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Experts

Meet The Collective Experts

The Collective is unique in that it features multidisciplinary experts from diverse backgrounds and industries who set specific direction toward achieving innovative, sustained performance. The Collective develops, facilitates and executes a customized strategic plan for optimizing business and wellness goals, as well as to adapt to changing environments. 

Angela Benton

Angela Benton

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Streamlytics & Technology Entrepreneur

 

Angela Benton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Streamlytics, a next-generation data intelligence ecosystem that helps everyday people and companies ethically access consumer-data streams. She is a pioneer of diversity in the technology industry and raises awareness around the inequalities that exist in the industry.

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In 2011 she founded NewME (acquired), the first accelerator globally for minorities. Through her leadership NewME has accelerated hundreds of entrepreneurs helping the nascent companies to raise over $47 million in venture capital funding and served as a breeding ground for some of today’s top venture capital investors at firms like Andressen Horowitz, Kapor Capital, and others.

To date, Ms. Benton has received numerous accolades, some of which include Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business and their Most Influential Women In Technology, Business Insiders’ 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology, ADWEEK’s 2020 Women Trailblazers, and many more. In addition, Ms. Benton has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets including CNN’s award winning documentary series Black in America: The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Inc, Forbes, Good Morning America, and the Wall Street Journal where she was a featured essayist for the paper’s 125th Anniversary edition on The Future of Entrepreneurship.

At the helm of Streamlytics, Angela continues to uncover untapped spaces in technology and innovation.

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Grammy Award Winning Rapper, Musician & Actor

 

The music that three time Grammy Award winning and Golden Globe and Emmy nominated Wyclef Jean has written, performed, and produced — both as a solo superstar and as founder and guiding member of the Fugees — has been a consistently powerful, pop cultural force for over two decades. In 1996, the Fugees released their monumental album The Score. Since then, Wyclef has released eight albums as a solo artist that have sold nearly nine million copies worldwide, including his 1997 debut The Carnival and 2000’s The Eclectic: 2 Sides II a Book. 

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In March 2019 Wyclef released Wyclef Goes Back to School, a collaboration with students he met while touring the United States and visiting colleges across the country. In December 2019, Wyclef announced the launch of his music publishing and distribution company Carnival World Music Group, with the support of entertainment industry finance firm Sound Royalties. Last year Netflix announced the production of an untitled animated project based on the real-life story of Wyclef’s childhood in Haiti, which will be co-produced by Greg Silverman’s company Stampede and have Jean as the film’s composer. 2020 also found Wyclef venturing into the podcast industry as the host of RunThatBack, a one of a kind weekly show for music lovers of any type, where Wyclef interviews heavy hitters from all walks of life, from music, to sports, politics, and beyond. He also teamed up with Google in the fall of 2020 to create a jingle for their #BlackOwnedFriday campaign to promote and support shopping black-owned businesses for Black Friday during the holiday season. This campaign has won a Webby Award, and has been nominated for a Clio Award, among others. In his most recent project, Wyclef has stepped in as composer for season four of Showtime’s The Chi, a show created by screenwriter and actress Lena Waithe.

 

Mori Taheripour

Mori Taheripour

Faculty, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Principal, MT Global Strategies, LLC

 

A globally recognized executive, Mori Taheripour has over two decades of Negotiation, diversity and inclusion (D&I), and sports industry experience. She teaches Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she has served on the faculty of the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department for over fifteen years and is a six-time recipient of awards for excellence in teaching. Mori is also a co-founder of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI).

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As Principal of MT Global Strategies, Mori serves as a cross-sector consultant for a diverse client base that includes Fortune 100 companies, foundations, major sports leagues, professional associations, and universities. Current and past clients include: Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), Goldman Sachs Foundation, Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), National Football League (NFL), NFL Players Association, The Timberland Company, United Parcel Service (UPS), USA Track and Field (USATF), Wasserman, Wells Fargo and the White House Fellows Program.

With extensive experience leading initiatives at the intersection of sport and social change in both the public and private sectors, Mori was appointed the first-ever Senior Advisor for Sport for Development at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2010. She served for four years as the senior U.S. Government Representative tasked with promoting sport as a unique and powerful tool in the advancement of United States international development goals.

Mori serves on the Board of Trustees of the Women’s Sports Foundation and is a founding Advisory Board Member of the Sports Leadership & Administration Undergraduate Degree Program at UMass, Boston. She is a regular contributor to sports discussions on Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM and was featured in ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary, Broke.

Mori earned her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University. Her first book, Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly was published in March 2020.

Gale S. Nelson

Gale S. Nelson

President & CEO Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami

 

Gale Nelson was born in Lincoln, Neb., and grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he began his pursuit of personal and professional success. He has worked his way up the ladder the hard way—always confident, determined and focused on his goals, and building strong personal relationships. Gale earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Corporate Finance from the University of Toledo and his Master of Science in Management and Administration of Educational Programs from Nova Southeastern University (Davie, FL).

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Gale has earned eight doctoral hours in Non-Profit Leadership at Colorado Technical University (Colorado Springs, CO). Some of Gale’s accomplishments include: June 2018 selected by the Harvard Business School to participate in the Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management for CEO’s from around the world. In March 2016 he was recognized as one of the 12 Good Men of South Florida by the Ronald McDonald House. And in February 2014 Gale was recognized as one of South Florida’s Most Powerful Professionals in Business and Industry by Legacy Miami Magazine.

