Camp CEO 2023 Biography Book

Camp CEO 2023 Aneli Nugteren

Aneli Nugteren has been on Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta’s management team since 2017. She is responsible for the 34-county Council’s Membership, Volunteer Support, Data Management, Programming (Girl Leadership, STEM, Product and Outdoor) and Outcomes Measurement functions. The Mission Delivery Team ensures that girl scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Formerly Fernbank Museum’s Chief Operating and Sustainability Officer, Aneli assisted in its transformation from a small, private museum to one of the world’s leading natural history museums with more than 400,000 annual visitors. She collaborated with private and public institutions of higher education as well as other museums and nature centers, providing leadership to improve the quality of natural science and environmental education in Georgia. At Fernbank, she was responsible for all activities related to operations, facility management, membership, finance, programs, technology, special events, human resources, volunteers, security, theatre, retail, dining and visitor services.

Nugteren spearheaded Fernbank’s Strategic Plan in 2011 and the Stewardship and Campus Master Plan in 2012, resulting in the Fernbank Forest Stewardship Plan for its urban forest restoration and management. Prior to her appointment as COO in 1998, she was Vice President of Environmental Affairs for nine years at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. During her tenure at the Chamber, she helped create the Clean Air Campaign which helped Georgians recognize and act on their role in improving the overall environmental health of the state.

Aneli received her B.A. in Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University and an M.S. in City Planning, with an emphasis on environmental planning and policy, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has served or continues to serve on numerous boards including the Clean Air Campaign, Southface Energy Institute, the Mayor’s Task Force on the Environment, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Tri-State Water Issues, the Olmsted Linear Park Alliance Advisory Board and ENFORM, an industry-to-industry environmental compliance seminar series to provide regulatory assistance to Georgia businesses.

Camp CEO 2023 Ayana Bryan

Ayana Bryan is an award-winning global marketing leader with over 20 years of corporate experience in the media & entertainment, and technology industries, working for global brands like Samsung, Meta, and Warner Media.

Ayana graduated from Oglethorpe University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and earned her MBA in Global Business at Georgia Institute of Technology.

She currently works as a marketing consultant, where she provides tailored solutions for businesses in the areas of marketing, branding, and digital strategy and also works as a licensed Georgia REALTOR®. In her free time, she enjoys traveling the world and experiencing new cultures.

Camp CEO 2023 Danica Dilligard

Danica Dilligard was born in Panama and migrated to the United States when she was 7 years old. Though raised in New York City, she attended Baruch College in Manhattan. Danica married at a very young age and moved to New Jersey where she spent over 20 years raising her three children, who have now all graduated from college with multiple degrees (Bachelors, Masters, and one currently in Law School). Danica has worked for EY the majority of her professional career, but has had a strong work ethic since she was 14-years-old. She has traveled extensively, both professionally and personally. While raising her children, she has also enjoyed coaching cheerleading for 14 years. She is the “Gigi” to 2 grandchildren.

Camp CEO 2023

Dr. Tjuan Dogan

Dr. Tjuan Dogan is passionate about education and curious about the intersection of art, science, and technology. As Global Director of Social Impact at Coursera, she develops strategies to impact global societies and transform lives through learning.

Coursera, a certified B Corp, is one of the world’s leading online learning platforms with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. Dogan is a recipient of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2021 Leaders in Corporate Citizenship Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to corporate responsibility and integrated relevant societal concerns into their company’s business practices. She also received the 2020 Emory Staff Sustainability Innovator Award while serving as Emory’s Assistant Vice President for Social Impact Innovation.

Dogan has held previous leadership positions in corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and social impact with IBM, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the Southern Education Foundation. She serves on the Board of Directors of Science ATL and is a volunteer Camp CEO mentor with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. She earned her BA in journalism, MEd and PhD in education, with a concentration in business management, from the University of South Carolina, followed by a yearlong fellowship at Harvard Business School. A committed lifelong learner, she recently completed a Master of Religion and Public Life from Candler School of Theology, Emory University, in December 2022. She enjoys patio gardening, playing golf, and making stained glass art.

Camp CEO 2023

Dr. Marsha Francis

Dr. Marsha Francis is an accomplished and nationally recognized educational leader with more than 15 years of experience working toward educational equity. Dr. Francis was named one of Education Week’s 2020 Leaders to Learn From and has been committed to improving learning environments for STEAM education in Title I schools for her entire career.

Having worn several hats in education, Dr. Francis is a former elementary teacher, former instructor at Spelman College, and district administrator who is well-versed in the needs of new teachers and equitable learning environments. At STE(A)M Truck, Dr. Francis leverages corporate partnerships with giants like Micron, Amazon, and Nike to ensure the youth of Metro Atlanta have high-quality engagement and exposure to explore the myriad of opportunities in STEAM.

Camp CEO 2023 Alissa Fuller

Alissa Fuller has a degree in Cultural and Historic Preservation. She managed a Lush Cosmetics Store for several years where she learned management skills. From there, she became a Director for a daycare before taking a new opportunity as a Property Manager. She eventually became a Facility Manager and now manages all of Fiserv’s buildings in Georgia.

Camp CEO 2023 Martha Greenway

Martha Greenway is a national leader in strategy and performance management. In 2012, Martha launched Greenway Strategy Group LLC which serves social impact organizations through strategy development, program evaluation, and organizational improvement; reaching a diverse set of clients across the U.S. including state government, community organizations and collaboratives, school districts, universities, and foundations.

Previously Martha was Deputy Superintendent of a school district serving 95,000+ students in urban, suburban, and rural communities. She led an inclusive community process to establish the district as a state-approved charter system, allowing flexibility from state policy in exchange for increased school-level governance and accountability.

Martha worked with the United Way system in two local communities and as national Vice President of Planning and Policy. She managed development of the United Way’s first national strategic plan and reorganization of the governance structure; oversaw the national market research program; and led the development of a model for nonprofit organizations to measure results, Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach, which is still widely used. Martha led the first implementations of the Balanced Scorecard approach in both the nonprofit sector and K-12 education. The education implementation is documented in a Harvard Business School case study and the book Strategy Maps.

Martha’s early career included work in children’s services, juvenile justice, and community mental health leading to a lasting commitment to improving conditions for children and families. She holds a Masters in Public Administration and a Masters in Social Work, both from Ohio State University where she was a Graduate Fellow. Martha is past chair of Sheltering Arms which provides early care and learning for over 3000 children in metro Atlanta.

Camp CEO 2023 Vanessa Hardiman

Vanessa Hardiman is the blazer of new trails as the founder of Boss Kidz Inc. where she utilizes her experience and knowledge in business development, community relations, and entrepreneurship to help kids understand what it means to be a business leader.

She has acquired more than 25 years of management experience in the corporate world assisting organizations and start-up enterprises to make a difference and grow into world-class businesses.

Prior to Boss Kidz Inc., she has worked for Sheraton Hotels, General Motors Corporation, United Parcel Service Inc., and Business Strategies and Solutions, LLC. She has collaborated with many clients including Popeye’s, Agape Community Center, The EDGE, CTAE, United Way, The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Alabama A&M University.

Camp CEO 2023

Yvette Terry Harris

Yvette Terry Harris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Morris Brown College and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She is an accomplished results driven nurse leader with 30 + years of healthcare managed care/ Medicaid experience, recognized for thriving in dynamic, matrixed environments and energized by establishing cross-functional connections, developing top talent, and steering game-changing results.

Yvette is currently the Chief of Staff for the Plan President and Health Plan at Amerigroup Georgia. In this role, she acts as a trusted advisor to the Plan President. She is accountable for shaping short-term goals and long-term strategy, business planning and assisting in overseeing the internal operations of the health plan.

Yvette is passionate about women’s and children’s issues and empowerment and actively serves on several community organizations. She is a member of the Junior League of Atlanta(JLA), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a 2017 YWCA GWPI fellow, and Leadership Buckhead Class of 2022.

Camp CEO 2022

Tonya L. Hicks

Tonya L. Hicks is the President and CEO of Power Solutions, Inc. and the Managing Principal of Women Do Everything, LLC. Ms. Hicks is a serial entrepreneur and journeyman wireman electrician in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). She became the first woman to become a journeyman wireman in Local 917 of IBEW in her hometown of Meridian, Mississippi and the first African American woman to become an IBEW journeyman electrician in the State of Mississippi. Ms. Hicks specializes in robotics, building automation, and high-voltage equipment installation and repair. In 2000, at the age of 28, Ms. Hicks founded Power Solutions, Inc.; an electrical contracting and facility maintenance company specializing in renewable energy, electrification, and smart city technology implementation. In 2015, Ms. Hicks launched Women Do Everything LLC; training and promoting women in male-dominated industries through employment and entrepreneurship. Tonya serves on the boards of C5 Georgia Leadership Foundation, Georgia Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Black Owners of Solar Services (B.O.S.S.), and Board Chair for Partners in Action for Healthy Living (PAHL). In November 2019, Ms. Hicks was featured in Forbes Japan for expanding her business in Singapore and March 2020 in the New York Times for her progress as a tradeswoman and business owner in the construction industry. Ms. Hicks is a Leadership Atlanta Class of 2022 Alumni and a Sustainability Ambassador for the City of Atlanta.

