Are you ready to be the next Misty Copeland, Mark Zuckerberg, or Shonda Rhimes? Do you want to elevate your health and finances? Are you ready to take your business to the next (global) level? If so, then you don’t want to miss this summer’s EMPOWERMENT sessions at MegaFest!
Glean meaningful insights from our expert panel of speakers, entrepreneurs, sponsors, and thought leaders from various fields. They’ll uncover how you can successfully scale your network; elevate your health and fitness; receive the enterprise support you need; and more! These transformative empowerment sessions will feature topics, including technology, culture, fashion, healthcare, and fitness, among others.
Some of our phenomenal sponsors, including PepsiCo, Gatorade, MINT dentistry, Toyota, and Chris Howell Foundation will share unique industry insights, so that you can make a tangible impact in your community. We can’t wait to see you empowered this summer. So, what are you waiting for? Register now for MegaFest. This is your year to do BIG THINGS in (insert dream here)!
Conference Fees:
EMPOWERMENT SESSIONS Speakers
Pastor John Gray
John has traveled the world, sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom in his unique and uncompromising way. From South Africa to Australia, and many places in between, God has taken John around the globe to speak to youth, young adults, churches, conferences, and camps to say one thing in many ways: Jesus saves, and He loves you with an everlasting love! He was ordained an elder at Northview Christian Church in Dothan, Alabama in March of 2010.
John currently serves as an Associate Pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas under the leadership of Pastor Joel Osteen. Wherever God takes John, here and into the future, he is determined to serve with passion, humility, and power. Although he is grateful for the places God has taken him and the ministries that have opened their doors to him, John is quick to acknowledge that nothing compares to the joy of his life: His wife, Aventer, their son, John W. Gray IV, and their daughter, Theory Aspyn-Sky Gray.
Cheryl L. Bevelle-Orange
Cheryl L. Orange has direct oversight over financials & business planning for the FedEx Office IT organization. Her responsibilities also include business process modeling, organizational compliance and customer integration support.
As one of six founding members of the FedEx African American Committee, which focuses on bringing programming and events to help raise knowledge and awareness to corporate America, Cheryl helped to bring insights from influential speakers such as Dr. Susan Taylor, Tony Brown and Dr. Terrence Roberts to enlighten and educate audiences around the company and the Memphis community. Ms. Orange is dedicated to working in the community and mentoring the next generation of leaders and volunteers through various middle and high school programs. Her unique expertise and passion has led to being named ”Chief Diversity Chair” of the FedEx Services Marketing ”People First” diversity program and numerous speaking engagements at venues around the United States such as National Black MBA Harvard Review, Alpha Kappa Alpha National Boule and Working Mother Media Town Hall Minorities in Corporate America conference. Cheryl has received awards such as the Technology All Star Award, Working Mother Media Award, Emerging Young Leader Award and the Mayor’s mentoring Award.
Orange is married to Carlton, has two children Alexandria and Carlton Rashad. She holds a dual undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems and Marketing and an Executive MBA. Prior to joining FedEx, Orange served in various roles for Fortune 500 companies such as PepsiCo and Army Air Force Exchange (AAFES).
Colleen Townsley Brinkmann
Colleen Townsley Brinkmann, CFRE, is the North Texas Food Bank’s Chief Philanthropy Officer and oversees the strategic development and implementation of NTFB’s philanthropy and donor services efforts. Prior to this position, Brinkmann served as NTFB’s Chief Marketing Officer. A dedicated nonprofit professional with 26 years of senior management experience, Brinkmann started at NTFB in 2002 as the Director of Communications and quickly moved into the role of Chief Marketing Officer. During Brinkmann’s tenure at the Food Bank, NTFB’s fundraising has grown exponentially with an increase in public support of 604%, from $2.6 million in 2004 to $18.3 million in 2016. In 2013, Brinkmann received the Community Service Award from the Greater Dallas INDO-AMERICAN Chamber of Commerce, and is an alumnus of Leadership Texas, Leadership Southwest, and Leadership Garland. In 2011 and 2012, she received Feeding America’s ”Good to Great Marketing Program of the Year” and ”Good to Great Fundraising Program of the Year” awards, respectively. Brinkmann currently serves on the American India Foundation/Dallas Chapter’s council. A native of India, Brinkmann enjoys opportunities to connect with her heritage. She and her husband, Barney, live near downtown Dallas, and have three grown children, three grandchildren, and one ”granddog”
Kailei Carr
Kailei Carr is a Power Presence expert and the CEO of The Asbury Group, an agency specializing in executive image, presence and personal branding. With over 15 years of experience working in and with some of the world’s most recognizable brands, she now enjoys advising executive clients behind brands to have greater impact and influence, both online and in person. Her signature approach – which combines a polished, professional image with powerful, personal presence – has helped high-potential women thrive and advance to the C-suite.
Kailei holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA from Emory University. When she is not on the road speaking at conferences and corporations, Kailei can be found on her podcast, Beyond the Business Suit, where she guides women around the world through insights and interviews with best-selling authors, business leaders and industry experts. Kailei’s advice to executive and executive-bound women has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes, Levo League and Monster.com. In 2015, Kailei was also honored as one of HelloBeautiful.com’s 25 Women to Know.
LaQuita Hall
LaQuita Hall, Vice President – Customer Experience, is responsible for leading initiatives that will focus on improving the customer experience across all Business Solutions segments. LaQuita is also responsible for end-to-end process governance, labor strategy, compliance, and the digital experience for customers and internal sales partners to accelerate an improved overall service experience.
Prior to her current position, LaQuita was Vice President – Service Management. In this role, she supported wholesale and systems integrator accounts for AT&T, and led an organization responsible for the service relationship for AT&T’s largest multi-national Fortune 500 customers generating more than $13B in annual revenue. She was also responsible for developing transformational strategic plans that leveraged operational scale, capital investments, and agile processes to deliver an effortless customer experience.
LaQuita has served as Vice President – Managed Services Operations, where her team designed, implemented and maintained complex solutions in support of a $2B revenue stream. LaQuita has extensive experience in facilitating process changes, and managing multi-year planning strategies and transformational initiatives that lead to customer experience improvements. She was a key member in developing the initial framework for the Technology organization’s skills pivot program.
LaQuita has received numerous awards and recognition including Women of Color STEM Professional Achievement Award and AT&T Top Gun Award. LaQuita is an active member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Texas Southwestern.
LaQuita earned a B.S. in Physics from Dillard University, a B.S.E.E from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an M.S. in management from Stevens Institute of Technology. She lives in Colleyville, Texas with her husband Trent and three sons; Trent Jr. Trevor and Tyler.
John Ricketts
John Ricketts is the Director of Domestic Programming & Disaster Services for Feed the Children. In this position, he is responsible for the planning, coordination, and implementation of the organization’s Domestic Programs and global Disaster Services operations. Ricketts serves as Feed the Children’s member representative to National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD). Within National VOAD, he serves on the Board of Directors as Treasurer and works on the following committees: Mass Care, International, and is past Chair of Donations Management. John has led the organization’s Summer Food and Education Program. This program, which became the organization’s first domestic feeding program in 2014, has served over 1 million meals since its inception. He has been a guest lecturer at Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Emergency Management Conference in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He is a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers and the Humanitarian Logistics Association. He currently resides in Edmond, Oklahoma with his wife, Angie, and their three beautiful girls.
Matt Smith
With nearly ten years of experience at PepsiCo, Matt Smith has fostered partnerships with a variety of stakeholders to advance PepsiCo’s environmental sustainability agenda. Matt Smith is currently the Director of PepsiCo’s Food for Good initiative, an initiative he helped to launch in 2009 that creates breakeven, purpose-driven business models to make healthy food and employment more accessible for low-income families. Together with a wide network of partners, Food for Good has utilized PepsiCo’s expertise in taste, nutrition, and distribution to deliver more than 50 million healthy servings to low-income families since the program’s inception in 2009. In 2016, Food for Good delivered more than 18 million servings to children across 14 US cities. The Food for Good team recently received Ethical Corporation’s Responsible Business Award for ”Most Effective Domestic Community Investment.” Prior to joining PepsiCo, Matt was a consultant for Deloitte where he first experienced the power of business to ”do good” through the creation of a pro-bono consulting program.
AJ Johnson
Actress, AJ Johnson, at the age of 17 lost her mother to cancer. Several years later A.J.’s dad told her from his death bed, ”you’re not able to save me, but take all of who you are and what you know and go save the world”. He may not have known that his words would lead her to redefine her life’s purpose and dedicate a good part of her life to doing just that.
You’ve seen her share the screen with Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Julia Roberts, Alfre Woodard, Sylvester Stallone,Whoopi Goldberg. You’ve learned her dance battle moves with Tisha Campbell Martin in House Party and watched her grow up with Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson in Baby Boy. Now, armed with a Psychology and Chemistry degree from world renowned Spelman College and multiple certifications, A.J. is one of the most world renowned healthy lifestyle coaches and wellness advocates around. As told to Women’s Health magazine, her zest for health and wellness and her passion for philanthropy lead AJ to create THE AJ ZONE, Inc.
”THE AJ ZONE is the zone you live in when you want to reach your better! We do not do personal training…we customize the design for one’s better, which is an equation as unique as the individual wanting the transformation!” AJ explained to VOGUE magazine. AJ passionately shared with Essence magazine, ”how do you train Stevie Wonder to do anything? Hahahaha-how do you train San Francisco 49er quaterback, Colin Kaepernick to throw harder? These individuals are at the top of their game looking for more than just better performance, or better bodies- they’re looking for better, healthier lives – by watching my life, they believe I can help them! Now they are Zoners!!”
Regina Belle
Regina Belle has made a career following her heart and moving gracefully between the worlds of R&B, Gospel and Jazz. She is the Academy Award-winning and Multi Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actress with a string of hits including ”Make It Like It Was,” ”If I Could,” ”Baby Come To Me” and ”This Is Love.” She is an entertainer of immeasurable musical talent. This New Jersey native has earned distinction as an international treasure. Her luminous vocals on the Peabo Bryson duet, ”A Whole New World,” solidified her place as music royalty. Belle has enjoyed career success for which many entertainers can only pray. She can also give thanks for a blessed personal life. She has been married to former NBA player, John Battle, since 1991. The couple has raised five children and blessed to have 3 grandchildren. Rev. John Battle serves as Senior Pastor and Belle, working alongside of him as an ordained minister, First Servant and Minister of Music of their two churches: New Shield of Faith Worship Center in Atlanta, Georgia and Spread the Word Ministries in College Park, Georgia. With her latest release, ”The Day Life Began,” Regina Belle is affirming that her journey continues, and her new recording signifies yet the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Will Downing
Will Downing’s voice is one of the most distinctive, loved, and instantly recognizable voices in R&B. His flawless, emotive, and agile baritone, along with his phrasing and jazz-fueled runs, seamlessly bridge the worlds of R&B and Jazz. Downing’s sensibilities have proven to be timeless and have garnered him the role as the reigning king of romantic ballads. Shanachie Entertainment released Black Pearls in 2016, Downing’s first full-length album in six years. A key ingredient to Downing’s success has been the keen selection of his repertoire. Black Pearls exemplifies the caliber of songs that Downing has long been associated with. An accomplished composer in his own right, Downing takes on the ultimate challenge on Black Pearls as he reinvigorates chart-topping gems originally performed by some of the greatest female voices to grace R&B. He rekindles the soul and ignites a fire in songs made famous by Chaka Khan, Deniece Williams, Randy Crawford, Cherrelle, Jean Carne and Phyllis Hyman, among others. While remaining true to the essence of the songs, Downing transforms them with the sweet nuances of his own irresistible signature sound.
