Dr. Ronicka Harrison-Briscoe is a dynamic leader and interdisciplinary scholar, revered for her unwavering commitment to education and community transformation. With a career that spans nearly two decades, Dr. Briscoe's tireless dedication, expertise, and genuine passion have earned her a well-deserved reputation as a change-maker. Beyond her remarkable career in education, Dr. Briscoe is equally passionate about community transformation. Her commitment to change is exemplified through her extensive involvement in non-profit board service. Among many honors, Ronicka was recognized as a 2023 Xavier University of Louisiana 40 Under 40, 2022 City Business Woman of the Year, 2023 Teach for America Community Leader of the Year, and University of Holy Cross Community Service Award Recipient (2022).

Mary Beth Ritchey, BSN, MSPH, PhD, FISPE has spent her career dedicated to better understanding medical product safety and effectiveness within the “real world” where patients are managing new and chronic health conditions in an increasingly complex health care system. She enjoys leading multi-stakeholder international clinical research, strategic planning and coordination of scientific programming, development of actionable policies, and enabling rigorously accurate plain-language information to aid patients, clinicians, and other decision-makers to make informed choices about medical products. Dr. Ritchey is grateful for advice from mentors and hopes to help others to work toward whatever success looks like in their own lives.

Natalie Robinson is a highly accomplished senior leader with over 19 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical-Biotech industry. As a visionary leader, she brings an enterprise approach to her role, focusing on strategy development and execution. Natalie's passion for leading people and impacting the business is evident in her inspiring and impactful leadership style. She is best known for her exceptional leadership skills, which have earned her multiple nominations as leader of the year, ultimately winning the prestigious award in 2020. With expertise in people development, sales, marketing, market access, analytical, and matrix management, Natalie is a well-rounded professional with a track record of success. Her ability to navigate complex business challenges and drive organizational growth furthers her reputation as an esteemed leader in the industry.

Emigrating from Manila to LA as a child, Mylene Barizo never imagined a corporate career. Challenging cultural and family expectations, she rose to VP of HR at Enterprise Holdings and served as the Sr. Executive Director of HR to the CIO at The Boeing Company. Mylene led teams, innovations in HR, and built people strategies with executives. Find her blog, services, and projects focused on diversity and elevating women/BIPOC talent at www.leadership-ladder.com.

A proud UCLA Bruin, Mylene now calls Seattle home when she isn’t exploring beautiful places on the planet and savoring fabulous food!

Natalie Benamou, MBA, accelerated her career to leadership positions in both the trade show industry and non-profits. She has a serve first approach to life and leadership. She has held executive board director positions, advisor and mentor to women leaders and served as President on nonprofit boards.

Turning her passion to action, Natalie is the Founder and CEO of HerCsuite® Leadership Programs and Network. She is the President and Founder of the non-profit Her Health Equity which brings together patients, caregivers, women leaders, payers, providers, and industry to create health equity for women. She speaks routinely, serves as an emcee for large events, and is a serial podcast host with over two-hundred interviews hosted.

Dr. Echell Eady is a first-generation college graduate with a strong affinity for those seeking to improve their circumstances through learning and work. Owner of Eady Consulting Group, she specializes in employment attainment and retention. A nationally certified Career and Education Advisor, Dr. Eady develops strategies to reduce employment barriers, advance economic empowerment, and promote family education. She is a Board member for Read to Succeed and serves on the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center’s advisory council. Dr. Eady and her husband Sean are the proud parents of three sons: Tony, Ryan, and Ross and doting grandparents to Dani Ariyah Eady.

Dr. Justin Grimes, born and raised in Little Rock, AR, is the author, consultant, and motivational speaker. Dr. Grimes has a BSBA in Computer Information Systems, a Master's in Workforce Development Education from the University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the University of Georgia. Dr. Grimes owns Stick With It LLC, an education and consulting business that connects individuals and organizations to information and resources to build momentum toward success. Additionally, he specializes in making graduate education more equitable and accessible.

Dr. M.L. “Cissy” Petty is an experienced executive leader in higher education. She also serves as a conscientious leadership coach and consultant, with expertise, authenticity, and confidence. Cissy has a keen understanding regarding strategic planning, including organizational and leadership development. She has a Ph.D. in Higher Education, Florida State University; selected for the postdoctoral fellowship, Upsilon Nu Chi Distinguished Scholar in Counseling, University of North Carolina-Greensboro; Harvard University Senior Institute for Higher Education Management; Nationally Certified Counselor; Board Certified Coach; Executive Leadership Coaching Certification, Georgetown University.

