Thank you for joining us today for our 5th Annual Black Women Lead.

Swipe left to move through the program and for more information on each incredible panel.

Please connect with us using our social links below and tag us using #allintogether.

WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS

Welcome | Symone Sanders Townsend, MSNBC

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Black Women Transforming Philanthropy

Tech for Good: Black Women Leading the Way

Spotlight: What Do You Need?

Spotlight: Black Women in the C-Suite

Making Progress on Black Women’s Mental Health

Black Women in Journalism and Media

Joy Reid in Conversation with Stacey Abrams

A Special Performance from Yola

Spotlight: Making History at the US Mint

The Future of DEI Post Affirmative Action

Politics and Progress: Breaking the Last Glass Ceilings

CLOSING RECEPTION

#allintogether

SYMONE SANDERS TOWNSEND

Symone Sanders Townsend is an author, seasoned democratic strategist and Co-Host of MSNBC’s “The Weekend”.

Symone rose to prominence in 2016 as the national press secretary for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’s then-presidential campaign. At 25, she became the youngest presidential press secretary on record and was named to Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of young Americans shaping the election. She served as senior advisor for President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign. At 31, Symone was appointed a senior member of the Biden-Harris administration serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris. With her White House appointment, Symone became the first Black woman to serve as a spokesperson to a Vice President.

A former resident fellow of both Harvard's Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School and the University of Southern California's Center for the Political Future. Symone holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from American University and is a graduate of Creighton University.

MICHELE L. JAWANDO

Michele L. Jawando, an accomplished leader and visionary, serves as the Senior Vice President and head of Global Programs at Omidyar Network, spearheading the organization's efforts to address critical societal issues such as the economy, technology, and belonging. Her impactful journey includes pivotal roles at Google, where she directed global programs on issues like elections, cybersecurity, and gender equity, as well as at the Center for American Progress, where she tackled contemporary challenges ranging from national security, civil and human rights and economic growth. Additionally, she worked as General Counsel and Senior Advisor to United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and then House Foreign Relations Chair, Congressman Gregory Meeks, spearheading bipartisan legislative achievements. With a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a B.A. from Hampton University, Michele is a trailblazing author, entrepreneur, and afro-tech futurist, who believes across our differences we can create and build the future we desire. She holds a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a B.A. from Hampton University, and is married to Councilmember Will Jawando and mother of four dynamic children.

DETRIA AUSTIN EVERSON

Detria Austin Everson serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Ms. Everson has a rich and diverse professional background, which has earned her national recognition as an award-winning Executive Director. Her expertise lies in strategic forecasting, managing multi-million-dollar nonprofit budgets, fostering corporate contracts, orchestrating large-scale multi-city events, and spearheading corporate philanthropy. Previous positions include working for the Martin Luther King Sr. Community Resources Collaborative, Inc. Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of
America (NACA), and Augusta University Medical Center (Formerly MCG Health, Inc). Detria is also a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Business from Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, and a Master’s in Health Services Administration from the University of Arkansas at
Little Rock.

LAWANNA KIMBRO, ESQ.

Lawanna Kimbro, Esq. is Managing Director of the Stardust Fund where she leads Stardust’s investment in leaders, organizations, and progressive social movements, using diverse and innovative strategies to catalyze change, build power, and support thriving communities. She has more than 25 years of leadership experience within social service agencies and nonprofit organizations aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities, previously serving as Chief Program Delivery Officer for the NYC Department of Homeless Services, Deputy Commissioner for Outreach, Rehousing and Landlord Management and Chief Program Officer at the NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Prior to her leadership within local and federal government, Lawanna worked as an attorney at the Equal Justice Initiative, where she focused on juvenile justice, anti-poverty, and anti-discrimination initiatives that challenge the legacy of racial inequality in the U.S. Lawanna serves on the boards of Brooklyn Community Foundation, Children’s Rights, and Think of Us. She holds a MPA in nonprofit and public management and a MA in mental health counseling from New York University, as well as a JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

GARNESHA EZEDIARO

For more than 20 years, Garnesha Ezediaro has served at the intersection of leadership, change, and innovation. She has advised government and business leaders through massive transformations and is passionate about scaling mission-focused programs.