Laz Alonso
Laz Alonso can soon be seen in Kathryn Bigelow’s upcoming ”Untitled Detroit Project” as well as opposite Paula Patton and Omar Epps in the independent feature film, ”Stranded.”
Alonso recently starred opposite Debra Messing in NBC’s ”Mysteries of Laura” with starring roles in NBC’s ”Deception”and A&E’s ”Breakout Kings” prior.
In 2011, Alonso starred in the hit romantic comedy ”Jumping the Broom” for which he received a NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture and was also nominated for a BET best actor award. Prior to ”Jumping the Broom,” he co-starred in the highest-grossing film of all time, James Cameron’s ”Avatar.” Alonso also played the lead villain in ”Fast and Furious,” which reunited the original cast.
In 2009, Alonso was chosen as one of Variety’s Top Ten Actors to Watch due to his quick rising success which included his performance inSpike Lee’s ”Miracle at St. Anna.”
His past movie credits include lead roles in ”Stomp the Yard” and ”This Christmas,” a co-starring role in Sam Mendes’ hit ”Jarhead,” and a supporting role in Rod Lurie’s remake of the Sam Peckinpah classic ”Straw Dogs.”
Born and raised in Washington D.C., Alonso always knew he wanted to be an actor. He graduated from the prestigious Howard University School of Business, earning a B.A. in business administration with a concentration in marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street as an investment banker.
Laz resides in Los Angeles.
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond (Film): For more than 35 years, music lovers around the world have known Grammy, Stellar, Dove, and NAACP Award Winning artist Fred Hammond as a gifted vocalist, songwriter, musician, producer and arranger. But as his peers and supporters alike including some of the world’s most notable figures including Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Chaka Khan have so reverently declared that Hammond is without debate the architect behind the creation of a phenomenon in Christian music, Urban Praise & Worship-a genre of music that did not exist prior. As a result, Fred Hammond has become one of the most respected names in the music industry! Throughout his professional career, Hammond has maintained a reputation for excellence and few gospel artists can boast of the consistency of sales, radio airplay and concert appearances that Hammond has achieved over the course of his career independent of the cross-over boost. As a solo artist, founder of the pioneering urban group, Commissioned, and his work with Radical for Christ combined, Fred has sold over 8 million albums and these endeavors have made him a mainstay on Billboard’s Gospel Chart top 10. His previous release {Pages of Life} Chapters I & II exceeded Double Platinum status and held the #1 position on the Billboard Gospel Charts for over 15 weeks. His 2006 project entitled Free To Worship earned him the highly esteemed Grammy Award, bombarded Billboard’s #1 position on the Gospel Charts and was hailed as one of the year’s best-selling albums!
Beyond Hammond’s individual success, his achievements as CEO of Face to Face Productions and the FHammond Music Label have placed him in a class by himself. Since their inception, Hammond has served as producer on more than 100 album projects, racking up numerous awards and nominations including the Grammy, BET, N.A.A.C.P. Image, Stellar, Dove, and GMWA Excellence Awards. His debut independent release entitled ”In Case You Missed… And Then Some” sold well over 200,000 copies.
Over the years, he went on to produce several other incredible specialty projects including his Jazz album Grandad Turner, the project dedicated to love, relationships, and marriage–God, Love, and Romance, and the formation of the United Tenors-an incredible, relevant yet nostalgic presentation of the ultimate, modern-day quartet with hit after hit, earning several stellar awards and nominations in 2013.
The pages continue to turn for the platinum recording artist! Hammond has taken his creative savvy to a higher level moving into from the stage to the big screen with the movie, The Gospel. This feature film was both Executive Produced and Inspired by Hammond, and boasted a stellar cast including Boris Kojo, Nona Gaye, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker and Martha Munizzi. His first independent film venture, ”Christmas…Who Needs It” written by Hammond and PamKenyon M. Donald, took first place at the 2009 Hollywood Black Film Festival, is hailed as ”…an intriguingly-hilarious dramedy which cleverly captures the true essence of Christmas,” and has found a home on multiple television networks around the world annually as a favored Christmas film during the holiday season!
In addition to Hammond’s studio career, he has continued to take his special brand of gospel to audiences around the world, performing an average of 30 weeks per year. Hammond has headlined thousands of concert dates with an average audience attendance of over 5,000, in addition to television appearances on the nationally syndicated Stellar Awards, Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, BET’s Celebration of Gospel, BET’s Walk of Fame, N.A.A.C.P.’s A Tribute to Stevie Wonder, 106 & Park and TBN’s highly-rated shows The Pat Boone Show, Praise The Lord, and The 700 Club. Hammond continues to find touring success year after year and shows no signs of slowing down, recently wrapping the highly successful, annual 50+ city FESTIVAL OF PRAISE TOUR, which he headlined along with Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Israel Houghton, and Kim Burrell. In 1997, he shared the stage with Kirk Franklin & Yolanda Adams performing before more than 500,000 people on The Tour of Life, the most successful tour in gospel music history! He also served as the Creative Director and Featured Artist on Walt ”Baby” Love’s Power 98, ALW’s The Living Proof and ALW’s The Shout 2000 Tours just to name a few.
Hammond continues to take the entertainment industry by storm! He co-wrote and directing the smash hit musical drama ”Been There, Done That” with America’s favorite TV Judge, Greg Mathis. As for Hammond’s acting career, this production merely rekindled the fire! In addition to his work on the hit plays ”Only The Strong” and the 2013 Broadway smash ”Cain and Abel” with JD Lawrence, Hammond has debuted in several Daimler-Chrysler commercials as well.
Among his multiple entrepreneurial successes, Hammond also launched the Urban Entertainment Company fHammond Family Entertainment, Inc. providing a complete portfolio of integrated entertainment services collectively addressing the exclusive needs of the urban family market with core offerings including: A film division releasing direct to-DVD titles; a music and book publishing division; an online multi-media website including radio programming and streaming video content; theatrical presentations; as well as continued perpetual music production from new and established artists.
In January 2014, the 55-year-old Detroit native’s faith was tested in a profoundly personal way: He underwent an excruciating double knee replacement surgery – the same procedure that claimed the life of his biological dad in the early ’90s – and as a result was unable to walk. Forced for months to rely on family members, friends and sometimes total strangers to get around – the experience was almost too much for the staunchly, self-reliant singer, who found it to be both excruciatingly painful and humiliating at times.
To cope during this dark, soul-searching period, the father of two leaned heavily on the Word and of course his beloved music, the result of which is I Will Trust, arguably the most intimate album of Hammond’s more than three decade-long career. A stunningly honest collection of songs balanced equally between stomp-worthy praise reports and deep, in-the-valley ballads, Hammond gathers his best and brightest – including go-to producers (and MD) Calvin Rodgers and Phillip Feaster- to deliver this powerfully transformative musical sermon. Hammond’s latest venture is nothing short of sheer excellence! WORSHIP JOURNAL LIVE debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart in October of 2016. This is Hammond’s first live recording in 17 years and is filled with the dynamic ministry and acclaimed live musicianship that has made him one of gospel’s most popular and influential artists over the past 30 years. Hammond never ceases to amaze as he consistently exceeds the bounds of mediocrity!
Christopher Walker
Born and raised in Houston TX, Chris Walker began singing before he began speaking. He got his start in the church as a member of his family gospel group, The Walker Brothers. Chris was afforded the opportunity to play with such Jazz greats as Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey, Bob James, Jimmy Heath, Cassandra Wilson and countless others. His musicianship garnered him a position as the musical director for R&B songstress, Regina Belle. Chris Walker’s first release, First Time, produced two top five singles; ”Giving You All My Love” and ”Take Time,” which crossed over to become top 30 on the pop charts. His second release entitled Sincerely Yours included the classic song, ”How Do You Heal A Broken Heart,” written by Chris and Carole Bayer Sager. As a student and lover of jazz music, it was an opportunity that came via a former teacher, Gil Goldstein, that would bring to fruition a longtime dream of Walker to work with seven-time Grammy Award winner, Al Jarreau. Chris was the Executive Producer for Bossa Nova Noites, which produced shows for the USOC, French, German and Japanese Houses during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, featuring Daniel Jobim and Alexandra Jackson. In 2014, Chris created DocFest, a non-profit organization that raises scholarship funds for deserving High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA – Houston) students going to The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NY.
DeVon Franklin
Oprah Winfrey calls DeVon Franklin ”a bonafide dynamo…a different kind of spiritual teacher for our times.” DeVon is a bestselling author, spiritual success coach, former Sony Pictures executive, and the CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a production company in conjunction with 20th Century Fox. Variety named him one of the ”10 Producers to Watch” and Beliefnet called him one of the ”Most Influential Christians Under 40.” Franklin is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Wait (co-written with his wife award-winning actress Meagan Good) and Produced By Faith.
Chris Howell
Chris Howell hosts The Chris Howell Show weekly and the Principles for Success podcast. He has been a Dallas media personality for over two decades in addition to owning his own communications agency, Chris Howell Communications. Howell focuses all aspects of his work on encouraging people to overcome any obstacles they face, and has interviewed everyone from Rob Lowe to Joel Osteen.
The Chris Howell Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, as well as other various degenerative diseases, throughout communities where risk is at its highest. Through community outreach forums, and dissemination of educational and awareness messaging we will have a hand in decreasing the number of new infections, while increasing the number of lives saved. Chris Howell and Dominique Bryant-Howell founded CHF in 2016.
Bethsheba Johnson
Bethsheba Johnson, MSN, CNS, GNP-BC, AAHIVE is board certified as a gerontological nurse practitioner (GNP-BC), HIV/AIDS nurse practitioner (AACRN)
and specialist (AAHIVS). She received her BSN from Chicago State University and both her MSN as a pulmonary clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and her post-master’s certificate as a gerontological nurse practitioner from Rush University.
Ms. Johnson is currently employed by Gilead Sciences, Incorporated as Associate Director Community Medical Scientist, whose role is to educate the community on HIV in four US states including AR, OK, LA, and TX. Her past appointments have included Associate Medical Director at St. Hope Foundation in Houston, Texas; caring for patients at the Peabody Health Center (AIDS Arms, Incorporated) in Dallas, Texas; and the former executive director of Luck Care Center, an HIV clinic in Chicago, IL.
Veronica Whitehead
Veronica Whitehead is a Certified Health Education Specialist and holds degrees from Texas A&M University in Health and a Master of Health Education from Texas State University with a focus on Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Women’s Health. While at Texas State University Veronica lead a research project examining the decision making process of IUD use among college women and later served as a summer faculty member.
As the Ntarupt Education Project Director Veronica plans and implements various educational programs within Dallas, assists with coordinating Alliance related events, organizes volunteer projects and oversees the Youth Leadership Council.
Danielle Botello
Danielle was born HIV Positive and has lived in Dallas, TX, for the past 10 years. Upon coming to Dallas, Danielle, quickly became involved in the community to make a difference in the lives of others. She has worked in the HIV field for the past 9 years providing prevention education to young people 13-24 at risk of HIV and encourages them to get tested.
She also provides peer support to HIV positive young people and assist with medical and social service care.
She is a single mother of a 7-year-old HIV negative son. Danielle has the heart to support, teach, and advocate for individuals.
Zachary Thompson
Zachary Thompson is the director of Dallas County Health and Human Services. The mission of the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services is to protect the health of the citizens of Dallas County through disease prevention and intervention, and through promotions of a healthy community and environment.
