Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of DC for 2023. As the nation’s capital, DC is the center of the federal government and is home to countless women who are making a positive change within the country and inspire others to do the same. These women are leaders in policy changes and consulting, educational advancements, financial services, and more. Each of them embodies the courage, passion, and commitment that propel their organizations forward year after year.
Among this year’s awardees is Veleka Peeples-Dyer, who wears many hats as Opentrons Labworks’ Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary; she uses her twenty-six years of experience advising companies on regulatory, legal, and global compliance matters. Awardee Ashley Coneff, Vice President of Government Affairs and Impact at Inspire Brands, is well-known throughout the hospitality industry for her success in promoting and defending the interests of restaurant brands and small businesses and for helping them achieve their sustainability and governance goals. Also awarded is Jessica Lightburn, Vice President of Goldman Sachs, who partners with leaders across the country on the programming for One Million Black Women, the firm’s $10 billion commitment to narrow opportunity gaps in the lives of at least one million Black women by 2030.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of DC for 2023.
1. Ashley Coneff
VP, Government Affairs & Impact, Inspire Brands
Ashley Coneff is an interdisciplinary leader in government affairs and in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) with experience as a litigator, public servant, and lobbyist. She currently leads both the government affairs and impact teams at Inspire Brands, serving more than 3,400 franchisees and more than 32,000 restaurants. Her team engages in policy at all levels of government and inspires a 30+ billion company to be a better steward of the world’s resources and to better care for the communities they serve. She is well-known throughout the hospitality industry for her success in promoting and defending restaurant brands and small business and helping them achieve their sustainability and governance goals. Ashley also has demonstrated success in facilitating organizational process and change.
After graduating law school in her home state of Michigan, she began her career practicing law in prosecution and later at a business litigation firm. She then joined the Michigan Supreme Court as a liaison to legislative and executive branch agencies. Following success in both the public and private sectors, Ashley found her passion in the restaurant industry. She first joined the Domino's Legislative Affairs team, where she worked on both state and federal public policy, and after three years, she joined Dunkin' Brands in various progressing roles, culminating in senior director of federal and state government affairs. When Dunkin' joined the Inspire Brands portfolio in December 2020, she was promoted to VP of government affairs and ESG, where she now leads the lobbying efforts of all seven brands as well as ESG strategy for the second-largest restaurant company in the United States.
Ashley serves as a board member of the National Restaurant Association, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and the National Council of Chain Restaurants. She also serves as a steering group member of Serving Europe, an organization which represents food and beverage chains in Europe. Finally, Ashley serves on the board of the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, which works to bring the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness.
One of the reasons Ashley is passionate about the restaurant industry is the opportunities that it provides to many in need. Ashley is engaged in a multitude of career development initiatives, both related to Inspire Brands and external to her career there. One in which Ashley finds fulfillment is her participation as a mentor in Inspire Brands’ Igniting Dreams program which aims to promote upward mobility for restaurant team members. Ashley was also selected as one of ten Find Your Grind mentors, a curriculum designed to change the conversation around career exploration, focusing on social emotional learning, equipping students with the tools and confidence to be future ready in this ever-changing modern world.
2. Kristine Korva
Principal, Deloitte US Consulting
Kristine Korva is a Principal with Deloitte US Consulting, one of the world’s leading firms for business strategy, operations, technology, and human resource planning, with a Government & Public Sector (GPS) practice of over 25,000 professionals, including over 8,000 clearance-holders. Kristine leads Deloitte’s Intelligence Community (IC) sector, one of the firm’s highest priority areas for growth, pioneering new strategies to leverage Deloitte’s commercial practice to help IC clients utilize external partnerships to meet mission objectives, reimagine the mission and the future of work, trust, and power, and to apply advanced analytics, data science, and automation across both open and client data to enable, protect, and accelerate operational actions. Since stepping into the role of IC Leader, Kristine has prioritized developing a comprehensive strategy for a hyper-scaled, transformative, and mission-centric business that will make the nation a more safe, secure, and just place. Her focus has also been on fostering a culture of inclusion, development, recognition, and fun and challenging orthodoxies, failing fast, and making bold investments that open doors, enhance Deloitte’s brand, and ensure we stay ahead of emerging trends critical to our national security. Prior to serving in this role, Kristine spent over 20 years serving IC clients.
One of the firm’s leading experts in Workforce Talent Strategies and talent experience, Kristine also serves as an executive leader in Deloitte’s US Talent organization, driving HR strategy and transformation across all Deloitte US businesses. She is passionate about empowering the modernization of HR organizations through enhanced technology, refreshed operating models, and innovative strategies that transform the talent experience.
Outside of these positions, Kristine is one of the firm’s prominent LGBTQIA+ leaders and spends significant time identifying and coaching Deloitte’s next generation of leaders. She is passionate about investing in others and maintains an open-door policy for all - preferably over coffee and bagels. She is known for leading with authenticity, asking tough questions, and her sense of humor. Kristine holds a master’s degree in organizational development and strategic HR from Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree in business administration from The Catholic University of America.
3. Jennifer Joyce
Partner, EY
Jennifer Joyce is a Partner at EY, a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy and transactions, and tax services. As a leader in EY’s Forensic & Integrity services practice, Jennifer brings over 15 years’ experience in the areas of Information Governance and eDiscovery consulting. She works with Fortune 500 companies to navigate the challenges related to information management, complex data privacy and data protection requirements, and effective legal hold, preservation and discovery response processes. Jennifer also provides technology solutions and services to support companies during investigations, litigation, audits, transactions and to resolve other business-critical issues. She is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to emerging technology, evolving regulations and recent case law related to Information Governance and eDiscovery.
Jennifer joined EY in 2008 as a senior associate, and spent the last decade leading talent initiatives that provide coaching, mentorship and development opportunities to her teams. She is a member of EY’s talent leadership team and has held various positions across EY’s professional women’s networks and DEI committees. Jennifer is a graduate of Syracuse University.
4. Mary Clark
Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Mary Clark is a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), specializing in the retail and consumer products sector. PwC's purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. PwC operates as a network of firms in 152 countries with over 328,000 people and is among the leading professional services firms in the world. Mary serves in the role of Global Client Partner to a Fortune 500 company and focuses on delivering holistic transformation solutions to her clients’ executive management team and board of directors. Mary has over 20 years’ experience providing services to global clients of the firm including SEC registrants and foreign private issuers. She has spent her career based in the US, London and Switzerland.
Mary has extensive experience leading PwC’s largest multinational engagements. She oversees teams across assurance, advisory and tax services around the globe deploying quality, innovation and consistency. Mary is known for strategically driving the solution while being willing to roll up her sleeves and execute to solve important problems. Through this approach she has developed a deep network of global partners in over 60 countries. She is passionate about empowering her teams and developing young professionals, including women to recognize their full potential.
Mary earned an undergraduate degree in commerce from the University of Virginia - McIntire School of Commerce, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Virginia, and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mary lives in Washington, DC with her husband Marcelo and two daughters Bianca and Gabriela.
5. Jessica Lightburn
Vice President, Goldman Sachs
Jessica Lightburn is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Inclusive Growth in the Executive Office at Goldman Sachs. In this role, she partners with leaders across the firm and organizations across the country on the programming for One Million Black Women, the firm’s $10 billion commitment to narrow opportunity gaps in the lives of at least one million Black women by 2030. Prior to this role, Jessica led on strategy and innovation for global events and served as an advisor to the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Jessica was the chief architect for the largest-ever convening of small business owners in America in 2018, led the launch of the firm’s small business advocacy program, and produced the first-of-its-kind Presidential Forum Series in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Earlier in her career, Jessica served as the US chief of protocol at the Department of Defense for Secretary Robert M. Gates under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. During her tenure, Jessica was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. She got her start working in the Social Office at the White House supporting President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush.
Jessica received her undergraduate degree in communication studies from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She was recently named a member of the 2023 class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars.
6. Ola Olude-Afolabi
President, Federally Employed Women
Dr. Ola Olude-Afolabi serves as the President for Federally Employed Women (FEW)—Women of Commerce (WOC) Chapter at the Department of Commerce (DOC). As the CEO of the Chapter, she oversees all activities of the chapter including conducting meetings of the Chapter and Executive Committee, serving as ex officio member of all committees, demonstrating her knowledge with parliamentary procedures and bylaws for the Chapter, standing rules and procedures. As such, her leadership in the FEW WOC Chapter creates opportunities for other agency employees, who identify themselves as women to serve on employee resource group. This opportunity allows women to feel supported, participating in events supported by DOC. FEW is a membership advocacy organization that was founded in 1968 to improve the status of women employed by the federal and DC governments. FEW works to end sex and gender discrimination, to encourage diversity for inclusion and equity in the workplace, and for the advancement of professional growth of women in federal service.