Tonya is a graduate of the inaugural classes of the City of Atlanta Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), Women Export University by UPS, The Bridge Accelerator by Microsoft, and the African Diaspora Network (ABLE) Program. Ms. Hicks has received several honors and awards. She was honored in 2021 with the Minority Contractor of the Year award by the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC)- Atlanta Chapter. Ms. Hicks is a highly respected Climate Change Expert and was recently featured in Project Drawdown’s Drawdown Neighborhood Series for Atlanta, Ga. Tonya also chosen by Leadership Women to participate in the 2023 Class of Leadership America.

Hicks resides in Atlanta, GA with her two sons, Rashadim (29) and Vincent (17). She enjoys golf, cooking, and gardening.

Camp CEO 2023 Shelley Hoffmann

Shelley Hoffmann is Senior Director of Content Marketing and Video for Healthgrades, a division of RVO Health. She is an Emmy-nominated multiplatform development and production executive with more than 20 years of experience managing, developing, and producing linear television, digital video and sponsored editorial content at brands including ABC Television, A&E Network, Cooking Channel, Food Network, and PBS in New York, NY and at Turner (now Warner Bros. Discovery) in Atlanta, GA.

Shelley works cross-functionally in healthtech with sales and strategic marketing divisions and leads teams responsible for developing, creating, and implementing strategies to deliver targeted, engaging, and marketcompetitive editorial and video content for national advertisers. She supervises social influencer editorial content strategy, oversees consumer newsletters that reach qualified audiences, and manages the Healthgrades Access to Care content initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Shelley is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and served as the 2021 President of The WICT Network, Southeast. Under her leadership, the Southeast chapter was recognized with WICT Network Global awards for Programming, Mentoring and Community Service. She created the WICT Global Mentoring Experience, the first structured international mentoring program of its kind for the organization. She has been recognized by the WICT Network as a Rising Leader in her industry.

Shelley holds a volunteer role on the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta marketing team. She received the 2023 “Community Champion” Award for architecting a partnership between the WICT Network Southeast and the Miss Media Program.

Shelley is active with OnBoard Atlanta and sits on the fundraising committee. OnBoard’s mission is to advocate for and increase the number of women in executive leadership and on corporate and non-profit boards.

Shelley graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and studied independently at The Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France, St. John’s College in Oxford, England, and completed an intensive cooking program at the French Culinary Institute in New York. Shelley resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and their beloved Welsh Corgi

Camp CEO 2023

Dr. Sandy-Asari Hogan

Dr. Sandy-Asari Hogan is a Director at ORS Impact focused on evaluation and social impact strategy. In her role, Dr. Hogan partners with clients engaged in innovative social change to evaluate aspects of their work that are complex and hard to measure, employing the use of culturally responsive, equitable, and innovative evaluation methods, building bridges between evaluation, research, and practice. Prior to this role Dr. Hogan was an Associate/Senior Program Evaluator at Booz Allen Hamilton and has worked as a PPEO (ORISE) Evaluation Fellow in the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) on the Division of Analysis, Research, and Practice Integration (DARPI) team. Dr. Hogan has also served as the Maternal & Child Health Director for the Dallas & Fort Worth March of Dimes and worked in the Department of Government Relations at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas. With over a decade of experience in program planning, evaluation, health equity and policy in both federal and nonprofit sectors, Sandy believes that our power exists in community, both as individuals and collectively. Sandy blends her love of community and public health with innovative mixed method, cross-sector and system approaches that facilitate strategic social impacts.

Dr. Hogan also believes in the power of giving of one’s time, talent, and treasure She serves as the Vice President of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals (2021-2023) and is the 2022-2023 Chair of the American Public Health Association (APHA) InterSectional Council Steering Committee (ISC). She has served as the past chair of the Public Health Education & Health Promotion section of the American Public Health Association (APHA); the President Emeritus of the Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues (SAAPHI) and is a current board member for Black Ladies in Public Health (BLiPH). In addition, Sandy is a 2021 Black Futures Lab Policy Institute Fellow, 2019-2020 Leader in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) Scholar, a 2020 Leadership Buckhead graduate, a member of the 2022 class of Outstanding Atlanta and is an alumna of the Atlanta Chapter of the New Leaders Council (NLC) (2019) and the National Urban League Emerging Leaders Program (2022). Dr. Hogan is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Efik National Association, Inc. USA (her Nigerian tribal community).

Dr. Hogan, a Houston, Texas native, holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree with a focus in Public Health Practice and Master of Public Health degree in Community Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) as well as an undergraduate degree in Forensic Science from Baylor University.

Camp CEO 2023 Sheila Jordan

Sheila Jordan is the Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architects, a technology and workforce development firm focused on the development and delivery of digital training and cloud-based mobile applications to improve process efficiency, enhance talent development, and support growth for major industrial and transit organizations.

Sheila leads a team of experienced learning technologists, engineers, and software developers, who design training and process improvement solutions using emerging technologies like 3D animation, AR, and mobile apps. Sheila and her team at Knowledge Architects share a sense of urgency about ensuring the competitiveness of the American workforce.

Throughout her career as a serial entrepreneur, Sheila has been a committed advocate for young women, helping them understand and overcome the barriers to success in today’s ever-shifting economic landscape. She mentors young women from Year Up and is a member of the board of Directors for the Georgia Women’s Business Council an organization designed to educate, mentor, and expand opportunities for women-owned businesses. She is an advisor for the Women’s Leadership Forum and participates in several community-based organizations focused on under-employment issues facing at-risk populations.

She is an excellent communicator with a tremendous ability to engage her audience, a respected leader in both the civic and professional arena, and has been honored by her peers for her accomplishments in the industry. Sheila was a recent finalist for Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Small Business of the Year Award for an Early-Stage business, the 2017 winner of the Atlanta Business League’s Woman of the Year Award for Outstanding Achievement, a 2020 winner of Inc 5000 fastest growing Businesses and a 2022 recipient of Inc’s Small and Mighty Award.

Camp CEO 2023 Kristie Keith

Kristie Keith is a highly dynamic, experienced, and result-oriented Human Resources Professional with experience in creative full-life cycle recruitment/ retention, employee relations, performance management, benefits, training/development, and HR Technology/Implementation. Prior to joining International Market Centers as their Director, HR Business Partner, Kristie’s work history includes such positions as Sr. HR Business Partner at Georgia’s Own Credit Union, Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist at PulteGroup and Sr. Corporate Recruiter for Kids II, Inc.

During her tenure at EarthLink she was an integral part in building a world-class recruiting team. She gained experience with recruitment process development/ design and implementation and proficient in application tracking systems during her tenure at EarthLink. At Kids II, she was able to leverage her networking skills by building and maintaining a network of potential candidates and identifying talent through previous relationships, personal networks, events, job boards and social media etc., to develop a pipeline of talent. Her time at Georgia’s Own Credit Union allowed her to utilize her management and leadership skills by establishing the priorities & strategies for talent acquisition & technology team. Kristie holds a degree in Computer Information Systems from Wilberforce University. Kristie who is a native of Los Angeles, CA, currently residing in Marietta, GA with her husband and two college aged boys. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, walking trails, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Lastly, she dedicated to assisting individuals and organizations in hiring and retaining world-class talent through integrity and collaboration.

Camp CEO 2023 Amber Lawson

Amber Lawson, is the principal and founder of Aspire Construction & Design, an established, Atlanta-based, woman-owned, black-owned design-build construction firm and general contractor. She is not only the face of the changing entrepreneurial landscape but is also facilitating the growth of diverse businesses in the new economy by providing design and construction services to new entrepreneurs. She brings over 22 years of real estate development, design and construction experience to bear for her clients who are overwhelmingly black women taking the next step in their entrepreneurial journey by moving their business into commercial real estate.

Her portfolio includes the build out of the third outpost of the popular restaurant chain Slutty Vegan on Edgewood Avenue. She recently completed the design and build out of a co-working space in Jonesboro, GA which will provide long-term office space options for entrepreneurs. She is currently working on the design and build out of a new vegan Jamaican restaurant in Marietta Square Market, B.A.D. Gyal Vegan. At Aspire, Amber has customized her service offering to provide new entrepreneurs with the tools they need to be successful in their expansion into commercial real estate.