Churni Bhattacharya is a digital transformation leader with extensive experience in technology transformation, focusing on vision, strategy, roadmap, and implementation to enable best-of-class customer experience and measurable success. She has a proven track record of transforming the legacy landscape into next-generation SaaS platforms, transformational change, leadership building, high-performing teams, and delivering outstanding results.

She has also worked at First Republic Bank, Intuit, Accenture, JMN Consulting, and Ernst & Young. She led technology strategy initiatives for several different Fortune 500 financial services companies and delivered numerous large technical implementations. Churni started her career as a software engineer with an MS in Computer Science from Pune University and a BS in Physics from Jadavpur University.

Karen is a poet, author, and knowledge seeker. She is the founder of Bridge Arrow, a Chicago-based management consulting firm focused on making businesses more profitable by maximizing return on equity for investors, shareholders, and employees. Karen's understanding of humanity has taken her to live in and travel to over seventy countries on six continents. She allows each culture to leave an imprint on her, which informs the way she moves through the world.

Stevie Montgomery is a scientist with over twenty years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. They hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Indiana University. While they are proud of their career helping to provide life-saving and quality of life-improving drugs to patients who need them, they are equally as proud of their advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community. They have volunteered for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and have led corporate global efforts to improve diversity and inclusion, specifically seeking to make the workplace more affirming for LGBTQIA+ team members. In addition, they are an author, a parent of both humans and dogs, a distance runner, and a hiker.

Cindy holds a Doctor of Public Health in Biostatistics with emphasis on epidemiology from UNC, is a Fellow of the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology, and founder of a consulting firm working with pharmaceutical companies to make evidence generation more efficient and meaningful. She has published extensively in scientific literature and is currently writing a book on her son’s struggles with addiction and his journey beyond death. She is keenly interested in research on more effective treatments for addiction. She enjoys travel, especially safari and exotic birds, and spending time with friends and family.

Stephanie has built a career in the Life Sciences industry contributing over a decade as an engineer and shifting to a business focus. Committed to promoting women in STEM, she volunteers at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) mentor network where she provides situational coaching for college students, those early in career, and women seeking changes. She believes in paying the lifechanging mentorship she has received forward. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Bucknell University, an M.Eng. in Biochemical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Stephanie enjoys distance running, local hikes, backpacking, camping, and international travel with her husband, Aaron.

Marilyn Vetter has thirty years leading and developing teams in the biopharmaceutical industry. While building expertise in government relations and providing access to therapeutics is her expertise, what makes her soul sing is mentoring women to become confident and empowered leaders. Marilyn’s passion to serve includes a lifetime of volunteering with organizations that speak to her passions which include life sciences, professional development, hunting dogs, wildlife and habitat conservation. Her professional and personal worlds collide in her newest role as the President and CEO of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, the nation’s leading organization committed to conserving upland birds and wildlife through habitat improvement. Marilyn leads the passionate 450-person team and expands awareness of their critical work. In her free time Marilyn enjoys traveling, writing, hiking, and hunting with her husband Clyde and their German shorthaired pointers

Dr. Belinda Higgs Hyppolite has dedicated her career to advancing the voice of the voiceless and decrease barriers to student, faculty, and staff success. Her career in Higher Education spans over twenty-seven years at five large research institutions. She has served in various leadership roles and helped to build pathways for success.

Dr. Higgs Hyppolite’s commitment to advancing social justice allows her to lead with clarity and focus on increasing access, promoting equity, and building spaces of inclusion. As a social justice advocate and educator, Dr. Higgs Hyppolite believes that access to education is a right, not a privilege. She supports and advocates for many.

Dr. Zenobia Tantra is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a specialty in male and female pelvic floor healing from conception to menopause and beyond. She was trained and educated at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Rosalind Franklin University, and the University of Chicago, Copley in Aurora. Dr. Zen deploys Western and Eastern modalities, including traditional pelvic floor therapy, energy medicine, and complementary alternative medicine, at her clinical practice ZenXuality. Dr. Zen exudes passion, energy, and joy. She aspires to empower her clients and enable them to embrace their health, positivity, happiness, and well-being.

Praba Koomson is a highly motivated and talented doctoral-prepared healthcare leader and academic educator with experience across the care continuum. Praba has proven expertise in the implementation of strategic, operational, and innovative approaches to care delivery in diverse backgrounds including Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, specializing in population health, practice research, and interprofessional collaborative practice, with a focus on delivering care that seamlessly matches the needs of individuals and communities. She speaks nationally and internationally on a range of health and social care issues and is passionate about how care delivery aligns with the choices, values, and preferences of individuals and communities. She has been grant-funded for her work with different organizations. She loves to travel with her family to learn about other cultures.