Dr. Olude-Afolabi is the AI program manager and visionary to the DOC AI Center of Excellence in the Office of the CTO, an expert in artificial intelligence systems and emerging technologies including software and systems engineering applications. Her fifteen-year government career centers on leading, implementing, encouraging the adoption of innovative and emerging technologies into operational success, and oversight of AI use cases including developing policies, governance, program plans and standards based on Executive Orders 13960, 14091, and the AI Bill of Rights. Recently, as a data scientist at NTIS, Dr. Olude-Afolabi evaluated pioneering approaches and platforms in data innovations and artificial intelligence solutions that addressed Federal data priorities by advancing the use of data as a strategic asset to achieve mission outcomes and support evidence-based policies and previously, she worked as an AI Patent Examiner at USPTO for almost 10 years.
Before joining DOC, Dr. Olude-Afolabi has over ten years combined experiences in AI systems, IT, engineering research, systems and software engineering, operations, programming, web development and quality administration including business, manufacturing, technical and research experiences with Corning Inc., State of Nebraska, State of New York, Northern Virginia Community College, Morgan State University and more. She served as the organizing secretary to African Students Association at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln spearheading the creation of the Festival of African Culture (FESTAC) to celebrate people of African descent since 1996 and celebrated to date.
7. Kimberly Ford
SVP of Government Relations, Fiserv
Kimberly Ford is Senior Vice President of Government Relations at Fiserv. She is responsible for development and implementation of the company’s global policy strategy and overall political advocacy engagement and represents Fiserv’s political interests as the company’s registered lobbyist in Washington, DC and Brussels.
Kim joined Fiserv from the US Faster Payments Council, where she was the first executive director of the organization. Prior to her FPC work, she spent 15 years at First Data, starting her career there as manager of public policy and rising to become SVP and head of global government affairs. During her tenure at First Data, she authored several policy measures that were enacted into law, she oversaw the creation of the federal political action committee, and she worked to cultivate a greater awareness about the critical role that payment technology providers play in global commerce.
Kim was a regional director for US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida prior to First Data, and she worked in lobbying and communications roles for several Florida-based business trade associations before that. She frequently covers payments issues as a featured speaker at industry and client conferences, and she has twice served as a subject matter expert witness to testify in front of the US Congress.
Kim currently serves on the board of directors for the Innovative Payments Association and the Faster Payments Council, sits on the strategic advisory board for the FinTech startup Identifee, and chairs the policy committee for the American Transaction Processors Coalition.
8. Sonia Galindo
EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, KBR
Sonia Galindo serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for KBR, a multinational company that delivers science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. Galindo joined KBR from FLIR Systems, Inc., also a multinational technology company with applications in government and defense, industrial and commercial markets, where she served as senior vice president, general counsel, secretary and chief ethics & compliance officer. Prior to FLIR, she served as general counsel and corporate secretary for Rosetta Stone Inc., an education technology software company. Ms. Galindo has also held roles of increasing responsibility in the public and private sector including the US Securities & Exchange Commission, Blank Rome LLP, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. and McCormick & Company, Inc.
Ms. Galindo serves on three advisory boards. The Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, whose mission is to positively shape and influence how corporations are governed. Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Lastly, the Association of Corporate Counsel National Capital Region Leadership Academy, a best-in-class leadership program specifically tailored to provide the next generation of in-house counsel leadership skills and tools.
Ms. Galindo earned a JD from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Hood College for Women. She is a first-generation, born and raised in Washington, DC, which is still her favorite city and where she currently resides with her significant other, Patrick, and her rescue dog, Buster.
9. Jenna Kirkpatrick Howard
SVP & Producer, Lockton Companies
In her role as Senior Vice President at Lockton, Jenna Kirkpatrick Howard works with organizations to identify, assess, and manage their financial, operational, and reputational risks. Jenna understands the goals of her clients and leads the Lockton teams in the risk management strategy, insurance program design, risk finance, employee benefit consulting, claims advocacy, and risk control. Within her firm, Jenna is appointed to the Executive Committee for the Northeast Series of Lockton Companies. She provides strategic leadership within the business that serves over 1,000 clients and 600 associates, generating revenues close to $300M. She serves on three steering committees for Lockton - Women in Leadership, the DEI Council, and Lockton CARES, the community service arm of Lockton’s culture. Jenna was the 2022 chair of the Elite Women Producer (EWP) group within Lockton. The mission of EWP is to create deeply connected and engaged producers committed to growth, accountability, recruiting talent and modeling authentic leadership.
In addition to her role at Lockton, Jenna co-founded Women's Real Estate Investment Consortium (WREIC). The consortium shares real estate investment opportunities with each other, evaluates the acquisitions, and shares connections to bring more women into the investment side of commercial real estate. In creating this consortium, they leverage the expertise of members and learn from each other in order to effectively and wisely invest in real estate.
Jenna co-authored a book for the American Bar Association titled Construction Insurance: A Guide for Attorneys and Other Professionals. In addition, she regularly hosts webinars on risk management topics and speaks at industry events such as the ABA Construction Forum, Washington Business Journal, CREW Network, Community IT, Environmental Bankers Association, CRE Financing and RIMS.
After a decade of membership in Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW DC) and four years on the board of directors, Jenna stepped into the role of Board President in 2020. This organization’s mission is to advance women in commercial real estate through education, networking, professional development, and mentorship. During her time on the board of CREW DC, she played a pivotal role in the development of the current strategic plan and championed a key objective of that plan on fostering an inclusive environment.
10. Christine Broad
Senior Vice President, Edelman Smithfield
Christine is a Senior Vice President at Edelman Smithfield, a financial communications boutique that specializes in the financial markets and strategic situations. Christine is an experienced communications professional with a background in corporate communications, financial services, and commercial real estate. She specializes in media relations and has serviced a broad range of public and private companies, where she works to develop and execute strategic communications plans that maximize client visibility and achieve critical business objectives. Leveraging her relationships with top-tier media, trade publications, and local business reporters, Christine drives media strategy across accounts and helps clients meet their earned media goals.
Prior to Edelman, Christine served as an account director at ICR, where she worked with clients in the financial services, investment management, and professional services space. She supported various thought leadership campaigns to position executives as industry leaders, generated significant media coverage in top-tier business outlets, and worked to protect brand reputation in crisis situations.
Previously, Christine worked on Capitol Hill for five years, where she served in the press offices of various members of Congress. She has experience running the press operations of political campaigns for both US House and US Senate seats. Christine attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where she graduated cum laude.
11. Jen Earyes
VP & Head of Investor Relations, Navient
Jen Earyes is a financial professional with over 15 years of experience driving revenue success while strengthening relationships and improving operational efficiencies. She has served in roles across corporate finance, M&A, and capital markets while building her track record of successful advocacy. Today, she leads Investor Relations for Navient – a provider of technology-enabled education finance and business processing solutions.
Expanding from her in-house experience, she served as the head of policy at the Structured Finance Association, where she was responsible for developing policy initiatives while ensuring industry priorities were understood and addressed across policymaking bodies. Jen played a large role in the strategy to minimize disruption across our nation’s financial system caused by the discontinuation of the global index rate LIBOR.
Throughout her career, Jen has led numerous industry committees, including serving on Federal Reserve-convened committees as chairwoman of a student loan committee and co-lead of a securitization committee, as an appointee to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Interest Rate Benchmark Reform Subcommittee and as an advisor of the Treasury Advisory Group for the Association for Financial Professionals.
Jen is actively involved in mentoring employees, helping to prepare them for leadership roles. In addition to her career, she is also a passionate advocate for financial literacy and education. She volunteers her time and expertise to help people learn how to make informed decisions about their financial future. Jen earned an undergraduate degree with distinction in finance from the School of Business at George Mason University and is designated as a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP).
12. Kristie Benson
SVP of Customer Service, Marketing & Communications, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Kristie Benson is the Senior Vice President of Customer Service, Marketing and Communications for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). A champion of communications and connector of people, she is responsible for keeping employees informed, elevating the customer experience, creating content, crafting powerful stories, gathering and sharing thoughtful insights that guide decision making and developing marketing campaigns that inspire behavioral change. Prior to her current role, Kristie served as the VP of communications and chief spokesperson where she led all external communications including media relations, content and strategic communications, digital innovation and communications, and special events. Through consistent and accurate public communication campaigns, her efforts increased public awareness and customer confidence in Metro’s service delivery capabilities.
Prior to joining WMATA, Kristie served for several years as a director of communications for the High Museum of Art, and before that, as the director of PR and media relations for Southern Gas Company. Kristie graduated from Winston-Salem State University with an undergraduate degree in communications and from American University with a master’s degree in communications.
