Nicole Simpson exemplifies resilience and leadership, celebrated as a 2023 AdWeek Future is Female winner. Her transition from a 17-year career as a paralegal in diverse law sectors to a DE&I champion has been remarkable. As the Director of DE&I at RAPP, she has been instrumental in driving impactful strategies and fostering an inclusive culture. During her time at Omnicom Health Group, Nicole established the Black Collective and contributed as a key member of the executive leadership team for Black Together, Omnicom's first global Black ERG. These initiatives significantly bolstered the retention and career growth of Black talent. As a single mother of three, she skillfully balances her demanding role at RAPP with her personal responsibilities. Nicole extends her influence through global mentoring, developing a sponsorship program for underrepresented talent, and advocating for psychological safety in the workplace. Her journey, characterized by empowering others towards realizing their potential, epitomizes a blend of personal resilience and professional excellence. In her leisure time, Nicole enjoys being with her children, reading, and running her event design company, Designs by Nic, crafting immersive experiences for clients.

Marques Gartrell is Co-Chief Creative Officer of Wieden + Kennedy New York, where he leads Wieden’s largest office alongside creative partner Brandon Henderson and president Jiah Choi. 

Prior to his role as CCO, Gartrell was global ECD of McDonald’s, where he and his partner Brandon helped reinvigorate cultural relevance for the brand through iconic work like the Famous Orders platform, Menu Hacks, the adult happy meal, and Grimace’s Birthday— including a purple milkshake-turned viral TikTok trend. He and his team’s work has led to explosive growth and recognition for McDonald’s, including being named Effie’s Most Effective Brand in 2022, and earning the Most Effective Campaign distinction for Famous Orders in 2023.

Throughout his career, Gartrell has led award-winning creative platforms on behalf of a number of other household name brands, including Delta, Vitaminwater, HBO, Duracell, Reebok, Busch, Budweiser, DIRECTV and the NFL. Before coming to Wieden, Marques spent time at Deutsch NY, BBDO, Grey, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Saatchi&Saatchi and Fallon.

Copywriter, Apple Inc. Makeda Loney (she/her) is a Copywriter and Content Creator based in the Bay Area, currently working as a Copywriter for Marcom Creative at Apple Inc. During her career, she has been named to a couple of impressive industry lists, including The Drum’s 50 under 30 in the U.S. in 2018, joined the ADCOLOR FUTURES Class of 2019, The Pitch Fanzine’s 100 Supermen and Women of 2020 and Business Insider’s 50 Stars of Madison Avenue.

By night, Makeda becomes Kedapalooza, a variety streamer, pastel lover, and body liberation advocate who prioritizes comfort, safety, and advocacy in her community, Camp Kedapalooza. Since she began streaming on Twitch in October 2020, she has been named a spring 2021 BroadcastHER Grant recipient by the 1,000 Dreams Fund, and a fall 2021 Creator Diversity Fund recipient by StreamElements. She has also served as an ambassador for Hot Topic, the It Gets Better Project, and Paidia Gaming. She’s also been featured on BuzzFeed and CNET for her work. Camp Kedapalooza has raised nearly $10,000 for charities including The Trevor Project and Black Girls Code.

Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh is a Visual Artist based in Los Angeles, California. His Jamaican roots loom large throughout his work and find reflection across his creative wheelhouse, which includes Illustration, Painting and Film-Photography. An avid collector of images, Lenworth considers the preservation of archives an integral part of his practice. Across mediums, his work is narrative-driven, seeking to capture some emotive moment in the long string of moments that make a life.

Jahbrielle is a St. Louis born, South LA raised writer, photographer and director. She focuses on truthful and compelling storytelling through music, narrative and documentary projects.

Her roots run deeply through every part of her artistry, drawing inspiration from family lineage, the African diaspora, music and the magnificence of the natural world. These subjects are often incorporated into her expression. Through the capturing and crafting of images, she reminds every being of their innate worthiness, brilliance and power.

Some notable collaborators are HOORAE, Raedio, Zero Fatigue, YouTube Originals, Sienna Naturals, Madewell and Converse. She's a proud graduate of Howard University and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Jahbrielle believes deeply in the power of words and images as tools for self reflection, evolution and a conduit between the past and the present, setting the stage for a brighter future.  

Rodney Williams is the Co-founder of SoLo Funds, the largest community finance platform in the US. Since 2018, SoLo has surpassed 1M loans funded and redefined access to capital and returns for 1.5 million users. As the U.S.’s only Black led Certified B Corp fintech, SoLo continues its leadership, but grounded in the same hope and mission: to build a community that enables financial autonomy for all. Prior to founding SoLo, Rodney founded LISNR and led the company to over $40M in funding, numerous awards and partnership across retail and financial services. Rodney’s career started at Procter & Gamble in brand management where he was a critical catalyst in the company’s digital strategy and started in eCommerce & social media. 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 to name a few. Rodney is a graduate of West Virginia University and Howard University. Rodney is a member of the 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.

