Meet the Speakers

Conscious Collisions Summit 2025

Dianne Austin

Dianne Austin is the co-founder and CEO of the startup, Coils to Locs, a direct to hospital and ecommerce distributor of beautiful, premium fiber coily, curly synthetic wigs for medical hair loss for Black women or any woman with highly textured hair experiencing either medical or non-medical hair loss, or for any woman who just loves wearing wigs. Coils to Locs has been featured on The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Today Show, Forbes, PEOPLE, Elle, among other media outlets and publications.

Coils to Locs is at the forefront of addressing and disrupting an unrecognized health care disparity at hospital cancer centers and medical hair loss salons which disproportionately impacts Black women experiencing chemotherapy-related or other forms of hair loss: The lack of coily, curly wigs that are available at cancer centers and hair loss centers in the U.S. that can be purchased with (or without) health insurance reimbursement. Dianne is a breast cancer survivor, thriver and an HR, diversity and inclusion expert turned community engager and entrepreneur.

Maxine Clark

Maxine Clark is the Founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop®, a teddy-bear themed retail-entertainment experience. In 2004, Build-A-Bear became a public company traded on the NYSE. Today there are nearly 500 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide and over 250 million stuffed animals have been sold world-wide. In 2022, Build-A-Bear celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2025 Maxine was inaugurated into the International Toy Hall of Fame.

Maxine stepped down from her CEB (Chief Executive Bear) position in 2013 to start her next act-- to help unleash the potential of women and minority entrepreneurs and to use her entrepreneurial skills to create platforms and places that give access to more
St. Louis families. Her latest venture is the Delmar DivINe™—the transformation of a neighborhood eyesore, the historic St. Luke’s Hospital in the St. Louis West End, into a multi-use real estate development opened in late 2021.

Maxine is an Emeritus member of the Build-A-Bear Workshop Board of Directors and a recent past member of Footlocker, Inc. Board of Directors. Maxine is also an Emeritus member of the Washington University Board of Trustees and an Emeritus member and former Chair of Goldfarb School of Nursing. She now serves on the boards of Arch Grants, Operation Food Search, PBS national and Nine PBS boards. In 2017 Maxine was named to the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame and in 2015 was named Women of the Year by the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation.

Maxine is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis University and an Honorary Doctor in Human Letters from the University of Missouri St. Louis and The A.T. Still School of Dental Medicine and an Honorary Associates degree from St. Louis Community College.

Shelin David

Shelin David is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and strategic finance expert dedicated to financial inclusivity and gender equity. As the founder of CFOWorx, she provides high-level strategic finance guidance to startups and scaling businesses, specializing in capital raising and venture capital navigation.

She also leads SheBacks.Me, creating alternative capital pathways for women entrepreneurs through revenue-based financing, angel syndicates, and investor education. In 2022, through Women For Impact, she organized Australia’s first pitch night for women founders of color, connecting them directly with investors.

Her work spans Australia, the US, and Asia-Pacific, engaging with global investor networks and speaking alongside Silicon Valley leaders on capital access and the evolving role of the CFO. At the core of her mission is the belief that community is capital and connection is power, driving systemic change in economic narratives.

Aurelia Flores

Aurelia Flores is the Director of Virginia Invests, the VVP fund of funds program. Aurelia has been involved in the startup and venture ecosystem for over two decades and has assisted early-stage businesses in obtaining funding since the late 1990s.

She co-founded Citrine Angels, an angel group of women investing in women, and has played an important role in various capital access programs, including incubators and accelerators. Before becoming a professional investor, Aurelia played a key role on corporate acquisition teams for a corporate 1000 company after graduating from Stanford Law School in the mid-90s.

Hope Knight

Hope Knight is former Chair of MMC’s Board of Trustees and currently New York State’s Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development and President/CEO of Empire State Development. She was previously President and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, one of New York’s oldest not-for-profit local development corporations. Prior positions include Chief Operating Officer of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) and Vice President of the Institutional Equities Division at Morgan Stanley and worked for that firm in its Tokyo office from 1997 to 2000. Ms. Knight has twice been an Adjunct Lecturer at MMC in Corporate Finance courses and is an alumna of the College, receiving her BA in Business Management in 1985. She has also worked in the Commissioner’s Office of the Department of General Services as Director, Planning and Analysis for the City of New York. Ms. Knight received her BA in Business from MMC and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Jill Johnson

Jill Johnson is a nationally-recognized thought leader and trailblazer working to foster an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for people from historically excluded populations.