13. Tricia Brooks
VP of Government Affairs & Policy, Eisai US
Tricia Brooks is a dynamic public affairs strategist and thought leader with over 25 years of experience in advocacy, lobbying, policy development and communications leading to outcomes beneficial to both patients and the healthcare enterprise. She has a proven track record in cultivating alliances; advancing federal and state advocacy agendas; and developing, leading and motivating high-performing teams. Her strengths include an ability to build consensus; clarify and articulate the business implications of public policy; and engage effectively with senior executives, Members of Congress & their staff, Executive branch officials, advocates, industry and media.
As VP of Government Affairs & Policy, Tricia guides, grows and represents Eisai’s research-based, human health care mission in Washington, DC and with policymakers. Acutely, Tricia and her team are working to bring a disease modifying therapy to people living with early Alzheimer’s disease through proactive solutions with the various stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.
In her role at ACHP, Tricia and her team focused on transforming the healthcare sector through legislative and regulatory proposals that fostered high-quality, affordable coverage and care to beneficiaries, while articulating the unique value proposition of provider-aligned, community health plans through various communication and advocacy channels.
During her tenure at Novo Nordisk, Tricia led a team of 30+ highly collaborative individuals to improve patient care and achieve business goals by optimizing credibility, reach, and impact. In close collaboration with the Diabetes Advocacy Alliance, the team advanced a strategy to update the US Preventative Services Task Force diabetes screening guideline; championed a CMMI demo to implement the Diabetes Prevention Program as a covered benefit under Medicare; and identified measures to drive optimal outcomes for diabetes/obesity with CMS.
Other key highlights of her career include building the Alliance Development team for BIO; integrating Michael J. Fox into targeted national campaigns to increase Congressional support for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research; and establishing the DC office for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
14. Christina Cary
Partner, Heidrick & Struggles
Christina Cary is a Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Washington, DC office and a member of the Human Resources Officers and Technology & Services practices. Christina’s search work focuses on functional roles in human resources including CHRO, CPO, divisional and regional heads of HR, and centers of excellence leaders in talent management, talent acquisition, learning and development, HR operations, total rewards and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Christina’s industry expertise is predominantly focused on the technology and services sectors, including software/SaaS and cloud, consumer-tech, fin-tech, information services and professional services. She has experience working for companies at various stages of their lifecycles, including PE/VC-backed, high-growth pre-IPO, and public, many of which are expanding globally.
Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Christina worked in the private wealth management business of JPMorgan Chase, providing customized solutions including capital advisory, investment asset allocation, and trust and estate planning recommendations for individuals within the private equity, hedge fund, and trading spaces. She began pursuing her MBA during her early years at JPMorgan Chase.
Christina is a member of the Georgetown University board of governors and served as chair of the nominations committee for two years. She is a former president of Hoyas Unlimited, Georgetown’s annual fundraising arm for athletics that supports excellence across all the university’s 29 intercollegiate sports. Christina earned an MBA with concentrations in economics and managerial and organizational behavior from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University.
15. Laila Haider
Vice President, Charles River Associates
Dr. Laila Haider is an economist and a Vice President in the Competition Practice at Charles River Associates, Inc., a leading global consulting firm that offers economic, financial, and strategic expertise to major law firms, corporations, accounting firms, and governments around the world. She provides expert economic testimony and economic analysis in matters involving antitrust, labor and employment, and false advertising issues. She testifies in federal court and in depositions and arbitrations, including in several high-profile antitrust class action matters. Her primary area of expertise is the application of microeconomics and statistics to litigation issues.
Dr. Haider is currently co-chair of the Women.Connected Committee of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law Section. The committee focuses on the recruitment, integration, contributions, and advancement of women in antitrust and consumer protection. She recently served as co-chair of the Economics Committee of the Antitrust Law Section and was also Associate Editor of Antitrust Magazine. Dr. Haider has published articles and is frequently invited to speak on issues arising in litigation. She has a PhD in economics from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in economics from Gettysburg College.
16. Tanisha Sanders
SVP of Corporate & Legislative Affairs, ITG Brands
Serving as the Senior Vice President of Corporate and Legislative Affairs for ITG Brands (ITG), Washington, DC office, Tanisha Sanders is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and policies. In her role at ITG, Sanders proudly serves as a member of the US Leadership Team and leads all advocacy, outreach, and engagement on critical policy issues at the national level. Similarly, on behalf of ITG’s complete portfolio of products. A seasoned professional, Sanders has over 20 years of experience in government and corporate affairs, while also having represented major iconic brands across the globe.
Prior to joining ITG Brands, Sanders served as head of government affairs and communications for North America’s leading provider of integrated environmental solutions – Waste Management, Inc. While there, she served as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. Akin to this, Sanders’ career is also inclusive of advancing consumer product goods for the Kellogg Company, where she led and advanced policy priorities, both at the federal and state level. A Detroit native, Tanisha’s passion for mentoring young women pursuing careers in government affairs is widespread. Driven by the African adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” Sanders continues to advocate for sustainable development and change across various communities and spaces.
Tanisha holds an undergraduate degree in political science and pre-law from Michigan State University, a Master of Public Administration from Western Michigan University, and is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, recognitions, and acknowledgments, including being honored by the Michigan Chronicle as one of its Woman of Excellence Award recipients. Additionally, she was identified as one of the nation's top women lobbyists by Professional Women in Advocacy. She was also humbled to receive the Young Alumni Award from her alma mater, Michigan State University, College of Social Science. This award is the college’s highest recognition given to a graduate who’s achieved a high level of professional accomplishment early in their career.
In her spare time, Sanders loves to travel, listen to Motown classics, and laugh with her husband and her proudest accomplishments; their four children, Lauryn, Aharon, Bryce and Ayden.
17. Jennifer M. Schlener
Chief of Staff, Association of American Medical Colleges
As Chief of Staff at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Jennifer M. Schlener supports and serves the president and CEO in his role in leading the AAMC to advance the mission of the AAMC. As a member of the leadership team, she champions and supports the implementation of the AAMC’s strategic plan and organization-wide efforts. She recently led the execution of the merger of the Association of Academic Health Centers into the AAMC.
Serving as an advisor on governance matters, she is responsible for the work of the Governance, Nominating, and Leadership Development committee of AAMC’s board of directors. She has spoken nationally on governance matters, including executive compensation, the imperative for board assessment, and continuous board improvement.
In her executive role, Jennifer oversees the functioning of the office of the president, which includes the AAMC’s strategy and innovation development function and internal audit function. Her team supports the president and CEO, the work of the board of directors, the effective functioning of the executive leadership team, and the association’s presidential awards program. She drives and champions the alignment of culture, strategy, and leadership, and facilitates, and provides leadership to internal organizational development activities.
Jennifer is a highly rated speaker nationally, an expert facilitator of strategic and organizational development retreats, and is a certified trainer of Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability. Prior to joining the AAMC in 2007, she worked at Penn State University for seven years. She began her career as a development and alumni relations professional at her alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College. Schlener is the chair of the board of directors of Physicians for Peace; secretary of the board of directors of National Medical Fellowships; a member of Franklin & Marshall College’s Leadership Council; and she served as a past board member of the American Heart Association – Lancaster Division, Ephrata Performing Arts Center, and Hershey Area Playhouse.
18. Shaama Pandya
Vice President, Cornerstone Research
Shaama Pandya leads teams in complex litigation and regulatory investigations related to securities, consumer finance, and valuation. She has more than a decade of experience managing large teams in expert discovery, motion practice, and mediation and settlement negotiations, as well as trials and arbitrations. Her work spans multiple industries, including technology, energy, pharmaceuticals, private equity and venture capital, and financial institutions. She has addressed a broad range of economic issues in her work, including market efficiency, loss causation, and damages.
Ms. Pandya has worked on matters in a variety of venues, including US federal and state courts, the Delaware Court of Chancery, and international jurisdictions, notably in Latin America and Europe. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, and earned dual undergraduate degrees in economics and cultural anthropology from Duke University.
19. Nalanie Nath
Senior Vice President, Insight
Nalanie Nath is a Senior Vice President at Insight Partners, a leading global venture capital and private equity firm. With over 500 current investments, Insight Partners strives to be the world’s best software investor. Nalanie leads operations for Insight's Onsite group, which consists of 120+ value creation experts working hand in hand with portfolio companies to meaningfully accelerate sustainable and profitable growth. After starting at Insight as a value creation expert herself advising CEOs, CROs, and CCOs, she now has the unique ability to bring her operations and portfolio advisory experiences together to design people, process, and technology-based solutions that increase productivity and day-to-day efficiency for Onsite.
Nalanie is also passionate about helping others break into software and technology. In 2021, she founded Insight JumpStart, a program for underrepresented groups to launch a career in tech. JumpStart connects portfolio companies to candidates from non-traditional career backgrounds to ultimately drive change to the software industry. Since its inception, the program has placed almost 100 JumpStart alums at portfolio companies and has led to more than $5.5M in wealth expansion for these individuals over two years.