Gale’s professional career includes over 20 years of nonprofit management and leadership experience. Currently, he is the President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, and since joining the team in July 2006, he has played a significant role in the growth and development of the agency’s mentoring and fund development programs. Prior to joining Big Brothers Big Sisters, he served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at a moderate risk residential school for court adjudicated boys for twelve years.

Gale is a highly effective public speaker and the consummate strategist who provides solution-focused leadership. His faith and his family continue to keep him grounded in helping youth and families.

Monique Idlett-Mosley

Monique Idlett-Mosley

Founder & Managing Partner Reign Ventures Capital

 
 

Monique Idlett-Mosley is a globally recognized entertainment and business pioneer. Her power and influence stem from a unique blend of business acumen and innovative strategic vision. By adeptly traversing the spectrum from entertainment, marketing, press and entrepreneurship, she has earned a reputation as an industry visionary. Her expansive reach into the hearts and minds of people across the world is transforming the way people interact with each other and iconic brands.

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For over fourteen years, Monique served as the CEO of Mosley Brands and Mosley Music Group, home to a multi-platinum roster of artists. In 2017, Monique founded Reign Venture Capital, an early stage investment firm that focuses on women and minority-led start-ups. Then, in 2018 she founded The Art of Collaboration to change the narrative of business. In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Monique is well regarded for her philanthropic work. As the Founder and Executive Director of Always Believing Foundation, Monique finds innovative and empowering solutions to promote self confidence in young girls. She also sits on the boards of several nonprofits and as 2014, Monique has served as a National Trustee for The Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Emil Michael

Emil Michael

Former Chief Business Officer at Uber

 

Emil Michael is the former Chief Business Officer of Uber, Inc., the global leader in ridesharing. Emil is one of Silicon Valley’s most highly regarded business executives, having built three successful companies: Tellme Networks (sold to Microsoft in 2007), Klout (sold to Lithium Technologies) and Uber. Emil has extensive global experience as the key driver of Uber’s efforts in China and Russia that resulted in more than $10 billion in market-value creation.

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While at Uber, Emil struck partnerships with some of the world’s largest companies including American Express, AT&T, Daimler, Softbank, Tata Motors and Toyota. Emil led the acquisition for Uber that became the core of its Advanced Technology Group which is developing autonomous vehicles. Emil started his career at Goldman Sachs where he was an investment banker for a short period before heading to Silicon Valley and becoming part of the founding team of Tellme Networks. Tellme was a pioneer in speech recognition technology and systems and is highly regarded for weathering the technology bust of 2000 and building a sustainable and profitable business.

In 2009 Emil was selected as a White House Fellow working for the Secretary of Defense as a Special Assistant. During his tenure at the Pentagon, Emil ran projects in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan as well as a department wide budget cutting effort aimed at reducing overhead and bureaucracy. The Secretary of Defense asked Emil to stay on beyond his term which he did through January 2011. Connecting the dots between his government service and work in Silicon Valley, Emil created UberMilitary, a program at Uber for military veterans and their families. Currently, the program has over 100,000 participants who have earned over $340 million.

Emil has been a leadership coach and mentor to dozens of young CEO’s over the years. Emil serves as an advisor or investor in over 20 start-ups around the world furthering his commitment to helping the next generation of entrepreneurs build and scale.

Emil understands technology at both a product and engineering level giving him the ability to partner with technical leaders and divisions to ensure synchronicity with a company’s business goals. Emil has a particular passion for artificial intelligence, big data, computer vision and robotics. He is considered to be one of the most successful Egyptian-American business people in the world.

Erica Duignan Minnihan

Erica Duignan Minnihan

Founder and Managing Partner Reign Ventures

 
 

Erica Duignan Minnihan is Founder and Managing Partner at Reign Ventures, a Seed Stage Venture fund that invests in technology and tech-enabled businesses. She is also Founding Partner of 1000 Angels, a private venture investment network for select accredited investors, family offices, and venture funds.

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Erica has been an active venture investor and advisor to early-stage companies for over 15 years and was previously an investment banker. Before launching Reign and 1000 Angels, Erica was a Managing Director at DreamIt Ventures in NYC. She also served as a founding Executive Director at both STAR Angel Network and Golden Seeds. Prior to beginning a career in venture, she practiced Investment Banking at Citigroup, Credit Suisse and Cantor Fitzgerald.

Erica earned her BA in Business Economics from UCLA and an MBA in Finance with honors from Columbia Business School. She has also made regular appearances on network television for MSNBC and CNBC on “App Wars”, “ Your Business” and “Crowd Rules” as a startup business expert.

Dr Samineh I Shaheem

Dr Samineh I Shaheem

Dean and Executive Director of Hult International Business School

For more than twenty years, learning and development has been the main focus of Dr Shaheem’s career in a deep and deliberate manner, through the application of psychological and adult educational principles and practices.

The intertwined nature of multiple roles throughout her career (such as a Learning & Development Senior Consultant, university professor and various leadership roles) are inseparable and constantly leveraged to engage in purposeful work to make a positive impact.

