24th Annual Sister for Sister Leadership Conference & Emerging Leader Awards Program Journal

On behalf of The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc, Metropolitan Nashville Chapter, we welcome you to our 24th annual Sister-for-Sister Conference. Our conference theme this year is “Uniting Black Women for Multigenerational Success.”

As we return to an in-person experience, we are excited to convene distinguished speakers to deliver engaging breakout sessions and foster intentional networking. It is our hope that this collaboration produces a unified, collective voice that strengthens our resolve and commitment to prepare Black women and girls for leadership roles in the workplace and community.

Now, more than ever, we must embrace the belief that we can and will create change. Politician, lawyer, and strategist Stacey Abrams said, “We must use words to uplift and include. We can use our words to fight back against oppression and hate. But we must also channel our words into action.”

We are grateful to our esteemed panel of speakers for sharing their passion, wisdom, and insight to uplift Black women and girls. We are humbled by the continued dedication of our founding president, Susan Short Jones, for her ongoing support of the Emerging Leader Awards and extend congratulations to this year’s cohort of fearless and compassionate recipients. This class of young women is bold and determined to leave their mark on the world. Their legacy will surely make us all proud.

We appreciate our sponsors and friends of the chapter whose generous contributions brought our vision to life and provided opportunities for others to share in that vision.

A very special thank you to the members of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Metropolitan Nashville Chapter, for the many hours of planning and organizing that lead to the success of this event.

Lastly, thank you, our guests, for attending the 24th Sister-for-Sister Conference. We look forward to hosting you at next year’s event. We also invite you to connect with us on our social platforms by tagging us @MetroNashville100BW and #SisterforSister2023

Kimberly M. Cox

Kimberly M. Cox

Karen H. Thompson

1st VP of Programs 2023 Conference Chair

Kim Cox Karen Thompson

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE . . .

Sister -for-Sister Conference & Women of Color Luncheon

The Sister-for-Sister Conference began in 1998, and is now an annual conference held in the spring. The conference was the brainchild of member Rosetta Miller Perry, publisher of The Tennessee Tribune and Contempora magazine and founder of the Greater Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce. The conference attracts national and local speakers who inspire and inform participants as the conference fulfills its goal of empowerment of women. Member participation and support is a key element to the success of the conference.

The Women of Color Luncheon was added in 2004 as an opportunity to expand networking to women of diverse backgrounds.

1998 — Brooke Stephens, author, Talking Dollars, Making Sense. The closing luncheon speaker was Shirley A. R. Lewis, PhD, president of Paine College.

1999 — Margaret Hodges Rush, president of the South Carolina Black Chamber of Commerce, inspired us with her Alphabets for Life speech.

2000 — Delores L. Crockett, Fields Operations Manager for the Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, Regional Administrator of Region IV. The closing luncheon speaker was Eleanor Newhouse Graves.

2001 — The Reverend Renita J. Weems, PhD, author and associate professor of Hebrew Bible, Vanderbilt University. The closing luncheon speaker was Hattie B. Dorsey, president/CEO, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, Inc, and former national president, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.

2002 — The Reverend Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, New Covenant Christian Church, Nashville; Closing luncheon speaker Brooke Stephens, author of Talking Dollars Making Sense, and financial consultant.

2003 — Michelle McKinney Hammond, HeartWing Ministries of Chicago, Illinois.

2004 — Betty Marshall, vice president/Divisional Merchandise manager, Sam’s Club; closing luncheon speaker Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Pro Tem, Honorable Lois Deberry.

2005 — Salute to Davis-Galloway Empowerment Award Nominees; and Valerie Montgomery-Rice, MD, executive director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry and dean of the School of Medicine.

2006 — The Honorable Hazel R. O’Leary, president of Fisk University, and former U.S. Secretary of Energy.

2007 — The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and 21st national president, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

2008 — Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

2009 — Barbara S. Talley, speaker, poet, author and publisher of many value-based living products.

2010 — Anna McCoy, founder of Woman Act Now!, author, life coach, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, financial educator, talk show host and preacher.

2011 — Iris Cooper, owner of Just Ask Iris! and co-founder of Glory Foods, Inc.

2012 — Roslyn Ridgeway, CEO/Founder, DeRoz Entertainment

2013 — ShirleyAnn Robertson, Robertson & Robertson Financial Services, Schaumburg, Illinois, Women of Color Luncheon keynote speaker. Empowerment workshop by Sandra Finley, President/CEO League of Black Women.

2014 — Valerie Montgomery-Rice, MD, Dean and Executive Vice President, Morehouse School of MedicinePresident Elect, keynote speaker for the Women of Color Luncheon. Leadership Development Workshop by Connie L. Lindsey, Executive Vice President & Head of Corporate Responsibility Northern Trust, President, National Board of Directors Girl Scouts, USA.

2015 — Caroline Clarke, Executive Editor of Black Enterprise magazine, host of Black Enterprise Business Report, and author of Take a Lesson: Today’s Black Achievers. Leadership Development Workshop: Agenia Clark, CEO, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, facilitator; Cathy Bender, Senior Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch, Alice Randall, Author, Professor, Vanderbilt University, Joycelyn Stevenson, Esq. President-Elect, Nashville Bar Association.

2016 — Carolyn Hardy, Chism Hardy Investments, LLC, CEO and Henderson Worldwide Investments, CEO, keynote speaker for the Women of Color Luncheon. Leadership Development Workshop: “The State of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” Panelists: Richard Jackson, American Baptist College; Adrienne Latham, MA, Fisk University; A. Dexter Samuels, PhD, Meharry Medical College; and Alisa Mosley, PhD, Tennessee State University.

2017 — Mignon Francois, Owner, The Cupcake Collection

2018 — Michelle Thornton Ghee, Senior Vice President of Media Sales, BET Her Network

2019 — Michelle Thornton Ghee, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Endeavor Global Marketing, part of the Endeavor Network, which includes talent agency WME, fashion, and sports pioneer IMG, UFC, among others. Author of Stratechic 2.0: Her Plan. Her Power. Her Purpose.