Garnesha leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative, a national effort aimed at accelerating Black wealth accumulation and addressing systemic underinvestment in Black communities. Under Garnesha’s leadership, the Greenwood Initiative has invested more than $250 million since September 2020 to empower leaders to drive racial wealth equity agendas; ensure the equitable and generational transfer of Black wealth; and improve racial wealth data.

Previously, Garnesha led Verizon Media’s Global Leadership Development Programs. She also served as New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Communications Director and former Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s Director of Marketing at Brick City Development Corporation.

TONYA WILLIAMS

Tonya Williams is a seasoned public affairs executive and corporate board director. For more than 20 years, she has helped business leaders, investors, public officials, and organizations shape and protect their brand, engage key stakeholder groups, and proactively manage political, regulatory, and reputational risk. She’s held a variety of senior-level leadership roles in the public and private sector including Special Assistant and Director of Legislative Affairs for then-Vice President Joe Biden. Most recently, she served as head of external affairs and corporate responsibility at SoftBank Group – a multinational venture capital firm investing in AI and the emerging technology sector.

Tonya earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

OLIVIA IGBOKWE-CURRY

Olivia Igbokwe-Curry leads Congressional and Political Affairs for Amazon Web Services where she brings over a decade of experience working in global government affairs. Olivia specializes in federal public policy, concentrating on Artificial Intelligence. In her role, Olivia leads a team that serves as the primary liaison between the AWS business and Capitol Hill. She is an alumnus of Howard University School of Law and has her Bachelors of Science from The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to AWS, Olivia led Federal Affairs at Conduent, formerly Xerox Services.

EBONY TUCKER

Ebony Tucker has been an expert on gender-based violence for more than 15 years. She has been a legal and policy advocate for sexual assault survivors, creating state legislation and provisions included in the Violence Against Women Act. She has served on advisory boards for Uber, Biden Foundation, Peace Corps and SafeSport. She worked with Senate staff and provided written testimony during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing and spoke about the need for sexual assault services on a panel with President Biden. Ebony is currently the Global Lead for Exploitation and Abuse Partnerships at TikTok. Before coming to TikTok, Ebony held positions as the Executive Director of RALIANCE and as the Advocacy Director for the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

KEMBA WALDEN

Kemba Walden is an American lawyer who serves as the President of the Paladin Global Institute. Walden comes to Paladin after serving as the acting United States National Cyber Director in 2023. She joined the Office of the National Cyber Director as its inaugural principal deputy in June 2022.

While at the White House, she substantially contributed to the development of and launched the National Cybersecurity Strategy (March 2023) and the corresponding Implementation Plan (June 2023). Walden also executed the joint OMB/ONCD Spring Guidance to Federal Departments and Agencies on cyber priorities as they develop their fiscal year 2025 budgets (June 2023). She had a substantial role in developing the National Cybersecurity Workforce and Education Strategy, ultimately executing it in July 2023. In addition, Walden lead the U.S. Government in U.S.-Cyber Dialogues with Singapore and Ukraine and was the head of the U.S. Delegation in several international cyber fora, including Cyber UK, Israel Cyber Week, and the OAS Cybersecurity Summit. In 2023, she brought cybersecurity into the global national security conversation at the Munich Security Conference. Walden was previously an Assistant General Counsel in the digital crimes unit at Microsoft where she launched and lead Microsoft’s counter ransomware program.