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So when Dr Shaheem works as a consultant or coach, her comprehensive and broad academic background colours and frames both the process and product of that engagement. Similarly, as a university professor, Dr Shaheem’s consulting projects breathe life and relevance into her lectures.

As Dean and Executive Director of Hult International Business School, Dr Shaheem merges and manages the kaleidoscope of her experiences in order to inspire, educate and transform lives by helping both staff and students progress towards their potential. Furthermore, Dr Shaheem’s reach and impact extends across multiple continents through different dimensions. For close to seven years, she was a co-host on a talk radio show called ‘Voices of Diversity’ and had a monthly column called ‘Psyched Sundays.’ She has published a number of books and articles, is a senior research fellow and regular keynote presenter at conferences & Tedx speaker. She was also the founder of the first anti bullying campaign in the UAE, ‘Bolt Down on Bullying’ and the founder and director of Balanced Leadership Circle, an association that aims to confront and prevent gender inequality. Through her social media platforms, she has touched the hearts and minds of many people worldwide.

On International Women’s Day in 2018, Dr Shaheem was recognized by the Mayor of London for her extraordinary contribution to the UK.

Colonel Gregory B. Coleman, USAF, Retired

Colonel Gregory B. Coleman, USAF, Retired

CEO and Co-Founder of Nexercise, Inc.

 
 

Gregory Coleman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Nexercise, Inc., the creators of the popular Sworkit digital fitness platform. Sworkit provides personalized, convenient,and efficient workouts to any screen and is the leading platform for delivering on-demand, dynamic exercise content to consumers, employers, and schools.

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Greg has over 25 years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors and led Nexercise/Sworkit from concept to a market leader. His company was identified as one of, “2017’s 10 Most Innovative Fitness Companies” by Fast Company and has been featured in ABC’s Shark Tank, CNN, Bloomberg, and over a hundred other publications and channels. Greg is also a Senior Advisor in the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit where he advises the development of strategies to identify the technology needs of the Department of the Defense that can be met through commercially available technology.

Previously, Greg worked with the National Security Innovation Network where he created the portfolio that brings startups, venture capital, and the defense industry together to solve some of the most pressing strategic problems in DoD. He spearheaded Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contracting efforts, pitch events, and DoD partnerships with TechStars and Mass Challenge.

Greg is a retired Air Force Colonel and Command Pilot with over 3,500 flight hours and 60+ combat and combat support missions. Greg was a Squadron Commander and commanded one of the first missions in support of the 2005 national response to Hurricane Katrina. He also serves on several boards, including the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, The Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, and Leadership Montgomery. Greg holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Gina Ford

Gina Ford

Global Commercial Agent for Team Usain Bolt

 

Gina Ford is a dynamic and talented marketing executive, business negotiator and business manager with a wide array of resources to help her leverage her experience, knowledge and network in elevating elite athletes, celebrities and entertainers. She currently serves as a Global Commercial Agent for Team Usain Bolt.

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She is responsible for marketing for Usain Bolt’s brand development and sponsor relations throughout the USA and the World.

Gina Ford was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and has also resided in California with deep knowledge and connections she has developed not only in the entertainment industry and athletes in California, Miami, but also worldwide.

For over twenty years, Gina has led marketing and sponsorship negotiations for several of the top elite athletes, entertainers and CEO’s in the world.
Her deep knowledge, experience, as well as her outstanding alliances with the top corporations and her celebrity clients, has given her great success in the marketing and branding world. Focused on results, Gina has built strong relationships with top Fortune 500 Companies like Jordan, Puma, Nike, Under Armor, PepsiCo, Gatorade, Nissan, just to name a few, with whom she has successfully negotiated and closed some of the biggest endorsement deals for her clients.

Shervin Pishevar

Shervin Pishevar

Investor & Entrepreneur

 

Shervin Pishevar is a serial entrepreneur and investor. As co-founder of Sherpa Capitala leading Venture Capital (VC) firm with $650m under managementhe is also co-founder and first Executive Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One. Shervin was GP of Sherpa Capital from 2013 through 2017 and helped raise and invest more than $650m. He is one of the top-ranked venture capital investors, averaging more than 73x on his investments. 

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Forbes recently ranked Shervin #93 on 2017’s The Midas List for the top 100 VC list in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.  Shervin is one of the top ranked venture capital investors, averaging over 73x on his investments. Forbes recently ranked Shervin #93 on 2017’s The Midas List for the top 100 VC list in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Shervin previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Uber and Board Observer from 2011-2015 and Strategic Advisor, Wag, Machine Zone, Cue Health, Munchery, Pillpack Board Observer and others. He has supported many charities and served on the non-profit boards of Build.org (along with Jack Dorsey) and as advisor to the Malala Fund. Shervin is co-founder of Sofreh Capital and Pishevar Haynes Foundation.

