MEET THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Linda Sarsour
Opening Keynote
Linda Sarsour
Opening Keynote
Linda Sarsour is an award-winning racial justice and civil rights activist, seasoned community organizer, direct action strategist, and mother of three. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed “pure New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn!” She is the co-founder of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPower Change and co-founder of Until Freedom, an intersectional racial justice organization focused on direct action and power building in communities of color. Until Freedom is best known for their work on the Breonna Taylor police murder case in Louisville, Kentucky. Linda was one of the national co-chairs of the largest single day protest in US history, the Women’s March on Washington. She has been named amongst 500 of the most influential Muslims in the world. She was recognized as one of Fortune’s 50 Greatest Leaders and featured as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Linda was a 2020 Roddenberry Fellow and released her highly anticipated book, “We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders: A Memoir of Love & Resistance”.
Jocelyn Yow
Closing Keynote
Jocelyn Yow
Closing Keynote
Jocelyn Yow took the helm as mayor of Eastvale in December 2020 and — at the age of 25 — became the one of the youngest women to serve as mayor of a California city. Being a new mom to a nine-month-old further fuels her passion to serve her community. She is serving the city to ensure a better future for her son and the next generation of Eastvale residents.
Yow is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Norco College. She is currently pursuing her master's degree at Harvard Extension.
MEET THE PANELISTS
Women of Color in Politics
Marina A. Torres
WOC in Politics
Marina A. Torres
WOC in Politics
As a federal prosecutor and first-generation Latina who worked for President Obama, Marina Torres represents the American Dream -- and she is currently running to be the next City Attorney for Los Angeles. Growing up with incarcerated family members, her personal and professional experiences have given her a greater understanding of the justice system and the important role it plays in serving the people in our community. She understands the importance of providing access and opportunities to working class communities and how the government, when working for the people, can change lives. Marina's experiences have shaped her values -- of justice, of fairness, and on fighting for what's right. And those are the values that she brings to her campaign. Ms. Torres received her law degree from Stanford Law School, where she was on the executive board of the Stanford Law Review, and her BA from the University of California at Berkeley, where she graduated with distinction.
Amelia Inman
WOC in Politics
Amelia Inman
WOC in Politics
Amelia Inman is not only a chain-breaker, community-engager, but a history- maker. Amelia Inman at the age of 26 became the Youngest Black City Council member in the State of Georgia. She currently serves as Councilwomen for the great City of Lithonia, Georgia! After graduating Cum Laude from Valdosta State University she began her career in real estate as an agent and then advanced as a Real Estate Broker opening a firm, Inman Realty. In her second year on City Council she started a nonprofit organization, AI Inc, which purpose is to raise scholarship funds and mentorship for senior students in high school. She also is the founder of the Lithonia Roundtable, which is a collaborative discussion and team building initiative to engage progression in the business community. She aspires to run for Senate in the near future. When I think of a servant leader I think Amelia Inman- humanitarian, model for her peers, and supporter of her community.
Vanessa Wiarco
WOC in Politics
Vanessa Wiarco
WOC in Politics
Erinn D. Martin
WOC in Politics
Erinn D. Martin
WOC in Politics
Erinn D. Martin serves as Policy Counsel for the Public Policy Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law where she advocates for judicial integrity and the advancement and protection of civil rights at the federal level.
Prior to joining the Lawyers’ Committee, she was a Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. She has also served at the U.S. Department of Justice, where her work focused on consumer protection and appellate civil rights matters. While at DOJ, Erinn was part of a trial team that won a landmark telemarketing civil penalty. She began her legal career as a legal fellow for the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.
Erinn received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a Frank J. Guarini Leaders in Government Service Scholar and a student advocate in the Brennan Center for Justice Public Policy Advocacy Clinic. She holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and a M.S. Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently serves as President of the Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association (GWAC).
Melahat Rafiei
WOC in Politics
Melahat Rafiei
WOC in Politics
Women of Color in Media
Julia Kong
WOC in Media
Julia Kong
WOC in Media
Julia Kong (she/her) is a Burmese Chinese American multi-hyphenate. Kong balances her life as an artist, model, “human on the internet” and aspiring actress with being a full-time marketing student.