2020 — Event Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

2021 — [Virtual Event] Ayris T. Scales (Opening Speaker) CEO, Walker’s Legacy Foundation and Managing Director, Walker’s Legacy, president, Metropolitan Washington DC Chapter; Brittany Cole (Keynote Speaker) Author, Thrive Through It: Guide to Redefining Resilience in Life and Business.

2022 — [Virtual Event] Chandria Harris (Opening Speaker) CEO, HireCultures; Kirbee Miller, Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Kirbee + Co and Yanka Smith-Bartley, JD, Chief DEI Officer and Counsel (Keynote Speakers)

NCBW’s interests encompasses women with backgrounds in all sectors of the business, political and professional community, including educators, lawyers, physicians, corporate executives, business owners, bankers, financial advisors, healthcare administrators, ministers, advertising, marketing, communications, fundraising, higher education administrators and public officials.

NATIONAL COALITION OF 100 BLACK WOMEN, INC

Metropolitan Nashville Chapter 2023 Member List

CHAPTER OFFICERS

Janet Rachel, President

Kimberly Cox, First Vice President, Programs

Ylonda Banister, Second Vice President, Finance

Tabitha Mundy, Third Vice President, Membership

Jacqueline Hayes, Recording Secretary

Deanna Largin, Treasurer & Parliamentarian

Lynet Payne, Financial Secretary

Nicole Rowan, Correspondence Secretary and Chaplain

Karen Thompson, Nominations Chair

Erica Grooms, Historian

Bridget Braggs, Legal Counsel

Veronica Marable Johnson, Immediate Past President

MEMBERS

Cherie Allen

Tanya Anderson

Elizabeth Armstrong

Leia Avery

Yvonne Bertrand

Katherine Y. Brown

Gwendolyn Clarke

Caryn Clopton

Shaundra Davis

Angela Ellis

Jennifer Haile

Jacqueline Hayes

Gail High

Royya James

Karen Johnson

Brooke Kelly

Diane Lindsey

Paris Love

Toya Malbrough

Alisa Malone

Patricia Malone Smith

Kellie Martin

Meredith McKinney

Tanesha Mundy

Zenobia Newell-Gordon

Lagra Newman

Tammie Otukwu

Brittany Paschall

Tanjarae Porter

Tamar Rand

Mia Reddick-Smith

Brittney Sharpe

Tara Shepard

Allyson Sneed

Chena Stevenson-Jones

Tanaka Vercher

Sondra Wade

Danette Warren

Tonja Williams

Seanne Wilson

NCBW PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS Metropolitan Nashville Chapter

Metropolitan Nashville Membership Induction

Emerging Leaders with Susan Short Jones and President Janet Rachel

NCBW PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS Metropolitan Nashville Chapter

Metropolitan Nashville Chapter Holiday Gathering

NCBW Day on the Hill

Women Vote Early

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Saturday, June 10, 2023 • 8:00 am — 2:00 pm

Registration, Breakfast, Vendor Marketplace, and Networking

Welcome and Opening Greetings

Invocation

President’s Welcome

Introduce Opening Speaker

Opening Session: “Get Your Mind Right”

Marketplace & Networking Break

Breakout Panel Sessions

Breakout Panel Session 1A: “Exhausted but Determined” Or

Breakout Panel Session 1B: “Using Your Voice for Good Trouble”

Marketplace & Networking Break

“Uniting Black Women for Multigenerational Success”

“Uniting Black Women for Multigenerational Success”

CONFERENCE AGENDA (Continued)

Dr. Quinn “Keeping It 100” — Student Roundtable

Panel Session: “Building a Dynamic Network”

Marketplace & Networking Break

Women of Color Luncheon Welcome Special Guest Video Greeting

Lunch and Networking

Susan Short Jones Emerging Leader Award Program

Fireside Chat Introduction

Fireside Chat: “Creating Our Next Generation of Change Agents”

Thank Panelists and Introduce Conference Chair

Recognition of Speakers, Sponsors, and Supporters

President’s Closing Remarks

Networking and Marketplace

EMERGING LEADER Award Nominees

AND

Speakers,Presenters, & Moderators

Emerging Leader Award History

SUSAN SHORT JONES Senior Corporate Counsel

HCA Healthcare

Susan Short Jones is Senior Corporate Counsel with HCA Healthcare. She has served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Access Health Systems, Inc.; Director of Law, Metropolitan Nashville Government; General Counsel, Tennessee Board of Regents; Assistant Attorney General, State of Tennessee; Staff Attorney, Legal Services Middle Tennessee Inc. and adjunct professor, Vanderbilt Law School. After serving as the Director of Law, she engaged in the private practice of law with clientele comprised of small businesses and Fortune 500 companies providing counsel in the areas of public finance, healthcare, business transactions and real estate.

She currently serves on the Board of the Nashville Ballet and is the past chair of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Community recognitions include awardee of the prestigious Athena and Phil Patton Community Service Award, Napier Looby Lifetime Achievement Award, and inductee into the Academy of Women of Achievement. She is an alumnus of Leadership Nashville and the Society of International Business Fellows. She is a member of the Hendersonville (TN) Area Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, and founding president of the Metropolitan Nashville Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Incorporated.

Susan graduated from Denison University (Granville, Ohio) with a degree in political science and Vanderbilt University Law School. She is a native of Dallas, Texas, and is married to Roland Jones, a retired corporate executive and entrepreneur.

Emerging Leader Award Chairs

Seanne Wilson, Co-chair

Tonja Williams, Chair

Emerging

GARRAH CARTER-MASON

Corporate Litigator l Bass Berry & Sims

Garrah Carter-Mason is a corporate litigator who represents clients in complex business litigation, product liability claims, and healthcarerelated investigations, while also actively engaging in pro bono opportunities and providing legal advice to non-profit organizations and small business owners. Garrah served as a law clerk to the Honorable Eli J. Richardson (M.D. Tenn.). During law school, she was a judicial extern to the Honorable Virginia Kendall (N.D. Ill.). Garrah has also worked in state government as clerk of the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee. She is skilled in advanced legal research and writing and has trial, evidentiary hearing, arbitration, mediation, and deposition experience.

