Prior to joining Expedia Group, Stella held leadership roles at McDonalds Corp, Kellogg’s, Allstate Insurance and 3Com in the US, and Siemens and Optus in Australia. Stella brings vast experience and strong leadership in strategy design and execution of enterprise-scale information security, privacy, and business transformation initiatives. Stella is passionate about partnering to protect and enabling business growth in a data driven world while forging digital trust.

Renée Reid is a dynamic and sought-after international keynote speaker, panelist, moderator, and MC. She’s a known & respected voice and activist for the importance of representation, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity within the Design, Product and Tech industries. Renee has been a speaker at popular events including AFROTECH, Harvard Design Conference, UX CON Vienna, a commencement speaker at UC Irvine & UC Berkeley Master of Design graduations and many more.

She is a Senior Manager of UX Design Research leading a team of researchers on Enterprise Marketing & Sales Solutions at LinkedIn and has over 20 years of professional tech experience, including roles in project management, CX, UX, and sales.

Renée uses her voice to help inform and inspire UX professionals and the next generation of researchers, while also helping underrepresented communities learn about Design as a career and how to become leaders in the UX industry.

A proud Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alumna from Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia, Renee also received her Master's in Human Computer Interaction and Design from the University of California, Irvine.

She is an active Board Member with two non-profits in the California Bay Area, Inneract Project and Opportunity Junction, as well as an advisor and investor to several startups. Renee also volunteers and supports several organizations including the San Jose African American Community Service Agency (AACSA), the Boys and Girls Club of the Penisula, and YearUp.

Always adorned in one of her many signature headwraps, in 2020 Renee launched her popular podcast, Tech Wrap Queen available across all platforms, helping to amplify Black voices & leaders throughout Tech, Design and Culture through dynamic conversations that inform and inspire her guests which are known as her “Royal Court�.

Desmond Jackson joined Workiva in September 2019 as an Associate Client Services Manager focused on investment/mutual funds clients. In April 2021, Desmond moved into a people leadership role to coach and develop Client Relationship Managers focused on investment/mutual fund clients. In September 2022, he transitioned into the newly created role of DEIB Business Partner in which he provides guidance and support for Workiva's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives as well as its BERGs (Business Employee Resource Groups). Desmond is a graduate of University of Detroit Mercy and has served on several not-for-profit boards. He resides with his family in Dallas, Texas.

Aileah grew up in Durham North Carolina, shortly after she and her family relocated from Newark New Jersey. After high school, she attended and graduated from Winston-Salem State University where she studied English and HR Management and went on to have a 9-year-long career in Human Resources and Project Management in the public sector and healthcare. Feeling like she reached a peak in her career, she decided to make a career pivot and after doing a lot of upskilling she decided to make a career transition and is now a Solutions Architect with Workiva, a Fortune 100 software company based out of Ames Iowa.

Over the course of her career, she has created a training program that has been awarded $1.4 M and implemented software that has helped many peers successfully transition careers. She now hosts a live series on Linkedin that highlights professionals from unconventional backgrounds who have successfully broken into the tech industry and offers events and services to help other industry pivoters achieve the same results.

Aileah leans on her expertise in designing and leading paid training programs for large corporations to attract, train and retain talent to now help others who wish to break into the tech industry as well. She is passionate about anti-gatekeeping, integrity, mental health awareness, and career advancement and is proud to have joined a company that shares many of those same values.

Kevin Purvis joined Workiva as a Solutions Architect in November 2020. He brought with him 5+ years of experience in the consulting space and over 15+ years working for various Software as a Service companies that had him performing roles in QA, Technical Support and Implementations. This helped him to develop the skills that have allowed him to grow as a consultant. In his time at Workiva, he has helped to refine the new hire training process as well as lead projects featuring FERC, Global Statutory Reporting and WData Enablement solutions. He currently sits on the Leadership Board of the newly created Black BERG at Workiva as the Collaboration Pillar lead. He is also the GSR Lead for North American based Solution Architects.
Before joining Workiva, he was a Senior Solutions Consultant at JAGGAER, a company that sells procurement based Software as a Service. While there he enabled their various solutions that enabled clients to create Contracts, manage their supply chain vendors, administer RFPs to procure goods and services and track and manager their procurement spending. He worked with large and complex clients such as Harvard, PwC, University of Wisconsin, University of Pennsylvania, SiriusXM, Waste Management and Vulcan Materials Company. He also worked with various other universities, commercial businesses and utilities companies to implement these software solutions. He also engaged in various Diversity and Inclusion efforts within the company.