Although she was initially unsure where her career would take her, Kong knew she’d dedicate her life to working at the intersection between art, social justice & entrepreneurship. While sharing her story of “accidentally becoming a model” online in conjunction with her writing, style and photography, modeling naturally became a tool to not only express herself creatively, but also to represent Asian Americans in a mainstream medium.
While sharing her experience navigating becoming a model online, Kong has built a strong community that openly discusses topics from navigating the Asian American identity to destigmatizing therapy to exploring sexuality to discovering life purpose— the list goes on.
In the future, Kong aims to become a working actor and also tell her own stories by writing and directing her own films. A deep entrepreneurial spirit lies within her, and she plans to one day to start her own business that can empower people & women of color.
Claira Janover
WOC in Media
Claira Janover
WOC in Media
Kimberly Guerra
WOC in Media
Kimberly Guerra
WOC in Media
Domonique Cynthia
WOC in Activism
Domonique Cynthia
WOC in Activism
Domonique Cynthia is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. As a woman of color in a historically white university, she found a passion for using her creativity, videography and editing skills to help showcase diversity across universities, especially within the Ivy League. Her goal is to encourage people of color to see themselves in institutions where they have traditionally been underrepresented. Domonique ensures that the doors that were opened for her are left open even wider for those who will come next. Her YouTube Channel has now accumulated approximately 74k subscribers! Domonique is excited to continue educating and mentoring the youth but also looks forward to bringing new entertainment focused show series to her platform as well as she explores her new found love for directing and producing.
Women of Color in Performing Arts
Jaz Karis
WOC in Performing Arts
Jaz Karis
WOC in Performing Arts
Eva Noblezada
WOC in Performing Arts
Eva Noblezada
WOC in Performing Arts
Women of Color in Business
Jen Ortiz
WOC in Business
Jen Ortiz
WOC in Business
As deputy editor, Jen oversees Cosmopolitan's daily digital editorial operations, editing and writing features, essays, news, and other content, and manages special projects like The Cosmopolitan Shop and ExtraCurricular by Cosmo. Each month, Jen also edits the magazine's cover stories and astrology pages. Previously, Jen was a senior editor at Marie Claire. Before that, she worked at GQ. Her writing has also appeared in Misadventures magazine, Narrative.ly, New York, paper mag, and elsewhere. In 2019, she was awarded the Folio: Rising Star Award. She lives in Brooklyn.
Joy Ofodu
WOC in Business
Joy Ofodu
WOC in Business
Joy Ofodu’s mission in life is to empower on/offline communities. She currently works in Technology as an Associate Brand Marketing Manager and has been inspiring young people to take action in their careers since 2014. Joy is the instructor of "Find Joy in Your Journey," an online course designed for young professionals. She is also a M.S. in Marketing student at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business and an alumna of the University of Southern California (B.A. Communication). In her free time, Joy is a dedicated sleeper, East Bay SPCA volunteer and portrait photographer.
Jocelyn Ramirez
WOC in Business
Jocelyn Ramirez
WOC in Business
Todo Verde founder, Jocelyn Ramirez, is a plant-based chef, college professor, yoga instructor, and advocate for healthy food access in her community. After Jocelyn’s father was diagnosed with cancer for the second time, she created a plant-based superfood smoothie diet that made him dramatically stronger and helped with a quick recovery. As she drove across the city in search of healthy food options, she was astounded by the lack of access to good food in her neighborhood. Jocelyn founded Todo Verde in 2015 with a mission to create delicious and healthy plant-based food inspired by her Mexican and South American roots for the Eastside community. She left her career in higher education to pursue a new path in foodways related to culture and tradition, and references traditional recipes passed down for generations within her family. As she continues to learn about the health benefits of nutrient dense food and healthy ecosystems, she offers knowledge on healthy living with the community through workshops, dialogues, and food demonstrations. Jocelyn also leads speaking engagements in relation to critical analysis of the industrial food system and traditional foodways. Jocelyn’s background includes degrees in Fine Art, Design and Business and has also trained at the Matthew Kenney Culinary Institute. Her work has been featured in several press outlets including Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Vice, Spotify, Buzzfeed, Smithsonian, Bon Appetit, and more. Wanting to share her expertise in delicious plant-based Mexican food, Jocelyn published her first cookbook, La Vida Verde: Plant-Based Mexican Cooking with Authentic Flavor (Page Street) in 2020. In 2017, Jocelyn co-founded Across Our Kitchen Tables, an organization focused on uplifting women of color in the food industry, that hosts skillshares and an annual symposium. She currently sits on the Culinary Advisory Board for Food Forward and the Leadership Board for the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.