Carmon Dailey
Carmon Dailey is an Administrative Coordinator for the Global Diabetes Program. She has been employed at Parkland for 9 years and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Human Relations & Business from Amberton University.
Dr. Luigi Meneghini
Luigi Meneghini, MD, MBA is Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, in Dallas, Texas, and Executive Director of the Parkland Health and Hospital System’s Global Diabetes Program, where he is charged with implementing a system-wide program to organize, integrate and optimize diabetes management among primary, specialty and acute care settings, leveraging IT and population health expertise, community resources and human capital to reduce chronic disease burden. Dr. Meneghini was born in Italy, raised in Liberia and naturalized in the US.
Nicole McNulty
Nicole McNulty completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX in 2006. She went on to receive her Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2010 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo, TX. Following graduation she completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at Parkland Health & Hospital System and a PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Residency at Parkland Health & Hospital System. She currently practices as a clinical pharmacy specialist in ambulatory care at Parkland Hospital within the Global Diabetes Program. Her daily activities include managing a service within the Parkland Outpatient Diabetes Specialty Clinic and serving as a drug information resource, educator, and transitions of care coordinator for the Parkland Inpatient Endocrine Consult service. Within this role, it is her privilege to regularly serve as both a preceptor and mentor for pharmacy residents and students and collaborate with medical residents, fellows, and attending physicians to improve patient care at Parkland Hospital. Nicole remains active in several local and national professional organizations including the American Diabetes Association, American College of Clinical Pharmacists (ACCP), and DFW ACCP.
Denise Moltzan
Denise Moltzan is a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator with a Masters in Organizational Management and with over 36 years of clinical and education experience in Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Weight Management. Denise is currently the Diabetes Program Coordinator at Parkland Health and Hospital System. Her experience ranges from Cardiac ICU nurse to owning a business helping people with diabetes lose weight and reduce their need for medication. Denise’s has cared for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and she has clinical expertise in insulin and glucose monitoring technologies.
Kellie Rodriguez
Kellie Rodriguez, MSN, MBA, CDE is currently employed as the Director of Diabetes Education and Community Engagement with Parkland Health and Hospital System’s Global Diabetes Program and the University of Texas Southwestern (Faculty Associate). Responsible for building an effective and creative infrastructure and system of care delivery to advance diabetes education across Parkland and the broader Dallas community. In 2014, she completed a 2 year Executive MBA in Health Sector Management and Policy at the University of Miami. Past National Chair (2014) of the Board of Directors of the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE). Actively involved with the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) with National, State and local appointments. Past member of the Community Leadership Board of the Dallas Fort Worth Branch of the American Diabetes Association. Treasures the multi-disciplinary richness of diabetes educators and is always seeking opportunities to advance diabetes education and care through innovative and creative care models and solutions.
Mitzi Smith
Mitzi Smith is a Family Nurse Practitioner with Parkland Health & Hospital System where she works with the Global Diabetes Program. She graduated from Grambling State University with a Bachelor’s Degree and received her Master’s in Nursing from Vanderbilt University. Mitzi has been a practicing nurse practitioner for 10 years. She has worked in community health, homeless health care and now diabetes health. Mitzi is a native from Magnolia, AR and moved to Dallas in 2015.
Sarah Solly
Sarah Solly, RD, LD, CDE is a registered dietitian diabetes educator for Parkland Health and Hospital System’s Global Diabetes Program. Sarah has many years of professional experience working with patients living with Type 1 and Type 2. Sarah’s practice focuses on improving the lives of patients with diabetes through the application of cutting edge therapies and technologies, the practical implementation of effective treatment strategies at both the individual and system level, and education of patients and professionals. In addition, Sarah is an AADE member, works on several quality improvement projects and committees to improve Parklands nutrition services department and volunteers as a West Dallas Little League baseball coach. Sarah will be completing her Master’s Degree in August 2017.
Cristina Thomas
Cristina Thomas received her Bachelor of Science in Community Health and CHES (Certified Health Education Specialist) designation in 2013 and went on to obtain her Masters of Education in Health & Wellness in 2016. She has been with the North Texas Poison Center as a Public Health Educator for almost two years. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and is able to use these skills to educate the community on poison prevention. When not at work, Cristina likes spending time with her family and her two puppies. She also enjoys shopping, traveling, and drinking coffee.
Dr. Sheila Chhutani
Sheila Chhutani, MD, MBA has been practicing in Dallas at Texas Health Dallas since 2007. She is originally from Chicago, IL where she did her training in OB/GYN at Rush University Medical Center. Her practice focuses on obstetrics, gynecology and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery using the DaVinci robot. Her philosophy in medicine is to treat the patient with the same respect, kindness and compassion she would want used with her own family. She married her best friend, Jesse. They have two children. She spends her free time reading non-fiction, traveling and spending time with her new family.
Dr. Trina Hall
Dr. Trina Hall is a Police Psychologist for the Dallas Police Department. She obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Psychology and Law specialty track) from the University of Alabama. She completed her pre-doctoral Internship training with the Bureau of Prisons Metropolitan Detention Center-Los Angeles. She has worked as a Staff Psychologist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and an Assistant Professor and Director of the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Houston-Victoria. She is the Clinical Coordinator for Dallas Police Department’s Peer Support Program and Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee. She provides clinical and training services to law enforcement personnel (Sworn and Civilian) and their families. She has published articles and conducted presentations regarding forensic assessment/evaluation issues, trauma, critical incidents, peer support, and resilience.
Dr. Donald W. Hohman, Jr.
Donald W. Hohman Jr. M.D. is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon in private practice specializing in total joint replacement and adult reconstructive procedures of the hip and knee. Dr. Hohman completed his orthopaedic surgical training at the State University of New York at Buffalo and served as the administrative chief resident in his final year of residency training. He completed his fellowship training in Adult Reconstruction and Total Joint Arthroplasty at the Brigham and Women’s hospital of the Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA where he worked as an associate orthopaedic surgeon 2013-2014 before relocating to Dallas.
Dr. Hohman has multiple peer reviewed publications and scientific presentations at both national and international conferences. His clinical interests include optimizing primary total joint replacement procedures and outcomes for his patients. Dr. Hohman has particular interest in the management of pain and the rapid return of function around the time of surgery for his hip/ knee replacement surgeries with the use of specialized techniques, including minimally invasive/ muscle sparing direct anterior total hip arthroplasty (total hip replacement). Dr. Hohman also specializes in the surgical management of complex primary and revision total hip and knee arthroplasty/ adult reconstructive procedures. Dr. Hohman is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) as well as a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS).
Toya White
Toya White is a family nurse practitioner with expertise in bariatric surgery. She is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University. She is currently pursuing a legal degree to integrate her passion for healthcare with influencing policies that directly affect the field. Toya oversees the bariatric surgery program at Texas Health Dallas and manages other advanced practice providers. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Texas Organization of Nurse Executives (TONE), and Advanced Practice Provider Executives (APPEX).
Dr. Stormee Williams
Dr. Stormee Williams is a board certified pediatrician who has practiced in the Dallas area for close to 10 years. She graduated cum laude from Spelman College with a degree in Psychology and received her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. After completing her residency at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, Dr. Williams has served in the Dallas area as a general pediatrician working primarily with underserved patient populations from birth to age 18. She has worked for a Federally Qualified Health Center in South Dallas and has functioned as the Lead Physician in community health clinics for both Parkland Health and Hospital Systems and Children’s HealthSM. She currently serves as the Medical Director for School-based Telemedicine for Children’s Health. With the belief that children will rise to the expectations of their families, Dr. Williams enjoys educating her patients’ families so that their children can reach their full healthy potential. Dr. Williams resides in the Dallas area with her husband and three daughters.
Sheena Allen
Sheena Allen is the founder and CEO of Sheena Allen Apps, a portfolio mobile app company of photo and video applications and CapWay, a financial technology startup that caters to the financial health of the underserved. Sheena has traveled around the world and spoken on subjects such as owning a successful tech company as a non-technical founder and diversity in tech at numerous conferences and universities, including Yale and Harvard. She has been featured in various publications, including Forbes.com, BlackEnterprise.com, and EBONY Magazine. In late 2016, Sheena made her premiere in She Started It, a documentary film that follows five women around on their startup journey. In early 2017, she released her first print book, The Starting Guide, a three-part book that talks about her personal journey, app development, and business 101 tips.
Dr. Ronaldo Archer
Dr. Archer is a bestselling author, business executive, NFL consultant, military leadership consultant, corporate leadership trainer, presidential advisor, and TV Pundit, and he serves as an envoy to Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Korea. He is also the leader of a global human rights movement throughout Africa and Latin America. Dr. Archer was awarded the Martin Luther King Leadership Award for his work in developing the hearts, hands, and habits of third world leaders to transform their nations from chaos to collaboration. Ron Archer has cultivated an extensive following, reaching more than 250,000 people a year through speaking engagements alone, and over a million through satellite simulcasts. Dr. Archer is not your traditional keynote lecturer. He will educate, energize, entertain, and empower you with his personal transparency.
Chef Cassondra Armstrong
Chef Cassondra Armstrong is master of Chef Cassondra Culinary Concepts, llc.. A full-service Culinary Company- providing event catering, personal chef services, and culinary consulting through speaking on better health. She has been a part of the North Texas food service industry for nearly 30 years.
In addition to her full-time business ventures, Cassondra’s is a published author of her very own cookbook! Good Food Good Meat Praise the Lord, Let’s Eat! Encouraging people to live a healthy lifestyle is her daily mission through her Good2go™ Personal Chef Family meals delivered to your door.
In her work to promote healthier cooking, she has toured with the American Heart Association’s ”Take Your Wellness to Heart” campaign, and was selected as a National Ambassador for AHA’s ”Power to End Stroke” and currently” EmPOWERED To Serve” campaign. She teaches culinary classes at local colleges, churches and hospitals, and runs a culinary program to mentor at-risk youth and rehabilitating adults.
Cassondra is a graduate of El Centro College’s Food and Hospitality Program, apprenticed at the Dallas Hyatt Regency Hotel, and completed international training in Germany and Hungary. She is inducted into the American Culinary Federation Honors’ Program and a member in good standing in the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Chefs Association. She also holds a BA in Business Administration with an emphasis on management.
Shanneca Beck
Shanneca Beck is no stranger to the world of finances and life coaching. After experiencing teenage pregnancy at age 15 and birthing a child with a terminal illness, she missed numerous days of work attending to her sick child in the hospital. God began to give Shanneca discipline concerning money. In spite of her circumstances, she worked her way through high school and El Centro College – Dallas. This experience created a desire to save and recycle money.
In 2009, after being married for only 15 months, she became a widow. She now faced the responsibility of raising their 6 month old and 1 year old children. To overcompensate for the absence of their father, she began investing in commercial party rental equipment in efforts to host really big parties for her children. She was laid off from AT&T after ten years of service. Soon after, the pain of trying to overcompensate at her children’s parties would soon create her paychecks.
In 2015, a party rental business was launched called Remember The Giants. Remember The Giants is a full service party rental that not only seeks to cater to children but the family as a whole. The company provides state of the art inventory which includes inflatables, games, trains, car, concessions and more. She became a certified
life coach in 2014 to enhance her audience as she has been preaching the gospel since 2002.
Remember The Giants will be a featured vendor at Mega Fest for the year of 2017 and will be responsible for contributing to the moment for the Mega Kidz segment of this great conference.
