2024 SPEAKERS

Mildred Black is a People+Culture Advisor, an expert at the intersection of people and culture. She is an entrepreneur, transformation coach, speaker, lecturer, and storyteller who has addressed audiences nationally and internationally. Her mission is to develop people and remove barriers to human greatness. Through The Being My Best Academy, she coaches leaders, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs to transform, thrive, and make an impact in the world around them. Through her consulting practice, People Optimum Consulting, she partners with organizations Fortune 100 companies like Amazon and Mercedes-Benz to improve retention and engagement in the workplace culture by implementing innovative people solutions. Through her People+CultureTM System, she engages leaders and teams in assessing people and the workplace culture to implement strategies that improve outcomes.

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Erin (Pink) Mosley is the founder and president of Erin Mosley, Inc. (EMI), a sought-after consultancy offering programs to support organizational and career transformations. She personally brings 30+ years of experience as a professional engineer and management consultant along with certifications as an IMGB Innovation Management Green Belt™️ with Innovation360, an EnvisionⓇ ENV SP trainer with the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure, and a member of the Somatic ExperiencingⓇ Institute. She has served on several non-profit and advisory boards including the Water Environment Federation (WEF) Board of Trustees, the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard University, and the New England Water Environment Association. EMI's team works with professionals at all levels in private, academic, public-sector, and non-profit organizations. Within the water sector, EMI has consulted and led programs for Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, the US Water Alliance, WEF, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and numerous other water organizations and individual leaders. Erin was recognized as a WEF Fellow in 2021. Professionals interested to work with her for personal executive-style coaching can join the Mosley Institute for Leadership. Learn more and connect at erinmosley.com.

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Dr. Kathy K. Overbeke draws on over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and a doctorate in management to advise family businesses and coach executives. As the founder of GPS: Generation Planning Strategies, LLC, she works with Fortune 500, middle market, and small businesses. She has published extensively, including academic journals, book chapters, and popular journals such as Psychology Today. She has presented her research internationally and has taught as an adjunct professor.

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A woman who renounces fearlessness & rather calls it being “unf*ckwithable” in life (women setting boundaries from the field to the boardroom), Demi has done everything from swing a hammer to lead thousands of team members to goals in publicly-traded companies. She helps individuals, employee resource groups, businesses & trade associations throw their own sparks in equity, inclusion, goals & “crucial conversations” to move the needles within groups on ROI. Through curated speaking, Spark Sessions facilitations and/or in person trade shows, she helps these populations dream bigger and accomplish goals beyond their wildest summit.

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Brittany is an assistant superintendent at R.C. Mathews Contractor in Nashville, Tennessee. She is involved in several organizations that focus on issues surrounding the construction industry, like the National Association of Women in Construction, Crew Collaborative and Go Build Tennessee. In 2023 she receive the NAWIC Nashville Rookie of the Year award and a national 2nd place committee award for reaching out to the community during Women in Construction Week. Her mission is to empower the next generation of women in construction. Through her online presence with LinkedIn and Instagram, Brittany connects with many others who share her mission, like the Space to Build and Dirty and Driven podcasts, among others. Follow her story @builderwithabow.

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Meaghan Ziemba is an industrial tech writer, brand storyteller, and marketer for industrial manufacturers. She has a B.A. and M.A. in Professional and Technical Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has been writing for manufacturing since 2008. Meaghan also hosts a live video broadcast series called Mavens of Manufacturing. The series focuses on women in the sector. Its mission is to attract younger generations to join manufacturing or engineering career pathways to help close the skills and gender gaps. Meaghan is a proud mother of three. She enjoys cooking, CrossFit, and a great cup of coffee or glass of whiskey.

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Daryl is a Project Manager in the commercial MEP construction industry with experience spanning semiconductor, pharmaceutical, offices, CNG stations, and multifamily markets, both in traditional and design-build deliveries. In addition to her direct role, she is integral to strategic planning, training and development, and process improvements. She serves as Chair of TD Women’s ERG and Committee Member & Mentor for the TD Wilmer Hutchins High School mentorship program. As a public speaker, mentor, and industry leader, her advocacy work focuses on Women in Construction/Industry, Equity, Mental Health, and Servant Leadership. She is an Empowering Women in Industry Award Nominee 2022/2023.

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Ikram Guerd is the Managing Director US & VP of Global Marketing of Aspivix, an innovative FemTech aiming to modernize gynecology and reduce pain-bleeding for women undergoing IUD. Ikram leads strategic initiatives for the organization, focusing on advancing Women’s Health practices and removing institutional and societal barriers to painless reproductive health access. Ikram is passionate about Leadership and Women’s Health focuses on closing the gender gap for equitable access to better care for all. From a multicultural background and because representation is key, Ikram believes that by supporting young girls and women from all backgrounds feel empowered through mentorship, education, and awareness. Ikram dedicates time to uplift others worldwide and acts as a board member and a role model for young girls to raise their aspirations and break down gender stereotypes for Inspiring Girls USA. Outside of work, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling across the world, and giving back to the community.

