Year. However, she considers her family at the top of the accomplishment list. She has been married to her best friend, Eddy, for over 35 years and is the mother of two lovely and talented daughters, Marcela & Gabriela.Kathy Cabello holds a BS in Computer Science from Eastern Michigan University and her MBA from the University of Notre Dame. She is also an MBEP graduate of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Linda Calvin

Ivy Tech Community College

Linda joined Ivy Tech Community College as Vice President of the School of Information Technology in April 2019. In her role, Linda provides professional leadership in the development of quality standards and consistency in academic courses, ensuring curriculum is relevant to industry, training, and other programs to serve the information technology sector. Linda partners with employers to sponsor School of IT activities, identify opportunities to recruit talent from the school of IT, voice IT curriculum and consult on trends in technology and market demand. Linda has over 20 years of experience working in IT in the private sector. Before joining Ivy Tech, Linda was the global Digital IT Leader for the Security business in Stanley Black & Decker, partnering with global businesses to deliver innovative digital solutions. Linda kicked off her IT career at Dow AgroSciences in 1993, now Corteva, working in Systems Support for the R&D and Commercial organizations. While at Dow AgroSciences, she held a number of roles in R&D, Manufacturing Operations and Policy Communications. From 2003-2013, Linda served as the global digital, mobile application & social media project leader, leading digital transformation in collaboration with IT, business, marketing, and agency/vendor teams. Linda worked closely with attorneys at Dow AgroSciences and Dow Chemical to architect data privacy and social media policies and train employees on CAN-SPAM and other tech regulations. During her tenure at Dow AgroSciences, Linda earned her juris doctor and subsequently accepted a position with the Office of the Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis as Assistant City Prosecutor. While working for the city, she regularly spoke on the topic of digital and social media in highly regulated environments for the Marion County and American Bar Associations. Linda learned long ago that the community that supports your journey should receive the fruits of your labor. Thus, Linda takes an active role in the community. Linda has served on the boards of the Indiana Youth Group (IYG) and Child Advocates. She is currently a volunteer Guardian ad Litem and serves as a board member for Kids' Voice of Indiana. Linda believes that career success requires mentorship and securing a personal board of directors. Thus, she became a mentor for Pass the Torch for Women and she regularly mentors young women interested in entering the tech sector. Linda is also a mentor for a 21st Century Scholar for the Starfish Initiative. She joined the board of Women & Hi Tech in July 2020 as director of the Executive Women’s Forum. She is also a member of the Technology Working Group for the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, the Indiana Technology & Innovation Association (ITIA) and is an advisory board member for The Guarden LLC. Linda graduated cum laude from Butler University with an undergrad in journalism. She earned her juris doctor from IU School of Law in Indy in 2008.

Mark Caswell

Chief Executive Officer

Mark Caswell is Chief Executive Officer of Resultant. Mark’s primary responsibilities include driving the culture of the company, strategically supporting the overall growth of Resultant and our clients, leading M&A activity, and providing leadership to all of Resultant’s teams. Mark’s career began in Aerospace, where his degree in Mechanical Engineering allowed him to focus on some of the most advanced technologies and products in the industry. This then transitioned into international business, building and leading large, global teams across North America, Asia, and Europe, with customers throughout the globe. In 2013, Mark transitioned to Resultant, at the time a 20-person consulting firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the past seven years, he has led the organization to grow to nearly 300 employees in five offices, doing advanced analytics, technology services, and digital transformation work across the nation. This includes organic growth of nearly 50% per year, as well as three acquisitions since taking over as CEO in early 2019. He has also successfully led the company through two exits, delivering best-in-class equity returns to investors. In the next five years, the outlook of the company is to continue this trajectory, growing to nearly 1,000 employees and continuing to deliver on the company’s mission to help clients, coworkers, and communities thrive. Mark has been married for seventeen years to his wife, Jennifer, herself an MD practicing pediatric medicine at Hendricks Regional Health. They proudly raise three children: Sam, Kate, and Ella. He has a passion for cycling, travel, and life-long learning (currently learning German). He is also a professor at heart, teaching thousands of people across the nation on topics such as business leadership, design thinking, innovation, and digital transformation.

Jacqueline Copeland Ph.D.

The Women Invested to Save Earth (WISE) Fund

A seasoned ESG leader, executive, board member and advisor, Dr. Copeland is the Founder/CEO of The Women Invested to Save Earth Fund (theWISEfund.org), an impact enterprise providing funding for promising underrepresented innovators using technology and other tools for social and environmental impact, especially in Africa, Australia, Brazil , India, USA, and Diasporas.She is also the Founder of Black Philanthropy Month and its Summit series, a 10-year-old global collaboration to celebrate, promote and elevate Black giving and funding in all its forms every August and year-round. Recognized by the UN and 30 governmental bodies, BPM has now engaged 18 million people.An expert on cultural and ecosystem diversity issues, she is recognized by Congress as a HistoryMaker for her innovative civic contributions. She also is humbled to be recognized recently as one of world’s Top 100 Philanthropy Leaders by the advocacy group, Philanthropy Unbound. Trained as an anthropologist and urban designer, she creates effective equity, impact and sustainability strategies for global organizations and movements.Other key roles have been COO of AnitaB.org, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, and Twin Cities RISE!; CEO of the social equity enterprise, Copeland Carson & Associates; African Women's Development Fund USA executive director; US Bank Private Client Philanthropy Services national vice president and managing director; and The Philadelphia Foundation’s program vice president.A professor, trainer, curator, blogger, frequently sought after keynote speaker and published author on a wide range of business and ESG issues, Dr. Copeland’s books and articles are influential in multiple fields.An avid innovator and volunteer, she created Reunity, a women’s philanthropy network now part of The WISE Fund (reunity.net) and the initial design of My Brothers Keeper, an Obama Administration legacy initiative. Currently she serves on the board of advisors for Uncharted Power, an energy technology company.A trained futurist and strategy specialist, Jackie holds two masters degrees, one in urban design and the other in cultural anthropology, with a PhD in anthropology all from the University of Pennsylvania. Her undergraduate degrees are from Georgetown University’s liberal arts and foreign service schools in literature and African studies. She also studied African history and culture at University of Ife in Nigeria under Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.

Cate Costa

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Cate Costa is a Vice President in Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase & Co., a global leader in corporate philanthropy that invests nearly $350 million per year in communities and non-profit organizations in 37 countries across the globe. She manages the philanthropic investment portfolio for Small Business Forward, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation’s global initiative to connect underserved small businesses with capital, targeted technical assistance, and support networks to help them grow faster, create jobs, and strengthen local economies. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase & Co., Cate served as Deputy Director at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services where she led the state’s ~$600MM supplier diversity program. Previously, she served as the Director of Entrepreneurship at the Chicago Urban League and was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities and by the Mayor of Chicago to the Chicago Task Force on Removing Barriers to Employment and Entrepreneurship. Cate earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and her M.B.A. from Howard University. In addition, she received an Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Training Certificate through the Tuck School of Business Executive Education Program at Dartmouth. She is a lifetime member of Prospanica (formerly the National Society of Hispanic MBAs).

Rod Cotton

Roche Diagnostics

ROD COTTON, an entrepreneurial senior leader in the pharmaceutical industry, is known for his holistic perspective, bias for action in the face of challenges, and commitment to agile processes. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rod and his team accelerated six ground-breaking products in 11 months, including the first launch of the market’s most accurate and in-demand molecular diagnostic test.A key influencer across all levels of the organization, Rod is currently SVP, Head of Strategy & Transformation and Chief of Staff to the CEO for Roche Diagnostics, the North American headquarters of the world’s largest ($14B) diagnostics company. With 35+ years of healthcare experience, Rod has driven the financial turnaround and cultural transformation of four global healthcare companies, led teams of up to 280 total reports, managed P&L of $1+ billion, and served as a key member of the senior leadership team executing the most significant restructuring of the company in two decades.Rod has solved extraordinary challenges of product scarcity, supply chain, product allocation, and logistics to achieve accelerated global sourcing and self-manufacturing in line with testing guidelines, in collaboration with prominent C-Suite and Lab leaders, U.S. Congressional leaders, governors, mayors, and state COVID-19 taskforces in 23 states. As a member of the board of directors of The United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI), Rod has led key initiatives to raise the stature of the organization, including its 90+ member board, 300+ committee members and C-Suite; strengthen governance, crisis leadership, and infrastructure; and support growth of its endowment from $55M to $121M in 2020. He served as an influential panel member in the interviewing, vetting, selection, and integration of UWCI’s new President, CEO, and board member from 10+ potential candidates. A director since 2009, Rod has also served on the executive, governance, D&I, strategic affairs, capital campaign, fundraising, and other committees. Rod holds an M.B.A., an M.S. in Strategic Management, and a B.A. in Biological Sciences & Technology. Prior to Roche, he held roles at Baxter International and other firms. A frequent public speaker on diversity, Rod is an executive sponsor for Roche’s Asian, Black, and Latino affinity groups and a supporter of its LGBTQ group, and he was an early (and the first male) member of the Roche Women Leader Initiative.

Ariel Crawley

Indy Women in Tech

Ms. Crawley is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Indy Women in Tech. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of IvyWorks-Indy Women in Tech. Our scholar program with Ivy Tech Community College. In 2019, Ariel was named Tech Educator of the year by TechPoint at the Mira Awards.

Claudia Cummings

Indiana Philanthropy Alliance

Claudia Cummings is the president & CEO of the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), one of the largest statewide networks in the country created to boost philanthropy’s impact in communities throughout its state borders. A strategic leader and dedicated public servant, Claudia brings a distinct vision and passion to maximizing the impact of Indiana’s foundations, corporations and social investors that collectively grant over $2 billion annually. During her tenure leading IPA, Claudia has worked with leadership to inspire innovation and action; to engage members in collaborative forums to address key issues; and to amplify the diverse voices that make up Indiana’s philanthropic sector. Prior to joining IPA, Claudia served as vice president of strategic development at Conexus Indiana, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) initiative that has positioned the Hoosier state as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to invest, employ, and succeed. For more than 10 years, she served in senior leadership at Conexus Indiana, overseeing nationally recognized collaborations on workforce development and education between industry, academic, philanthropic, and public sector partners.Prior to her work with Conexus Indiana, Claudia served as Deputy Commissioner at the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA), where she focused on small business development. In addition to her role at IDOA, Claudia previously worked in various policy, communications, and leadership positions for the Mayor of Indianapolis, Speaker of the Indiana House, Marion County Clerk, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.Claudia is deeply involved in her community, including service on the boards of Sagamore Institute, Goodwill Education Initiatives, Indiana University Public Policy Institute and the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University. She previously served as a member of the Indiana Election Commission, State Workforce Innovation Council, and the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank.Claudia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College; a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University's O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and an executive certificate from the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business.

Adelodun Damilare

BusinessPlus Services

Adelodun Damilare is full stack software engineer, with focus on the frontend. Damilare primarily work with Javascript, Nodejs, PHP and Flutter and lives in Lagos Nigeria.Damilare is a human with a knack for many things, I love building tools for developers, writing, speaking, building developer communities and hitting my keyboard till something works. Currently, i'm obssessed with improving the quality of life of Nigerians and the world as a whole by building open source softwares that can revolutionize the world.

Brandi Davis-Handy

The AES Corporation

Brandi Davis-Handy has nearly 20 years of communications, marketing, and stakeholder engagement experience. Since starting her career as a broadcast journalist. Brandi has used the tools of storytelling and narrative to connect audiences moving toward a shared goal. Today, Brandi leads communications and community efforts for AES’ utilities in Indiana and Ohio. Prior to AES, she served as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Project Lead The Way and has also led communications teams at OneAmerica Financial Partners, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, and the American Cancer Society. Brandi is an active community leader in Central Indiana having served on the boards of the 500 Festival, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Dress for Success of Indianapolis, Women’s Fund of Central Indiana and Lynx Capital Corporation. She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series. Brandi is also a founding member of the African American Legacy Fund of Indianapolis which is focused on raising awareness and advocating on issues affecting the African American community. Brandi has been recognized as a Center for Leadership Development Minority Achiever in Media and Communications in 2018 and was the recipient of the Breakthrough Woman in Leadership Development Award for 2018 from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.Brandi received her B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University. She resides in Fishers, IN with her husband and two children.