I began my career in brand management at Procter & Gamble, after graduating from Miami University (Oxford, OH). My brand-building work spans across many brands in beauty, pet, family categories, as well as capability building in corporate marketing roles. A highlight of my time was when I led My Black is Beautiful at P&G, and I launched the“The Talk” campaign that won over 150 industry awards including 5 Cannes Lions and an Emmy in 2018.  

I have also deepened my marketing experience within the Tech industry, leading brand marketing campaigns at Google, and consulting with advertisers to define and execute digital and multicultural-led marketing & media strategies.  Additionally, I spent time at Lilly in a consumer marketing role focused on multicultural patient innovation in communications, in which I partnered with key brands in the US Affiliate, and of note with the Cymbalta team to launch the first spanish-language TV copy for Cymbalta in the U.S.  

Most recently, I led Brand Partnerships and B2B marketing at Canela Media. 

When I’m not working and spending time with my children, I love to cook (soul ood is a favorite), read, and watch sports - especially women's gymnastics and football.  My service commitments include several activities/responsibilities as a life-long member of Quinn Chapel AME Church in Forest Park, OH and as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

I am a Cincinnati, OH native and now also reside in New York City.

Sergio is a seasoned Creative, Marketing, and Technology executive who has helped global brands embrace creativity & digital experiences for over 20 years. Throughout his career, he has transformed Global Marketing & Product organizations through Integrated Campaigns, Digital and E-commerce platforms, Content Studios, AI & Personalization, UX design, streaming video platforms, experiential & global events, and customer loyalty programs for some of the world’s most recognizable brands including Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Facebook, Ford, Volkswagen, and more.
A designer by trade, Sergio blends creativity and innovation into customer-centric marketing strategies, campaigns, and experiences that build relationships with audiences while delivering clear revenue impact for global brands. As a technologist and product leader, Sergio champions the power of creativity, data, and technology to inspire global teams in building AI-driven digital experiences, virtual event platforms, and customer content that foster loyalty and engagement through creative storytelling and personalized experiences.
Sergio leads a global team of world-class designers, storytellers, UX strategists, marketers, and technologists in "Connecting Brand to Demand" through brand creative, integrated campaigns, web design, video content, and digital product experiences. As a global and international leader, Sergio also ensures marketing strategies are tailored to diverse geographic regions, maintaining brand relevance while celebrating cultural differences that help generate appeal worldwide.
In addition to his corporate achievements, Sergio invests in the future of creative and marketing leaders, sharing expertise as a mentor and advisor at ONE School, and serving as a guest lecturer at prestigious institutions such as Stanford, NYU, and UC Berkeley, speaking on topics ranging from Branding, Design Thinking, and Customer Experience Innovation to the Power of Diversity in Marketing and Technology organizations.

Dessie Brown, Jr. has travelled the world as a connector among the most known and well-respected
figures in the industries of media, sports, politics and business. As the brainchild of LD Unlimited - a
marketing, consulting, and event production company he established over 17 years ago, he has loaned
his expertise on projects for clients such as McDonalds, AT&T, State Farm, Cheetos, FX, Wingstop, Nissan, Lyft
and more. His integrity, talent and pure knack for predicting trends has led him to work with the
legendary Tom Joyner, Super Bowl Champions Martellus and Michael Bennett and Former UFC
Champion Kamaru Usman. Dessie currently serves as the Head of Digital Programming for actress
and producer Marsai Martin’s production company Genius Entertainment where his repertoire
includes overseeing projects with Verizon, Facebook, YouTube and more. Dessie is also Co-Founder
of The Franchise Game, the first and only African-American Franchise Symposium. Dessie was also instrumental in working with One Music Fest and Live Nation Urban to bring TwoGether Land Music Festival to Dallas.

An Atlanta-based, award-winning marketer (2017 Bronze Effie, 2019 Brand Innovators Top 40 under 40 Marketers, 2021 Woman to Watch in Marketing, 2022 Top FinTech Marketer), Tia Cummings-Hopkins has over 17 years of brand marketing experience across companies like Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Procter & Gamble. From May 2021 to May 2023, she worked at fintech giant Square as the SVP, Global Brand Marketing, leading the team responsible for Brand Insights & Strategy, Integrated Marketing, Experiential Activations, and Brand Partnerships. Since August 2023, Tia has run 925 Consulting, a boutique marketing consultancy offering fractional CMO services to Black-owned businesses across a variety of industries including CPG, travel/hospitality, and financial services. Prior to her career in brand marketing, she had roles in corporate philanthropy, manufacturing operations, and product development. 

Tia attended Hampton University as a Presidential Scholar and earned her B.S. in chemical engineering. She also has an MBA from the Krannert School of Management (now Daniels School of Business) at Purdue University where she was a Business Opportunity Program Fellow. 

Cummings-Hopkins has always had a passion for community service and giving back to those less fortunate. Her 20 year service record includes volunteering with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, America Needs You, Junior Achievement, the Urban League, and via her beloved sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She currently serves on the board of two non-profits; For the Children (a Christian-based organization that supports children in foster care) and Hue (a community platform focused on supporting and promoting more people of color in corporate America). 

In her free time, Tia enjoys anything related to Marvel comics, traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, family and friends.