In her current role at Bass Berry & Sims, Garrah started the firm’s Domestic Violence Project during the pandemic to help women in need obtain orders of protection. She frequently volunteered her time to provide pro-bono representation to the less fortunate and is currently representing a wrongfully convicted African-American man on a murder charge appeal. In 2022, Garrah was given the honor of being named one of the National Black Lawyers Top 40 under 40. She co-authored the article, “Can You Keep a Secret? Trends in Privilege Law,” which was published in DRT InHouse Defense Quarterly, Winter 2023 edition.

In addition to her career as an attorney, Garrah has written and self-published a plant-based cookbook titled, The Power of the Plant, ©2021. The plant-based cookbook focuses on providing minority communities with healthier eating options that are easy and affordable. Garrah volunteers for several non-profit organizations and serves on the board of Corner to Corner. She attended Vanderbilt University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science and Spanish. She went on to attend Vanderbilt Law School to earn her Doctor of Jurisprudence.

Emerging

ALISHA R. RUTHERFORD

Special Agent l Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Alisha Rutherford is an experienced special agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with a demonstrated history of working in the law enforcement industry. Alisha has demonstrated leadership by being an example to her team and unit. Setting the example of never giving up and being a servant leader has propelled Alisha in her career at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations. Alisha has climbed the ladder at her place of work and continues to set an example for those to follow in her footsteps. Starting out as an Intelligence Analyst with the bureau in the Criminal Intelligence Unit, she was then promoted to Special Agent.

After working several years in the Drug Division as an agent, Alisha was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis field office Drug Division. In 2021, she was promoted to Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Intelligence Unit and Co-Director of the Tennessee Fusion Center where she oversees various vital programs. Alisha is the first African American female to be promoted to this position in the history of the bureau. She was honored as one of the first African American women in leadership at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations in 2022. Community service and community engagement are key areas at the forefront of her requirements for herself and her unit.

Through partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders, Alisha finds a way to bring service to the community. When she is not at the bureau, Alisha continues to give her time and resources to support non-profit organizations or community events. She is an advocate to help bridge the gap between the community and the police. She has served in several community organizations including Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, Incorporated, and the American Red Cross.

She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Lambda Omega Chapter. Alisha earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Homeland Security and a minor in Computer Information Systems from Middle Tennessee State University.

Emerging Leader 2022

LACIE K. DUNN Financial Expert

Lacie Dunn is a highly skilled finance expert with more than seven years of experience analyzing corporate finances, driving strategic program implementations, and managing special financial projects. She believes her passion for financial analysis, coupled with her current and previous academic and personal experiences, have equipped her with the ability to provide leadership support and insight related to financial modeling, accounting, economic and cost studies/analysis, and data visualization.

Lacie works to publicly recommend in a heartfelt and powerful way the importance of economic development for all people, but specifically African-American women. Through advocacy, she seeks to educate, encourage, and collaborate with others, understanding that advocacy is empty if you can’t energize others around you and motivate them to get involved.

Economic Development

Advocating for resources and financial literacy for African-American women has allowed her to engage, mentor, and collaborate with many people from all walks and regions of life. It has allowed her to be a voice for her local Nashville community, while also working on a larger scale as a mentor and advocate for national issues. Within the Nashville community, she has volunteered with Junior Achievement and their Finance Park.

On a national platform, she has spoken on cryptocurrency and the stock market to the Thursday Network with the Greater Washington Urban League. Her goal is true equality and equity in how we address those things that affect African-American women, and which society until now, has done its best to either ignore, avoid, or diminish. Throughout her various membership organizations, she understood that simply joining or even paying dues is not enough, “I needed to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

Economic development is not only a personal goal but a calling to her community. Lacie has served on several boards including, but not limited to, United Way, Young Leaders Society, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, Impact 100 Nashville, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Parthenon Chapter of Links, Inc, Junior League of Nashville, and Young Leaders Council. Lacie has received the 2021 Horizon Award from the Nashville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Incorporated, and was a 2021 Athena Young Professional Nominee.

Lacie earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration in finance and economics and a Master of Business Administration in finance from Tennessee State University, and is currently pursuing her doctorate at Trevecca Nazarene University.

Emerging Leader 2023

KELLEE HILL, EdD Development Officer | Meharry Medical College

Dr. Kellee Hill is a change-maker in the field of education, and she has exhibited leadership, ingenuity, and representation in spaces not historically occupied by women of color. In her 12 years as an educator, Dr. Hill has sought to push the envelope regarding STEM education and student participation among marginalized groups. Along with her service to MNPS schools, as a small business owner, she is working to change the access students of color have to post-secondary education.

Dr. Hill has been involved in ensuring change in public schools by increasing exposure to science and STEM learning opportunities; as a Turn-Around core teacher from 2015-2018, she instructed in an MNPS school ranked in the bottom 5% of the state. Within her three years as an instructor, she helped achieve two years of academic growth in 7thgrade science, 6th Grade science, and mathematics. Before serving as a Turn-Around Educator, Dr. Hill worked with the Tennessee Department of Education to instruct intervention math to educators in the upper Cumberland and eastern rural areas of Tennessee, to improve learning outcomes for those communities that often lack access to new technologies.

Dr. Hill has served on several organizations including the Junior League of Nashville, Tennessee State University Nashville Alumni, Impact 100, and the Teacher Advisory Council for Belmont University. Her accolades and awards include the Nashville Public Education Foundation Community Favorite Award, Athena Young Professional Nominee, Women in Technology of Tennessee Scholarship Recipient, Phi Beta Sigma’s Educator of the Year Award, Middle Tennessee Middle School Science Educator of the Year Nominee, and Tennessee Education Association New Teacher of the Year Nominee.

Dr. Hill attended Tennessee State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry and a master’s degree in animal science. She went on to Carson-Newman University to earn her Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction and then completed her Doctor of Education degree in Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision. Ever the learner, Dr. Hill also completed a second master’s degree at Vanderbilt University in Teaching and Learning in Urban Settings.

