Angela Dingle joins JSL's Vickie Hubbard for Episode 18 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Angela and Vickie discuss the intersectionality between businesses and public policy, the future of DEI and supplier inclusion, and Angela's professional journey.

As President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), Angela Dingle leads a national nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of women entrepreneurs, strengthening their impact on our nation’s public policy, creating economic opportunities, and forging alliances with other business organizations. Serving as the voice for the over 14 million women owned companies in the U.S., WIPP works with lawmakers to impact and influence policy that provides economic equity, procurement inclusion and access to the global marketplace.

Prior to serving in this role, Angela founded Ex Nihilo Management, an award-winning technology and management consultancy that provides governance, risk management and cybersecurity (GRC) to the public, private and non-profit sector. Her commitment to client success earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.

Angela is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, sharing her insights and expertise at conferences and events focused on women in business and government contracting. She is the author of Discovering Your Girl Powers: 10 Strategies to Build Confidence, Charisma and Credibility and Unexpected Leader: 11 Tools for Transformational Leadership. She has written articles and publications that provide valuable leadership guidance.

Angela holds a MS in Management Information Systems from Bowie State University, a BS in Computer Science from DeVry University, a Certified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner, and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC).  Angela is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Afra Afsharipour joins JSL's Vickie Hubbard for Episode 17 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Afra and Vickie discuss Afra's journey from law school to practicing at a Big Law firm to being a Professor of Law at UC Davis, the experience of women in law today, and her vision for tomorrow.

Afra Afsharipour is Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis School of Law. She served as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2018-2024. She holds a B.A. (magna cum laude) from Cornell University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School (Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar), where she was an articles editor of the Columbia Law Review and a submissions editor of the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law.  Prior to joining the Davis faculty, Professor Afsharipour was an attorney at the international law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP where she advised clients on domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, and corporate governance and compliance matters. She served as a law clerk for Judge Rosemary Barkett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Professor Afsharipour’s scholarship focuses on corporate governance and business law in a transnational and comparative context. Her scholarship also applies an equality lens to corporate governance and practice, using interdisciplinary theories and empirical research. She has taught Business Associations, Mergers and Acquisitions, Startups and Venture Capital, Corporate Governance and Antitrust. Professor Afsharipour is a research member of the European Corporate Governance Institute, an elected member of the American Law Institute and an American Bar Foundation Fellow. Her scholarship has been published in leading law journals, including the Columbia Law Review, Chicago Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, Minnesota Law Review, and other leading journals and books. She is the co-editor of Comparative Corporate Governance (Afra Afsharipour & Martin Gelter, eds., Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 2021). She authored the Handbook on Corporate Governance in India: Legal Standards and Board Practices (The Conference Board 2016) and co-authored the 2021 edition of the book. Professor Afsharipour has delivered numerous talks, nationally and internationally, and has been a visiting scholar in India, China, and Taiwan. 

Trecia Pessoa, Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel with Mastercard, joins JSL's Vickie Hubbard and 3 aspiring female attorneys (Hannah Fox, Jordan McClenney, and Emma Bonfiglio) for Episode 6 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Trecia, Vickie, Hannah, Jordan, and Emma discuss Trecia's journey to becoming an attorney, her career now, and the lessons that she's learned along the way.

Trecia Pessoa is Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel, Digital Solutions & ESG Products at Mastercard. She oversees the team responsible for global legal strategy and advice for Mastercard’s consumer products businesses, the development of digital platforms to enable these solutions, and the commercialization of Mastercard's ESG strategy, including its commitment to financial inclusion and sustainability. In previous roles, Trecia was lead attorney, Americas, for Mastercard Gateway, a global omni-channel digital technology for processing payment transactions, and Senior Counsel, North America, supporting engagement with Mastercard’s merchants and non-bank customers. Trecia is passionate about mentoring and has led teams of volunteer mentors for high school girls. She is a board member of Bigs & Littles NYC, a non-profit organization that provides mentoring and support services to children in New York City. Trecia received her J.D. from George Washington University Law School and B.A. from Tufts University. A proud Jumbo, Trecia is a member of the Tufts President’s Council, the national board of the Tufts Lawyers Association (TLA), and co-chair of TLA’s NY chapter.

Hannah Fox is 20 years old and a sophomore at Chapman University. She is pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration. After her undergraduate studies, she aspires to go to law school and hopes to specialize in corporate law. She's eager to continue learning more about practicing law and looks forward to having a discussion with an expert in the field.

Jordan McClenney is 19 years old. She is a first-year college student majoring in English at Pasadena City College (PCC). After two years at PCC, Jordan plans to transfer to UCLA to continue pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. After graduation, she aspires to attend law school. Practicing law has always been her dream because she loves working with people and the community, as well as fighting for what's right.

Emma Bonfiglio is 14 years old. At the age of 11, Emma was talking with her parents and older brother who was starting to look at colleges at the time. It got Emma thinking about what she wanted for her future. She started thinking about a job that she would like to do that would be rewarding, enjoyable, but also provide her with a sustainable lifestyle. Her Dad suggested that maybe becoming a lawyer would be a good route for her to take and her brother agreed as he says she is good at arguing! In one of her middle school classes, she learned about the judicial system, laws, and amendments and was hooked. She is excited to talk more with others who have experienced law school firsthand and who are currently lawyers to find out more about this journey that she is about to embark on!