Manisha Dookhony

Africa RISE

Investment and Policy specialised economist, with double Masters degrees in Economics and Public Administration from Harvard University, Ms Dookhony has perfect fluency in English and French with demonstrated work experience in both Francophone and Anglophone Africa. With 20 years of relevant experience developing policies and strategies for business environment, she has extensive experience engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogue and advising high-level government officials including at Presidential and Prime Minister-level and advising industry leaders. Manisha Dookhony is a regular contributor to national economics and business articles; Chairperson & panellist at international economics and growth summits and conferences.She is currently the advisor and mentor for the Namibian Investment Promotion and Development Board and leads the regional facility of the EU across 25 countries in Eastern and South Africa. Some of her achievements include: the successful negotiation of land for the creation of a Light manufacturing Special Economic Zone in Madagascar; the unlocking of issues for a large PPP project in Mozambique; successful advisory on business facilitation services for Ethiopia; Successful management of process of lowering customs duty regime in Mauritius; spearheading the creation of a new mechanism for Public Private Dialogue in Rwanda; leading the development of a new law to facilitate investment in Rwanda; leading the discussions for the creation of a commercial court in Mauritius; and an overall improved business climate in Rwanda and Mauritius.Manisha is a seasoned board director having served on a range of for profit and nonprofit board director. She is a member of TheBoardroom Africa and the Harvard Alumni Association professional networks. She is the co-founder of Mauritius Society Renewal, heads the Network of Professional Economist and Statisticians Mauritius and the Harvard Alumni group of Mauritius. Together with a team of women, she is leading the initiative to build a business network platform for women across the Indian Ocean Basin and Africa.

Chelsea Easter

Principal

Chelsea Easter is the Principal of 7-12th grade at Victory College Prep. She has worked at Victory College Prep for the past five years, and She started here career as a middle school English teacher, and has worked for the organization for 5 years. She is passionate about Urban education and Social Justice. She graduated from Adrian College with a BA in English, Loyola University of Chicago with a MA in African American Literature, and Marian University with a Masters in Teaching. She attended IUPUI for her Urban Educational Leadership principal license. She loves her work at VCP because of the incredible staff, the awesome students, and the consistent push for excellence every day.

Muhammida El Muhajir

WaxPrint Media

Muhammida El Muhajir is a global brand/digital marketing and media consultant, entrepreneur, and filmmaker with extensive international travel/study/work experience throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. She is currently the Director of Strategy at WaxPrint Media, an Accra based digital marketing and PR agency that develops strategies for clients such as Jaguar, Land Rover, KLM Air France, Pernod Ricard, Webster University, and The Kwarleyz Group. El Muhajir's experience in brand marketing and entertainment includes roles at the renowned William Morris Talent Agency and as the Music Marketing Manager at sports powerhouse, Nike, Inc. She honed her skills in technology as a Fellow at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) Incubator in Accra where she provided business development expertise to a portfolio of tech startups from Ghana and Nigeria and with the position of Product Manager at Ringier Ghana, where she led the sales and digital strategy operations for the Ghana office of the global media company.El Muhajir has served as a guest presenter at cultural and educational organizations including the US Mission to the United Nations, The Brooklyn Museum, Oxford University, Goethe Institut, and Harvard University. She pursued a Master's degree in International Relations at The University of Ghana and received a B.S. in Microbiology from Howard University.

Deidra Fair James

Kheprw Institute

Deidra Fair James is a long time member of the Board of Directors for Kheprw Institute and on the committee established to focused on community wealth building and the Kheprw Integrated Fund. She is a Director in the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Finance, Investment and Trade (FIT) Group where she is responsible for developing strategies to leverage private sector investment for MCC’s Lesotho Compact and Ethiopia Threshold programs. She also leads the Impact Incentives working group. Prior to her tenure in the FIT Group, she was MCC’s Resident Country Director for the Ghana II Compact, a five-year, $500 million grant program that is focused on improving the country’s power sector. As the Resident Country Director, she provided oversight, feedback, and guidance to the government of Ghana during the set-up and implementation of the compact program and interfaced with high-level government and private sector stakeholders. She also led the integrated, multi-sector MCC country team through compact program development and served as MCC’s principal representative to, and lead compact negotiator with the Government of Ghana. Previously, she served as Country Team Lead for the US$350 million power-focused Malawi Compact and the US$362 million Lesotho Compact focused on improving water supply, increasing access to essential health services, and removing barriers to private sector investment. Prior to joining MCC, Mrs. Fair James worked as an Investment Officer in the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Infrastructure department. She started her career working as a structural engineer for Owens Corning in the United States and Twum Boafo and Partners in Accra, Ghana. She has a Civil Engineering degree from Purdue University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Rodney Francis

EmployIndy

Rodney Francis currently serves as the Chief Programs Officer at EmployIndy. Reporting directly to Angela Carr Klitzsch, President and CEO, he serves as a member of the key leadership team and provides strategic leadership support to four vice presidents with a growing team of nearly twenty youth and workforce development professionals who are focused on the success of programs overseen by EmployIndy: YES Indy, YES Indy REC, Job Ready Indy, Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), Indy Achieves, Project Indy, and WorkOne Indy. In addition, Rodney is now responsible for policies, procedures, and services governing academic, workforce readiness, industry credentialing, employment programs, and services to youth and adults across Marion County to meet the talent needs of high-demand industries.Rodney and his family came to Indianapolis most recently from St. Louis, MO, where he served 8 years as Executive Director of The Youth and Family Center, a 125-year-old neighborhood settlement house. During the 2014 Ferguson protests, Rodney’s youth development work with the 16 – 24-year-old population proved instrumental in helping the community chart a path forward toward one of healing, wholeness and equity. An ordained clergy in the Baptist tradition, Rodney has served churches in New Jersey and St. Louis as senior pastor. Rodney holds a Master's degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and a Bachelor's of Arts degree from the College of New Rochelle, New York City. He is also a 2009 graduate of The Ohio State University Executive Leadership and Management Program, Columbus, OH, a 2012 graduate of Focus Leadership St. Louis and 2014 graduate of the Olin School of Business, Nonprofit Executive Management Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Jasmin French

Cummins, Inc.

Jasmin French works with a team of professionals around the world to enhance Cummins Inc.'s global corporate Ethics and Compliance program as a Senior Manager of Program Development in the Ethics and Compliance department. She manages enterprise wide initiatives aimed at maintaining a strong ethical culture at Cummins, a global engine and power generator manufacturer with 70,000 employees doing business in 190 countries. Jasmin spent 10 years as a corporate lawyer most recently in Indianapolis and previously in Chicago. In private practice, she counseled C-suite executives and senior leaders on issues related to 401(k) plans and executive compensation. Jasmin managed domestic and international transactions as a business attorney focused on mergers and acquisitions. She stretched her entrepreneurial wings as the Founder of a personal branding firm where she worked with a diverse clientele - from law school students to professional athletes – helping them develop and package their unique personal brands. Jasmin was raised in Indianapolis and graduated from Duke University and Vanderbilt University Law School. She is a member of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art’s Board of Directors and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Indianapolis Zoo and the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana. She is a past board Vice-Chair of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and a former member of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority and Duke Energy Indiana President’s Advisory Council. She is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy (Indianapolis) and the Indy Chamber’s Advance 317 Leadership Exchange program. Jasmin loves to travel internationally, enjoys discovering new restaurants and art museums and when she’s in Indianapolis she is a Big Sister to an amazing 13-year-old through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana.

Ting Gootee

Elevate Ventures

Ting Gootee has 15 years of experience in alternative investment. She spent three years at an international hedge fund on the private placement side, before moving into venture capital in 2009. She was part of the founding team of Elevate Ventures, a top 10 most active seed and early stage venture capital firms in the world. Elevate has multiple funds under management with assets allocated between primary investment funds and fund-of-funds programs. Elevate focuses on investing in pre-seed, seed and early-stage companies across multiple sectors, and has built a portfolio of over 400 companies since 2010.Ting received her MA from Purdue University and MBA from Indiana University. She's also a holder of Chartered Financial Analyst, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement.

Lawrence Hamer

Purdue University Northwest

Lawrence Hamer, PhD, is the Teddy Jacobi Dean of the College of Business at Purdue Northwest. He has extensive experience as a higher education professor and administrator having served in various capacities over 20+ years. In his present role as Dean, continuously strives to enhance the educational experiences of students and to have the PNW College of Business be a resource to the communities it serves.

Dr. Tim Hanson

MSD Warren Township

Dr. Tim Hanson, was born in Kankakee, Illinois which is 60 miles south of Chicago. He comes from a hard working family where three generations have worked for Ford Motor Company. Rather than continuing that tradition, Dr. Hanson wanted to pursue education. Following high school graduation in 1990, he attended and became a first generation college graduate from Eastern Illinois University. Upon graduation, he began his teaching career at Kankakee Junior High, where he once attended as a student. Following this semester long assignment, he was hired to teach middle school math and coach at Hubble Middle School in Wheaton, IL. During his 4 years in Wheaton, Dr. Hanson earned a Master’s of Science in the Teaching of Mathematics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1998, Dr. Hanson moved to Cincinnati, OH and taught math and coached at Nagel Middle School for two years. He attended University of Cincinnati where he earned his Master’s of Education in School Administration in 2001. Later in 2001, he moved to Indianapolis and was hired in Hamilton Southeastern to teach middle school math and coach. Wanting to pursue a career in administration, Dr. Hanson took a math department chair position at Westlane Middle School in MSD Washington Township in 2003. He was there for one year before being hired as an assistant principal at Stonybrook Middle School in MSD Warren Township. In 2005, Dr. Hanson was promoted to an elementary principal role at Brookview Elementary. He served as Brookview’s principal for 7 years and was then hired as the PK-6 assistant superintendent for MSD Warren. During his 6 years as assistant superintendent, Dr. Hanson earned his Ed.S and Ed.D from Ball State University. In 2018, Dr. Hanson was named superintendent for MSD Warren Township. His vision for MSD Warren Township is to graduate students with Journey of a Graduate Skills: critical thinking, collaboration, citizenship, content knowledge, communication and resilience. Dr. Hanson believes that these skills will be applicable to any successful post secondary pathway. Dr. Tim Hanson currently serves on the Ransburg YMCA Advisory Board, the Jane Pauley Health Center Board, as a member on the Indianapolis East Rotary Club, and represents MSD Warren Township on the Far Eastside Redevelopment Committee. Dr. Hanson is a husband and a father of two boys, 15 and 11, and two black labs, 6 and 5.

Holli Harrington

Indianapolis Airport Authority

Holli Harrington Sr, Director of Supplier Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer, has been with the IAA for 7 years, and leads the strategic efforts to ensure the airport fosters public value and economic development by providing access to meaningful procurement and contractual opportunities. As the airport’s first Diversity Officer, she promotes equity and inclusion in IAA operations, processes and systems.Holli has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University. Before joining the Airport Authority in 2013, she worked for Eli Lilly and Company for 21 years and has over 30 years of experience in diversity, business development, compliance, procurement, human resources, IT, manufacturing and engineering.Her commitment to the community is evident as she currently serves on the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council, the City of Indianapolis Information Technology Services Agency Board, the Minority Engineering Program of Indianapolis Board, and volunteers as a facilitator for the Center for Leadership Development and on the planning committee for the UNCF.Holli is a native of Detroit, Michigan and is active in her church, Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She enjoys spending time with her family, husband Brian Harrington, and three children, Briana, Brailen and Bradley.Affiliations:Indianapolis Government Alliance on Race and Equity InitiativeIndiana Civil Rights Commission-Gubernatorial AppointeeCity of Indianapolis Information Technology Services Agency Board- City County Council AppointeeMid-States Minority Supplier Development Council-Executive CommitteeIndianapolis International Airport Interfaith Chapel BoardMinority Engineering Program of Indianapolis-Board Vice PresidentNational Aviation Youth Resources Foundation AdvisorCenter for Leadership DevelopmentIndiana STEM Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation AdvisorRecognition:• 2019 Central IN Supply Chain Supplier Diversity Advocate• 2019 FAA Title VI Civil Rights Advocate & Partner Award• 2019 ICRC Diversity and Inclusion Award• 2018 Mid-States Minority Development MBE Spend Award• 2017 Airport Minority Advisory Council Top Flight Award• 2016 State of Indiana Supplier Diversity Champion• 2016 Airports Council International Inclusion Champion• 2016 City of Indianapolis Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity Award – Leadership in Diversity• City of Indianapolis Mayor's Celebration of Diversity Award for Development• 2016 Indianapolis Recorder/Indiana Minority Business Magazine Champion of Diversity Award• Mayors Diversity in Business Award• 2009 National Association of Women Business Owners- Choice Award• Recognized as an Interesting Personality in Who's Who in Black Indianapolis• 1998 Center for Leadership Development Up and Coming Award

Chante Harris

SecondMuse

Chante Harris is the Senior Manager of Venture for ClimateTech at SecondMuse in New York. In her role, Chante is focused on launching and running a climate tech venture studio and accelerator, as well as overseeing a global pitch competition that identifies and scales high-impact founders that are building solutions to address climate change. Additionally, she is working with the 2M Capital team to explore and advance a fund thesis supporting the climate tech ecosystem.Named by America on Tech as an Innovator and Disruptor in tech policy and Women Enews as a Pioneering Woman in Sustainability, Chante is passionate about urban innovation, building sustainable cities, cross-sector collaboration, and tapping into community to launch better solutions, initiatives, and technologies. She has worked to scale nationwide campaigns, technologies, and ideas for the Obama Administration, Fortune 500 companies, and startups. Most recently, she launched and grew two new practice areas at an urban and political strategy firm based dedicated to business strategy and sustainability. With deep expertise in developing go-to-market strategies for startups and established companies across the sustainability industry, she brings unique insight into ecosystem players aiming to drive a shared vision alongside the SecondMuse team.Chante is based in New York City where she serves as a Venture Partner with Republic and NextGen, Senior Summit Fellow, Board Member for The PowerShift Network, Vice-Chair of Diversity for Teach For America Associate Board, and an Emerging Leader with New York Women’s Foundation. In her free time, you can find Chante meditating, writing, reveling in nature, learning to DJ, and building community.

