Business Acumen

Gerry Valentine inspires people to build resilience—to overcome setbacks, to look at challenges in new ways, and to understand that adversity can become a source of resilience. Gerry’s a public speaker, executive coach, and business advisor with more than 25 years of Fortune 100 leadership experience. As the founder of Vision Executive Coaching, he is a trusted advisor to corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and entire companies.

Gerry is a TEDx speaker, is a contributor to Forbes.com, and has taught executive leadership at Colorado State University. Gerry earned a BS from Cornell University and an MBA from New York University.

Angelina Darrisaw Cheeks is a business and career coach, who firmly believes that career advancement is a social justice issue. As the founder and CEO of C-Suite Coach, a career-coaching platform that provides accessible professional development resources to diverse working professionals, Angelina collaborates with employers to create business solutions that empower and educate teams, as well as retain and engage diverse employees. She also facilitates transformative career workshops and experiences that have reached over 6,000 working and aspiring
professionals in person, through outlets like outlets including: TEDx, Brown University, West Point, Bank of America, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, WICT, Ebony Magazine’s WomenUp Series, and The NYC BAR Association. She has also appeared as a career expert on Univision and Fox 5.

A 1st prize winner of Uber’s NYC Pitch Competition, C-Suite Coach has a growing global client footprint with companies like BLKTechCLT, TIAA, and individual entrepreneurs and across the United States, Israel, Australia, Canada, and more. C-Suite Coach has been featured in
numerous media outlets, including Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Thrive Global, Essence, and career sites such as Levo.com, Recruiter.com and Monster.com. Angelina covered Google’s Thrive magazine, highlighting women business owners who
partner with Google, and services small businesses as a Google Digital Coach. She joins Google in bridging the digital divide, by offering free coaching and resources to over 2500 NY-based small businesses. She’s helped these businesses strategically revamp their digital
outreach strategies through over 70 in-person programs. C-Suite Coach now runs the program, nationally, supporting coaches for 8 major markets in this same work. She has also mentored entrepreneurs through General Assembly’s inaugural mentoring program and teaches related
content as an adjunct professor at New York University. These efforts helped her earn “Program of The Year” by Black Googlers and Walker’s Legacy Power25 award in 2017.

Prior to C-Suite Coach, Angelina was the Senior Manager of Digital Business Development at Viacom, developing strategic business partnerships with social media platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr and more. She did similar digital strategy work at ESPN. As a My Black is Beautiful and Pantene brand ambassador, Angelina was featured in national ads in Oprah, Ebony and Essence magazines and profiled in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and on BET. She has also appeared in ad campaigns for 23andMe, Hairfinity and more.

Angelina holds an M.A. in Management from Wake Forest University, a Certificate of Coaching from New York University and a B.A. in Political Science from Davidson College. Angelina serves on the board of Youth Communication and the steering committee for the Alvin Ailey’s Young Patrons Circle and was a founding member of the Wake Forest School of Business’ Development Council. She is a two-time Top 20 finalist for Miss New York USA, a marathoner, and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Suz works with executives pressured to implement strategic growth and innovation initiatives. She helps them identify the best solutions, mobilize employees, engage customers, implement technology, and improve business results. The executives she works with benefit from success on the initiative at hand, as well as, enhanced personal capability to lead future success.

Suz has an extensive background in leading strategic initiatives that transform business success. She helps leaders maximize their personal, team, and organizational success. She is a big proponent of programs that leverage analytics, technology, and employee engagement to drive customer experiences that optimize profitable corporate results. This is a win-win-win approach for employees, customers, and shareholders/owners.

Angelina Darrisaw Cheeks is a business and career coach, who firmly believes that career advancement is a social justice issue. As the founder and CEO of C-Suite Coach, a career-coaching platform that provides accessible professional development resources to diverse working professionals, Angelina collaborates with employers to create business solutions that empower and educate teams, as well as retain and engage diverse employees. She also facilitates transformative career workshops and experiences that have reached over 6,000 working and aspiring
professionals in person, through outlets like outlets including: TEDx, Brown University, West Point, Bank of America, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, WICT, Ebony Magazine’s WomenUp Series, and The NYC BAR Association. She has also appeared as a career expert on Univision and Fox 5.