Emerging Leader 2023

ALICIA HOLLOWAY, EdD

Statewide Project Director, COVID-19 | Meharry Medical College

Dr. Alicia Holloway has consistently worked in higher education to help improve health within underserved communities. Her responsibilities also included providing students with opportunities to matriculate into medical school and become public healthcare leaders.

She began as a senior administrative coordinator at Meharry Medical College. She later transitioned to the faculty development program coordinator at Morehouse School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia. In this role, she managed faculty seminar series that incorporated sessions to train faculty on information technology, conflict and time management, and emotional intelligence. She held numerous leadership positions in the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development leading to a promotion as project manager for Campaign and Strategic Priorities in the Office of the President at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Due to her success at Morehouse School of Medicine, Dr. Holloway was selected to become the Statewide Project Director for COVID-19 at Meharry Medical College. She is the liaison between the Tennessee Department of Health and the Grand Division of Tennessee (Central, East, and West). Through this role, she leads 36 faith and communitybased organizations and seven historically Black colleges and universities to educate, mitigate, and prevent COVID-19, while increasing the healthcare workforce.

Dr. Holloway is a member of the Hendersonville Chapter of Les Gemmes, Incorporated, and the Parthenon Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She is a former member of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals. Dr. Holloway earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Memphis, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and her doctorate in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Emerging Leader 2023

SYDNEY Y. K. BROWN

Program Coordinator | Meharry Medical College

Sydney Y. K. Brown is a highly sought dissemination expert and research consultant. Skilled in innovative cross-cultural strategies to engage vulnerable populations, her work has been recognized in community-based and academic settings. She has demonstrated outstanding public service via her work with the Roberta Baines Wheeler (RBW) Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Awareness Group, Learn CPR America, Tennessee Department of Health’s Health Disparities Task Force, and through research she has conducted and been a contributing member. She uses her skills in research to help measure the impact of community engagement.

Using innovative dissemination strategies, Sydney communicates vital information to communities to ensure that data is reflective of needs and provides opportunities for growth and development. She has been called upon to speak to students at Belmont University, Fisk University, Tennessee State University, and Meharry Medical College. Sydney’s work extends beyond the borders of the United States. Working on a global scale, she has been a mentor to over 200 students nationally and internationally. She has also provided education about pulmonary hypertension and leadership development both domestically and globally. In addition to this, she has led international community service efforts which have specifically resulted in youth from Nashville, TN, being able to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa; Medellin Colombia, South America; Turks and Caicos Islands; and Costa Rica. During her foreign travel with youth, Sydney has guided them in community service efforts. Wherever she travels, nationally and internationally, her goal is to empower and provide tools for leaders to make sustainable change in their communities. When she identifies a need in the community, she helps to create a program in the community to serve and make a difference. She volunteers to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation to persons experiencing homelessness, teenage mothers, older adults, and other communities in need.

Sydney has received numerous honors and awards. Most recently Sydney was a recipient of the Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award in honor of her service across Tennessee against health inequities. Additionally, she was recognized by Agnes Scott College’s Neuroscience Department, receiving the Synapse Award in Research Excellence which recognizes excellence in neuroscience research. Sydney was also recognized for her volunteer service and received the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award, United States of America. Sydney has also been the recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award and Outstanding Leadership Award from Jack and Jill of America. Her work as a student in Nashville, and abroad resulted in being honored with the State of Tennessee Day of Recognition from Governor Bill Haslam and Certificate of Recognition from Mayor Karl F. Dean. She is excited to continue her passion for community health and medicine as she begins medical school in July at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science starting in July 2023.

Sydney currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the Department of Professional and Medical Education and the Department of Integrated Didactics at Meharry Medical College. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience at Agnes Scott College. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Leadership, Public Service, and Public Policy from Lipscomb University.

Emerging Leader 2023

LEAH LOMOTEY-NAKON, PhD

Professor | Vanderbilt University

Strategic Initiatives and Research | HCA Healthcare Foundation

Dr. Leah Lomotey-Nakon is a multidisciplinary trained bioethicist with a decade of programmatic experience in academic, community, and corporate healthcare settings. Driven by her belief that authentic relationships drive transformative changes within systems, policies, and practices, she designs innovative research and evaluation approaches that drive high-quality health care as a byproduct and end product. To that end, she pairs humanistic inquiry with qualitative and quantitative social science methods to analyze the connections between organizational design, quality improvement, and health outcomes within complex health systems.

Dr. Nakon has conducted extensive research in her field. She has presented her expansive research all over the world and her publications can be found in The American Journal of Community Psychology, Non-Profit Quarterly, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and other online platforms. She has received approximately $150,000 in grants to fund her research. Dr. Nakon currently teaches at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and School of Education. She also serves as the manager for strategic initiatives and research for HCA Healthcare Foundation.

She recently received The Hastings Center – Sadler Scholar Award. This award is awarded to a select group of nine doctoral students with research relevant to bioethics who are from racial and ethnic communities underrepresented in this field in the United States. She also received the prestigious Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy and Research Scholar Award. Dr. Nakon’s list of honors, awards, certificates, and membership is extensive. Her dissertation investigated the root causes of inequities in maternal and infant mortality rates and identified pathways to improve the quality of clinical and community reproductive health care.

Dr. Nakon’s commitment to addressing inequities in the healthcare system is transformative, groundbreaking, and life-saving. Dr. Nakon completed her Bachelor of Arts at Emory University where she majored in Political Science and minored in African American Studies. She went on attend Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education, where she earned a Master of Education in community development and action with a concentration in Organizational Development. She also earned a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University Divinity School with a concentration in ethics and society. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree at Vanderbilt University with a concentration in Biomedical and Healthcare Ethics and a minor in Medicine, Health, and Society.

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

Opening Speaker: “Get Your Mind Right”

QUINN GENTRY, PhD / MBA

Motivational Speaker

Messages of Empowerment Productions, LLC

Dr. Quinn M. Gentry, affectionately known as “Dr. Quinn,” is president and CEO of Messages of Empowerment Productions, a public health anda management consulting firm.