Aspire has opened a new office in the historic neighborhood of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh Yards a co-working/private office space for entrepreneurs located on the Southside Beltline. The co-location of Aspire’s offices at Pittsburgh Yards was intentional as Aspire strives to be part of the revitalization of historically underserved neighborhoods in the city core.

Camp CEO 2023

Suzette Carty LeSane

Suzette Carty LeSane is a proven Strategy and Innovation executive with 27 years of proven experience in launching innovative solutions, managing portfolios, and delivering measurable results. Currently, Suzette serves as SVP, Global Housing Line of Business Leader for Assurant. In her role, Suzette is responsible for the P&L for Assurant’s Condo and Homeowners solutions. In her prior role with Assurant, Suzette was responsible for the growth of the Multifamily Renters Insurance products which represent a $480M portfolio.

Suzette also serves as CEO and Founder of ConnectedSphere Speaker Management Agency, an agency specializing in coaching women and girls on how to advance their speaking platform.

Suzette serves as President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Tau Epsilon Omega Chapter and President of The Twenty Pearls Foundation, Inc. Suzette also currently serves on the board of Synchronicity Theater, Intentionally PRETTY and the Margaret Jones Byrd Foundation.

Suzette holds a Master of Business Administration from The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC with a specialization in Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategy and also holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL.

Suzette enjoys spending time with her family, daughter and friends, attending art events, concerts, traveling and volunteering in the community and has resided in Atlanta, Georgia for the past 20 years.

Camp CEO 2023 Kathleen Marran

Kathleen Marran is UPS Vice President, Marketing and enjoys living in a world where people push themselves to experience life’s diverse possibilities, expect more from each other, and help others reach their highest heights.

She is an experienced groundbreaker at UPS with a 29-year demonstrated history of leading in the logistics and supply chain industry. She is skilled in Execution, Business Planning, Pricing Strategy, Market Research, Management, Digital platforms, and Transportation. A strong marketing professional with Masters of International Business (MIBS) focused in Marketing & Japanese from University of South Carolina, she is also an active member of Leadership Atlanta, Golden Seeds, and a proud Board Member of both the Greater Women’s Business Council and Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.

Her passions are in creating new experiences for herself and her teams while continuing to work on ways to advance the position of women in business, politics and society as a whole. Never letting the isolation of being the only woman at the table hold her back in a male-led industry, she has accomplished much and feels compelled to share those experiences with both genders to embolden equity actions and mutual respect.

Camp CEO 2023 Condace Pressley

Condace Pressley is an Emmy® award-winning journalist. She is a two-time Hall of Fame member –inducted in 2019 into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and in 2016 into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.

As Director of Community Affairs for WSB-TV, Condace drives the Family 2 Family Project and leads the station’s community efforts. She’s executive producer of People 2 People on WSB-TV and interviews community leaders weekly during the show’s “One on One” segment. She is also executive producer and host of Perspectives, the Sunday show on News 95.5 WSB and KISS104.1 where she interviews authors and other thought leaders.

Condace began her career in radio, first in Athens while studying journalism and political science at The University of Georgia and later in Atlanta at WGST, the Georgia News Network, News 95.5 WSB, KISS104.1 and B98.5.

The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication honored Pressley with the John H. Drewry Outstanding Young Alumna Award in 1992. In 2015, she joined the Grady College’s Centennial Class of Journalism Fellows - the college’s highest honor. She has been profiled by The HistoryMakers, the world’s largest African American oral video history archive for her significant contributions to media.

Condace is former President of both the National Association of Black Journalists (2001-2003) and Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (1991-1995). She was the chapter’s 2012 Pioneer Black Journalist. She is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta.

Condace has passion for community and is strongly committed to the empowerment of women and girls. Her volunteer efforts include service on the board of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.

Camp CEO 2023 Cassandra Seibles

Cassandra Seibles has been with Truist for 10 years where she is a Senior Vice President, leading the Commercial/Complex Resolution Group. In this role she is responsible for the strategic oversight of Client research, root cause identification and resolution of complaints/issues impacting Truist’s Business clients. In addition, she is responsible for data management which includes trend analysis of complaints, social media mentions and Voice of Client surveys which result in the identification of long-term solutions of systemic issues and provide risk mitigation opportunities. Lastly, she leads the Social Media Care and Voice of the Client functions for Retail and Business clients interacting with Truist Branches, Social Networks and Contact Center.

Cassandra’s career spans 25 years and includes both Banking and Technology experience. Prior to joining SunTrust, Cassandra led complex technology and data projects, cross-functional teams, managed technology systems, end-to-end process re-designs, solution implementation and analytics at Wachovia bank, Wells Fargo, and BellSouth as a consultant for Electronic Data Systems(EDS).

Cassandra is also a passionate, lifelong volunteer having volunteered for many organizations over her lifetime, Cassandra currently serves on the boards for the Atlanta Speech School, Literacy Action, Community Advisory Board, Alpha Kappa Alpha Nu Lambda Omega chapter and the Junior League of Atlanta where she is also the 106th President.

Cassandra is originally from Winnsboro, South Carolina and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of South Carolina and a Masters in Business (MBA) from Pfeiffer University. Cassandra enjoys traveling, mentoring and volunteering.

Camp CEO 2023 Denise Smith

Denise Smith is a visionary leader who strongly believes that those who dare to dream big and think outside the box can make a difference in the world. Her passion for positively impacting businesses and communities has driven her to become a C-suite executive specializing in product and technology operations strategy, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds, and enterprise human capital management systems.

With over two decades of experience in the private and venture capital community, Denise has built a reputation as a trusted advisor and strategic partner for angel, venture-backed, and private equity companies. She has a proven track record of delivering end-to-end value and accelerating growth for companies at all stages of their journey. Denise’s expertise includes strategic communications, executive management, customer experience, big data, e-commerce, venture capital, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, operational due diligence, product innovation, process improvement, and turnarounds.

Denise has a wealth of experience leading organizations through challenging times, helping them identify and implement effective strategies to turn around their operations and achieve sustainable growth. Her ability to navigate complex situations and deliver results has made her a valuable partner for companies facing difficult challenges.

Denise’s commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her professional life. As a wife, mother of two, and proud Morehouse College parent, she understands the importance of providing exposure to youth designed to spark curiosity. She is known to thrive in spaces where some don’t think she belongs because of her ability to think creatively and strategically.

Denise’s favorite quote, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do,” embodies her approach to life and work. She believes that with the right mindset, anything is possible, and she is committed to helping individuals and organizations achieve their full potential.

Camp CEO 2023 Miya Smith

Miya Smith is a lover of technology and problem solving. She has been able to combine her love of these in a career as a Management Consultant. She currently serves as a Senior Consultant with SEI, a Management and Technology Consulting firm. Her chosen career has allowed her to deliver enterprise level technology solutions to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and start-ups.

Miya is very passionate about empowering women and girls, diversity in STEM fields, and serving her alma mater, Georgia Tech. Miya has served on numerous boards around Atlanta in her areas of passion. Currently she serves on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees and serves as the Chair of the National Society of Black Engineers Regional Advisory Board for Region III. She is a member of the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, where she volunteers with the Technology committee and serves as a volunteer with Women in Technology.

Miya is a graduate of the United Way VIP Program, LEAD Atlanta Class of 2010, been named Atlanta’s Power 30 Under 30, and received the Atlanta area Boy Scouts Council Whitney Young Service Award.

Camp CEO 2023 Hilton Thompson

Hilton Thompson (she/her) is an experienced event and marketing professional with 9+ years of event management and content marketing experience. Hilton is Head of Events at Zinnia, where she and her team provide unparalleled offsite experiences for teams looking to grow closer and cultivate deeper working relationships. Hilton recently made the move to Zinnia after 5 years at Atlanta Tech Village as Head of Marketing and Events. She still works closely with the team at Atlanta Tech Village while managing their Women + Tech program. Hilton also serves as President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Period Project where they work to provide access to menstrual hygiene products to people in need.

Hilton is an expert problem-solver, striving to help companies and communities connect with intention.

When she isn’t planning offsites and supporting startups, you can find Hilton reading Harry Potter, hanging with her dogs, or listening to live music with her husband.

Camp CEO 2023 Nikita Trivedi

Nikita Trivedi serves as Director of Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability at Southern Company. In this role, Nikita is responsible for driving economic inclusion by integrating small, diverse, and local businesses into Southern company’s strategic sourcing and procurement strategies. Nikita has held various leadership roles with increasing responsibilities in areas such as Charitable Giving, Marketing, Finance, Region Operations and Regulatory Affairs/Energy Efficiency at Georgia Power & Southern Company.

In the community, Nikita serves on board of National Organizations of Asian Professionals (NAAAP) and Georgia State University Foundation. Trivedi’s recognitions include Georgia State University’s 40 under 40 award and the Georgia Asian Times Top 25 Influential Asian Americans in Georgia for 2022.

