D-Nice is best known as a DJ having spun for President Obama during his inaugural ball – and as the creator of the phenomenon, Club Quarantine, a livestream dance party that lifted us up and brought joy to the masses during the height of the pandemic, when we needed it most. 

In this episode, which is a replay of a conversation from the 2022 Pennsylvania Conference for Women, Target’s EVP and chief external engagement officer Laysha Ward talks with D-Nice about his career, reinvention, mental wellness, music and allyship. Together they explore his gift for creating community and ways you can do the same.

Our Guest: D-Nice

D-Nice is not only a pillar of hip-hop but is continuing to steer pop culture with his journey taking him from the streets of Harlem all the way to The White House. The legendary artist, DJ, and photographer has moved millions on wax, on stage, and now online with his revolutionary virtual Club Quarantine. The latter paved the way for numerous Instagram Live series. More importantly, Club Quarantine raised millions for first responders, HBCU’s, and more. D-Nice’s global influence has been acknowledged time and again including the NAACP Image Awards naming him Entertainer Of The Year, TIME magazine nominating him for 2020 Person of the Year, and EBONY magazine including him on the 2021 Power 100 list. After spreading hope online, he is back to making records and rocking stages. D-Nice kicked off 2021 co-curating the Official Playlist of the Biden + Harris inauguration. Soon after, he performed at the official in-stadium Super Bowl LV pre-show. D-Nice continued the year taking his talent from his sold out Club Quarantine Live at the Hollywood Bowl to the iconic Met and Kennedy Center Honors Galas. After bringing in 2022 on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, he opened at the NBA All-Star Game and helped provide the soundtrack for the 94th Academy Awards. Most recently, D-Nice headlined and co-produced a special sold out presentation of Club Quarantine Live at the legendary Carnegie Hall. D-Nice continues to innovate and inspire, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment industry.

Guest Host: Laysha Ward

Laysha Ward is an accomplished C-suite executive with thirty years of leadership experience at Target. In 2017, Ward was named executive vice president, chief external engagement officer, overseeing Target’s enterprise-wide approach to engage and deepen relationships with cross-sector stakeholders to drive positive business and community impact. In 1991, Ward began her career with Target as a member of the store sales and management team of Marshall Fields in Chicago. In 2000, she was named director of community relations and promoted to vice president of community relations and Target Foundation in 2003. In 2008, President Bush nominated, and the U.S. Senate confirmed Ward would serve on the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the nation’s largest grantmaker for volunteering and service, which she continued to serve as board chair under the Obama Administration. Later that year, she was promoted to president of community relations and the Target Foundation. She serves on the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Advisory Board and the Stanford Center for Longevity Advisory Council, is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the Economic Clubs of New York and Chicago, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, The Links, and serves on the boards of Greater MSP, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Northside Achievement Zone, as well as United Airlines and Denny’s Corporation for-profit board of directors.