A behavioral scientist by training, Dr. Quinn has more than 30 years of experience in public health, social enterprises, and organizational effectiveness.

A 19-year member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, Dr. Quinn served seven consecutive years as the chair of the Annual Leadership Summit. Currently, Dr. Quinn serves on NCBW’s National Health Committee, and the National Leadership Development Committee. She also served as the National Program Committee Chair for NCBW’s 2009 and 2019 Biennial Conferences.

Dr. Quinn has written more than 60 books; the first 50 were penned in celebration of her 50th birthday in 2018. An educator and motivator at heart, she is passionate about helping people reach their full potential with her “Quinn Motivates” platform to inform, inspire, motivate, and coach people to greatness.

Dr. Quinn completed a post-doctoral fellowship from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and holds a Ph.D. in Sociology with a concentration in Race and Urban studies from Georgia State University; an M.B.A. from Clark Atlanta University; and a B.A. from Texas Christian University, with dual majors in Political Science and History, and a minor in International Relations.

A licensed minister, most recently, Dr. Quinn was accepted to Harvard Divinity School with 70 percent tuition support, Yale Divinity School with a full scholarship and stipend, and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, where she was named a Woodruff Fellow (Emory University’s most prestigious scholarship Award), which includes full tuition and a stipend to complete the Master of Divinity degree.

When Dr. Quinn is not researching, evaluating, teaching, motivating, or implementing science, she enjoys dancing, live bands, spoken word, and creative writing.

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

“Get Your Mind Right” Moderator

YLONDA BANISTER

Metropolitan Chapter, NCBW

Executive Director, Recruiting Division

Department of Human Resources, State of Tennessee

Ylonda Banister, Executive Director, Recruiting Division, Department of Human Resources for the State of Tennessee. She has more than 15 years of experience in recruiting and has emerged as a top performer in State Government. She provides enterprise-wide talent acquisition assistance to agencies with a focus on collaboration, customer service and process improvement. Accomplished measurable results while leading a team of fourteen in a dynamic, fast - paced environment. Possess extensive knowledge in recruiting, retention, and office management.

Ylonda served in the United States Army as a Recruiting and Retention Program Manager and at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a Reserves Component Career Counselor. She served in various roles such as human resources, recruiter, and program manager. As a dedicated member of the Active Guard Reserve and Army Reserve she retired from military service in 2017 after 27 years. Master Sergeant Banister is an alumna of Trident University with a B.S. in Business Administration. She is a member of DOHR’s D&E Council, Middle Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management (MTSHRM), holds a Professional in Human Resources® (PHR®) certification and is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, 2 Vice President of Finance and Fund Development.

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

APRIL EATON

National Media Team Senior Manager, Allstate Insurance Company; Television Show Host, NewsChannel 5 Network

As senior manager of Allstate Insurance Company’s National Media Team, April Eaton directs communication on climate change and response during the largest natural disasters in U.S. history. For the last 25 years, April was deployed to ground zero immediately after hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, communicating crucial information to customers and communities on the steps to recovery. Her crisis expertise in the field is featured in a national TV advertising campaign on Allstate’s catastrophe response.

Before her time at Allstate, April was a reporter for NewsChannel 5, covering everything from education to an emu’s dramatic escape. Six years and three television Emmy Award nominations later, April traded her time in front of the camera for a career in corporate communications. She has a passion for storytelling. And in an unexpected turn of events, she received the opportunity to return to her TV roots and Channel 5 family—this time, as the host of her own show, Urban Outlook: A Forum for African American Issues, which is now in its 23rd season.

April’s commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her personal professional endeavors to inspiring others. As a testament to her influence, the Tamron Hall Show reached out to April in 2021 to make a surprise appearance as a guest alongside Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner. This special encounter held profound significance as Nischelle, the first Black woman to co-host ET, revealed that April was the very woman of color who inspired her to pursue a career in television hosting.

April is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and an advisory board member for the YWCA of Middle Tennessee’s Dress for Success Program. A recent graduate of the 25th Class of Leadership Franklin (2022 – 2023), she was named one of Nashville Lifestyles Magazine’s Women in Business honorees (2017), a past Athena Award nominee and received the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Nashville Chapter’s Davis-Galloway Award (2016).

April holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She finds ultimate joy and fulfillment in her role as mother to son, Avery, and daughter, Amber.

Women of Color Luncheon Mistress of Ceremonies

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

Fireside Chat: “Creating Our Next Generation of Change Agents” Moderator

LAGRA NEWMAN

Leading Founder and Head of School | Purpose Prep Academy

Lagra Newman is the founder and Head of School at Purpose Preparatory Academy, a Nashville charter school that is one of the district’s leading schools serving African-American and economically disadvantaged students. Under her leadership, Purpose Prep is a threetime Reward School and the first elementary school in North Nashville to achieve this status for academic performance for ranking within the top 5 percent of schools in the state. Purpose Prep has become a “Level 5” school, the highest designation by the district, for growth and achievement for English Language Arts and for growth for math— among other achievements.

Lagra earned a BA at Vanderbilt University, a M.A. in Teaching at Loyola Marymount University, and a M.Ed. in Public School Leadership from Teachers College of Columbia University. Prior to founding Purpose Prep, she served as a corps member and then recruitment director for Teach for America and continued her teaching and school leadership career in Washington, D.C.

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

Fireside Chat: “Creating Our Next Generation of Change Agents” Panelist

LATANYA CHANNEL

Director of Economic Development | Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

LaTanya Channel was born and raised in Washington, DC, but her extended family were farmers for six generations in Southern Maryland, 45 minutes from the US Capitol. She is a natural teacher and leader, passionate about public service, having served more than 30 years in the federal government. Since October 2022, LaTanya has been director of economic development for Nashville and, 20 years prior, was in senior management at the US Small Business Administration (SBA)— both in DC and as director of the SBA Tennessee Office.