Renée K. Samms
WOC in Business
Renée K. Samms
WOC in Business
Renee Samms is an entertainment industry veteran and creative leader with 15+ years of experience in storytelling, entertainment business management, influencer marketing, social media, programming strategy, and branded content. Renee has worked for and cultivated teams across Lionsgate, Amazon, Disney, Maker Studios, Stun Creative and most currently Jaden Smith's foundation 501CTHREE. Renee is a pioneer of many "first ever" brand activations, has helped to lead 4 companies to a Fortune 500 acquisitions, and has been a called upon as a thought leader across Google, Amazon and multiple properties for panel discussions. She serves on the board of advisors for Glassie, Ad Age Collective and won the MADCon's Top 100 Marketing & Advertising Leaders 2020. Her goal is to create meaningful cultural moments rooted in community activation, strong creative storytelling and solving complex problems that result in repeatable business solutions.
Simone Oliver
WOC in Business
Simone Oliver
WOC in Business
Simone Oliver is the Global Editor-In-Chief of Refinery29, the leading media and entertainment destination focused on women. As Global Editor-In-Chief at Refinery29, now part of Vice Media Group, Simone is responsible for identifying and building impact-minded, insight-driven content and partnerships that speak to this powerful generation of women through the lens of culture, identity, and lifestyle. A cultural tastemaker and passionate content creator, Oliver has a wealth of experience in publishing. Prior to Refinery29, she spent thirteen years in various editorial and strategy posts at the New York Times, served as Digital Director at Allure and most recently on the Global Media Partnerships Team at Facebook and Instagram, where she led collaborations with magazines and lifestyle publishers. Oliver also serves as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse in New York journalism, teaching Social Platforms, Processes and Perspectives. She is a proud graduate of Howard University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, young daughter and son.
Women of Color in Film
Adele Lim
WOC in Film
Adele Lim
WOC in Film
Adele is a writer-producer for Film and TV whose credits include Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros) and Raya and the Last Dragon (Disney Animation Studios, scheduled for release March 2021.) A Malaysian native of Chinese descent, she came to the States at 19 and graduated from Emerson College, Boston. She has written and produced primetime TV dramas, including One Tree Hill (The CW), Private Practice (ABC) and Lethal Weapon (FOX), and was the co-showrunner and Executive Producer of Starcrossed (The CW). Additionally, she mentors emerging writers through CAPE (Coalition of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in Entertainment) to promote equity and representation in entertainment. Currently she is working on an original feature comedy which has been acquired by Lionsgate.
Sydney Park
WOC in Film
Sydney Park
WOC in Film
A natural and versatile actress, Sydney Park is quickly establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young talents. Park can next be seen in the Netflix comedy-drama film, MOXIE, directed by Amy Poehler. Which is set to release on March 3rd. Park will star alongside Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Josephine Langford, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Later this year, as the leading role in Shawn Levy-James Wan’s Netflix horror film, THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE set to be released later this year. An adaptation of the book by Stephanie Perkins, the story sees the graduating class at Osborne High being targeted by a masked assailant, intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim. On television, Park starred as “Caitlin Park-Lewis” in the Freeform spin-off series, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: THE PERFECTIONISTS; her performance was highlighted as “the standout of the young cast” (Variety). She is also known for her roles in AMC’s acclaimed series, THE WALKING DEAD, and hit Netflix series, SANTA CLARITA DIET opposite Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant.
Alycia Pascual-Peña
WOC in Film
Alycia Pascual-Peña
WOC in Film
Alycia Pascual-Peña is an up and coming Afro-Latina actress who’s on track to becoming one of young Hollywood’s ones to watch. From the Bronx, New York, she fell in love with performing at just three years old and has continued to develop a strong passion for the arts. Alycia’s Dominican heritage fuels her passion to amplify marginalized voices and bring about social justice. She made the move to Los Angeles after booking her debut role as ‘Aisha’ in Peacock's Saved By The Bell. Alycia will soon be seen in Amy Poehler's upcoming Netflix feature MOXIE, releasing March 2021.