Reuben Canada
Prior to founding Canada Enterprises LLC, Reuben Canada was a patent attorney at Woodcock Washburn LLP, now BakerHostetler. Reuben found his entrepreneurial calling when he focused his energy into creating a uniquely powerful beverage named Jin+Ja made of fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, green tea, lemon, and mint. In 2013, Jin+Ja won the Sofi Award for Outstanding Cold Beverage, the most prestigious award in the specialty food world. That same year, Reuben was featured in USA Today’s 6-week small business video series. Within six months of launching Jin+Ja in the small bottle format, it was put into national distribution through Whole Foods and, shortly afterward, into conventional grocery store distribution by Kroger and Albertsons driving unprecedented growth.
Janet Cohen Centola
Janet Cohen Centola, LCSW, DCSW Is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years of experience in working with adults, children and families. Currently she is facilitating the Strong Families Moving Forward project at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Metrocare. Janet has worked as a clinician for the Department of the Army and has worked with active duty military, veterans and families in a variety of other community based settings and in private practice. Janet worked in educational realms as both a clinician and administrator. She has taught as adjunct faculty for Texas A & M Commerce, and has provided clinical supervision for LCSW candidates as well as students from several university social work programs. Janet received both her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from Adelphi University in New York.
Cora Jakes Coleman
Cora Coleman serves as the Executive Director of the Destiny World Children’s Ministry at The Potter’s House of Dallas. However, her reach extends well beyond the four walls of the church. Cora has a way with words and an openness that makes her a much sought-after speaker and writer. She also has a vibrant Social Media presence that was born out of her personal battle with infertility. Never one to back down from a fight, Cora decided to use her personal struggles and triumphs to inspire others by starting her blog, Fertility Faith, a place where readers can find inspiration to fight for their God-given promise, no matter how ”dead” their situation might appear. Her first book, Faithing It, hit book shelves on November 17th. Cora is committed to helping YOU bring YOUR purpose back to life. Family is extremely important to Cora, so it’s no surprise that her greatest personal joy comes from being a wife to her wonderful husband, Brandon, and mother to her beautiful daughter, Amauri. She is also the eldest daughter of Bishop T. D. Jakes and Mrs. Serita Jakes, as well as a devoted sister to four amazing siblings.
Dr. Eddie Connor
Dr. Eddie Connor is a bestselling author, minister, international speaker, college professor, and radio/TV correspondent. He is a survivor of stage 4 cancer and empowers people to overcome obstacles. As an author of 7 bestselling books, Dr. Connor has been featured and hosted segments on BET, CBS, FOX News, NBC, PBS, The Steve Harvey TV Show, The Tom Joyner Show, and The Word Network. Dr. Connor is the CEO of the mentoring organization, Boys 2 Books, which empowers young males via literacy, leadership, and life skills enrichment. The program became the impetus for President Barack Obama’s, My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Dr. Connor is a recipient of The President’s Volunteer Service Award and The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from The White House. He is recognized as one of the Top 35 Millennial Influencers in America, listed in the Top 100 leaders in Who’s Who in Black Detroit, and named to Michigan Chronicle’s ”Top 40 under 40”. Dr. Connor speaks extensively and works in communities, extending throughout Jamaica and South Africa. Dr. Connor grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and is a proud resident of Detroit, Michigan.
L. Shonny DeBouse-Young
L. Shonny DeBouse-Young currently serves as the Director of External Affairs for SAN Enterprise, LLC and is a serial entrepreneur. Shonny is also the owner of Paradigm Market Solutions a small business consulting/social media management firm. Shonny works with authors, speakers, and community leaders to bring their visions to fruition. She has years of proven analytical, managerial and leadership abilities across various industries including marketing, entertainment, social media, and the non-profit sector. Shonny also has experience in multi-media planning, client relations, and agency/client development. She is a strategic business leader with the ability to build, develop progressive business relationships, while managing diverse teams to deliver excellent results. Her ability to develop productive relationships with cross-functional business partners, influence key internal/external stakeholders, and establish a cooperative environment across multiple departments is rooted in a strong organizational development foundation. She is known as ”The Strategist”, because of her keen sense, problem solving skills, and ability to develop winning strategies. She is the host of the weekly radio show WHAT?!! on totalpraise360.com, where they cover a range of everyday topics for everyday people.
Dr. Alex Ellis
Dr. Alex Ellis is transforming lives one redefined image at a time. An award-winning author, speaker, activist, and connoisseur of style, Dr. Ellis travels across the nation delivering his impactful ”Image is Power” experience. He encourages audiences to defy mediocrity by building a positive self-image from the inside out. He has been featured on CNN, The 700 Club, Black Enterprise’s Our World Television Show, BET, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and the Steve Harvey Morning Show. He has also been honored with the distinguished 40-Under-Forty award from the Network Journal. As one of this era’s leaders of social impartation, Dr. Ellis has reached nearly 10,000 inner city high school males in the U.S. and abroad through his non-profit organization, Tied To Greatness. In addition, as CEO of Simply Ellis, a custom clothing company, Dr. Ellis provides a unique line of must-have men’s accessories. Dr. Ellis received a Bachelor of Science Degree at North Carolina A & T State University. He graduated Cum Laude from New Brunswick Theological Seminary with a Masters in Theological Studies, and earned his Doctorate Degree in Urban Ministries. Dr. Ellis is a member of the Disney Dreamer’s Academy Speaker Resource Group, United Way Board of Trustees, Berkeley College Fashion Advisory Board, and is a Leadership Newark Fellow.
Nicole Fontayne-Bárdowell
Nicole Fontayne-Bárdowell joined DART in June 2014 with more than 14 years of experience as a Chief Information Officer and Director of IT with large jurisdictions: Broward County, Florida, and the City of Detroit, Michigan under Mayor Dennis Archer.
Bárdowell leads the Technology Department and has ultimate responsibility for Information Systems, Intelligent Transportation Systems Technology, Networks, and Telecommunications. She is also responsible for developing and implementing DART’s information technology and intelligent transportation systems strategic technology direction to enable DART’s service mission.
Prior to DART, Fontayne-Bárdowell was an Engagement Manager with Everest Group, a boutique, global management consulting firm based in Dallas, focusing on strategy and transformation on highly complex projects with leading companies. She also worked for a Fortune 500 company where she led a program that included macro and micro metrics to assess and communicate IT and individual performance.
Neil Foote
Neil Foote is principal of Foote Communications LLC, a public relations, content management, and multicultural marketing firm that has worked with a wide range of clients from the business world, entertainment, and nonprofits. His work includes generating coverage in major national, regional, and local media, developing media and marketing strategies, developing branding strategies, writing content, advising them on social media, and purchasing media. Foote also is principal lecturer at the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, teaching a wide variety of classes. Outside of his teaching duties, Foote is Co-Director of the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, a 13-year-old event featuring prominent journalists, authors, and editors discussing all aspects of journalism and storytelling.
Previously, Foote has worked at The Miami Herald, The Washington Post, The American Society of Newspaper Editors, The Dallas Morning News, Belo Corporation and Tom Joyner. Foote has traveled the country, giving lectures and leading discussions on the role of digital media in transforming journalism and diversity in the media.
Dr. Lauren Freeman
Dr. Lauren Freeman is a native of California. At an early age, she knew that fabulous designing, spiritual leadership, and entertainment would play a major role in her life. In 1997, Dr. Freeman moved to Texas, where she quickly established herself as the Founder, CEO and Managing Partner at Lauren Fabulous Firm, LLC. Dr. Freeman is an Entrepreneur, Civic leader and Philanthropist, who consistently gives of her time and service to women. Partnerships of support, practical guidance, coaching, giving back to her community is a priority for cutting-edge business strategies, image concept development and Master for the critical steps that will transform women’s lives. She is best known for her commitment to women’s issues and 30-plus years as a business leader, delivering excellent service.
Dr. Freeman, known as the Fashionista, was also named as the Dress for Success Dallas Board Chair in 2017. As the Dress for Success Board chair, she joins more than 147 Dress for Success affiliates, operating in 24 countries, in reaching shared their goals. Dress for Success serves more than 1,000,000 women globally. Dr. Freeman believes in bringing positive change to the forefront of health and education; principles she outlines in her book, The New Boss: The Guide to a Fabulous Lifestyle. Her guide book is dedicated to helping build entrepreneurs and business professionals, one Fabulous New Boss® at a time.
Dr. Freeman received her Honorary Doctorate degree and Chaplaincy diploma from CICA University, as well as a Seminary Honorary degree, the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, in December 2016. Recipients of this award honor Philanthropist and Community leaders’ making a difference in the lives of others around the world. Her commitment, believes in bringing positive change to women’s issue and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in their career and lives.
James Fripp
James Fripp is Senior Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion for Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), one of the world’s leading restaurant companies with over 43,500 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants with over 1.5 million employees in more than 135 countries and territories. Since our spin-off from PepsiCo in 1997, Yum! Brands has become a truly global company going from approximately 20 percent of profits from outside the U.S. to approximately 50 percent in 2016. We’re also very proud to have been named one of the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders in North America.
James is responsible for leading Yum! Brands’ diversity and inclusion strategies for community relations, corporate culture, workforce, minority and women’s business development and the multicultural marketplace. He works with the Company’s businesses around the globe to leverage diversity initiatives in order to strengthen the recruitment and retention of top talent and expand franchise and supplier opportunities. His position reinforces Yum!‘s commitment to create a workplace culture that actively seeks diversity in others to expand the Company’s thinking and reflect the changing demographics of customers worldwide.
Prior to assuming his current role in early 2011, James spent 15 years in various leadership roles in the Company’s Human Resources department, of which his role prior to his current assignment was as the National Field Human Resources Director for the Taco Bell Brand. He also spent 15 years in restaurant operations. James holds a Degree in Business Management, is a certified Hogan Assessment Coach and Unconscious Bias facilitator,
James has served as a mentor as part of the Black Achiever’s Program and as President of the Board of Education for St. Mary’s private school. He has also served as a member of the Kansas State University Marketing and International Advisory Committee, as well as the University of Missouri at Columbia Hotel Restaurant Management Advisory Committee. Currently James is the Chair of the TDN2K Advisory Board, the Chair of the Conference Boards Global Chief Diversity Officers Council, Chair of the Consortium for Graduate Study’s in Management Advisory Board, and is a Board member of the Multi-Cultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance. He and his wife have 3 young men and reside in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Thomas Gagliano
Tom holds a Master’s degree in Social Work, a Bachelor’s degree in Business, and a C-MAT certificate in Drugs & Alcohol. As a young man, Tom became a successful entrepreneur with a proven track record in small business ventures in the greater New York area. About 20 years ago, Tom started to spend less time in the business world and more time helping those who suffered, as he did, from negative childhood messages. He is a regular on many radio stations and on the TBN television network, and has appeared on other networks as well. He is the best-selling author of The Problem Was Me, with Dr. Abraham Twerski, and Don’t Put Your Crap in Your Kid’s Diaper. His expertise is teaching a methodology which has helped many individuals, couples, and parents build healthier relationships with themselves and each other. His work comes from his experiences in overcoming his own issues, which revealed the process for self-improvement. His obstacles began in childhood when he turned to bullying as an outlet and as an adult, toward addiction. After sabotaging intimate relationships in his own life, Tom realized he had to fix the damage within himself in order to fix the damage he caused in his relationships.
Shamiel Gary
Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Shamiel Gary is living his dream as a professional football player in the NFL. But the road to success wasn’t easy. Shamiel faced obstacles from every direction. It took hard work and perseverance to bring his 3rd grade dream to life.
As a senior at Booker T Washington High School, Shamiel received his only football scholarship after the state championship to attend the University of Wyoming. During his
freshman season, he won the 5A State Championship and earned Freshman AllAmerican.