He received his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science at North Carolina State University and currently resides in Fuquay-Varina, NC.

Alexander Olosu is a DEI Analyst at ServiceNow. In this role, Alex analyzes and presents data to global leaders to support the advancement of the company’s DEI strategy. Prior to joining ServiceNow, he has worked across multiple industries such as manufacturing, retail, academic research, and more. Throughout his professional experiences, he remains most passionate about helping ensure more equitable spaces for underrepresented groups in Corporate America.

Alexander earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from North Carolina State University and his master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Texas at Arlington. Outside of working for ServiceNow, Alexander is a professional dancer, dance teacher, avid sneakerhead, investor, and sports fan.

Darice Brown is Sr. Director of DEI Strategic Partnerships at ServiceNow, where she engages with strategic partners to advance the company’s DEI narrative, provide inclusive professional development opportunities, and help to open new channels for business growth.

Before joining ServiceNow, Darice honed her experience in reputation management, diversity communications, supply chain communications, and messaging with Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations.

She holds an M.B.A. from Cardinal Stritch University and a B.A. degree in Professional Communications from Alverno College.

Tim Muindi is VP and Treasurer at ServiceNow. In this role, Tim is responsible for Capital Markets, Treasury Operations, Currency Risk Management, Investments, and Insurance. Tim was also the key architect of ServiceNow’s $100M Racial Equity Fund launched in February 2021 with the objective of building equitable opportunities within Black communities by facilitating sustainable wealth creation through homeownership, affordable housing, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood revitalization.

Prior to joining ServiceNow, Tim held several Treasury roles in various industries including social media, software, internet infrastructure, smart grid technology, data storage devices, and transportation.

Tim earned a B.A. in International Business from Whitworth University in Washington and an MBA from Willamette University in Oregon.

Aundréa Murray manages the production and publication of Thought Leadership content for global marketing campaigns at ServiceNow. In recent years, Aundréa worked as a video producer and integrated campaigns manager throughout Southeast Asia. She has produced content for the likes of Jay Shetty as well as marketed campaigns for brands such as Meta.

Aundréa earned her Master’s degree in Journalism at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

David Horton is an experienced sales professional with almost a decade in the industry. He has been able to work with some great companies such as Yelp, Uber, and now Zendesk. His goal is to always be himself and to coach other minorities how to see themselves fully in all spaces. With a passion for changing the ethos of how we see equality both in personal and professional environments, he is somewhat of a modern day freedom fighter. He brings passion to everything he does whether it’s as an actor, a model, a producer, a writer, or as a life coach. With the belief we are all one race, he works tirelessly towards showing that in the spaces he occupies.

Andrew Thorne, PwC Trust Solutions Partner, has extensive knowledge and expertise on the complex issues impacting asset managers. In addition to his experience in Trust Solutions he also spent a number of years in the Regulatory advisory practice. Andrew has a number of other roles in the firm which reflect his passion for the industry, writing and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He is a member of the firm's editorial board and responsible for all PwC asset management thought leadership. His passion for DEI drives him as the leader of the PwC US Black Inclusion Network.

Personally, the pillars of family and education form the basis of a fulfilling life journey and his favorite time is spent visiting family and coaching his twin son’s sports teams. In his community, he has served as Student Affairs Director for the National Association of Black Accountants and as Board member of Boston Partners in Education. Andrew is also a member of the Massachusetts society of CPA's and a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, London, England.

Jared Cassier is a Territory Sales Representative supporting Autodesk’s Architecture, Engineering and Construction market. Based in the Denver area, he has been with Autodesk for 2 years. Outside of his role in Worldwide Sales he has been recently appointed the Global Lead of Autodesk’s Pride Network where he collaborates across departments to support Autodesk’s mission of being a safe and inclusive workplace for all.

Anjelica Warren is a Principal Customer Success Manager at Autodesk. With over 10 years of experience across engineering, services, and product management, she is passionate about driving value-based conversations that help solve customer business challenges. Anjelica is driven by creating meaningful connections through vulnerability and strives to create space for others to be their authentic selves. Away from Autodesk, you can find Anjelica training for Olympic weightlifting, cooking, or planning her next travel adventure.