Asia Jackson
WOC in Film
Asia Jackson
WOC in Film
Asia Jackson is an actress and digital creative based in Los Angeles, California. Growing up a military brat, Asia spent her childhood all over the world. She is of African-American and Filipino descent. Asia taught herself to code at eleven years old and was studying computer information systems before entering the entertainment industry. On TV, you’ve seen Asia on Modern Family (ABC), The Young & The Restless (CBS), Speechless (ABC), Superstore (NBC), Alone Together (Freeform), Lifetime's TV movie Stalked By A Reality Star, and most recently Blumhouse’s Nocturne on Amazon Prime. She also has a YouTube channel where she regularly uploads engaging & educational content about skincare, fashion, and self-care. In October 2016, Asia created the global movement #MagandangMorenx, literally translated to “beautiful brown skin”, to challenge colorism and celebrate the diversity of beauty in the Philippines. It has garnered international media coverage in publications such as TIME Magazine, Teen Vogue, NBC News, HYPEBAE, Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, Glamour Poland, and many more. As a result of her growing platform from her digital content and social media activism, Asia has been invited to speak at various universities and events worldwide including UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, Boston University, Seattle University, Cal State Fullerton, Syracuse University, the It’s A Girl Thing Festival in Manila (Philippines), as well as the Garage Talks series in collaboration with HYPEBAE in Montréal, Quebec.
Women of Color in STEM
Alison Nicole Logia
WOC in STEM
Alison Nicole Logia
WOC in STEM
Alison (she/her) is a first-generation low-income college graduate from Stanford University with a bachelors in Engineering and honors in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality studies. Alison is a published author, and has won a national title presenting her engineering research. Alison is proud to be a queer, Latinx, Native Pacific Islander woman in tech, and she volunteers her time to mentor students and uplift underrepresented communities in STEM. Alison began her Diversity & Inclusion work at Snapchat, and now Alison is a Competitive Intelligence Researcher at Apple. Her research and analytics helps Apple executives make data-driven decisions supporting diverse and equitable hiring long-term.
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett
WOC in STEM
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett
WOC in STEM
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett is a research fellow in the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center, where she works under the direction of Deputy Director, Dr. Barney S. Graham. She received a BS in Biological Sciences, with a secondary major in Sociology, in 2008, from the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, where she was a Meyerhoff Scholar and NIH undergraduate scholar. She then obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology in 2014, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Appointed to the VRC in 2014, Dr. Corbett uses her viral immunology expertise to propel novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness, including mRNA-1273, a leading candidate vaccine against the virus that causes COVID-19. In response to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccine concept incorporated in mRNA-1273 was designed by Dr. Corbett’s team from viral sequence and rapidly deployed to industry partner, Moderna, Inc., for FDA-approved Phase 1 clinical trial, which unprecedently began only 66 days from the viral sequence release. Following promising results in animal models and humans, mRNA-1273 was recently shown to be 94.1% effective in Phase 3 trial and is authorized for emergency use in multiple countries.
