Gale V. King
Former Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
“If, in fact, the growth and success of the company is important, then we know the only way to do that is with talent,”
Gale King is a successful business executive, community leader, speaker, and author who is passionate about the power of inclusion in driving shareholder and stakeholder value. As the former Executive Vice President – Chief Administrative Officer for Nationwide, she was responsible for strategic and operational leadership for the company’s Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Corporate Real Estate, Corporate Security and Aviation operations. Under her leadership, the company has been recognized for its leading HR practices and as an employer of choice for its strong culture, performance orientation and commitment to DEI, by multiple organizations to include Black Enterprise, Catalyst, Fortune, Gallup, Latina Style, Working Mother, etc. She is a corporate director for AutoZone, J.B.Hunt and Unum, where she serves on the compensation, human capital and Nominating/governance Committees. She also serves as a board trustee (and former board Chair) for the University of Florida Foundation and board trustee for the Executive Leadership Council. An education advocate, King has endowed scholarships at the University of Florida and Sante Fe Community colleges King is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in public administration.
Michelle D. Bernard (HOST)
President and CEO of the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy
Michelle D. Bernard is a lawyer, political analyst, pundit and opinion maker, social critic, author, columnist, public speaker, and president and CEO of the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy
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An attorney by training, Michelle D. Bernard is a political and social justice journalist, pundit and opinion maker, social critic, author, columnist, and public speaker. Ms. Bernard is fiercely independent in her political views and is particularly interested in how national and local politics, policy, and elections affect matters of racial, social, and gender justice, the economy, education reform and the digital divide, national security, terrorism and the military, and the advancement of democracy, economic liberty, and the human rights of women and ethnic and religious minorities globally.
As the president & CEO of the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy, she concentrates on domestic and foreign policy matters and provides commentary on topics as varied as presidential politics, the 2008, 20012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections, various Congressional and gubernatorial campaigns and elections; the political participation and voting trends of African Americans, Latino’s, women and millennials, education reform and school choice, foreign policy and national security issues, and advancing democracy, economic liberty, and international human rights. An outspoken advocate of the human rights of people of color, women, and religious minorities globally, Ms. Bernard is, among other things, a passionate advocate of the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement and the #SayHerName campaign of the African American Policy Forum. An ardent advocate of women’s human rights, Ms. Bernard has assisted in the development and implementation of training programs built on the pillars of democracy, women’s rights and religious freedom, political activism in a democracy, issues of governance, free markets, and non-governmental organizations in Asia and the Middle East.
In March 2018, the National Congress of Black Women awarded Ms. Bernard the 11th Annual Shirley Chisholm Memorial Trailblazers Award. In March 2016, Mrs. Bernard was awarded a distinguished alumni achievement award from Howard University for outstanding post-graduate achievement in the fields of media, journalism and public policy. In 2015, she was awarded the Anvil of Freedom Award for journalism and democracy by the University of Denver’s Edward W. and Charlotte A. Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media. Later that year, the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University announced that Ms. Bernard was being honored on the University’s Plaza of Heroines. Also, later that year, “Upscale” magazine named Ms. Bernard as one of “25 Power Players … who have defied traditions, the odds, and more to get where they are today – at the tops of their games.” Ms. Bernard was named in the November 2014 issue of “Essence” magazine as a “Rising Star” on its annual “Money & Power List.” Additionally, Ms. Bernard has been featured in several publications, including “Essence.com,” “Fast Company” magazine, “Jamaque” magazine, “The Legal Times,” “The Nation,” “The New York Daily News,” “The Washington Business Journal,” “The Washington City Paper,” “The Washington Lawyer,” “The Washington Post,” “The Washington Post Sunday Magazine,” and “The Washington Times.”
Ms. Bernard is the author of “Naming the Sin: Are Churches Helping to Stop Domestic Violence or Enabling It,” Sojourner’s (December 2013), “Moving America Toward Justice: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1963-2013” (2013), “Women’s Progress: How Women Are Wealthier, Healthier and More Independent Than Ever Before,”(2007) and is a contributing author to the National Urban League’s “State of Black America 2009: Message to the President” ( 2009) and Lifetime Network’s “Secrets of Powerful Women: 25 Successful American Politicians Tell How They Got Where They Are – And What It’s Like” (2010). Additionally, Mrs. Bernard is the author of numerous opinion editorials and commentaries that have appeared in various publications, including, but not limited to, “Politico Magazine,” “Roll Call,” Sidewire,” “U.S. News and World Report,” “The 74,” The Hill,” “The Huffington Post,” and “The Root.” Additionally, Ms. Bernard wrote several opinion editorials for “The Washington Post’s She The People” from 2014 until that feature was discontinued.