In 2011, he joined as Managing Director at Menlo Ventures, a VC firm with over $4 billion under management and led key early investments such as Uber (Series B), Machine Zone (Series B), Warby Parker (Series A), Tumblr, and Getaround and others. He initiated the Menlo Talent Fund and helped close over 35 seed investments including Parse (sold to Facebook) and Scan (sold to Snap). As an angel investor, he made over 100 seed and angel investments in Dollar Shave Club (sold Unilever for a $1 billion), Postmates, Cherry (acquired by Lyft), TaskRabbit, Parse, Qwiki, Gowalla, Milk, Socialcam, and Klout.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Shervin founded and operated companies Virgin Hyperloop One, Webs.com (acquired by VistaPrint), SGN (now JamCity, a leading mobile game developer), WebOS and HyperOffice. Companies he founded have reached an aggregate of over 100 million users.

Shervin was selected as an Ellis Island Medal of Honor award winner and was appointed by the President Barack H. Obama to serve on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in 2015. He was also chosen by the U.S. Government as an Outstanding American by Choice, one of the only 100 naturalized Americans to be chosen. He served on the advisory board of Comscore, and was 1 of the 10 members of the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council, served as an entrepreneurial ambassador in several State Department delegations and was a keynote speaker at President Obama’s Summit on entrepreneurship.

Stacey Sher

Stacey Sher

Film & Television Producer

Stacey Sher is a two-time Academy Award nominee and an Emmy Award nomineereceiving the honors for Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Erin Brockovich,” as well as for “Mrs. America,” an FX limited television series airing on Hulu that stars Cate Blanchett. Sher also recently served as an executive producer on the Academy Award-winning documentary short “Period, End of Sentence,” which was co-produced by her daughter, Maggie Brown.

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Sher has produced more than two dozen major motion pictures amassing nearly $2.2 billion at the global box office and has also produced nearly a dozen TV series and TV movies. Current projects for Sher include the upcoming biographical Aretha Franklin film, Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson and the television series The Devil in the White City – with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sher is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America. She has been the recipient of many honors, including the ACLU for her commitment to film and TV projects that are empowering, inspirational and thought-provoking, dealing with issues from education, social justice to censorship. In 2007, Freedom Writers, which was produced by Sher and written and directed by Richard LaGravenese, was the recipient of the Humanitas Prize. World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone and produced by Sher, was chosen for the 2006 Christopher Award, which affirms the highest values of the human spirit. Sher was also the recipient of the 2002 Mary Pickford Award from USC School of Cinematic Arts (her alma mater) and the Women in Film Independent Vision Award in 2000.

Among all her accomplishments, she is most proud of raising her two socially conscious children with her incredible husband, musician/producer, Kerry Brown.

DJ Irie

DJ Irie

Musician to Mogul

 

Calling Miami home, DJ Irie is a major supporter of numerous local and national non-profit organizations, and plays an active role with the Irie Foundation. By approaching the Foundation with the same unwavering passion, energy and commitment that has allowed his career to thrive, Irie and his team continue to expand the scope of the Foundation’s efforts.

In addition to his work in the community, DJ Irie is an international sensation with a contagious enthusiasm and larger-than-life personality. While he’s certainly an authority on electrifying any party, the Irie Music brainchild is no ordinary DJ. 

 

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Currently serving as the official DJ of Carnival Cruise Lines, Irie’s partnerships range among several “Who’s Who” of blue-chip companies and brands, including the 3-time NBA World Champion Miami HEAT and superstar Jamie Foxx. The St. Croix native is also the man behind Irie Music, Corp., coowner of Loose Anchor Clothing Co., Pucci’s Pizza and Venture Projects, LLC venture capital. He’s the #1 choice for countless celebrities and high-profile events everywhere from South Beach to Singapore, and has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, including the American Music Awards, MTV VMA’s, FIFA World Cup, International Premier Tennis League, Daytona 500, Super Bowl, and NBA All-Star, and at corporate events for Louis Vuitton, Google, Red Bull, Hublot, and General Motors, just to name a few.

Recognized worldwide for his tremendous talent and sharp business acumen, he has picked up numerous accolades, including the Global Spin Awards’ National Club DJ of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year awards, Charles E. Perry Young Alumni Visionary Award, Grey Goose’s Rising Icon Award and the Southern Entertainment Awards’ Nightclub DJ of the Year. He is a mainstay on “Good Morning America,” and has been featured on “Conan,” “The Early Show,” MTV, and E! Entertainment Television, as well as in Fortune Magazine, Forbes, USA Today, Us Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, and countless others.

Julie Michael

Julie Michael

Sales & Event Expert

 

Julie Michael was most recently a sales leader at IfOnly, focusing on talent booking for Fortune 500 tech organizations such as VMware, Salesforce and others. Additionally she ideated and sold high-end gifting programs for American Airlines and American Express’ top customer tier. Julie was the top salesperson within IfOnly, now wholly owned by MasterCard, from 2014 – 2019.

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Prior to IfOnly, Julie worked for a media start-up (acquired) and ran marketing on the West Coast for Benjamin Moore Paints. Throughout her career she has run events for internal and external audiences ranging in size from 5 – 15,000 attendees.
Julie Michael lives in Miami Beach with her husband, daughter and the multitudes of iguanas that occupy her backyard. She makes a point to put her daughter to bed each night as it reminds her of what is truly important.  