Whitney Watts is Director of Global Campaign Marketing at Zendesk, a company that builds software designed to improve customer relationships. Whitney is a seasoned marketer with over 15 years of experience and specializes in leading teams to build marketing strategy and programs. Whitney also serves as the global lead for Mosaic, Zendesk’s employee resource group for people of color and allies. Whitney completed her undergraduate degree in International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology and earned a masters degree in Sociology of Education from the University of Georgia. After graduate school, Whitney worked in education and women’s health non-profits then moved to San Francisco to pursue work in the technology sector. Whitney is a recent transplant to NYC and currently resides in Brooklyn where she enjoys volunteering, meeting new people, and exploring the city.

Julius Ponder is a Sr. Sales Manager at Zendesk. He’s spent over a decade growing and developing sales teams ensuring to not only create the next generation of Sales Professionals while crushing quotas, but aid in their career development & exceed their goals. Self-publishing two books and selling over 100k books globally, adds to Julius’s storytelling style when coaching and closing top-tier accounts. After taking 3 years off from public speaking Julius looks forward to the years ahead to make a big splash back in the public speaking arena and continue to develop and coach business and sales professionals he encounters!

Racquel Hill is a strategist, transformative coach and dynamic leader. With over a decade of professional experience as an educator, sales engineer, and public speaker, Racquel thrives at the intersection of education and technology. She speaks from first-hand experience about the isolating journey of being Black in tech, while actively and intentionally working to build community, increase representation in spaces and transform tech and education communities across the globe. At Zendesk, Racquel partners as a strategic consultant with account executives to bring company visions to life. By considering a customer’s pain points and performance objectives, she establishes trust with customers and creates innovative presentations that demonstrate how to use software to accomplish their business goals. In 2022, only her second year in the role, she led initiatives to train new colleagues and influenced over $2MM in annual revenue.

Prior to Zendesk, Racquel served as a clinical engineer for innovative medical device development where she programmed implantable devices for pain management and heart failure. More recently she served as a Founding Director at a college and career access organization in Atlanta where she worked across multiple schools and districts. She has served on the school governance board for a local high school as they attained STEM certification and expanded their offered coursework. Given all her experiences working with high schools and in the post-secondary landscape, Racquel strives to transform the college admissions process so that students can thrive beyond their K-12 experience. As the CEO and founder of A City on The Hill, Racquel provides intentional and personalized student coaching and has created college access curriculum, led workshops, and coached students to earn over 500 admission offers and over $40MM in scholarships and aid. To partner, you can connect with Racquel via her website.

LaChelle Drayton is a Senior Director of Talent Management at Optum, UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune 5 company. She is a transformational leader, skilled in the development and delivery of strategic talent solutions within a global, matrixed organization. In her role, she works directly with senior executives on the development and execution of their talent strategies. She has 15+ years of experience in Human Resources, attained industry certifications, and been wildly successful in multiple industries, including Healthcare, Technology, Agriculture, and Higher Education. LaChelle is recognized as a trusted advisor, inspirational thought leader, and public speaker, where leaders value her unique capabilities for assessing, developing, and mobilizing talent at all levels of the organization.

LaChelle earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Manufacturing from Iowa State University. She is an alumnus of UnitedHealth Group’s Emerging Leaders Program, UCLA’s Executive Leadership Program, and IBM’s Leadership Development Program. She was twice-named INROADS Inc. Business Partner of the Year and is a previous proud member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s Scholarship Advisory Committee.

LaChelle currently resides in Minneapolis, MN. In her free time, she has honed her jewelry-making skills and develops creative jewelry designs.

An award-winning creative authentically telling stories, creating change, building movements through the online global village of almost 30,000 Black Moms Connection, making DEI work real and relatable through her firm Color In White Spaces and a thought leader on Black motherhood, recently doing a TedxToronto talk on the very subject. From editorial and social media copywriting to racial representation to public speaking - Tanya brings her fresh brand of authenticity everywhere she goes using the power of storytelling to change the world.

