SPEAKERS

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  Maximillian L. Hamilton

  Founder & CEO
  Rogue Media Group, LLC
  iLeadership Summit

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Maximillian L. Hamilton

Founder & CEO
Rogue Media Group, LLC
iLeadership Summit

Maximillian L. Hamilton is the CEO & Founder of Rogue Media Group, LLC (RMG), a U.S. Veteran Owned & Operated Company. RMG is the premier multicultural advertising, marketing and media agency that leverage the power of business data, virtual & live experiences, digital media, social media, original content, advertisement and network affiliates to connect brands to an affluent, educated and influential target audience.

Headquartered in New York City, with operations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Houston, RMG maintains a list of esteemed clients. Today, this list includes AARP, Belvedere Vodka; a LVMH Company, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., Legal & General America, Lee Hecht Harrison, Lexus Automotive, MetLife, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and Toyota Motor North America. As one of the country’s leading multicultural agencies, RMG services its clients with General Market, Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBT marketing & advertising, digital & traditional advertising, experiential marketing, diversity & inclusion and corporate social responsibility consulting. Additionally, Hamilton established partnerships with Asia American Business Development Center, Bloomberg, LP, Corporate Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners & Operators.

Hamilton founded RMG in 2013 under the influence of Earl G. Graves Sr.,  (Founder & Publisher of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise and Richard “Dick” Parsons former chairman of Citigroup and the former chairman and CEO of Time Warner Communications). Hamilton brings more than two decades of experience in media, technology, marketing, strategy, business development and executive management experience to his role with the company.  Under his leadership, Hamilton created these agency franchise programs: iLeadership Summit, FUEL; The Ultimate Men’s Summit, Harlem Whiskey Festival, TechCast; The Future of Cybersecurity Summit; Women of Influence Brunch Series; and the Business of Medicine Summit.

Prior to Rogue Media Group, LLC, Hamilton served as Director of Multimedia Sales of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co./Black Enterprise. Hamilton was responsible for all global sales and marketing activities within the beverage, government, military, technology and telecommunications categories. Hamilton brought Bacardi USA, BASF, CIA, Goldman Sachs & Co., IBM, Movado Timepiece, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines, and a portfolio of other enterprises to the company as roster clients to the publication. His focus was on Fortune 500 customer acquisitions, custom integrated media programs, improved operational efficiency, and execution, which led to significant company growth in excess of $30 million dollars during his tenure.

From 2002–2007, Hamilton was the Director of Advertising Sales for The Network Journal (TNJ). During his tenure, he spearheaded TNJ’s “25 Influential Women in Business” and “40 Under Forty” awards recognition programs. Additional, Hamilton created TNJ’s Top Black Lawyers and Top Black Doctors Forums. His client roster there included IBM, FedEx, GE, and Major League Baseball, Macy’s, to name a few.

Hamilton is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he served with honors during tours of duty in England, Germany, Turkey and Panama. He held dual careers both in the aviation and healthcare industries. He was honorably discharged.

Today, Hamilton leadership extends beyond his C-suite at RMG. He contributes to many organizations and charities. Hamilton previously served as a board member for National Association of African American in Human Resources and ScottCare Foundation. He is a member of the Advertising Club of New York, the Financial Communications Society and the National Black MBA Association. Hamilton earned his A.A.S. from the Community College of the Air Force. In 2018, he received the Made Man Award, presented to him by Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative for New York's 8th congressional district.

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  Chloe Barzey

  Office Managing Director - Atlanta
  Accenture

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Chloe Barzey

Office Managing Director - Atlanta
Accenture

@Chloe Barzey https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-barzey/

Chloe is the Atlanta Office Managing Director at Accenture - a leading global professional services company providing a broad range of services and solutions (in strategy, consulting, technology and operations) that deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity. She has over 29 years consulting and industry experience, including 24 years with Accenture.

As the Office Managing Director, Chloe leads Accenture’s vision and operations across Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. Additionally, Chloe works with clients to, target, achieve and sustain superior business value while increasing customer satisfaction and business agility.