Bita Milanian

Bita Milanian

SVP, Global Marketing

 

Bita Milanian is a highly respected marketing executive who is passionate about giving back to her community. She currently serves as the SVP of Global Marketing for Ribbon, a publicly traded global communications tech company that serves 140 countries. She previously served as the Executive Director of Farhang Foundation and is the founder of the creative agency Butterfly Buzz, which supports humanitarian work, young artists and non-profits to enable them to optimize their brands. 

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A passionate community organizer, Bita volunteers her time and expertise in support of numerous causes and is a popular speaker at various conferences on the topics of technology, philanthropy, art, culture, social justice and gender equality.
She was recognized by Conscious Company Media as one of the top 35 World-Changing Women and by Capacity Media as an Agent of Change during their Women in Tech 2019 Awards, Bita was also recognized recently as part of the 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch in 2020 by CIOLOOK MAGAZINE.

Bita is a Forbes contributor and member of Forbes Communications Council. Although an Angeleno for over 30 years, Bita considers herself a global citizen. She is fluent in Persian and German, and proficient in conversational Spanish, French and Azeri.

As a seasoned traveler, she has had the pleasure of experiencing cuisines from various corners of the world. She is passionate about creating and sharing healthy dishes at BitaKitchen.com. “Food connects us,” Bita writes, “and when we are connected, we have the power to bring cultures together for positive change.” Bita Also hosts and produces the monthly radio show “B the Change” airing on KIRN670AM.

On a personal wellness note, she is an avid ballroom/salsa dancer and receives great joy from being married for over 20 years and spending time with her friends, family, and beautiful grandchildren.

Dr. Alvin Haynes, MD, MBA

Dr. Alvin Haynes, MD, MBA

MD, MBA, SFHM, Hospitalist & Chief Medical Officer, HCA

 

Dr. Alvin Haynes, MD, MBA, is a dynamic healthcare executive with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare delivery and leadership. In 2011, he was honored as a Senior Fellow of Hospital Medicine by the Society of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Haynes has worked in all settings of healthcare delivery: government, academic, for-profit and not-for-profit. He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at two leading Florida medical centers for HCA, the largest health system in the world. 

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Previously, he served as CMO of Regional Medical Center of San Jose, a level II trauma center for all of Central CA.
Before joining HCA, he served as VP of Medical Management for Cogent Healthcare’s Western Business Unit (managing 125 physicians in 12 hospitalist programs across 4 states). He also has served on the faculty of Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine as one of the first 4 hospitalists hired. At Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, he was Clinical Assist. Professor of Medicine Univ. of South Florida, School.

Dr. Haynes received a B.S degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist Univ., and M.D. from Emory Univ., and MBA degree from the Wharton School of Business at the Univ. of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Haynes is a leader in healthcare strategy, quality and management. As a compassionate clinician, he is most fulfilled by advocating for and educating patients/families to empower them to fully understand their medical care and options.

Hailing from New Orleans he is a Jesuit Graduate and a lifelong fan of the Saints, eclectic music, and creole food. He is an avid runner and proud member of Black Men Run and enjoys mentoring underserved populations. Alvin’s greatest joy in life is his family – and raising his two bi-cultural sons (aged 14 and 21) with his amazing wife of 21 years.

Dr. Dara Bushman

Dr. Dara Bushman

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Rapid Resolution Therapist & Author

 

Dr. Dara Bushman is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Rapid Resolution Therapist and Author who appears on numerous media outlets to share healing and expertise on trauma, family, athletic performance, eating disorders, women’s issues, and COVID counseling and wellness.

Dr. Dara utilizes Rapid Resolution Therapy to gently and effectively clear blocks and achieve dramatic transformation that includes immediately decreasing levels of anxiety and increasing clarity, so as to reach full physical and emotional balance. She has a diverse clinical background, working with individuals, couples and families.

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Dr. Dara is committed to helping you gain clarity, find peace and awaken your power to get you unstuck with quick and effective shifts that tap into your inner champion to win the game of life. Dr. Dara lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, two young children, two Italian Greyhounds and one gentle-giant Greyhound. Dr. Dara continues to be a competitive athlete at heart and lives an energetic, zestful lifestyle.

Dr. Jacqueline Del Rosario

Dr. Jacqueline Del Rosario

President /CEO ReCapturing the Vision International, Inc

 

Known as “America’s Marriage Coach,” Dr. Jacqueline Del Rosario has developed proven tools to help couples in their relationships and discover healthy approaches to marital circumstances across all borders. As a marriage coach and wife for more than 20 years, Dr. Jacquie travels coast-to-coast discussing the plights attached to the institution of marriage and underprivileged families.

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Dr. Jacquie’s mantra derives from the idea that the foundation of any society starts in the individual homes of people. Dr. Del Rosario also founded ReCapturing the Vision (RTV), a globally recognized nonprofit dedicated to helping the youth and their families overcome negative trends that lead to generational cycles of failure and dependency. ReCapturing the Vision’s programs have received over $20 million in federal, state and local funding.

As a marriage coach and certified state-approved premarital course provider, Dr. Del Rosario has developed proven tools to help break generational cycles of hardship that have crippled so many families. As a recognized public speaker Dr. Del Rosario has dynamic topics for singles, married couples, professional associations, universities, and churches. As an educator, author, advocate, counselor and visionary, Dr. Jacquie holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master’s in Education, and a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership. She resides in Miami, FL with her husband of over 20 years and two sons.

