Lauded as one of Media, Marketing & Tech’s 50 “Most Indispensable Behind The Scenes Stars”, Kai Deveraux Lawson is a thought leader, innovator, and advocate for truth-telling in marketing. With over 13 years experience in the industry, she’s helped shape strategies for Advertising’s most recognizable agencies and brands.

Her experience led her to launch the culturally focused platforms, Mixed Company Podcast and her blog, Mylifeofkai.com. On these platforms, she shares her first hand experiences in life, travel and career.

Kai’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and her innovative approach to marketing, has garnered significant recognition throughout her career. In 2024, Kai was named the Ad Age A List & Creativity Awards Diversity & Inclusion Champion of the Year. Additional honors include The 2022 Adweek50 list and New York Moves Magazine’s 2023 Diversity Award, solidifying her status as a respected trailblazer in her field.

In January of 2024, Kai co-founded Valerie, a Hybrid Agency/Consultancy specializing in developing and executing strategy and creative for brands and businesses rooted in life experiences.

Ebony Young boasts an extensive career spanning over 25 years in the Nonprofit, For Profit, and Government sectors, holding executive leadership positions at renowned institutions such as the City of New York, YMCA of Greater New York, TF Cornerstone Real Estate Developers, Incarceration Reform, and the Black Entrepreneur Initiative. Tasked with overseeing, organizing, and operating organizations to peak efficiency, her focus areas encompass leadership, wellbeing, technology, youth development, and social justice reform. She currently holds the role of Queens Deputy Borough President. Notably, she’s credited with establishing New York City’s inaugural fully operational diversity tech hub and collaborating with influencers like LL Cool J to address black male mental health challenges.

Having served on numerous global boards, task forces, and advisory committees, Ebony has made significant contributions to diverse communities, including youth, adults, seniors, athletes, artists, and environmentalists. Her commitment to community enrichment, coupled with her confidence, passion, and innovative spirit, has earned her recognition as a genuine communal builder, connector, and educator.

Ebony’s remarkable ability to captivate audiences, convey powerful messages, translate concepts into tangible outcomes, and leave a lasting impact is truly awe-inspiring. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Communications from Indiana State University and furthered her education at Indiana Tech, obtaining a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. Beyond her academic achievements, Ebony is a dynamic motivational speaker and certified life coach.

Residing in New York City with her husband and three children, Ebony epitomizes the blend of professional prowess and family values.

Reginald Cash is CEO and owner of 3BLACKDOT (3BD), a global entertainment company that champions equity and creator empowerment in media. Cash oversees the company’s multi-platform entertainment business, transforming 3BD into a creator-centric media and entertainment powerhouse.Cash has molded the company’s strategy of driving cross media IP creation in partnership with the most diverse, resonant creators inclusive of gaming talent, athletes, and musicians. He also is responsible for creating unique integration points for brand partners such as PepsiCo, Disney, GMC and McDonald’s.Receiving multiple honors which include Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 and Cynopsis’ It List, Cash has spearheaded 3BD’s award-winning work that even earned the company the title of being one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2022.Prior to joining 3BLACKDOT, Cash founded data aggregation company Markers. He also led the Investor Relations groups for Deutsche Bank and UBS. A graduate of Columbia University, Cash currently resides in Los Angeles.

Armstrong has demonstrated professional excellence within the Automotive industry for over 16 years. Armstrong joined General Motors in 2006 as a marketing intern with the Service Parts Operations (CCA) as an associate analyst with ACDelco & Goodwrench. She furthered her automotive career as the previous Business Planning Manager for General Motors’ Chair & CEO, where she was responsible for leading portfolio studies and the long-term growth strategy for the organization. She’s held several critical regional and sales assignments including supporting the Buick & GMC Dealer Network and its execution of the first-ever Black Friday Select Model 20% incentive program. In 2021, Armstrong was promoted to the Director of Diversity Marketing & Development. In this current role she leads the task of driving measurable business results for multicultural audiences in addition to human capital development initiatives to reskill marketing employees as modern marketers.