Nalanie began her career in consulting and technology, always seeking to understand how to truly run effective businesses at scale. Prior to Insight, Nalanie led field operations at AppNexus, which was acquired by AT&T. Nalanie's expertise is focused on delivering solutions that evolve teams, as well as support the optimization of market and financial goals. She has experience working in and consulting for a variety of companies ranging from global institutions to startups.
20. Jessica Lawrence-Vaca
VP of Government Affairs, SOLV Energy
Jessica Lawrence-Vaca, is a senior government relations professional, strategist, and former Capitol Hill staffer with nearly two decades of experience in both the government and private sector. She is widely respected across the solar industry as a leader and trade expert, where she helps to develop and execute advocacy and communications strategies; interfaces with high-level government officials; builds coalitions of industry partners and third-party validators; and supports policy efforts to grow solar markets.
Jessica has spent the last decade immersed in solar trade policy, beginning with managing a coalition of over 100 solar companies and lobbying for a US solar raw materials manufacturer during two rounds of AD/CVD duties on Chinese solar cells and modules. She then came to SOLV Energy (FKA Swinerton Renewable Energy) where she collaborated with SEIA to support and lead industry advocacy efforts against the Section 201 solar tariffs. As chair of SEIA’s Trade Working Group, Jessica successfully led industry-wide efforts, including fundraising and executing a targeted ad campaign supported by industry partners, to curb an effort to initiate AD/CVD circumvention duties as well as limit the impact of the Section 201 extension on solar cells and modules by helping lead an advocacy effort for a bifacial exclusion.
Prior to joining the solar industry, Jessica spent a decade focused on foreign policy and national security issues as a lobbyist and on Capitol Hill. She speaks regularly at conferences and events on the intersection between trade, manufacturing, supply chain, national security, and labor policy as it relates to job growth and combating climate change. Jessica holds a master’s degree in national security studies from the Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree in political science and French from the University of Washington. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and four sons.
21. Becky Consolvo
VP of People & Culture, Dapper Labs
An innovative people operations leader, Becky Consolvo is currently the VP of People & Culture at Dapper Labs. Dapper Labs sees the power of play to deliver blockchain-based experiences that are made for customers and ready for the real world.
Prior to Dapper Labs, Becky kickstarted her career in the federal space in Canada before pivoting to focus her attention on key operational components within various sized technology driven companies. After leading a global contract team at Apple for almost four years, Becky was recruited to lead the North American Delivery and Operations initiatives at Tesla during the Model 3 ramp. Challenged to create streamlined and effective teams that could ease customer concerns, Becky began developing extensive training and career pathing programs to help support her employees directly. Through this work, she moved to lead the Global Energy Training, Quality, and Development organization at Tesla - striving to create dynamic learning and development that would engage employees for long-term retention purposes. While at Tesla, Becky also led the North American recruiting initiative, primarily focused on field operations and field management opportunities - bringing world class employees to continue growing the Tesla team.
After her time at Tesla, Becky utilized all she had learned through both Apple and Tesla to jump into the startup world supporting both Seed and Series A companies to help build out early-stage people operations units focused on hyper growth and sustainability. This new endeavor, 9Box Consulting, allowed her the opportunity to assist these businesses in developing the foundations of programs focused on the employee experience that stand the test of time as companies mature and grow. Regardless of how strong an idea or how innovative a product is, retention can make or break a company’s success, and that was a concept Becky drove forward through 9Box.
Wife to Brandon and mom to both Reagan and Charles, Becky spends most of her time outside with her family exploring all DC has to offer. A proud member of CHIEF and founding administrator of Moms in Tech (Mints), Becky dedicates her free time to mentoring and supporting women kick-starting their careers in tech.
22. Veleka R. Peeples-Dyer
Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Corporate Secretary, Opentrons Labworks, Inc.
Veleka R. Peeples-Dyer is an accomplished life sciences executive and corporate board member who has spent her career dedicated to the industry, advising pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and other companies on regulatory, legal, and global compliance matters, as a strategic business, legal and compliance advisor. Veleka has spent over seventeen years as senior legal and compliance counsel for publicly-traded and private life sciences companies and six years as a senior partner in major law firms advising global clients on life sciences matters. Additionally, she served as the chair of the North America Food and Drug Practice and co-chair of the Global Regulatory Group for Baker McKenzie, one of the world’s largest law firms, based out of the Washington, DC office, where she was ranked in Chambers USA for Healthcare: Pharmaceutical/Medical Products Regulation in 2021. Peeples-Dyer is on the advisory board of Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC), which is committed to promoting the career advancement of women of color attorneys and supporting global diversity in the legal profession. Ms. Peeples-Dyer is also very passionate and intentional about mentoring the next generation of attorneys and participated in the inaugural class of attorney mentors with The Bridge Builders, Esq. Veleka is a DC Founding Member of CHIEF, a private network of women in executive leadership focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. She is also on the advisory board Syridex Bio, a life sciences firm dedicated to investing in therapies that address unmet needs of underserved communities.
Veleka has received several awards and recognition for her contributions as an enterprise leader, including being named 2022 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America, Savoy Magazine; 2022 Most Influential Black Lawyers, Savoy Magazine; Healthcare, Who’s Who Legal Global Guide 2020 and 2021; Most Influential Women in Corporate America, Savoy Magazine 2019; Life Science Star, LMG Life Sciences 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021; Short-listed by LMG Life Sciences as FDA Regulatory Attorney of the Year: Pharmaceuticals in 2020 and 2021; and Most Influential Black Lawyers, Savoy Magazine 2018. Additionally, Veleka serves as a core program speaker for the Graduate Certificate Program in Healthcare Corporate Compliance, The George Washington University College of Professional Studies, biannually.
Peeples-Dyer is a graduate of Hampton University and the University of South Carolina School of Law.
23. Sarah Courtney
Chief Communications Officer, League of Women Voters
Sarah Courtney is the Chief Communications Officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States, where she leads a team of skilled communicators and marketing experts working to advance progress in democracy and elections. Since 2016, she has overseen the communications department at the League and is responsible for the organization’s digital presence, brand identity, media relations, and member communications. During Sarah’s tenure at the League, she has played an integral role in modernizing and reshaping the organization’s brand and reputation. Under her leadership, the LWVUS communications team works to increase the League’s visibility and ensure the organization’s brand and leadership in the voting rights space are suited to the challenges facing democracy in the 21st century.
As a voting rights expert and communications professional with more than 15 years of experience in journalism and public relations, Sarah’s leadership ensures a unified and consistent voice across the organization’s communications channels. Under her direction, the League has won multiple awards for website development and public service video production. Sarah started her career in journalism and was a television producer for multiple TV networks. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Fairfield University. Sarah lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and daughter.
24. Kelli Burke
VP of Commercial Multifamily Finance, Mortgage Bankers Association
Kelli Burke is Vice President of Commercial Multifamily Finance (CMF) for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In this management role, Burke develops and executes MBA’s CMF member engagement strategy across the various sectors within commercial real estate finance and serves as a staff expert on several business functions, including originations, underwriting, securitization, servicing, and asset management. Her responsibilities also include leading the planning and content development for MBA’s annual CREF Convention and Expo, and Servicing and Technology conference.
Burke has over two decades of experience in commercial real estate and hospitality. Before joining MBA, she held several hospitality management roles, including as sous chef, food event planner, and restaurateur for businesses in Dallas and San Diego. Prior to that, she worked for 11 years in expanding roles at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company, LLC, in Dallas, including as vice president of information systems, where she partnered closely with the commercial servicing business of the company. Burke also worked for seven years in commercial servicing at GMAC Commercial Mortgage, a predecessor company of Berkadia, in Atlanta.
Burke holds a master’s certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University, an undergraduate degree from the University of Phoenix in Dallas, and an associate degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of California.
25. Heather Jenkins
Chief Executive Officer, The Literacy Lab
Heather Jenkins is the Chief Executive Officer of The Literacy Lab. The Literacy Lab is a nonprofit organization providing children in pre-k through 3rd grade with daily, evidence-based literacy intervention in order to improve their overall academic success and to increase their opportunities in life. Literacy Lab tutors serve full-time in high-need preschools and elementary schools in the Washington, DC, Richmond, VA, Baltimore, MD and Kansas City, MO metro areas.
Prior to joining The Literacy Lab, Heather was the chief people & equity officer at uAspire where she was responsible for ensuring that uAspire’s people, equity and organizational culture work is done with a people-first mindset to drive retention, inclusivity and sustainability. Heather has 21 years of experience working for equity and access in education including: teacher and administrator at the K-12 level; nonprofit leader; diversity and equity consultant for secondary and postsecondary institutions; public and private school college readiness education consultant; and a mentor to students of color and economically marginalized youth. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a master’s degree in education, and a PhD in sociology of education. She is the proud mother of two young women, one is a 3rd grade teacher and one is in graduate school for mental health counseling.
