Cathy Bauer Industry: Arts & Entertainment
Cathy Bauer is a music industry professional with over 25 years of experience in the independent and small business sector, with a focus on artist and client relationships. She brings extensive experience in the production, distribution and marketing of recorded music. Elected as a board member of the trade organization American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) trade organization, she is committed to the greater music community of songwriters and copyright holders. Additionally, she has been involved in A2IM’s various committees and participated in the group’s mentorship program.
Outside of the music business, Ms. Bauer volunteers her time to various organizations, enjoys getting outside and visiting National Parks, listing to records at home with her husband, caring for her rescue dog Mabel and spending time with family and friends.
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Kuuleialoha Gaisoa Executive VP/Owner, Unlimited Construction Services Industry: Construction
As a woman owner of Unlimited Construction Services, Inc., Kuulei has played a key role in the growth and evolution of the company. Over the last 15 years, she has held a variety of roles in contracts, finance, project engineering, and more. Today, as Executive Vice President, she manages the accounting, financial, information technology, human resources, safety, equipment, training and operations departments.
Kuulei is active in the community and has served on a number of boards including Hui Hana Pa‘akai and YWCA of Kauai. She has been recognized for her leadership as a Pacific Business News Women Who Mean Business 2022 honoree and recipient of YWCA’s Na Wahine Alakai O Kauai 2010 Women’s Leadership Award.
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Tamera Kohler
Chief Executive Officer, Regional Task Force on Homelessness
Industry: Housing and Homelessness
Tamera Kohler, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH). RTFH is a unique non-profit serving San Diego County as the US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC). As the CoC Lead Agency, RTFH is the collaborative applicant for CoC funding, administers the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); Coordinated Entry System (CES); and Point in Time Count (PITC). RTFH is the homeless policy expert and supports communities in understanding and problem-solving solutions to end homelessness through data and best practices. We are a convener, trainer, create standards and measure performance of the homeless response system and programs. Importantly, RTFH is the regional strategic planning organization and administers over $40 million in State and Federal grants for the San Diego Region.
Ms. Kohler is recognized as a Subject Matter Expert on homeless systems and solutions and has assembled a nationally recognized leadership group to lead and support efforts in all jurisdictions within San Diego county to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. Ms. Kohler has over 20 years of senior leadership experience serving in state and local government specializing in poverty, homeless, non-profit, and private mortgage lending. She is well known and respected at national, state and local levels in community engagement, contracting, and the data-driven systems critical to achieve both measurable results and ensure resources are being allocated wisely. Prior to RTFH she served as the Division Director of Homeless Strategy and Investment of the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department. There she oversaw 45 employees, a $58 million budget and prior to that she spent over 8 years helping to lead the nationally-noted homelessness reduction programs for the State of Utah. She served Utah as the Assistant Division Director of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in the Department of Workforce Services Ms. Kohler is an effective change agent with critical big picture, system level planning expertise, and brings a unique connection and network to the highest level of national leaders in homelessness.
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Caroline Tess Executive Director, National Security Action Industry: Policy & Advocacy; Business; Professional Services / Consulting
Caroline Tess is the Executive Director of National Security Action. She’s also a real estate investor, board member for Center for Democracy in the Americas, and a mom. She served on the Biden-Harris Transition team leading the team responsible for confirmation of national security cabinet secretaries.
Caroline’s government service in the Obama Administration includes the White House, the State Department, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Caroline is a recognized leader on national security, Congress, and policy towards Latin America.
Caroline also worked on Capitol Hill for several years, serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee, as well as Senator Harry Reid’s leadership staff, and in the office of Senator Bill Nelson.
Caroline received her M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and her B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Caroline has lived abroad throughout Latin America and speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese. She’s also an avid scuba diver.
Caroline Tess Connect on LinkedIn
Jennifer Hark Dietz Chief Executive Officer, PATH Industry: Housing and Homelessness
A 15-year advocate in homelessness, Veterans, and mental health services, as the CEO, Jennifer leads PATH’s strategic direction, business management, and person-centered efforts across California. She guides the organization’s statewide initiatives, working alongside 900 staff with a shared commitment to establish permanent solutions to homelessness that are faster and more affordable. Under Jennifer’s mission-driven leadership, PATH’s programs statewide have increased by more than 20 percent each year, increased operations from $15M to $160M, and expanded its reach to 26,000 across 150. She also works with PATH’s real estate affiliate, PATH Ventures, with its housing portfolio’s rapid expansion to 2,500 units completed or in the pipeline.
