Maisha Gray-Diggs
Maisha
Gray-Diggs
Month: September 2024
Dr. Maisha Gray-Diggs (Dr. MGD) stands out as a rare example of an engineering leader who successfully transitioned into talent acquisition leadership. She leverages her deep expertise in engineering, research, development and human resources to deliver tangible results to organizations on a global scale. Dr. MGD contributes to company success and organization health by driving growth, advancing and enabling innovation and executing winning approaches to develop and retain people, enhance organizational capability, build capacity, and optimize processes and systems. Her approach and work is a result of her extensive experience inside of several Fortune 500 companies across the CPG and tech sectors.
Dr. MGD was most recently in an in-house Vice President of Global Talent, Inclusion, and Experience role, where she impacted every stage of the employee life cycle; prioritizing diversity, inclusion, and belonging; employee engagement and satisfaction; employer brand; and connecting and gathering for a remote organization. She recently pivoted her time and talents into a role at 8genC, where she is partnering to build a community of trusted advisors and fractional leaders to support startups, creators, and brands.
She is a change agent who navigates ambiguity and wields an innate ability to “sense and respond” dynamically. She has earned the reputation as a quick study, a reflective thought leader and one who is uniquely positioned to deliver game changing results.
Dr. MGD believes that to whom much is given, much is expected. As such, she continues to share her time, talents, and treasures with organizations focused on topics close to her heart which include equity and access for the underrepresented and marginalized; eye, organ and tissue donation; youth empowerment; and STE[A]M.
She is an HR advisor with SemperVirens Venture Capital, Reach Capital, and A.Team, partnering with other senior HR leaders to define the future of work. She also serves as the President for the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and is a devoted Soccer Mom with the Bay Oaks Soccer Club’s 2010 Premier Girls and 2010 Premier Boys Soccer Teams. Dr. MGD enjoys spending quality time with her 14 year old twins, William and Maya, and exploring new frontiers as a continuous learner.
Twitter/Instagram: @STEMDrMGD
Facebook/LinkedIn: Maisha Gray-Diggs
www.maishagraydiggs.com
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Eric Austin
Eric
Austin
Month: September 2024
Eric Austin is a brand building marketing executive at Procter & Gamble with 20+ years of experience. He has developed some of the world’s most successful, global billion-dollar brands in the US and abroad in Europe including Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Wella Koleston, Braun, Olay and others.
Throughout his career, Eric has gained a broad range of experiences across the Marketing and IT landscape which includes initiative management, consumer insights, data & analytics, product design & market delivery, data & analytics, marketing strategy, digital & ecommerce systems, creative ad development, enterprise strategy and platform development.
Beyond marketing, Eric is a media maven with deep expertise in leading disruptive innovation, accelerating media productivity for the world’s largest advertiser. He’s a recognized expert in the media & AdTech industry and an advocate for driving equality and inclusion across the media ecosystem. Eric has developed industry award winning programs such as THE TALK, THE LOOK, #TalkAboutBias,THE CHOICE, Widen The Screen, Queen Collective, 846 Films, These Hands and others, which sheds light on systemic bias and facilitates equitable solutions for P&G, the media industry, and beyond.
Outside of work, you will find Eric cheering on his 2 boys, nurturing friendships, staying active, and enjoying life with his wife.
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Lela Coffey
Lela
Coffey
Month: September 2024
Lela Coffey is Vice President, Multi-Cultural Business Acceleration for P&G N.A., helping P&G to serve multicultural consumers across P&G’s enterprise. In her prior role, Lela was VP for P&G’s N.A. Multicultural Hair Portfolio, which includes brands like Gold Series, My Black is Beautiful and Bevel.
With more than 20 years of brand-building experience, Lela has led some of P&G’s iconic brands including Cascade, Olay, and Tampax. Her passion for marketing and inclusivity sets a high bar for impact, challenging others to deliver products and programs that are meaningful for consumers and communities alike.
An advocate for developing talent and capability, Lela invests a substantial time supporting her teams, including fostering understanding of the impact diverse, inclusive teams can have on businesses and organizations. Lela also spearheaded the creation of P&G’s 4R Framework for Equality & Inclusivity, which is used across P&G to aid brands in more authentically connecting with traditionally underserved consumers. As a testament to her body of work, Lela was recently inducted into the P&G’s Brand Mastery society.
Lela resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, Maurice. They have two daughters, Mikaela, 22 and Mikenzi, 18. Outside of work, Lela serves as a board member for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
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Tope Ajala
Tope
Ajala
Month: September 2024
Tope Ajala is a trailblazing DE&I advocate with over a decade of experience across marketing, operations, and change management. As an executive at Ogilvy, she champions initiatives such as the Modern Exchange and bespoke leadership programs, embedding inclusion at the core of both employee and client experiences. Renowned for her innovative approach, she has delivered many industry “firsts,” including the pioneering global leadership program for Black men. In her previous roles, she launched global “Belonging” trainings for over 100,000 individuals and established a global supplier diversity council. As a former Operations Director and Business Strategist, Tope oversaw mergers and acquisitions, streamlined business operations, and developed data-centered models for both finance and people functions. Co-founder of Levelset, Saif-Hands, and “To A Tee,” she remains deeply engaged in her communities through volunteering, proudly advocates for mental health as an Ally, and finds joy in traveling, surfing, literature, and yoga.