26. Torine Creppy
President, Safe Kids Worldwide
Torine Creppy is the President of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting kids from preventable injuries. For nearly 24 years, she has dedicated her career to making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families, especially the most vulnerable and the historically marginalized. In her role, she works with partners, donors, legislators, and community leaders around the world to develop and implement strategic initiatives, create partnerships, and inspire behavior change to keep kids safe at home, on the road and at play.
Under Ms. Creppy’s leadership, the Safe Kids Buckle Up® program has evolved into the most comprehensive child passenger safety program in the world and the Safe Kids pedestrian safety program has reached more than 20 million children in 10 countries. Ms. Creppy is a passionate advocate on Capitol Hill and is dedicated to finding new ways to reach high-risk and underserved communities. She also focuses on emerging issues such as child safety in automated vehicles.
In addition to her work at Safe Kids, Ms. Creppy is committed to other organizations who share her passion for helping children and families. She is on the YWCA National Capital Area board of directors, St. John’s Community Services board of directors, National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, the board of directors advisory board of Hop Skip Drive, a Lifesavers board member and on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO). She is also a member of the American Public Health Association, National Urban League, NAACP, the National Head Start Association, Junior League of Washington, a Lifetime member of Leadership Greater Washington, Co-Facilitator, Youth Leadership Greater Washington, and a CHIEF member.
Ms. Creppy enjoys volunteering in direct outreach and advocacy for homelessness initiatives, reading autobiographies, 5K marathons for causes, youth mentoring and spending time with her teenage son.
27. Michele Jawando
Senior Vice President, Omidyar Network
As Omidyar Network’s first Senior Vice President of Programs, Michele Jawando oversees the organization's programmatic work focused on the three major, interconnected issues that are at the heart of an equitable and inclusive society: the economy, technology, and our need for a culture where everyone belongs.
Before joining Omidyar Network, Michele Jawando was the head of US strategic engagement and public policy partnerships at Google. As an executive leader and senior member of Google’s public policy team, she was responsible for developing strategic relationships and partnerships with elected officials, think tanks, nonprofits, and thought leaders across the US. In that capacity, she helped to direct over $80 million in resources to issues related to elections, cybersecurity, gender equity, disability rights, and more.
Prior to Google, Michele served as a VP at the Center for American Progress, a think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action. Building on the achievements of progressive pioneers such as Teddy Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, her work at CAP addressed 21st century challenges such as national security, climate, race and gender equity, economic growth and opportunity, civic participation, and health care.
Michele has also served as general counsel and senior advisor to US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as well as Foreign Relations Chair, Congressman Gregory Meeks, where she spearheaded bipartisan legislative achievements on behalf of each of the members, including passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act, and the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, among others.
A regular commentator for international and US television, print, and radio, Jawando is an author, serial entrepreneur, and afro-tech futurist who believes that we can create and build the future we desire across our differences. She received her JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a BA from Hampton University. She is the wife of the Honorable William Jawando, Esq. of Maryland and the mother of four young children.
28. Kim Bright
SVP & Chief Operating Officer, Campaign Legal Center
Kim Bright has extensive experience in leading and scaling effective policies and operational solutions in the nonprofit and private sectors. As Campaign Legal Center’s Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Bright leads the organization's operational, human resources, and financial functions. Prior to joining Campaign Legal Center, Ms. Bright led the finance and administration functions for the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. She has served as the COO for the National Police Foundation, leading the foundation’s financial, human resources, information technology, and operations functions. During her tenure with Booz Allen Hamilton, she managed a multimillion-dollar technology solutions contract with the Department of Justice, including providing contract oversight, building and leading teams of subject matter experts to support national policies to improve information sharing capacity and the delivery of technical assistance to stakeholders and practitioners.
Ms. Bright is a highly-effective strategist, with expertise in client service, solutions development, process improvement, and change management. She has a track record of success in linking strategy to effective operations, leveraging technology to increase efficiency, and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams. In addition, she is an exceptionally active listener with the ability to influence, engage, and build consensus and partnerships across diverse constituencies and stakeholders on complex issues.
Ms. Bright holds a Master of Public Policy degree from American University, an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute.
29. Victoria Galeano
VP of Sustainability & Innovation, Acento Real Estate Partners
Victoria Galeano joined Acento in March 2022 as its Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation to lead the company’s transition to a low-carbon economy and aspiration to become a social equity leader in the real estate industry. In this role, Victoria is on the front line of developing and implementing Acento’s impact strategy and innovative programs that focus on the most defining and urgent issues of the industry, and where Acento can deliver the greatest impact: social diversity, equity and inclusion, infrastructure adaptation to climate change, energy security and independence, and investors’ ESG confidence. She is set out to prove to investors that high investment yields align with high positive social and environmental returns.
As an innovative multi-family niche investor and operator in the US, for the last twenty years, Acento Real Estate Partners has become a unique company and the ally of many workforce families by offering high-quality and affordable housing, by empowering their lives through social innovation solutions, and by supporting the development of strong and thriving communities.
With over 20 years of sustainable finance experience, Victoria has held a number of leadership positions. Prior to Acento, she co-founded PRISSMA and REPOWERLAB, two leading companies in the sustainable finance and renewable energy fields. She has helped clients globally with their sustainability strategy, project development and capital raising needs, and has developed several investment fund strategies, sustainable stock market indices, and impact financing vehicles for the mobilization of international capital towards the green and circular economy.
Victoria is a lifelong learner who studied environmental policy and sustainability at Columbia University, where she earned a Master of Public Administration. She also has an undergraduate degree in finance from the Externado de Colombia University, has been a guest lecturer at Georgetown University on Green Finance, and has published articles on sustainability and responsible investing in Latin Trade and America Economia.
30. Laurie Fenton Ambrose
Co-Founder, President & CEO, GO2 for Lung Cancer
Laurie Fenton Ambrose is a dynamic, innovative leader who has spent a lifetime in service following her passion for supporting those in need. She has dedicated the last 18 years to confronting lung cancer and transforming survivorship. As Co-Founder, President and CEO of GO2 for Lung Cancer, Laurie is responsible for setting and executing the organization’s overarching vision and mission, driving the creation and implementation of their core program areas including patient information and support services, patient-centered academic and community-based research, health policy agenda, national awareness, and excellence in healthcare delivery.
Laurie is GO2’s national spokesperson and primary liaison to community and government leaders, national media, collaborating agencies, health care professionals, and strategic alliances. Her strategic oversight of GO2 and these outside organizations has achieved national and international recognition for improving health policies and leading public awareness to shift the disease from one of stigma to one of hope.
Prior to GO2, Laurie served as president and CEO of the Lung Cancer Alliance. Her work in nonprofit was preceded by nearly two decades in public policy, having served as chief of staff to US Department of Commerce Secretary Don Evans and Senator Jon Kyl. She also served 11 years in the House of Representatives, six years as chief of staff to Congressman Jim Kolbe, and 5 years as a legislative assistant to Congressman Amo Houghton and Edward Madigan.
31. Jessica Teal
Principal & Founder, Teal Media
Before founding Teal Media, Jessica Teal served as Design Manager for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign where she oversaw the brand and design and development of all web and print materials. Prior to the campaign, Jessica worked for Blue State Digital, the National Gallery of Art, the Democratic National Committee, and the Office of the Clerk of the US House of Representatives. Jessica has nearly 25 years of design and development experience and has led the creative strategy for major organizations including the Brookings Institution, Center for American Progress, Amnesty International, the AFL-CIO, and more. Jessica also served as a special consultant to the Obama White House as part of the US Digital Service, advising on digital strategy, user experience, and visual design. She has been featured in Forbes as part of the ongoing Self-Made Women series and has been a speaker at SXSW Interactive, NTEN, NOI, RootsCamp, and Netroots Nation. Jessica was also a founding member of CHIEF, a private network built to drive more women into positions of power and keep them there.
32. Norma M. Krayem
VP & Chair of Cybersecurity, Privacy & Digital Innovation Practice Group, Van Scoyoc Associates
Norma M. Krayem, a recognized expert in the fields of cybersecurity, privacy and tech issues, serves as Vice President and Chair of VSA’s Cybersecurity, Privacy & Digital Innovation Practice Group. Ms. Krayem created one of the first-ever cybersecurity practices at a major international AmLaw 100 law firm in 2005 at a time when most practices only focused on data security or privacy. Since that time, she has held leadership roles running cybersecurity and privacy teams across three major law firms. She focuses on the intersection of trade, technology, homeland security and cyber risk for clients in heavily regulated critical infrastructure sectors. She provides strategic advice to companies, addressing the nexus of the underlying business needs with global legislative, policy and regulatory concerns. She has had a prestigious career in the Executive Branch, having served senior roles at the US Departments of State, Commerce and Transportation.
She helps public and private sector entities focus on the need to incorporate “privacy by design” and “security by design” throughout the enterprise and with applications including the use of Big Data, machine learning/artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. She works with US and international regulators on global cybersecurity and privacy issues including in bilateral and multilateral agreements spanning the G7, G20, EU, APEC and other multinational organizations.