Alicia D. Farina BA, RN, IBCLC

Alicia D. Farina BA, RN, IBCLC

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) & Registered Nurse (RN)

 

MilkNKisses Lactation Services was founded by Alicia Farina, a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and registered nurse (RN). Alicia founded the company with the belief of “breastmilk and babies, the perfect combination.” 

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MilkNKisses focuses on supporting breastfeeding families through expert consultation and education. We’re here to support families through shallow latches, sore nipples, low milk supplies, or any other challenge that might arise. We work hard to lead our patients through a successful breastfeeding journey however difficult that journey may be.

In a previous life, Alicia worked at Cedar Sinai Medical Center, and now enjoys being a wife and mother of 3 (1 adopted, 2 biological, all breastfed) and learning to play the violin in her spare time.

Angela Yu Bae

Angela Yu Bae

Executive Director, Zimele USA| Owner / Event Designer Angi & Co

 
 

Angela currently serves as the Executive Director of Zimele USA where she manages the organization’s operations, development and strategic growth in the US. Her journey with Zimele began when she visited South Africa in 2014 to see the programs at work first hand. Since then, she has served as a Zimele Ambassador and on the Board of Directors in support of furthering its mission to confront the root causes of poverty through the empowerment of women in rural South Africa.

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In addition to her work with Zimele, Angela is the Owner/Lead Event Designer at Angi & Co., where she works with both private and corporate clients to design and execute visions for events of all sizes. Angi & Co has been listed in the (201) Magazine Best of Bergen category for Event/Party Planner in 2019 and 2020. Prior to Angi &Co, her background includes over 10 years in communications/PR, marketing and product development for companies including IKEA, Vitra and Maharam. Angela strongly believes in using her skills and network to serve her community and other female entrepreneurs through volunteerism, mentorship and strategic partnerships.

Angela received a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Cornell University and an A.A.S. in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design. She currently resides in Northern New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Kirk Williams

Kirk Williams

Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel

 

Kirk Williams is an accomplished corporate and securities attorney with more than 25 years’ experience working with public and private technology companies. Kirk is also a husband, father, coach and martial artist. Working in dynamic industries and evolving financial landscapes, Kirk counsels the Board and executive leaders as a trusted advisor on the strategies and best practices critical to global business success.

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Kirk is highly valued for his full-scope leadership of commercial and legal matters. With extensive M&A experience, he has negotiated and closed large global deals and transactions, including acquisitions, company sales and mergers, divestments, and Chapter 11 reorganization. He also offers a strong record of finance and investor relations, including successfully raising capital, establishing and revising corporate governance, and driving stockholder engagement and approval. As a Compliance Officer, Kirks cultivates a culture of compliance through policy development, training, and awareness-building across global operations.

His added expertise spans Global Strategy, Intellectual Property, Risk Management, HumanResource/Employment Law, and Litigation across multiple tech-sector industries.

Marsha Ershaghi Hames

Marsha Ershaghi Hames

Mentor & Advisory Coach

 

Marsha Ershaghi Hames is a partner with Tapestry Networks, leading their corporate governance practice. Tapestry Networks mission is to advance society’s ability to govern and lead across the borders of sector, geography and constituency. She advises non-executive directors, C-suite executives and in-house counsel on issues related to governance, culture transformation, board leadership and stakeholder engagement. Prior to her current role,, Marsha spent nearly two decades as managing director of strategy and development at LRN, Inc., a global governance, risk and compliance firm.

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As an international speaker and thought leader, she has been interviewed on CNBC, CNN, Ethisphere, HR Magazine, Compliance Week, The FCPA Report, Entrepreneur.com, Chief Learning Officer, ATD, Corporate Counsel, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. She hosted the “PRINCIPLED” Podcast, profiling the stories of some of the top transformational leaders in corporate governance. She is an expert fellow on USC’s Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making, on the Advisory Board of USC’s Dornsife, LMH Strategies, Inc. an integrative supply chain advisory firm and Compliance.ai, a regulatory change management firm. Marsha holds an EdD and MA from Pepperdine University. Her BA is from the University of Southern California. She is a certified compliance and ethics professional.

Marsha’s greatest lessons of leadership have emerged through the gift of motherhood. Her personal evolution rose through balancing a career, pursuing her penultimate degree, and raising two young adults to be grounded in their bi-cultural identity. None of her growth would have been possible without the supportive confidence of her greatest champion and accountability partner, Lamont Hames. Her husband’s primary objective every day is to make her smile. Striving for wellness and mental balance is a dynamic part of her continuous learning. Exercise and playing the piano are her balance beams.

Gazelle Hashemian

Gazelle Hashemian

Technology Entrepreneur

 

Gazelle Hashemian is a seasoned technology entrepreneur with broad experience in both the public and private sectors. She recently launched BluJuniper, a technology services firm focusing on delivering technology solutions to governments and companies. She is a member of the socially impact focus investment group, WE Capital (a consortium of female investors who, through their investment in Rethink Impact, support gender diverse management teams using tech to help solve the world’s greatest challenges), and co-founder of Project Turquoise non-profit organization.