A 1st prize winner of Uber’s NYC Pitch Competition, C-Suite Coach has a growing global client footprint with companies like BLKTechCLT, TIAA, and individual entrepreneurs and across the United States, Israel, Australia, Canada, and more. C-Suite Coach has been featured in
numerous media outlets, including Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Thrive Global, Essence, and career sites such as Levo.com, Recruiter.com and Monster.com. Angelina covered Google’s Thrive magazine, highlighting women business owners who
partner with Google, and services small businesses as a Google Digital Coach. She joins Google in bridging the digital divide, by offering free coaching and resources to over 2500 NY-based small businesses. She’s helped these businesses strategically revamp their digital
outreach strategies through over 70 in-person programs. C-Suite Coach now runs the program, nationally, supporting coaches for 8 major markets in this same work. She has also mentored entrepreneurs through General Assembly’s inaugural mentoring program and teaches related
content as an adjunct professor at New York University. These efforts helped her earn “Program of The Year” by Black Googlers and Walker’s Legacy Power25 award in 2017.

Prior to C-Suite Coach, Angelina was the Senior Manager of Digital Business Development at Viacom, developing strategic business partnerships with social media platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr and more. She did similar digital strategy work at ESPN. As a My Black is Beautiful and Pantene brand ambassador, Angelina was featured in national ads in Oprah, Ebony and Essence magazines and profiled in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and on BET. She has also appeared in ad campaigns for 23andMe, Hairfinity and more.

Angelina holds an M.A. in Management from Wake Forest University, a Certificate of Coaching from New York University and a B.A. in Political Science from Davidson College. Angelina serves on the board of Youth Communication and the steering committee for the Alvin Ailey’s Young Patrons Circle and was a founding member of the Wake Forest School of Business’ Development Council. She is a two-time Top 20 finalist for Miss New York USA, a marathoner, and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Valerie helps companies improve their bottom line by elevating employees from tactical thinkers to strategic leaders.

She served in senior leadership roles at RollsRoyce Aircraft before helping to found InterActiveCorp, parent company to Expedia, Home Shopping Network and TicketMaster. She then went to work for Oprah Winfrey, helping to found the Oxygen channel which was later sold to NBC Universal.

Valerie obtained her mechanical engineering degree from Kettering University and her MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Val’s book, Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality, helps leaders manage multiple generations in the office.

Gerry Valentine inspires people to build resilience—to overcome setbacks, to look at challenges in new ways, and to understand that adversity can become a source of resilience. Gerry’s a public speaker, executive coach, and business advisor with more than 25 years of Fortune 100 leadership experience. As the founder of Vision Executive Coaching, he is a trusted advisor to corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and entire companies.

Gerry is a TEDx speaker, is a contributor to Forbes.com, and has taught executive leadership at Colorado State University. Gerry earned a BS from Cornell University and an MBA from New York University.

Melodie Craft is an employment and labor lawyer with a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations and over 17 years of experience strategically counseling and successfully defending employers on all aspects of the employment and labor relationship. Melodie routinely defends employers in complex employment litigation in both state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the country. Her experience includes litigation in both the nationwide-based class and collective action as well as the individual single plaintiff contexts. She has successfully represented clients on appeal, presenting winning oral and written arguments before the appellate courts.

Melodie has built a reputation for providing employers with timely and pragmatic advice and strategic solutions. Melodie counsels companies regarding employment law issues on high stakes issues as well as daily advice. Her additional master's degree in human resources and industrial relations, her pursuit of a strategic decision and risk management certificate from Stanford University, and her extensive experience in employment and labor law provide her a special perspective on the issues faced by management, boards of directors, in-house attorneys, and human resources representatives, in addition to the ability to provide effective strategic advice and counseling. She frequently provides counsel on issues such as:

• Executive agreements
• Employee compensation
• Unfair competition, restrictive covenants, trade secrets
• Contractual and business practices issues, reductions-in-force
• Compliance, training, employment policy, procedure development, implementation, and audits
• Day-to-day labor and employment matters, such as hiring and firing, employee discipline and termination, worker leaves of absence, and discrimination and harassment allegations

Besides successfully litigating in state and federal courts across the country, Melodie has handled administrative matters before federal agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Labor (DOL), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and state governmental agencies throughout the United States. She has handled administrative matters including but not limited to the following issues:

• Compensation
• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Wrongful discharge
• Retaliation
• Employee leave and disability
• Safety
• Sarbanes-Oxley
• Union issues (including representation elections, grievances, collective bargaining and unfair labor practice proceedings)

Melodie is a frequent speaker and trainer and has presented on many employment-related topics including litigation avoidance, class action defense and strategy, discrimination and harassment, wage and hour issues, compliance, trade secrets and restrictive covenants, and conducting lawful investigations to such groups as the Association of Corporate Counsel, Chambers of Commerce, and various Bar Associations and Human Resources groups. She has also contributed to numerous books and publications on employment law topics.

Elizabeth is an attorney, HR professional, and diversity practitioner.  Effective July 16, 2018, she joined the Campbell Soup Company’s D&I team and will work on the  development and execution of key components of a new D&I strategy. Previously, Elizabeth was Partner/Chief Diversity Officer for Andrews Kurth Kenyon in Houston. Before joining the law firm in 2007, Elizabeth was VP Employment Relations/Corporate Diversity Officer for ARAMARK in Philadelphia. Elizabeth is a frequent speaker, training facilitator and author on D&I and employment law. Elizabeth received her J.D. from University of Michigan and her B.A. from American University.

Dr. Edward E. Hubbard, President and CEO of Hubbard & Hubbard, Inc., an International Business Performance Consulting Corp. specializing in Business Improvement, Diversity Return on Investment (DROI®) Measurement/Analytics, and organizational development.  Author of more than 59 DEI ROI and Business-related books, Dr. Hubbard is an expert in Organizational Analysis, ROI Measurement, Strategic Planning, and more. Dr. Hubbard was an honoree at the Inaugural International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals Living Legends of Diversity Award Ceremony in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico where he received the “Living Legends of Diversity Award” for creating the “Diversity ROI Analytics” and “Diversity Measurement Fields and their associated Disciplines” and is recognized globally as the creator of these unique sciences and fields of study. 

Dr. Hubbard received the “Excellence in Global Leadership Award” from the World HRD Congress (the highest individual professional award given), the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, the Sentry Award from the U.S. Pentagon, and many others.

Dr. Hubbard serves on the Harvard Business Review, Diversity Executive Magazine and Strategic Diversity & Inclusion Management (SDIM) magazine Editorial Advisory Boards and serves on the Board of Directors for The Ohio State University African American Alumni Society. He also holds a Practitioner Certification and Master Practitioner Certification in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), a Neuroscience discipline. Dr. Hubbard earned Bachelors, Masters Degrees from The Ohio State University and earned a Ph.D. with Honors in Business Administration.

Sara Taylor, President and Founder of deepSEE Consulting, has 35 years of extensive experience, nationally recognized as in the practice of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion serving local, national and global clients. While her areas of specialty are in both Diversity and Leadership Development, Sara has become a thought leader particularly in the field of Cultural Competence. Her bestselling book, Filter Shift: How Effective People SEE the World, is used by numerous individuals and organizations to increase success and create greater effectiveness. Sara holds a Master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development and, prior to founding deepSEE, held positions such as Chief Diversity Officer and Leadership and Diversity Specialist.