De'Niece Harrison-Hudson

OneAmerica

De’Niece Harrison-Hudson, FLMI, ACS, is currently a program director in the Community Affairs Division at OneAmerica. De’Niece has been serving in her current role as Pathways Program Director at OneAmerica since June 2019. She started her OneAmerica career journey in 2015 when she joined the Corporate Actuarial department. Born and raised in Indianapolis, De’Niece graduated from Arsenal Technical High school on the near eastside in 2010. After graduating high school, she went off to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science and completed a minor in Business Administration. De’Niece possesses a very diverse employment history as she began her career journey right out of college at Shepherd Community Center as a database Administrator and part-time case manager. She then transitioned to the government center in the Department of Correction as an educational specialist. She has also spent time at the Department of Workforce Development. De’Niece enjoys being active in the community and volunteering much of her time to youth mentoring, child development, and various other community outreach programs. One of her volunteer activities included a partnership with TechPoint to utilize Math Pentathlon game to teach inner-city students STEM subjects to learn math in a fun and engaging ways.

Denise Herd

Herd Strategies

Denise J Herd, MBA. Utilizing decades of experience in marketing, public relations and strategic communication, Herd launched Herd Strategies, a full-service public relations firm. Since entering the market, Herd Strategies has developed a reputation for being the go-to firm for companies or individuals looking for innovative marketing, public relations campaigns, innovative community outreach strategies and problem solving crisis communications support to elevate their brand profile and reach.Outside of the business, Denise is a highly sought-after public speaker and workshop facilitator. She is passionate about developing businesses and is a certified facilitator of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac New Venture and Walker’s Legacy program named after the famed entrepreneur Madam CJ Walker with both programs designed to guide startup entrepreneurs through all phases of business ownership. She currently serves on the board of directors of Local Initiatives Support Organization (LISC) the Allen University foundation, Summit Indianapolis, a feminist theatre in Indianapolis, and she is chair of the Indy Chamber Women’s Business Advisory Council. Denise is also a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacey Executive Leadership Series, and an adjunct professor with the IUPUI Department of Journalism. She has been recognized by Indianapolis Business Journal as a Woman of Influence, received the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Peggy LeCompte Award for Outstanding Journalism and Communications, the Pass the Torch for Women – Ignite the Torch Entrepreneurship Achievement Award, and the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis Four For the Future Award. She is also the recipient of numerous awards from the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators.She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Clark-Atlanta University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kamaria Hill

LinkedIn

Kamaria S. Hill is an accomplished, award-winning business strategy leader, with 10+ years of professional experience that spans the technology, government, and higher education sectors. She contributes deep knowledge and expertise in brand positioning, relationship strategy, crisis management, and improving the performance and fiscal health of large organizations.Kamaria is a creative visionary, adept in managing uncomfortable conversations, navigating toxic work environments, and overachieving in dysfunctional systems - leaving them better off than she initially encountered them. Currently, Kamaria manages a $2.5M workforce development portfolio for LinkedIn's eLearning business, and advises C-level government leaders on human-resources strategies that effectively hire, train, and develop top talent. Alternative to her impact at LinkedIn, Kamaria leverages her congressional experience with the United States House of Representatives, to influence workplace policy and employment laws - ensuring fair and equitable treatment for Black American women in the workplace.An industry thought leader, Kamaria provides career coaching to high potential clients around personal brand value, career articulation, performance improvement strategy, responding to workplace discrimination, and compensation and rewards negotiation. Her leadership values are anchored in authenticity and advocacy, credibility, and building influence at the executive level.Kamaria Hill is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and current resident of the District of Columbia; a proud graduate of Savannah State University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing; and a dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Andie Hines-Lagemann

Tidewater Coaching

After spending her entire career in sales and marketing, Andie made the leap to start her own marketing and corporate events firm, Red Tree, following a cervical cancer scare in early 2014. She went on to build a book of over 90 clients in Northeast Indiana and beyond, ranging in size and scope from small one-person startups, to huge corporations, for-profits, nonprofits, and everything in between. In the fall of 2014, Andie founded Own Your Success - a nonprofit based in Fort Wayne that provides supportive community for women entrepreneurs in Northeast Indiana. OYS's 600+ members are encouraged and nurtured through events and programming, peer mentoring, and an active online forum. OYS has been nominated for a Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. Athena Award, and a Women’s Bureau Empowerment Award. Andie accepted the role of Director of Entrepreneurship for the Fortitude Fund in November 2019. This position entails mentoring and coaching entrepreneurs throughout the 11 county region in Northeast Indiana, planning community-building events, working with student entrepreneurs, and oversight of the Fortitude Fund - a micro-grant for startups with a focus on marginalized entrepreneurs. In August of 2020, Andie launched Tidewater Coaching which provides personal and professional coaching. Her coaching methodology is rooted in science-based Emotional Intelligence, and helps her clients to align their strengths and goals.In her spare time, Andie is on the Global Entrepreneurship Committee for the US Department of State, Input community advisory board, a contributing writer for the AVOW op ed series in the Journal Gazette, serves on the Women's Fund steering committee for the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, and serves on the advocacy committee for the United Way of Greater Fort Wayne. Andie has been the recipient of a Fort Wayne Business Weekly 40 Under 40 Award, recipient of the Start Fort Wayne Award for Entrepreneurial Effectiveness, was a Neale M. Shank Alumni Award nominee at Concordia Lutheran High School, was nominated for a Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. Champions of Change Award, and was the recipient of the Torchbearer Award from the Indiana Commission for Women.

Jake Hirsch-Allen

LinkedIn

Jake Hirsch-Allen works with North America's governments, workforce development organizations, colleges and universities, to leverage LinkedIn's Learning Solutions and Economic Graph data to close skills gaps. Jake is passionate about supporting disadvantaged groups such as newcomers and refugees, indigenous populations, the formerly incarcerated and people with disabilities. Jake speaks regularly on the changing nature or future of work and learning. Jake is a Director on the Board of the Canadian Club and is on the Advisory Boards of the Hot Docs Cinema and Code for Canada. Jake founded Lighthouse Labs, Canada's foremost software development bootcamp and Hacking Health. A former intellectual property and international criminal lawyer, Jake was also Chair of the Technology Committee of the Global Education Platform, taught Global Health at McMaster University and clerked at the Supreme Court of Israel.

Clarissa Hunt

Pike High School / Pepper Construction

I am entering the 11th grade at Pike High school while also starting my apprenticeship as a project coordinator with Pepper Construction. Prior to my apprenticeship, I was a Teen Teacher where I worked with children 3rd – 6th grade to teach them healthy living and computer science. I am also the Diversity and Equity state representative for 4-H. In this role, I have had the opportunity to identify innovative solutions to the lack of diversity in 4-H to create comfortable and liberated environment for people of color. I am excited to leverage all of the skills I’ve developed in previous roles as I enter into my apprenticeship.

Ali Hussein Kassim

Kipochi

I am a Serial Entrepreneur and regular commentator and contributor on all things Tech and the Policy and Regulatory landscape that straddles this sector across Africa in particular and the world in general. What keeps me busy full time these days is consulting on Digital Transformation and working on two of my latest startups in the Fintech and eSupply Chain Platform in the FMCG Sector. I also serve on several Boards both in the private & public sectors. Key among these are:-Member of the National Technical Committee of the Kenya National Innovation Agency, a Kenya Government Agency set up to manage and develop the National Innovation System for socio-economic development.Board Member and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of Longhorn Publishers, the only publicly listed educational publisher in East & Central Africa. Chairman – Board of Trustees, Kenya ICT Action Network – An ICT Policy Think Tank based in Nairobi. Advisory Board Member, Fintech – Mifos Initiative, a global fintech platform providing open-source core-banking and mobile platform for Microfinance institutions.Oversight Board Member and Chair of the Projects and Resource Mobilization Committee of the Kenya Tourism Promotion Fund –a $200 million annual fund to jumpstart and promote the Tourism sector in Kenya through strategic interventions. I also get great satisfaction by mentoring and investing in Tech Entrepreneurs across Africa.

Lydia Idem

Managing Director

Lydia Idem is an investment advisor who has been an investor and trader for over 24 years. In 2012, Lydia expanded her portfolio into Africa and is looking to make a bigger footprint on the continent. Her most recent investments include Shyft Power Solutions and Risevest Technologies. She has been a special guest on Yahoo! Finance, TD Ameritrade Network, Benzinga's #PreMarket Prep Show, and Forex Analytix's F.A.C.E. She's been featured in FORBES Magazine and CNNMoney. Lydia is also co-author/contributor to The StockTwits Edge and Trading: The Best of The Best.In 2014, she founded FM Capital Group, a registered investment advisory firm for angel investors investing in Africa and Latin America. Lydia was recently named #22 of the Twitter Accounts Investors Need to Follow and #3 of the Top 10 Women To Follow In Finance. Lydia has a Master of Science in Management from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University. Follow me on Twitter: @faithmightFollow me on StockTwits: @faithmightFollow me on Instagram: @faithmight Follow me on Facebook: fb.com/fmcapitalgrp

Matt Impink

EmployIndy

Matt Impink serves as EmployIndy’s Vice President, Postsecondary and Indy Achieves. Indy Achieves is Mayor Hogsett’s initiative to improve access and completion of high quality degrees and credentials of Marion County students. Matt brings over a decade of experience in education and community development. He previously served as Director of Policy and Civic Engagement at the Indy Chamber where he led the Chamber’s efforts to expand mass transit, grow internship opportunities, and develop an inclusive growth agenda for economic development. Prior to that, Matt worked as a researcher at the IU Public Policy Institute, a community organizer at Stand for Children Indiana, and consultant at Lumina Foundation for Education. Matt began the first six years of his career in public education, first by founding an after-school basketball program and later as an 11th Grade US History Teacher while serving in Teach for America. Matt graduated with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPA from IU O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. As a proud Indianapolis native, he serves on the board of directors for Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND) and Hoosiers Organized People Energized (HOPE).

Jesse Iwuji

Co-founder eRacing Association

In all things Jesse Iwuji does, there are two constant elements: his love of country and his fighting spirit. This talented driver went from a D1A college football player to a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy and is now the only current driver in all of NASCAR at the national levels that has ever served his country and still does. It has been key for Iwuji, who is currently serving in the Navy Reserves, to honor his country while pursuing and attaining excellence. It should come as no surprise that he has championed companies and charities that give back to our men and women in uniform.Jesse is also a big supporter of NASCAR diversity. Today he is one of two African Americans competing at NASCARs national levels of racing. He was honored by NASCAR for two years in a row – the Diverse Driver of the Year Award. He is a champion both on and off the track!NASCAR has never seen a driver like Jesse Iwuji before. While streaking toward the top tiers of NASCAR, the unstoppable Jesse Iwuji is taking us all along for one wild and exciting ride and showing those who dare to dream that anything is possible.

Aleesia Johnson

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)

Aleesia Johnson has served as the superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Indiana’s largest public-school district, since July 2019 and is the first Black woman to lead in this role. Beginning as a middle school teacher, she has been an educator for 19 years, achieving success as a teacher, school leader, and administrator in both public charter and traditional district schools. A native of Evansville, Indiana, Aleesia and her husband, Andre, have four children, three of whom are students in IPS. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Agnes Scott College, a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Oakland City University, and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan.Aleesia is active in her community serving on the boards of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Enroll Indy, IUPUI Board of Advisors, and Teach For America-Indianapolis.

Marcus Johnson

Plex, LLC

Marcus Johnson is the Lead for Mission Software Solutions for PLEX. He has nearly 20 years of software engineering and intelligence experience. Marcus has proven ability with providing software development, integration, DevOps and testing expertise. He began his career at Booz Allen Hamilton where he developed OCR image recognition software and he now currently supports an enterprise operations effort that involves advancing and modernizing capability and component registry systems.Marcus holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Howard University and a Master’s in Information & Telecommunication Systems from Johns Hopkins University. In his spare time, he enjoys working in various community service and volunteer groups. Marcus is currently involved in the ALS DC/Maryland chapter and the FIRST Robotics Chesapeake where he mentors robotics teams and judges at state competitions. Aside from that, Marcus enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and doing anything outdoor related.