Prior to Microsoft, Walden spent a decade in government service at the United States Department of Homeland Security, most recently at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency where she focused on election security, the financial services sector, and the energy sector. Walden was also an inaugural member of the Cyber Safety Review Board responsible for reviewing the Log4Shell vulnerability as well as the Lapsus$ Ransomware gang and producing recommendations for improving the cybersecurity of the Nation. Walden continues to serve as a co-chair of the Ransomware Task Force and serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies teaching a graduate level course entitled “Information Security Laws and Regulatory Compliance.” She earned a B.A. from Hampton University, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

LAUREN WESLEY WILSON

Lauren Wesley Wilson is one of the nation’s leading thought leaders on media relations, diversity and inclusion, and crisis communications. She is the founder and CEO of the ColorComm Corporation, which she started in 2011 to serve the needs of multicultural talent working in the communications, marketing, advertising, digital and public relations industries.

Prior to ColorComm, Lauren worked in political communications serving as the communications director for a Texas congresswoman and as a media strategist/media booker for President Barack Obama’s Reelection Campaign. Following the Campaign, she worked as a Communications Strategist at a prestigious crisis communications firm in Washington, D.C., where she oversaw media strategy and crisis communications for international governments and stakeholder engagement for consumer brands.

She has been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, People, Adweek, Ad Age, PR Week, Bustle, Essence, Ebony, Town & Country and many others. She has been recognized by PR Week’s 50 Most Powerful in PR, Ad Age ‘Women to Watch’, PR Week’s 40 under 40 Award, The Root 100, and many others. Lauren previously served on the Glass Lions Jury at Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France.

Lauren graduated from Spelman College with a B.A. in Political Science and from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in communications. To find out more about Lauren and her work visit: laurenwesleywilson.com and colorcommnetwork.com.

DESIREE ROGERS

Desiree Rogers is a leader, communicator, strategist and connector.

Rogers has redefined every leadership position she has held while playing a major philanthropic role in her communities. Consistently acknowledged as an innovative leader with a proven track record, her expertise includes building stellar teams, delivering positive financial results and repositioning iconic brands.

She is currently the co-owner and CEO of Black Opal LLC which owns Fashion Fair and Black Opal Beauty which markets cosmetics and skin care to multicultural audiences. The brands are distributed widely in the United States including Sephora and ULTA. These brands are more than makeup companies, they are part of history with Fashion Fair redefining what it means to celebrate Black beauty. Their combined experience in the beauty space spans 80 years.

Her career milestones include positioning Chicago as a tourist destination as well as convention mecca through a world-wide digital campaign. In 2018, Chicago was named the number one “Big City Destination” by Conde Nast Traveler. As the CEO of Johnson Publishing, she spearheaded the digital transformation of Ebony (2M unique visitors) and Jet magazines setting the stage for the sale of the assets in 2016. As the first Social Secretary for the Obama Presidency, Desiree’s grasp of experiential marketing and brand positioning ensured Americans were able to visualize the values they voted for—inclusion, transparency, and diversity. Her team oversaw 350 White House events and created a template for entertaining for this administration.

Prior to these positions, Rogers professional roles include serving as President of Peoples Energy now Integrys, the 2B dollar natural gas utility in Chicago as well as leading executive teams at Allstate and the Illinois Lottery where she doubled instant ticket sales to 600M in 3 years.

Desiree graduated from Wellesley College and Harvard Business School. She currently serves in two corporate boards— Stagwell and Inspired Entertainment and the non-for-profit board of the American Cancer Society.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON

Nia-Malika Henderson is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former senior political reporter for CNN and the Washington Post, she has covered politics and campaigns for almost two decades.

CELESTE WARREN

Celeste Warren is Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence.
Ms. Warren joined Merck in 1997 and has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility within the organization.

She has been recognized for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion.

She serves on the boards of RWJBarnabas Health Systems and Paradigm for Parity. She is also a member of CNBC’s Workforce Executive Council and World 50’s Inclusion and Diversity Impact Community.

Celeste is a published author and her articles on diversity, equity and inclusion have been featured in numerous national and global publications and she has had the opportunity to speak at various events across the world.

Celeste attended the University of Kentucky where she earned her B.S. degree. She received her master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

She is the wife of John Warren and the mother of two children, Christina-Celeste and John Steven, Jr.

JEWELLE DAQUIN

Jewelle Daquin is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a board approved clinical supervisor in the state of Virginia. She has a passion for combining her love for people and her dedication for mental health awareness. She is the Founder and CEO of Beyond the Couch, LLC, a mental health practice that provides counseling, consulting, and clinical supervision services. She has presented at national and local conferences on various mental health topics. Mrs. Daquin has co-authored published articles on “The importance of social justice and multiculturalism in counseling programs” and “Understanding the eating practices, body image, and appearance of Black women”. She is a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional and her clinical interests include working with individuals, families, and couples who are looking to learn how to manage anxiety, depression, life stressors, and improve relationship dynamics.

Jewelle prides herself on being a “stigma breaker” and has served in the mental health field for over 15 years. She received her Bachelors and Master’s degrees from George Mason University. Jewelle has partnered with over a dozen churches and community organizations to break the stigma associated with mental illness and therapeutic services. Her clinical experience includes working in school, non-profit, county government, and private practice settings. Mrs. Daquin has worked in the school setting serving adolescents with behavioral challenges, residential rehabilitation facility with adults struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues, and in the community, serving individuals and families. She is currently working full time in private practice where she provides counseling services to individuals (13 and up), families, and couples. Jewelle received the top 40 under 40 Black Alumni award from George Mason University. She also serves her community as proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and works to complete various service projects with her local chapter.

She is happily married to her high school sweetheart; Eddie Daquin and they share a ten year-old son (Josiah) and a two year old daughter (Journee) together.

Jewelle enjoys spending time with family, friends, and traveling.
DR. CHANDA REYNOLDS

Dr. Chanda Reynolds, a licensed clinical psychologist and multifaceted mental health advocate, is dedicated to addressing critical disparities in mental health within the Black community. With a doctorate in clinical psychology, she leads a thriving private practice in Washington, D.C., catering to diverse clients and spearheading "Minds of the Culture," a nonprofit committed to expanding mental health access. Dr. Reynolds, recognized with the 400 Distinguished Award, is a sought-after national speaker and global mental health advocate, amplifying her impact through a Fox Soul show, digital platforms, and collaborations with major publications and brands. Holding the title of "Ms. Black District of Columbia, USA, 2024," her recent participation in Yale University's Black Solidarity Conference underscores her influence and commitment to creating inclusive, supportive spaces for mental well-being, solidifying her status as a trailblazer in the mental health landscape.

LOLLY BOWEAN

Lolly Bowean is a writer, an award-winning journalist and community storyteller.

She currently manages the journalism portfolio at the Ford Foundation. Before joining Ford in 2021, Lolly managed the Media & Storytelling portfolio at the Field Foundation of Illinois.

Lolly worked as a general assignment reporter at the Chicago Tribune for more than 15 years and had a particular focus on urban affairs, youth culture, housing, minority communities and government relations. She wrote primarily about Chicago’s unique African-American community and the development of the Obama Presidential Center.

She has been published in Chicago Magazine, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, Lenny Letter and Longreads. She was a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and is a Studs Terkel Award winner.

ALEXI MCCAMOND

Alexi McCammond is an Opinion editor at the Washington Post. She's the author of a weekly newsletter, called Prompt 2024, that answers your burning questions about the election. Previously, Alexi was a national political reporter at Axios.

RACHEL SCOTT

Rachel Scott is the senior congressional correspondent for ABC News, reporting from Capitol Hill across all programs and platforms, including “Good Morning America, “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “Nightline,” “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” “20/20,” ABC News Live, ABC News Digital and ABC Audio.

Scott has been awarded a Peabody, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, named the NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year in 2020, and Listed on Forbes’ “30 under 30” list . In 2022, Scott was awarded the first-ever Emerging Journalist Emmy Award.

Her career began at ABC News as a production associate for ABC News Live in 2016.

