KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Kristal Howard leads storytelling and reputation management and serves as the national spokesperson for one of the world’s largest retailers.

Kristal graduated with honors from the University of Houston and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a focus on public relations and retailing and consumer science. She is a native of Austin, Texas and an avid traveler, vintage clothing collector, and passionate volunteer. PRWeek ranked Kristal #36 on its 2021 Power List, and she was also featured as one of 11 “Black Women to Know in PR, Tech & Digital Media” by EBONY magazine.

Maranda Joiner is a Brand Strategist who quit her job in 2018 to pursue her dream: to help people feel seen without guilt or shame so they can run into success with confidence. She helps entrepreneurs, creatives, and business owners identify their unique brand voice so they can use it in their marketing to make money.

She is a podcaster and author of the book, A Lot Alike: What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Branding and Purpose. She is a Jackson, MS native, and has consulted and served as the brand manager for talent, placing them in a position to perform at Essence, on Comedy Central, and TruTV. She worked as an on-air radio personality for fourteen years and for seven years of those years, she curated and hosted a thriving open mic that served as a launchpad for artists.

Born prematurely, at one pound and two ounces, Asha Boston knows a thing or two about fighting for the things you want in life-- including life itself.

Her work resume includes companies like AMC, BET, Lifetime, Bravo and most recently, Conde Nast. Asha currently serves as the founder of non-profit, The Dinner Table Documentary and President and CEO of a multimedia production company that creates original content, niche branding campaigns and program development for various non-profit and commercial entities.

With over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Asha continues to build her creative muscle as a filmmaker and consultant. She is currently working on her debut docu-series titled, “A Time Before Kale.” In 2019, Asha worked with Nike's NikeByYou and Cultivator to design a limited edition Nike Air Max React 270 inspired by the "A Time Before Kale" film.

Jasmine Marie is a speaker, breathwork practitioner, and the founder of black girls breathing™ and house of bgb. Her work is innovating the wellness, healthcare and research industry by making mental health services accessible to Black women while filling in the gaps of data and research available on this underserved and underrepresented demographic.

Marie plans to impact 1 Million Black women and girls with her work by 2025. She is a serial founder with a past life in global hair care brand marketing and an alum of NYU Stern. The impact and range of her work to date is expansive—ranging from underserved minority communities to stressed-out college students and executives.

She’s brought her expertise to elite colleges such as Harvard Business School, Columbia University, Cornell University and her client list includes corporations such as Under Armour, Capital One, Estee Lauder Companies, Ford Motor Company, and Twitter. Marie has been featured in Good Morning America, VOGUE, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Glamour, Nylon Mag, and Black Enterprise to name a few.

Williams is a Health enthusiast, Yogi mother of three, and founder of Mama Nature’s Juice Bar located in Jackson, Mississippi. Keyah continues to spread the message of health and wellness through the convenience of food by reconnecting her community with the benefits of choosing Natural products. She has expanded into new Industries since starting her mission through Yoga, Real Estate, and Keynote Speaking. She drives the message of supporting local businesses, entrepreneurs, and craftsmen through sourcing much of her companies products locally.

With hard work and dedication TKeyah opened one of the first plant based juice bars in her area in 2018 and proceeded to open the 2nd location 2019, and her latest venture, “Fit Nutrition; The Smoothie Bar '' in 2020. Williams was Awarded SBA 2020 Young Entrepreneur of the Year on account of her company's growth and success in Mississippi since its beginning in 2016. You can check up on Williams Entrepreneurial Missions through her many features in The JFP, 3+ Local News stations, The Clarion Ledger, BOOM magazine, SBA.Gov, documentaries, and countless other write ups.

Her initiatives continue to introduce the community to Health benefits while building a life of Wellness around Entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneur strives to Franchise their Juice Bar model, continue building local real estate, and spreading the message of Wellness wherever a community is in need. Check her out on social media FB, IG, & Twitter @mamanatures and @keyahw or online at www.mamanatureswellness.com.

For over a decade Yasmin Salina has dedicated her time, resources and heart to mentoring inner-city youth and preparing them to enter higher education and the workforce. A sixth-generation Washingtonian, Yasmin has strong familial roots within DC. Seeing her family reside in low-income housing and navigate the challenging realities of poverty in DC, Yasmin has been inspired to use the access and resources she’s acquired as a Black professional to bridge the tech, education, and employment gap in hub zones across the District.

A first-generation graduate whose commitment for people led her to the Obama White House, Yasmin is especially committed to advancing outcomes for residents in Ward 7 and Ward 8 who are exposed to gun violence and generational poverty. As founder and Executive Director of The Hustlers Guild, a capacity building nonprofit that has worked with District of Columbia Public Schools, tech companies like Facebook, influencers like Snoop Dogg and Anthony Anderson, and record companies to teach critical tech skills to students and to place youth into paid opportunities.

Over the last year, Ms. Salina has co-piloted a nationally acclaimed gun violence intervention program “Don’t Shoot Guns, Shoot Cameras (DSGSC); DSGSC uplifts student expression through the art of filmmaking while also exposing DC youth to the basic foundation of Social and Emotional Learning.

Yasmin’s ability to connect youth to resources is unparalleled. Under her leadership, over 1,500 DC students have received free virtual and in-person programming since the pandemic, with Salina’s initiative having some of the highest student engagement rates in the nation.

Yasmin has partnered with bringing corporations such as Sony Music Entertainment, Monumental Sports, Roc Nation, to the District and organizations across the country, Yasmin’s nonprofit has provided over $50,000 worth of technology to over 2,000 Black youth from low-income neighborhoods.

A public health leader, consultant, educator, business woman and author, Dr. Tionna L. Jenkins, has over 15 years of public health experience and is dedicated to improving the well-being of communities, organizations, and individuals.

As an executive, public health leader, senior advisor, multi-industry player and master negotiator, Dr. Jenkins portfolio includes working alongside global foundations and national government organizations (NGO's) like, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Bush Presidential Library, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Clinton Presidential Library and policy leaders and national influencers like, the honorable President Bill Clinton, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson, Governor Mike Beebe & Governor Mike Huckabee as well as major corporations, like Verizon Wireless and the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), just to name a few.

Dr. Jenkins is the CEO & Founder of Plate It Healthy, a public health and wellness company that provides strategic guidance to executives & organizations to improve health and well-being. Other services include providing culinary experiences, via the Plate It Healthy Cooking Academy. Through the cumulation of food, science, technology and education, the Plate It Healthy Cooking Academy specializes in teaching wellness, culturally infused and hands-on cooking courses, specializing in vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, whole foods and raw food dishes.

She has been recognized for her achievements and held numerous national and local board appointments, including the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Health Equity Council, a subject matter expert in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) by the Alliance for Reaching Community Health Equity, Arkansas Business 40 Under 40, a national fellow for Association for Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Arkansas Children's Hospital and as Board of Trustee member for Philander Smith College.