Nicholas Johnson

JDIC, LLC

Nicholas Johnson has over 19 years’ experience in public and private community and economic development finance and development. Currently, Nicholas is Co-founder and Managing-Member of JDIC, LLC, a private debt and equity advisory and business consulting firm. He also advises for-profit and non-profit developers with real estate portfolio investment, public-private partnerships, and development finance strategies.Currently, Nicholas advises the Kheprw Integrated Fund (the “KIF”), the first charitable loan fund in Indiana state history. From June 2015 to May 2019, Nicholas held senior executive positions with two national CDFIs, IFF and LISC, leading both offices to agency and statewide record setting annual loan origination and grant making. Nicholas has originated over $1 billion in debt and equity for businesses, nonprofits, and units of government. Nicholas holds several military awards, medals, and commendations as a decorated and honorably discharged US Army veteran from 1995 to 1999 who graduated #1 in basic training class and was awarded Soldier of the Cycle. Recently, Nicholas served on local advisory committees for Purdue Extension (Marion County) Community Development and Renew Indianapolis Commercial Land Bank.Nicholas received his BPA and MPA from Texas State University and is a PhD Candidate in Public Policy at Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge) and a JD Candidate at Indiana University –Indianapolis. Nicholas and his wife, Cori, have seven (7) daughters, Nichole (25), Allison (23), Tessah (21), Lauryn (19), Payton (15), Olivia (7) and Natalia (3 1/2).

Nathaniel Jones

Metropolitan School District of Pike Township

I am a retired School Superintendent and a native of Indianapolis, IN. I received my formal education from the Indianapolis Public School system. In pursuit of a college degree, my passion for educating students evolved. Upon completion of the degree program, I decided to give back to the community by teaching in the Indianapolis Public School system;I taught for 5 years in elementary and adult education.In 1978, I left IPS to begin my administrative career in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in Indianapolis, Indiana; I was one of the youngest principals (27 years of age) in the state of Indiana. In the Washington Township School system I served over 25 years in numerous positions such as,Principal, Director of Elementary Education and Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Curriculum/Instruction. All schools where I served as principal reached state and national recognition for academic achievement and exceptional leadership. During my career, I received three degrees, certifications, two Honorary Doctorates, "Distinguished Alumni Award" from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.,the prestigious Milken Educator Award(a $25,000.00 award),the Center for Leadership(CLD) Achiever Award, State of Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Recipient and I was selected as one of the 100 top administrators in North America by the Executive Educator. Likewise, I have received over 70 local,state and national awards for my leadership and innovative approach to educating students,teachers and the community. I have received commendations from three Presidents,three Congressmen, Indiana State Legislators, Mayor of Indianapolis and Indianapolis City Council. I take tremendous pride mentoring ,training and helping others to realize their dreams. I have trained/mentored many school administrators including four Superintendents ,several asst, Superintendents, principals and several others in key administrative positions throughout Indiana.In 2003, I became the first African American Superintendent to accept the awesome responsibility to lead the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township in Indianapolis, IN. During my tenure as Superintendent,the Pike School District and Pike High School received state and national recognition. Pike High School became a national AP(Advanced Placement) School). Likewise, the high school had one of the highest graduation rates in Marion County and has continued to be ranked as an A school based on Indiana's school grade criterion. Pike High School has a strong connections with the HBCU's and many of its students attend them each year. One of my greatest honors is that the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township built and named its Early Learning Center the Nathaniel Jones Early Learning Center. I had 43 wonderful years in education.I am blessed to be married to Cynthia Jones(wife) a retired educator. We have two children and five grandchildren.

Patrick H. Jones II

The Mind Trust

As Senior Vice President of Leadership and Equity, Patrick Jones leads The Mind Trust’s implementation of our racial equity priorities and commitments. He also serves on our leadership team.Before joining The Mind Trust in 2018, Jones served as Director of Secondary Schools for Tindley Accelerated Schools, where he coached principals and oversaw the development of instructional systems at the Indianapolis-based network of six charter schools. In 2011, Jones led the founding of Tindley Preparatory Academy as its first principal. Under his leadership, the school earned four consecutive A letter grades on the Indiana Department of Education’s school accountability framework. Before becoming principal, Jones taught at Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School, where he led the improvement of his 8th grade students’ Algebra End of Course Assessment pass rate from 45 percent to 91 percent proficiency.Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Fisk University and a master’s degree from California State Dominguez Hills. He is pursuing an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from Marian University.

Mariam Kamel

AUC Venture Lab

Investment professional with experience in Investment Banking, advising mid- and large-cap companies in connection with restructuring, financing, M&A, and capital markets transactions.Co-founded and managed FLOW Wellness Center, a mother-child wellness center dedicated to empowering mothers through offering a range of activities and workshops with an aim to stimulate physical, cognitive, and emotional development. The workshops offered cover a number of topicsrelating to family health, women’s wellness, and parenting.Master's thesis dedicated to an exploratory study of Social Enterprises in Egypt.

Gregg Keesling

Recycleforce and Keys2Work

Gregg Keesling has been a leader in workforce development in Indianapolis for over 25 years. He is the founder of the nonprofit electronic recycling social enterprise RecycleForce and the alternative staffing social enterprise Keys2Work which he founded with his wife Jannett who leads the day to day operation at Keys2. Both organizations support returning citizens, providing employment and skill acquisition while assisting the client with the management of criminal justice mandates placed on the returning citizen through the courts. RecycleForce is known as an Employment Social Enterprise (ESE), An ESE is a social enterprise with an embedded transitional jobs or subsidized employment program. RecycleForce works closely with Keys2 and the alternative staffing arm. The model is known as The ABC: – Any Job, Better Job, Career. Gregg and Jannett have three children. Tragically they lost their son Chancellor in the Iraq war in 2009.

Al London

JPMorgan Chase

Al London is the VP and Area Manager of the Indiana West Market Business Banking team at JPMorgan Chase.Chase is the market share leader in Indiana, committed to excellence in providing retail, investment, business and mortgage services to more than 500,000 customers. Al’s team of bankers manages existing client relationships and develop new business in the $5-20 million space in Central Indiana. Al began his banking career in 1995 with heritage Bank One as a Financial Services Manager. He went on to become a Branch Manager, District Manager, Market Director-Banking and ultimately VP, Area Manager in 2018.Al brings a wealth of knowledge to his team. Al support and encourages his team to focus on ways to create a great clients experience through relationship building and providing a merit of innovative solutions to help grow their business, while achieving their financial dream. More importantly, he promotes diversity through recruiting, community partnerships and internal support groups to create a workforce that mirrors the diverse communities the bank serves. He serves as a co-chair for the firm’s Indiana Diversity Inclusion Council. Al is extremely passionate about helping others which is reflected in his commitment to volunteerism in the community especially on youth development.Al currently resides in Fishers with his wife and two of his three children, but is originally from Georgia and is an avid Georgia Bulldogs fan. He plays a hands-on role in supporting his children’s sports activities and academic planning. He is the proud recipient of the 2012 Power of Mentoring “Inspire Award”. This annual event benefits college mentoring for kids and acknowledges outstanding achievement in youth mentoring activities.

Sarah MacInnis

Indy Chamber, Entrepreneur Services

Sarah serves as the Director of Business Coaching Services for Business Ownership Initiative (BOI). Housed within the Chamber’s Entrepreneur Services department, BOI provides Indy small businesses free one-on-one business coaching, workshops, and access to capital. With a team of expert coaches, Sarah oversees the delivery of quality technical assistance and small business training opportunities for Indy entrepreneurs. In addition to oversight and coaching responsibilities, Sarah leads various specialty projects with community partners and supports BOI’s grant opportunities. Sarah has over 20 years of experience working for national and local non-profit organizations and has a passion for helping businesses succeed. Her expertise in financial planning, marketing strategy, resource procurement, stakeholder consensus building, strategic planning and executive coaching have established Sarah as strategic thinker focused on interdisciplinary solutions that support our entrepreneurial community.

Noble Madu

MC Introductions

Noble Madu is from Dallas, Texas where he organized Dallas’s first “STEM in the Park” that connected hundreds of students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs all over Dallas. Over the past couple of years, Noble has worked with community leaders, academics, organizers, and directors at Communities Foundation of Texas, UT-Dallas, Mayor Star Council, and more. Noble co-founded the Millennial Gala, resulting in a social media reach of ~ 50 million people, 10,000 event attendees, thousands of website visits per month, a community of 20,000+ contacts and invitations to be a contributor on local and national stages. Prior to working in technology, Noble worked in private equity & investment banking transactions in Dallas and New York. As a founding member of the CFT Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy, he recruited select leaders to join a now award-winning program that molds future board members. While in college, Noble hosted over 200+ events for organizations, fraternities and sororities featuring well-known artists like Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Josh Abbott Band. Noble has organized events at premier locations all over the nation including Tribeca 360, Perot Museum and Omni Hotels.Noble received his Marketing degree from Texas Tech University while running a company, attending to Student Government Senator-At Large duties and serving his greater community. Noble is passionate about connecting people, storytelling and epistemology. Helping people is at Noble’s core, his last name “Madu” is Igbo (Nigerian) and means “people” in English. In his spare time he meditates, plays tennis, plays basketball and explores cultures.Noble Madu is the Founder of MC Introductions. MC matches diverse, STEM candidates to hiring managers and recruiters in a streamlined and interactive way.

Racquel Mason

Elanco

Racquel Harris Mason serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Elanco Animal Health.Mason brings more than 25 years of general management and consumer marketing experience developing holistic business strategies, effective communication campaigns and robust innovation pipelines. Her recent roles include serving as senior vice president at the Coca-Cola Company for the McDonald’s Division and vice president, Coca-Cola™ and Coke Zero™ brands. Earlier in her career, Mason held positions of increasing responsibility in brand management with Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.Mason earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

Maguette Mbaya

Kheprw Institute

My name is Maguette Mbaye, I'm 27 years college student at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. I'm originally from Senegal, West Africa born and raised. I moved to U.S at the age of 11, I been living here for 16 years. I speak French and my dialect wolf. Throughout my life, I graduated high school from Pike High school. After that, I decided to pursue an associate's degree at Ivy Tech community college. I graduated from Ivy Tech community College in 2019 with an Associates in Business Administration. During this time, I got my associate degree, I gained a lot of experience in the sales and customer service field. Currently, I'm working towards my Bachelors in Organizational Leadership and a Human Resources Certificate.

Terry Morris

Eli Lilly and Company

Terry Morris serves as Eli Lilly and Company’s Advisor for Racial Justice and National President of National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Organization. After 20 years in IT roles, he recently took a D&I job on improving job opportunities and experiences for blacks. Terry not only embodied what hard work and values ingrained in faith and family can do professionally – he has reinvested his strengths back into the community through volunteerism and intentional impact – something he considers his life motto. Morris graduated from Florida A&M University in 2000 with a degree in computer and information systems and obtained a master’s degree in policy analysis from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis in 2010. Terry has always had a passion for serving the community and teaching. Still, when an opportunity presented itself for him to visit Indianapolis to participate in a career planning conference for college students at Lilly, he followed the chance, which quickly ignited an ongoing journey in the sciences. That journey included many professional achievements in seven other positions before his current role at Eli Lilly. He wasted no time integrating his passion for service in education with his IT background and skills, a fusion that would also open doors to his involvement and volunteerism with BDPA, now as National President. Under his leadership, the organization continues to stick to the mission “Advancing Careers, From the Classroom to the Boardroom” by equipping young African American students and professionals with the tools, resources, and network to be successful contributors in STEM.

Carolyn Mosby

Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council

Carolyn E. Mosby is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council (Mid-States MSDC). The Mid-States MSDC covers Central Illinois, Indiana and Eastern Missouri and is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council and one of 23 councils nationwide that certifies ethnic minority businesses and serves as an advocate for the economic well-being and growth of Mid-States MSDC-certified MBEs, while also providing a direct connection for corporations who are committed to purchasing products and services from certified MBEs. Mosby joined the Mid-States MSDC in April 2011 as its fourth president since the council was founded in 1976. Before joining the Mid-States MSDC, Mosby was Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Kiwanis International where she was responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction for all global marketing, branding, and communications for the international non-profit. As CMO, Mosby was the first African American executive with the 100-year-old organization. Before joining Kiwanis, Carolyn was a consultant for Dell Computers in West Chester, OH, advising Dell’s Ohio fulfillment operations on public relations, government, and community affairs.Mosby has spent much of her 27-year professional career in Indiana, specifically Indianapolis. Before relocating to the Ohio/Northern Kentucky area in 2006, she was Vice President of Marketing Communications for Veolia Water Indianapolis, LLC, the former operator of Indianapolis Water. This partnership was the largest public-private water partnership in North America. Mosby has also held similar public relations and marketing positions in the natural gas, steel, telecommunications, and not-for-profit arenas as well as spending four years in Indiana state government working in the Indiana Department of Administration. While with the state, Mosby worked with the Minority Business Development division; created by legislation her mother, the late Indiana State Senator Carolyn Brown Mosby (D-Gary) authored.Carolyn has been very active in the community, having served on as many as 15 different boards of directors at once, including serving two terms as chairman of the board for Indiana Black Expo, Inc. Elected at age 35, she was the youngest chairman of the board in the history of the organization. She is an Indiana University Tobias Leadership Fellow, member of Trusted Mentors, Brooke’s Place, Dance Kaleidoscope and Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee boards, and the Indiana State University Alumni Council. She has also served on the boards of the Indianapolis Urban League, Freetown Village, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Ivy Tech Foundation (Northwest Indiana), Salvation Army (Northwest Indiana), Christamore House, and Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, just to name a few.