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Greg Bretz is the Senior Regional Director for Grundfos Commercial Buildings in the Americas Region. In his 21 years with Grundfos he has served in various roles including sales, business development, and product management. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Toledo and an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago. He lives in New Bremen, Ohio with his wife and two daughters who are 14 and 12 years old. He’s passionate about doing hard things with great people and hopes to contribute to a more diverse future in the pump industry.

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Steve Harrison is Director of Operator Programs at the Water Environment Federation and is coordinator of Operations Challenge, WEFTEC’s award winning professional skills competition. He has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management from the University of Maryland, is a Board Certified Environmental Scientist, a Certified Mission Critical Professional, has a NASSCO Pipeline Assessment Certification Program credential, and is a member of Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.

Jessica Escalante is an experienced HR professional and proud working mother, who is energetically enthusiastic about empowering leaders to unlock the fullest potential of their employees. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and went on to pursue her MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University. Her passion lies in fostering a positive and results-oriented work culture that not only drives success but also cultivates a strong family-first ethic, both within the workplace and in personal lives. Jessica began her career in operations HR and has a solid and genuine understanding that people are at the core of what differentiates a good company from a great one. Her path has led her to continue to coach leaders to put people first. As a first generation American, born to Mexican immigrants, she also very proudly and actively encourages everyone to bring their authentic self to work and promotes a diverse workforce. Her parent’s unwavering work ethic and sacrifices have been her compass to pursue each dream with a determination to excel. Her anchor today is her 12-year-old daughter whose wish is to be CEO. Unlocking the potential for that dream to become a reality for the next generation of female leaders is her true passion. Today, she is Head of Country and Plants HR, USA at Grundfos, located in Houston, TX.

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Melissa Williams is a two-time Emmy winning journalist and documentarian with fearless ambition. After a successful career managing newsrooms and chasing headlines, she joined ABB’s manufacturing team as the internal communications manager. Starting in news as an overnight video editor, Melissa’s leadership, ethics, and passion for fact-based and impactful reporting earned her countless promotions and positions such as reporter, anchor, producer and eventually news director. She managed newsrooms in Arkansas, Kansas City and New Mexico. Her news experience transferred seamlessly into a new career when she was recruited by Tyson Foods to join its public relations team. Working with top-tier reporters, she understands the training and expertise necessary to navigate the news cycle. She’s prepared executives for USDA presentations, interviews with Bloomberg, The New York Times, and the Wallstreet Journal and has led crisis communications during pivotal events. After living around the country, Melissa is now based near where she grew up, Fort Smith, Arkansas. Her passion for people, storytelling and effectively sharing information optimizes value for employees of the NEMA Motors Division. While she manages her workdays with organization, concise communication, and effective planning—her personal path has had complications only navigated through resilience, confidence and an unwavering determination to always view the glass as half full.

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Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. Karen is the author of Trust Your Own Voice and podcast host of Ignite Your Confidence. She guides corporations and individuals to generate consistent results with her proven formula, The Confidence Cocktail, and she founded the women’s mastermind, The Power House.

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Cheryl Merchant has 40 years of leadership and management experience in manufacturing. She has held leadership positions with industry giants like GM, Mazda, Ford, and Lear Corporation and led teams in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe and Asia. Cheryl spent 19 years as the President and CEO of Hope Global, a manufacturing company with over 2,000 employees and operations in the U.S., Mexico, Czech Republic, China, and Brazil. During that period, Hope Global grew five times in revenue and became a Tier II leader in the Automotive Industry. In 2019, Cheryl joined Taco as President of Taco Family of Companies, North America. In March of 2020, Cheryl was promoted to CEO of Taco Family of Companies Global operations. Since taking the helm, Taco has doubled in revenue, expanded the workforce by 350 team members, acquired a new business unit in England and currently have global operational facility expansions of over 243,000 sq. ft. underway.

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Dr. Stacy Feiner, an accomplished psychologist and high performance coach, champions the aspirations and ambitions of family-businesses with an approach that untangles conflict, strengthens relationships, and achieves optimal results for clients. Dr. Feiner lived in 8 US cities and traveled 9 countries. Trained as a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), she worked in higher education as a psychotherapist, and then in corporate as a performance coach. Dr. Feiner published, Talent Mindset, in 2015 and coauthored, The Sixth Level, in 2023.

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Rachel Wallis Andreasson worked for family business for twenty-four years, building infrastructure and family governance systems and became the CEO. She was the first woman to become President of the Missouri State Association and was awarded the Leadership Award while earning her MBA at Washington University. Today, she is a shareholder and Board member of the family business and is the Executive Director of the Reform synagogue and is a proud mother of three.