Theodora Lee, Senior Partner with Littler Mendelson, P.C., joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard and Cindy Towers for Episode 5 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Theodora, Vickie, and Cindy explore Theodora's extensive legal career and the challenges she has experienced as a woman of color attorney, and discuss Theodora's success as the owner of Theopolis Vineyards.

Theodora Lee, a Senior Shareholder/Partner and Trial Lawyer in the San Francisco and Walnut Creek offices of Littler Mendelson, defends employers in complex wage and hour class actions, discrimination class action lawsuits and general employment litigation. Ms. Lee has extensive courtroom experience and specializes in all aspects of employment and labor relations law, including wrongful termination litigation; National Labor Relations Board matters, including representation cases, unfair labor practice proceedings, grievance arbitrations; Title VII and FEHA proceedings, including race, sex, religious and age harassment and discrimination; and unfair competition proceedings. She also counsels employers on day to day employment issues such as covenants not to compete, hiring and termination of employees, the Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, the California Business and Professions Code, the Family and Medical Leave Act, federal and state wage and hour issues, pre-employment screening, litigation avoidance, reductions in force, the development of personnel policies and procedures, workplace violence, employee terminations, employment agreements, drug and alcohol testing, and risk management protocols. Ms. Lee’s energy and enthusiasm for labor and employment law translates into an intense focus on providing value to clients through innovative and superior quality work with exceptional client service.

Ms. Lee is a settlement commissioner, Early Neutral Evaluator, AAA certified arbitrator and mediator, and has concluded more than 5,000 matters through use of private arbitration or mediation, including large, complex, class actions, multi-party litigation actions, and individuals suing their employers. She has been a contributing writer to numerous employment law publications and presents seminars on a wide variety of employment issues and regularly conducts in-house employment law training programs, including Pay Equity, Implicit Bias, Managing the Whistleblower, among other topics.

Ms. Lee regularly appears on TV and Radio, including NPR and PBS, speaking on various employment topics. She is an Advisor to the Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association and serves as a Board Member of various community organizations, including YMCA - San Francisco. She is Co- Board Chairman of the Dallas Post Tribune Newspaper. She is Past President of Bay Area Black United Fund and the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and Past Vice President of the United Negro College Fund San Francisco Advisory Board. She has been recognized as one of the Leading Law Firm Rainmakers by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, named to the Best Lawyers in America© and named as a Super Lawyer - Northern California. She is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Ms. Lee has received an AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for the last 25 years and has been named one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.

Apart from the practice of law, Ms. Lee is an award-winning vintner, and owner of Theopolis Vineyards. In the wine world, Ms. Lee is known as Theo-patra, Queen of the Vineyards. Wine Critics, including Robert Parker, Antonio Galloni Presents Vinous and Wine Enthusiast Magazine, have consistently bestowed on wines from Theopolis Vineyards 90 Plus Points. She is a graduate of Spelman College and the University of Texas School of Law.

Kim Cuccia joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard for Episode 4 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Kim and Vickie discuss the value of supplier diversity programs in the legal industry and the importance of considering diverse-owned law firms for outside counsel opportunities.

Kim Cuccia is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for NiSource Inc. She provides leadership and oversight for all legal matters related to NiSource’s gas and electric utility operating companies in its six-state service area. Prior to her current role, Cuccia was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Legal Regulatory for NiSource.

Cuccia has been a member of NiSource’s legal department for 14 years. She previously served as General Counsel for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, responsible for legal strategy and planning for the company during NiSource’s restoration effort in Greater Lawrence, Massachusetts. She also led the business team established to respond to the state investigations into the Merrimack Valley Incident.

Since joining NiSource, she has held positions of increasing responsibility including serving as chief counsel for all Columbia Gas Companies and leading the company’s safety management system (SMS) deployment.

Cuccia is a member and serves on the executive legal committee of the American Gas Association and various bar associations. She is active in NiSource’s diversity and inclusion efforts and joined the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity in 2021 pledging her commitment to increase diversity and equity in the legal profession. 

Heather Choi joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard for Episode 3 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! This fireside chat with Heather, Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Baker Botts, covers her career trajectory from an Associate to a Partner and now to her dual role, as well as her advice for young women of color attorneys in Big Law.

Heather Choi is Baker Botts’ first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Heather is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s global equity and inclusion strategy. She collaborates with firm leadership to integrate diversity best practices, with a focus on shaping programs around recruitment, retention, promotion and client engagement. Heather also chairs the Baker Botts Diversity & Inclusion Committee – working closely with the firm’s executive leadership to drive and accelerate institutional diversity and inclusion priorities.

