Les Brun
Les
Brun
Speaker
Les Brun is Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ariel Alternatives, LLC, where he chairs the investment committee. He is also a board director for platform company, My Code—a leading multicultural media and marketing services firm. Les has over 42 years of investment banking, commercial banking and financial advisory experience, including as founder, CEO and chairman emeritus of Hamilton Lane, a leading global private markets investment management firm. In addition to his role at Ariel Alternatives, Les is chairman and chief executive officer of Sarr Group, LLC, a diversified holding company for his personal investments. He is currently lead director of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., serves on the board of directors of Corning, Inc. and the advisory board of Guardian Capital Partners GP, LP. He is also a senior advisor to G100 and World 50, a private platform of peer-to-peer communities for senior executives and directors from some of the world’s largest companies, and an advisor in Bank of America’s enterprise executive development program, where he helps coach and develop executives. Les serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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Hill Harper
Hill
Harper
Speaker
Hill Harper is a humanitarian, an award-winning actor, best-selling author, entrepreneur, health and wellness ambassador/educator and philanthropist. Harper is perhaps most recognizable for his starring role in the CBS hit television drama CSI. Harper is the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth through mentorship, scholarship and grant programs.
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Kaleeta McDade
Kaleeta
McDade
Speaker
Kaleeta McDade is the chief experience design officer at VML, North America. Kaleeta bridges creative storytelling, technology, design, and user experience for clients across VML’s client portfolio.
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Shannon Washington
Shannon
Washington
Speaker
Shannon Washington is an award-winning creative director, creative business leader, brand builder and culturist.
After a storied run within IPG, recently serving as the Global Chief Creative Officer at Gotham/McCann Worldgroup, a role she assumed after a successful tenure as US Chief Creative Office at R/GA, Shannon finally pivoted back to one of her first loves—sports. Today, she is Chief Creative Officer & Managing Partner at 11Ounces, an award-winning creative studio focused on the culture of sport.
Throughout her career, Shannon has steadily established herself as one of the rising voices of the new generation of Madison Avenue leaders, with the wins and accolades to back it all up. At R/GA, she successfully navigated the brand’s flagship office through a global pandemic, personally leading, pitching and converting over $30M in creative business to include TurboTax, Uber, Samsung, ESPN and Sephora. At Gotham, she helped to craft the re-evolution of the world’s number one color cosmetics brand, Maybelline New York, with creative work that helped to claw back market share and net some of the brands first ever creative awards. Currently, Shannon is working to literally change the game of sports marketing with impactful storytelling, cultural relevance and
Most importantly, her penchant for cultural levity, transparency and mentorship has proven to be her most important asset in her career. In her spare time, Shannon can be found actively leading and participating in industry conversations around creative leadership, cultural inclusion and technology.
Shannon is a proud graduate of Howard University and reluctantly resides in the suburbs of her beloved New York City.
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Chaucer Barnes
Chaucer
Barnes
Speaker
Chaucer Barnes is the Chief Marketing Officer of UnitedMasters Inc., where he bridges the worlds of music and advertising. His career has been marked by his ability to bridge cultural gaps and create impactful strategies for some of the world’s biggest brands. In his current role spanning Translation and UnitedMasters, Chaucer leverages his extensive background as a media planner, brand strategist, creative director, partnership architect, and independent musician to orchestrate innovative solutions that reshape brand behavior. His work aims to create a new normal in how brands and creators gain fame and influence in today’s world. Chaucer has spoken at several industry events, including the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Lions Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival, and has been featured in Ad Age, Adweek, Fox 5 NY, and Campaign US. He has also been a guest on multiple podcasts, including Morgan Stanley’s Access and Opportunity podcast and Blavity’s Black Tech Green Money podcast. He currently serves as an executive board member of the Advertising Club of New York.
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Felecia Hatcher
Felecia
Hatcher
Speaker
Leading Fortune 100 corporations, premier global tech entities, renowned foundations, and diverse communities worldwide consistently seek out Felecia Hatcher for her expertise in fostering inclusive innovation and facilitating transformative personal growth. As an internationally acclaimed transformational speaker and author, Felecia orchestrates spaces, curates events, and designs courses that empower business professionals, innovation pioneers, and entrepreneurs. Through her guidance, they not only amplify their impact but also confidently stride into their unique Zone of Genius.
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Katie Williams
Katie
Williams
Speaker
Katie Williams is the US Chief Marketing Officer at Haleon. In this role, she works to shape the future of consumer experiences with our iconic portfolio of Haleon brands like Advil, Sensodyne, Tums, and Centrum. She is a leader in CPG marketing with extensive experience and proven success in delivering growth, creative courage, digital transformation, and employee development. She is best known for her relentless focus on equity and inclusion as a critical pathway for business and brand growth.
Katie joined Haleon in 2020 with +20 years of CPG experience at companies like Procter & Gamble where she started her career in R&D, Kraft Foods and most recently Mondelez International where Katie was charged with modernizing the brand and consumer engagement approach across the North America portfolio as the VP of Marketing Transformation. Prior to this role, Katie held various commercial and enterprise marketing roles at Kraft and Mondelez helping to build brands in the US and globally including such iconic brands as Oreo, Ritz, Sour Patch Kids, and Halls.
Katie earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Katie lives in Montclair, NJ with her two sons CJ (14) and Chase (10) and her husband of 20 years Cameron.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Alia Kemet
Alia
Kemet
Speaker
Alia serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of Shipt, a subsidiary of Target and a leading same-day delivery service. With a comprehensive role, she directs all aspects of marketing, brand management, and consumer experience, including creative direction, production, advertising, consumer strategy, membership loyalty, and insights. Drawing from over 25 years of marketing expertise acquired from notable positions at McCormick & Company, IKEA, Whole Foods Market, and BET, Alia’s leadership has earned her industry accolades such as Adweek’s Brand Leader of the Year and inclusion in Ad Age’s Leading Women Class.
Beyond her professional achievements, Alia holds influential roles within the advertising community, serving on esteemed boards such as the National Advertising Review Board, and the University of Maryland Flex MBA Advisory Council. Committed to community service, she actively engages with organizations including Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Girl Scouts Council of America, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and serves on the Maryland Food Bank Board of Directors.
Alia’s passion extends beyond her professional endeavors; she has produced The Phenomenal Grit podcast, hosting insightful Career Conversations for Women of Color. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Howard University, and amidst her 25 years of marriage, she is a devoted mother to four children.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Ross Martin
Ross
Martin
Speaker
Emmy and Peabody award-winning marketer and business leader Ross Martin is President of Ad Age Agency A-List marketing firm Known and the Founder of venture capital fund Lunch Partners, an early-stage private investment vehicle for some of the world’s most inspiring CMO’s. He is the Executive Producer of Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy and the five-part docuseries Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, both for Netflix, as well as Meal Ticket, the upcoming documentary about the McDonald’s All- American Games for Amazon Prime Video, and Deep Dive, a new series with Universal Music Group and TIME Magazine. He is the Executive Producer and Co-Host of the popular iHeart Media podcast “Future Legends of Advertising,” now entering its second season. Ross is a member of the National Board of Directors of the American Advertising Federation, the Yale University Center for Customer Insights and the Digital & Innovation Council for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Recent accolades include Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People In Business,” an Advertising Age “Media Maven” distinction, Fortune Magazine’s “40 Under 40” top business leaders and Adweek’s “50 Most Indispensable Executives in Advertising.” In 2014, he was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement.