Leo Wong

VP Product Development, ZNest, Senior Marketing Strategist, lunchbox, Diversity & Inclusion Specialist

Leo is currently the VP of Product Development for a senior housing tech starting called ZNest, Senior Marketing Strategist for an anti-theft music festival hydration pack brand called lunchbox, owner and operator of a memory care and assisted living home in Las Vegas, and was an Adjunct Professor for the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communications up until last semester. He launched his advertising career after graduating from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications by ways of 4A’s MAIP, AAF’s MPMS, and ADCOLOR Futures programs where he worked in account management and diversity & inclusion roles at Digitas, Droga5, and McCann Worldgroup. Leo has been honored as the 4A’s MAIP Intern of the Year, AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Rising Star, 4A's "100 People Who Make Advertising Great,” Mr. ADCOLOR, and Syracuse University’s Generation Orange Award recognizing young alumni who have made significant contributions to their communities and to the University.

Larry Brantley

President, Chaloner

Larry Brantley is the president of Chaloner. Chaloner is a national executive search firm specializing in communications, public relations and marketing recruitment. Larry has more than 30 years of experience in the communications, marketing and advertising fields. One of his first key jobs was as a packaging designer at Frito-Lay where he developed his networking and people skills. He eventually started the first creative staffing firm in the DFW area. Since then he has been involved in recruiting and placement of industry professionals both nationally and internationally. Larry has worked with such firms as JCPenney, HP, Perdue Farms, McDonalds, Texas Instruments, Johnson Outdoors, PRSA, TracyLocke, MacDougall Biotech, Phillips 66, Frito-Lay and Edelman. He has placed brand, creative, account service, communications, interactive/web, public relations, marketing, media, traffic, production and other executive level talent. Larry has been interviewed as a staffing industry expert by Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, PRWeek, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, PROMO Magazine, Communication Arts Magazine, Dallas Men Magazine, The Dallas Business Journal and The Houston Business Journal. He has recently completed podcast interviews as a recruitment expert for several podcasts. He is an award-winning designer through IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) and is a long-term member of AAF where he serves as a part of the executive leadership for the 10th district and Chair for AAF Council of Governors on the national level. He currently splits his time between Dallas and NYC. He has 3 sons.

Leslie Bee

Director of Talent, Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Leslie has worked at GS&P for 19 of the last 25 years. She’s been the Director of Human Resources, General Manager (briefly), Director of Communications and currently recruits for the agency’s account management, strategy and administrative departments as Director of Talent. Additionally, Leslie leads the SF chapter of Omniwomen, co-leads the agency’s L&D efforts and manages its intern program. Leslie graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Rhetoric. Prior to advertising, she was a foreign-exchange trader on Wall Street, a bond trader in London and an associate producer of a radio station in Berkeley. Leslie loves an adventure. In the last five years she’s biked to Los Angeles from San Francisco, trekked to Everest Base Camp and hiked to Machu Picchu and pretended to by a cowboy in Wyoming. Leslie has two accomplished daughters who live in LA. She lives in a 119 year old house in Marin County, outside San Francisco.

Dynasty Williams

Junior Talent Acquisition and ERG Specialist, Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Dynasty joined GS&P in February of 2022 as a Junior Talent Acquisition and ERG Specialist. She’s currently working under the ED&I department, providing support to the Employee Resource Group leads while developing recruitment strategies and new hires processes. Dynasty also supports the social media efforts of GS&P’s The Academy. Currently, Dynasty works for GS&P remotely, staying in Tallahassee until her twin sister finishes her Pharm-D program. Dynasty was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After 18, Dynasty moved from Chicago to Greensboro, NC, then to Tallahassee, FL. In December of 2021, she graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in Public Relations. After moving from Chicago, she realized how much she missed the city’s cuisine. Since then, Dynasty’s been trying to create those same meals at home.

Marcus Collins, Ph.D.

Head of Strategy, Wieden+Kennedy/Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan

Hi, I’m Marcus! I study cultural contagion and meaning-making to help bridge the academic-practitioner gap for companies (from “blue-chip” brands to non-profits) that aim to put ideas in the world that inspire people to take action. When I’m not putting ideas in the world as the Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy New York, I put people in the world as a Clinical Marketing Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. Throughout my career, I've had the great privilege to be acknowledged for my strategic and creative contributions (American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement, Ad Age's 40 Under 40 recipient, & Crain’s Business 40 Under 40 recipient) and launch successful campaigns like “Cliff Paul” for State Farm, the Made In America Music Festival, and Google’s “Real Tone” technology—among others. Prior to my tenure in advertising, I worked in music and tech as a startup co-founder (Muse Recordings) then led iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple (iTunes Partner Marketing) before running digital strategy for Beyoncé. I am a graduate of Temple University (DBA) and the University of Michigan (BSE in Materials Science Engineering and MBA with an emphasis in strategic brand marketing). But most importantly, I am Alex's husband and Georgia & Ivy's father.