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Prior to her current endeavors, she led her technology firm, Paragon Technology Group, which she co-founded. Under Gazelle’s leadership, Paragon grew organically from a revenue base of $1M in 2003 to over $41M in 2011 serving the public and private sectors’ management consulting and technology services needs. Paragon was selected to the Inc. Magazine 5000 list in 2010 and 2011 and recognized as a high performing government contractor.

Formerly, Gazelle was the Director of IT at Broadband Office, CIO of Picus, Director of IT at Teligent, and held other management and engineering positions at MCI metro and Hughes Network Systems. Gazelle earned a Masters in Telecommunications from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from George Mason University. Gazelle lives in Washington DC and Miami.

In addition to Paragon’s awards, she has received the SmartCEO Brava Award and SmartCEO 100, inducted to the George Washington’s school of engineering hall of fame, among many others. Gazelle is passionate about helping families in need around the world and advancing females in the workforce.

Gazelle is a believer in nurturing multiple aspects of one’s wellness in order to gain clarity and stay grounded. Her life has revolved around family, career, philanthropy, community, and personal health. She enjoys sharing her experience in her endeavor to manage it all with her network of peers and mentees.

Rebecca Williams

Rebecca Williams

Educational Consultant

 
 

Rebecca Williams is an educator with more than 25 years of teaching and leadership experience in both public schools and elite private schools. Having earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Elementary Education, she has served in various leadership positions within schools, including as summer school principal, department chair, literacy liaison, curriculum development lead and mentor teacher. Current roles include Middle School Diversity Coordinator, Grade Level Dean and Seventh Grade Writing Teacher at The Harker School in San Jose, CA.

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Committed to continuing her own education, Rebecca has participated in the Challenge Success Program through Stanford University, National Diversity Practitioner Institute, and several other programs focusing on school climate and culture. She also has been active as a leader in the San Jose Chapter of Jack and Jill of America for over fifteen years.

Born in Austin, TX and Raised in New Orleans, LA, Rebecca combines a bit of NOLA sass with an open mind. Nothing is more important to her than relationships and her understanding that behind every decision and action is a person doing his or her best. She is the mother of three children. Having sent the first child off to college, Rebecca has grown a few new gray hairs and gained several nuggets of parenting wisdom. Her three children continue to teach and push her to reflect and grow.

Rebecca enjoys a good Peloton ride, but not quite as much as wine with friends. If she could find a way to keep the wine from spilling during her ride, she may well be unstoppable.

Tamara Clay, Esq.,JD, MBA, SHRM-SCP

Tamara Clay, Esq.,JD, MBA, SHRM-SCP

Head of People and Culture

 
 

Tamara Clay is an HR leader, employment lawyer, and startup enthusiast. Her focus is creating engaged, high-performing teams through talent development, strategy, and people-driven initiatives. She has led HR at high-growth startups in transportation, technology, and consumer goods, such as Virgin Hyperloop and Bolt Mobility. Prior to her HR work with startups, Tamara managed her own law firm as an attorney and business consultant representing business owners and corporate executives in Florida. She received her JD and MBA from Stetson University and her undergrad degree from Howard University.

Morgan Mercer

Morgan Mercer

 

Morgan is a sought-after thought leader, public speaker, two-time founder, angel investor, startup advisor, and global visionary in the field of immersive technology. She holds the distinction of being a solo BIPOC female founder who has raised over $1M in venture capital funding– putting her amongst the 006% of Black Women who have achieved this feat. A fixture in the media, she has been featured in over 135+ publications including Vogue UK, Forbes, and CNN.

As a speaker and advisor, Morgan constantly seeks to push the bounds of technology. Whether gracing the stage of UN Women, or as a guest instructor at Oxford and the University of Maryland, her talks have inspired many. She is also a Network Advisor and a Program Judge for Headstream Accelerator, backed by Melinda Gates as well as the Trill Project, among many other ventures and pursuits in the world of business.

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In her free time, Morgan enjoys mentoring BIPOC and female founders, skydiving, traveling, and meditating. She lives in Los Angeles where she oversees her company, Vantage Point, and is working on her first book.

Sheetal Kalidindi Certified RYT-500

Sheetal Kalidindi Certified RYT-500

Yoga Instructor

 

Sheetal Kalidindi practices Vinyasa flow yoga, a powerful and dynamic system that combines asana and pranayama. She completed her 200 Hour RYT under the expert guidance of Ganga White and Tracey Rich at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara. In addition, she trained at the renowned Krishnamcharya Yoga Mandiram in India and in 2015 assisted Noell Clark.

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She completed her RYT 500 hour advanced Yoga teacher training geared to bring the more therapeutic benefits of yoga to specialized populations, from Niroga Yoga. The focus of this year-long training included bringing yoga to athletes, yoga for stress management, for the aging population, and cancer patients who wanted to regain strength after invasive therapies.
Sheetal assisted in bringing yoga to San Francisco’s football team the 49’ers. She was instrumental in reshaping their fitness and wellness protocols by providing Yoga to the 49’ers teams. The focus shifted to build more flexibility and mindfulness to the athletes to help prevent game related injuries, overall wellness and mental fitness.
Currently, she teaches vinyasa flow with aspects of functional movement in a mixed class online. She also teaches chair yoga to seniors. She believes yoga and functional movement helps us stay healthy, strong and eventually age with grace and dignity.
Her goal this year is to make yoga accessible on-line to all athletes, youth and underserved populations.
Sheetal encourages all her students to find their personal Yoga and to use the asana practice as a tool to expand their consciousness and to bring more awareness to their mind, body and spirit. She aims to guide each student into that place of peace and calm by linking breath and movement.
When she is not teaching, Sheetal loves spending time with her family and their newly adopted Goldendoodle puppy in Austin, Texas. Loki!