Nikita earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Mercer University. She is a graduate of Leadership Dekalb, Emerging Leaders and Inspire Atlanta.

Camp CEO 2023 Jeryn Turner

Jeryn Turner is an Amazon Best Selling author, certified yoga instructor and Customer Communication Strategist for Synchrony Financial. She is a proud graduate of Spelman College where she graduated with honors with a BA in Economics and graduated at the top of her class from Clark Atlanta University where she obtained her MBA in Marketing. She is an active mentor and volunteer.

Ms. Turner is the author of several books, A Dream Come True, The Biggest Star, What Do You See? and the What Do You See Companion Journal. All of her books support healthy dialogue and inspire the reader to expand their way of thinking. Her latest books help to foster self-esteem.

In 2017 she was selected by the Author Show as one of the “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading.” With a name like Jeryn she has always stood out from others. Now she is using that uniqueness to make a name for herself as a writer. Jeryn’s passion is connecting with others and uplifting their spirits through encouragement, empowerment and enlightenment.

Camp CEO 2023 Laura Wellon

Laura Wellon joined UBS in 2001 and has over 20 years of experience in the industry. Leveraging her natural strengths of listening and problem solving, she offers highly personalized service. She specializes in helping clients who are ‘suddenly single’: divorced or widowed, and couples entering retirement. By putting herself in the client’s shoes, Laura is able to provide customized solutions to help them meet their goals. Her passion for personal, tailored service and ability to efficiently handle specific needs help set her and the team apart. Dedicated to providing holistic financial and retirement planning for complex situations, Laura helps with all facets of a client’s financial picture.

Laura holds the Certified Exit Planner® (CEPA®) designation and seeks to help business owners and their families benefit from their lives’ work. Within the firm, she is a Portfolio Management Professional (PMP®). In addition to these achievements, Laura holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities licenses and is also a licensed insurance agent in the state of Georgia. Laura has been recognized as a Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor for the state of Georgia, Forbes Top 200 Women Wealth Advisors, Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors, and Working Mother Magazine’s Top Wealth Advisor Moms.

Laura serves as chairman of the board for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves on the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s legacy advisor board. She is also actively involved with organizations such as the MIT AgeLab, Arete, Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), The Women’s Collective advisory board, and the Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) Finance Committee. She and her husband, Rob, have four children Parks, Tyler, Porter and Carson and make their home in Peachtree Corners, GA. Her passions outside of work include playing tennis, reading, CrossFit, and spending time with her family on Lake Oconee.

Camp CEO 2023 Breanne West

Breanne West joined the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education in 2022 as Director of Operations and Finance. Her previous professional background is in healthcare financial services having worked in both the for profit and nonprofit sector utilizing her bachelor’s degree in Finance from Auburn University. She has also been actively involved in the Atlanta nonprofit community for much of her career serving on boards with multiple nonprofit agencies including service as the President of the Junior League of Atlanta. She is also a proud member of the Leadership Buckhead class of 2020.

Camp CEO 2023 Charisse M. Williams

Charisse M. Williams is a certified leadership & wellbeing coach. Her mission is to help high-achieving leaders create work-life harmony and build strong teams. She serves clients through 1:1 coaching, workshops, team-building retreats and speaking about her book, The Joy of Thriving While Black.

In addition to running her coaching practice, Charisse serves as a Guide (group coach) for CHIEF, a global women’s leadership network. She also facilitates leadership development training for the Fast Forward Group. Across these roles, she coaches and trains leaders from non- and for-profit organizations, including Braven, Sheltering Arms, Westminister Schools, Jeremiah Program, Schusterman Foundation, Amazon, FedEx, Paramount, and Georgetown University.

Before becoming a full-time coach, Charisse worked in social justice organizations tackling civil rights, education and racial equity issues. She served as the Program Officer for the criminal justice and youth development portfolios at Public Welfare Foundation and went on to become the founding director of Posse Atlanta. In her last nonprofit role, she served as Managing Director of New Site Development for iMentor, and launched its program site in Baltimore, Maryland.

A travel enthusiast, Charisse once traveled across Europe and North Africa with no itinerary, starting in Amsterdam and ending in Marrakech five weeks later. She is insatiably curious about the mind and loves nerdy podcasts like The Hidden Brain on NPR Radio. Charisse lives in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.

Charisse earned her Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law. As a certified yoga instructor, she brings a mindfulness lens to all of her work.

To learn more about Charisse and her work, visit www.charissemwilliams.com.

2023 Mentees

Camp CEO 2023 Nayan Annadurai

Nayan Annadurai is a junior at Lambert whose high school experience is dominated by many incredibly disparate facets of her life, including Girl Scouts, music, and social activism. Pertaining to the musical portion of her life with piano, she has attended many competitions and has won countless awards. She is an active member in the LHS Marching Band and Indoor Drum Line. Other than her passion for music, Nayan prides herself on being a social activist. She is part of an organization for fighting for diversity, equity and inclusion called Students for DEI. She mentioned that her first event with the organization was actually at a school board meeting discussing the decision to ban certain books in school libraries. The banning on the books attacked the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC community. Although it was her first time speaking in front of the school board, a local news station (CBS 46) noticed her and she was interviewed by them and aired on the news with her speech at the meeting. Nayan also brings her passion for politics to school, where she is part of the National Social Studies Honors Society, a club that focuses on history and politics, and has her own club called the National Organization for Women which plans to organize rallies and fundraisers for women’s rights. This leads to the Girl Scouts sector of her life. Nayan has always been driven to help other girls around the world, which is why she joined Girl Scouts in the third grade. She has completed up to her Silver Project and has acquired numerous badges and awards along the way. For her Silver Project, she worked with a nature preserve to teach little kids about the outdoors. She is currently working on completing her Gold Project and on coordinating volunteering events for younger Girl Scouts in her troop. She hopes to become a lawyer in the future and to partake in a career in politics. She would like to pursue music in the future, such as playing in her college marching band or just as a hobby. As for being a social activist, she plans on always standing up for what she believes in and on fighting for justice.

Camp CEO 2023 Savannah Atkinson

Savannah Atlinson: My name is Savannah and I am 16 years old. I have four older sisters, one brother, and I am the youngest. At the age of one, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Having epilepsy is very challenging and it can be very frustrating, because most people don’t understand the underlying effects. After my seizures, I tend to get migraine headaches and feel very tired and sometimes depressed. But through my challenges, I try to persevere and try to live a normal life as best as possible. I enjoy dancing, singing, going to church and spending time with my friends and family. Some day I hope to become a physical therapist so that I can help others with disabilities.

Camp CEO 2023 Athena

Barva

Athena Barva was born in Libertyville, Illinois. She has lived in six states and in Germany. She has been a Girl Scout since she was five years old and has been a member of four different Girl Scout councils. She has earned her Girl Scout Bronze Award, her Silver Award, and is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award. Athena is the event’s chair for Gamma Gamma Sigma. Athena is a competition cheerleader and is on her high school varsity competition cheerleading team. She is also a member of an all-star cheerleading squad.

Athena is involved in JROTC at her high school; she was a flight leader and is currently an element leader. She looks forward to getting more involved in the program next year.

Athena is also heavily involved in her church. She enjoys youth groups as well as family groups. She enjoys volunteering with the elementary school kids in the church as well as volunteering in the community. Athena has a younger brother and sister and she loves being an older sister. Athena spends every Friday night with her extended family for family dinner, and enjoys getting to spend so much time with her cousins and grandparents. Athena plans on going to the University of North Georgia for college and she wants to study counseling before going to seminary school. She plans to join the military as a Chaplain. After she leaves the military, Athena plans on becoming a family counselor specializing in youth development. Athena is very passionate about making sure that all children receive the mental and emotional help they need. She looks forward to making a positive influence in children’s lives. Athena is excited about the opportunity to meet these fantastic CEOs and to learn more about what leadership means to them and their different leadership styles.