Chloe is passionate about connecting with others to dream big, collaborating to innovate and making a sustainable positive impact with her colleagues, clients and the broader community. Chloe is a leader in the ED&I space and is intentional about leveraging her platform to create greater equity for women and people of color.

Chloe has been recognized by several national organizations and publications, most recent are below:

Atlanta Magazine, recognized as one of Atlanta’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders (2024)
Atlanta Business Chronicle, Most Admired CEO (2022)
Savoy Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America (2022)

Chloe has an MBA from Wharton and an Electrical Engineering degree from Cornell University. Her interests include reading, Bible study, international travel, exercise, skiing, dancing salsa, learning French and enjoying good times with good people. Chloe lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and three children.

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  Erin Miller

  Chief People Officer
  Terra Dotta, LLC

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Erin Miller

Chief People Officer
Terra Dotta, LLC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erincorrmiller/

As a passionate and experienced human resources, people development, diversity, equity, and inclusion professional, Erin Miller leads with a kind heart and empathy. She has played an integral part in leading DEIBA strategies and has made a lasting impact on organizations she’s been a part of. Her dedication, focus and hard work on promoting and operationalizing DEIBA has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation for leaders and employees alike. Erin understands how to coach to pull the best out of people and has a gift to immediately see the best in someone. She provides safe space for hard conversations and continually educates herself on how to be an advocate and ally. Her strategies have increased eNPS, raised scores in feelings of belonging and increased productivity and revenues. Erin has her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and is finishing her Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management at the University of Southern California - Bovard College. She’s a certified Agile Coach and is Certified in Crucial Conversations.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” ― Alexander Den Heije

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  Jean C. Accius, PhD,

  President & CEO,
  (CHC) Creating Healthier Communities

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Jean C. Accius, PhD,

President & CEO,
(CHC) Creating Healthier Communities

Dr. Jean Accius is an accomplished leader and innovator in health equity, longevity, health systems transformation, and building equitable systems so that every person in every community can live a longer, healthier, and more productive life.

As President & CEO of CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, Jean leads a high-performing team that is dedicated to breaking down the barriers to health and empowering communities to thrive. With business acumen and deep experience across sectors, Dr. Accius understands how to develop creative and actionable solutions, policies, and programs that uncover the economic advantages of addressing disparities. He has a proven track record of collaborating across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to accelerate the pace of change.

Prior to CHC, Dr. Accius was a member of the policy team for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and spent more than 15 years at AARP, the nation’s largest nonprofit, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of International Affairs and Global Thought Leadership. At AARP, Jean led his team in creating a business case for diversity in the workforce and conducting seminal research on the contributions of the aging population to the global economy.

Dr. Accius has been widely recognized for his transformational leadership—from Next Avenue’s Influencer in Aging Award (2020) to Black Enterprise magazine’s Modern Man of Distinction (2018) to Florida State University’s Distinguished Black Alumni of the Year (2021). He has also been a member of the Fast Company Impact Council since 2021.

He is a sought-after author and speaker, and is regularly featured in outlets, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Forbes, TIME Magazine and Politico. He has facilitated sessions at the World Economic Forum in Davos and has engaged hundreds of leaders across industries and sectors at the United Nations. Under his leadership, his previous team’s signature program, Growing with Age, was recognized as part of the Fast Company World Changing Ideas program.

Dr. Accius has long been passionate about equity, the contributions of women to society, and improving the world around him—he was raised from infancy to age four by his grandmother in Haiti. Her hard work and dedication has inspired his career path to this day.

Dr. Accius is a certified director with the National Association of Corporate Directors, a fellow with the Executive Leadership Council, a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Program on Health Reform, and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Corporate Innovation Program. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Florida State University and a Ph.D. from American University School of Public Affairs.

• 

  Kenneth Roldan, Esq.

  CEO & Managing Partner
  WB&B Talent Solutions

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Kenneth Roldan, Esq.

