Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is the co-founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and the co-founder of World TeamTennis. She has long been a champion for social change and equality. King created new inroads for all genders in sports and beyond during her legendary career and she continues to make her mark today.
King was named one of the ‘100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century’ by Life Magazine and, in 2009, in recognition of her work in the social justice arena and her accomplishments in sports, President Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
In 2014, King, and her partner Ilana Kloss, launched the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to address inclusion and diversity issues in the workplace. In 2018, King and Kloss were named to the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Sparks and in 2016 King addressed both the National Football League and FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, on issues related to gender equality and inclusion.
King grew up playing tennis in the California public parks and won 39 Grand Slam titles during her career. She helped form the Virginia Slims Series and founded the Women’s Tennis Association. She defeated Bobby Riggs in one of the greatest moments in sports history – the Battle of the Sexes on Sept. 20, 1973.
In 2017, Fox Searchlight released the critically acclaimed film, Battle of the Sexes, starring Academy Award® winner Emma Stone as King and Academy Award® nominee Steve Carrell as Bobby Riggs, which depicts both players’ battles on and off the court as well as the cultural and social impact of the groundbreaking match.
In 1974 King co-founded World Team Tennis (WTT), the revolutionary professional team tennis league. She also founded the Women’s Sports Foundation. In August 2006, the National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court. In 2014 President Obama named King to the Presidential Delegation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. King serves on the boards of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation and is a past member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
Know Thyself: Using Your Uniqueness to Create Success
Ascent Studio, Monday, 1:45pm – 2:45pm
Television Host and Culture Expert on the Emmy-nominated Netflix reboot of Queer Eye, Karamo Brown says that the key to his success is tapping into the many facets of his identity. Whether as an openly gay man, a black man, a single father, or psychotherapist, Karamo strategically utilizes the strengths of his different identities to achieve success – and teaches others to do the same. Lauded for his ease and natural comfort in relating to different types of people, Karamo is tasked with making-over the hearts and minds of the “culturally challenged,” and helps them to confront and grow beyond the internal issues holding them back.
According to the LA Times, “Karamo is at the intersection of where pop culture, social media, and real life collide!” Winner of a Television Critics Association award, the cast is set to release their lifestyle book, Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life, on November 13. It will be divided into five sections based on each of the cast members’ area of expertise.
Brown began his television career in 2004 as a housemate on the MTV hit reality series The Real World, becoming the first openly-gay African- American in the history of reality television. Shortly after the conclusion of The Real World, Karamo learned that he was the father of a nine-year-old boy, Jason. With the support of his child’s mother, Brown petitioned and gained full custody of his son. A year later, Karamo adopted Jason’s half-brother Christian.
In 2014, he joined the Oprah Winfrey Network to host and produce their first digital show, #OWNShow.
From there, Karamo became a host and producer for Hu Post Live, a recurring guest host of Access Hollywood Live, and a contributor for HLN/CNN. He was also host of MTV’s Are You The One: Second Chances.
As a co-founder of 6in10.org, an organization addressing the mental health and self-esteem of individuals affected by HIV, Karamo was the recipient of the 2018 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award. He was also invited by the Obama Administration to work with the White House to create policy and legislation supporting LGBTQ youth and their allies after school hours.
Karamo is an active member of the Never Again MSD gun-control movement after his Florida high school, Stoneman Douglas, suffered a fatal shooting in 2018.
A graduate of Florida A&M University, Karamo worked as a licensed social worker and psychotherapist for over a decade before transitioning into media.
Geena Takes Aim on Gender Inequality in Media
Closing Main Stage, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Wednesday
Academy Award-winner Geena Davis is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses.
Davis made her feature film debut starring opposite Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. She then went on to star in such films as The Fly, Beetlejuice, Earth Girls Are Easy, Quick Change, Hero, Angie and The Long Kiss Goodnight. On television, Davis starred in the acclaimed series Buffalo Bill and Sara.
In 1989, Davis received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the offbeat dog trainer in The Accidental Tourist. She was again nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance as Thelma in Thelma and Louise. Davis received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for her portrayals of a political speech writer in Speechless, a film which she also co-produced, and as a baseball phenomenon in A League of Their Own.
Davis most recently starred in Stuart Little. She will reprise her role as Mrs. Little in the upcoming sequel. She is also an Emmy nominee for Best Actress in a Television Drama for her role in Commander in Chief.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Davis studied acting at New England College and Boston University.
You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See
Main Stage, Monday 9:00am – 10:30am
For a glimpse into what he will cover in his session, check out this interview between Seth Godin and Michelle Russell, Convene‘s editor in chief.
Seth Godin is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He’s also the founder of the altMBA and The Marketing Seminar, online workshops that have transformed the work of thousands of people.
He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything. You might be familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip and Purple Cow.
In addition to his writing and speaking, Seth has founded several companies, including Yoyodyne and Squidoo. His blog (which you can find by typing “seth” into Google) is one of the most popular in the world.
In 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame.
His latest book, What To Do When It’s Your Turn is now in its fifth printing. The new book, This Is Marketing came out in November 2018.