Dr. Erinma Ochu
WOC in STEM
Dr. Erinma Ochu
WOC in STEM
My ambition is to decolonise and reinvigorate the field of cultural neuroscience, extending human intelligence to better steward our local environments. I hold a Wellcome grant, Stewarding the Digital Commons, learning with 7 black artists and entrepreneurs innovating with digital technology to imagine socially just futures and to re-think the civic role of higher education through creative practice. I am Interim Director, Engaging Environments, a UK-wide platform to develop and inform equitable co-inquiry between diverse communities and environmental scientists with a joint stake in resolving the climate crisis. I am co-founder of Squirrel Nation, a design agency, with designer, Caroline Ward. We were recently awarded one of 4 Ada LoveLace/ Just AI creative fellowships around racial justice and Artificial Intelligence funded by AHRC. Previously we designed an urban farm considering the future of food under climate change. I am Senior Lecturer in Digital Media and Communications at MMU teaching and researching social media and digital networking, digital storytelling and transmedia and how that can apply to collectively reimagining how we live under the triple threat of mental health, climate crisis and rapid technological disruption, symptoms of imperial science and scientific racism. I hold a PhD in Applied Neuroscience from The University of Manchester and am an EAVE alumni of AudioVisual Production, years ago, working as executive producer at Black and Asian talent pipeline at B3 Media, more recently for five years as curator of The Exchange at Sheffield International Documentary Festival. I am a champion of open research and global ambassador for Figshare and Digital Science and excited to serve on the academic advisory board of new Research Centre for the Study of Race and Racism at MMU, the steering group of the Arts and Humanities Research Council funded research project 'Performing Leadership Differently' and the Brain Trust of US Open Environmental Data initiative building collaborative spaces for dealing with pollution. I have achieved very little without the collaboration, backing and support from amazing people. This includes sci-art fellowships and artist residencies with NESTA, Manchester International Festival/ Jerwood Foundation and INIVA/ Stuart Hall Foundation. I am an alumni of The Stuart Hall Scholars and Artists network. My publications and creative outputs span neuroscience, biology, decolonising STEMM, art and design and digital innovation
Women of Color in Activism
Naelyn Pike
WOC in Activism
Naelyn Pike
WOC in Activism
Naelyn Pike is a 21 year old Chiricahua Apache. As a lifelong fighter she continues to follow the footsteps of her grandfather, the founder of the Apache Stronghold in protection of Apache holy sites, sacred sites, and indigenous rights. Pike is the youngest indigenous girl to testify in front of congress. Today she continues to fight for environmental sustainability, and indigenous rights at the local, state, and national levels battling corporations and political leaders through indigenous spirituality.
Dominique Palmer
WOC in Activism
Dominique Palmer
WOC in Activism
Dominique is a climate justice activist in England. She is an organiser in Fridays for Future International and the Launch Coordinator for Climate Live. She works on organising strikes and actions, mobilisation for climate action, and international campaigns. She is a public speaker on environmental justice that is intersectional with social issues, and has spoken at events such as the UN Climate Change Conference in 2019. She has featured in Forbes 100 UK Environmentalists list for her work. For her, fighting for climate justice that benefits people and planet is crucial. She campaigns for bold and systemic action from global leaders. Dominique is also studying Political Science and International Relations at the University of Birmingham.
Mitzi Jonelle Tan
WOC in Activism
Mitzi Jonelle Tan
WOC in Activism
Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a climate justice activist based in Metro Manila, Philippines. She is the convenor and international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP), the Fridays For Future (FFF) of the Philippines. She is also active in FFF International, advocating for climate justice and making sure that voices of Most Affected Peoples and Areas (MAPA)’s strikers are heard, amplified, and given space. She first became an activist in 2017 after integrating with indigenous leaders of her country which pushed her to realize that collective action and system change is what we need for a just and greener society.
Daphne Frias
WOC in Activism
Daphne Frias
WOC in Activism
Daphne Frias is a 23-year-old youth activist. She is unapologetically Latina. Daphne has Cerebral Palsy, and uses a wheelchair to ambulate. She is fiercely proud to be a loud champion for the disabled community. She got her start shortly after the Parkland shooting by busing 100+ students from her college campus to the nearest March For Our Lives (MFOL) event. In July of 2019, she was appointed as the NY State Director for March For Our Lives, and recently completed her one year tenure there. Through her work with MFOL, she became passionate about increasing youth voter turnout amongst 18-29 year-olds. As a result, she created her own non-profit called Box The Ballot (BTB), which aims to harness the power of absentee ballots. By partnering with students on college campuses, BTB was able to collect nearly 470,000 absentee ballots in the 2018 midterms. Fighting the climate crisis is something she is equally as passionate about. Born and raised in West Harlem, NYC, she has seen how minority communities are disproportionally affected by climate change. Having been an official spokesperson from the global climate strikes on September 20th, she has no intention of backing down until the health of our earth is secure. Her passion for advocacy, propelled her to run from county committee women of Assembly District 70, Election District 80 in West Harlem. In June of 2019, Daphne won her election and continues to work hard to represent her constituents. In the spring of 2019, she was appointed as one of the North American Regional Focal Points for Sustainable Development Goal 16 at the U.N. Major Group for Children and Youth. In this position, She works to highlight and represent the voice of her fellow youth and the work they are doing to become pivotal peacemakers.