CEO & Managing Partner
WB&B Talent Solutions

As one of the country’s reigning experts on diversity, Kenneth Roldan joined WB&B Executive Search in April 1998 as a General Counsel and Managing Partner. With a BS from Cornell University and a law degree, Ken was appointed to the Civil Rights Bureau of The New York State Attorney General's Office where he was instrumental driving workplace diversity.

Ken is the first Hispanic CEO of a national executive search firm. He has partnered with leading organizations in creating formal strategies to court and recruit talented minority professionals into the company. With a passion in diversity management recruitment for over a decade, Ken’s unique strategies in global diversity staffing, succession planning and retention have made a difference in the ethnic, gender and cultural diversity in America's corporations, government, and not-for-profit organizations.

Considered an expert in minority recruitment, Ken has been interviewed by ABC News, CNN, BusinessWeek, CBS News, Crain's, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Tavis Smiley, Black Enterprise and Hispanic Magazine. Ken has expanded his audience by writing a book, “Minority Rules: Turn Your Ethnicity Into a Competitive Edge”, published by Harper Collins in fall 2006. “Minority Rules” provides a strategic career roadmap for professionals seeking to move up the corporate ladder.

Ken has served on the Board Development Committee for the Girl Scouts of Greater New York and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He also served as a Board Advisor for Veterans Across America, a 501(c)(3) veteran advocacy organization which enhances the economic well-being of veterans and their family caregivers.

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  Gwendolyn McCoy, MBA

  Principal
  MS Creative Group

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Gwendolyn McCoy, MBA

Principal
MS Creative Group

Gwendolyn McCoy is an accomplished visionary leader in entrepreneurship, dedicated to championing diversity and inclusion with unwavering commitment. With an extensive background in Human Resources, she possesses a multifaceted skill set encompassing strategy, compliance, program & event design/management, training & development, and branding & communications.

Gwendolyn serves as a Lead Consultant at Diversity@Workplace, a distinguished consultancy renowned for its learning solutions, strategy formulation, and process enhancement, all aimed at enhancing talent acquisition, retention, and engagement for domestic and international firms.

In 2020, Gwendolyn assumed the role of the US Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at John Hancock/Manulife. Here, she made a transformative impact by crafting a multiyear strategy that placed paramount importance on people, culture, business, and community. Gwendolyn fostered collaborations across the entire organization with an emphasis on elevating the representation of diverse dimensions, and nurtured employee resource groups focused on belonging and integrating DEI principles into the core business and community initiatives.

Gwendolyn built and managed enterprise-wide programs at Massachusetts' largest health insurance carrier. Her signature program, Women@Blue, focused on career development & girl empowerment, and was recognized as Boston Business Journal’s Best Diversity Initiatives in 2014.

Gwendolyn's dedication to advancing DEI extends beyond her corporate roles. She is a sought-after panelist, delivering impactful learning solutions, and skillfully facilitating critical conversations for organizations committed to advancing DEI initiatives. Gwendolyn exemplifies a deep commitment to the community through her active roles on the boards of The Greater Boston YMCA, the Cornerstone Collaborative, and Encuentro Diaspora Afro (EDA), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the Afro-Latino community. Her contributions were recognized with the prestigious 2015 President's Award from NAACP Boston Branch for her exemplary leadership in chairing the Branch's Centennial Celebration.

Gwendolyn is the Founder and Principal of MS Creative Group, a dynamic enterprise offering an array of services, including floral design, event design, small business development, and communications. Make Scents Floral Design, earned the spotlight in the United States Postal Service's Small Business Solutions ad campaign.

Gwendolyn holds an MBA from Bentley with concentrations in marketing and entrepreneurship, and a graduate certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She holds the distinguished designation of a Certified Diversity and Inclusion practitioner through the National Diversity Council, and is a proud graduate of The Partnership Inc.'s Fellows Program.

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  Nadine O. Vogel, MBA, CSP

  Chief Executive Officer
  Springboard Consulting

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Nadine O. Vogel, MBA, CSP

Chief Executive Officer
Springboard Consulting

Nadine O. Vogel is the CEO of Springboard Consulting. Springboard works with corporations around the world to mainstream people with disabilities in the global workforce, workplace, and marketplace. Prior to founding Springboard, Nadine held a variety of executive positions in Corporate America.

Vogel is the author of “DIVE IN, Springboard into the Profitability, Productivity and Potential of the Special Needs Workforce,” a highly acclaimed must-read business book. She is a regular contributor to many professional, industry and consumer publications. She has been the subject of published cases for both the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School where she also serves as a guest lecturer. She also joined forces with the Universita Europea di Roma in Italy, where she developed and regularly delivers executive curriculum on Disability Inclusion Management.

Nadine is recognized as a powerful informational, motivational, and inspirational speaker, delivering keynote presentations around the world. She is also a regular contributor to regional, national and international business publications. Over the years, her media expertise has taken her to serve as Host of three ground-breaking television programs: Inclusion at Work on Bloomberg TV and The Nosh and Talk & Tea with G & Me on RVN TV which also aired on Roku and Apple TV. She also served as the Founder and Co-Host of Disabled Lives Matter, a global podcast.

Recognized for her civic and professional activities and global thought leadership, Vogel has received numerous awards and accolades from around the globe. She received an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA and a BS in Industrial Psychology from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. She is the mother of two adult daughters, one with disabilities and resides in South Carolina and South Florida with her husband.

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  Tanya M. Taylor

  Tepper Sports & Entertainment, Carolina Panthers Charlotte FC, Bank of America Stadium

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Tanya M. Taylor

Tepper Sports & Entertainment, Carolina Panthers Charlotte FC, Bank of America Stadium

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  Theresa Spralling

  President & CEO
  The Spralling Group

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Theresa Spralling

President & CEO
The Spralling Group

Theresa is an accomplished leader with a track record of success in people management and creating positive impacts for a Fortune 50 global telecommunications company. A skilled executive, she has extensive experience managing all aspects of business operations including General Management, Human Resources, Sales, Engineering, Talent Development, New Business Development, Employee Resource Groups, Strategy & Partnerships, Program Management, and Community Engagement.

Theresa is driven by a core set of beliefs, including being honest, holding herself and others accountable, doing the work well with integrity, and respecting others.

She is a highly respected executive and accomplished leader with exceptional ability to drive and execute high level strategies in a highly matrixed work environment. Theresa has demonstrated broad and deep expertise with a proven track record of success in diversity, equity & inclusion, building high performance teams, organizational growth & employee engagement, cultivating and managing strategic partnerships. She is strong in problem solving, cultural sensitivity and people skills.

She earned a 4-year journalism scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. She continued her education at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she received dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Administration and Behavioral Science. She is perennial and a life-long learner who has completed post graduate studies and received an ASTD (American Society of Training and Development) Coaching Certification.

For over 25 years, Theresa has worked at the intersection of engineering, technology, and human capital, helping to forge strategic alliances, design and sell engineering solutions, and build a powerful workforce. She is a founding leader of the “From Tolerance to Understanding” movement at AT&T, working to

highlight the power of critical conversations to raise awareness and reach understanding.

Theresa has earned a long list of awards and national recognition. Her achievements are comprised of a multitude of leadership awards, prestigious honors, and top recognition among various professional affiliations including the most recent, Catalyst for Change Leadership Award and the Leadership Excellence Award.

She currently serves as Vice Chair for the Board of Trustees at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and a most recently appointed board member for the Students Without Mothers, LLC., organization. One of her proudest achievements is leading Women of AT&T National Organization to award winning success and growing the organization from 6,000 to over 25,000 members during her tenure. She achieved similar results with Toastmasters International of Georgia. During her leadership as district governor for the organization, she grew memberships throughout the state by over 300%, from 2000, to 6000 members.

Theresa takes pride in “Leading the Way”, and she lives by the mantra, "If serving is below you, leadership is beyond you". Her hobbies in golfing, mentoring, traveling and spending time with her family.

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  Kevin Henry

  EVP & Chief People Officer
  Pulte Group

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Kevin Henry

EVP & Chief People Officer
Pulte Group

Named by SAVOY Magazine as one of the most influential Black Corporate Directors and as one of the most influential Blacks in corporate America, Kevin A. Henry is a multi-faceted and proven leader having served as a public company C-suite executive for over 27 years with several well-known and successful companies.