A graduate of Claremont McKenna College and Rutgers-Newark Law School, she served as managing editor of the Law Review. LaTanya is the proud daughter of Theresa, Floyd, and Reggie and is a graduate of Nashville Emerging Leaders and Leadership Tennessee. She serves on the board of her Nashville church, launched “The H.O.W. Project” in 2020, and lives in Old Hickory with her husband, Leon, and their dog, Teddy, is the highlight of nine years in Nashville, now proudly called “home.”

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

Fireside Chat: “Creating Our Next Generation of Change Agents” Panelist

PHYLANICE NASHE

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Podcast Host

Phylanice Nashe has more than twenty years of entrepreneurship and business leadership experience in the legal, manufacturing, IT, and e-learning industries. She has served as the CEO of the Nashe Law Group, LLC, co-founder of Innertainment Delivery Systems, LLC and principal of MaxxContent, LLC (leading e-learning and content distributor in the corrections space). Currently, Phylanice hosts the Phylanice Nashe Experience Podcast, featuring interviews with influential entrepreneurs and business leaders on how they’ve overcome the challenges of being Black in business.

Phylanice is a graduate of the 2023 class of Leadership Nashville. She is the 2021–2022 annual campaign chair for the Nashville Symphony board of directors and serves on the education and governance committees. Phylanice is also on the board of the YWCA of Nashville and Middle TN and serves as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Nashville Business Incubation Center. She is a member of the Curatorial & Education Committee of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) and a member of the Fulcrum Society and McWhorter Circle, annual giving societies supporting the YWCA and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.

In 2021, she and her husband, Dr. Turner Nashe, Jr., donated $1 million to The Bridge Resource Partnership Fund, a funding resource for Black-owned businesses in Middle Tennessee. Since the fund’s inception, more than $450,000 in business loans have been committed and deployed.

Phylanice holds a B.S. from John Carroll University and a J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (Cleveland State University).

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

JACQUELINE HAYES

Principal & Chief Marketing Strategist

Crayons

& Marketers

Jacqueline Hayes, MBA, PCM® is principal and chief marketing strategist of Crayons & Marketers, a full-service content marketing agency in Nashville. Under her leadership, Crayons & Marketers guides companies, nonprofits, and government agencies in attracting and engaging multicultural and multigenerational audiences.

Jacqueline is a highly respected leader in the business community, serving as Treasurer on the National Association of Women Business Owners National Board of Directors, where she also chairs the Finance Committee and is the incoming Chair of the Audit Committee. She is also Recording Secretary on the board for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Metro Nashville Chapter, a decades-old national organization advocating for black women and girls. An active member of the American Marketing Association, Nashville Chapter (AMA Nashville), Jacqueline is Vice President of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She also serves as co-lLeader of The Table’s Supplier Diversity Extension Group, a membership organization whose mission is to make Nashville the model city for equity and inclusiveness by taking action to create opportunities to grow prosperity for people of color. Jacqueline is a board member of You Have Power…Know How to Use It, a nonprofit committed to raising awareness about crime and justice issues through victim advocacy, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Kappa Lambda Omega Chapter, where she serves as the Marketing Committee chair. In addition, Jacqueline sits on the Board of Directors for PENCIL and serves as co-chair of the 2023 Annual PENCIL Back to School Breakfast.

Jacqueline was awarded the 2013 PENCIL Foundation Volunteer of the Year Award and 2014 Community Enrichment Award by NAWBO Nashville. In 2019, she was among a small contingent of dynamic women in business awarded the WBEs Who Rock Award by MBE Magazine. In 2020, Jacqueline was named to the prestigious Marquis Who’s Who in America and honored as a 2020 Women of Influence Awards recipient by the Nashville Business Journal. Jacqueline also received a 2021 Enterprising Women of the Year Award from Enterprising Women Magazine.

Jacqueline graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Tennessee State University. She is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and certified as a Digital Marketing Professional through the Digital Marketing Institute and Professional Certified Marketer® through the American Marketing Association.

“Building a Dynamic Network” Moderator

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

JACKY AKBARI

Managing Principal, Worthington Advisory

Jacky Akbari is the founder and managing principal of Worthington Advisory. She is a nationally recognized leader with a track record of achievement in strategy consulting. Recognized for her expertise and influence, Jacky develops and executes mission-critical strategies impacting transformational growth for leading organizations, including top-tier universities, innovative business startups, and Fortune 500 companies.

Jacky leads collaborative impact initiatives with a focus on business attraction, relocation, and expansion. She is a workforce economic development thought leader, speaker, and trusted advisor to C-suite executives, elected officials, and nonprofit and academic leaders. Her expertise relative to inclusive workforce impact is widely respected.

As founder and managing principal of Worthington Advisory, she provides vision at the business consulting firm. Her role includes strategy consultation, strategic planning facilitator, and government affairs lead. Before launching Worthington Advisory, Jacky held senior positions in government relations, workforce economic development, human capital consulting, and national sales and marketing teams. An experienced economic development strategist, she developed and executed key stakeholder partnership strategies for business expansion and relocation projects with Dell, Mars Petcare, AT&T, Nissan North America, UBS, Alliance Bernstein, Amazon, Oracle, Microsoft, Asurion, Vanderbilt University, and many others. In addition, as a senior-level manager at Xerox, she trained over 5,000 salespeople in consultative sales skills.

Jacky Akbari serves on the board for Citizens Bank and Trust Company, the oldest continuously operating minority bank in the US. She has been recognized by state, local, and national organizations for personal and professional leadership, including: Nashville Post: Most Powerful Woman; The Nashville Chamber of Commerce: Impact Award; Tennessee State University: Hall of Fame, Women of Legend, and Merit; Nashville Lifestyles: Women in Business Award; Nashville Business: Journal Woman of Influence; Biz Journal: Power 100; The Management Magazine: The Boss Profile; 2020 Academy of Women of Achievement; 2020–2021 Leadership Tennessee; International Women’s Forum; Leadership Nashville

A graduate of The Ohio State University, she holds a certificate in workforce diversity from UCLA Executive Extension. She is an active member of the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club. A past co-chair of the Rotary Program Committee and Rotaract, she was elected to the Nashville Rotary Board. Jacky is an established influential voice through active community engagement serving on multiple boards.