Dr. Parmis Khatibi

Dr. Parmis Khatibi

Chief Operation Officer, Ahura Healthcare Corporation

 

Dr. Parmis Khatibi is the Chief Operation Officer of Ahura Healthcare Corporationa family of companies providing comprehensive medical, laboratory and pharmaceutical services. Ahura is also a premier provider of comprehensive pain-management services, primary care health, laboratory and mental health. Under Dr. Khatibi’s direction, the company recently expanded to include mental health and wellness services. Ahura’s positive reach has touched the lives of thousands of patients who have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic.

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Dr. Parmis Khatibi is also an anticoagulant and antithrombotic clinical specialist at University of California, Irvine Medical Center as well as a Clinical Adjunct Professor for the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy and USC School of Pharmacy. She is also a part of the Dean’s Advisory Group at Chapman University School of Pharmacy. Americans are living longer, thanks to medical advancements, but they’re often unable to access or afford care.

A daughter of educators, Parmis was exposed to and embraced science early. Teaching and treating the underserved is also in her DNA. She spends her days with patients fighting opioid addiction and other life-threatening diseases. Away from the clinic, she’s fighting stereotypes and lifting up young women.Prior to her matriculation for her doctorate, Parmis was a high school teacher in a poverty stricken area of south central Los Angeles. She implemented many programs that dealt with gang prevention as well as self-esteem and self-confidence issues for young women.

Parmis is engaged in solving some of the most pressing issues of our global economy and has served as the youngest female Chairwoman for the World Affairs Council of Orange County, an Orange County Board of Supervisors Appointee to the HIV Planning Council, and is currently the statewide Vice-President for California Women’s Leadership Association and Chair, Generations Council of Farhang Foundation and on the board of Advancing Science in America to boost American leadership and aid in advancement in science and technology.

Parissa Behnia

Parissa Behnia

CEO & Business Whisperer, Sixsense Strategy

 
 

Parissa Behnia coaches C Suite and Senior leaders who are high will-high skill and have a growth mindset. In other words, they’re badasses like you who go 80MPH in a 45MPH zone. These days, leadership is full of complexities whether you’re navigating from an audacious goal or trying to avoid that iceberg up ahead. In either case, Parissa’s clients choose her because she’s either sat in those seats or next to those seats often enough to know how it can feel to be alone in a crowded leadership room. She’s unafraid to speak truth to power to help propel you forward.

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With over two decades of corporate, consulting, coaching and – let’s be honest real life experience, Parissa’s key strategic difference is Empathy. Empathy in business is more than being nice to one another, it’s a strategic imperative. It means that leaders create context and understanding so that they do a better job of serving their customers AND engaging their teams. She’s so passionate about the application of empathy in business that she’s developed the Sixense Empathy Model for her clients to employ. And, she wants all of us to put empathy at the forefront of how we engage with everybody.

One of Parissa’s favorite things to do is to stand in front of a whiteboard – real or pretend – to help clients imagine what the world could look like and then propels them as they navigate to that vision of success. This work enables clients to put together pieces of the puzzle to create the “A-Ha!” or “Eureka!” moment that ignites action. She leans into the discomfort of the unknown and invites her clients to embrace all of their talents (even ones they don’t recognize or value fully) to create their own paths out of the unknown.

Bella Miranda

Bella Miranda

Executive Advisor, Executive Strategic Coach & Celebrity Life Coach

 

Bella Miranda is an Executive Advisor, Executive Strategic Coach and Celebrity Life Coach to a wide array of influential leaders affiliated with Fortune 100 companies, the space industry, the entertainment industry, world leaders, CEOs and board of directors members.

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Bella has participated in Virgin Unite Leadership Gatherings and is a member of Virgin Unite and the Disruptors Group. Bella has sat on numerous prestigious non profit boards. Currently, Bella is on the Board of Directors for Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Advisory Board for Space For Humanity, Space Ambassador for NSS, and has been asked to be part of the Brookings Institute, UNICEF, XPRIZE Vision Circle and many more. Bella is certified and/or trained in Micro Expression, Strategic Leadership, Body Language Surveillance and Emotional Intelligence

Becoming a Robbins-Madanes certified life coach was her next step in self discovery and another experience to tap into in order to have access to every available tool from the best leaders and teachers around. She has chosen a more specific path of counseling and has opted to work with a select number of world leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities and public figures on a one on one basis versus offering group guidance.

Bella is Passionate about the Private Space Sector, Climate Change, Advising and Creating Innovative Thinking in Individuals and Companies. Bella is a captivating public speaker and author of 2 upcoming books based on her training philosophies and success. Whatever time is left in her busy life is devoted to philanthropic causes, primarily those focusing on helping children, saving the planet and positive change on Earth.

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