Camp CEO 2023 Alyssa Blacknall

Alyssa Blacknall: An Atlanta native, Alyssa Blacknall is the third of four children born to Olivia and Eric Blacknall. Being surrounded by siblings, Alyssa has always loved expressing herself because she felt like her voice needed to be heard. She has always been observant, compassionate and is willing to speak up for those who will not or can not for themselves. Alyssa has actively helped her grandfather, who suffers from dementia, for the past eight years. Due to this, she has always had a heart for the elderly. Noticing that her grandfather often looked bored, she created a Game Night for Seniors for her Bronze Award. She was able to gather donations for adult coloring books, colored pencils, games, cards and other activities, which were donated to the senior center. Alyssa listened attentively to each of the residents that attended the Game Night, because she realized that they too just wanted to be heard. After her grandfather had to enter a rehabilitation center after breaking his hip during the first few months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alyssa had to visit him through a window on the outside of the building. She walked past the windows of several other elderly people who looked like they wished their grandchildren were visiting them. It was then that Alyssa got the idea for her Silver Award. She obtained a mailbox and got permission to place it in the Boys and Girls Club of Douglasville, where the participants are able to practice their writing and drawing skills by making cards and letters for seniors in the community. When the mailbox is full, the cards, letters and love notes are taken to the Douglasville Meals on Wheels where they are distributed to seniors in the community with their meal. Alyssa realized that love is just as important as food. For her Gold Award, Alyssa plans on furthering her work with seniors. Alyssa is a ninth grader at Chapel Hill High School and is on the debate team, swim team, and participates in Beta club, and in math club. She plans to continue using her voice to win debate competitions and to be an advocate for the unheard after graduating from law school.

Camp CEO 2023 Tihun Chapman

Tihun Chapman: Tihun is a sweet, kind, honest, and lovely teenager. She values her beautiful uniqueness. She is also respectful of others, listens well to others, and is pleasant to be around. However, Tihun is a typical teenager in that she seeks to be autonomous in making her own choices and decisions. Needless to say, she enjoys doing things her way, even after soliciting advice from her parents and her close friends. Tihun has always been very popular with her teachers and her peers. Even in elementary school, teachers noted how respectfully Tihun conducted herself. As such, she was elected to the Safety Patrol Club. Although Tihun has many friends, she likes making new friends. She values their diversity of music, languages, appearances, and thoughts. Since the time Tihun was very young, she has always had interests in Girl Scouts, sports and true-crime stories. Regarding Girl Scouts, Tihun loved being a Brownie. She loved her vest and wanted to wear it every day! She also wanted to attend ALL things related to Girl Scouts. She is currently a Senior level. Regarding sports, Tihun played soccer and basketball in elementary school. She also took golf lessons during that time. After playing in a couple of golf matches in high school, Tihun now wants to continue playing golf in college. She is also considering golf as her profession. Regarding true-crime stories, Tihun still watches them on TV, especially TV shows that evolve around FBI agents. Tihun also wants to be an FBI agent and she continues to investigate the education and career track necessary to become an FBI agent. Tihun also wants to major in Criminal Justice at Howard University.

Camp CEO 2023 Kyleigh Conley

Kyleigh Conley is a tenth grader whose favorite subject is science. Science has been her passion since elementary school, and she has participated and won 1st place in the school science fair every year since 7th grade. She has also gone to States to compete as well. Her aspirations are to attend either Brown, Harvard, Stanford, or Emory University to become a general surgeon. Kyleigh is looking forward to starting her journey to save lives. Kyleigh attends Elite Scholars Academy, which is a Cambridge Early College Magnet School and was recently awarded its second National Blue Ribbon. She spent three years writing and speaking Mandarin and is currently in her second year of Latin. She is the Senior Beta Club vice president, and her responsibilities include recruitment and spearheading community service initiatives such as Toys for Tots. She was also a part of Spelman College Inaugural Math Corps summer program as a teacher’s assistant to metro Atlanta middle school girls. Her hobbies include, soccer, Girl Scouts, piano and reading. Kyleigh has been in Girl Scouts since kindergarten and is now in her 11th year. She has earned her Silver Award and is currently working towards her Gold Award. She leads the Daisies and Brownies during monthly Girl Scout meetings and spearheads the canned goods and blanket drives for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Kyleigh has been playing piano since the age of four and has recently begun teaching piano to elementary aged students. She has been playing soccer since 3rd grade; she has won several championships and was recently selected to play varsity soccer at her school. Kyleigh loves to read and brings her characters to life when she draws and creates comic strips. She enjoys historical fiction, Sci-fi, and Manga books. Her favorite book series are Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Attack on Titan and The Last Kids on Earth.

Camp CEO 2023 Jacquelyn DuBose

Jacquelyn DuBose: was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and has been a Girl Scout for 12 years now, loving every minute of it. Jacquelyn is a high schooler in Smyrna, Georgia who prides herself on wrestling. She is an Honor Roll student who is on the AP, Honors track for high school. Jacquelyn is in AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which is an academic support class that helps better students for college. She is a 16-year-old who loves to sing, to meditate, to read, to exercise, and to practice her violin. She is somewhat quiet and shy, and is an amazing big sister to two younger sisters, and owns a very attitude-y tortoise named, Nathaniel.

Jacquelyn sees herself as very comedic, though her dad thinks otherwise. Jacquelyn has done many extracurriculars in the past and present including Science Olympiad, Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, StudentVoice, Beta Club, The Natural Hair Club, BUYCOBB, and others. She values family and spends as much time with them as she can. She has somewhat long, luscious locs that she has been growing for almost 11 years, and will continue growing them for as long as she lives. She loves styling her hair, and loves looking at videos for inspiration. She performed in her school’s musical, Beauty and the Beast, and although she was very nervous, she pushed through and ended with an amazing show with lots of new friends. She loves listening to oldies music such as Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, New Edition, Switch, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Bloodstones,Debarge, Earth, Wind, and Fire, among others. She also enjoys a couple of new artists such as Daniel Casaer, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, DRAM, and others. Overall, she believes she is a very interesting person with a wide variety of interests.

Camp CEO 2023 Savannah Ellison

Savannah Ellison is a 14-year-old freshman who is involved in band, dance, Beta Club, has an affinity for chemistry, and of course, Girl Scouts. When she’s not avidly studying for her next test, going to rehearsal for her next dance performance, or attending a Girl Scout meeting, she can usually be found on her bed reading and/or listening to music. She has always been an avid lover of books. Ever since she could read chapter books on her own she’s been a bookworm. From The Power of Poppy Pendle to The Midnight Library, she’s drowned herself in many books. Music is another big part of her life. Being involved in band and constantly listening to music, she is surrounded by the art form all the time. Oftentimes she can be caught reviewing musical scores, scales, or rhythmic patterns. She enjoys performing in school concerts and plans to join the marching band next year. Savannah has always been involved in dance. Ever since she was two, she has been enrolled in a dance class. She lives at the dance studio for class, for rehearsal, and for shows. She enjoys performing on the stage in front of an audience showing off the delicate art form she’s learned over the years. She has always been obsessed with chemistry. She picked up the subject really fast and hasn’t slowed down since. She enjoys going to chemistry class to learn something new, or to practice calculations like Stoichiometry. Acing every chem test thrown at her, it’s clear what her favorite subject is. Savannah has a younger sister, Irene, with whom she can often be seen. She loves spending time playing with her, helping her review for a quiz, or even just babysitting her. She has a loving bond with her sister. She enjoys going to camp and favorite Camp Meriwether activities are archery, hiking, and reading in the hammocks.

Camp CEO 2023

Coralie-Anne Hilaire

Coralie-Anne Hilaire: Many people who grew up watching cartoons of any kind will say that it gave them a sense of imagination. Haitian-born and Smyrnaraised, Coralie-Anne Hilaire has always been described as someone who’s funny, caring, but most importantly, ambitious. Growing up, Coralie was always fascinated by animated media. She grew up watching shows on programs like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney Channel. All the while, she loved watching different Disney princesses grow into their own adventures in theaters. Her favorite thing to do? Draw fanart for many of her favorite shows that she could never stop talking about. Through her passion for these interests, she made friends at school and made friends in places she’d never expected to find them. However, one thing that was noticeable in all the shows she watched, was that there was never really anyone that looked like her. There was Tiana in The Princess and the Frog, who was the first and only black Disney princess. It wasn’t until she grew up and noticed the backlash with Disney’s announcement of the reimagining of The Little Mermaid, with a black woman as Ariel, that she realized how little black people/African/ Caribbean people are represented in animation, and how that representation affects children around the globe. She realized that the impact these cartoons or movies have on children and onolder audiences in general, transcends beyond the media itself. It brings people together and allows people to expand on their passion for something. Her love for these films helped her find her passion for drawing and helped her make lifelong friends. In the future, Coralie hopes to study at Savannah College of Art and Design, specifically in the field of animation. She aims to create something for little girls and boys that look like her and with similar experiences as her, to relate to and maybe share their passion. She strives to create her own 2-D animated show or movie that can bring children and people of the same passions together, just as animated shows did for her.