Jennifer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She currently serves on the Los Angeles Regional Community Veterans Engagement Board, is a partner with Social Justice Partners Los Angeles and was recently appointed as an advisor to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
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Dr. Holly Henderson Director, Risk Management, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Industry: Housing and Homelessness
Hello, my name is Dr. Holly Henderson and I work for Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) as Director, Risk Management. As a Director, Risk Management, I oversee investigations, third party audits, internal audits, crisis management, public request acts, and legal operations. My doctorate is in public administration and one of my purposes as a public administrator is to aspire people to achieve their goals. My goal as Director, Risk Management is facilitate risk management awareness to mitigate- organizational risks that may affect our organization's reputation and stability. I'm most passionate about helping other people achieve success and encouraging individuals to achieve what fulfills them.
Dr. Holly Henderson Connect on Linkedin
Quisha Light Customer Services Director, Portland Water Bureau Industry: Utility
Quisha Light is the Customer Service Director for the Portland Water Bureau in Portland, Oregon. She’s been in this role since March 2022. Before joining the Water Bureau, she served as Manager of Product Development & Lifecyle Management at Portland General Electric, where she led teams responsible for transforming the Company’s clean energy products, programs, and services. Prior to PGE, Quisha practiced law in Tennessee. She received her BA from the University of the South and her JD from the University of Memphis School of Law.
Outside of work, Quisha is committed to community service and time with family and friends. She enjoys reading a great book, watching movies with her family, and playing bad golf with friends.
Quisha Light Connect on LinkedIn
Annie Fitzgerald General Manager, The Westgate Hotel Industry: Business and Hospitality
Annie brings 2 decades of hospitality industry experience with her most recent professional role as the General Manager of the Westgate Hotel and AquaVie Fitness + Wellness, a Grand America Hotels and Resorts property, in downtown San Diego CA. Creating a high performing team focused on the implementation of personalized guest service, financial performance, safety and employee engagement are her top priorities. A native of Utah, Annie relocated to San Diego with her family in 2020. She is involved in the community as a member of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Tourism Authority. Personally, Annie finds joy in spending time with her husband and daughter, golfing, skiing, or walking the her two mini schnauzers. She loves to read and research sociological, political and economic topics. She is always eager to try new culinary experiences or spend time learning about people and spending time with friends!
Annie Fitzgerald Connect on LinkedIn
Lauren Johnson Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Portland Industry: Philanthropy / Nonprofit
As Executive Director of SVP Portland, Lauren leads a partnership of engaged professionals whose efforts go beyond traditional philanthropy. By pooling the expertise, money, and influence from a community of volunteers, SVP helps organizations and initiatives work toward greater social, racial and economic justice. Today, SVP is focused on ensuring that all children in Multnomah and Washington Counties have access to early education—regardless of race, ethnicity, wealth, religion, gender, or zip code. Prior to serving as Executive Director, Lauren was SVP’s Senior Vice President for Community Impact for seven years, during which she developed and managed multi-year, capacity building partnerships with nonprofits. With their ambitious visions and unrealized potential, Lauren helped organizations grow their operating capacity and scale their innovative programs. Before joining SVP, Lauren was a Program Officer at King Philanthropies, a founding Manager of a Schools Uniting Neighborhoods program, and an English teacher in Chile. Throughout her career, influenced by her liberal arts education from Williams College, Lauren has served as a philanthropic thought leader and advisor, both locally and nationally.
Lauren Johnson Connect on LinkedIn
Ambra Sitgraves Enterprise Account Executive, MicroFocus Industry: Technology
Cyber Security Professional, Sales Executive, Amateur Real-Estate Investor, Mother to two teenage daughters and a Navy wife. Ambra loves to travel around the world and enjoys food and wine tours in foreign places. She has a particular passion for Japan, where she lived for 2 years and traveled extensively to all four islands that make up the country.
As a Woman in Technology for over 18 years, Ambra has navigated the business world with curiosity and a desire to consistently learn new emerging trends. Her curiosity to help organizations maximize their investments in technology has earned her many achievement awards and long-term loyal customers. She enjoys mentoring and coaching colleagues and high school students. She is as passionate about the success of others as she is about the enjoyment of life.