Kimberly Neal

BELIEVE Schools

Kimberly Neal-Brannum launched the first campus of Believe Schools. Believe Circle City is a rigorous college and career preparatory high school designed to develop students’ identity, agency, efficacy, leadership and purpose. BELIEVE students engage in a micro-society that allows all students to develop the necessary skills to be successful in the college or career path of their choice. Mrs. Brannum served as the Managing Director of Secondary Education for KIPP:DC, where her responsibilities included coaching and supporting middle school leaders, supporting network-wide curriculum initiatives, and implementing strong culture systems. Previously, she served as a principal of KIPP:DC’s largest middle school, AIM Academy, which she turned around to become the highest performing school in Ward 8. Prior to her work for KIPP, Neal founded Muchin College Prep, which remains the highest performing school in Noble Network of Charter Schools and one of Chicago’s best schools.She holds an M.S.W. from Washington University, St. Louis, an M.Ed. from Teachers College-Columbia University, and is a graduate of Relay Graduate School of Education’s National Principal Supervisors Academy Fellowship.

Dewand Neely

Eleven Fifty Academy

Dewand is focused on the Eleven Fifty Academy’s mission of transforming individuals and communities through the discovery of purpose, development of values, immersive relevant 21st century skill training, and thoughtful community programs.Prior to joining the Academy, Neely spent 15 years serving in State Government, with the last 4 years of his state tenure as Director of the Indiana Office of Technology and the State Chief Information Officer. He had been appointed by both Governor Mike Pence and Governor Eric Holcomb to the role as Indiana’s CIO. He has held executive committee and director roles on the board for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and served as an external advisory board member for the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security. He is currently a foundation board member for Goodwill. Neely received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University’s School of Technology and his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Sherif Nessim

Jedar Capital

Sherif Nessim is the Founder & Managing Director of Jedar Capital, an emerging VC fund manager focusing on investments in early stage startups, seed to series A. Jedar Capital is focusing on emerging markets in Middle East, Africa and Emerging Asia. He is also an Angel investor in several startups globally with 23 years’ experience in technology domain

Horesia Nyawade

Vuuqa

Horesia Nyawade: the courage builder and accountability master. As an entrepreneur, she wears many hats. She is co-founder, Chief Innovator and Editor-in-Chief at Vuuqa, a digital platform and services network; featuring Africa’s fastest growing audience of entrepreneurs, brands and everyday leaders. Horesia also serves as a transformational lifestyle coach. Through her consistency training and mindset change program, she teaches African womxn how to set sustainable goals and come up with methodologies to stay on track. Queens who complete her program leave feeling confident and ready to go after their dreams with a renewed sense of energy and self-belief.Horesia’s past experience includes working for Deloitte East Africa where she primarily served as a business analyst under the risk advisory department. Horesia holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Wits Business School.

Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes

Aruwa Capital Management

Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is the Founder and Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management, one of the few women owned and led private equity funds in Africa investing into untapped investment opportunities in West Africa in the small to lower mid-market. She has over 12 years of investment banking and private equity experience from top global institutions. Prior to founding Aruwa Capital, she spent five years as Managing Partner of Syntaxis Capital Africa, a provider of growth capital to SMEs in Nigeria and across Sub Saharan Africa. Syntaxis Africa was part of Syntaxis Capital, a private equity fund active in other emerging markets with $300 million in AUM from global institutional investors. At Syntaxis Africa, she led transactions totalling more than $200 million across SSA.Prior to co-founding Syntaxis Africa in 2014, Adesuwa was in the Leveraged Finance and M&A teams at J.P. Morgan in London, where she was involved in $5.6 billion worth of transactions across emerging markets including Nigeria. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Adesuwa worked in Africa-focused PE fund, TLG Capital as an Investment Professional, involved in transactions across Anglophone Africa including a very successful investment in Uganda, where she personally invested and generated a very attractive return which enabled her to launch her own investment fund. She was named as an Agent of Impact in 2019 by Impact Alpha and recognised as one of the Top 35 Women Moving Africa Forward for her commitment to gender equality in private equity and across the society through Aruwa Capital’s investments.She started her career at Lehman Brothers and holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Bristol. She currently sits on several boards in Nigeria across agriculture, manufacturing and hospitality sectors. She is married with a son and enjoys cooking, tennis and travelling.

Mathew Palakal Ph.D.

IUPUI

In my role as the Academic Dean of Indiana University School of Informatics & Computing, IUPUI, I am responsible over 50 faculty, 35 staff people, and 1300 undergraduate, masters, and Ph.D. students. I help to develop the strategic direction for the school that incudes academic, fiscal, and all other resource management with a budget over $16M.My research focuses on activities falls in the general areas of Big Data, Data Science, and Data Analytics. Specifically, I work on text data mining.

Rasul Palmer

Kheprw Institute

I have been a member of the kheprw institute for over 12 years and have been serving the community’s in a myriad of ways ever since. Recent Indiana University Purdue University graduate from the school of Media Arts & Science. Currently acting as data analysts project coordinator for kheprw assisting in making data driven making.

Amar Patel

Teach for America

Amar Patel Executive Director, Teach For America Indianapolis A native Hoosier, Amar started his career in education as a Teach For America Chicago-Northwest Indiana corps member in 2007. He taught high school chemistry, biology, and coached baseball at Wells Academy High School in Chicago. As Executive Director of TFA Indianapolis, Amar sets organizational vision and direction, supporting the impact of over 700 TFA program members on thousands of Indianapolis students and our city more broadly. Prior to assuming the role of TFA Indianapolis Executive Director, he served as a member of the TFA Chicago-Northwest Indiana team, including as Head of Development for five years.Amar is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in biomedical engineering. Raised in Terre Haute, Indiana, the son of Indian immigrants and first-generation American K-12 public schools graduate, he recognizes the transformative and multi-generational impact education can offer. Amar has a deep passion for seeing to it that every child, regardless of background, has access to an excellent education – one that enables them to fulfill their potential and shape a better world for themselves and all of us. Amar and his wife, Amelia Horton Patel, fellow TFA Chicago-Northwest Indiana 2007 alumna, are proud residents of Indianapolis and parents of two children, Pax and Veda, and a fun-loving pug, Tucker.

Nataki Pettigrew

Hamilton Southeastern Schools

Nataki Pettigrew, originally from South Carolina, is a 1996 graduate of DePauw University. She majored in English literature. Following DePauw, Pettigrew became a high school English teacher. Pettigrew earned her Master's Degree in Education from Indiana Wesleyan in 2006. She completed the principal licensure program in 2008 & Ed Specialist Degree in District Superintendency in 2020. Pettigrew is completing her final courses for her EDD degree; her dissertation focus is parental involvement among urban middle school black boys. Pettigrew has 24 years of education experience as an English teacher, secondary principal, district curriculum and instruction director, and special services coordinator. She currently serves as the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer for Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Fishers, Indiana, a district of 22,000 students. Pettigrew specializes in culturally responsive instruction and curriculum, equity metrics, and policy review. Pettigrew has been awarded the African American Excellence in Education Award in 2020 and 2019. She has also received the 2020 Dr. Kenny Knight Scholarship for doctoral studies. Pettigrew is the Vice-Chairman of Emerging Pearls Foundation in Indianapolis and has received accolades for her work with marginalized communities.

Earl Martin Phalen

Phalen Leadership Academies

As a result of his proven track record, TIME Magazine wrote, “Phalen has become one of the country’s leading education reformers.” His north star is improving the lives of children.Named for his adoptive parents, George and Veronica Phalen. Phalen Leadership Academies has been transformative in over 22 schools and communities across the country…. with 5 A-Rated schools in the state of Indiana. He's received many honors for his work to improve the lives of children through education. Phalen’s impact was honored in 1997 by President Bill Clinton and was heralded as a model to guide national legislation by Secretary Hillary Clinton during her tenure as a New York Senate and by President Barack Obama during his tenure as an Illinois Senator.He earned the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and was honored by the entertainment industry at the BET Awards. His work in education has also been lauded by the New York Times, Parents Magazine, Education Week, and ABC World News.

Dana Pittard

Allison Transmission

Dana Pittard is Vice President of Defense Programs for Allison Transmission (Allison). In this role, he oversees Allison’s domestic and global defense business. With defense products in over 110 countries, Allison is the leading provider of wheeled and tracked military vehicle transmissions in the world. He is the first African-American Vice President in Allison’s 105 year history.Pittard joined Allison in 2015. He previously served in the U.S. Army in the grade of Major General and retired after 34 years of active duty service. Pittard was a highly decorated combat leader and commanded units at every echelon from platoon through division, including multiple combat tours in Iraq and the Middle East. In 2014, he was chosen to lead the initial U.S. response to halt the aggressive spread of ISIS in Iraq. Pittard serves on the Advisory Board of EsourceResource and on the Board of Directors of the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation to prevent youth suicides. He was recently selected to be a director on the Hamilton County Community Foundation (HCCF) Board. Pittard is an avid reader, family man, and triathlete. He is the co-author of the book “Hunting the Caliphate – America’s War on ISIS.” Pittard earned a B.S. from West Point, a master’s degree from the School of Advanced Military Studies at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as a Senior Fellow. He has been interviewed by numerous national major news networks and is a regular contributor on CNN, Fox News, PBS, CBS, ABC and NPR on race relations, diversity and inclusion, military, U.S. Defense and Middle East policy, ISIS, and veteran’s issues. Pittard has been published and interviewed in the Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy Magazine, Military Times, Task & Purpose, Politico, Insider, and many other news outlets.He lives in the Indianapolis, Indiana area with his wife Lucille.

Ellen Quigley

Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation

Ellen Quigley is the Vice President of Programs at the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, a private foundation with a mission to advance the vitality of Indianapolis and the well-being of its people. In this role, she leads the Foundation’s grantmaking in its focus areas of Health, Education and Vitality of Indianapolis. She has also led implementation of the Foundation’s strategies related to convening and collaboration with partners at a local, state and national level to reduce rates of opioid use disorder and tobacco use in Indianapolis, Indiana and across the nation. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2010, Ellen was Chief of Staff for the Office of Congressman Andre Carson and Deputy Mayor for Community Affairs with the City of Indianapolis under Mayor Bart Peterson. In these roles, Ellen was heavily involved in policy development and community engagement in the areas of health and education. Other experience includes leadership of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, a non-profit organization dedicated to convening business and community leaders to conduct best practice research and make recommendations to the Mayor to help solve Indianapolis’ most pressing issues. Before entering public service, Ellen practiced law for several years at two law firms and was law clerk for a federal district judge in Indiana. Throughout her career, Ellen has also been an active member of the Indianapolis non-profit community, serving as board member for a variety of non-profit organizations and on the Health and Hospital Corporation Board of Trustees. She currently serves on the IU McKinney School of Law Alumni Association, the Indiana Nonprofits Project Advisory Board, and several philanthropy-related initiatives. Ellen holds a J.D. degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Rebecca Rahschulte, Ph.D.

Ivy Tech Community College

Dr. Rebecca Rahschulte is the Vice President of K-14 Initiatives and Statewide Partnerships at Ivy Tech Community College. Dr. Rahschulte has served in various leadership roles within higher education over the past 17 years to include Psychology Professor; Program Chair; Dean of Arts, Sciences, & Education; Campus Director and Interim Campus Chancellor. In her current role, she creates and leads strategy toward development of valued partnerships between school districts, career centers, and the College in service to K-12 students throughout the state of Indiana. Dr. Rahschulte serves as the statewide champion for the implementation of the partnerships within K-12, including cultivating intentional dual credit programming at the College, which serves over 63,000 high school students annually within both general education and career/technical education coursework. She serves as a commission member on the American Association of Community College’s Commission for College Readiness and at a state level on the Advisory Board for the Indiana Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship.

