Devon Townsend is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Cameo, the leading marketplace connecting the world’s talent with fans and brands through personalized videos and more. Townsend was previously a Vine influencer who regularly received shout-out requests from fans, which helped shape Cameo’s business model. Townsend holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Duke University, and he received Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. 30 Under 30 honors in 2019.

Rodney Williams is the Co-Founder of SoLo Funds, the largest community finance platform in the US and the US’s only Black led Certified B Corp fintech. Prior to SoLo, Rodney also founded
LISNR. Rodney has been recognized with numerous awards, including Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 in 2012; Cannes Gold Lion award in 2015; and CNBC Disruptor 50 List in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2023. Rodney is a graduate of West Virginia University and Howard University.

Sherrell Dorsey is the CEO of Plexus, and the former Founder and CEO of The Plug. Her work has been featured in VICE, The Washington Post, and more. Sherrell has also been a contributing writer for publications like Columbia Journalism Review, Fast Company, and others. Dorsey previously served as a marketing manager for companies like Uber and Google Fiber. She is an author and the host of TED Tech, the creators of TED Talks.

Songe LaRon is the Co-Founder and CEO of SQUIRE Technologies, creators of a new software category: barbershop business management. LaRon earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and graduated Cum Laude from UCLA with a degree in Philosophy. LaRon spent the early part of his career as a corporate lawyer. Today, SQUIRE delivers the only all-in-one barbershop management platform to over 3,000 barbershops—with 7.6 million clients having booked appointments through the platform.

Shegun Otulana is the Founder and CEO of Harmony Venture Labs (HVL), an idea and growth studio that owns and operates a family of technology companies. He also serves as the CEO of Copysmith AI. In 2013, Shegun founded TheraNest and later, its parent company, Therapy Brands, a software platform for mental, behavioral, substance and physical rehab providers and organizations. Prior to establishing Therapy Brands, he founded Zertis Technologies, a computer software consultancy company.

Candice Matthews Brackeen is the Founder and CEO at Lightship Foundation, the inclusion-focused entrepreneur enrichment program guiding minority founders with instruction in product development, brand building, leveraging artificial intelligence for business and fundraising. She also works on the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium for NASA, leading diversity of thought as new cultures and economies are developed. She sits on the advisory committee and selection committees for technology for the Ohio State University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center

Afua Bruce is a leading public interest technologist who works at the intersection of technology, policy, and society. Afua is the Principal of the ANB Advisory Group LLC, a consulting firm that supports organizations developing, implementing, or funding responsible data and technology. Afua is also an author and adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, an affiliate at Harvard Kennedy School’s Berkman Klein Center.

With a master’s degree in Management from Wake Forest University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hendrix College, Aleeya brings a unique blend of business acumen and psychological expertise to her work. Through her role as an Associate Director of Operations, she actively uses a data-driven approach to improving policies, procedures, and the overall employee experience. Aleeya strives to empower individuals and organizations to thrive by embracing diversity and creating positive, transformative work cultures.

Allison Scott, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and the former Chief Research Officer who led research to enhance diversity in tech. Previously, Dr. Scott was the Program Leader for the NIH’s Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-funded Workforce Program and Director of Research and Evaluation at the Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI). She led the
longitudinal evaluation of LPFI’s pre-college STEM intervention programs and is Principal Investigator for an NSF CE21 grant.

Andrew is a Founding Partner of GrowthX, a venture capital fund that helps and invests in rising city founders. In 1998, Andrew began his tech career as a lawyer. He then joined DoubleClick
leading to the Google acquisition, co-founded a business at Thomson Financial leading to the Reuters acquisition, and served as Publisher of Reuters News. Andrew is a Kauffman Fellow, Founding Board Member of the Oher Foundation, and visiting lecturer at Vanderbilt where he teaches seminars.