Amanda is a recruitment and enrollment management professional, faculty member and holds a doctorate in business administration. Amanda’s passion for helping others achieve their goals and build lives they are proud of fuels her daily work. Amanda leads by example and is dedicated to building a happy and supportive work environment to ensure the success of her team and the best experience for the customers. Amanda lives in South Carolina with her husband, two beautiful and lively children, and sweet basset hound. In the moments of spare time she has, Amanda enjoys traveling, reading, hosting events for her coworkers, and watching British baking shows.

Dawn Kutza holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and currently teaches undergraduate professional skills courses in the Kelley School of Business and courses on the topics of Individual and Societal Well-being for Indiana University. She has spent 20 years applying the principles of psychology and education to develop skills and optimize performance in professionals and students. Her specialties include: Applied Positive Psychology Practitioner; Human Performance Technology, Communication and Professional Skills Training, Thriving Relationships, and Organizational Development. She has an 18-year old son and two huge cats.

Jen has an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, a BA from Indiana University and is coaching certified from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching . Jen has developed the Brave Women at Work brand, hosts the Brave Women at Work podcast, and offers coaching services to women who are looking to get to the next level in their careers. You can listen to the Brave Women at Work podcast on Apple, Google, Stitcher, and Spotify. Connect with Jen at www.bravewomenatwork.com or via LinkedIn.

Yalonda J. Brown is committed to empowering others through her mission of embracing her divine purpose by improving the lives of others, especially women and girls. Yalonda currently serves as the President of Diversity Initiatives for Engage Mentoring in Indianapolis, IN. She holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, and a host of certifications including being a Certified Child and Youth Care Practitioner. Whether it is via public speaking or her published works, Mrs. Brown uses her various platforms to inspire and motivate others to live according to their purpose. She is a seasoned professional with a host of accomplishments in both private and public sectors.

Betsy holds an MS in Health Systems Management, is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, received her coaching certification from Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and team coaching certification from Gateway Team Coaching Institute. Additionally, she is a Transformational NLP Master Practitioner. She has published research articles related to her work with advanced illness management. She is a national speaker and faculty to several healthcare professional organizations.

Shelia is an accomplished speaker, facilitator, and a certified Executive & Leadership Transitions Coach. She specializes in helping aspiring executives and leaders to successfully transition to their next level of leadership. She believes in people, values, and leading with heart. As the owner of ShiggsB Coaching, she incorporates her knowledge of leadership, people, communication, and energy to create a transformational experience for her clients. Shelia has a Managerial MBA from University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, an MSEd in Student Affairs Administration from Indiana University - Bloomington, and a BS in Mass Communication/Political Science from Southeast Missouri State University.

Hope is an executive and author. She has published two inspirational memoirs, Hopey and Counting Hope, and a guided journal, Become. Hope is the founder of Hunter Street Press, a boutique publishing company focused on motivational material that positively impacts readers. Hope is ardent about given back and founded Hunter Street Charity. Hope splits her time between Tennessee and Nevada. She is a voracious reader, dabbling artist, and an avid thrill seeker. Hope loves traveling, exploring and relaxing with her best friend and partner, Brad Mueller. Hope is proud of the strength and confidence of her four daughters and grandsons.

Georgie is a professional certified coach, a mediator and senior HR professional, a Master NLP Practitioner, and a long-term user of the Silva Method which helps her guide this journey on earth more effectively. She is passionate about helping others in their holistic development. She believes that there is a success story inside of everyone. That story is waiting to be unleashed upon the world. Today, as mediator, a life and career transition coach, and a holistic leadership coach, Georgie helps others to create their own success stories in life, careers, and in their relationships.

Trisha received her master’s degree in Management from New Jersey Institute of Technology, Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Human Resources Management Certificate from Rutgers University. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and the International Coaching Federation. Trisha is currently pursuing a Professional Coach designation from the Institute for Professional Excellence is Coaching (iPEC). Trisha lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their two playful dogs. She enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, shopping, preparing meals, and sharing laughter.

Kim has gone from being a University of Georgia graduate to becoming a career woman in the Hospitality and Meetings Industry, to full-time-parent, statewide community advocate as a Board Member for Georgia Parent Teacher Association (PTA), business owner and then single mom, and back to school again. Kim is certified in Cultural Mastery and has completed a Cornell University Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion. You can read her Building Bridges newsletter on Linked In or reach out to subscribe. Contact Kim for networking, executive coaching, and to learn more about building effective team communication. You can connect with Kim on LinkedIn or www.kimellet.com.