Dr. Ronald S. Rochon

University of Southern Indiana

Dr. Ronald S. Rochon became USI’s fourth president in July 2018, after eight years serving USI as provost. During his tenure as provost, Rochon oversaw the revamping of the University Core Curriculum and UNIV 101 seminar course, led the establishment and approval of USI’s second doctoral program in education leadership, advanced new opportunities and programs for undergraduate, graduate, and online learning students, and fostered new approaches to recruit students to campus and developed programs to help them excel.As provost, he also directly supervised the deans of USI’s four academic colleges, Graduate Studies, Outreach & Engagement, International Programs, Rice Library, Student Affairs and all other academic departments.Rochon’s academic and professional career has focused on advocating for educational excellence, access, equity and equality. He has taught classes on the history of American Education, culturally relevant and responsive teaching practices within pre-K through grade 12 schools, and organizational leadership within higher education settings. His body of work has centered on the needs of diverse learners within underserved schools and communities as well as their integral contributions to the larger society.Rochon came to USI from Buffalo State in Buffalo, New York, where he served as the inaugural dean of the School of Education, associate vice president for Teacher Education and professor. He was director and co-founder of the Research Center for Cultural Diversity and Community Renewal at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, as well as interim associate dean and director of the school of education. In 2010, he also served as chair of the Board of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (Washington, DC). His professional teaching career has included work at Texas A & M University, Washington State University, and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.President Rochon earned a bachelor’s degree at Tuskegee University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His doctoral work was in educational policy studies, with an emphasis in educational history and policy analysis. He resides in Newburgh with his wife, Lynn, and two children.

Joyce Rogers

Indiana University Foundation

Joyce Rogers is interim Executive Vice President for Development at the Indiana University Foundation (IUF), serving in this role since 2020. In this assignment, Joyce is responsible for providing strategic oversight of the development function to uphold IUF’s mission of maximizing private support for the university. She works with leaders across IU and the IU Foundation to build upon existing strengths and explore new innovations necessary to prepare us for the next campaign. Joyce, an IU alumna, has served as Vice President of Development for the IU Foundation for the last 7 years, working closely with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multi-cultural Affairs at Indiana University.Prior to her time at IU, Joyce served as Vice President for Development for Ivy Tech Community College, where she was responsible for day-to-day operations for fundraising efforts of the institution. Ivy Tech is the nation's largest singularly accredited community college system and is the state's most diverse higher education system with close to 200,000 students in 14 regions and 23 campuses statewide. In this role, Joyce was the Chief Development Officer with total oversight of the Foundation, directing the development and administrative activities to advance private sector support. Joyce came to Ivy Tech from Indiana Black Expo Inc., where she served in multiple leadership roles including President & CEO (2005 – 2007), Interim CEO & COO (2004 – 2005), and Chief Operating Officer (2001 – 2004). As the organization's first COO, she increased accountability and improved efficiencies in finance, marketing, human resources, administration, and event planning and execution. Joyce also is a leader in a variety of community organizations. She serves as Chair of the Board for the Madam Walker Theater. She has been honored by a wide range of organizations across the state, but perhaps most notable, she is a recipient of the State of Indiana Council of the Sagamore of the Wabash (Indiana's highest award) presented by then Governor Frank O'Bannon. Joyce holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) from IU’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from Indiana State University, and was admitted to the Indiana State Bar.Joyce and her husband, Kenneth, reside in Indianapolis and they have two daughters and one son.

Shondria Seaton

Eli Lilly and Company

Shondria has held various roles in her 15-year Lilly career and 6-year external career (3M, IBM, IU Health, and Anthem). Most recently, on the Medicines Development Service Operations Team, she's held many different leadership positions, including: The Organizational Change Management (OCM) Lead, DevOps Scrum Master, Chair for the Virtual Service Management Lead Team (VSMLT), and ITIL Process Owner. She is an award-winning certified project manager where she and her team were recognized as CIO award finalists and award winner for Disaster Recovery and Covid-19 testing efforts.Shondria was recently promoted to the ELITE Global Information and Digital Solutions Program Manager and Consultant, where she oversees all aspects of the global IDS onboarding program. Shondria has also been an Associate Professor for Website Design at IUPUI and Information Systems/Project Management at Indiana Wesleyan University.In addition, Shondria has served in many capacities within the community, including the Black Data Processors Association (BDPA) National Board of Directors/National Secretary. Vice President of Process Improvement, and President BDPA Indianapolis, United Way of Central Indiana, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, and The Oaks Academy Board of Trustees. Shondria is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where she received a degree in Computer and Information Sciences. She also received an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has been married for almost 18 years to her husband Bryant. They have two children, Jayden (15) a rising Sophomore at University High School, and Jordyn (10) a rising fifth grader at The Oaks Academy Brookside

Robin Shackleford

Indiana House of Representatives

An Indianapolis native, State Representative Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) has dedicated her life to the principles of servant leadership. She has extensive experience in government, community and diversity affairs coupled with a strong background in project management, supervision, training and budgeting.First elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2012, Shackleford represents the citizens of Indiana House District 98 and serves as ranking minority member of the Public Health Committee. She is also on the Courts and Criminal Code Committee as well as the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.Shackleford is also the current chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and vice-president of the Women’s POWER Caucus.Due to her passion for project management and transformational travel experiences, Shackleford currently serves as an independent travel consultant to expose clients to vast and stunning locales around the world.She previously served as a project manager for both Crowe Horwath and Engaging Solutions consulting firms. In these roles, Shackleford managed projects, enhanced client relationships, improved staff development and increased sales.Prior to consulting, her passion for public service was at the forefront while employed in the office of Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson as the Diversity Affairs Director. In this role, she was responsible for raising and maintaining awareness of diversity matters and for promoting a broad range of activities to help the city achieve greater diversity.With a career rooted in government affairs, Shackleford has worked as a policy and research specialist for the Indiana Health Care Association, where she developed public policy. Additionally, she gleaned extensive experience about issues impacting the Indiana General Assembly through positions she has held with the Indiana Department of Commerce, the Clerk of the Supreme and Appellate Courts, and the Indiana House of Representatives.Shackleford is a graduate of Indiana University and IUPUI, having earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public affairs because of her dedication to community growth and education. She served as president of the Indiana University Neal Marshall Indianapolis Alumni Chapter and board member for Indy Reads. She currently serves as board President for the Pathway Resource Center.Other civic involvement includes National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Indianapolis Chapter; Eastern Star Church; National Black Caucus of State Legislators; Governing Institute’s Women in Government Leadership Program; Concerned Clergy; and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Mariama Shaheed

Global Preparatory Academy

Mariama Shaheed the founder, CEO and Head of School at Global Preparatory Academy, Indiana’s first Spanish immersion charter school which opened in August of 2016. Shaheed, who is bilingual, holds a Bachelors in Elementary Education and two masters degrees in both Educational Leadership and Business and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership . During her more than 20 year career as a teacher and administrator Shaheed has received numerous honors. She received the prestigious Milken National Educator Award, valued at $25,000 and known as the “Oscars” of teaching. She has since been named a Champion of Diversity (Minority Business Journal) ,Transformational Educator by Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI), and has received the Minority Achievement Award in Education from the Center for Leadership Development and was named a Trailblazing Woman by the National Association of Women Business Owners. Shaheed has committed herself to urban education and has spent her entire career working in public schools with students who have historically been underserved. Shaheed believes that all children deserve to be educated in a high quality school that enables them to compete on a global stage and the educators in front of students play a pivotal role in their success. Her deep beliefs about the power of education drove her to ensure that Global Prep Academy would serve black and brown students who have historically been underserved.

Victor Sims

Tasty Snacks Distributors

In 1983, Tasty Snacks’ founder, Mrs. Martha Sims, had a dream to distribute some of her favorite snacks in the central Indiana area. With the help of her family, she built a company based on the quality of products and excellence in service. Mrs. Sims headed the company until 1995, before turning operations over to her son Victor. Victor has continued the dream by expanding the company's territory and product line. Under Victor's leadership, Tasty Snacks has added many diverse and quality products to our catalog. He has anticipated changes that may occur in the future, but always respects the traditions of the past. This is the methodology of leadership Victor has followed for the last 20 years as president of Tasty Snacks. Here at Tasty Snacks, we believe that our keen dedication to all of our partners, quality, and heritage will give us an immense advantage over any competitors for years to come.

Maia Siprashvili

Indiana Department of Administration

Maia Siprashvili is the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Supplier Diversity (DSD) at the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA). In this role, Maia, together with her team, supports and advocates for the Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and Indiana Veteran Owned Small Businesses (IVOSB) throughout the State of Indiana. DSD helps MBEs, WBEs IVOSBs acquire certification and empowers the success of all certified businesses through business development and outreach and contract compliance efforts. Most importantly, the DSD team provides equal opportunities to M/WBE and IVOSB communities by introducing them to the state procurement and contracting process and opportunities.Prior to her appointment on this position, Maia was the Executive Director of the Division of Supplier Diversity and held this role until May, 2018. Maia joined the DSD team in August 2016 as a Deputy Director of Development & Compliance and oversaw two out of three core functions of DSD: business development and outreach and contract compliance.Before working for the State of Indiana, Maia worked at the City of Indianapolis, Department of Minority & Women Business Development as a Senior Project Manager, where her main responsibility was to advocate for Minority-, Women-, Veteran- and Disability-owned Businesses and provide them with equal opportunities for the City, County, and Municipal contracts.Minority and gender issues were not new for Maia, who immigrated to the United States four years ago from the country of Georgia, one of the former Soviet countries. She was a diplomat and held various high level positions, responsible for initiating and implementing important reforms in Georgia’s Defense and Education sectors. In the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, she led three major civilian departments and coordinated plans between Joint Staff and civilian personnel for Georgia’s effort to become a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).In the Ministry of Education and Science, she ran the Department of International Relations and Programs, overseeing all major education projects underway in the country. She is also the author of the piloted Peace Corps type program, “Teach and Learn with Georgia,” which brought over 1,500 native and fluent English speaking volunteers to teach English in Georgian schools. In these capacities, Maia served as a representative from Georgia to the United Nations on ethnic minority and gender equality issues.Education & CredentialsMaster’s Degree in International AffairsBachelor’s Degree in Linguistics – English and German Languages Recipient of Mayor’s Performance Award, City of Indianapolis, IN Recipient Medal of Honor - GeorgiaRecipient Presidential Medal of Excellency – Georgia

Mike Slocum

Work and Learn Indiana

Mike Slocum joined Indiana INTERNnet as its executive director in November 2018 and leads efforts for this statewide not-for-profit organization managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Indiana INTERNnet is the catalyst for expanding the creation and use of experiential learning opportunities as a key strategy in retaining Indiana's top talent. Mike connects students, employers, and educational institutions with the vision of helping every Hoosier student who wants an internship to have one.Mike recently earned is doctor of education degree in higher education from Ball State University. Prior education includes bachelor's degrees in history and political science from Ball State University and a master's degree in adult and higher education from Grand Valley State University.Prior to joining Indiana INTERNnet, Mike worked in a variety of capacities at Ivy Tech Community College, including advising, program management, and statewide guidance of campus career centers. Mike's other roles in higher education, workforce development, and student success have been at Grand Valley State University and Ferris State University.

Angela Smith Jones

Health & Hospital Corporation

Angela Smith Jones has recently been named the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Health & Hospital Corporation. In her role she oversees the strategic implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion across all entities of Health & Hospital, including Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS), Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) – to ensure that all employees, patients, clients and vendors feel welcome and valued.Prior to coming to Health and Hospital, Angela was sworn in as Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s first Deputy Mayor for Economic Development in January 2016. Under her purview, she oversaw Develop Indy, the city’s economic development organization; Employ Indy, the city’s workforce improvement board; the Office of Minority and Women Business Development and worked closely with the Office of International and Latino Affairs. Leading those organizations, Angela directed the strategies of business retention and expansion, attraction of new companies, job growth and development of a strong workforce pipeline for the city of Indianapolis. Angela led the attraction and expansion of Dow-DuPont, Salesforce and Infosys and fostered the growth of Indianapolis’ marketing tech sector with targeted initiatives.Prior to assuming the role of Deputy Mayor, Angela served as General Counsel and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs with the Indy Chamber. As an Indy Chamber lobbyist, Angela advocated for both state and local legislative bodies on issues impacting the business community. Specifically, Angela led efforts to impact legislation focused on a pro-growth, pro-talent economy, including advocating on behalf of immigration and non-discrimination policies, supporting the 2016 Marion County transit referendum and championing the expansion of early childhood education funding.Through her leadership role at the Indy Chamber, Angela worked with the Indianapolis Mayor’s office, City-County Council and the State Legislature to represent the Indy Chamber as decisions were made impacting business in the Indianapolis region. Angela also served as the staff liaison to several Indy Chamber councils and committees to develop policies and positions of the Indy Chamber, as well as create the legislative agenda. Before working with the Indy Chamber, Angela was a Director with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) where she worked with several boards in creating policy and regulating their professions. A native of Indianapolis, Angela is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois where she earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence. Prior to law school, she completed her undergraduate studies at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, with a degree in Broadcast/Journalism.Angela serves on the boards of Employ Indy, Indiana Latino Expo, The International Center, IUPUI Board of Advisors and the Stanley K. Lacy Advisory Board.