Camp CEO 2023 Xiomara Harris

Xiomara Harris is president and CEO of KEEX Sew Sweet Boutique, LLC which is a company started by her mother. At 35, she has three locations available in the state of Georgia. She is in the works of trying to open her first location overseas in Dubai. Before she became President and CEO, she was COO of the company at just 14.After watching her mother struggle to start the family business, she took it upon herself to learn more to help her mother grow the company. She went to camps like “”Girls Rule the World,”” sponsored by the Steve and Morjorie Harvey Foundation, which she attended until she was 18. There, she learned that women can be just as successful as men. All the rags to riches stories she heard year after year inspired her to become the young woman that she is today. She also went to the Girl Scout camps like “”Camp CEO”” until she aged out. She met even more women who become what they’ve always dreamed of. Xiomara now comes to the camp year after year to tell her story of being a Girl Scout and what this camp has done for her. Xiomara is forever grateful for all the women in her life that inspired her to keep pushing and to never give up. She made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list at age 25. Not many women who weren’t even considered middle class can say that. Xiomara always ends her speeches thanking her mother, and all the women who believed in her when she didn’t even believe in herself. Still to this day, she reminds herself that she is worthy of everything good that is happening in her life.

Camp CEO 2023 Annabelle Luffel

Annabelle Luffel was born on summer of 2008, and soon after she was introduced to many of her future teachers who would impact her for the rest of her life. Her mom was one of those teachers. She would read to Annabelle, which set her up for success in English class and taught her the joy of learning that she would carry with her through rough patches in school. All of this occurred before Annabelle even started kindergarten and decided to start Girl Scouts because all her friends were. In elementary school, Girl Scouts was social, and selling cookies was really just fun. Annabelle also met lifetime friends that still support her. In first grade, she had the opportunity to participate in her school’s TAG program, which gave her confidence in her creativity and her ability to make decisions for herself. Fast forward to the fall of fifth grade, when Annabelle began running with Alpha Crush, a youth running club where she met many of her current running friends. Next, the adventure that was middle school began and everything was going great, until COVID-19 emerged and school was shut down. Learning virtually became a new challenge from which Annabelle learned to motivate herself to work and manage her own time. During this time, she also grew more interested in sports such as soccer. She had fun keeping up with statistics and choosing random favorite teams. As COVID-19 began to clear up and she went back to school for good in 8th grade, life calmed down. Annabelle got top ten in almost every race, her grades were high, and she was making even more friends. There were always hardships such as running injuries and self-image, but she made it through with all her friends supporting her. Through all of this, she was able to earn her Silver Award with Troop 14490. Skipping to the summer before ninth grade, Annabelle ran almost every day with her high school cross country team. Near the end of the summer, she went to Camp Meriwether to participate in CIT I where she felt like she truly belonged. At camp, she did not have to worry about people judging her, rather all the CITs accepted her. She made so many good friends that she cried when she had to leave camp. Following this, high school started and Annabelle got yet another running injury, so she was out almost the whole season. Despite this, her work during the summer allowed her to earn a Varsity letter as a freshman. On another hand, academics were going great, and she got a Superior rating in a French speaking competition. She looks forward to earning her Gold Award.

Camp CEO 2023 NaZyia

Macon

NaZyia Macon: As the daughter of a single mother, NaZyia Macon has always been encouraged to join any organization that may interest or further her in life and to challenge herself in school by taking rigorous courses to ensure she had the same opportunities as anyone else. NaZyia’s mother’s words stayed with her in school and encouraged her to take rigorous courses. This path led NaZyia to take three Advanced Placement classes and three college classes by the time she was a junior while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. However, seeing the importance of her mother’s words, NaZyia joined any group she came across inside or outside of school. As a result, NaZyia participates in the following organizations: Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Top Teens of America, Delta Gems, Spiritual Expressions, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department Cadet Program, Model Atlanta Regional Commission, and NAACP’s Act-So. NaZyia did not only participate in programs that could advance her, but she also immersed herself in extracurricular activities that interested her and, as a result, she also acquired the following positions of Area Financial Secretary, Chapter 1st Vice President, Cadet Macon, Senior Girl Scout of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, NAACP ACT-SO Silver and Bronze Drawing Medalist as well as Silver Performance Poetry Medalist. NaZyia’s lifelong dedication to herself forces her to aspire to greatness because she believes she can do it all. As a result, by ninth grade, NaZyia has become the CEO of Macon Enterprises through her art and graphic designing business, helped others start/improve their own business, provided art therapy to hospitalized children at CHOA through D.R.E.A.M (Dreams of Artistic Flight) a project she began for her Silver Project, and has worked to improve her community. NaZyia continues to do this, sometimes without profit, because of her reasoning for creating Macon Enterprises, to use what she loves to do to help others. Eventually, NaZyia Macon’s dedication to her future will ensure she applies and is accepted into her dream school, where she plans to study psychology and go on to become a child psychologist.

Camp CEO 2023

Carmela Marra

Carmela Marra was born and raised in Atlanta. She began Girl Scouts as a Daisy in kindergarten. Now, she’s completing her first year of high school and her tenth year in Girl Scouts. An A+ student, she’s always enjoyed school, and Carmela is passionate about literature, the arts, and math. From being a dancer, to a violinist, to an actress, she has always found a way to express herself through art. Carmela has loved all the memories that she made through Girl Scouts. There was nothing like the weeks she spent at Girl Scout sleepaway camp. The girls around her become her new family. She enjoys spending time with friends, reading, running, theater, and sewing. This year, she started to explore new opportunities at her high school. She tried cross-country this summer, and she can’t explain how much she loves it. Her school team won second place in Georgia. After her friend recruited her to complete a last-minute Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team, Carmela bonded with a great group of friends that shared a love for reading. She hopes they’ll win the regional competition. She’s involved in the costume design of her school’s production of Chicago. Next year, she’ll start costume design and be a part of her school’s mastery orchestra. She’s been playing viola for six years. She doesn’t know what her dream career would be. She knows, through her career, she wants to make a difference in the world, possibly through writing, teaching, fashion, or starting a business. She is passionate about sustainability and empowering women. She loves learning new languages and hopes to one day become multilingual. Her goals this year are to run a 5K in under twenty-four minutes and to win the Reading Bowl regional competition. She wants to complete two Girl Scout journeys to begin her Gold Award.

Camp CEO 2023 Morgan Miller

Morgan Miller: I’ve spent most of my life in church, and all of it in a house that’s 15 minutes away from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport. So even if I didn’t enjoy traveling, I am very aquainted with the sound of a plane taking off. I’m also familiar with its layout, as that was one of the first things I learned in the engineering course at my school. I’ve been going the The Westminster Schools since I was in sixth grade, not twelve yet though, because I skipped second grade during my time at the OMNI International School. While I was there, I studied Japanese, and while I am rusty, I can confidently say that learning the language prepared me to study Chinese at Westminster. Now I’m in tenth grade and starting to think about college. I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zones and test my limits. Therefore, I auditioned for my fist show (Les Misérable) last semester, joined the gardening club, signed up for engineering class, joined photography class, became an active member of one of my school’s affinity groups, tried out for both the softball and women’s golf teams, and I participate in robotics. On top of all that, I’m a member of the school choir and will have participated in about ten concerts by the end of this school year. Almost, if not all, were attended by my family. My mom is my biggest supporter, and always encourages me to do the best that I can. If you give it your all, you will be successful in everything you do. My father is my mentor and pushes me to try new things. He has coached me in every sport I’ve done, and he’s always there to give me a pep talk before an audition. Last but not least, my little brother is my voice of reason. We’re always there for each other, and it shows in all our inside jokes and playful banter.

Camp CEO 2023 Taylor Nieves

Taylor Nieves: My parents built their dream home from just a simple plot of land. It was perfect for us to live a perfect life with a white picket fence the American Dream. But unfortunately, dreams often do not match up with reality and we had to move from the dream home after a few years because there were no good schools in the area. My family moved me to Alpharetta and at once that became all I knew. The past dream became forgetton about and new goals were set. At the age of five I began to realize myself and what I wanted. Although I was only five, I had dreams, big ones. Although insignifcant now, I dreamed of owning the biggest Barbie Mansion. Barbie in the Dream House, was my dream too. But dreams often don’t match with reality and I never got the Dream House. Although I had many other toys and Barbie sets, none of those were my dream, which I continued to yearn for. As time went on and I grew, my dream shifted. No longer did I want a Barbie dream house, but a bunny. In fifth grade I wanted nothing else but a pet bunny rabbit. It was my dream to own one, so I begged my parents on and on. I went as far as reading books, and attending classes on bunny care even making a 30 slide Powerpoint to try to convince my parents. But nothing worked. We had a pet dog, so that sufficed. On and on thoguhout my life my dreams weren’t met, and I never actually accomplished them. Even now as a high schooler my dreams aren’t reached yet. Is it really a dream if you can achieve it? My current dreams in high school are the usual: make good grades, get into my dream college, get good AP exam scores. And for the first time ever, I’ve actually accomplished them. I was able to maintain As all throughout freshman year, get 4s on my AP exams in Lang, Computer Science, and Art History. All it took was balance. I was able to balance cheer for each of my teams along with my sports like lacrosse, while maintaining a job making cookies after school. I was able to balance my life to achieve my dreams so now I can dream even bigger. To my dream college Spellman I will go, because I believe.