Jill co-founded the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL) in 2002 and serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the nonprofit organization. Now in its twentieth year, IFEL leverages the power of relationship capital to create pathways to success for Black and Latinx founders, entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Jill is a speaker on topics including: community economic development, business plan development, entrepreneurship, minority and women small business growth, and access to capital.

Maya Madsen

Maya Madsen is the founder and CEO of Maya’s Cookies, America’s #1 Black-Owned Gourmet Vegan Cookie Company. As a vegan with a sweet tooth she had not been able to find perfectly delicious, soft-baked gourmet vegan cookies, so she spent years crafting award-winning and crowd pleasing recipes. She started her gourmet cookie business in 2015 by selling her baked goods at farmers markets in the area and online. Her company was steadily growing year after year. Then, in the summer of 2020, the civil unrest sweeping the nation prompted a list of black-owned businesses to be shared world wide, and Maya’s Cookies made that list (because they are delicious). Since that summer she has opened two brick-and-mortar stores while also maintaining her online sales, as well as selling on the Home Shopping Network.

Maya is committed to superior customer service and community engagement with a focus on youth and underserved communities. She is a career partner with Kitchens For Good, an organization whose apprenticeship program for those who have barriers to employment such as justice system involvement, a history of foster care, mental health or or substance abuse challenges, or unsheltered living, gives people a chance to become certified in the culinary arts. She is also a mentor at Promises to Kids, San Marcos Boys and Girls Clubs and serves on the boards of Fred Finch, Junior Achievement San Diego, and San Marcos Chamber of Commerce.

She ran 5 marathons while working as a personal fitness instructor and trainer for 30 years before exchanging her gym shoes for oven mitts. She and her husband Dustin have 3 sons, one who now works for Maya’s Cookies.

Patrice Neely

Patrice Neely is the Founder and CEO at GoLogic.
Neely is a second-generation serial entrepreneur, and an economic architect with over ten years of experience inventing innovative ecosystems solutions. She is the founder and CEO of GoLogic, where she invented GoTackle, the first automated consulting and data analytics platform for economic development organizations and their small business clients.

With GoTackle, Patrice and her team are helping businesses overcome the most significant barriers to success, such as technology, data, strategy, and access to capital, while transforming how their advisors and consultants support them in delivering economic impact for future generations. Patrice is also a small business advocate, a Small Business Advocacy Council board member of IL, and an entrepreneur in residence at Northwestern University. She has won multiple awards and recognitions for her innovation and leadership, including being backed by Google and Techstars. Patrice is passionate about changing the world and empowering businesses to thrive in the digital economy.

Evan Poncelet

Evan Poncelet is a founding managing partner of Dreamward Ventures and the executive director of Venture Black, a nonprofit with the mission to connect, empower, and support Black and ally founders and investors of all experience levels who are specifically interested in pursuing high growth, venture scale, market opportunities. He is a Seattle Angel Conference, VCLab Venture Institute, and BLCK VC Black Venture Institute alumn in addition to having spent 12+ years in the software industry as a developer and program manager in both Seattle and Silicon Valley. His passion for high-impact economic justice is rooted in the legacy of his grandfather who co-founded the Liberty Bank in 1968 to combat the effects of the redlining of in Seattle's Central District which had been the home of the majority of the city's Black residents since its founding a century earlier.

Robert Principe

Robert Principe is a White guy. That’s not distinctive. What is distinctive is that Robert has spent more than 30 years working to address the challenges associated with implementing effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies in dozens of companies and organizations. He has spoken on DEI-focused topics to hundreds of people all across the U.S. Robert has been tenacious in his effort to deconstruct the uninterrupted access America’s socioeconomic system has afforded him, yet he does not hesitate to broadcast: “It’s more about what I don’t know about inequity, and what I need to engage more directly - even after 30 years of DEI work.”

Robert’s innovative coaching model, Clearing the Way for Value-Based Decision-Making has helped many leaders move beyond professional and organizational challenges and recognize the unconscious biases that can negatively impact their decision-making.

Ellen Remmer

Ellen Remmer is Co-Founder of Invest for Better, a non-profit organization that helps women activate their investment resources for a more just and sustainable world. She also serves as a Senior Partner at The Philanthropic Initiative, where she was formerly CEO and President. Ellen is a passionate advocate for women using the power of investing and philanthropy to influence social and environmental change, a path she has pursued with her own resources and as President of her family’s foundation. She has served on a number of nonprofit Boards including the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Wesleyan University, Prosperity Catalyst and the Boston Children’s Museum. She currently serves on the boards of the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the Remmer Family Foundation, as well as on the Leadership Council of Oxfam America. She lives in Boston and Maine with her husband Chris, and is delighted to have 2 grown, married children, and 3 wonderful grandchildren.