STACEY ABRAMS

Stacey Abrams is a political leader, business owner and New York Times bestselling author. A tax attorney by training, Abrams served as the Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and became the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in 2018 and 2022. Over the course of her career, she has launched multiple organizations devoted to voter engagement and building a more equitable future in the South. Committed to the pursuit of equity, she works to break barriers for young people, people of color and the marginalized through her work in the public, nonprofit and corporate sectors.

She currently serves as the Walters Chair for Race and Black Politics at Howard University and is a senior counsel to Rewiring America. Abrams is also the CEO of Sage Works Productions, Inc., an entertainment production company.

JOY-ANN REID

Joy-Ann Reid is an MSNBC political analyst and host of nightly news analysis program “The ReidOut,” which airs weeknights from 7-8:00 P.M. ET. She previously hosted the weekend program: “A.M. Joy" (2016-2020) and a daily news show "The Reid Report" (2014-2015).

A 1991 Harvard University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual and Environmental Studies with a concentration in documentary film and a 2003 Knight Center for Advanced Journalism fellow, Reid has a longtime interest in politics and elections.

During a hiatus from the news business, she worked as a press secretary for the national voter registration and mobilization entity, America Coming Together in 2004 and for the Florida branch of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008. Reid has written four books: Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons and the Racial Divide, We Are the Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barack Obama (with Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne), The New York Times best-selling, The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story and her latest: Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America. She has received four NAACP Image Award nominations and The ReidOut received the award for best talk program in 2020. The documentary she co-Executive Produced: The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (directed by Yoruba Richen) was nominated for an Emmy Award. And she has received media awards from the Women’s Media Center, the National Action Network, and GLAAD. In November 2021, Reid became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

YOLA

Yola is a six-time GRAMMY nominated artist, songwriter, and actor who has achieved critical acclaim, breakout success, and has been proclaimed as one of the most exciting and innovative artists in music today. NPR called her latest album, Stand For Myself (2021), the “best soul record of the past 20 years”, while Rolling Stone championed her as “one of contemporary pop’s greatest singers, who just so happens to also be one of its sharpest songwriters.”

Yola made her acting debut as the founder of rock and roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, in Baz Luhrmann’s musical drama, ELVIS, and earned a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture.

Yola is currently working on a R&B/Soul project that will surely add another gem to her genre-fluid catalog.

THE HONORABLE VENTRIS C. GIBSON

Director Gibson is a U.S. Navy Veteran, joining the Mint from District of Columbia Government. Prior to her service with the District, she served as the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and also as the Director of Administration for the National Labor Relations Board.

Ms. Gibson’s career includes leadership roles in the Federal Aviation Administration, where she was Assistant Administrator for Human Resources; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resource Management at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its first Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resolution Management. She was VA’s highest-ranking woman veteran responsible for human resources management and civil rights programs affecting 230,000 employees.

Ms. Gibson is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. She received the Exceptional and Meritorious Service Awards, the Department of Transportation’s Presidential Transition Award, and the Northern New Jersey Metropolitan Area’s prestigious “Woman of the Year” award.
A graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, Ms. Gibson attended the University of Maryland, University College. She has three children, four grandchildren, and a golden retriever.

ERICA LOEWE

Erica Loewe serves as Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff for the Office of Public Engagement. Erica was previously President Biden’s Director of African American Media. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, she was Deputy Communications Director to House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (SC-6) and Press Secretary for the House Financial Services Committee under the leadership of Chairwoman Maxine Waters (CA-43).

Before working in Congress, Erica served as Director at a public affairs firm, where she worked closely with government and public relations clients to develop and execute strategic messaging that advanced their priorities.

Erica has a wealth of experience in stakeholder outreach targeting diverse populations, including in her capacity supporting a former Congressional Black Caucus Executive Director, White House Director of African American Outreach during the Obama Administration and the National African American Vote Director for the 2012 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

She is a graduate of the University of Florida.

ALETHIA JACKSON

Alethia Jackson is Senior Vice President, ESG and Chief DEI Officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance. In this role, Alethia leads a combined team of U.S. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility, including health equity, environmental and product sustainability and community giving.

Alethia is a highly experienced Government Relations executive with 20 years of success with Walgreens, America’s Health Insurance Plans and National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Throughout her career, Alethia has been recognized for her ability to develop high-impact strategies, structures and partnerships that have shaped public policy, elevated brand identity and advanced corporate and industry policy objectives.

As Vice President, Federal Government Affairs and Head of Advocacy at Walgreens, Alethia led efforts to expand patient access to pharmacy services, advance the role of pharmacy within healthcare and support retail growth and value creation.

Alethia is passionate about empowering young women through leadership development and is a member of the board of Running Start, Inc. a nonpartisan nonprofit that trains young women to run for public office. She holds a JD from Syracuse University School of Law and a BA from State University of New York at Albany.

MAYA WILEY

Maya Wiley is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. A nationally respected civil rights attorney, Wiley has been a litigator at the ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc., and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She has been a program creator in philanthropy, non-profits, government, and higher education. She helped create a criminal justice program for a major foundation in South Africa.

Wiley co-founded and led a national policy advocacy organization, the Center for Social Inclusion, now a part of Race Forward, a national policy strategy organization working to end structural racism. She became the first Black woman to be Counsel to a New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, where she worked to protect and expand civil rights, Minority and Women-Owned Business contracts and broadband access. Wiley became a Senior Vice President for Social Justice at the New School University, where she also founded the Digital Equity Laboratory. While there, she chaired the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). As chair, she led the release of the “hold” on proceedings against Daniel Pantaleo whose illegal chokehold killed Eric Garner, and Co-Chaired the Mayor’s School Diversity Advisory Group that authored two major reports on integrating New York City public schools.

Wiley has received numerous awards, and has been a public voice for rights, justice, and democracy, through written opinion editorials and as a former legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.

BRITTANY MASALOSALO

Brittany Masalosalo is the Chief Public Policy Officer at HP Inc. The work that the
Government Affairs team does is vital to HP, delivering value by proactively identifying,
quantifying, and assessing geopolitical trends, influencing government policies, and coordinating HP’s public policy position. Brittany and the Government Affairs team partner closely with the Global Business Units to help shape HP’s growth and development strategies, representing HP’s positions before policymakers, legislators, and regulators around the world. This work helps to advance HP’s goals of advocating for policies and
fostering relationships that reflect HP’s values and enable success.

JANAI NELSON

Janai S. Nelson is President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice. Nelson formerly served as LDF’s Associate Director-Counsel and was one of the lead counsels in Veasey v. Abbott (2018), a successful federal challenge to Texas’s voter ID law, and the lead architect of NUL v. Trump (2020), which sought to declare President Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion training in the workplace unconstitutional before it was later rescinded.

TASHA COLE

Tasha Cole is a transformational leader committed to the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her 20-year distinct professional pedigree is informed by a dynamic career as a journalist, campaign operative, senior advisor, fundraiser, and organization leader.

She is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Deputy Executive Director and Chief Diversity Officer, the first person in the committee's history to hold the role. Tasha also serves as Board Co-Chair for Running Start, a group dedicated to training young women to run for office. And most recently she worked as Vice President at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation where she raised nearly $70 million during her tenure.

Tasha is a graduate of Florida A&M University, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and an Emmy award winning documentary producer.

LAPHONZA BUTLER

Senator Butler has spent her career championing fairness and justice. She took her mother’s guidance and forged a path focused on doing everything she could to support the empowerment of working families and the men, women and young people who often felt powerless to make change.

For nearly two decades she was an organizer and leader in the labor movement. At just 30 years old Senator Butler was elected President of California’s largest homecare and nursing home workers union SEIU local 2015. She helped to orchestrate raising California’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and secure paid sick days for the state’s home care workers. As President she united the power of home care workers statewide, growing the union’s membership to more than 325,000 and making SEIU 2015 the largest homecare worker union in America. As President of the SEIU CA State Council, Butler is known to also be a coalition builder–working on issues beyond the workplace to make California more fair and just. From working to expand retirement security by passing CA Secure Choice Retirement Savings program to efforts to improve health outcomes by passing legislation to protect children from cigarette marketing, Butler has been able to work across traditional lines of difference in order to make progress on issues that matter.