Camp CEO 2023 Jenna Prokash

Jenna Prokash resides in Georgia with her mother, father, younger brother, and Australian Shepherd dog. Jenna will graduate from Alpharetta High School, where she has been a member of the Alpharetta High School band and the marching band for four years. She has had the privilege of serving as the Band Director’s Assistant for the past two years and implemented the bigs and littles program in 2022. Jenna is also a dedicated member of Beta Club, National Honor Society, Tri-M Music National Honor Society, and Women in STEM.

Jenna is the recipient of the Harvard Book Award, the Georgia Certificate of Merit and was named a Bausch and Lomb Science Award Nominee. She is an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student.

Jenna has been a member of Girl Scouts for 12 years, and has earned her Bronze Award, Silver Award, and Gold Award. For her Gold Award project, Jenna worked to address the achievement gap in reading. Partnering with North Atlanta Church of Christ, where she has been a member since birth, Jenna was able to provide books to children whose parents are participating in the Recovery Ministry. The Recovery Ministry assists those struggling with substance abuse in their recovery journeys. Additionally, she held a workshop to educate parents of young children on the academic and social-emotional benefits of a solid foundation in reading to promote reading from a young age. Jenna works as a Lead Instructor at Mathnasium, where she assists students in improving their mathematical and reasonsing skills. In her free time, Jenna enjoys reading, working out, cooking, and spending time with her family. After graduation, Jenna intends to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and is considering attending graduate school for either pharmaceutical sciences or medicinal chemistry. Ultimately, Jenna hopes to work in the pharmaceutical industry, developing and producing medications.

Camp CEO 2023 Kamani Pryor

Kamani Pryor is a senior at Chapel Hill High School with a grade point average of 3.65 and is very active in her school and the Girl Scout community. Kamani has a total of 680 volunteer hours from her four years of volunteering. She is currently in the Student Government Association as the executive of public relations, where she has the role of keeping the school current on various school, club, or sports events. She is also involved in her One Act Play as the student director, where she was able to lead and direct my actors in multiple scenes. According to Kamani, “”this felt raw, personal, and real to create and execute ideas of set pieces and designs, communicate with the light and sound technicians as to what lighting and sounds would make the most sense and give an appropriate feeling for each scene.”” Under her leadership, the One Act cast and crew went to Regionals and secured a secondplace win out of seven. Kamani has been a Girl Scout since she was in seventh grade and has earned her Silver award in the Sisters of Heritage unit. Of Kamani’s 680 community service hours, 210 hours are from volunteering with the Girl Scouts organization. She is on the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Trainer Committee and serves as the secretary, where she manages communication between the adult trainers, girl trainers, and parents of the girl trainers. Kamani is passionate about writing and directing compelling stories that show the plight and triumph of African American people and of all minorities. Her future endeavors include, but are not limited to: becoming an award-winning director, mentoring and guiding a new generation to help catapult them beyond her accomplishments, becoming an activist with a platform, making changes in the country’s law-making, and educating communities on how to better themselves mentally, physically, and financially. To start her journey into the film industry and the building of her platform, she has been accepted by her dream school, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Camp CEO 2023 Jade Latasha Pyron

Jade Latasha Pyron is a freshman at Stockbridge High School in Stockbridge, Georgia. She also attends the Academy of Advanced Studies in McDonough, Georgia and is currently studying cosmetolgy and culinary arts. The last of four children and the youngest twin, this young lady has what is takes to make it to the top and she strives to be the best at everything she does. While juggling new life in two different high school settings, she has easily mantained her grades and has done a great job overall. She enjoys helping others and is striving to make the world a better place, by being kind to all those around her and showing genuine love for all. On the weekly basis, she enjoys attending Faith Deliverance Christian Church, where she works in many different areas, such as event committee, food pantry and women’s fellowship. This young lady always has a beautiful smile on her face and can light up any room that she walks in. Full of personality and spunk, she is a force to be reckoned with, but in a good way! Some may say she has her hands too full, but to Jade, it is all working out perfectly. She is somewhat of a mother hen to those around her and she loves and thrives off of it. Jade has so many dreams and goals; one in particular is to be her own boss. She has grown up around many entrepreneurs and loves to see how her family has flourished over the years during this pandemic. While some have looked at the last three years in defeat, Jade has just begun to get started. She has already started learning a few techinques in the cosmetology field and has started exploring an interest in real estate. She knows that the next three years will fly by and she is ready to grab the bull by the horns and start figuring out what areas she wants to flourish in. Jade hopes to keep striving constantly to find answers for hard questions and to be involved with research initiatives as she heads to college. Camp CEO represents a tremendous learning opportunity for her, and she hopes to develop a deeper understanding of community leadership and social entrepreneurship for the future.

Camp CEO 2023 Ryan Rakestraw

Ryan Rakestraw is a 10th-grade honor student at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology in Conyers, Georgia. Her extracurricular activities include Marching Band Color Guard, Winter Guard, Camera Club (Co-President), Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, and Rockdale Youth Leadership. Ryan has competed in the Georgia State Science Fair for three years and has gained the honor of placing first in her category for two of the three years. As an 8th grader, Ryan received the Davis Middle School General’s Award. This award is presented to one student in the 8th-grade class at General Ray Davis Middle School each academic year. This award is presented by the faculty at the school and acknowledges an outstanding student for their character, academic achievement, and for being an example of an overall exemplary student. Ryan has been a Girl Scout since the 1st grade and earned her Silver Award as an 8th grader. For her Silver Award, Ryan combined her passion to help others and meet with her friends by holding a skate and donate event. She collected toiletry items, blankets, and socks for a local homeless organization in her area. Ryan has participated in a number of Girl Scout activities. In the summer of 2022, she traveled with other Girl Scouts to London and Paris. During this trip, she was able to meet with other Girl Scouts and visit the Pax Lodge one of the Girl Scout World Centers. During this experience, she was able to learn more about Girl Scouting around the world firsthand and the cultures of the countries she visited. Ryan enjoys traveling, baking, painting, community service, and exploring her creative side. Ryan started her own design business, “”Ryan’s Radacial Rags”” in the 6th grade. Her business started as a hobby where she has designed shirts for family and friends. Ryan’s family and friends would describe her as a helpful, brilliant, and model young lady.

Camp CEO 2023 Sarah Rambhatla

Sarah Rambhatla is a teenaged girl who is passionate about music and helping others. From a young age, she has always loved singing and playing the guitar, and she has spent countless hours practicing and perfecting her craft. She has a natural talent for music and is always looking for ways to share her love of music with others. In addition to her passion for music, Sarah is also deeply committed to doing good for others. She volunteers her time in many places such as organizations like Meals by Grace, which helps to feed those in need. She is also involved in a number of community service projects and worked to make STEM kits for little kids and food packs. Despite her busy schedule, Sarah always finds time to pursue her passions and to help others. She is an active member of her school’s theatre program, participating in shows and performing for all of her friends. She does tech theatre and does hair and makeup for the plays and musicals. She is also a part of a band which she is very passionate about. They practice often and have written many songs. They have also performed a gig and hope to perform more. Sarah is a natural leader and is always looking for ways to inspire and to motivate those around her. She is a role model for her peers, and is known for her positive attitude and her willingness to lend a helping hand. She has particapted in many academic clubs and has good grades. Overall, Sarah is a talented and compassionate young woman who is dedicated to making a difference in the world through her love of art and her commitment to helping others. She is ray of sunshine to all who know her, and she has a bright and promising future ahead of her.

Camp CEO 2023 Marin Ramesh

Marin Ramesh: “Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best.” —Juliette Gordon Low. Marin Ramesh is 15 years old and was born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta. She has been involved in the Girl Scouts program since kindergarten when she was just a Daisy learning how to make new friends and memorizing the Girl Scout Law! She is now a senior Girl Scout and a sophomore in high school. Girl Scouts has been such a major part of her life, allowing her to explore the world, her interests, and to meet new people along the way. Some of her most memorable Girl Scout experiences include her “”Sleepover with the Sharks”” in the Georgia Aquarium when she was just a Brownie! Visiting Savannah and the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low also allowed her to have a deeper understanding of the impact that Girl Scouts have had since they began. However, her most memorable moment would have to be achieving her Silver Award with her Girl Scout Troop, and how they had to work together despite the separation due to the Coronavirus. Marin and her troop (14742) created Kits for Older Adults, which included games, notes, and blankets, in order to help them through the isolating times of the Pandemic. Outside of Girl Scouts, Marin spends her time running with her high school cross country team, playing soccer at her academy club, and getting involved with her high school clubs such as DECA, Model UN, and UNICEF! At her high school, she is also involved in the honors and AP programs where she works hard to apply herself to numerous challenging subjects. She finds herself to be most interested in her marketing and ELA classes. Being involved in her school and her community has always been important to her, because of how much she can learn from experiences and other people. She loves trying out new things and exploring new perspectives on various types of topics. One thing that she has to say for current or future Girl Scouts is to put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to fail, because as long as you tried your hardest, you succeeded!