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Shannon Bumgarner is a courageous change maker inspiring leadership transformation within organizations and with women in technical careers. As a seasoned leader with 20+ years of experience, her human centric leadership has cultivated belonging cultures resulting in significant improvements in diversity, employee engagement, and business performance. Shannon is also passionate about mentoring women in largely male-dominated industries with a broader impact on gender equity in STEM and gender wealth equality.

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Bose Akadiri is a Motivational Speaker, Life Coach and founder of Goal and Grind where she partners with high achievers to turn their dreams into their reality using her 5 step Vision and Goals Method(™). In addition to Goal and Grind, she has experience at three Fortune 500 corporations as a Corporate Philanthropy leader. Bose is a Chicago Urban League IMPACT Fellow, Ladies of Virtue Board Member, She Shines Honoree by Girls Inc., 40 under 40 honoree by OKC Biz Magazine, Leadership Oklahoma City alumnae and named by ionOklahoma Magazine as a 30/30 Next Generation of Leaders.

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Stephanie Hajducek is a Territory Sales Manager for SAMSON Controls – a market leader in control valves for industrial processes. She has also held positions with other industry leading companies such as Bechtel, ChevronPhillips, Citgo, Steel Dynamics and The Chemours Company. In January 2022 Stephanie started a nonprofit organization called This One’s for the Gals that helps girls with career exploration and workforce development. Focusing their efforts on the construction, energy, and manufacturing industries, TOFTG likes to say that they talk to girls about career pathways that not very many people talk to girls about from STEM to Skilled Trades and everything in between! Stephanie hopes that by sharing her experiences and lessons learned she can help girls step out of their comfort zone and step into a world of endless possibilities in industry!

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Ashley A. Wheeler Huffman is an Alabama native with a contagious passion for helping individuals and organizations transform their thinking and performance from commonplace to extraordinary. Her focus is maximizing potential through training, coaching, consulting and keynoting around leadership, women’s empowerment, resilience and organizational development topics. Through her keynotes, she shares invaluable insights gained from overcoming challenges and embracing vulnerability, encouraging women to find their voice, embrace their unique strengths and celebrate their victories. Off the stage, Ashley remains deeply committed to community service; her passion for making a positive impact is as evident in her philanthropic efforts.

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With decades of experience in the Fashion Industry working at GLAMOUR magazine, as the Fashion Director of Saks Fifth Avenue in Palo Alto and owner of her own fashion show production company, Kim Duff Selby knows how to help women increase their self-esteem. She believes that you are never too old. At 64 she launched a podcast, began an acting and modeling career and became a certified yoga instructor. She speaks internationally inspiring women to discover their passion and purpose in mid-life. Having worked with previously incarcerated women, moms, and volunteers, Kim knows how to boost confidence and encourage women to own and share their unique light.

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Dr. Sirisha Kuchimanchi is a TEDx speaker and former Semiconductor Tech Executive from Texas Instruments. She co-chaired the Technology & Manufacturing Women’s ERG, which supported over 500 employees across three continents and 8 countries. Sirisha is a keynote speaker, entrepreneur, podcast host, and investor. She has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and is an IEEE Senior Member. Sirisha hosts the Podcast “Women, Career & Life”, a top 30% of Spotify podcast. Sirisha is passionate about empowering women to achieve their career and financial goals, and to break barriers in male-dominated fields. She also leans into her technical expertise and is actively engaged in addressing the workforce development gap in the Semiconductor Industry.

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Danielle Pfeister is the Vice President of Human Resources, Operations, at Mueller Water Products, a leader in the water industry, helping to bring clean water from the source to the city. In her role, Danielle works with Human Resource and manufacturing leaders to provide leadership in safety, engagement, employee relations, diversity and people development for the U.S. plants and distribution centers.

Prior to Mueller, she spent 13 years at International Paper, most recently as the Global Director of Labor and Employee Relations in Memphis, TN. Her career also includes 15 years of military service in the United States Air Force—eight years of active duty and seven years with the reserves. Danielle and her husband, Brian, live in Chattanooga, TN, with their children, Luree, John and River.

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-              Jennifer Watson, MPT, I.M.T.,C., speaker, healer, and visionary on a mission to help leaders heal and accelerate their deeper purpose of impact through shifting their mental-emotional state and optimizing healthy high-performance leadership. As a former D1 athlete and 2x All-American, Jennifer, founder of Watson World Wide, overcame years of debilitating depression to become an integrative physical therapist, entrepreneur of 6+ figure businesses, a TEDx speaker and now an international speaker & coach. Jennifer’s ultimate goal in life is to be known for the healing she gave, the love she showed and the hope she gave to all that they can truly live their highest potential life. In her spare time she loves to dance, run, play tennis, read and hang-out with her amazing friends and beautiful nieces and nephews.

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