Subject to change
Cassandra Bodzak, author
Bodzak is a thought leader, best-selling author, and sought after on-camera personality and speaker in the mindfulness and personal development world. She is also the host of the popular spiritual podcast, “Divine Downloads.” You may have seen her on ABC’s “The Taste” as the “happy, healthy living guru” or in her work with SHAPE, Eating Well, Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, Thrive, Fabletics, Lululemon, SoulCycle, and many more. She has been called “an award-winning thought leader and intuitive coach” in Forbes and “a spiritual leader” by Well + Good. Bodzak helps people bring their soul’s desires into their everyday reality through her online group program, Divinely Design Your Life, as well as on her YouTube channel and on social media.
Shennice Cleckley, chief executive officer, Smart Cookie
Cleckley is the chief executive officer of Smart Cookie, a boutique business development agency that focuses on digital skills and business education training, and Dream Launchers Inc., a business coaching firm that focuses on teaching faith-driven female entrepreneurs on how to incorporate their faith, personality, and lifestyle into their business operations and strategic plans. She is also the co-host for the nationally syndicated “The Big Redd” radio show. Her journey into business began nearly 20 years ago when she accidentally discovered she could get paid for making custom candy wrappers for a friend's wedding. She evolved that little candy-making business to a full-service mobile dessert catering company serving celebrity clients, and she has appeared on media outlets such as CNBC, TV One, ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS. She has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Politico, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global, and recently appeared on the cover of Columbia Business Monthly.
Hannah Donaldson, chief executive officer, Meet
Donaldson is the chief executive officer and one of the founders of Meet. Meet’s mission is to build a dynamic and niche life sciences staffing company and to be a market leader in its field. With a career of more than 10 years in life sciences recruitment, Donaldson has an extensive knowledge of the sector and passion for this life-changing industry. Meet has partnered with various top pharmaceutical, health care communications, and medical device companies, helping them recruit the professionals who make their meaningful work possible. Since 2009 the company has grown rapidly—what started in London is now a global business with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Berlin. Donaldson is most proud of is the inclusive, high-performance culture that has been built across the business. As CEO, Donaldson works hard to maintain that company’s unique culture and champion diversity while scaling the business.
Ginnette Harvey, founder and chief executive officer, Harper & Gray
In 2006, Harvey co-founded Specialist Staffing Group, the U.S. operation of Sthree PLC. She helped grow it to $280 million across eight offices and four specialist brands. Harnessing her extensive experience in building and growing inclusive, diverse leadership teams, Harvey launched Harper & Gray in 2021. Harvey has the lived experience of personally overcoming challenges related to diversity and inclusion. In addition she has supported individuals to help them navigate these challenges, and advised many companies over the last 15 years on their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy. Harvey sits on the U.S. board for Specialist Staffing Group and also serves on the ASA women in leadership interest group.
Asfa Malik, author
Malik is an award-winning talent development leader with a strong background in sales, learning, and strategy. She is also a cultural change agent, inclusion strategist, thought leader, published author, and founder. Having spent most of her professional life at a global big data and technology company, she ran the learning and development team—serving more than 5,000 employees around the world. One of her greatest passions is to provide best-in-class development opportunities for professionals to excel in their roles, leverage their strengths, and drive career success. Her expertise in data analysis, consultative selling, and leadership development allows her to build strong employee programs that drive bottom-line growth. Today, she partners with chief executive officers from small to midsized companies to design growth strategies to drive cultural diversity and inclusive leadership.
Marina Perla, chief executive officer and founder, Mojo Trek
Perla is chief executive officer and founder of Mojo Trek, a technology recruitment and consulting firm with a nationwide presence. Perla has a knack for bringing out her team’s strengths, embracing differences, and delivering more than what is expected for clients. Her ability to align talent with business objectives has proven successful in scaling technology divisions of businesses ranging from $5 million to $40 billion. At Mojo Trek, she oversees strategic business development, working closely with clients and partners. She sets strategic direction, with a strong focus on sustainable growth and scalability, and builds a recruitment experience grounded in transparency and integrity.
Nina Vaca, chief executive officer and chairman, Pinnacle Group
Vaca founded Pinnacle Group in 1996 and has served as its chairman and chief executive officer for over two decades. What started as a one-woman information technology staffing firm has grown into a workforce solutions leader serving the telecommunications, financial services, transportation, and technology industries. In 2007, Pinnacle began providing services nationwide, and today Pinnacle is expanding internationally. Pinnacle has been included in the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies 13 times; in 2015 and 2018 it was named the fastest-growing women-owned or women-led company by the Women Presidents’ Organization. Vaca has received numerous awards and recognition for her business success. She also is a committed civic leader and philanthropist—for example, Pinnacle Group provides extensive career preparation training and internship opportunities to high school and college students. Vaca is particularly focused on expanding opportunities for women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, as well as for women and Hispanics in business.