Ms. Krayem is active with international standards making bodies and sought out by US and international regulators and international organizations to discuss how to adapt current and create emerging regulatory structures for key cybersecurity issues. She is a published author and has been covered in publications around the globe including CNN, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Government, Bloomberg Law, Law360, Politico, The Hill, ThomsonReuters, Inside Cybersecurity, CSO Online, Government Executive, Cyberspace Lawyer and more. She is a frequent speaker in Davos on cybersecurity issues, held during the World Economic Forum. She is also a member of the Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs
33. Cheryl Baldwin
VP of Sustainability Consulting, Marketing & Business Development, Pure Strategies
Cheryl Baldwin, PhD, is a Vice President of Sustainability Consulting for Pure Strategies where she partners with corporate clients to develop and execute sustainability strategies to improve performance across retail, food and agriculture, home and personal care, and cosmetics industries. She also leads the firms’ global market research to generate new insights to accelerate business transformation.
Cheryl’s recent projects include helping develop sustainability goals for TAZO, create a sustainable packaging strategy and implementation tools for Walmart, and facilitate the development and implementation of a sustainable chemistry program for Ahold Delhaize USA.
Cheryl authored Pure Strategies’ market research reports, Connecting to the Farm, Reaching the New Corporate Frontier, Advancing on the Path to Product Sustainability, and other reports. She wrote the book, The 10 Principles of Food Industry Sustainability and is the lead author/editor for two additional books on sustainability, Greening Food and Beverage Services and Sustainability in the Food Industry and holds US and international patents.
Prior to Pure Strategies, Cheryl led the life cycle research and sustainability standard program for the nonprofit ecolabel organization Green Seal. Cheryl also worked in research and development for Kraft Foods, Inc. where she was involved in all phases of R&D from novel ingredient development to global product commercialization. Cheryl holds a PhD and master’s degree from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, all in food science.
34. Kalee Kreider
President, Ridgely Walsh
Kalee Kreider advises major corporate, philanthropic and nonprofit clients on issues of sustainability, climate change and technology. She has decades of experience in public affairs. She currently serves as the President of Ridgely Walsh. Kalee has advised some of the world’s most innovative thinkers, innovators and companies including Paul G. Allen, Christiana Figueres, Illumina, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Postcode Lotteries Group, the United Nations Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation and many others.
In addition to her work as a consultant, Kalee has served as chief media and public affairs officer for the National Geographic Society overseeing brand, marketing, communications, impact media, public events and the museum. She worked for years as environmental adviser and communications director for Vice President Al Gore. She helped in the research and marketing of three New York Times best-selling books, an Oscar Award winning film, and a top-selling app for the iPhone. She assisted with the slideshow that served as the basis for An Inconvenient Truth and worked with Apple, Current TV, Generation Investment Management and Kleiner Perkins.
Kalee has a varied career in public affairs which includes managing the Washington Office of Fenton Communications and running programs for several non-governmental organizations. Kalee began her career in Washington, DC, as a Truman Scholar in 1992.
35. Meaghan McGrath
Global Head of Syndications, IFC
Meaghan McGrath is Global Head of Syndications at IFC. Formerly, she was chief counsel for debt mobilization in IFC’s legal department, where she led the establishment of the Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program (MCPP) with the People’s Bank of China in 2013 and supported the creation of the MCPP Infrastructure initiative. Her current responsibilities include oversight of a global staff of 25 and an average mobilization of USD 7 billion a year.
In 2017, Meaghan was shortlisted for the Financial Times award of Most Innovative Counsel in North America. She and her team won the Financial Times Award that year for the MCPP Program. During her tenure at IFC, Meaghan has been actively involved in structuring, negotiating, and documenting debt and equity investments in private sector projects in over 40 countries and has built an expertise in infrastructure projects as well as debt mobilization. She has been an appointed member of the D&I Council and currently serves on CFI’s Anti-Racism Task Force, the Corporation’s Pricing and Profitability and the Ukraine Task Force.
Prior to joining IFC, Meaghan practiced with the firm of Chadbourne & Parke, in New Delhi, New York and Washington, DC representing project developers, multilateral agencies and commercial lenders in connection with international project financings. She spent two years in India, implementing and expanding a foreign office and representing independent developers in energy projects.
Meaghan McGrath graduated cum laude from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1989 with an undergraduate degree in political science where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her JD from Georgetown University in 1992 with honors.
36. Linda Mercado Greene
Owner, Board Chair, and CEO, Anacostia Organics
Linda Mercado Greene is the Owner, Board Chair, and CEO of Anacostia Organics, the first medical cannabis dispensary located East of the River in Washington, DC in Historic Anacostia, becoming one of the very few 100% Black woman-owned licensees in the USA. She is also the Founder and CEO of The Linda Greene Group, a public relations/public strategies firm. Considered a Washington insider, she has been very influential in shaping the cannabis industry, locally and nationally, and is a sought-after speaker for cannabis conferences and organizations.
Amongst the many boards she serves, Linda chairs the DC Cannabis Trade Association, serves on the board of the United States Cannabis Council, chairing the USCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force (formerly the CTF DEI Task Force). She is the host of the only government funded cannabis programming, Cannabis Conversations Podcast with Linda Mercado Greene. Linda has been featured in many articles, publications, and television interviews. She was recently listed in the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 Class of 2022 and Anacostia Organics was voted the #1 Dispensary in DC in 2022 by readers of the Washington City Paper! She served as a 2-term mayoral appointee on the Historic Preservation Review Board, in addition to serving on numerous local and national boards. Linda has been a political and strategic consultant to Members of Congress, African Heads of State, and the publicist for national entertainers and athletes.
37. Shrupti Shah
Managing Director, Monitor Deloitte
Shrupti Shah is a public policy and performance management specialist with more than 25 years of experience driving leading practices and innovation in the public and private sectors. She currently leads the team that is supporting the US Executive Office of the President in the development of the President's Management Agenda. She led the development of the inclusive economic development strategy for the District of Columbia which prioritized new and innovative efforts to address inequality in economic opportunity. Ms. Shah also led work for 100 Resilient Cities, supporting six mayors in developing tailored resilience strategies including Amman, Ramallah, Thessaloniki and Athens.
Ms. Shah’s expertise and advice on sector innovation has been sought by governments, the ILO, World Bank Group, and OECD. She has advised governments on developing outcome-oriented strategies and the monitoring and managing of performance in nine countries. Ms. Shah served as the lead official for the pioneering UK system for defining and measuring outcomes, which was commended by the OECD and World Bank as leading practice. For the European Commission, she oversaw $10 billion in EU program funding for projects in disadvantaged communities in England, Northern Ireland and Sweden. At Deloitte, she is the leader of the Behavioral Insights Practice, which helps government agencies design, develop and test innovative behavior change interventions. Shrupti holds degrees from the University of Oxford and London School of Economics and completed her executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School.
38. Judy Ayala
President & CEO of Nueducation
Judy Ayala’s entrepreneurial journey started at 10 years old when she would sell natural flavored iced water from the balcony of her parent’s home in Puerto Rico. She envisioned a quality product where customers were so satisfied that they would come back for more. Years later, and after several attempts, that vision evolved into having a company where we honed the best talents in each and every one to solve customer’s most difficult challenges creating great satisfaction with it and a prosperous environment for all. That vision and the drive to make a difference, has been the foundation for Nueducation.
With this foundation, her career spanned in the fields of psychology, HR, sales and marketing, and technology. While at Blackboard working with the Colombian government in a program that provided online learning to millions of low-income Colombians, and with other higher education institutions across the globe, Judy became acutely aware of the impact that education makes in people’s lives, not only economically but qualitatively. Later she joined Laureate Education, a $4B Certified B Corporations®, and the first Public Benefit Corporation publicly listed on any stock exchange in the world, as global director of students systems platforms. Drawing from her experience in educational software, one of her main accomplishments was to achieve the ambitious objective of rolling out an LMS system to a network of over 1 million students.
Committed to creating positive impacts through the use of technology, Judy founded the company in 2010, where she has worked incessantly to facilitate the digital transformation and optimization of her customer’s services. With the basis that all failures are due to insufficient knowledge and that all problems are soluble, she fosters an environment for her team to express the best of their professional and personal abilities. Ayala often reflects on her fortune of working with the best professionals in the tech industry, giving Nueducation the ability to empower and transform organizations services and experiences. Born in the City that Never Sleeps, raised in the Island that has made Conde Nast’ list of best beaches in the world, and building most of her professional life in the city where the local news, are the world news, and over 14 years of career in international markets prior founding Nueducation, Ayala considers herself a citizen of the world and enjoying and learning from people from every culture and race.
