Andre Gray is the Chief Creative Officer at ANNEX88, part of Havas. Author of Digital Anthropomorphism: Humanizing the Brand, he is a staunch advocate for underrepresented voices through work like Black Madison Avenue and lives to add to the cultural conversation.

Dupé Ajayi is a strategist at the intersection of marketing, storytelling, and mission-driven innovation. With over a decade of experience, she has helped individuals, nonprofits, and businesses amplify their reach through compelling narratives and cutting-edge technology.

As the founder of The Ajayi Effect, Dupé has led digital transformations for major organizations, including Bank of America, Girls Who Code, Worklution, Airbnb.org, the New York City Housing Authority, and The Shed. Her expertise spans institutions such as ABC News, the Brooklyn Public Library, The Raben Group, MTV, BET, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality, Mary J. Blige, and Rent the Runway’s Project Entrepreneur—each shaping her ability to craft stories that resonate, inspire, and drive change.

A steadfast advocate for impact with integrity, Dupé operates by one principle: If access isn’t at the center, she won’t be. She specializes in integrating AI, technology, and digital tools into brand-building and purpose-driven strategies, helping organizations future-proof their purpose in an evolving landscape.

Dollie S. Bishop is President of The Black Effect Podcast Network. A former TV producer, whose experience range from development to post-production, with an eye for creating innovative projects that appeal to a diverse audience. She now leads one of the largest platforms for Black audio creators, overseeing the networks day-to-day operations, show development and cultivating the voices shifting culture through podcasting. 

Jodie Patterson is an award winning and globally recognized author, activist, beauty explorer and mother of 5. She was the first Black person to hold the position of Chair of the Human Rights Campaign Board, our nation’s largest LGBT organization. As a leading activist, she speaks on topics of identity, gender, race and radical parenting.

Patterson’s memoir, The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation was hailed by Alice Walker as “Marvelous”. Her second book, Born Ready, is one of several children’s books being reviewed in the pivotal Supreme Court Case Mahmoud v. Taylor. 

Previously, Jodie served as Director of PR for fashion designer Zac Posen and was the Fashion Director of Sales for the groundbreaking, urban publication, Vibe magazine.

She works closely with Mount Sinai Hospital on their Transgender Medicine and Health Disparities initiatives. The United Nations recognized Patterson as a Champion of Change.

Jodie Patterson lives in Brooklyn where she co-raises her five children with love, education and family solidarity.

Don Lemon is an award-winning journalist and former anchor of the long-running CNN primetime program, Don Lemon Tonight as well as CNN This Morning.  He has won a variety of distinguished awards for his work which has spanned nearly three decades, including an Edward R. Murrow award, multiple Emmys and a Peabody award, among others. In addition to CNN, Lemon has served as an anchor and correspondent at the NBC and MSNBC television networks, as well as at local stations in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Louis.

Lemon has covered countless global breaking news stories from the anchor desk, as well as on location, including the war in Ukraine (for which he received a Peabody award in 2022), the death of Osama Bin Laden, the inaugurations of the 44th and 45th Presidents of the United States, the school shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Newtown, Connecticut, and the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, George Floyd and Tyre Nichols.  He joined CNN as a correspondent in 2006.

Lemon has been honored with countless awards not only for his journalism, but also for the impact his work and influence have made on society.  He was voted one of the 150 most influential African Americans by Ebony magazine in 2009. In 2014, The Advocate included him as one of the publication’s 50 Most Influential LGBTQ People in Media. In December 2016, Lemon was honored with a Native Son Award, named after James Baldwin, recognizing and to “encourage the increased visibility and impact of black gay men in society.” In 2017, Out named him to its Power 50 list of the Most Influential LGBTQ People in the USA.  And in June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, New York, Queerty named him one of the Pride 50 “trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people.”

Lemon is also a best-selling author. In 2011, he broke barriers by revealing that he was gay in his auto-biographical book Transparent.  A decade later, in 2021, his book This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism, debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.  It was inspired by what he saw, learned and felt about the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

Lemon graduated from Brooklyn College with a BA in broadcast journalism.  He lives in New York City with his partner and their three dogs.