Wendy Ryan

Wendy Ryan, MHROD, is the CEO of Kadabra and Angel Investor. She leads an interdisciplinary team of experts who are future-proofing leadership through The Learn Lead Lift Framework®, introduced in her award-winning and bestselling book, "Learn Lead Lift: How to Think, Act, and Inspire Your Way to Greatness." In addition to her work with Kadabra, Wendy advises and invests in early-stage companies. Her impact facilitating access to capital for historically excluded founders and fund managers is featured in the award-winning documentary film, "Show Her The Money." Throughout her 30+ year career in human resources, organizational development and executive development Wendy has partnered with hundreds of individuals, teams and organizations globally, propelling front-line through C-suite leaders and board members to new levels of success.

Ashli Sims

Ashli Sims is a storyteller who breaks down barriers and opens doors so Black entrepreneurs can build wealth for themselves, their families, and future generations. She has twenty years of experience, working as a news reporter, an advocate for vulnerable children, a fundraiser and a nonprofit leader. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University and has a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Oklahoma Center of Nonprofits. Ashli has raised more than $16 Million for four different organizations. She joined the Build in Tulsa team in April of 2021, charged with helping raise money for the effort, before she was promoted to lead the initiative in February of 2022. Since Build in Tulsa launched operations three and a half years ago, the network has grown to include 650 entrepreneurs, facilitating 20,000 hours of training and coaching and investing $13 Million with underrepresented founders. Ashli is an Aspen Institute 2023 Health Communities Fellow, a board member of Gradient, the Tulsa Local News Initiative and a community pantry and soup kitchen, Iron Gate. She’s been featured in Forbes, Essence, and Fortune. As Managing Director of Build in Tulsa, Ashli is helping reclaim the narrative: Black Wall Street is not a history lesson, but a blueprint. She believes the next Black-led billion-dollar company will be based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hyacinth Tucker

Hyacinth Tucker is the founder and owner of The Laundry Basket LLC, an innovative, eco-friendly laundry, dry cleaning, and alterations service that offers convenient, on-demand solutions with a commitment to sustainability and community impact. Originally from Jamaica, Hyacinth has a rich background in business, having previously built and sold a successful Allstate insurance agency and operated multiple event venues. With a strong focus on empowering minority and veteran entrepreneurs, she is in the process of expanding The Laundry Basket LLC through a franchise model, creating economic opportunities for underrepresented communities.

Beyond her business acumen, Hyacinth brings a personal passion for community service to her work. She has partnered with local organizations to provide laundry services to the homeless and works closely with non-profits to support employment training for those in need. Her entrepreneurial journey and dedication to sustainability have earned her recognition in major publications, and she continues to inspire others with her story of resilience and innovation. Hyacinth’s goal is to make The Laundry Basket LLC a national leader in sustainable laundry solutions while creating a positive impact in every community it serves.

Q. Nicole Vanderhorst

Q. Nicole Vanderhorst is the CEO of WH Farms Co. - a USDA licensed, vertically integrated botanical manufacturing company based in Charlotte. As a B2B company, WH Farms Co. help wellness entrepreneurs like home health nurses, chiropractors and massage therapists along with other brands and businesses launch their CBD product line.

Q. Nicole studied at the University of Maryland, the University of Nice and Duke University.
Professionally, she was recognized as a recipient of Top40 Under 40, Winner of NC Idea SEED Award, Black Ambition Prize Finalist and a member of Launch CLT & Winston Starts.

Kelly Ann Winget

Kelly Ann Winget is a visionary leader in alternative investments and the driving force behind Alternative Wealth Partners (AWP). She has raised nearly $1 billion in private capital, driven by a mission to bring institutional-grade investments to a diverse base of investors. At AWP, she leads a team specializing in non-correlated assets like oil and gas, private equity, and venture investing, all aimed at serving “everyday millionaires.” Committed to financial inclusivity, she advocates for investors who seek sophisticated options beyond traditional avenues. Kelly Ann shares her insights through LinkedIn, her book Pitch the Bitch, and keynote appearances at events like Alts Expo and Women’s Venture Summit. Her insights have been featured in prominent media like Forbes, Fast Company, and NASDAQ. Through AWP, she continues to redefine wealth as a means of empowerment, paving the way for impactful investments across diverse communities.