Camp CEO 2023 Reema Shankar

Reema Shankar: On a crisp winter day in February, Reema Shankar was born. Her family was comprised of her parents, an older sister, and her sweet Labrador retriever. As she grew up, her parents noticed her zest for the arts, and enrolled her in dance and acting to see her talents blossom. They sure did as her confidence and love of talking to people expanded too. Reema joined Girl Scouts as a Daisy and made numerous lifelong friends, and started getting involved in many fundraising and community activities. In her elementary school, Reema saw an opportunity to get involved in her school and ran for student council president, and she secured the position! She got busier as she had just been accepted into a competitive dance company and had many hours of practice per week. It all paid off when she won third in the state in 2021 and second in the state in 2022 for the statewide Reflections Art Competition in the dance category. During the summer of Covid, her dance school was paused, but Reema was craving to challenge herself, so she added golf into her agenda. It was something that excited her like dance, so she practiced and practiced and when she entered high school, she made her school’s golf team in freshman year! Reema continues to love her Girl Scout journey and was selected to be te head of marketing for the Girl Scout magazine, Lime Green Giraffe. Reema has also been teaching technology to seniors after being inspired by the technology challenges her own grandparents have been facing for a very long time. Reema continues to work on all her passions and activities while also dreaming large towards the future. Reema plans on going to college and studying business and acting, two things she loves. She also wants to start a nonprofit one day to fight period poverty in India after seeing examples of this vast issue on her visits to India.

Camp CEO 2023 Ananya Suresh

Ananya Suresh is a rising senior at Lambert High School. This dedicated teen was raised in Suwanee, Georgia, by immigrant parents who left India in the early 2000s. She joined Girls Scouts in the fourth grade and has remained an active member ever since, going on to receive both the Silver and Gold Awards in the last two years. In addition to being academically inclined, Ananya is passionate about sports, art, and healthcare. She is an active member of HOSA at her school and participates in several community service opportunities, as well as attends meetings regularly.

Ananya has consistently been an excellent student who manages to balance participating in extracurricular activities with academic success and community service. Ananya has shown leadership by becoming team manager in 2023, in addition to previously playing for the freshman and JV volleyball teams. Through the Lambert Anthology Club, which she founded and of which she is currently president, she also shares her love of writing and the arts, showcasing the works of students through a magazine and website. She discovered her love for healthcare at a young age and ultimately hopes to become a medical professional one day. She developed a passion for healthcare after visiting an elderly home in her first year of middle school. She assisted some Alzheimer’s patients with daily tasks and chores while she was there, and returned home with a new outlook on what she wanted to do in the future. Ananya has been pursuing her goals by continuing her involvement with HOSA, participating with the Red Cross on blood drives, and being involved in the school’s dissection subcommittee. Ananya enjoys connecting with others and giving back to the community by tutoring young kids on the weekends at the Eye Level center near her home. She is passionate about healthcare, and she intends to specialize in trauma surgery. She says that this is just the beginning of her efforts to make an impact on society and to serve her country.

Camp CEO 2023

Samaiya Swinson

Samaiya Swinson is a hard-working person, she never gives up on what she does. She is an A, B student at her high school, she is very attentive, strategic, and respectful. In school, she is actively involved. She is an active member of the National FFA organization and she also uses her free time to volunteer for her Law class. She is an active listener and will listen to all of your problems and give you the best advice. She is strong and confident in everything she does and when faced with challenges, she finds quick ways to overcome them. Some of her favorite hobbies to do are read, paint, play the piano and violin, crochet, and fix things. Samaiya Swinson is also a very fearless person. When doing something for the first time it can be scary she always prays before doing it and takes a leap of faith to overcome it. Samaiya Swinson is also a caring person; she cares for all people no matter what they look like, how they act, or who they are. She loves to help anywhere her assistance is needed and is always there to be a helping hand. Her goals for the future are to journal more, become healthier, read more books, and learn about to grow spiritually and mentally. She is also a very supportive person, a supporting friend, a supporting daughter, and a supporting sister. She is always there for her friends; when times get rough for one of them she is always one call away to cheer them up. She is also a supportive daughter and sister because she’s always there to put a smile on their faces and to support whatever decision one makes. Overall, Samaiya Swinson is one of the most kind-hearted, compassionate, caring, and loving person. She is always on her A-game and never quits a tough obstacle. She is a great academic student and is always there for friends and family.

Camp CEO 2023 Amaya Williams

Amaya Williams: I hope this biography of myself can help you get to know me better as a person. People say first impressions are most important, but I believe reading a story about someone’s life is much more enlightening. As a young girl I loved telling stories and dressing up. There was never a day you would not find me in big bows or in bright clothing. I still love to dress up and I still have that bright personality. I think of myself as highly creative; I love drawing. I really enjoy thinking outside of the box and finding alternative solutions and ways to do things, and that makes me amazing. I find beauty in intricate things like flowers. I have many interests because I love trying new things, but my biggest interests are nature, art, and track and field. I love nature and my favorite days are rainy ones because everything looks so calm. I love the intricacies in nature and how it can make you feel. Being outside in the sun can change my entire mood sometimes. I love art for the same reason as nature. With art you can express something that is alive in colors and shapes, but you still can get the same feeling as if the thing in the painting was right there with you. Track and field is another one of my hobbies. Lastly, my favorite hobby is volunteering. I take any and every opportunity to go out and help others. Girl Scouts is a great organization that fosters my interest in volunteering. In the future, I would love to earn my Gold Project and formulate a garden where I can grow fresh fruits and vegetables. This will be able to help those who are underprivileged and who may not have the means or access to healthy and nutritious foods.

Camp CEO 2023 Gabrielle Williams

Gabrielle Williams: Gabrielle’s motto is “if you can put your mind to it you can achieve it, as long as you put in the work too.” Gabrielle is currently a sophomore at Hebron Christian Academy. She is a member of Jack and Jill of America, Beta Club, and Girl Scouts. She is currently in a college level Spanish course. She loves learning and exploring different cultures and languages. During her high school years, she has played volleyball; she also loves playing tennis for fun and she loves to swim. In fact, she loves swimming so much that she recently became a certified lifeguard. Gabrielle believes in treating others as you would want to be treated and lives by this in her daily life. Gabrielle loves to try new activities. She is certified in basic life support, loves animals, and enjoys working in her community. Gabrielle serves her community by volunteering at the food pantry, women’s shelter and street clean-up in her community. Gabrielle enjoys the arts and she has been playing the piano since Kindergarten. Gabrielle has also played the viola and enjoys dance and theatre. Gabrielle is currently working with Student Life, which is a team at her school that works together to organize school activities for the students. Gabrielle has participated in several theatre productions. Gabrielle’s goal for the future is to pursue a career in sales and marketing. Gabrielle is looking forward to attending college once she graduates from high school. Gabrielle would also like to study abroad during her college years. Gabrielle hopes to continue her volunteer efforts and hope to attend a mission trip with her school. She would also like to continue to serve her local community. Gabrielle enjoys reading and hanging out with her friends and family in her spare time. She hopes to get a puppy soon.

Camp CEO 2023 Chloe Wright

Chloe Wright had her first experience in Girl Scouts was with a troop out of her elementary school, C.J. Hicks. Her time as a Girl Scout has given her life lessons along with activities she will always remember. Her current troop, 17191, has given her a set of skills that has given her a foundation to be herself no matter what and encourages safe spaces for her to do so.

Chloe Wright is a bright young lady with an amazing future in store for her! She is motivated by her love for learning and for succeeding as she strives to become an outstanding and successful young lady in today’s society. Chloe credits her first-grade teacher, Ms. Dean, with inspiring her love for learning and hopes to pay it forward by mentoring others. Currently, Chloe serves as president of her freshmen class. She is not only a proud member of the student government but has also competed on her high school’s varsity softball team. She currently volunteers for her local Rec. Center as assistant softball coach, along with playing on the national Lady Dukes Softball Club 16U team. Chloe thanks her Coach Diamond for helping her learn the importance of teamwork and humility. These skills will carry over into her future on and off the field. Her goal is to attend a D1 University on a full academic and softball scholarship. Chloe also wishes to use her gifts to help others in life by going to medical school after completing her bachelor’s degree. Her dream is to attend Meharry Medical College and change lives by changing smiles every day and making an impact the way others have impacted her.