Ms. Bernard has appeared regularly as a political analyst and media commentator on Al Jazeera’s “The Third Rail,” CNN’s “Smerconish,” HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” MSNBC’s Election 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 programming, “All In with Chris Hayes,” “AM Joy,” “The Beat with Ari Melber,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams,” “MSNBC Live,” and “Weekends with Alex Witt.” She has appeared as a panelist on TV One’s “News One Now with Roland Martin” and frequently guest-hosted “Washington Watch with Roland Martin” until that program ended. In 2008, she joined “The McLaughlin Group” as a rotating panelist and appeared on that program until 2016 when the original program ended. In 2009, Ms. Bernard co-created and hosted MSNBC’s education reform television special, “About Our Children.”
Ms. Bernard is a member of the Board of Directors of the Calculus Roundtable and the McLean Project for the Arts. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum of Washington, D.C., and served as its Leadership Foundation Liaison from 2013 to 2015. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Adams National Bank, the Board of Directors of the Ellington Fund of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the Board of Trustees of Hampton University, and the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Opportunity in Education. Prior to founding the Bernard Center, among other things, Ms. Bernard was once a partner at the District of Columbia’s law firm, Patton Boggs, LLP.
Ms. Bernard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and political science from Howard University and a Juris Doctor degree from The Georgetown University Law Center.
Dr. Djinge Lindsay
Director of Public Health at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
“The inequities in healthcare are pressing and I think that the pandemic has laid bare those social determinants of health in a critical way for our nation.” - CareFirst
Djinge Lindsay, MD, MPH is a board-certified family physician and Director of Public Health at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In this role, she leads strategy for CareFirst’s goals to achieve equitable health outcomes for members and the local community and engagement with and support of public health systems. For nearly two decades, Dr. Lindsay has worked to promote health equity and reduce disparities through various roles in the health system. Prior to her current role, she served as Medical Director with CareFirst Community Health Plan, District of Columbia where she provided medical management oversight for Medicaid-insured special populations (adults with special health care needs, perinatal and early intervention). She has practiced as a primary care physician within the largest integrated health care delivery system in the nation and served as the Deputy Director for Community Health at the District of Columbia Department of Health, where she led strategic development, implementation and evaluation for a $70 million program portfolio consisting of more than 80 public health programs. In addition to her work with CareFirst, Dr. Lindsay is a member of the Federal City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and serves on the Board of Directors for BEST Kids, a DC-based non-profit dedicated to supporting foster youth through long-lasting mentoring relationships.
Dr. Lindsay completed her residency with the Georgetown University-Providence Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. She holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) Degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine, a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Care Management and Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemistry from Howard University. Dr. Lindsay resides in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, DC with her husband and twin sons.
Joseph B. Hill
Managing Partner, JBrady5 Consulting LLC.
Joseph B. Hill is the managing partner of JBrady5 Consulting LLC. (JB5C), a firm that specializes in business transformation delivery spanning 6 core areas: organizational strategy, assessment & succession, global D&I programs, managing brand reputation, ESG strategy,and improving community engagement for large enterprises throughout the US and globally.
Clients include:
VNA Health Group, Bridge Investment Group, Volunteers of America - Upstate New York, Decatur Capital Management, andThis Life Forever, Inc.
Prior to establishing JB5C, Joseph served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Thomas Jefferson University andJefferson Health System in Philadelphia, PA. In this role, he demonstrated impact and influence in driving the integration of D&I methodologies into business best practices and health equity programs. Over the last decade, his relentless leadership focus across theHealthcare, Telecom, and Nonprofit sectors has centered on creating an authentic work environment and infusing energy into a global corporate value system that holds diversity and inclusion as a fundamental tenet.
He earned an MA Degree from Howard University, a BA Degree from Virginia Union University, and a Certificate in Diversity Management inHealth Care (CDM) from Georgetown University and the Institute for Diversity in Health Management.
Joseph’s outstanding reputation and thought leadership have contributed to being named “ The Top 25 Most Influential Movers and Shakers” (Philadelphia/New Jersey), multiple distinguished awards, and prominently featured in speaking engagements within the
Healthcare arena and the D&I community landscape.
Natalie S. Burke
President & CEO CommonHealth Action
“I take action for equity because I’m compelled to find new solutions to America’s oldest problem: inequities throughout our society.”
An acclaimed public health leader and “equity evangelist,” Natalie helps leaders and organizations understand the root causes of health inequities, and how they can improve public health outcomes through partnerships, community-building and policy. A master facilitator, Natalie creates space for “constructive discomfort” that sparks meaningful individual and institutional change.
Her extensive background in public health includes technical assistance and capacity-building for community-based organizations, foundations, universities and medical schools, large corporations, and local, state and federal government. Prior to co-founding CommonHealth ACTION in 2004, Natalie was in executive leadership at the National Association of County and City Health Officials. There, she managed the National Turning Point Initiative, which strengthened public health infrastructure by engaging state and local stakeholders not previously involved in public health, like businesses, educators, and faith communities.