At the end of his sophomore season, Shamiel transferred to Oklahoma State University to be closer to his family as his grandmother battled Alzheimer’s disease. In a single
season, he went from being an All-American Safety, to spending the 2011 season on the sidelines due to NCAA transfer rules.
In 2012, Shamiel hit the football field in full force. He started every game for the Cowboys, recording 72 tackles, 6 passes defended, 3 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.
As a senior, his pace continued and the Cowboys placed 2nd in the Big 12 Conference.
After graduation, Shamiel entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, signing with the New England Patriots in 2014. After separating his shoulder during the 2015 NFL preseason with the Miami Dolphins, he was released on an injury settlement and he found out his mother’s cancer returned. It was this release, this moment filled with uncertainty that just so happened to be God’s perfect timing. If Shamiel had not injured his shoulder, he would have still been in Miami. Instead, he got to spend every day and night in the hospital with his mother until she was able to get a second surgery.
Soon after this, Shamiel return to Miami. For the first time in his life, his mother was able to watch her son play in an NFL game. After the season ended, Shamiel found himself in the same situation before. However this time it was at his mother’s bedside, day and night in the hospice, where she spent her last days.
Currently, Shamiel is a safety with the Buffalo Bills. He spends his off-season pouring into the next generation, reading books, and soaking up time at the bowling alley.
Aventer Gray
Aventer Gray, is the of COO of John Gray Ministries and John Gray Innertainment. She is also the Dance director of Lakewood Dance Ministry at Lakewood Church, in Houston,Texas. She speaks at Lakewood church for multiple ministries and abroad alongside her husband for marriage conferences, singles, and more. Additionally, she has her own dance company, Reign Dance Company, who travels nationwide hosting Master Classes and conferences for the understanding of dance as true ministry and an agent of healing while marrying the technical aspect with the anointing using biblical studies and principles at the foundation. She also has multiple degrees from Cardiopulmonary Science to Health Service Administration.
She is the wife of Pastor John Gray and mother John Gray IV and Theory Aspyn-Sky Gray. Her latest venture includes co-starring on – docu-series called, ”The Book of John Gray,” together with her husband and children on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
She is a business-savvy and artistically driven woman who lives as loves to serve God, her family, and people.
Michella Gurley
Michella Gurley is a wife, mother, businesswoman, author, orator, and philanthropist. You can see her as an actress in the movie, ”Why She Cries.
Michella has been a part of the entertainment culture since 2004. Hosting the Well Kept Wifey Radio Talk Show has opened opportunities for her to co- host Sisters Unedited TV Talk Show on KRWC Media and hosting ”This Gal Loves Sport’s Radio Show” on Fish Bowl Radio Network. While climbing the success ladder in media, Michella established WKW Radio Network. Michella has interviewed some of WNBA, NFL and NBA elite athletes. Michella’s media coverage has led her to enter her second season covering the WNBA DALLAS WINGS in Arlington, TX. In 2012 Michella started the brand Well Kept Wifey. Well Kept Wifey specializes in faux furs, vegan leather’s and home décor. In 2016, Well Kept Wifey became a sponsor for the Mrs. Arkansas America Pageant.
Michella Gurley and Well Kept Wifey will be one of the Elite Corporate Sponsors and Judges for the Mrs. Arkansas America Pageant November 2017. Well Kept Wifey is a PETA (People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals) APPROVED VEGAN BUSINESS. In 2017, Michella began working with VOA (Volunteers of America) leading women’s groups on motivation and empowerment.
Karen Hanner
Karen Hanner is the Managing Director of Manufacturing Partnerships for Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization. She leads a product sourcing team in driving cross-functional collaboration with over 200 major food and grocery manufacturers as unsellable food and grocery products are donated to food banks to avoid being wasted and to help Americans struggling with hunger. Additionally she oversees Disaster Response, the national Purchasing program that food banks rely on to obtain nutritious food for their communities and network Sustainability efforts.
Recognizing the importance of providing nutritious food to families struggling with hunger, Hanner also works closely with the Feeding America Nutrition Team and, in fact, leads the national team devoted to identifying strategies to ensure every America has access to enough nutritious food.
Hanner joined Feeding America in 2008, bringing with her over 20 years of experience in the for-profit world in marketing and supply chain management. She began her professional career at Kraft Foods and deepened her experience at Keebler, Nestle and more recently at Market Day where she developed a commitment to giving back through her work which she is proud to continue at a greater level at Feeding America.
Hanner holds a master’s degree in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s of science degree from Georgetown University.
Tawni Haynes
Sleek, straight lines, bold prints, and elegant, form-fitted designs are just a few ways to characterize the unique technique of stylist and fashion designer, Tawni Haynes. Tawni is a well known fashion designer and fashion forward retailer. She is a custom apparel artist with a vivid sense of classy sophistication far beyond her age. What originally began as a love for the trendiest ladies shoes, handbags, and accessories has blossomed almost overnight into a full-scale fashion design business. Tawni takes pride in transforming hundreds of clients from ordinary to runway ready for events ranging from a Sunday church service to national television appearances. She is especially recognized for her gift of making any woman look and feel absolutely stunning, regardless of body shape or size. ”My clients are real women with curves and it’s important that every garment I design and sell make them feel like the most beautiful woman in the room- whether they are a size 8 or 18.” ”The difference you will find in one of my hand-crafted garments is meticulous effort and an end product that suits each client’s body type.” As Tawni continues to advance her career in the Fashion Design industry, she continues to set the latest in industry trends and construction methods to guarantee that her product and service offerings are leading edge and remarkably chic.
Sylvia High
Sylvia High, Founder and CEO of Aiming High Inc., is an Author, Master Coach, and Training and Development Strategist with more than 20 years of success, delivering content and context to help businesses and individuals thrive in any competitive environment.
Sylvia is the author of ”The Little Book of Big Questions,” which uses pointed questions to guide the reader toward self-introspection, self-discovery and outstanding achievement across all areas of life, including business and education. With extensive experience in diversity training, Sylvia has led corporate and transformational workshops and seminars from coast to coast and in Hong Kong, delivering her signature training series, The Basic Workshop and The GAME CHANGER Basic Workshop,
several times a year in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and Atlanta. As the principal curriculum specialist for Aiming High, Inc. and many of its clients, Sylvia offers training solutions that support participants in identifying their hidden beliefs that either impede or accelerate achievement.
Also widely known as an ”Impact Speaker,” Sylvia recently served as a preferred panelist on Oprah's The Life You Want Tour and at Bishop TD Jakes' MEGAFest. She was lauded as a presenter at BET Networks' Leading Women Defined Conference, Dr. Lucille Farrell-Scott's POWER of NOW Conference, and COMCAST's WOMEN OF IMPACT. Sylvia has an outstanding reputation for inspiring and coaching audiences to develop the mind set required to get them from where they are in their careers, finances and relationships to where they want to be, and she is the architect and curator of the one-of-a-kind annual I AM WOMAN Conference. Sylvia's expertise lies in empowering people to think differently; to see beyond the obvious and; to move boldly toward their intended results.
Aiming High Inc. assists both large and small organizations in areas such as leadership development, change and conflict management, diversity, communication effectiveness, and sales enhancement. The company's clients include: Bank of America, COMCAST, American Heart Association, CISCO, United Way, AMD Serono, AmeriCorps VISTA, Coller Capital, Momentum Education and Hewlett-Packard Co. among others. Sylvia holds a degree in Communications, and is a participant in the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) and Toastmasters International. Sylvia makes her home in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she was the host of "Yes, You Can!" a motivational TV show.
Dr. Renee Fowler Hornbuckle
Dr. Renee Fowler Hornbuckle is an influencer, a strategist, a speaker, an author, a life designer (life and crisis Coach), an entrepreneur and, a Domestic Violence advocate. She currently serves as Senior Pastor of Destiny Pointe Christian Center in Arlington, TX, Founder of Women of Influence, Inc. Destiny Empowerment Enterprises, Inc., Founder of Life Goes on Foundation, as well as Founder and President of several other non-profit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures. She challenges and inspires people everywhere to maximize their potential and realize their God-appointed destiny. As a motivational speaker, she speaks to marketplace and ministry leaders, as well as women, men and youth. She also specifically targets those that have experienced crisis or trauma helping them to rise above their crisis and continue moving forward toward total fulfillment of LIFE as overcomers. The author of books and manuals such as Power for This Day-A Daily Devotional, The Power of Healthy Esteem, The Power of Passion, Petals, Principles and Promises, If It Pleases the King (A Hospitality Training Manual) and her most recent literary achievements – Suffering in Silence, Sustained, Held Captive Too…, and So…YOU Want to Be a Wife? Renee displays a passion and fire for God that says God is absolutely in control.
Marissa Horne
A native of Dallas, Texas, Marissa Horne is currently a Director in Employee Technology at American Airlines where she manages a portfolio of Human Capital Management systems. Before joining American Airlines, Marissa was the Sales Operations Manager of Microsoft’s Northeast Enterprise & Partner Group. Marissa also interned at Microsoft in Bangalore, India where she developed Microsoft India’s Software as a Service business model, generating over USD $1M in the first 12 months.
Prior to Microsoft, Marissa spent five years in the Information Technology division of Morgan Stanley, where she worked in Investment Management creating eBusiness and buy-side trading applications. During her time there, Marissa participated in several non-profit and community service organizations that were committed to providing career opportunities to people from under-resourced communities.
Marissa is engaged in civic activities throughout the Dallas area. She was a member of Leadership Dallas, and was also instrumental in the launch of The Dallas Chapter of the Links STEM Academy – a program to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics among girls. Marissa was featured in The Dallas Post Tribune People to Watch in 2011, received the Dallas Women’s Foundation Young Leader Award in 2015, and the Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award in 2017.
Outside of Texas, Marissa was a member of Boston Future Leaders in 2010, on the Board of the Waltham, Massachusetts YMCA in 2007, and received the Amherst College Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004.
In addition to a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Amherst College, Marissa holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. In her spare time, Marissa enjoys spending time with her husband, Michael Horne, her infant son, John, and attempting to match wits with her active elementary school-aged daughter, Bailey.
Jeanetta Johnson
Jeanetta Brayboy-Johnson has served as Director of Parent Training Centers and Advocates across the country for over 35 years for the U.S Department of Education. Currently serving as Director of Education for the Coalition for The Peoples’ Agenda, Founder and Convenor: Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, serving families and the "least of these" across the state of Georgia. Mrs. Johnson also serves as an Honorary Deputy for the Fulton County Sheriffs Department, providing Parent Training and consultation; A member of SCLC Women serving as a Mentor to young girls- ages 10-18 and Parent Advocate. The valuable training Mrs. Johnson provides has empowered parents and caregivers with the Educational Training and Skills to navigate through their child’s educational experience and be actively involved.
Donna Richardson Joyner
Donna Richardson is the best-selling author of Witness To Fitness and a motivational speaker. She is a renowned lifestyle expert who has traveled to 50 states, 51 countries, and 6 continents, helping people to live purposeful, powerful, and productive lives. She just launched her clothing line, DR ”Clothing with Confidence.” Donna believes the best outfit you will ever wear is your self-confidence and self-worth! Donna is the only council member who served under President Bush and President Obama on the President's Council for Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Donna is a TV Contributor for Fox, CNN, MSNBC, BET and other networks. She is the producer and host of Donna Richardson's Mind, Body & Spirit, on TV One and Sweating in the Spirit on the Word Network. Donna was the former co-host for the ESPN Fitness Pros and fitness expert with the NBC Weekend Today.