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Danny Robinson
Danny
Robinson
Month: September 2024
Danny Robinson’s career is a testament to outside-the-box thinking. After all, it’s not common to find a chief executive officer, who was previously a chief creative officer, who was previously a chief client officer who never saw himself in any of these roles. Throughout his career, Danny has been both the tone setter for and champion of creativity, As CEO of Martin, he is responsible for the overall health, vision and growth of the agency. Danny’s blend of creative and business acumen leads to a big-picture perspective that results in breakthrough ideas. He brought this approach with him in 2004 and has since helped lead the agency to back-to-back Adweek Agency of Year wins in 2020 and 2021, Ad Age’s 2023 Agency of the Year and #5 on the A-List in 2024, and a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative List for 2023 and 2024.
Prior to becoming CEO in 2024, Danny was both the first Black chief creative officer in Martin’s history and one of the few leading a non-Black-owned agency. Over the course of his three-year tenure, he oversaw work from some of the world’s most beloved brands including UPS, GEICO, Walmart, TIAA, DoorDash and OREO.
Remember when Oprah gave away 276 Pontiac G6s? So does Danny. He was a big part of that history-making brand integration as the chief creative officer at Vigilante, an ad agency he co-founded. While at Vigilante, Danny was the creative leader and writer behind award-winning campaigns for national brands including Sprint, Major League Baseball, Heineken and Johnnie Walker Black Label.Danny is a Hampton University grad with an MBA from Atlanta University, an accomplished artist, a pop culture aficionado, a former DJ and standup comic, and was even once voted by the Stand Up NY Comedy Club as “one of the funniest men in advertising.”
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Blackweek Connect
Month: September 2024
Details
Date
Fri, Oct 18
Time
9:00AM – 12:00PM
Stage
TBD
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Aaron Walton
CEO, Walton Isaacson
Oh hey! We’re putting the final touches on this exciting session. More details on the speakers and discussion topic will be available as we get closer to the conference. Be sure to check back for updates, and follow us on social for the latest news on confirmed speakers and sessions.
Details
Date
Fri, Oct 18
Time
9:00AM – 12:00PM
Stage
TBD
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Diversity by Design: Creating Inclusive Tech Cultures
Month: September 2024
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
3:25PM – 4:10PM
Stage
Premier stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Donovan Richards
Queens Borough President
Lyinoluwa Aboyeji
Leading Tech Influencer
As the tech industry continues to drive the future of work, innovation, and global economies, diversity and inclusion have become more crucial than ever. This panel will explore how intentional, strategic efforts to cultivate inclusive cultures within tech companies can fuel creativity, spur innovation, and ensure long-term success.
Leading experts in technology, business, and diversity will share practical insights on how companies can foster more inclusive work environments. Discussions will focus on the significance of diverse leadership, equitable access to opportunities, and how technology can be harnessed to drive social change. Panelists will showcase case studies of organizations that have successfully integrated diversity by design, offering attendees actionable strategies for embedding inclusion into the core of corporate culture.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, executive, or tech professional, this session will provide valuable insights on how diversity is essential to shaping the future of tech and driving economic growth.
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
3:25PM – 4:10PM
Stage
Premier stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Black Doctors on the Big Screen
Month: September 2024
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
2:10PM – 2:50PM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Gena Pemberton
Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom Health Group
Divya Dileep
SVP, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\WORLDHEALTH
Let’s take a retrospective look at how the entertainment industry has portrayed Black physicians and patients over the years, and amplify the impact these portrayals have had on health equity, healthcare representation in social media, and real-world outcomes in Black communities.
This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Omnicom. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
2:10PM – 2:50PM
Stage
Impact stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Riding on Influence
Month: September 2024
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
2:00PM – 2:40PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
Lauren Weinberg
CMO, Peloton
Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts
Peloton Instructor
Walter T. Geer
CCO, Innovation North America
Oh hey! We’re putting the final touches on this exciting session. More details on the speakers and discussion topic will be available as we get closer to the conference. Be sure to check back for updates, and follow us on social for the latest news on confirmed speakers and sessions.
This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Peloton. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
2:00PM – 2:40PM
Stage
Breakthrough stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Beauty Beyond Boundaries: Sephora's Model for Economic Inclusion & Brand Growth
Month: September 2024
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
1:55PM – 2:35PM
Stage
Premier stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013
Speakers & Moderators
At a time when many companies are pulling back from DE&I initiatives, Sephora is doubling down on its investment by continuing its work around ensuring diverse representation, expanding partnerships, and strategically aligning its brand with inclusive cultural narratives. Join us for an engaging fireside discussion with Sephora’s Celessa Baker, Vice President, Marketing Partnerships, and Danisha Lomax, Head of Client Inclusivity and Impact at Digitas, where they will discuss how Sephora’s commitment to economic inclusion is reshaping the beauty industry and supercharging the brand’s growth.
This discussion will explore:
– Sephora’s strategic DE&I initiatives: Including its commitment to the Fifteen Percent Pledge and the impact of Sephora’s Racial Bias in Retail Study.
– The evolving role of brand partnerships: How leveraging collaborations helps the retailer authentically connect with diverse communities.
– Business outcomes: Sephora’s commitment to inclusion is not just a social imperative, but a business strategy that enhances brand loyalty and drives revenue.
This Blackweek discussion is proudly sponsored by Digitas. We’re grateful for their generous support and commitment to right-sizing industries to help create more opportunity for equity and ownership.
Details
Date
Thu, Oct 17
Time
1:55PM – 2:35PM
Stage
Premier stage
Address
Spring Studios
6 St Johns Ln,
New York, NY 10013