Ambra Sitgraves Connect on LinkedIn
Spring Class II
Danielle Lampton Co-Founder & Co-Director, Converge Industry: Non Profit Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
Danielle has worked in the field of sexual and reproductive health for over ten years. In 2018, she co-founded Converge, a Jackson, MS based non-profit aimed at ensuring all people in the Deep South have access to quality sexual and reproductive healthcare that meets their desires. Since beginning her public health career, Danielle has raised over $15 million dollars in federal and private funding for sexual and reproductive healthcare in Mississippi. She serves as the Co-Executive Director of Converge, where she leads the state's federal family planning grant program, totaling $5 million dollars. Danielle is a lifelong Southerner who believes that solutions to the big problems for communities lie within those communities. She labors to ensure her work reflects the principles of reproductive justice as well as health equity.
Danielle Lampton Connect on Linkedin
Monica Pešl District Sales Manager, SHI International Industry: Technology
Over the last 12 years Monica Pešl has held several different roles within the technology sector. Currently, she leads a team of account executives who support state and local government with their technology needs. Supporting the Public Sector is a passion for Monica because it allows her to impact her community through projects her team supports.
Monica grew up leveraging government programs. Her father passed when she was a toddler leaving her minority mother to raise three children on her own. Social Security, Children's Health Insurance Program and college grants provided the assistance her family needed to support themselves and achieve higher education. Having been a recipient of these programs she's passionate about giving back and empowering others to do the same.
In 2021 Monica founded the Women's Empowerment Collective, a 12 month long program designed to provide women at her company the opportunity to mentor each other, collaborate and give back through community service. 2023 marks the third year and group of women going through the series.
When she's not working, Monica is outside making new memories with her incredible husband, two daughters and Miniature Schnauzer, Linda Ronstadt.
Monica Pešl Connect on LinkedIn
Liz Westhouse Community Manager, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund Industry: Business
Liz Westhouse is the Community Manager at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, where she supports team operations and focuses on creating connections among the fund’s stakeholder groups. She joined the firm in 2020.Prior to Revolution, Liz worked in higher education as an Associate Director of Student and Alumni Relations at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In this role, she developed and cultivated relationships, strengthened the Booth community’s engagement, and coordinated programming for the student and alumni communities. Liz also worked on the Annual Fund at Northwestern University, where she partnered with students, alumni and parents to enrich the student experience through philanthropy. Liz graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology. She received a Certificate in Social Impact Partnerships from Georgetown and a Certificate in the Essentials of Project Management from The University of Chicago Graham School. She was born and raised in Evanston, IL.
Liz Westhouse Connect on LinkedIn
Fall Class
Caitlin Garcia Florida Claims Supervisor, Amwins Specialty Auto Industry: Professional Services & Consulting
I have spent the last ten years gaining knowledge and experience within the insurance industry having worked for both large standard carriers and smaller non-standard carriers. This allowed me to become an expert in Property and Casualty, to include Personal Injury Protection, vehicle estimation, Attorney-represented and non-Attorney-represented Bodily Injury. Eventually, I was promoted to Florida Claims Supervisor managing a team of novice and tenured adjusters.
Caitlin Garcia Connect on LinkedIn
Wintor McNeel Senior Founding Director, College Track Industry: Education
Dr. Wintor A. McNeel is an educator, entrepreneur, writer, activist, and motivational speaker. She currently serves as the Executive Founding Director at College Track Crenshaw District. Raised in the Crenshaw community, she dreamed of one day returning to the community to support students with achieving college access and obtaining their college degrees. Additionally, she has a profound passion for helping girls with social-emotional learning, which deepened when she became a Counselor at Environmental Charter Schools and the Director of Curriculum for EmpowHer Institute—a mentorship program to eradicate teen pregnancy and build self-esteem. Wintor’s key areas of expertise include professional development, change management, emotional intelligence, leadership development, college and career advising, and creative writing.
Wintor has over fifteen years of experience as a business owner working in the non-profit, private, and public sectors. She is the President and Founder of WAM and Company and the WAM Academy for Social Justice and Learning. WAM and Company is a consulting firm that provides professional consulting services to individuals, non-profits, small businesses, and corporate organizations. And the WAM Academy for Social Justice and Learning is a non-profit organization that supports the advancement of non-profit organizations—helping non-profit organizations gain access to capital and improving their branding visibility.
She recently earned her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. Her dissertation focused on how Black Female Educational Leaders can use their personal experiences to dismantle the Matrix of Oppression. She holds a BA in Communication Studies and a MA in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University.