Derrial Christon is a versatile and charismatic entertainment TV host & producer based in Los Angeles. He currently serves as a host & field producer for CBS� ‘Destination L.A.�, a travel series which also airs on Roku. Derrial is also a regular contributor to Entertainment Tonight Canada, helping break down celebrity news and hot topics. Derrial got his break in entertainment while working at VIBE Magazine when he was asked to interview Mariah Carey. It was Mariah who inspired Derrial to pursue a TV hosting career. From there, Derrial went on to co-create the digital network Black Hollywood Live (BHL) and has interviewed numerous celebrities and influencers to date such as: Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Leonardo DiCaprio, Janelle Monae, Tyler Perry, John Cena, Jay Ellis, Tiffany Haddish, and many more. Derrial has also covered some of the most iconic red carpets events such as The Grammys, The Oscars, Emmys and SAG Awards. Television Journalist Maria Menounos also hand picked Derrial to co-host her weekly podcast “Conversations With Maria Menounos� on Sirius XM Radio. Derrial has also held on-air roles at the Reelz Channel and served as a live event host for BET Networks. Derrial’s producing credits include the hit OWN series ‘Ready To Love�. Derrial graduated from The Ohio State University and is a proud Ohio native.

Joy Taylor is a Barry University alum and an accomplished national media personality, television, radio, podcast, play-by-play, event, moderator and host. After nearly two years hosting UNDISPUTED, Joy traveled across the FS1 Studio where she currently co-hosts with Colin Cowherd on The Herd, weekdays from 12-3 PM ET. She is also a play-by-play analyst for Thursday Night Football - “Scouts Feed� on Prime Video and Twitch and the host of “The Joy Taylor Show� Saturdays 2-4 PM ET on Fox Sports Radio. Joy has quickly become a fixture on the national sports media scene. Originally from Pittsburgh, it was Joy’s “Steel City� grind that guided Joy as she built her career. Working in both FM and AM radio, Joy started her career while at Barry University in Miami Shores, interning and producing for a variety of Miami radio giants before landing a position as co-host of 790 AM ‘The Ticket’s Morning Show�, as well as host of ‘Thursday Night Live� and ‘Fantasy Football Today� on CBSSports.com. After three years of entertaining listeners each weekday morning, Joy traded coasts and moved to Los Angeles to join FS1. As the host of UNDISPUTED, Joy sparred with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe on a daily basis and has covered some of the biggest events in sports including the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, MLB All-Star Weekend, the U.S. Open and the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight. Her comfort in diverse subject matter is reflected in the eclectic list of individuals Joy has interviewed, including the likes of Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Super Bowl MVPs Eli Manning and Drew Brees, boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya, rapper and entertainers Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Last year, Taylor established a scholarship for Barry University students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Communication disciplines in order to support the next generation of journalists and broadcasters. She noted at the time that a personal goal of hers is to foster diversity in the industry. She also founded the Joy Taylor Foundation, the nonprofit's mission is to serve the homeless, survivors of domestic violence and promote education and youth empowerment in the communities of Los Angeles, Miami, Pittsburgh and NYC.

Imani Bashir is a travel expert and TV host who is an ambassador for marginalized people, creating conversations that shift culture from her unique POV as a Black Muslim American woman. Imani began her career in sports broadcasting as a sideline reporter. Since then, she has lived in five countries while expanding her career in media to include editorial roles with Travel Noire and BlackLove.com.

Imani has also worked with brands such as Oprah Magazine, Travel & Leisure, The Points Guy, Parents, and Forbes. Additionally, Imani and her writing have been featured by outlets such as: The New York Times, Glamour Magazine, Business Insider, OWN, NBC, BBC, and FOX Business. Imani is also the creator of The Takeoff Collection, a line of multifunctional luggage and travel accessories.

Imani is originally from the Washington D.C. area, which is where she currently lives. She is the mother of an elementary age son. The experience of life as an expat family is a topic Imani passionately shares with all audiences.

In 2021, Imani was honored with the Adweek Shine-A-Light Award and by the Society of American Travel Writers.

Imani graduated from Delaware State University with a B.A. in Communications & Journalism.

Imani is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Writers Guild of America.

Brianna Harmon is a TV host and podcast host at The Millennial Mommies Club. Brianna Harmon, better known as "Bri", is a television host covering all things entertainment, culture, career, and lifestyle. Bri has hosted events and special content for Sean Combs' REVOLT TV network, worked on projects for BET, played a key role on the talent team for HBCU Buzz, and is the founder of the 'What Women Need' expo and conference series. A mom to two young girls, Bri has created 'The Millennial Mommies Club', which lives on The Ebony Covering Black America Podcast Network. The podcast dives into discussions about mental health, family life, finance, love, and more.