39. Katie Joyce
Managing Director - Economic and Valuation Services, KPMG US
Katie Joyce is currently leading KPMG’s Economic Services team’s healthcare analytics go to market strategy and portfolio. Her primary clients include Federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as select commercial healthcare organizations. For 20 years, Katie has focused on supporting policies, programs, and initiatives that improve the lives and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. In particular, Katie has been involved in leading projects related to infrastructure, jobs, income and food security, and reinvestment in America’s future since 2004, including the Green Jobs Act of 2008, where she led a multi-partner team in California, including utilities, in a new project to re-train electrical workers in advanced lighting controls. More recently, she led a project with Comcast to identify potential challenges for underserved populations participating in a DC-wide investment program for small businesses.
Katie has worked across a variety of health and human services programs, including supporting the improvement of patient experience in veterans’ hospitals nationwide through the provision of data analytics, forecasting, and technical assistance/training. She has visited 43 states in support of instituting programs that reduce fraud, waste, and abuse among Federal grantees and recipients, while reducing stigma. She led a multi-year effort to install technological systems that eradicated the need for students receiving free- or reduced-lunch to provide additional information at the point of service, thereby reducing stigma and increasing efficiency in program operations.
Most recently, Katie has been co-leading social impact projects as part of KPMG’s larger Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) growing portfolio, including a project designed to measure the impact of pandemic-related financial and other assistance to small businesses. Katie holds a MPA in policy analysis and evaluation from The George Washington University, an undergraduate degree in politics from the University of Virginia, and a Change Management Advanced Practitioner Certificate from Georgetown University. She is a proud parent of four children, ranging in age from elementary school to post grad!
40. Jennifer Hicks
Managing Director, Alvarez and Marsal Taxand
Jennifer Hicks is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, in the Federal Tax Practice located in Washington, DC. With more than 15 years of experience, Ms. Hicks provides clients with a full range of tax services, including initial planning, implementation and preparing federal and state tax returns. She focuses on federal tax compliance matters for private equity and closely held businesses across a wide range of industries, including real estate, professional services, manufacturing, and staffing businesses to name a few. She also has experience with planning and compliance matters for high-net-worth individuals.
At A&M, Ms. Hicks’ notable engagements include assisting clients with planning for and implementing complex partnership transactions, frequently teaming with the Global Transaction Tax group. Structuring work includes Up-C structure modeling, partnership freeze techniques, and various debt leveraged buyouts. Additionally, Ms. Hicks brings experience with domestic and multinational corporate consolidated reporting matters and accounting for income taxes.
41. Elizabeth Lewis
Managing Director & Deputy Head of ESP, Blackstone
Elizabeth Lewis is a Managing Director and Deputy Head of ESG, supporting Blackstone's corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts.
Prior to joining Blackstone, Ms. Lewis was at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector part of the World Bank Group, leading engagement with investors, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders on climate change and diversity. Prior to joining IFC, Ms. Lewis was a partner and director of strategy and business development for Terra Alpha Investments. Prior to that, she established World Resources Institute’s Sustainable Investing Program and served as WRI’s head of sustainable investing. Earlier in her career, Ms. Lewis was a principal at Global Environment Fund, a private equity fund focused on clean energy and sustainable forestry. She started her career at Booz Allen Hamilton, advising clients in their evaluation of alternative energy technologies and solutions.
Ms. Lewis holds an AB in environmental science and public policy from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves as chair of the board of trustees for The Nature Conservancy Maryland/DC. She also serves as a member of the Harvard Business School Alumni Board and the Harvard Alumni Association Schools and Scholarships Committee and is class chair of the John Harvard Society.
42. Michele Booth Cole
Executive Director, Safe Shores – The DC Children's Advocacy Center
When Michele Booth Cole became Executive Director of Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center in 2003, she was tasked with leading the charge to move the organization from a 3,400 square feet interim space with just one bathroom to a space where the ideals of the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) model could fully flourish. Today, Safe Shores serves more than 1,200 child victims of abuse and their families each year in a 40,000-square foot renovated former elementary school building where sunlight shines through tall windows, and vibrant kids’ artwork dapples the walls. There, the agencies that provide a joint response to child abuse in Washington, DC, are co-located to facilitate child abuse investigations. This child-friendly, victim-centered space, designed to inspire a sense of safety and hope, is where child victims of abuse are provided with compassionate, coordinated, holistic, trauma-informed services and where they may tell their story just one time, in one place to partner agencies through a skilled, specially trained child forensic interviewer.
Foundations, government, and media have recognized Michele for her nonprofit servant-leadership and exceptional work on the issue of child abuse. She is the recipient of the 2016 Public Safety award from the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy & Initiatives, a 2016 Women Who Mean Business award from the Washington Business Journal, the Meyer’s Foundation’s Julie L. Rogers Sabbatical Program grant in 2016, a 2013 EXCEL award from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, a 2009 Washingtonian of the Year honor from WASHINGTONIAN magazine, a 2007 Exponent Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership from the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation, and a 2007 Commissioner’s Award from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office
of Child and Family Services.
Under Michele’s leadership, Safe Shores was selected as a recipient of a 2022 Tithe the Tithe Award from Alfred Street Baptist Church, a 2020 Nonprofit Village Impact Award, one of the region’s Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal in 2016, and has been selected for inclusion in the Catalogue for Philanthropy Greater Washington DC five times since 2003. Michele has written thought-provoking opinion pieces published by The Washington Post, The Washington Informer, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. In July 2021, she was a featured guest on the podcast Fund the People. Additionally, Michele has given interviews to TV, radio, and print media, including The Kojo Nnamdi Show, The Daily Drum (WHUR-FM), NBC4 Washington, FOX 5 D.C., WJLA, CNN, DC News Now, and an Emmy-award winning news segment by WUSA*9.
Prior to joining Safe Shores, Michele served as executive director with Teach for America-DC and Mentors, Inc. In addition to her undergraduate degree from Harvard-Radcliffe, Michele earned a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, a certificate from Georgetown’s Institute for transformational leadership, and a coaching certificate from Co-Active Training Institute. She’s also completed Leadership Greater Washington and the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute. In addition to her work with Safe Shores, Michele is an executive coach to nonprofit servant leaders. Also, she volunteers with Generation Hope and serves as a member of Harvard’s Phillips Brooks House Association Alumni Board. Most importantly, Michele is the grateful, amazed, amused, and always learning mother of three wonderful daughters!
43. Laura Connor Smith
Managing Director, Credibility International
Laura Connor Smith, a Certified Valuation Analyst and a Certified Fraud Examiner, has over twenty years of experience providing accounting, valuation and financial advisory services to companies and legal counsel on a variety of issues. She is a Managing Director at Credibility International. Credibility International is a financial and litigation consulting firm with decades of experience in accounting, financial and valuation matters, including high-profile domestic and international disputes and forensic investigations.
Smith serves clients’ needs in a variety of areas, including damage assessments in disputes, valuations of corporations and intangible assets, and financial investigations related to money-laundering and other fraud issues. She has experience in both domestic and international forums (ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID and others) with cases involving businesses in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Specifically, as a testifying expert witness, Smith has testified as a damages expert in both US courts and international arbitrations. Furthermore, she has experience in a broad range of industries, including telecommunications, banking and related financial industries, insurance, wholesale sales of home appliances, convenience stores, medical devices, software and other technology, transportation (rail, port operations, shipping), and natural resources (gold, iron, oil and gas).
Smith also serves on the American Heart Association’s Executive Leadership Team for the 33rd Lawyers Have Heart 10K, 5K, and Fun Walk and has been Credibility International’s team leader for the Lawyers Have Heart event for over a decade. Prior to joining Credibility International, Smith worked on numerous valuation matters, which in large part dealt with intellectual property (patents, trademarks, trade secrets). In these cases, she assisted clients with the valuation of intellectual property portfolios and assessments of harm related to infringement and brand diminution in a variety of industries. Additionally, she conducted multiple royalty audits and banking investigations, including assessments of Bank Secrecy Act compliance and fund tracing investigations.
44. Rebecca Lammers
Director, Slalom Consulting
Several years ago, Rebecca Lammers was unsatisfied with the type of work that she was doing, working in a contact center, and in general the direction her life was headed. She wanted to help build solutions that better enabled contact center agents to meet the demands of their high-pressure jobs. With no formal training in technology, Rebecca was lucky enough to get a job as a Salesforce admin and completed a certification on the topics. She fell down the rabbit realizing how widely applicable and customizable CRM platforms are, and in particular Salesforce. She’s gone on to earn 14 certifications and have architected complex solutions for organizations across several industries, including healthcare, financial services, and nonprofit. She has experience architecting complex sales, service, community and custom applications on the Salesforce platform with integrations to external systems, as well as optimizing performance for orgs with large data volumes. In her personal time, Rebecca wanted to pay her success forward by volunteering to help others get certifications on the Salesforce platform and find their next career in tech. She co-founded the DFW Women in Technology community group and Texas Dreamin'. She is an ardent advocate for women in technology and increasing diversity in tech.