A recipient of numerous national fellowships for her visionary public health and nonprofit leadership, Natalie co-authored a chapter in the second edition of Tackling Health Inequities through Public Health Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010), and co-directs the Culture of Health Leaders National Program Center, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Natalie graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Government and Politics.
Jonah Edelman
Co-Founder of MLT Black Equity at Work
Jonah Edelman is one of the nation’s leading advocates for public education and racial equity. He co-founded, in 1996, and serves as the CEO of Stand for Children, a national education advocacy organization. Following the murder of George Floyd, in June 2020, Jonah approached MLT Founder & CEO, John Rice, his lifelong friend, about creating a LEED-type certification program to encourage and support private employers to pursue and achieve Black equity to help address the United States’ stark and persistent white-Black wealth and opportunity gaps. John enthusiastically agreed and enlisted MLT alum and BCG Managing Director Justin Dean, MLT Chief Strategy Officer Kevin Donahue, and Andrea Rice. Together, with tremendous contributions from a BCG team, and valuable input from dozens of pilot employers, they developed the first-of-its-kind MLT Back Equity at Work Certification Program, which launched in October 2020. Jonah is the proud son of Civil Rights Movement leader and Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and twin sons.
Chris Jarvis
Co-founder, Executive Director RW Institute Partner, Chief Strategy Officer Realized Worth
“One of the positives that is going to come out of this negative moment that we’re in is the revitalization of Democracy” - Chris Jarvis
Chris Jarvis is a co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Realized Worth, a consulting firm focused on the design and implementation of transformative employee volunteering and giving initiatives. His work with organizations of all sizes from around the world is helping mobilize employees to make meaningful contributions in the communities where they live and work.
In 2015, Chris and his partner, Angela Parker, launched the RW Institute (RWI), a think tank focused on advancing the practice and theory of corporate citizenship. RWI is a collective of diverse stakeholders from around the world, committed to bringing evidence-based approaches to employee engagement in giving and volunteering using neuroscience, social sciences, transformative learning theory and other related academic disciplines.
Widely known for his thought-leadership in employee volunteering, workplace giving and corporate social responsibility, in 2011, the United Nations Office of Partnerships invited Chris to design and launch the first private sector led initiative to achieve the post-millennial Sustainable Development Goals through corporate volunteering. The IMPACT2030 initiative is the only business led effort designed to unite companies in their corporate volunteering efforts to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2021, the RW Institute launched Nudge the Good. The initiative aims to formally apply Behavioral Science insights to the practice of employee volunteering and giving. The goal is to model a scientific approach for break-through results in corporate citizenship that can be shared and duplicated by organizations in any region or context. Nudge the Good partners include Ideas42, The World Bank, Nike, Medtronic Foundation, Target, Starbucks, KPMG, CIBC, Altria, and 3BL Media.
The goal is to help practitioners be more successful – whether they are clients, engaged formally or not. Chris believes the work these individuals do as part of corporate citizenship is critical to addressing the huge social and environmental issues facing our global society.
Laura Coates
CNN Anchor and Senior Legal Analyst, SiriusXM Talk Show Host
"I help people to understand and realize their voice in our democracy, and use it to be the change they want to see in the world!"
Laura Coates is a CNN Anchor and Senior Legal Analyst, SiriusXM Talk Show Host, and author who defines success on her own terms. A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Laura graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the University of Minnesota Law School before beginning her legal career in private practice.
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She practiced law in Minnesota and New York, handling cases ranging to Defamation and Media law. Called to public service, she transitioned from private practice to the United States Department of Justice, thriving as a federal prosecutor. She served as a Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice during the Bush and Obama administrations, specializing in the enforcement of voting rights throughout the country. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, prosecuting a myriad of violent felony offenses, including drug trafficking, armed offenses, domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.
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Laura’s depth of diverse experience and broad expertise has earned her acclaim across all media platforms. Easily branded a constitutional expert, her diversified expertise is both timely and topical. She is lauded across the globe for her persuasive objectivity and ability to break down complex and emotionally charged topics plainly and without partisanship. Since 2017, she has hosted the daily eponymous talk show,“The Laura Coates Show,” on SiriusXM, now airing weekdays 3-6 PM ET on the P.O.T.U.S. channel. Laura is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Law and routinely speaks across the country on civil rights, social justice, economic empowerment, and leaps of faith.
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Laura currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.
Wendell Haskins
Founder, Original Tee Golf - Host, Club Life CBS Sports Network
"Leaders have the gift to see things in a way that others don’t and the ability to take people to places they’ve never been."