Opal Wagnac is Sr. Director of Global Market Intelligence at UKG—a seasoned technologist with over 20+ years of experience in developing software solutions. From programmer to product director to marketing executive, she has gained incredible insights as well as developed her own niche perspectives on navigating the world of tech as a person of color. As key supporter and active member of UKG’s BUILD (Black U Krewers in Leadership and Development) and FIRE (Female Inclusion, Resilience, and Excellence) Up employee resource groups, she makes it her mission to share her knowledge and influence others to dream, achieve their goals, be great at whatever they do, and to look good doing it.

DEI Strategist & Speaker | Certified Personal & Executive Coach | Workplace Culture of Inclusion Geek | Big Fan of Mid-Managers | Inclusive Leadership Enthusiast

Adunola Adeshola is a millennial career strategist and founder of employeeREDEFINED.com. She helps high-achieving corporate professionals secure new jobs they love at companies they love. She’s also a Forbes contributor where her career column on how to land a new job has been read more than two million times and her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Bloomberg and other publications. Through her signature coaching program, she’s been on a mission to help high-achievers recognize, own and show their value so that they can stop playing small, boost their confidence, and land amazing jobs they love. Her clients in dozens of industries have landed job offers at top companies such as Google, ViacomCBS, Vogue, Tiffany & Co., Sephora and other companies they love. She also uses her insight from coaching hundreds of top-performing employees to consult companies on how to empower top talent to thrive at work.

An experienced change maker, Zara prioritizes the disruption of harmful systems, creating and facilitating brave spaces and opportunities for individuals to explore their intersectional identities, and empowering every individual to bring their whole self to work. Utilizing a holistic approach, she excels at collaborating with key players to craft strategic vision and operationalizing strong action steps to elevate workplace culture to a healthy culture of belonging. With an extensive background in Human Resources, operations, and programming within the non-profit, education, and tech sectors, Zara keeps a focused eye on the long-term mission and ensures she infuses humor in everything she does along the way. She’s also not afraid to openly share her love for Brooklyn and donuts!

Experienced in DEI, relationship management, conflict mediation and management, coaching, Human Resources, compliance, financial and budget management, administration, and auditing.

Account Executive at PowerToFly

Noelle Johnson is a Global DEI Strategist and Trainer with over a decade of experience working in operations across industries and has been recognized for her expertise on mentorship and sponsorship. Noelle has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, NPR, and more.

Quinn Conyers partners with meeting event and event planners to transform their events into epic experiences as a compelling Keynote Speaker and Energetic Emcee. She has over 17 years of virtual and in-person speaking, event hosting and Emcee experience. Quinn takes pride in unleashing the voices of Entrepreneurs, Executives and Speakers so they can communicate with confidence, charisma and clarity on ANY virtual or in-person platform or podium.

Quinn has an impressive history as a professional speaker and Emcee. She has spoken for organizations like Nike, Maryland Public Television, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Meeting Planners International and the Black Speakers Network to name a few. Quinn is the author of 2 books, made it to the 2nd round of Shark Tank auditions four times, been featured on the Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch TV show as well Essence, Black Enterprise, Vision and Purpose and Empowering Women to Speak Out Magazines.

Quinn is a proud member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), sits on the Board the Global Black Women Chamber of Commerce (GBWCC), was named 1 of 20 Black Women Entrepreneurs to Watch and a Distinguished Alumni from her high school in 2021. Quinn has taught Speech Communications for 5 years at Coppin State University, earned a Bachelor's Degree from West Chester University and a Masters from Howard University in Washington DC.

If you are requested or required to speak on behalf of their business, brand or in your career pay close attention, Quinn’s presentation has your name written all over it�

Dionna recently joined the team at Thumbtack, serving as their Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Dionna held the title of PowerToFly’s Director of Global Diversity & Inclusion, Learning & Development. Prior to joining PowerToFly, Dionna served as the Head of Global Talent Strategies & Recruitment Programs at Delta Air Lines. Dionna was named to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 list and is a regular featured speaker at conferences. She is most proud of being the mother of five outstanding children.