Ten years later, Rebecca has now been inducted into the Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame class of 2023 and is now lucky enough to support a brilliant team of Salesforce professionals at Slalom in the DMV area where they have a reputation for building elegant, holistic solutions that scale with ever-changing people, process, and technology needs. Rebecca is still looking for ways to pay her successes forward.
45. Kimberlin Butler
Senior Director of Foundation Engagement, Mathematica
Kimberlin Butler is an equity-focused cross-sector bridge-builder for social impact with over 20 years of experience in public education, public affairs, and philanthropy. As Mathematica’s first Senior Director of Foundation Engagement, she pioneered development of the evidence-informed grantmaking and strategy framework – an equity-centered approach that leverages data, partnering with foundations to deeply understand community context to guide grantmaking strategies. It facilitates a process of strategic learning at every stage of a foundation’s investment cycle. Ms. Butler advances collaboration across the philanthropic ecosystem and centers the voices of those most proximate to social challenges as experts in shaping solutions. She co-founded Mathematica’s Equity Community of Practice and catalyzed strategic companywide efforts to center equity in philanthropic practice.
An advisor on philanthropic alignment to former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and US Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr., Ms. Butler launched federal place-based collective impact initiatives for the Obama Administration as part of the White House Community Solutions Team agenda engaging urban, rural and tribal communities. She successfully hosted a White House convening for the Education Secretary inviting foundation leaders to tackle chronic absenteeism across the country. Previously, she served as director of strategic partnerships at StriveTogether where she managed the Accelerator Fund, which invested $15 million in underserved communities. She also led three national funder networks at Grantmakers for Education and shaped the Grantmakers Institute, a Harvard Graduate School of Education program focused on investing in educational outcomes.
Ms. Butler started a career in philanthropy designing a place-based investment framework to support education, health and human services programs at The Zeist Foundation in Atlanta. She served as a teacher in Atlanta Public Schools, inspiring a visit to her classroom by the Georgia State Superintendent of Schools whom she later advised as speechwriter.
Ms. Butler holds a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership at the number one ranked University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
46. Tiffany Osborne
Director of National & Strategic Partnerships, Equus Workforce Solutions
Tiffany Osborne, Director of National & Strategic Partnerships at Equus Workforce Solutions, is an innovative, driven, and accomplished workforce development leader. She is adept in building collaborative partnerships and resolving complex workforce challenges throughout the nation.
For over a decade in workforce development, Osborne has served in a myriad of capacities and states promoting much needed training, education, programs, and career opportunities for the community. Tiffany’s expertise includes leading diverse workforce and reentry initiatives, establishing strategic partnerships, supporting businesses & nonprofits nationwide to establish tailored workforce solutions.
Tiffany is passionate about empowering others to find their power and works to help mitigate barriers and create access to resources for all. She authored, Unstoppable, A story of Resilience, a raw, vulnerable story of faith, courage, authenticity, and healing of a force (aka Tiffany Lynn) that refused to accept what the world told her was possible.
She presents throughout the country bringing awareness to the importance of fostering partnerships, to create access to education and workforce/economic development opportunities especially for communities with limited access.
Tiffany received her undergraduate degree in communication and social work from Northern Kentucky University and continues to sharpen her skills with an array of training in her field. Tiffany lives in the DMV with her teenage daughter and can be found hiking, working out, traveling, exploring/trying new things with friends, serving the community, and living fully each day.
47. Luci Manning
Director of Media Relations, Bipartisan Policy Center
Luci Manning is the Director of Media Relations for the Bipartisan Policy Center. Prior to joining BPC, she worked as the director of media relations for Proof Strategies where she developed and implemented impactful communication strategies that built awareness, enhanced credibility, and enriched her clients’ reputation. For more than 15 years she has worked for public relations agencies that specialized in national nonprofits, advocacy groups, associations and foundations whose mission focused on a range of social justice issues from education to health to sustainability. Her past clients include the Afterschool Alliance, Call2Recycle, Futures Without Violence, MomsRising, National Partnership for Women & Families and the National Quality Forum. Her work on behalf of Call2Recycle’s Avoid the Spark campaign to educate consumers in California’s Bay Area about safe recycling practices was nominated for a Thoth Award in 2019.
48. Andréa Rodriguez
Director, Coalition of Urban Serving Universities
Andréa Rodriguez serves as Director of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU)/Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). A non-native English speaker and Latina, Dr. Rodriguez is the first person in her family to graduate high school and college. With 15 years of experience supporting higher education systems and communities, Dr. Rodriguez partners with private foundations and federal agencies, including the Department of Education, Lumina Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Leveraging her training in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and foundations in design thinking, Andréa supports organizations and higher education institutions to increase sustainable and scalable long-term capacity building.
In addition, Dr. Rodriguez provides support to the APLU-USU university member institutions to engage in national collaborations to increase the use of data and scientific evidence for university interventions and to scale student success and workforce solutions across the higher education network.
Although Dr. Rodriguez is an exceptionally accomplished young woman, given the challenges of being a first-generation high school and college student, she has excelled as a student, leader, and human being. Most poignantly, she is a sexual assault survivor. Dr. Rodriguez is powerful despite the obvious challenges of such personal violation on a university campus. She did more than turn lemons into lemonade. She flipped a victim story into a victor story by continuing successfully with her studies and career in higher education. Apart from focusing her time on her work, she leverages her story and experience to assist other survivors.
Besides her work at APLU/USU, Dr. Rodriguez serves part-time as the Principal Research Assistant with Gold Enterprises, LLC, co-leading DEI efforts, and supports DEI efforts with ADR Vantage. Her experience and knowledge allow her to lead multiple organizational and institutional projects with a particular emphasis on equity, access, and social justice. Andréa earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from The College at Brockport, SUNY. She later pursued a Master of Education from George Washington University. She recently earned her doctorate in leadership and management, focusing on policy at Drexel University.
Dr. Andréa Rodriguez would consider the women in her life, her mother, Teresa Rocio Costavalo, and her partner’s mother, Suzana de Campos Abbott, significant marks to have been able to pave the way for her and other women in the future.
49. Cheryl Bonacci
Director of Storytelling, Civil Rights Corps
Cheryl is the Director of Storytelling for Civil Rights Corps. In collaboration with all CRC departments, Cheryl and the Storytelling team guide the organization’s narrative strategies and campaigns helping to amplify the human toll the criminal system takes on our communities.
During her 21 years in the field of criminal system reform in California, Cheryl served as a founding executive of The Anti-Recidivism Coalition where she helped develop the organization’s core programs and operational infrastructure before leading its communications efforts. Her other notable positions include co-founder of creative acts, executive director of The Harold Robinson Foundation, director of communications for The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and deputy director of Healing Dialogue and Action.
Cheryl’s career journey includes direct service as a Catholic Chaplain working with children being convicted as adults, program development and implementation for people who have experienced incarceration and crafting narrative strategies on how we see and treat our most marginalized communities. With broad areas of expertise, she has the distinctive ability to facilitate action-driven dialogues across government and community forums, promoting mutual understanding and sustainable change. Elevating the voices of those most impacted by the criminal system and supporting the development of the next generation of change-makers continue to be her motivation.
50. Tomika Anderson
Chief Executive Officer, Manifest Greatness Media
An award-winning content creator, communications strategy consultant, veteran journalist, writer and business owner whose work has been profiled by Facebook, USA Today and other national publications, Tomika Anderson has contributed to such US and international outlets as Entertainment Weekly, The Associated Press, Time Out New York, Essence, The Root.com, National Journal, Ebony, Black Enterprise, People, New York, MTV, BET, The CW Network, Fuse, FOX News, CNN.com and a slew of other publications for close to 25 years. As a journalist working from the White House to the red carpet, she’s profiled or worked with a Who’s Who of American celebrities and VIPs, from Beyonce to Rihanna, Michelle Obama to Serena Williams. She has also worked with such brands as Martha Stewart Living Omni Media, Ryan Seacrest Productions, Universal Music and the Investigation Discovery Channel. Operating in the federal contracting space, she has supported US and international governmental organizations such as US Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense, and represented the United States in Ethiopia teaching media capacity building throughout the continent of Africa on behalf of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Ms. Anderson is also the owner of three successful businesses, some of whom have been featured in well-known publications such as Forbes, Good Housekeeping and Good Morning America, including Motivated Mamas Mastermind, Manifest Greatness Media, a boutique marketing and public relations company, and Single Parents Who Travel, a full-service travel company and global community aimed at single-parent families around the globe. Ms. Anderson, who became Mrs. Anderson Greene in early March, is also a relationship coach and a dating expert who offers executive and lifestyle coaching services designed for any individual looking to strategically game-plan their personal lives and careers. She is an adjunct professor for American University and lives in the Washington, DC area with her family.