Ascent: Inclusivity in Business Events
Denise Lee Yohn
Yohn is a go-to expert on brand leadership for national media outlets, an in-demand speaker and consultant, and a writer.
Bernadette Smith
Smith is the founder and president of the Equality Institute, which allows businesses to serve their LGBTQ customers and colleagues more effectively through unconscious-bias training.
Samantha Ettus
An inspirational work/life expert and entrepreneur, Ettus aims to motivate women to achieve their greatest potential. She is the best-selling author of five books including The Pie Life: A Guilt-Free Recipe for Success and Satisfaction and makes frequent TV appearances.
Kristy Tillman
A former designer at IDEO, Tillman is known for looking for ways to push design and integrate best design practices across digital and print.
Leigh Stringer
A workplace strategy expert and researcher, Stringer works for EYP, an architecture, engineering, and building technology firm. She is the author of two bestselling books including The Healthy Workplace: How to Improve the Well-Being of Your Employees — and Boost Your Company’s Bottom Line.
Clara Shih
A former Microsoft engineer, Shih worked at Google and Salesforce.com before developing the first social-business application for Facebook, called Faceforce. Hearsay Social is an enterprise social-marketing tool used by JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Allstate, among others. She’s a frequent keynote speaker on the topic of social media.
Michelle Gielan
Gielan, the author of Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change, studies the link between happiness and success.
Sara Ross
Ross, who describes herself as a “vitality advocate,” expanded her SARAjROSS + Co. Consulting firm with research arm BrainAMPED, which develops, tests, and curates strategies to transform how people work and live.
Karen Baker
Baker, of 7Concepts design consultancy, specializes in digital marketing, design research, strategic planning, engagement, and experiential marketing.
Julianne Kanzaki
Kanzaki is a self-described “wellness architect” who received a master’s degree in public health from Loma Linda University and has more than a decade of experience working as a clinical dietitian.
Shirley Davis
Davis, who has a Ph.D. in business and organization management, is president and CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, which specializes in such areas as talent management, diversity and inclusion, and personal and professional reinvention.
Tara-Nicholle Nelson
Nelson’s startup, SoulTour, is a technology and media platform for upliftment and spiritual well-being. She is the author of three books, including Transformational Consumer: Fuel a Lifelong Love Affair With Your Customers by Helping Them Get Healthier, Wealthier, and Wiser. Previously, Nelson was chief marketer of MyFitnessPal. She recently was named by Business Insider as the No. 1 woman Silicon Valley tech companies should be naming to their boards.