Wintor McNeel Connect on LinkedIn
Arienne Thompson Plourde Sr. Program Manager, Global Social Impact, Google Industry: Technology
Arienne Thompson Plourde has helped shape some of the most iconic and innovative brands in the world as a career strategist and storyteller with nearly 20 years of tech, diversity leadership, media, public relations and higher education experience. She is currently the Senior Program Manager for Google Data Centers’ Global Social Impact team. Previously, Arienne was Director of PR at a boutique public relations firm, and before that, was a nationally recognized entertainment journalist at USA Today for a decade. Arienne holds a B.A. (History & Japanese) from The University of Notre Dame, and a master’s (Journalism) from American University. She is an active volunteer leader in the Notre Dame alumni network, serves on College of Charleston’s Communications National Advisory Council, and is also an adjunct journalism lecturer at Georgetown University. Arienne is originally from Memphis, but has called the Washington, D.C. metro area home since 2004. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband and son.
Arienne Thompson Plourde Connect on LinkedIn
Dana Marinzel Senior Design Architect / Associate Principal, AECOM Industry: Professional Services / Consulting
Dana Marinzel is a senior design architect at AECOM with 23 years of industry experience that encompasses a wide range of project types including laboratories; higher education laboratory, research, and classroom buildings; justice facilities; and government and commercial buildings and offices. She enjoys collaborating with clients and users to design solutions that marry the people, environment, program, and culture. The success of these collaborations is most recently seen in her work with five of NASA’s campuses as they update an aging infrastructure and bring about a culture shift to attract and retain top talent. She appreciates the big ideas and the thoughtful details that support them.
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Kim Pierson Department Manager, Asset Management Lead for Facilities & Infrastructure, Dewberry Industry: Professional Services / Consulting
Kim is an architectural engineer focused on delivering large, multi-disciplinary assessment and capital planning projects. She has pursued an interdisciplinary approach to engineering throughout her career, focusing on energy audits, facility management and planning for the life of a building, including its equipment and systems. She enjoys assisting clients in understanding how to optimize the building life cycle and where to best allocate funds for repairs, upgrades and new construction. She have served in several leadership roles within her company's employee resource groups and in ASHRAE. When not working, she keeps busy with her spouse, son, and several pets, making the most of living in a wonderful community.
Kim Pierson Connect on LinkedIn
Michelle Williams Sr. Manager, Audience Marketing, American Chemical Society Industry: Association
Michelle Williams, DES is the Senior Manager of Audience Marketing at American Chemical Society. She manages ACS’s new audience marketing team, that is responsible for marketing ACS’s programs, product and services to members and potential members across education, industry, international, DEIR and events. She is a global marketing leader with an extensive background in audience engagement building and event management across a diverse set of products and industries. Michelle received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Howard University. She is a proud wife and mother of two sons.
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Larissa May Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis Industry: Medicine
Dr. Larissa May is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Emergency Department Innovation and External Partnerships at the University of California-Davis. Trained under an NIH career development award, she is a clinical researcher with expertise in quality improvement and management of infections), with more than 100 peer reviewed publications as an investigator and thought leader in this field. She is a public health champion, having served in the COVID-19 response as Yolo County’s Interim Health Officer then as the K-12 Schools Lead for the California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Testing Task force. She is currently an Innovation Fellow in the Center for Diagnostic Innovation and will be the inaugural Assistant Clinical Ventures Officer, serving as a clinical dyad to the Chief Ventures Officer. She has served on numerous committees focused on antibiotic stewardship, emergency preparedness, and infectious diseases surveillance for federal agencies and professional organizations and is a consultant for biotech and life sciences companies and a clinical advisor at the UC Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator Program.
Larissa May Connect on LinkedIn
Kamilah Oliphant Attorney, DC Department of Behavioral Health Industry: Law
Kamilah Oliphant is a graduate of the Washington College of Law, American University, with an interest in advocacy. In addition to being licensed to practice law, she holds an advanced clinical license in social work. Ms. Oliphant has over 20 years of experience responding to people experiencing an emotional crisis and has made tough decisions affecting their liberty interest. Ms. Oliphant's clinical experience, coupled with her legal training, makes her adept in her role of providing legal advice to clinical practitioners of the District's public behavioral health system.