William Langford
William Langford has been with PepsiCo for 17 years and is currently Senior Director of Sales for Frito Lay. Langford also serves as the chair of the National Mosaic Board. Langford is also an adjunct professor at North Central College in Naperville IL. Previous PepsiCo roles include: Sr. Director of Shopper Marketing, Sr. Director of Field Marketing Pepsi, Director of Field Marketing Pepsi, Director of Urban Market Development/PepsiCo and Zone Sales Leader, Frito Lay. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Langford spent eight years with Philip Morris, where he held a variety of sales and marketing roles in Detroit, Cleveland and New York. Langford holds an MBA degree from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. degree in Food Systems Economics and Management from Michigan State University. Langford is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Langford has served as a member of the advisory board of the Salvation Army, board member of Think Detroit Pal, a member of the Arts League of Michigan advisory board, and a trustee board member of the Detroit Parade Company.Langford is a native of Detroit. Currently living in Naperville, IL. He and his wife Karen are proud parents to three children, Autumn, Julian and Tanner. Langford.
Dr. Esteban Lopez
Esteban Lopez, MD, MBA serves as the newly appointed Chief Medical Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), where he helps fulfill its mission to improve the health and well-being of its five million members. In addition to serving as the executive sponsor for Texas Government Programs, Dr. Lopez leads the Community Investment Department in its long-term strategy to improve public health. He also holds the title of Market President of Southwest Texas.
Since taking on this role in 2013, he oversees engagement in major metropolitan areas such as Austin, San Antonio, Laredo, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi. Previously, Dr. Lopez worked as a practicing physician with nearly every hospital system in the San Antonio community, and he continues to maintain involvement in medical associations on a local, state and national level. He also serves the San Antonio community in his roles on the Witte Museum Board of Trustees and the Mayor’s Fitness Council Executive Committee. As an active member of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he was recently elected as the 2017 Chair and currently participates on the Executive Board of Directors.
In acknowledgement of his efforts, The San Antonio Business Journal recognized Dr. Lopez with a 2015 C-Suite Award. He was one of 61 leaders selected from across the nation – and the only one representing South Texas – to join the prestigious ranks of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a fully underwritten program designed for leaders who share a commitment to helping solve society’s greatest challenges. This executive-style education series sharpens participants’ skills through an exploration of leadership principles, led by the best minds in leadership studies and benefitting from the insights of the former presidents and the people who served with them. Dr. Lopez is dual board certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and received his training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He holds degrees from the University of California at Santa Cruz and Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, in addition to a Master’s in Business Administration from a combined program at the University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern School of Medicine.
Rebecca Lopez
Rebecca Lopez is the senior crime and justice reporter for WFAA. She joined the station in April of 1998. She has covered the Dallas Police Department since 2003. Over the years she has broken some of the biggest stories at the Dallas Police Department including the day DPD headquarters came under attack by suspect James Boulware. Rebecca has also covered multiple national stories including the Oklahoma City bombing, the siege at the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and most recently the ambush of 5 officers in downtown Dallas.
Rebecca has won numerous awards including 3 Emmy Awards, Associated Press Awards, and in 2014 she was among a team of reporters who won the National Edward R. Murrow Award for their coverage and focus on domestic violence. She also received a National Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 2002 for a story she did on children living in drug infested homes. Rebecca is also involved in the community. She sits on the board of directors of the Family Place which is the largest domestic violence shelter in North Texas. She is on the host committee for Pat and Emmitt Smith’s Celebrity Golf Tournament. In 2015, she received Epitome Magazine’s Media Mogul award and in 2014 she was named one of the top 25 women in Dallas by the Female Success Factor. Some of her most memorable interviews include Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Bishop T D Jakes, Tom Landry, and Lebron James.
Haston Lewis
Haston Lewis is currently Senior Director of Immediate Consumption Portfolio Marketing for Frito-Lay North America. He is responsible for the development and implementation of integrated marketing strategies/plans which leverage this $3 Billion portfolio of businesses to drive FLNA volume and share growth in the US. Haston is part of the broader Frito-Lay North America Marketing Executive Team that is responsible for leveraging integrated Brand Marketing and Portfolio Solutions to deliver sustainable and profitable growth while advancing Frito-Lay’s strategic imperatives within the Macrosnacks Category. His team collaborates with other PepsiCo teams to create Consumer and Shopper Solutions that range from merchandising to digital communication to new product innovation. Haston has 26 years of CPG Marketing experience and is a 23-year veteran of Frito-Lay.
Dr. Leanne Metcalfe
Dr. Leanne Metcalfe has been a part of healthcare research for over 15 years. Within her company, she has not only sought to use her engineering background to improve the health and wellness of disparate populations, but she has also encouraged the growth and development of female and minority engineers and analysts. Privately, Dr. Metcalfe has worked within her community to encourage young students to pursue studies in the STEM fields.
Dr. Metcalfe, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering. During her time at Stevens she held the position of President of the Black Student Union and also served as the Pre-College Initiative Chair of the NSBE New Jersey Chapter. In this role Dr. Metcalfe helped to encourage high school students to pursue college degrees in math and engineering. This role opened her up to innovative ways to get students interested in becoming engineers.
After graduating from Stevens, Dr. Metcalfe went on to receive a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. In her time there she served as a mentor to the incoming minority engineering students and also to future engineering doctoral candidates not only through Georgia Tech’s own FOCUS program, but externally through the Southern Regional Educational Board. She takes great pride in the knowledge that all of her mentees successfully achieved their PhDs. While at Georgia Tech, Dr. Metcalfe was also an active participant in the Georgia Tech KIDS (Kids Interested in Discovering Science) Club program and building on her experience as PCI chair, helped to design experiments for the registered students in grades two through eight. While in DC, Dr. Metcalfe volunteered to tutor Math and Science at Cesar Chavez high school through Georgetown University on one of President Obama’s STEM education initiatives.
In her professional career, Dr. Metcalfe has designed models to understand the impact disease burden has on disparate populations in an effort to reduce health inequities and improve the quality of care for all. Her current research work in association with an engineering start-up company and a large cancer centre in Texas, involves the development of a device to more clearly identify breast cancer masses and reduce the number of repeat surgeries or mastectomies for breast cancer patients, an issue that affects minority women at a higher rate. Her other work looks at provider networks and access to care to understand how to improve access for minority populations. Because of this work and understanding how diverse thinking can help solve these problems, Dr Metcalfe continues to encourage women and minorities to pursue STEM careers and assists in directing individuals to resources for scholarships and other funding for college.
Rebecca Lynn Pope
Rebecca Lynn Pope is a dynamic speaker, author, matchmaker, and certified relationship coach. She is the founder of the Godly Girls Club, an organization for women of faith with thousands of members globally. Her retreats, events, and classes continually sell out throughout the country. Together, with her husband, she is the founder of the Pope Agency. The Pope Agency specializes in coaching, premarital and marital counseling, and matchmaking. Pope coaches women worldwide and is well known for her ability to help women heal from heartbreak and the wounds of toxic relationships. She believes that attracting love starts with loving yourself and being connected to God. Pope is the author of the books, Love and Dating in the 21st Century and Dare to Dream: A Manifesting Manual.
Dr. Lauren McDonald
Although Lauren McDonald was born and raised in Rochester, New York, the eyes of Texas have been upon her since she arrived in Dallas, in 1984, to do her residency training at St. Paul Medical Center, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and her fellowship in nephrology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Two decades later the 1979 Brown University graduate, who went on to earn her M.D. degree from Temple University School of Medicine in 1984, is a senior partner in Dallas Nephrology Associates (DNA), treating as many as 100 patients a week. As one of several staff Medical Directors, she helps to oversee DNA’s hemodialysis facilities in Dallas, Greenville, Athens, Terrell, Grapevine and Waxahachie. This incudes managing end-stage renal disease patients who receive hemodialysis, in-center staff-assisted patients, ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients, home-trained hemodialysis patients and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis patients. McDonald and her colleagues also teach internal medicine residents and renal fellows, and participate in DNA’s very active research program, which to date has produced more than 500 technical papers and chapters.
Mcdonald also serves as Medical Director of Fresenius Medical Care Peritoneal Dialysis Unit and Fresenius Southwestern Dialysis Unit. Fresenius Medical Care is the world’s largest integrated provider of dialysis products, such as hemodialysis machines and dialyzers, and services for individuals with chronic kidney failure, a condition affecting more than 1.2 million people worldwide. Through its network of 1,575 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, Fresenius Medical Care provides treatment to approximately 10 percent of the world’s dialysis patients. Because she is dedicated to quality health care for all citizens, she chairs the Parkland Board of Managers for Parkland Memorial Hospital, which is the primary teaching institution of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and is often rated among the best hospitals in the United States. Because of Parkland’s affiliation with the medical school, paying and non-paying patients alike have access to top quality medical care.
As Dallas County’s only public hospital, Parkland ensures that health care is available to all area residents. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) nominated McDonald as a Local Legend of Medicine, an award which she cherishes along with such other, past accolades as being named the first woman President of the Medical Staff at St. Paul Medical Center, in 1998, and serving as a member of the St. Paul Board of Directors and on the Board of Directors-Parkland Hospital Board of Managers. She received the ”She Knows Where She Is Going Award” from Girls, Inc., in 1999. She is a member of the Links, Inc. Mid-Cities Chapter, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Dallas, a member of Leadership Dallas and has recently joined the Dallas Assembly. National recognition includes being named one of the American Medical Association’s ”Emerging Leaders” and receiving the Bridge Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. McDonald and her husband Howard Cole are the parents of Alex and Adrianna. When asked what her most important contributions have been, she says ”to raise compassionate, intelligent children and to encourage others to always pursue their dreams…”
Love McPherson
It has been said that ”relationships just don't last anymore.” Well, that may have been true up until Love McPherson stepped on the scene. With over three decades of relationship experience, Love McPherson is the Relationship Expert that is sure to have you longing for more.
Her name is more than a title. For over 33 years, Love has lived the lessons in her marriage to Tony McPherson, her college sweetheart and the driving force behind their coaching company. Graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Love is an author, coveted speaker and has been seen and heard as a recurring guest on WGN Morning News, Micah Materre’s People to People, WCIU’s You and Me This Morning Show, Soul 106.3FM, WVON 1690AM, WYCA 102.3FM, and Atlanta’s KISS 103.5FM among others. She has been best known for her morning drive segments as the Relationship Expert on Inspiration 1390AM's Morning Show.
Combining self-awareness and the principles of unconditional love in her workshops, seminars, and personal sessions, Love uses over two decades of clinical experience to empower clients to know and love themselves so they can love their mate better. Her commitment to individual accountability is the foundation for her ability to save marriages. Unlike other experts, it is Love's unique approach to help clients face and digest the truth that keeps her relevant to all generations. So when all else fails, give Love a try.
Alicia Morgan
Alicia M. Morgan is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Science Engineering and New Mexico State University with a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering. Her professional engineering experience includes working at Lockheed Martin, The Boeing Company and Raytheon. After thirteen years in engineering, Alicia followed her passion working with youth in the nonprofit sector. Among her many accomplishments, she’s on the Advisory Board of the Academy of Engineering and Biomedical Sciences at Bryan Adams High School, promoting and impacting programs and NAF certification, focusing on education, culture and student achievement. As a Program Leader for the Heart House after school program, she facilitated STEM learning centers for K-8th grade refugee and underprivileged students. She’s the STEM 2.0 Insight Project Researcher for the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Dallas County Community College District(DCCCD) which provides an online website portal for STEM Education and resources for middle through high school students. Additionally, she is a facilitator for the North Central Texas Region Degree Accelerator Project to support college and workforce readiness through DCCCD.