In 2023, Kevin was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer of PulteGroup.

Kevin’s career encompasses executive positions of increasing responsibility in operations, human Resources, customer service, marketing and other business leadership roles in consumer-packaged goods, financial services, manufacturing, distribution, retail sales and hospitality & lodging, including complex, distributed, multi-tiered organizations upwards of 30,000+ employees.

In addition to experience in several industry verticals, Kevin has experience in franchised and company owned operations and extensive experience with mergers & acquisitions, divestitures, public markets, private and family run companies in addition to private equity.

Kevin also serves on the Board of Directors of Saia Inc., a publicly traded LTL carrier listed on NASDAQ. Kevin is a member of the compensation and audit committees.

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  Nzinga “Zing” Shaw

  President & CEO
  Attack the Glass, LLC

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Nzinga “Zing” Shaw

President & CEO
Attack the Glass, LLC

Nzinga “Zing” Shaw is the President & CEO of Attack the Glass LLC. ATG was founded in 2019 and is a small organization with a big mission. It aims to serve as the umbrella for amplifying dimensions of diversity across every facet of the human experience. Through educational tools, facilitated trainings, executive coaching, and the identification of unexpected talent, ATG is the connective tissue that helps clients realize their full potential. Additionally, Zing is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee and concurrently serves the Board of Trustees at Fisk University. She created curriculum for both University’s DEI Centers of Excellence.

Zing is an experienced C-suite executive with extensive hands-on experience and knowledge spanning DEI, human capital management, change and crisis management, employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational and strategic planning, branding, community engagement. She is known for her pioneering DEI work with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, launching the MOSAIC symposium (Model of Shaping Atlanta through Inclusive Conversations) and making the Hawks the first professional sports team to celebrate the LGTBQ community.

Notably, Zing was the first Chief DEI Officer at four blue chip organizations: Edelman, Starbucks, Marsh McLennan and the National Basketball Association, representing the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena franchise. She has been recognized with numerous “40 Under 40” awards from the likes of Sports Business Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Network Journal, and PR Week. Zing is on the Board of Trustees of Fisk University, the Board of Directors of ColorComm and Rising Media Stars, the Board of Advisors of Arctos Sports Partners, and she was appointed by 39th United States President Jimmy Carter to serve a six-year term on the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center.

Zing received her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College. She was a study abroad scholar at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Zing has also received two Honorary Doctorate degrees in Humane Letters from LeMoyne-Owen College and Morris Brown College, respectively. In her free time, Zing enjoys interior design, international travel, cooking and spending time with her husband Keith and three children, Lacy, Hudson, and Trey.

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  Trinita Semien, JD

  Vice President, Client Success
  Global Ascent, Consulting Corp

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Trinita Semien, JD

Vice President, Client Success
Global Ascent, Consulting Corp

Trinita Semien, JD is an accomplished leader with a strong, diverse background in the Human Resources Total Suite. As Vice President of Client Success at Global Ascent Consulting Corporation (GACC), Trinita ensures that GACC’s sophisticated line of client offerings provides organizations with a deep portfolio of holistic leadership strategies, risk mitigation, bench strength training, and diverse best practices that are customized to our client’s specific business needs.

With over 25 years of leadership experience in the Human Resources discipline, Trinita has led global and regional solution development and implementation projects. She has C-Suite level experience with organization development, transformation, succession planning, total rewards, reductions in force, retention programs, mergers, and acquisitions.

In addition to her work at GACC, Trinita is also a Director of Special Programs with the National Diversity Council. She is a strategic partner in Human Resources and Labor Relations in oil & gas, manufacturing, transportation, retail, grocery, wine, and specialty products. She also partnered with McKenzie Manatee Farms to produce and market a minority owned premium Orange Moscato sold in the southwest United States.

Trinita is a proud alum of the HBCU family, receiving both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Prairie View A&M University and a JD from Thurgood Marshall. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management, American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, The National Diversity Council and Delta Sigma Theta. Trinita was also featured in the Who’s Who in Black Houston.