Prior to her appointment to the Senate, Senator Butler was president of EMILYs list, which is dedicated to electing Democratic pro-choice women. During her tenure, EMILYs list recruited and supported over 600 women to run for elected office. Prior to leading EMILYs list, Senator Butler served as a strategist to organizations, companies and candidates including playing a key role in Holly Mitchell’s campaign for LA Supervisor.

ANGELA ALSOBROOKS

A lifelong Marylander, Angela was born and raised in Prince George’s County. Angela was taught from a young age to care for her neighbors and give back to her community – urged on by the words of her great-grandmother not to sit on the sidelines but “go farther and do better.”

Angela heard an early calling to public service and after graduating from Duke University and the University of Maryland School of Law, she worked as a law clerk in the Howard County Circuit Court, and later the Baltimore City Circuit Court, before becoming the first full-time Assistant State’s Attorney to handle domestic violence cases in Prince George’s County. Angela held a variety of roles in county government before making history as the youngest and first woman to be elected Prince George’s County State’s Attorney.

As the county’s top law enforcement officer, Angela stood up for families, taking on some of Maryland’s worst criminals, while treating victims and the accused with dignity and respect. Under her tenure, violent crime dropped by 50 percent, she started restorative justice programs for youth, and she established a first-of-its-kind unit to investigate and prosecute police and official misconduct.

In 2018, Angela was elected Prince George’s County Executive, the first woman to hold the position and the first Black woman elected to the office of County Executive in Maryland history. She has focused on creating jobs and growing economic opportunity, investing in education and breaking ground on 10 new schools, expanding access to health care, mental health and addiction treatment, youth outreach and making sure people are safe.

Raising her own daughter in Upper Marlboro, Angela knows Marylanders should have a U.S. Senator who both fights for them and shares their concerns. Angela will fight to provide our families with first chances; a quality education for our kids by expanding Title 1 funding, cap the out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs, ensure Marylanders can provide for their families on just one job, and defend our democracy. Angela is running for Senate to be a voice for families like the ones she grew up with and who she’s worked for throughout her life.

GLYNDA CARR

As president, CEO and co-founder of Higher Heights for America, Glynda C. Carr is at the center of the national movement to grow Black women’s political power from the voting booth to elected office.

In 2011, Carr and Kimberly Peeler-Allen co-founded Higher Heights to address the dearth of organizing resources for politically active Black women and the lack of support for those who were considering seeking elected office. Through her leadership, the organization has developed several innovative programs and efforts that have quickly solidified its reputation as the political home and go-to resource for progressive Black women.

Carr is the co-creator of #BlackWomenLead—a powerful coalition movement that is creating an environment for Black women to run, win and lead—and the Higher Heights-powered #BlackWomenVote, a nonpartisan voter-activism campaign that serves as an independent and trusted voice for Black women’s political concerns. Her work to date has helped to elect 11 Black women to the U.S. Congress–including one to the Senate–and increase the number of Black women holding statewide executive office–including helping to elect the first Black woman to serve as New York State attorney general.

Carr has appeared on the 2018 Essence magazine Woke 100 list. She has contributed to CNN.com, TheRoot.com, Ebony.com, HuffPost.com and BET.com; appeared on Cheddar, FOX News Live and MSNBC; and has been interviewed and quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times, US News, BuzzFeed and numerous other outlets.

This program is made possible thanks to our sponsors Amazon Web Services, Bloomberg, HP, Merck, Omidyar, P&G, T-Mobile, and Wiley

Thanks also to…

Blueprint Medicine, our table and ticket sponsor

Fashion Fair, for providing glam for our speakers

And attendee gifts provided by Lauren Wesley Wilson, Walgreens, Bloomberg, and Fashion Fair