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Kristi Schulenberg Chief Operating Officer, Maryland Legal Aid Industry: Law
Kristi Schulenberg is the Chief Operating Officer at Maryland Legal Aid. Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is the state’s largest provider of free, direct legal services to people living with low-incomes and/or other physical or economic impediments to accessing justice. Previously, Kristi was the Director for the Center of Capacity Building at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, led training and technical assistance efforts aimed at assisting communities to use data-driven decision making to end and reduce homelessness. Kristi earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Dayton (Go Flyers!) and a Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia. Kristi was born and raised in the Bay Area of California (Go Giants!). Kristi enjoys running, glamping, and spending time with her wife, Kathryn, and their dog Mochi.
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Beth Miller Senior Insider Risk Advisor, Mattuc Industry: Technology
Twenty years of experience leading sensitive projects at the intersection of human and technical behavior. Developed insider risk management programs for the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and Fortune 500 companies that include bespoke training modules on risk management, critical thinking skills and stakeholder communication as part of a holistic approach to prevent, detect and respond proportionally to insider threats.
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Laura Soltau Executive Director, Teton Literacy Center Industry: Education
Laura Soltau is Executive Director of Teton Literacy Center in Jackson, Wyoming, a nonprofit organization working to close the opportunity gap within the Teton County community.
Laura has a teaching background and has combined her love for education and the nonprofit world through her role at Teton Literacy. Laura started her career at Teton Literacy Center as an Americorps Member in 2007. After moving through a variety of program management roles, she became Executive Director in 2015. Her tenure at TLC has included the creation of the Literacy Lab preschool, Family Literacy program, the SOAR summer intensive, and most recently the Funding Futures College Savings program. She is a member of Rotary Club of Jackson Hole, Munger Mountain Elementary School PTO, and an elder at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole. She received her undergraduate degree in Corporate Communications and Non-profit Management from Southern Methodist University and her Masters in Elementary Education from Western Governors University. In her free time, Laura enjoys exploring the mountains around her home in Wyoming with her husband and two boys.
Laura Soltau Connect on LinkedIn
Michelle Wilson Deputy Director of Administration, DC Department of Corrections Industry: Government
Michelle K. Wilson was appointed Deputy Director of Administration at the D.C. Department of Corrections in November 2021. As the Deputy Director of Administration, Ms. Wilson, oversees the agency’s core administrative functions, including budget, procurement, human resources, medical services, food services, acquisitions of supplies, staff training, risk management and compliance, information technology, strategic planning, facility maintenance, capital projects, and governmental affairs. Ms. Wilson joined the District of Columbia Department of Corrections as an Attorney Advisor in January 2020. Prior to joining the Department of Corrections, Ms. Wilson spent four years as an Assistant Attorney General for the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
Ms. Wilson has also sat on numerous boards and associations. Ms. Wilson is a Past-President of the Alliance of Black Women Attorneys of Maryland, Inc. and is a Past-President of the Monumental City Bar Association, the oldest African-American Bar Association in the State of Maryland. Ms. Wilson has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Baltimore School of Law, teaching first year law students legal writing and advocacy.
Ms. Wilson is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware.
Michelle Wilson Connect on LinkedIn
Alicia Mazzara Deputy Director for Housing Equity and Data Analysis, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Industry: Policy & Advocacy
Alicia Mazzara is Deputy Director for Housing Equity and Data Analysis on the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Housing and Income Security team, which works to protect and expand access to affordable housing for people with low incomes. Her expertise includes evaluating the degree to which federal rental assistance programs assist underserved populations, particularly people of color, and to which people receiving rental assistance are segregated into communities that have historically experienced underinvestment. In this role, she also works closely with the VP of Equity and Inclusion to support organization-wide efforts to advance racial equity and inclusion in policy analysis and internal operations. She works across policy teams to develop frameworks, strategies, and learning opportunities that explore the role of public policy and research in addressing systemic and institutional inequities.
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Shayla Phillips Director, Global Conferences & Events, American Chemical Society Industry: Publishing
Shayla Phillips leads the global events for the Publications division of the American Chemical Society. With more than 17 years’ experience in successfully planning and managing over 150 domestic and international meetings, trade shows, virtual events, symposiums, webinars and other special events. In addition, she oversee all aspects of event planning from strategy to execution including site selection, vendor negotiations, registration, onsite staffing, and post-event reporting. Shayla manages a global events team of eight and oversees a nearly $2 million P+L at this global nonprofit membership organization with nearly 160,000 members. Shayla is passionate about event planning and event execution.
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