Dr. Shawn Smith

MSD of Lawrence Township

Dr. Smith is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana. He received his formal education from the Indianapolis Public School system (IPS) and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education and Master’s Degree in Education from Indiana University – Bloomington. Dr. Smith completed an Ed.S. and a Ph.D. at Indiana State University in Educational Leadership. Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science degree program, he taught in the Indianapolis Public Schools as well as the MSD of Washington Township. In 1995, he began his administrative career in the MSD of Washington Township, where he served as both an Assistant Principal and Principal. While Principal at Eastwood Middle School (1998-2003), the school was awarded the coveted Four Star School Award by the State of Indiana. Dr. Smith was named District Principal of the Year in 2003 by the Indiana Principal’s Association and served as President of the Indiana Association of School Principals – District 7 (Indianapolis) between 2006 and 2008. In 2003, he left the Washington Township to join the MSD of Pike Township as Principal of the Pike High School Freshman Center. During his time in Pike Township, he has served as a Principal, the Director of Student & Community Services, and the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education. In 2014, he was selected as Superintendent of Schools for the MSD of Lawrence Township. Lawrence Township is a growing school district that boasts educational excellence, financial stability, and a comprehensive Blue Ribbon Facilities plan, which includes a $191M capital referendum. Dr. Smith has over 30 years of experience in the field of education and remains a passionate educator whose first love is teaching Social Studies. Dr. Smith currently serves on the following community Boards: The Indiana Chapter of the American Heart Association, Communities in Schools, Connor Prairie, and the Northeast Indianapolis Rotary Club. He served as President of the Indiana University School of Education Alumni Board between 2009 and 2011 and sat on the Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis Library Board. He is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and a Tobias Leadership Center Fellow. He is not only committed to educating students and serving the community, he is also dedicated to his family. He and wife, Tabetha Smith, have three children, Olivia, Maya and Jordan.

Jay Styles

EmployIndy

As Senior Director, Business Partnerships, Jay Styles is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that address and meet the needs of business in Indianapolis. Jay is charged with leading a team of business development and account management professionals who assist Marion County employers address their workforce needs and access untapped, diverse talent pools through an ecosystem of stakeholders and partners.Jay brings more than 10 years of national workforce development experience. She has a history of leading high-performing teams and work-based learning programs. She spent 7 years working with the largest private provider of workforce services. During her tenure, she held several roles including Manager, National Business Solutions, and Project Director in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jay worked as a member of the service delivery team that managed new contracts development, startup operations and execution of initiatives to produce performance results. Jay is experienced at facilitating relationships between business and community-based organizations and has managed WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, Out of School Youth and TANF programs. Jay is an Indianapolis native and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. She currently serves on the board the Crooked Creek Community Development Corporation.

Ava Y. Taylor

City of Indianapolis

Ava Y. Taylor grew up in Gary, IN where she developed a passion for helping others and being an advocate for social justice issues within her community. Ava is a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Business Administration. Shortly after graduation, she took her talents to Washington, D.C. where she served as a Human Resource Training Specialist for the Potomac Electric Power Company.She moved to Indianapolis in 1989, where she began her career in public service, as a training specialist for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). Ava grew professionally within INDOT and served as the Minority Business Program Manager from 1994 to 2000. After making her mark at the State of Indiana, she moved to the Indiana Convention Center where she honed her skills as a facility event manager. She returned to public service in 2004 working for the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). She joined the Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD) in 2016.Through these opportunities, Ava has obtained skills in event planning and management, community outreach, partnership development, fundraising and project management. In her free time, Ava enjoys traveling, cycling, reading and the performing arts. Ava has been married to her husband of 32 years, Blake and has one adult son Justin.

Geneva Taylor

Tellis Executive Search

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, such as Rolls-Royce, Rockwell, Navistar and Caterpillar, Geneva is now owner of Tellis Executive Search (TES), a WBE, MBE, WOSB certified search consultancy firm focused on leadership and contract staffing roles. Her clients in the medical, technical and manufacturing industries trust TES to fill their open positions in today’s challenging marketplace. As a recognized expert in the purchasing arena, she has established herself as an experienced negotiator and strategist. She holds an electrical engineering degree from Northwestern University, an MBA from the University of Indianapolis, CPSM from the Institute of Supply Management and is also certified as a Diverse Sourcing Professional.Geneva is also a Past-President of the Institute of Supply Management in Central Indiana and co-founder of Soroptimist International of Indianapolis Metro (a 501 (c) 3 women's volunteer organization with international reach and NGO consultative status with the United Nations). Geneva has also served on the board of Arts for Learning, Indiana, Dress for Success Indy's Professional Women's Advisory Group and on the Ball State University Supply Chain Advisory Council and taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Indianapolis.Geneva has been recognized as a National Women of Color in Technology All-Star award winner and as the Inspire Mentoring Award Winner by the College Mentors for Kids Organization for her work mentoring others professionally. She has also been nominated for an award through the Indianapolis YWCA Salute to Women Campaign for her support of diversity in business. Geneva has delivered speeches and/or workshops at the Vermont Aerospace Business Conference, the annual International Supply Management Conference, Northwest Aerospace Alliance Conference, the National Society of Black Engineers International Conference and the Soroptimist International Midwest Regional Conference speaking on various topics including her business experiences and her favorite subjects on mentoring and diversity.Geneva is originally from the suburbs of Chicago, IL and most of her family is still there. While she misses her family, food and fun of Chicago she has lived in Indianapolis for 20 years.

Jason Teeters

SecondMuse

Jason Teeters is an Industrial Organizational Psychologist, Business Strategist, Soulful Facilitator and Ecosystem Builder who helps artists, makers, movers, and shakers achieve dramatic and measurable success in their organization. For the past four years, Jason has been designing and delivering programming for SecondMuse.SecondMuse is a global innovation company that focuses on building equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems. We do this by brining communities together to build economies that benefit people and protect the planet. And we do this by incubating entrepreneurial ecosystem. Whether it’s helping Rockefeller with their Food System Vision Prize Accelerator, The Gates foundation create Gender Equality in Tech, or speaking about Business Resilience to the United Nations. Jason helps founders build profitable, scalable, and sustainable businesses. When he's not helping entrepreneurs future-proof their businesses, he follows his wife, an international wedding planner around the globe with their two children.

John Thompson

Thompson Distribution Co.

Mr. Thompson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the following, Indianapolis based organizations: Thompson Distribution Company, Inc., a distributor of mechanical supplies and equipment; First Electric Supply Company, LLC, a distributor of electrical supplies and equipment; CMID, an architectural and engineering design firm; and BC Countertops, a fabricator and installer of millwork. Mr. Thompson also served as a consultant for McKinsey and Company in the New York and London offices from 1981-1983. From 1984 to 2001, Mr. Thompson served as vice president of Mays Chemical Company, Inc., in Indianapolis. He serves on the Boards of The National Bank of Indianapolis-Chair ALCO Committee; Heron Capital’s Advisory Board; Specialized Component Parts Limited; TMap; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 2020-21 Advisory Council on Agriculture, Small Business, and Labor; Indiana Governor Holcomb Appointment-Indiana Economic Recovery, Relief and Reopen Team; Board President-Crossroads of America Council (Scouting); Indy Chamber (Past Chairman); Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP); Indiana Economic Development Corporation-Chair-Entrepreneurship Committee; Indiana Defense Network-President; Eskenazi Health Foundation-Immediate Past Chairman; Indiana Chamber of Commerce-Vice Chair; 2021 NBA All-Star Game; Indy Championships Fund; Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Past board chair positions include Eskenazi Health Foundation, Indy Chamber, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana Black Expo; Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, NCCO and Varsity Brands/Herff Jones Corporation as Lead Director until the sale of the Company 12/12/2014.He earned an MBA, with Honors, from Columbia University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. He is a member of Eastern Star Church and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He and his wife Norma have 3 adult children and 4 grandsons.Awards: Center for Leadership Development, Outstanding Achievement Award 2021; Sagamore of the Wabash, Governor Eric Holcomb 2020; Indiana Chamber, “Dynamic Leader of the Year” 2019; UNCF Award 2017; Vision Award, NDC Saves Inc., 2016; Men of Honor, 2016; Junior Achievement Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame, 2016; College Mentors Lifetime Achievement, 2016; Crossroads Boy Scouts of America Whitney Young, 2015; Indiana Minority Business Magazine William G Mays-Entrepreneur, 2015; Marian University’s John Purdie-Innovator of the Year, 2013; Madame Walker Theatre Centre-Business, 2013; Sagamore of the Wabash, Governor Mitch Daniels 2012; City of Indianapolis-Workforce Diversity, 2012; IBJ Michael A. Carroll, 2011; Mayor’s Diversity, 2009; Indiana Black Chamber of Commerce-Entrepreneur of the Year, 2004; Indiana Black Expo-Governor’s, 2003; Junior Achievement-Chairman’s, 2000; The Brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Nu Chapter-Continuing Achievement, 1998; and Center for Leadership Development-Professions, 1996.

Lindsay Tjepkema

Casted

Lindsay Tjepkema is the CEO and co-founder of Casted, the audio and video content marketing solution for enterprise brands. With more than 15 years of experience in B2B marketing, she’s a dynamic leader who’s had tremendous success building and growing marketing teams on a local and global level. After launching a podcast for a global martech SaaS enterprise, Lindsay saw the tremendous opportunity for brands in podcasting, as well as a huge void in the tech landscape with the lack of software to support marketing teams in leveraging these shows as part of their content marketing efforts. This led her to start Casted to help marketers unlock the full potential of their content by harnessing the power of podcasting. The company has since gained rapid traction among brands that wish to create greater connection with their audiences through authentic conversation. Today, with Casted, marketers can access, amplify, and attribute their brand podcasts while engaging their audience, increasing sales alignment, and quantifying podcast value with metrics that matter. Learn more at casted.us and engage with Lindsay on Twitter @CastedLindsay

Enki Toto

Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund

Enki is currently a Sr. Manager of Impact Investing on the Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, Salesforce’s corporate venture capital fund that invests in cloud technology solutions with a demonstrable impact in Education and Workforce Development, Sustainability, DE&I, and the Social Sector. She’s been involved in the company’s investments in AdmitHub, BlocPower, Crehana, FutureFuel.io, Flutterwave, and Urbint, among others.Before Salesforce, Enki started her career at PwC as an actuarial associate in the deals practice working on several $1B+ transactions and focused on advising companies of the financial implications retirement and healthcare programs could have on the transaction. She then shifted her focus to advise companies on the optimal ways to structure and account for various financial instruments to achieve the company’s strategic mission be they: capital raising, M&A, or creating a joint venture. Following her time at PwC, Enki spent a brief period in strategic finance at an ed-tech start-up and then working on Salesforce's SEC Reporting team. Enki graduated from Binghamton University with a dual degree in Mathematics and Accounting.

Bill Turner

Skillful Indiana

William (Bill) Turner, Executive Director, Skillful Indiana As Executive Director of Skillful Indiana and National Alliance Delivery Markle Foundation, Bill leads efforts to engage employers, educators, policymakers and workforce development organizations within Indiana to create a labor market in which skills are valued, and people can more easily access the information and education they need to secure good jobs. Bill employs his collaborative skills and knowledge of the workforce development ecosystem across Indiana to forge new cooperative partnerships, identify opportunities for impact, and deliver on Skillful’s mission to accelerate the adoption of skills-based employment practices. Prior to Skillful Indiana, Bill was Director of Education and Development at Allison Transmission, Inc., a leading Indianapolis-based manufacturing company, where he had a 20-year track record of delivering both leadership and technical skills development and training. Bill has served as chair of the EmployIndy Workforce Development Board and as a member of the Indiana Automotive Council and secretary of the Indiana Workforce Development Board Alliance. He is currently a board member on the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township School Board and Indy Reads. He is a graduate of Purdue University and holds an honorary degree from Ivy Tech Community College.

Dr. LaTonya M. Turner

Marian University

LaTonya Turner is currently associate director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning Leadership. Prior to her work with the academy, she served in a number of administrative roles at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School including vice president for student life and leadership, principal and director of academic counseling. Turner was the first African-American principal at Brebeuf Jesuit. Turner holds a master of science degree in education from Indiana University and is a member of the academy’s first cohort. She has directed a number of task forces and chaired numerous committees. Her extensive 20-year experience in education includes teaching and counseling at the secondary and collegiate levels.

