CJ Johnson is an acclaimed Content Creator and Startup Advisor, successfully servicing small businesses to Fortune 50 clients, worldwide and a prominent digital influencer with hundreds of thousands of online supporters. CJ is best known for creating successful influencer marketing campaigns as both a Content Creator and as a Consultant. Listed as one of the “Top Creators To Watch” and “Rising Voices in Media”, he uses his voice for creative storytelling to provide inspiration, industry insights, and work/life balance tips for emerging generations. As an advisor, CJ specializes in digital brand strategy, creative campaigns, influencer marketing, future of work, diversity & inclusion, and trend forecasting. His work focuses on the following industries: technology, fashion, lifestyle, social, entertainment, and travel. Currently, he continues to service his clients while also being an active board member of various social organizations and tech startups. When he isn’t working he’s enjoying life as a #girldad and cherishing the small moments with his family, friends, and community.

Carmen Ortiz-McGhee is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), the trade association and largest network of diverse-owned private equity firms and hedge funds. The NAIC’s membership is comprised of more than 130 members managing over $250 billion in institutional capital. As Chief Operating Officer, Carmen provides strategic oversight over all NAIC programs and initiatives, and leads the organization’s key industry alliances and corporate partnerships. 

Prior to joining NAIC, Carmen served as Senior Vice President at Aon plc. In this role, she was responsible for driving growth across all risk and health product lines in the Mid-Atlantic. Carmen guided the turnaround of the sales team, improved culture and performance, and pushed the team to its highest revenue generation and overall best performance in over a decade. Carmen also served as a member of Aon’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. In 2014, she was tapped as one of Business Insurance Magazine’s Top 25 Women to Watch. 

Before joining Aon, Carmen was Vice President of Investor Relations for a boutique real estate private equity firm with $1 billion in assets under management. Prior to her time in real estate private equity, Carmen spent her career leading a variety of national nonprofits that advocate on behalf of ethnically diverse professionals, asset managers and entrepreneurs. Previously, Carmen was President of The Marathon Club (TMC), an organization established to accelerate relationships among the best and brightest business minds in the U.S. to create enhanced wealth creation and deal flow for ethnically diverse professionals. Carmen led programs both in the US and abroad. 

Prior to leading TMC, Carmen created value for a number of non-profit organizations. In her various roles at these organizations, Carmen led corporate fundraising strategies; membership recruitment efforts, raising the diversity and number of participants; content development, innovating unique approaches and managing the logistical implementation of the annual meetings, trade shows & conferences. 

Carmen is a passionate advocate for diverse and women-owned businesses and regularly speaks at conferences and events on various issues related to empowerment of women in business, scaling diverse businesses, authentic leadership, among others. A proud graduate of the University of Virginia, she currently serves as Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee of the Communities in Schools national board, she sits on the Hispanics in Philanthropy PowerUp Fund Impact Cabinet, as well as on the MBA Fund I Investment Committee. 

The Inclusive Leadership Speaker

Melissa Majors is a crowd-pleasing speaker who masters brain-friendly talks that engage her audiences and spark not just inspiration but action as well. Melissa Majors, CEO of Melissa Majors Consulting is an innovator and optimizer of education, inclusion, and leadership strategies. She has dedicated her career to maximizing the business impact associated with these areas of focus.

Her firm has extensive experience and a proven reputation for driving better business outcomes through innovative and inclusive strategic planning. They bring deep expertise in improving profitability and innovation, boosting team and organizational
performance, and optimizing inclusion strategies. Melissa formally studied strategy and innovation at Harvard University. Melissa is featured in publications such as Forbes Magazine, Smart Meetings, The Meeting Professional, NorthStar Meetings Group's Eventful Podcast, The Event DR, and on the keynote stage at events such as Meeting Professional's International's WEC, The Northwest Event Show, Catalyst Events, Legg Mason's DEI Conference, and many more. Melissa delivers talks on various subjects associated with leadership learning, and"blameless" inclusion. She differentiates her content by blending research, neuroscience, purposeful stories, and fun.