Leadership in Action is the best way to describe the journey of Wendell Haskins. In an ever-changing world where an organization’s ability to understand and anticipate a broad range of trends and attributes is key, Wendell has spent more than twenty years providing corporations and organizations, unparalleled proficiency and proven strategies in diversity, inclusion and marketing which have yielded successful results in the areas of sports, entertainment, corporate social responsibility, culture and philanthropy.
Inspired by a rich legacy of advocacy and activism through his father’s work in civil rights with the National Urban League, Wendell has forged his own path in championing diversity through the challenges of corporate social constructs.
He cultivated and honed his knowledge earning accreditation from two of America’s premier universities, our finest HBCU, Hampton University, and a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University of the Ivy League.
His experiences manifested into a perspective that values education, data analytics and keen instinct as the building blocks to his development in leadership excellence in marketing and diversity and inclusion.
Damon Hack
Broadcaster, Golf Channel and NBC Sports
Damon Hack joined Golf Channel in 2012 and currently serves as a co-host for Golf Today, the network's midday news program, and a tournament interviewer. He also is a contributing writer for GolfChannel.com and contributed to NBC's Olympics coverage in Pyeongchang in 2018 and from 30 Rockefeller Plaza for Tokyo 2020. ... Before joining the network, he covered golf and the NFL for Sports Illustrated and The New York Times and golf and the New York Knicks for Newsday.
Oris Stuart
Chief People and Inclusion Officer, NBA
As Chief People and Inclusion Officer at the National Basketball Association, Oris Stuart is responsible for leading the combined Human Resources and Diversity and Inclusion groups. He oversees diversity and inclusion strategies for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League and its teams, supports the growth and development of the NBA’s global workforce, and strengthens commitments to attract, retain, develop and engage diverse talent.
With a focus on people, culture, inclusion and innovation, Stuart aims to establish policies and expand programs to increase the representation of people of color and women in leadership roles and positions across the league. He leads the NBA’s Global Inclusion Council and efforts to grow the league’s network of Black-, women- and diverse-owned suppliers. Stuart also works closely with senior leadership to enable, empower and develop employees in 13 U.S. and international offices.
Stuart joined the NBA in June 2015 and was named the league’s first Chief People and Inclusion Officer in 2020,
Stuart has 20 years of experience as a business executive in diversity and inclusion and talent management fields. Prior to the NBA, Stuart spent two years as a Senior Partner with Korn Ferry, an executive search and talent management firm, where he led its Inclusion and Diversity practice. Previously, Stuart served as the Chief Executive Officer for Global Novations, the world’s leading provider of diversity and inclusion consulting and training solutions. During his tenure with Global Novations, Stuart supported clients across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, guided the expansion of the firm’s technology and consulting platforms, and led its ultimate acquisition by Korn Ferry in 2012.
Stuart graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in electrical engineering and holds an MBA from Duke University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Black MBA Association and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization that empowers African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful contributions in the global marketplace and their communities.
Wendy Lewis
Executive Consultant, Wendy Lewis, LLC
Wendy Lewis is the founder and creator of AllySHIFT®, a progressive and seismic platform for advocacy and sustainable equity. She is known for shifting the transactional to the transformative and considers herself an evangelist for “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Equity.” Her company, Wendy Lewis, LLC is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practice firm whose focus is Diversity IS Inclusion, Inclusion IS Diversity, Equity Matters MORE.
Wendy is known for her keen ability to build action through intelligence, diplomacy, trust, and consensus-building interpersonal skills. As McDonald's former Global Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Community Engagement, Wendy drove and launched the first-ever Global Gender Balance and Diversity Strategy across the enterprise. She created the “Diversity IS Inclusion” mantra, which became ingrained throughout the business and ultimately bolstered an education framework that targeted the development of culturally intelligent leaders, colleagues, suppliers, owner-operators, and partners. The platform she created is “Food for Thought: Moving Beyond Bias,” a scalable, powerful, bias education based curriculum that brought immediate value and was adopted globally to become foundational at McDonald’s. She was also at the forefront of some of their most visible programs including flipping the arches for International Women’s Day, strengthening the advancement of McDonald’s Employee Business Networks, and partnering across the System to advance supplier diversity and diverse franchising programs. As SVP of Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Alliances for Major League Baseball (MLB) she centralized strategic planning processes for D&I for MLB’s 30 franchises, central office, MLB Network, and MLB Advanced Media. She spearheaded many other innovative programs and events, including MLB’s Diversity Business Summit, the League’s employment and procurement industry conference.
Wendy earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and a Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She is sought out as a coveted and trusted partner, keynote speaker and panelist. Wendy serves on the Board of Trustees for Clark Atlanta University and The Chicago Sinfonietta. She currently resides in Chicago