Nadya Okamoto
Nadya Okamoto, who grew up in Portland, OR, is a 20-year-old Harvard student. She is the Founder and Executive Director of PERIOD (period.org), an organization she founded at the age of 16. PERIOD is now the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health, and one of the fastest growing ones here in the United States. Since 2014 they have addressed over 310,000 periods and registered over 200 campus chapters. In 2017, Nadya ran for office in Cambridge, MA. While she did not win, her campaign team made historic waves in mobilizing young people on the ground and at polls. Nadya recently signed with publisher Simon and Schuster to write a book to mobilize the Menstrual Movement (coming Fall 2018) — Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement is now out for preorder!
Anka Wittenberg
Anka Wittenberg is an economist and pivotal change agent on how to design and implement a healthy, diverse and inclusive workplace and culture.
Anka is a frequent speaker at global conferences and is active with UN Women helping to drive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to end poverty, combat inequalities and promote prosperity while protecting the environment by 2030.
At SAP, an 88,000-employee global tech leader, she was responsible for the development and implementation of SAP’s diversity and inclusion strategy which includes gender equity, cross-generational intelligence and support, culture, race and LGBT awareness and equality, and the integration of differently-abled people into the workforce until July 1st, 2018.
Anka joined SAP in August 2011 until end of June 2018; she first acted as global HR Business Partner and became the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and head of People Sustainability in March 2013. Prior to joining SAP, she was responsible for the HR strategy for 25,000 employees in the steel and automotive industry with business in Latin America and the U.S. Previously, she worked in HR for GE where she learned the power of strong processes, as well as the fundamentals of inclusive leadership.
Anka is the Chair of the Board of the World Childhood Foundation, an organization that defends the rights of children and promotes better living conditions for vulnerable and exploited children at risk all over the world. She is also on the supervisory board of a family-owned company in the oil and gas industry.
Anka holds a master degree in Economics. She is married and has three children.
Holly Ransom
Holly Ransom is the CEO of Emergent, a company specialising in disruptive strategy and building the capacity of leaders to execute change. Emergent, has worked with the likes of Microsoft, Virgin, INPEX, Europcar, KPMG, & the AIS, as well as local, state and federal government departments globally.
In 2012, she was the youngest person to be named in Australia’s ‘100 Most Influential Women’, and also became the world’s youngest-ever Rotary President. Her work with Rotary has played a key role in the global efforts to lift youth participation in the organization.
In 2016, Holly was appointed to Co-Chair the United Nations Coalition of Young Women Entrepreneurs and in 2014, the Australian Prime Minister appointed Holly to Chair the G20 Youth Summit, resulting in the first summit to secure its policy demands from G20 leaders.
An accomplished keynote speaker, Holly has presented across 6 continents, including delivering a Peace Charter to the Dalai Lama. Holly was listed by Sir Richard Branson as one of his dream dinner guests, and was Sir Richard’s nominee for Wired Magazine’s 2017 ‘Smart List’ of future game changers to watch. In 2018, she was personally requested by Barack Obama to moderate an hour-long conversation with during his only engagement in Australia.
Lisa Skeete Tatum
Lisa Skeete Tatum is founder and CEO of Landit, a technology platform created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace. The platform offers a turn-key “one size fits one” solution that enables companies to attract, develop, and retain high-potential diverse talent. Previously, Lisa was a General Partner for over a decade with Cardinal Partners, a $350M+ early stage healthcare venture capital firm. Lisa also worked for Procter & Gamble, GE Capital, and founded her own consulting practice.
Lisa serves on numerous high growth, public, and non-profit boards including Surgical Care Affiliates (NASDAQ:SCAI), Cornell University Board of Trustees, McCarter Theater, The Princeton Area Community Foundation, and the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors. Lisa received her BS in chemical engineering from Cornell University and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Kauffman Fellows Class 4 and a 2012 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Steve Pemberton
Steve Pemberton’s triumphant life journey, now a major motion picture, is about defying the seemingly insurmountable odds of the path of the unchosen. A Chance in the World, drawn from his critically acclaimed memoir of the same title, recounts how Steve was orphaned into foster care, then abandoned and betrayed by the very individuals entrusted with his care. Yet these challenges only fueled his desire to become a man of resilience, determination and vision. He currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for Globoforce, a leading provider of social recognition and continuous performance development solutions. Prior to that he served as Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion and Global Chief Diversity Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance. He was the first person in Walgreens’ 100-plus year history to hold the position of Chief Diversity Officer, and under his leadership the company reached record levels of performance in areas of representation, retention, employee engagement and supplier diversity.
Steve is a passionate champion for disadvantaged youth, serving on several boards including United States Business Leadership Network and UCAN. He established The Pemberton Fund for the Future at The Home for Little Wanderers to provide help and guidance to children aging out of foster care. Steve’s achievements have earned him national recognition, including the prestigious Horizon Award by the United States Congress, presented to individuals in the private sector who have contributed to expanding opportunities for all Americans.
Fierce Conversations Are Key to Driving Business Results
Leadership Studio, Tuesday, 1:15pm – 2:15pm
Molly Breazeale is the owner of AlignED, LLC. She brings 20+ years of adult learning and consulting experience to the field of leader development and organization effectiveness.