“Building a Dynamic Network” Panelist

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

BRYNN PLUMMER

Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, AllianceBernstein

Brynn Plummer is a vice president and director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Prior to joining AllianceBernstein (AB) in 2022, she was vice president of Equity, Inclusion, and Community at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (NEC), a not-for-profit, public-private start-up incubator. At the NEC, Plummer grew the LGBTQ+, Black, woman, and Latino entrepreneur community by more than 400% and worked to have February 15 officially recognized as Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day in Nashville.

She also co-founded Twende, a pre-accelerator for Black and Latino start-ups, and later led the campaign that made the program the state of Tennessee’s official minority-owned business acceleration program. Prior to this, Plummer taught middle school English and social studies with Teach For America (TFA) and joined TFA Nashville’s regional team. While at TFA, Plummer founded the region’s public school leader pathway program, reversed a four-year decline in alumni promoter scores, and helped grow the Nashville TFA alumni base by 40 percent.

She is a board member of the Art and Business Council and is the founder and owner of Dissocialite Design Co. Plummer holds a B.A. degree in English and comparative literature from Columbia University and a Master of Education degree in instruction from Lipscomb University.

“Building a Dynamic Network” Panelist

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

ALISA MALONE

CEO, Persevere

Alisa Malone has a distinguished career that has spanned over the public, private and non-profit sectors in the fields of Corrections, Labor and Workforce Development, Healthcare, and Social Services. She is currently serving as the CEO of Persevere, which is a national nonprofit organization that is focused on disrupting the cycle of poverty and mass incarceration by empowering men and women to transform their lives, their families, and their communities through technology education, life skills development, employment, and wraparound services post release. Persevere is just one of the many groups working tirelessly to provide opportunities for incarcerated individuals to gain valuable work experience and skills, with the ultimate goal of creating a more equitable society, through fair chance opportunities.

Previously, Alisa served as Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Director of Rehabilitation and Workforce Development and Director of Operations for Reintegration and Community Engagement for Viapath, COO for Inntertainment Delivery Systems (IDS), Co-CEO and Vice President/COO of Family & Children’s Services, Director of Operations for Passion Partners, Director of Marketing for AmeriGroup Maryland and Virginia, Director of Community Relations & Marketing for AmeriGroup Tennessee, Director of Community Services for the Tennessee Department of Health.

Alisa has also served as a volunteer and/or board member for several faith-based and non-profit organizations such as Youth Life Learning Center, Today’s Choices, Women on Maintaining Education and Nutrition (W.O.M.E.N.), Mary Queen of Angels Assisted Living Facility, and the Tennessee Commission on Children & Youth. She currently serves as a Mentor with Mission Development International and has also had the opportunity to serve on multiple mission trips to Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan.

“Exhausted, but Determined” Moderator

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

PAULA M. FARMER

President, Core Value Leadership

Paula M. Farmer is the epitome of someone who loves people. More than 20 years ago, she answered the call to serve others through the lens of Human Resources (HR). Paula decided to trade a successful and fulfilling career in corporate to strategically go where she’s led. Whether it’s speaking at a church in South Africa or coaching a team of international leaders about the importance of cultural integrity, or teaching entrepreneurial leadership courses at an HBCU, Paula is fully committed to the Statement of Purpose of the company she founded twelve years ago. Core Value Leadership Consulting engages, empowers, influences, and impacts during every engagement. Our clients experience insightful wisdom, thoughtful execution, and brilliant strategies that disarm misleading paradigms which otherwise derail their people, processes, and profits. We don’t chase money; we chase purpose and teach others to do the same.

Prior to Core Value Leadership Consulting, Paula’s productive career in corporate included roles including but not limited to People Development Manager (Recruiting, Hiring, Retention), VP of HR (led and developed a team of HR professionals serving clients across several states), Training & Development Manager (creating curriculum for franchises on the east coast to maximize their use of technology to manage inventory and accurately price their services, and the role of Project Manager for one of the largest employers in the State of Tennessee.

Paula earned an associate’s degree in Technology from Nashville State, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Trevecca Nazarene University in Human Resource Management and Organizational Management, respectfully. She has many certifications from organizations such as SHRM, the American Association of Christian Counselors, Google, etc.

Paula is president of the Music City Toastmasters, vice chair of Women’s Leadership with Nashville CABLE, and is a member of Kiwanis, the Chamber of Commerce, the North Crest Hospital Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Mt. Zion Baptist Church Protocol Overseer, and has served as Conference Chair, Moderator, and Panelist for many conferences.

You can follow Paula on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.

“Exhausted, but Determined” Panelist

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

KIRBEE MILLER

Founder, Chief Experience Officer, Kirbee + Co

Kirbee Miller is the Owner and Chief Experience Officer of Kirbee + Co., a community-driven business that cultivates immersive experiences to promote inclusion and connection.

Kirbee launched her multi-dimensional brand around the idea that communication in safe spaces is a powerful equalizer leading to beautiful conversation and connection. This brand has taken Kirbee on a global journey.

However, Kirbee’s road to entrepreneurship through passion and creativity has not been without hardship. On New Year’s Eve 2018, her parents were critically injured in a car accident, leaving Kirbee to spend many months sleeping in the hospital, advocating for her parents’ care, and ultimately this experience has reinforced Kirbee’s commitment to creating inclusive and meaningful moments that Nourish.

Kirbee has grown a committed following through group culinary experiences, television appearances, event hosting, moderating keynote speaking, and her guided cookbook + journal: NOURISH | A Guide to Coming Home to Yourself.

Kirbee + Co.’s mission is to use voice and creativity to meaningfully cultivate connections.

“Exhausted, but Determined” Panelist

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

LAURA FERGUSON MIMMS,

E

dD Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Initiative

Committed to finding and remaining focused on her “True North” Dr. Laura Ferguson Mimms has consistently led organizations that align with her personal mission and philosophy patterned after one of her “sheroes” Harriet Tubman, when you become free, you have an obligation to free others. As a first-generation college graduate, Laura understands the transformative and liberative power education holds, not only for the individual who embarks upon the knowledge journey but also for all people attached to that individual. In sum, the effect of educational attainment is exponentially positive for generations to come…this is the work Laura lives in and lives for.

Laura currently serves as executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI), a Tennessee-based non-profit committed to disrupting systems of harm, creating opportunities for autonomy through education, and advocating with and for justice-impacted individuals. THEI coordinates associat’s and bachelor’s degree programs in Tennessee prisons, provides pre- and post-release re-entry support, and actively advocates with and for justice-involved individuals on the local, state, and national levels.

Prior to joining THEI, Laura led Strategy & Impact at The Family Center, focused on breaking cycles of multi-generation abuse and trauma, and served in leadership roles at The University of Texas at Austin, The National Center on Time and Learning, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and charter school organizations.

Laura is a proud HBCU graduate, having completed her B.A. in English and African American Literature from Fisk University. She completed an American Montessori Society certification and M.S. in Education coursework, M.A. in English, and Ed.D. in Educational Administration from Baylor University & AIU. Additionally, this Nashville native is actively engaged in her community serving in the Parthenon (TN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

She is peacock proud to be the wife of Bernard Henry Mimms, mother of Brent, Alexander, and Katherine, and bonus mom to Ashley and Brittany.

“Using Your Voice for Good Trouble” Moderator

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

DAWN STONE

Owner, Executive Coach, The Conflict Chick

Dawn N. Stone is owner of The Conflict Chick LLC, a speaking, coaching, and consulting company that provides training and development for organizations, corporations, teams, and individuals that specializes in conflict management, communication, storytelling, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dawn’s 30 years of corporate experience, coupled with her MBA in Marketing and M.A. in Conflict Management, has afforded her the opportunity to touch thousands of lives across the US through education and leadership training she provides. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in leadership, with which she plans to enhance the organizations and the leaders she serves through curricula, research, and development.

Dawn’s passion to develop and train others resulted in several entrepreneurial ventures since the age of 19 and this diversified skill set is leveraged daily. She has 12 years of adjunct professorial experience at the college and community college levels in business, entrepreneurship, communications, and general education.

Dawn is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and Lipscomb University’s Institute for Conflict Management. She has served as a certified Rule 31 Mediator in the State of Tennessee since 2010 and is a certified Circle Facilitator through The Circle Center Inc. These certifications make it easier for her to bring peace to communities across industries and organizations.

In her spare time, she enjoys family outings and volunteering in the community. Current and former employers include Center for Nonprofit Management, People3, Inc, Dismas House Nashville, Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry, The Higher Education Initiative of TN, Nashville State Community College, National College, Austin Peay State University, YMCA of Middle Tennessee, Dell, Home Depot, Alive Hospice, Nabisco, Coca-Cola, Nortel Networks, and several start-ups.

“Using Your Voice for Good Trouble” Panelist

Speakers, Presenters & Moderators

TANAKA VERCHER

Councilwoman, District 28

Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher has spent her professional and political career working to increase educational opportunities for young people in Nashville. She was elected in 2015 to represent the 28th District which encompasses Nashville and Southeastern Davidson County and won re-election in 2019 in a competitive race with 82% of the vote.

She has served as the second Black Woman to Chair the Budget and Finance committee and the only one to serve two consecutive years. She has held multiple assignments to national and local committees, appointed to special committees, and serves on several boards. Her model of leading is listening to diverse perspectives, making connections across complex challenges, and building consensus.

She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Lambda Omega Chapter, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Metropolitan Nashville Chapter. Professionally, Tanaka has over a decade of experience in Higher Education and postsecondary advocacy. She has a B.S. in Management Information Systems and M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Trevecca Nazarene University, Certificate in NonProfit Management from Tennessee State University, and is pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Administration.

“Using Your Voice for Good Trouble” Panelist

Mrs. Susan Short Jones

Black Women for Multigenerational Success”

BEST WISHES

NCBW

METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE CHAPTER

“Don’t sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them happen.”

~ Madam C. J. Walker

Marketplace

2023 Sister for Sister Vendor List

The Pink Room Aesthetics

Owner: Maria Hite/Contact: maria@pink-room.org/Website:www.pink-room.org

Kirbee+Co

Owner: Kirbee Miller/Contact:kinimicreative@gmail.com

Arbonne/Independent Consultant

Candance Rhodman/Contact: candacerhodman@gmail.com

Maya Papaya

Owner: Maya Turner/ Contact: ladywoodcarver82@gmail.com

BeJeweled Boutique

Owner: Latonja Welch Smith/Contact:bejewledboutique@gmail.com

Vanderbilt Health

Representative: Mildred Rachel/Contact: mildred.c.rachel@vumc.org

Sister Tribe Cosmetics

Owners: Ashely and Jasmine Garth/ Website: www.sistertribecosmetics.com/

Teresa Ann Luxury Candles

Owner: Conseula Conner/Contact: info@teresaannluxurycandleco.com

Gala’s Creations

Owner: Vivian Wilson/Contact: vivwil@hotmail.com

The Closet Experience Boutique

Owner: Quita Scales/ Website: theclosetexperience.com

Essence Tree

Owner: Charmaine Gibbs-West/Website: essencetree.com/Contact: essencetree@gmail.com

I LOVE YOUR BAG

Owner: Veronica Wiley/Contact:hes_able@yahoo.com

Xpressionz by Jmac

Owner: Jackie McPhee/Contact: xpressionzbyjmac@gmail.com

InnerG Juice & Yoga

Nielah Burnett/Website: www.innergjuiceandyoga.com

Contact: nielah@innergjuiceandyoga.com

Oye Cofeee Co

Contact: Jonathan Oye, email address: contact@oyecoffeeco.com

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metropolitan Nashville Chapter

THE SISTER-FOR-SISTER CONFERENCE is an annual event sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Metropolitan Nashville Chapter

For more information, visit our website: www.Nashville100bw,org. P.O. Box 23624 • Nashville, Tennessee 37202