In 2023 Armstrong was named an honoree for The Michigan Chronicles – Women of Excellence and Black Enterprise 40 under 40. In 2022 Armstrong was appointed to the General Motors Inclusion Advisory Board, a participant in the Deloitte 2022 Rising Leader Collective, 2022 DBusiness Magazine 30 In Their Thirties, 2020 Michigan Chronicles “40 Under 40” Honoree and was featured in the Working Mother’s Magazine representing GM as the Best Companies for Multicultural Women.

An advocate for Multicultural Marketing and ensuring equal representation in the workforce, Armstrong has been on numerous panels and a guest speaker for events and initiatives such as the Kellogg Business School “CMO” Executive Education, Rainbow Push Automotive Coalition, AdWeek, ANA Global Day of Learning, GM African American Ancestry Network Celebration, and GM Diverse Media Summit.

A native of Flint, Mich., Armstrong holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Wayne State University, with a concentration in Marketing and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Gena Pemberton is the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Omnicom Health Group (OHG).  In this role she is responsible for developing and driving forward the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy for the network of agencies.  She joined OHG in October 2020, and has been driving Healthy Inclusion at OHG through attracting talent, training and development, and health equity initiatives.  Previously, she spent 13 years at Johnson and Johnson, where she held various Corporate Finance roles, including Director, Finance Leadership Development Programs and Finance recruiting.  Prior to that, she was with Motorola for 8 years.  She is also a dedicated volunteer and served as the President for the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc (NHAA) from 2018-2022.

Pemberton holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Hampton University, an MBA from University of Phoenix, and a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University.  She is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).  She is originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and currently resides in NYC.

Sandra Graham-Mason is an innovative and purposeful leader, with approximately 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Known for creating patient centric solutions and driving innovative product and consumer launch strategies, Sandra delivers value for healthcare providers and patients alike.

An enthusiastic advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Sandra had led fully inclusive marketing outreach programs across her organization.
In recognition of Sandra’s leadership, she was honored as part of the 2024 MM&M Women of Distinction and in 2022 she received the Elite 100, Communicators Award in the Master Educator category for a DEI brochure highlighting the impact of skin cancer in people of color.

Sandra is committed to fostering inclusivity and improving patients’ treatment journey through impactful, strategic initiatives.

As Managing Director, Healthcare Industry Lead at Ketchum, Nicky provides stellar client experience across the consultancy’s pharmaceutical and biotech businesses. She brings 20+ years of experience in customer engagement and 10 years in healthcare, having led award-winning pre and post-launch campaigns in diagnostics, oncology, virology, neurology and rare disease.

A great day for Nicky includes deep collaboration with analysts, strategists, creative technologists and paid media planners to deliver next level consumer experience. She relishes in guiding audiences toward adoption through storytelling and dynamic influencer media.

Before joining Ketchum, Nicky ran the Experience team at CDMP, an Omnicom Health Group agency, and she led the Social Media team at MRM//McCANN, building best-in-class digital experiences in healthcare, telecommunications (Verizon) and casual dining (IHOP, Applebee’s).

In 2006, Nicky co-founded a digital communications shop that brought buzz-worthy campaigns to life, transforming the ways users engaged with government agencies (U.S. Census Bureau), consumer brands (Pepsi, Nike) and entertainment brands (Lady Gaga, Kevin Hart, Lionsgate Entertainment).

Nicky received her BA from Rutgers College, Rutgers University. She, her husband Al, and their dog Brick live in New Jersey, eagerly awaiting the return of their two adult children for holiday breaks.

Sophie M. Balzora MD, FACG is a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and practicing gastroenterologist at the NYU IBD Center.

She is Founding President of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH), Chair of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and serves on ACG Institute’s Leadership, Ethics and Equity Center Advisory Board, the Color of Gastrointestinal Illness (COGI) Medical Advisory Board and Board of Directors, and on the Board of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni.

Dr. Balzora has been recognized and awarded nationally for her contributions to the field of medicine as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and health equity.