Trinita is a dedicated advocate and has participated on advisor and grass roots level for several programs that support women, youth and community strengthening such as Target Hunger, the NAACP, Urban League, and local PRIDE and International Festivals. Additionally, Trinita’s family raises show quality halter horses and through their non-profit, Semien Stables, they are able to mentor at-risk youth and provide equine therapy and camps for children with special needs.

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  Amber K. Heckert

  Managing Partner
  Global Ascent Consulting Corp.

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Amber K. Heckert

Managing Partner
Global Ascent Consulting Corp.

Amber K. Heckert is a Managing Partner, Senior Consultant, and Facilitator at Global Ascent Consulting Corporation (GACC), charged with partnering with clients to leverage data-driven strategy and assessments, analysis and insights crafting effective Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) solutions for for-profit and non-profit clients including luxury retailers, medical organizations, professional membership associations, financial institutions and talent solutions companies.

She creates customizable interactive, experiential, and skills-based training sessions, conducts baseline assessments and designs business strategies that combine DEIB expertise with quantitative and qualitative data analytics to deliver results at all levels of the organization. Motivated by connecting with people throughout the methodology to gain input so everyone feels heard and feels a part of the process, Amber aligns client workforce and DEIB strategies with the talent lifecycle to understand where DEIB are most impacted to help find and retain diverse talent.

Her successes include collaborating with a luxury retail brand that housed multiple companies to deliver and facilitate customized unconscious bias training and education while providing guidance and instruction to the internal facilitation team to execute and deliver unconscious bias education across the organization. As well as, partnering with a professional membership-based organization to create a DEIB methodology that would increase inclusivity and anti-racism education through comprehensive, customized anti-racism and allyship training and education while focusing on building comprehensive alignment and a long-term strategic plan to support a sustainable approach with stakeholder buy-in.

Prior to joining GACC, Amber worked as Director, Client Services managing key client accounts from initial client assessment and acquisition to project planning and implementation, consulted with clients and project teams to determine strategic steps needed to complete diversity and inclusion initiatives and established successful project implementation methods and supervised all project deliverables to ensure that each element was completed on time within quality standards and priced in a way that maximizes revenue and profitability, while identifying opportunities to expand revenue.

Amber holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies and Women Studies from the University of Minnesota and is dedicated advocate for youth and community building as a 4-H Adult Leader and contributes as a founding member of the IAMKindness volunteer organization to build community enrichment and support small business development.

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  Rev. Dr. William E. Flippin, Sr.

  Senior Pastor
  The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church

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Rev. Dr. William E. Flippin, Sr.

Senior Pastor
The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church

An effective leader, with a heart for God and God’s people, Rev. Dr. William E. Flippin, Sr., is the visionary pastor of The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. The Nashville, Tennessee native received the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Mathematics and Business Administration from Fisk University, the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, cum laude, from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where he was a Benjamin E. Mays Fellow and a scholar for the Fund for Theological Education. He also earned the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Understanding that ministry is holistic in nature, Dr. Flippin received certification as a Life Transformational Coach and a Leadership Coach Trainer.

Since 1990, Dr. Flippin has led the congregation of The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church. Since that time the church has witnessed significant growth, beginning in the first two years of Pastor Flippin’s tenure with the remodel and construction of many existing areas of the church including restrooms, sanctuary, and office space, and institution of approximately 14 new ministries to meet the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the church. To meet the needs of the growing congregation, Dr. Flippin oversaw the church’s construction of the new state-of-the-art 1500 seat Worship Center in 2014. In almost 30 years as pastor, Dr. Flippin has led the church to ordain over 100 new ministers and deacons, build and pay off a Family Life Center, establish scholarship funds and awards, and establish numerous Christian education and resource centers for the congregation and community.