Pambana Uishi

Kheprw Institute

PAMBANA UISHI is the Finance/Fund Development Manager of the Kheprw Institute (KI) and one of its founders. In her current position, she handles the accounting, revenue development and donor management aspects of the organization. Prior to joining the organization as staff, she worked to encourage civic engagement, as an independent consultant and assisted youth and adults through workforce readiness in finding, obtaining and maintaining employment, enhancing their skills and advancing their education.A member of KI's intergenerational leadership team, she works to create a more just, equitable, human-centered world by nurturing youth and young adults to be leaders, The emphasis is on developing critical thinkers and doers who recognize the people in any community are its most valuable assets and are committed to working in and with under-resourced communities to bring about change that leads to empowered self-sustainable communities through deepening relationships, collective agency, shared prosperity and community wealth building.

Keanna Warren

Purdue Polytechnic High School

Keeanna Warren is a proud Purdue Boilermaker and founding Principal of the Purdue Polytechnic High School North campus. She is a seasoned classroom teacher, administrator, and leader, previously serving as School Director for the Excel Center in the Meadows neighborhood.Prior to her role with Purdue Polytechnic High School, Keeanna worked from 2013 through 2019 with the Excel Center in the Meadows neighborhood, which maintained a perennial “A” school rating under her leadership. She served in numerous positions, including night instructor, graduate counselor, and lead instructor, until she was promoted to the school director. She is also a former high school math, ELA, and Social Studies teacher.Keeanna began her career teaching fifth grade at the Andrew J. Brown Academy charter school and Washington Township’s Nora Elementary School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a master’s degree in teaching from Marian University, where she was a part of the Turnaround School Leadership program. She is currently finishing up a doctoral program at Indiana State University.There is great passion in Keeanna as she works diligently to advance equity, dismantle or interrupt unjust systems. Keeanna strives for advocacy for all learners. She matches that passion with her passion for music and singing.Keeanna has been widely recognized within education in Indiana, being a fellow in both the Mind Trust Innovation School Fellowship and Surge Fellowship 2021. She has also been the recipient of the Women & High Tech Award and the 2019 Indiana Black Expo African-American Excellence in Education Awards.When Keeanna is not working to increase educational equity, she is spending time with her husband and three children. She and her family enjoy traveling, experiencing new places.

Linda Wayoe

AM Group

Director, AM Group & Board Member UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce Linda is a result driven and seasoned corporate executive and banker with several years of experience working within a varied number of leadership roles. She has extensive expertise and accomplishments in change management, strategic operational improvement, corporate communication strategies, fund raising, government relations and trade facilitation, investor relations management, bespoke corporate event management, marketing and media engagement within the UK, Ghana and some other African countries. She is a Board Member of the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce and also provides international advisory and consultancy services for various renowned private and government institutions including the Ghana High Commission UK and the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa. Linda is a founding member and key organiser of the renowned Ghana Investment and Opportunities Summit UK. She is also a key member of the UK Ghana Diaspora Committee and the Ghana Diaspora National Committee. Linda is the recipient of the British Award for African Development for African Business Leader of the year 2019.

Decatur Webster

Eli Lilly and Company

Decatur A. Webster is an Information Technology (IT) Manager at Eli Lilly and Company where she is responsible for managing a team that enables rapid access to clinical data for reporting and analysis. Decatur earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T SU) in 2001 and later in 2010 earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indiana Wesleyan University. During her IT career, Decatur has fulfilled several IT focused roles including Service and Vendor Management, Metrics Reporting and Dashboarding SME, Procurement Analyst and earned IT certifications such as Six Sigma-Green Belt, ITIL Foundations, Organizational Change Management, TAP Auditing among other IT related certifications. Decatur is also the Point Captain of the Lilly NC A&T State University recruiting team and has been instrumental in helping to attract, develop and retain early career professionals and leaders and is an active member of the African American Network at Lilly.Decatur joined Eli Lilly and Company in 2001 as an Information Analyst on the Oncology Program team supporting clinical trials. After five (5) years in clinical trial support, Decatur accepted a new role as a Service Management Analyst. Her principal role in this position was to monitor and report IT portfolio metrics which directly impacted the budget for the IT organization. In 2007, Decatur was promoted to Systems Analyst and was shortly assigned a Service Metrics role. She was a significant contributor to the establishment of a Service Vendor Management Center of Excellence and the consolidation of over 40 vendor contracts into one contract. In these efforts and others, Decatur has been instrumental in centralizing Vendor and Account Management across IT applications. From 2013 -2015, Decatur worked as an analyst in Procurement negotiating IT vendor contracts and streamlining procurement processes resulting in cost savings and process efficiencies. Post her two-year term in Procurement, Decatur returned to IT and fulfilled roles including Portfolio and Program manager and later was promoted to IT Manager of Information Services.A native of Wilson NC, Decatur currently lives in Indianapolis, IN with her husband and three children. She is an active member of New Life Worship Center where she has served on several ministries including choir, youth leader and adult Sunday School teacher. Decatur has a true passion and special gifting to inspire, motivate and encourage others through shared life experiences and lessons. Her ability to reflect on her challenges and experiences to show others how it’s possible to navigate through hardship and make it out on top has been phenomenal and life changing for many. She has a unique motivation and passion to see others excel and thrive in their lives and she serves as a mentor, confidant, prayer warrior and coach for so many people.

Sunny Lu Williams

TechServ Corporation

Sunny Lu Williams is the President & Owner of TechServ Corporation, a project management and consulting firm focused on transforming organizations and community building. TechServ serves the sectors of Public Health, Public Safety & Higher Education supporting strategic planning, grants & program management, training and technical assistance, and technology enabled data collection and outcomes measurement. Sunny’s expertise is on strategic alliance partnerships – identifying the how with the who to move programs forward and scale with technology. Sunny has spent fifteen years in business management, new venture formation and program sustainability. Sunny’s passion is in improving community and public health through education and access facilitated by a healthcare driven workforce (Community Health Workers, EMTs/Paramedics, Certified Recovery Coaches, Peer Recovery Specialists, Prenatal Care Coordinators, Doula-Birth Coaches, and Peer Navigators). Sunny earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Purdue University, was a Hansard Scholar at the London School of Economics, and received a MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Accolades: • Awarded Indiana Business Journal’s 40 under 40 in 2015.• Awarded Indiana Minority Health Coalitions William “Bill” Mays Community Titan Award in 2019.• Finalist 2019 National Association of Women’s Business Owner’s Trailblazer.• Finalist 2020 Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s TechPoint Rising Entrepreneur.Current Philanthropic Board positions include: Sunny’s personal philanthropy focus is on education and women’s health. ● American Heart Association Indianapolis Go Red for Women Chair – 2020-2021● International School of Indiana, Emeritus Board – 2020 to date● Central Indiana Community Foundation, Women’s Fund Emeritus Board – 2017 to date● Susan G. Komen of Central Indiana Board Member, Executive Committee – 2015 to date● Indiana University, Kelley School of Business Dean’s Council – 2014 to date

Nichole Wilson

Community Health Network

Dr. Nichole Wilson, DPT, MBA, FACHE is Vice President of Integrated Primary Care and Ancillary Services for Community Health Network. She is the senior executive directing the operations and strategy for the following ambulatory divisions: primary care, pediatrics, urgent care, occupational health, retail medical clinics, virtual care, imaging, physical/occupational therapy, sports medicine, sleep/wake services, infusion, health promotions, employer health services, and school health partnerships. Collectively, these service lines generate over $500 million in revenues annually. Additionally, she is responsible for developing and implementing innovations and experiences focused on consumerism and retail in the healthcare setting. Wilson is a board certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). She holds membership not only in ACHE, but also in the National Association of Health Services Executives, Executive Women in Healthcare, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the National Association of Parliamentarians. In 2018, she was one of six healthcare executives across the nation to be selected for the prestigious Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program through the ACHE. She was awarded the 2020 Regent’s Award from ACHE, which recognizes the top healthcare executives across the state of Indiana. Most significantly, Modern Healthcare Magazine honored Wilson as one of the Top Minority Healthcare Executives to Watch across the nation as a part of their Top 25 Minority Executives awards program in 2020.Wilson’s dedication to service and philanthropy is evident through her board involvement with the Indianapolis Public Safety Foundation, the African American Legacy Fund of Indianapolis, the Madam Walker Legacy Center, the DePauw University Board of Visitors and the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Program. She has also received numerous awards for her renowned goodwill and professional accomplishments. Most notably, she was recipient of the Women of Influence Award from the Indianapolis Business Journal, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Center for Leadership Development, the Champion of Diversity Award from the Indiana Minority Business Magazine and was listed as one of the Top Business Executives under 50 by Diversity MBA Magazine. Due to her success, the University of Indianapolis featured Dr. Wilson in their nationwide marketing campaign highlighting their most successful alumni. She was featured in TV, radio, and print ads inclusive of prominent business publications such as Forbes, Money Magazine and Bloomberg Businessweek. Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine from DePauw University, master’s and doctoral degrees in physical therapy from University of Indianapolis, and a master’s of business administration from Purdue University. She resides in Indianapolis with her husband Corey and daughter Nahla.

Sean Wolfe

Solution Consultant

Hello! I am a Young Professional at UKG who has recently entered the workforce. Though my journey has just started, I feel I have learned a lot getting to where I am but also have a long way to go! Starting as a freshman Diver majoring in Actuarial Science at Ball State University, I had a drive to be perfect and successful in anything I do. I knew that I would work hard to be the best diver, find an actuarial internship, and a full time job when I finished school.But the reoccurring theme of my college career is that life is not static, it is a dynamic force that you have to grow with. Throughout college, a lot changed for me! I changed my major, fell out of love with diving and retiring after my 2nd season, a global pandemic prevented me from finding an internship, and by my final semester of school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Like any punch, you have to roll with it and find any opportunity to strike back! When life punched me, I accepted the change and looked for ways to adapt, learn, and grow. I found a new major, Computer Science (which I did not love either but that is a whole different story). Additionally, I accepted any and all learning opportunities that I could get my hands on including TechPoint's S.O.S Challenge, teaching opportunities, and coaching opportunities. Finally, I took time to learn about me and what I wanted in life, not necessarily what those around me wanted. And with that, I found that I love people and software (just not coding haha). That is how I found my perfect match with UKG! I spent less time focusing on what should have happened and instead what can I control now. Even with joining UKG, I am learning a ton. I am learning more about amazing technology, more about professional skills, and most importantly more about myself.One of my favorite quotes that summarizes my journey up to this point - “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” -Oprah Winfrey

Marshawn Wolley

Black Onyx Management Inc

Marshawn Wolley, CDE, CFRE is President and CEO of Black Onyx Management, Inc. a management consultancy specializing in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion objectives within and external to for-profit, non-profit and government agencies. Trained as a stratification economist, Marshawn is also a certified diversity executive, certified fund raising executive, a certified community development block grant administrator and a Six Sigma Green Belt. He holds an MBA from the IU Kelley School of Business and an MPA from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He has a Masters degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly School of Philanthropy and an MS in Economics from IUPUI. Before launching Black Onyx Management, Inc., Marshawn worked in government as an appointed official, in the private sector in both fundraising as well as community outreach, MWBE development and compliance as well as a lecturer were he taught courses on public management and managing workforce diversity, community development and criminal justice and diversity issues. Recognized as a thought leader on public policy and diversity, equity and inclusion, he has a weekly column in the Indianapolis Recorder and a monthly column in the IBJ Forefront. He is also a contributor op-ed writer for the IndyStar. He is a proud Dad of Alexander Wolley. Marshawn launched Black Onyx Management, Inc as a public benefit corporation with the purpose of empowering Black and marginalized communities. He believes, “if you want something you have never seen before you must do things you have never done before.”

Fred Yeakey

Providence Cristo Rey High School

Frederick Yeakey began his educational career over 15 years ago while serving as Team Leader for St. Vincent Unity Development Center After school program with a mission to empower those who are often forgotten about. As an educator, he never allowed students to allow their circumstances to shape their future nor allow them to feel sorry for themselves. He modeled and set high expectations for his students and encouraged each of them to reach them. IIn his 15 year teaching career, he has had the privilege to teach at public, charter and private schools. Within the last 5 years, he has served in an administrative role.He has become a sought after Educational Consultant, delivering keynote speaker address and workshops to educators, administrators, parents, and students. He has also presented to professional boards as well as faith based communities on topics such as, culture, diversity, mentorship, vision, purpose and equity. He attended Kentucky State University where he received his BS Degree in Public Administration while being on scholarship in the marching and symphonic band. He also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree and Building Level Administration Certificate from Marian University. As a teacher, Mr. Yeakey discovered many young men lost, angry and afraid with the task of discovering their purpose. With this knowledge, he created a group entitled, “The Barbershop Male Mentoring Initiative” focused on Mentoring, Educating and Retaining males to ultimately graduate and make impact in the communities that they serve.More recently, Frederick has received the distinguished from Junior Achievement 2021 Best and Brightest in Education/Nonprofit, 40 Under 40 Kentucky State University Alumni and national attention for his efforts in his Barbershop Male mentoring program. Frederick is married to Danijel Yeakey and is a proud father of 3 beautiful children.