Dr. Andrea Bowens-Jones, a polymer chemist by training, is a former Procter & Gamble (P&G) R&D Section Head (Director). She has managed multi–discipline teams, developing brands like Secret, Old Spice, and Gillette. She also developed the Resident Scholar Program (RSP), a job-shadowing program for minority youth. Additionally, she launched IDG Vision, a training and development firm, in 2015. Dr. Andrea now serves as Director of Corporate Initiatives at the National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT).

Ashley M. Jones is the Poet Laureate of the State of Alabama (2022-2026). She holds an MFA in Poetry from Florida International University. As an author and award-winning poet, her work appears in or is forthcoming at CNN, POETRY, and more. She is co-director at PEN Birmingham, founding director of the Magic City Poetry Festival, teacher at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and part of the Core Faculty of the Converse University Low Residency MFA Program.

Will Lochamy has hosted “Oh Brother Radio” on Birmingham Mountain Radio since 2010 and has been the co-host and producer of “The Morning Blend With Reg and Will” since 2016. Beyond the radio waves, he has hosted the statewide satirical sports show “The Iron Bowl Hour” and was a regular commentator on ESPN’s The SEC Network

Malcolm McDonald is GM at Endeavor in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to Endeavor, Malcolm worked in and around startups and small businesses, helping them access the resources and capital they needed to grow. He was also one of the early team members at TruckerPath, and he led sales and marketing for Porter Freight Funding. Most recently, he was a co-founding partner of Vicinity, an investment crowdfunding platform for startups, SMBs, and real estate projects in the Southeast.