Understanding that the church cannot live apart form the community, Dr. Flippin has established The Grove as a key stakeholder for the people of Atlanta and DeKalb County. The church is actively engaged with the community through many initiatives including the NAACP, its Outreach Center, annual holiday giving, self-help programs, and Pastor Flippin is President of the DeKalb Juvenille Justice Commission. Finally, the church is looking forward to seeing the completion of of the Grove Gardens at East Lake Senior Living Community in 2020.

Flippin also serves as Founder and CEO of The Flippin Legacy Ministries, the Pearl Initiative, Inc., and Pears of Great Price Ministries, Inc. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and formerly served as the National Chaplain. Dr. Flippin is also an accomplished author of six books: In My Father’s House, God’s Order: Order in the Church, God’s Order: Order in the Pulpit, God’s Order, Vision 20/20, and Church Administration: Building Success Through Collective Organization. Dr. Flippin firmly believes that God has commissioned him for the purpose of Raising Leaders, and to that end, he has dedicated his life. He is a mentor to pastors, ministers, and community and business leaders. Using his skills as a certified coach, Dr. Flippin is often the spiritual conduit to connect individuals to their optimal leadership capacity. His ministry has allowed him to preach and teach internationally in many countries such as Africa, the Bahamas, and Israel, to name a few.

He is married to Sylvia Taylor Flippin. Mrs. Flippin is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and holds a Masters degree in Education from Georgia State University. She is a retired instructional coach for the DeKalb County Board of Education. Together, they are the proud parents of four children: three sons who continue the family preaching legacy, Rev. Dr. William Edward Flippin, Jr., and his wife Kedra Flippin, Rev. Dr. Richard Curtis Flippin, and Rev. Joseph Charles Taylor Flippin, and one daughter Miss Sylvia Joi Flippin. Dr. and Mrs. Flippin are also the beaming grandparents of Shamel Emani and Khloe Kristina Taylor.

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  Malik Brown

  Director
  Mayor’s Division of LGBTQ Affairs
  Atlanta, GA

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Malik Brown

Director
Mayor’s Division of LGBTQ Affairs
Atlanta, GA

Malik Brown is an award-winning LGBTQ advocate and political strategist, a first-generation American, and a lifelong Georgian. He has been featured in prestigious outlets like CNN, NBC News, and The Hill. His writings have been showcased in national publications like Cosmopolitan, them, and Out Magazine. Malik has been a keynote speaker for global brands like Meta, Home Depot, and Mercedes-Benz. Recently, he was named on the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Power 100 list of Atlanta's most influential.

Appointed as the City of Atlanta's Director of LGBTQ Affairs by former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Brown is the first full-time official in the Southeastern United States to focus on better connecting the LGBTQ community with municipal government. In this role, he drives systemic change and advances equity by advising Mayor Andre Dickens on policies, programs, and initiatives affecting the LGBTQ community. Brown is a founding member of the Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. As one of City Hall's key advisors on Human Rights, Brown co-led the development of Atlanta's Human Rights Stakeholder report, which accompanied Atlanta's successful bid to be a host city for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

During the 2020 Presidential Race, Malik was appointed to the Biden campaign's Out for Biden LGBTQ+ Leadership Council, a national advisory coalition of LGBTQ+ leaders committed to electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. During the 2021 Georgia runoff election, Brown was recruited by the historic U.S. Senate campaign of Reverend Raphael Warnock to serve as the Special Advisor on LGBTQ+ Engagement. In this role, Brown helped the campaign reach, mobilize, and energize LGBTQ+ voters in Georgia.

A proud member of the Human Rights Campaign's National Board of Governors, Brown brings a unique combination of political experience, LGBTQ advocacy, and DEI leadership to his work. Additionally, Brown is a member of Rainbow Railroad's Board of Directors, Emory University's Board of Visitors, Morehouse School of Medicine's HIV Health Equity Task Force, and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation Young Executives Board. Always eager to continue learning, Brown is an alum of the American-German Institute, LEAD Atlanta, and the Regional Leadership Institute. Brown has had the honor of throwing the Ceremonial Opening Pitch for the former World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves, hitting the Golden Spike for the former MLS Cup winners, the Atlanta United, and receiving the Forever 404 award from the Atlanta Hawks.