Virtual Pass

Mimi Dixon is a highly motivated and dynamic thought leader with +20 years of expertise in Integrated, Shopper & Sports marketing for leading global brands. She describes herself as a “Big Idea Generator, Activation Master, Strategic Thought Leader and Passionate Marketer”. Currently, she is Director – Brand Activation & Content at Crayola. In this role, she spearheads Advertising, PR, Shopper Marketing, National marketing campaigns and Digital & Social Content & Imagery. Most recently, she led the development & activation of Crayola’s 2020 Colors of the World skin tone crayon launch which garnered over 3 billion impressions to date and has gone on to win various marketing, diversity & inclusion & product industry awards including a TOTY (Toy of The Year) award for Creative Toy of the Year. Mimi also serves as the Chair for Crayola’s first Diversity & Inclusion Council & is hard at work in building the council’s foundation for both the council and the company.

Mimi has been featured in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Diversity Woman, AdWeek and CBS Saturday morning. She has also served as a 2021 judge for the Effie, AME and ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards. Prior to joining Crayola in June of 2014, Mimi held various roles within increasing responsibility at Campbell Soup Company over a tenure of 16 years. During this time period, Mimi executed copious national marketing campaigns, managed the company’s NFL sponsorship for eight years, activated numerous brand & celebrity partnerships and lead retail specific activation for key retailers like Target, Kroger & Publix.

When Mimi is not creating or activating the next successful national marketing campaign, she enjoys traveling, reading, binge-watching true crime & reality TV shows, shoe shopping and spending time with family and friends. Mimi is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and completes public service activities with her local alumnae chapter. Mimi has a Bachelor’s of Arts from Rutgers University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Delaware. She currently resides in Hamilton, New Jersey.

Mark X. Cronin is the co-founder, along with his son John, of John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. His leadership has demonstrated that pursuing social goals – demonstrating what people with differing abilities can achieve and giving back – makes for good business.

Mark advocates for the rights of differently abled people. His advocacy work has seen Mark testify before Congress twice, speak at the UN and make numerous trips to Capitol Hill. Mark is a sought-after speaker having spoken at events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  Mark is part of the U.S. State Department’s Speakers’ Bureau.  

Mark served as the Chief Operating officer of multiple health care management and technology firms, founded a software company, organized political campaigns and worked as a Congressional aide. Mark began his career as a schoolteacher and has taught in graduate schools as well.

Mark has an undergraduate degree from Holy Cross and a Masters of Public Policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard University. He has been named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and is a Board member for the Long Island Chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization.

Jim Davis is an HR Expert who has written for HR publications for 6 years and hosted HR podcasts for 3 years. His professional success has come in the face of a life-long struggle with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or ADHD. He has spoken with hundreds of HR professionals, experts, and leaders about the world of employment and has always focused on under-employed groups including those with disabilities and learning disorders. He strives to help organizations understand the true value of these employees and dispel damaging myths about them.Jim Davis is an HR Expert who has written for HR publications for 6 years and hosted HR podcasts for 3 years. His professional success has come in the face of a life-long struggle with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or ADHD. He has spoken with hundreds of HR professionals, experts, and leaders about the world of employment and has always focused on under-employed groups including those with disabilities and learning disorders. He strives to help organizations understand the true value of these employees and dispel damaging myths about them.

EBONY BLAKE is a native of Dayton, OH and a graduate of Wright State University.  Most recently, she opened the San Francisco production of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child at the Curran Theatre.  Her regional theatre appearances include Little Shop of Horrors (Portland Center Stage), Black Nativity (Classical Theatre of Harlem), and Nefertiti: A Concert of Music and Dance (alongside the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater).  Ebony’s favorite job was traveling across the U.S. in the first national tour of the musical, The Book of Mormon, written by the creators of South Park. She’s an avid reader, loves to make her husband snort-laugh, and she thinks she could be on Jeopardy, but is probably more suited for Family Feud. 

Deniece Maston has 14+ years of HR experience.  Her areas of expertise in employee relations, performance management, talent acquisition, benefits and compensation is a great addition to the Knowledge Center team.  Prior to working at SHRM, Deniece spent a majority of her career in human resource positions in the government contracting industry.  Along with having her SHRM-CP, Deniece has a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. She also holds the SHRM California Law HR and the Workplace Investigations Credentials, and the People Manager Qualification.

Hi there! My name is Hope Carr, and I am the Education Manager at Austin Zoo! My role is to educate the public on just how amazing the animals here are, and to teach people what we can do to protect and conserve their wild counterparts. I have a Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Conservation from BYU, and have worked at two other zoos in my career thus far. I have a passion for all things animal-related and the great outdoors! 

Kim has been practicing yoga for over 12 years and teaching since 2014. After dealing with chronic pain and mental health issues, she knew that it was the power of breath, movement, and presence that would lead to her healing. She completed her 300-hour advanced training in 2017 in South Florida and currently teaches at Wild Heart Yoga in Austin, TX. Other trainings include Core-Strength Vinyasa, Thai Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Transcendental Meditation. Students can expect Kim to teach from a place of intuition and authenticity, infusing her classes with breath-work, mindfulness, and an opportunity to show up exactly where you are on your path towards better health and your Highest Self.

Katie Hunter was a veteran Hill staffer with over 10 years of policy experience serving multiple members of Congress before joining SHRM. Katie most recently served as Legislative Director for Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12), Ranking Member of the HELP Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee. Katie’s primary focus during her time on the Hill has been labor, health, education, and tax issues. Katie started her career with Congressman H. Morgan Griffith (VA-09), member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Yvette Lee, SHRM-SCP, is an HR Knowledge Advisor at SHRM, the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 300,000+ members in more than 165 countries. Yvette possesses over 25 years of human resources experience. Her expertise includes talent management, benefits, compensation, diversity and inclusion, employee relations, ethics and compliance, and employee development. A published author of several articles in SHRM's HR Magazine on various topics, Yvette holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Virginia. She also holds the SHRM California Law HR, Talent Acquisition, Inclusive Workplace Culture, People Manager Qualification and HR Dept. of One Specialty Credentials. Yvette enjoys spending time with her family and doing community service.

Amber Clayton is the Senior Director of Knowledge Center Operations at SHRM.  Amber leads a team of HR experts who field an average of 60,000 HR-related inquiries from members a year.  She is frequently sought after as a speaker and expert for webinars, conferences, and media interviews.  Amber co-hosts a podcast called Honest HR.  She is SHRM-certified with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore.  She also holds specialty credentials in California law, inclusive workplace culture, and workplace investigations.  Prior to joining SHRM in 2011, she had years of HR experience in healthcare and retail.