She served for 10 years as the Director of Product Design and Delivery for Dale Carnegie Training. Molly developed curriculum for Dale Carnegie Training core products, like Leadership Training for Managers, in addition to fully customized training solutions for Fortune 500 clients.
More recently Molly was AVP, Learning and Development at Nationwide Insurance. As leader of the corporate learning and develoment team she designed and delivered executive, director/officer and management training aligned with the strategic direction of the organization. In 2009 she implemented On Your Side in Action, from the CEO kick-off to all 33,000 associates.
Molly attended an American Society of Training and Development Conference in 2005 and “discovered” Fierce Conversations. She quickly became certified and brought Fierce to Nationwide for all levels of leadership for its relevant, actionable format. Upon leaving the organization in 2010, she became a licensed authorized provider, to continue her partnership and passion for Fierce.
In addition to facilitation and learning design, Molly is a seasoned executive coach. One primary belief that is core to everything she does is the belief that “People support a world that they help create.”
Getting the Sequence Right: Strategy, Design, then Budget!
Collaboration Studio, Tuesday, 1:15pm – 2:45pm
Dan Sundt, is a Pine & Gilmore Certified Experience Economy Expert who brings a learner’s mind and an “anything is possible” approach to his work. Through an extraordinary understanding of clients’ situations and needs, he helps to ensure relevant solutions that deliver against business objectives.
His talent for drawing deep strategic insight from the boardroom and translating it into actionable, creative concepts and tactics in the field has earned him multiple industry awards. More importantly, he enjoys universal respect among colleagues for his ability to create and lead great teams.
Prior to CXO Marketing, Sundt held a variety of strategic and creative positions; most recently as VP/Chief eXperience Officer at MVP Collaborative in Madison Heights, Michigan. He is available as a speaker about The Experience Economy, Blue Ocean Strategy, experience design, and experience co-creation.
Rohit Bhargava
Rohit Bhargava is an innovation and marketing expert, skilled facilitator, and keynote speaker. After a successful 15-year career as a brand and marketing strategist at two of the largest agencies in the world (Ogilvy and Leo Burnett), Rohit became an entrepreneur and has since started three companies. He is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books on topics as wide ranging as the future of business and building a brand with personality and has delivered sold out keynote presentations and workshops to business leaders in 32 countries. His signature book Non-Obvious is updated annually with 15 new trend predictions, has been read and shared by more than 1 million readers and is translated in ten languages. Rohit has been invited to share his insights at some of the most forward-looking organizations in the world including Intel, NASA, Disney, JP Morgan Chase, LinkedIn, Microsoft, American Express, BP, the World Bank, Coca-Cola and hundreds of others.
Outside of his consulting work, Rohit also teaches his popular signature course on storytelling and marketing at Georgetown University in Washington DC and has been invited to deliver guest lectures at many other prestigious schools including Stanford and Wharton. For the past 14 years Rohit has also been writing his personal “Influential Marketing Blog” which has been featured in global media and named one of the top 25 marketing blogs in the world by AdAge magazine. He is regularly interviewed and featured as an expert commentator in global media including Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, and NPR. Rohit also writes a monthly column for GQ magazine in Brazil on technology and trends.
Thanks to his many years of sharing insights, Rohit has been recognized alongside visionary business leaders like Sir Richard Branson and Tom Peters as a “Top 100 Thought Leader In Trustworthy Business Behavior” and was named by global recruiting firm Korn Ferry as one of the “Most Influential South Asians In Media and Entertainment.”
On a personal level, Rohit is married and lives with his wife and two young boys in the Washington DC area. He is a lifelong fan of anything having to do with the Olympics (he’s been to five so far!), actively avoids anything having to do with cauliflower (yuck!) and believes that the most entertaining and impactful job he will ever have is being a great dad and teaching his sons to be kind when no one expects it, curious about the things others take for granted, and confident enough to change the world.
Lindsey Pollak
Lindsey Pollak is widely recognized as the leading voice on millennials and the multigenerational workplace.
Often called a “translator,” Lindsey advises both young professionals looking to succeed in today’s work environment and the organizations that want to recruit, retain and market to them.
She is the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders and Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World.
Her consulting clients and keynote speaking audiences have included over 200 corporations, conferences and universities, including Citi, Estee Lauder, GE, JP Morgan, LinkedIn, PwC, Ralph Lauren, Yale, Harvard, Wharton and MIT.
Lindsey also works with select brands as their go-to in-house expert and public spokesperson for all things millennial, including strategic planning, media campaigns and social outreach. As a LinkedIn Ambassador for six years, she created and delivered webinars that trained over 100,000 people to advance their careers using the platform. Currently, Lindsey serves as chair of Cosmopolitan magazine’s Millennial Advisory Board.
Her advice and opinions have appeared in such media outlets as The TODAY Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and NPR. She appears on several lists of Best People to Follow on Twitter, including Mashable’s list of top non-fiction authors. Forbes named her blog one of the Top 100 Websites for Your Career.
Lindsey’s passion for mentoring young people goes back to her student days as a dorm RA at Yale University. She is now based in New York City.