She is recently featured in Dallas Morning News in the article ”How the movie ”Hidden Figures” inspired Dallas’ black engineering community”
In October 2016, she was the honoree for the K-12 Promotion of Education Award at the Women of Color in STEM Conference. She is also a 2017 TEDx Plano Speaker.
Kudzai Mutasa
Kudzai B. Mutasa is a passionate Brand Manager with 8+ years beauty and consumer product goods experience. She has a diverse background in rebranding and launching brands across several industries including, hair care, skin care, cosmetics, office products, pet care, and visual arts. She has managed brand portfolios with annual sales up to $52 million and led the new product development process for twenty plus products currently in stores. She currently is a Brand Manager at ORS Olive Oil formally Organic Root Stimulators. When she is not managing brands, her other passion is creating 3-dimensional/ textured art.
Dean Niewolny
Dean Niewolny spent 23 years in executive roles with three of Wall Street’s largest financial firms, finishing his career in the financial sector as market manager for Wells Fargo Advisors in Chicago, where he oversaw a $100mm market. While in Chicago, he and his wife, Lisa, traveled many times to Africa and, seeing the abject needs of widows and orphans, made life changes that enabled them to get involved, such as helping to complete an orphan home and a hospice home in Durbin, South Africa.
In 2010, Dean left his marketplace career to help more people who, like him, wanted to expand their own first half success and skills into passion and purpose for meeting human needs and making a significant difference. Dean joined the Halftime Institute as Managing Director and in 2011 became Chief Executive Officer. He speaks at events around the world, encouraging business leaders to channel first half achievement into a second half defined by joy, impact and balance.
In 2017, Dean authored his first book, Trade Up. In it, Dean shares candidly about his personal transition into a second half of meaning and significance and the learnings of the Halftime Institute over 20 years of helping marketplace leaders do the same. Trade Up is available for pre-order on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, and Barnes&Noble.com.
Having grown up playing sports – eventually in college and semi-professional baseball – Dean still enjoys coaching his son and attending his games. He and Lisa and their two children live in Southlake, Texas.
Yoli Ouiya
Yoli Ouiya is a driving force in the Global Sustainability and Wellness movement.
Yoli’s interest in sustainability and wellness began with her desire to improve her personal health and culminated in becoming certified in Plant-Based Nutrition. She started to develop her brand as a digital creative and chef launching YolisGreenLiving.com, an eco-lifestyle portal dedicated to providing digitally engaged consumers with insights into green and wellness data. Soon after, Yoli was nationally recognized as the ”Queen of Green” by Black Enterprise Magazine, identifying her as a go-to social media presence for ”green” insights. Most recently Yoli was selected as one of forty global leaders accepted into Yale’s inaugural Sustainability Leadership Summit.
Over the past three years, Yoli has continued to build her audience while touring the country as a media personality, consultant, and spokesperson currently representing Toyota’s Green Initiative. Her involvement in global sustainability initiatives have led to collaborations with leading retailers, brands, and organizations such as Duane Reade/Walgreens, Whole Foods, Aura Cacia, House of Marley, Dr. Oz, and Coalition of Healthy School Food. She also speaks on subjects ranging from personal wellness to environmental sustainability, and its intersection with technology and other niche topics.
A passionate entrepreneur and visionary, Yoli’s next venture is African Hippie, an eco lifestyle brand that empowers previously unserved demographics with wellness focused resources and products.
Dr. Catrina Pullum
Dr. Pullum has been called a Trailblazer, a Transformer, a Visionary, & The Chain Breaker. Her life’s mission to help women heal and grow their greatness by loving themselves and walking into their purpose! Dr. Pullum has an enlivening presence that compels people to stop allowing limits placed on them to hinder their growth toward becoming all that they have been destined to be. Dr. Pullum creates a platform for women to share their stories of Triumph through the Arts. She is an extraordinary woman leading a life of purpose. Dr. Pullum was featured Magazine’s April Issue and the May issue of Black Enterprise. Dr. Pullum oversees Creating Opportunities for Excellence Mentoring Academy. She mentors young women from 15 to adulthood. She is a Vision and Business Coach. Dr. Pullum is an active volunteer board member for various charitable organizations. She serves as a business mentor for the United States Black Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Pullum has shared her story and encouraged others to break the chains in their life with her best-selling memoir ”Breaking the Chains: From Hurting to Healing” and her theatrical production of ”Breaking the Chains”. Dr. Pullum travels the country advocating on the behalf of Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, & Domestic Violence Victims.
Chris Reynolds
Chris Reynolds is a Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). As a Managing Officer of the global automaker, Reynolds functions as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, responsible for all legal matters of the company in its design, manufacturing and sales operations worldwide including litigation, regulatory, transactional and legal compliance matters. Reynolds also serves as TMC’s Deputy Chief Officer of the General Administrative & Human Resources Group. In that function, he is responsible for Human Resources matters related to ”high potential” executives outside of Japan. As Chief Officer for the Governance Management Group, Reynolds is responsible for co-managing the governance practices of TMC.
Previously, Reynolds was General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of Toyota Motor North America, the holding company of Toyota’s North America operations, and before that Group Vice President, general counsel, chief environmental officer and corporate secretary of Toyota Motor Sales, USA (TMS), Inc., Toyota’s sales and distribution arm in the United States.
Before joining TMS in 2007, Reynolds was a partner and trial lawyer at the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in New York City. While at the firm, Reynolds served as manager of the New York office’s employment law group, a member of the firm’s advisory board and chair of the firm’s diversity committee.
Earlier, Reynolds served from 1989 to 1994 as an Assistant United States Attorney in the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Before his stint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Reynolds worked from
1987 to 1989 as a litigation associate at the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed in New York City, and as a law clerk for the Honorable Damon J. Keith, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit in Detroit, Michigan from 1986 to 1987.
Reynolds grew up amid the auto industry in Detroit as the son of a Ford Motor Company River Rouge plant worker and a registered nurse. He attended Detroit Public Schools and entered Kalamazoo College in 1979. In 1981, he was named a Harry S. Truman Scholar. After a junior year abroad at the Universite de Strasbourg in France, Reynolds received his bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from Kalamazoo College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1983.
He received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1986.
Reynolds is a member of the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association. He serves as a trustee of Kalamazoo College and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Married with three children, he currently lives in the Los Angeles area.
Dawn Shestko
Dawn R. Shestko founded DRS Performance Solutions, LLC in 2014, with the vision of partnering with organizations to focus on and invest in their greatest resource: their people. Dawn is deeply passionate about developing human potential and sees every opportunity as a privilege. She works with individuals and organizations to take performance to the next level. She provides executive coaching and consulting to enhance leadership, and team coaching to increase overall effectiveness. Dawn specializes in customized workshop design and facilitation. She serves as a solutions-focused life coach who helps people by encouraging them to widen their scope; to see and consider all available options; to focus time and energy on solutions; and to actively participate; and to be a leader in their own lives. Her coaching program is a partnership that helps clients clarify their best outcome, create a plan, and take action.
Dawn received her Bachelor of Science in organizational communication. She loves the opportunity to blend what she learned academically with her real-life, in the trenches business experience, so that she makes the biggest possible difference in the lives of her clients.
Albert Smith
Albert (Al) Smith, Jr. is group vice president, chief social innovation officer for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), where he is responsible for the organization’s shared impact, including philanthropy efforts, the Toyota USA Foundation, and the corporate diversity and inclusion strategy. In addition, Smith is responsible for the organization’s environmental sustainability function across North America.
Prior to his current position, Smith was group vice president, Service Operations & Corporate Planning for Toyota Financial Services (TFS) and Lexus Financial Services (LFS). In this role, Smith was responsible for U.S. customer service and field service operations of TFS/LFS, including their individual Customer Service, Asset Protection, Central Recovery and Fraud departments. Smith led a team of more than 1,800 associates with a portfolio of 4.4 million customers of Toyota’s financing, leasing, and insurance-related products. Smith was also responsible for TFS Corporate Strategy, Communications, and Corporate Social Responsibility departments.
Smith also served as vice president of Customer Service in the Lexus Division of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), where he was responsible for all U.S. activities in the Parts, Service and Customer Satisfaction departments for Lexus.
Since beginning his career with Toyota in 1990, Smith has held various key leadership positions of increasing responsibility, including TFS eBusiness champion, TMS corporate manager, Office of the Web and TMS corporate manager, Sales Strategy and Fleet Department where he directed strategy, sales and marketing for U.S. fleet and
commercial sales and Toyota’s certified used car operation.
Prior to joining Toyota, Smith worked as a senior management consultant for Lorien Systems and KPMG in Los Angeles.
Smith serves as executive advisor of Toyota’s African American Collaborative, has chaired the Boy Scouts of America’s Thunderbird District, and has served as a sponsor board member of FFA Foundation. Smith is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the Los Angeles Council on World Affairs.
Smith received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and computer science from California State University, in Long Beach, California.
Dr. Sherrika Sanders
Sherrika received her undergraduate degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in Chemistry. After receiving a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry and completing postdoctoral research, Sherrika enjoyed a 9 year career as a Senior Scientist, Technical Services Scientist, and Group Leader for The Dow Chemical Company. While at Dow, she contributed to the expansion of the Dow EPDM polymer portfolio and supported custom compounders in the development of current Dow product offerings. Currently, Sherrika is the R&D Director at Authentix, Inc. located in Dallas, TX. In this role, she manages development, formulation, scale-up, quality and commercialization of markers for authentication solutions. She also leads the Environmental, Health and Safety function for the Company. Given the breadth of her role, no two days are the same. Each day is exciting and provides a unique opportunity to make a difference within the company and the customers they serve.
Donni Wiggins
Donni Wiggins is a speaker, author, entrepreneur and empowerment coach that is dedicated to helping people reach their breakthrough, unleash their inner power and unveil a life of prosperity. She is a serial entrepreneur that has been heavily immersed in both traditional business and the Multi-Level Marketing Industry for the past 5 years. As a result, Donni has been able to positively impact the lives of thousands of people all over the world. Donni is a highly decorated award recipient for her success in traditional business, network marketing, and building global organizations. She hosts several training events, seminars, and web conferences where she empowers and teaches success strategies to aspiring and tenured entrepreneurs and professional networkers.
Johnny Wimbrey
The man behind ”Say Increase!”, Johnny Wimbrey is a speaker, author, trainer, and motivator working with sales teams, high-profile athletes, politicians, and personalities around the world. After leaving behind a world of drugs and crime at 18, Johnny redirected his entire life and began a professional career in Insurance and Motivational Speaking. He has since launched three companies (Wimbrey Training Systems, Wimbrey Global, and Royal Success Club International) and heads a sales team of thousands in more than 30 countries, overseeing an active customer database of half a million families. Johnny continues to traverse the globe, sharing his powerful message through speaking engagements and products.
His incredible rags-to-riches story has resonated with audiences all over the world, from Africa to Australia, India to Italy, and Sweden to Spain. His unique high-energy style has made him an incredibly sought-after speaker, and he has shared the stage with legendary personal development gurus, such as Les Brown and the late greats Jim Rohn and Zig Ziglar, just to name a few. His blunt honesty motivates people to stop thinking and start doing. With his best-seller, From the Hood to Doing Good, on the shelves, and his Journey to Wealth training available to everyone, Johnny continually inspires and coaches people to greatness. He also has a wide media following and has appeared as a guest expert and panelist on day-time television segments and court shows, including the Steve Harvey Show, E! News, and Today.
Teneshia J. Warner
Teneshia Jackson Warner has created one of America’s most successful multicultural marketing and communications firms — EGAMI Group – built from a combination of boldness, vision and deep sense of purpose. The creation of EGAMI was a result of Teneshia’s decision to change careers and realign her profession with her purpose. This leap of faith has proven to be well worth it.
Shortly after taking the leap of faith, Teneshia landed an apprenticeship with globally successful innovator, entrepreneur and business mogul, Russell Simmons. Under Russell’s leadership, she gained valuable experience as General Manager of Rush Communications. Inspired and encouraged by Russell Teneshia began her own entrepreneurial path and founded The EGAMI Group (www.egamigroup.com). She has taken the firm from an idea concept and turned it into a thriving multi-million dollar business. Among the firm’s client roster are Fortune 100 brands such as Procter & Gamble, Verizon Wireless, My Black is Beautiful, Gain, Bounty and many more.
Her first book – Profit With Purpose: A Marketer’s Guide to Delivering Purpose-Driven Campaigns to Multicultural Audiences (Paramount Marketing, 2012) – gave business leaders and entrepreneurs not only a tool for multi-cultural marketing in the new globalized world, but a compass for finding a purpose-inspired passion and turning that into business.
Teneshia believes all Dreamers must S-T-R-E-T-C-H to realize their VISION!
In 2013, Teneshia founded Dream Project an annual symposium that has gathered thousands of entrepreneurs, creatives and career dreamers to participate in an empowering, informative and inspirational "boot camps" to STRETCH themselves towards their career, business and life goals. Dream Project has gathered nearly 200 business moguls, influencers and celebrity speakers; hosted more than 50 focused panel discussions and secured over ten Fortune 100 companies as partners. (www.DreamProjectOnline.com)
Dream Project + MegaFest = MEGADREAMS
In 2017, Teneshia facilitated a partnership between The Dream Project and Megafest to deliver the MEGADREAM Empowerment experience powered by Toyota. She hopes to see YOU at this inaugural experience. Be warned, if you attend MEGADREAMS sessions, you will be inspired to S-T-R-ET-C-H toward your God-Given DREAMS!!!
A graduate of Alabama A&M University, Teneshia is the recipient of the coveted Black Enterprise Rising Star and 40 Under 40, AdColor MVP, The Network Journal Forty Under 40 Awards. She has also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise, ABC News, AdAge and more.
Amana Watkins
Amana Watkins is a global human resources business partner supporting information technology within PepsiCo. She has supported multiple leaders across various business teams providing strategic planning, organizational design, employee relations resolutions, executive coaching, training and development, talent acquisition, and succession planning. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Amana gained experience from Target Corporation, Kohl’s, and Celanese Corporation . Amana serves as the Co-Chair for the Mosaic National Board, a PepsiCo Employee Resource Group which supports the company’s African American employees and Diversity & Engagement agenda. She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is the co-pastor of THRIVE Church Dallas-Ft. Worth which is led by her husband, Pastor William Watkins, II. She is a powerful teacher with insightful messages for men, women and youth of all ages. Amana has founded V.O.W. (Virtue of a Woman) to provide guidance, coaching, and teaching of the uncompromised Word of God through structured yet creative learning formats V.O.W presents conferences with the purpose of seeing change in the lives of women and men alike, to restore hope to the hopeless, and spark revival in the hearts of those currently serving in ministry. She and her husband, William, live in Desoto, TX with their three children, Tamar, Evan, and Zion.
Darrell Webb
Darrell Webb has battled kidney disease for the past ten years. Darrell currently serves on the Patient Services Committee for the National Kidney Foundation. Darrell has a passion to ’get the word out’ to help educate and possibly prevent kidney disease. Darrell is a native Texan and lives in Dallas with wife (Carmen), grandson (DeVage) and three dog-children (Big Boi, CoCo and Oreo).
Darren Woodson
Former NFL Football Player, Dallas Cowboys
Three-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowl selection Darren Woodson joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in 2005. He appears on NFL Live and SportsCenter, as well as other ESPN platforms throughout the year.
In addition to his studio work, Woodson was part of ESPN’s SportsCenter Special NFL training camp shows featuring the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (2014) and Dallas Cowboys (2015), alongside Kenny Mayne and Jon Gruden.
Woodson earned a reputation as one of the hardest hitters and most ferocious strong safeties in the NFL during his 13 seasons (1992-2004), all with the Dallas Cowboys. The quarterback of the team’s defense during its three championship runs in the 1990s (Super Bowl’s XXVII, XXVIII and XXX), Woodson registered career totals of 11 sacks, 23 interceptions and 1,350 tackles, still the most in Cowboys franchise history (more than a decade since his retirement in 2004).
In recognition of his outstanding career, Woodson was inducted into the prestigious Cowboys Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium on November 1, 2015.
A native of Phoenix, Woodson was a second round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft (37th overall) from Arizona State University, where he was a converted linebacker. He earned a bachelor of science from ASU in Justice Studies.
In addition to his analyst role for ESPN, Woodson is involved in a number of businesses and he remains active in the Dallas community, most notably as a board member for the North Texas chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation and one of the founders of the Warrior Family Network, a non-profit organization which helps military students and their families continue their educational journey.
Lonnie Johnson
Lonnie Johnson is president and founder of Johnson Research and Development Co., Inc., a technology development company, and its spin off companies, Excellatron Solid State, LLC; Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems, LLC; andJohnson Real Estate Investments, LLC.
Johnson holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering, and an honorary Ph.D. in Science from Tuskegee University. Upon graduation, he worked as a research engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and then joined the U. S. Air Force, serving as Acting Chief of the Space Nuclear Power Safety Section at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1979, he left the Air Force to accept a position as Senior Systems Engineer at the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter. Returning to the Air Force in 1982, he served as an Advanced Space Systems Requirements Officer at Strategic Air Command (SAC) headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, and as Chief of the Data Management Branch, SAC Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal on two different occasions. In 1987, he returned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he worked on the Mars Observer project and was the fault protection engineer during the early stages of the Cassini (Saturn) project. He was responsible for ensuring that single point spacecraft failures would not result in loss of the mission. During his nine year career with JPL, he received multiple achievement awards from NASA for his work in spacecraft system design.
In 1989, Johnson formed his own engineering firm and licensed his most famous invention, the Super Soaker® water gun, to Larami Corporation. Two years later, the Super Soaker®, generated over $200 million in retail sales, and became the number one selling toy in America. Larami Corporation was eventually purchased by Hasbro Corporation, the second largest toy manufacturer in the world. Over the years, Super Soaker® sales have totaled close to one billion dollars. Currently, Lonnie Johnson holds over 80 patents, with over 20 more pending, and is the author of several publications on spacecraft power systems.
Two of Johnson’s companies, Excellatron Solid State and Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems (JEMS), are developing revolutionary energy technology.
Excellatron is introducing a new generation of rechargeable battery technology which has the potential to revolutionize the battery industry. Providing a source of energy many times that which exists today in a substantially reduced size, this technology will solve many of the problems related to technology mobility in the future.
JEMS has developed a thermodynamic energy conversion technology that converts thermal energy to electrical energy with significant advantages over alternative systems. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the global energy market when fully commercialized.
Articles on Lonnie Johnson have appeared in numerous publications including Time Magazine, the New York Times, and Inventor’s Digest. Johnson serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Alliance for Children, an organization which serves as an informed and influential voice to protect the rights and interests of Georgia’s less fortunate children. He is a Board member of the Hank Aaron ”Chasing the Dream” Foundation, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth National Ban
Hattie Hill
Hattie Hill is President and Chief Executive Officer of WFF, the industry’s premier leadership development organization working since 1989 on advancing women in the food industry. Through competency-based education events and rich networking opportunities, WFF serves thousands of professionals and hundreds of employers across the country in advancing the careers of women in manufacturing, operations, distribution, publishing, consulting and all segments of the food industry ecosystem.
Hattie is an international leadership development expert, business owner, best-selling author and globally renowned thought leader.
Prior to WFF, she served as CEO of Hattie Hill Enterprises, Inc., a global management, employee engagement and development firm that provided leadership development for thousands of senior leaders at numerous Fortune 500 companies and major organizations throughout North America and 50 countries – including food industry companies, such as McDonald’s, Aramark and many others.
Hattie is regularly quoted in local and national news publications, including: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Dallas Business Journal. She has been recognized by several organizations including: Forbes Magazine, Ernst & Young, Savoy Magazine, the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce and Nations Restaurant News.
Her current and past board memberships include: the Federal Reserve, Emory University Gozuieta Business School, Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce, and past chair of Visit Dallas.
Additional Empowerment Sessions Speakers:
Amber Benton
Amber Benton is Senior Director, Global Diversity & Engagement, at PepsiCo. In this role, Amber is a key leader in bringing to life PepsiCo’s global diversity and engagement strategy, with primary focus on providing support to key initiatives that reinforce the Performance with Purpose commitment. Additionally, Amber partners with internal and external stakeholders to ensure coherence with PepsiCo’s strategic initiatives. Amber’s career spans nearly 15 years with Fortune 50 companies in various domestic and global Human Resources roles in a wide array of functional aspects to include policy formulation, organization design, and employee engagement. Since joining PepsiCo in 2007, Amber served as a key partner to senior leaders to achieve business goals while advancing cross-functional teams in both line and operating functions across the country. She holds both her Bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Florida A&M University and was recognized by the FAMU National Alumni Association as both a ”40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumni” and ”Distinguished Quasquicentennial Alumni.” An avid supporter of continuous learning and community involvement, Amber served as an advisory board member for the North Carolina A&T University College of Arts and Sciences and is a Board-Member-At-Large for The Pure Foundation. Amber and her husband enjoy spending time with their daughters, extended family and friends.
Fern Johnson
An accomplished executive and business leader, Fern Johnson is passionate about driving positive change, creating collaborative and inclusive work environments, and building highly effective, high-performance teams. As an IT executive within PepsiCo, Ms. Johnson serves as the Sr. Director/ divisional-CIO for two global functions – Global Procurement and Global Logistics. Her role combines broad technical and functional expertise with global program management best practices and delivery, collaborative senior management partnerships and strong organizational leadership. Today, Ms. Johnson is tasked with driving thought leadership and technical strategy for two different lines of business. Global Procurement develops innovative systems and processes to support a large organization challenged with effectively managing over $20 billion in corporate spending. Global Logistics is equally challenged to transform the movement and logistics of the global portfolio from the ”seed to sell” lifecycle.
Throughout her 20+ year career with PepsiCo, Ms. Johnson has been a driving force behind numerous key technology initiates and programs that have led to significant cost savings, increased productivity, and improved enterprise-wide operations. In addition to her work within the IT organization, Ms. Johnson has been an active participant and champion of PepsiCo’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. Since 1995, she has worked closely with a growing number of affinity organizations to create groundbreaking diversity programs. Her efforts in this area have led to best practices and programs in Diversity and Inclusion which have effected positive change, helped to advance the
careers of hundreds of employees, and vastly improved the organization as a whole. She has worked with affinity groups to enhance awareness through educational and community based events, activities, programs, and projects encompassing all dimensions of diversity. She has been recognized for her contributions with three Harvey C. Russell Chairman’s Awards for Diversity.
Ms. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. She currently sits on the board of WiNGS, formerly YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dallas, and the CH4K organization. She remains active within her local North Dallas community.