Allison Arden

Founder & Creator, The Elements of Us

Allison Arden is the Founder & Creator of The Elements of Us, a research-based, visual framework and toolset to simplify the subject of emotion. Prior to launching The Elements of Us, Allison served as Vice President & Publisher of Advertising Age, leading the brand through the most disruptive and inventive decade in its history. This experience gave her a unique vantage point on an industry undergoing tremendous disruption, and a deep appreciation for the emotions that come with inspiring great change, growth, and innovation. The Elements of Us is the culmination of that experience, which helps people and organizations achieve greater well-being, and the psychological safety needed to create cultures of inclusion and navigate through challenges and change. Allison is the author of The Book of Doing: Everyday Activities to Unlock Creativity and Joy, and a proud member of the AAF Hall of Achievement. A Brooklyn native, she is the Chairman of the John A. Reisenbach Foundation, supporting programs to make New York a safer city, and serves as a board member for Materials For the Arts. She is currently working towards her Masters in Psychology at the Harvard Extension School, graduating in May 2022. You can find her podcasts, The Elements of Us with Allison Arden, on your favorite podcast platform or at elementsofus.com/podcasts.

Carrie Muehlemann

Vice President, Director of Talent & Agency Relations, Rodgers Townsend

I am the Vice President, Director of Talent and Agency Relations for Rodgers Townsend. While my day job states that I am responsible for attracting, retaining and developing talent, my passion lies in helping people grow, make the best work of their careers and have fun while doing it. I believe that creating good work is a magical, albeit sometimes messy, process. But when done right, with the right people in the right space, it yields beautiful work and amazing results. That's the environment I strive to make for our people each and every day.

Judy Oskam, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University

An idea-generator, Dr. Judy Oskam helps people discover and apply their strengths through teaching, coaching and outreach. Oskam is Professor and Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is one of the largest mass comm programs in the United States with more than 2000 majors and 50+ full-time and part-time faculty. Judy's podcast, Stories of Change and Creativity, features interviews with entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

Cheria Young

Founder, Grow There | Ambassador, Known

I’m a culture architect, innovation evangelist, and radical optimist, driving future-focused strategy with purpose, grit, and a boatload of post-its.

Katie Tobin

VP, Strategy & Insights, Archer Malmo

Katie Tobin is the Vice President of Strategy and Research at Archer Malmo, a full-service advertising agency with offices in Memphis, Tennessee and Austin, Texas. Tobin leads brand and creative strategy initiatives and consumer insight projects for the agency’s retail clients. She’s also a member of the agency’s new business team and involved in new business pitches. With over 20 years’ experience in advertising, marketing, public relations and politics, Tobin provides strategic planning expertise to consumer brands, businesses and causes. She’s worked on a wide portfolio of brands and categories, including CPG, health and wellness, hospitality, beauty and alcoholic beverages. In addition, Tobin’s legislative background gained while working for a Congressman on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. provides her with unique insight into industries impacted by governmental regulation.

Francesca Piancone

Co-Founder, book180

We're Sarah and Francesca. The two women behind book180, the only 6-month, online, 100% woman-owned advertising portfolio program in the world. We worked together at a 1-year ad school, Sarah attended a 2-year ad school, and we have a combined 20+ years of experience in the ad industry. We’ve seen first hand what changes are needed in the portfolio school world. We consciously made those changes to break down barriers like price, physical location and length of program to give more people access to the portfolio school world. Our goal is to help build a far more inclusive advertising landscape.

Sarah Latz

Co-Founder, book180

We're Sarah and Francesca. The two women behind book180, the only 6-month, online, 100% woman-owned advertising portfolio program in the world. We worked together at a 1-year ad school, Sarah attended a 2-year ad school, and we have a combined 20+ years of experience in the ad industry. We’ve seen first hand what changes are needed in the portfolio school world. We consciously made those changes to break down barriers like price, physical location and length of program to give more people access to the portfolio school world. Our goal is to help build a far more inclusive advertising landscape.

Chase Maszle

Digital Producer, The Martin Agency

Hi! I’m a digitally-native producer positioning brands to sell products, services and experiences worldwide for brands like Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, Star Wars, Avatar, Walt Disney International, AECOM, Securitas, University of Southern California (USC), UnitedHealth Group, United Parcel Service (UPS), Doordash, GEICO, TIAA and more. I specialize in juggling opinions, partners and deadlines. I'm an expert at seeing the big picture, understanding the strategy and taking meaningful action to drive results. I've produced impactful branded content and digital experiences for organizations big and small. I care a lot for the people around me, I have oddly specific technical know-how and I push creative so concepts are executed different and better than the other guy’s (or woman’s or non-binary person’s). Also — I am part of the LGBTQ+ community. That’s important to me; it should be important to you, too. On love, clearly, I <3 hyphens, too. :-) I try not to take myself too seriously. The work? Different story.

Jenny Buschhorn

NEEC Chair

Associate Professor of Practice, School of Journalism & Mass Communications, Texas State University