In her leadership role, Heather serves as an ambassador for Baker Botts and collaborates with clients as they advance their own diversity and inclusion priorities. Heather believes that creating a more equitable and inclusive workforce is paramount, and that where we work should reflect the world around us. She is committed to advancing this principle at Baker Botts and within the legal profession as a whole.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Heather has spent her entire legal career with Baker Botts. In tandem with her role as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Heather is a leading corporate investigations and competition partner who represents corporations and individuals in complex criminal and civil enforcement matters before the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal and state enforcement agencies.  She represents clients across a broad range of industries including automotive, energy, diversified manufacturing, beverage distribution, and technology.

Leslie Davis joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard for Episode 2 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Leslie touch on the importance of mentorship and the power of allyship in the legal industry, and discuss Leslie's career trajectory and her role as CEO of NAMWOLF.

Leslie D. Davis is a respected leader, experienced advocate, and logical strategist who has been a tireless champion for equity in the legal profession. As the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, Inc., Leslie is uniquely aligned with NAMWOLF’s mission having been a law firm partner and rainmaker, all while successfully negotiating the challenges that come with being a woman of color in the corporate legal profession. 

For over two decades, Leslie has served as lead counsel for many jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations, obtaining favorable verdicts for her clients in complex and high-stakes cases. In addition to being a skilled lawyer, Leslie is a transformational leadership coach who prides herself on helping clients reach their highest potential. She is a sought-after speaker and has helped many organizations and educational institutions with her presentations on diversity, core energy leadership and social media.  Honored by a number of professional, academic and community organizations, Leslie continues to use her talents and influence to support the needs of both the legal field and the broader community through her training, pro bono and community service contributions.

NAMWOLF is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2021, a milestone that coincides with a moment of challenge and disruption in the legal profession. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted every business and social justice issues are increasingly a catalyst for change. Corporate legal departments are responding by demanding more diversity from their outside counsel and legal services providers. In the recent Survey of the Industry by the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, 61% of the 200 in-house legal professionals polled said launching a Diversity & Inclusion program was their top priority. But, achieving this goal is often hampered by engrained behaviors and the failure to establish best practices and benchmarks to make diversity goals a reality.

Leading the NAMWOLF team, Leslie is having a substantial impact by educating corporate legal departments about the moral and business imperative for increasing diversity.  NAMWOLF is well positioned to provide guidance and resources for those legal departments seeking to increase opportunities for minority-owned law firms and legal service providers. NAMWOLF’s vision and mission supports 200+ MWBE law firms, operating in 42 states, in every major practice area. Under Leslie’s leadership, NAMWOLF will expand programming and outreach to major U.S. corporations interested in achieving meaningful change in their legal departments.

Leslie is a proud Hawkeye having earned her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law and her M.A. and B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from The University of Iowa.  She resides in Chicago with her husband, Theodore and two children, Niel and Ellyss, who provide the sparkle in her eyes and the resolve in her step.

Dr. Ella Washington joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard and Krystle Martinez for the first episode of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie, Krystle, and Kimberly tackle the topic of microaggressions in the workplace.

Dr. Ella Washington is an organizational psychologist and DEI expert with a wealth of experience through her involvement as the Founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, a Professor of Practice at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, and the co-host of Gallup's Center of Black Voices Cultural Competence Podcast. Within all of these roles, Dr. Washington continues to deepen her research pipeline and thought leadership as a Gallup Senior Scientist studying inclusive leadership, strengths and other DEI workplace topics. She has global consulting experience in the human capital space, which has allowed her to impact clients across a myriad of industries including financial services, sports & entertainment, oil & gas, higher education and government. Previously, Dr. Washington worked at Gallup and led the Diversity and Inclusion practice where she provided insight to clients on issues of culture, strategic DEI and engagement. A pivotal moment for her personally and professionally, she is eager anticipating the release of her first solo book published by Harvard Business Review Press, The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion. 

Kimberly Leefatt joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard and Krystle Martinez for the tenth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie, Krystle, and Kimberly tackle the topic of equity within law firms. 

Kimberly Leefatt is an attorney practicing in California and a proud alumna of Howard University School of Law. Prior to joining the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2021 as a staff attorney in the litigation department, Kimberly practiced for about 6 years as an associate with private law firms. Informed by her work spanning litigation, transactional, and regulatory compliance, Kimberly has not only developed a multifaceted practice in environmental law, but also an acute awareness of the challenges faced by diverse attorneys. Having participated alongside and served on numerous DEI committees in the legal space, Kimberly has leaned into her experiences as a black woman in an attempt to improve the legal industry for diverse people within her networks. She now shares her experiences, both professional and personal, to provide legal professionals with insights into the successes and failures of DEI efforts, from the perspective of a black female attorney that those efforts intended to serve. Her TikTok handle is @w.deliberate.interest. Through the platform, she reflects on her experiences as a diverse attorney and provides commentary on DEI efforts and allyship.

Jayzen Patria joins JSL’s Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the ninth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Jayzen take a deep dive into Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and what makes an ERG program successful.

Jayzen Patria is a personal branding expert, diversity advocate, and keynote speaker. He helps transform organizations through the power of their people finding their true brand voice and bringing their best authentic selves to work every day. 

Jayzen is a 25-year learning and development veteran of Fortune 100 companies, including General Electric, Comcast, and NBCUniversal, and he has worked with some of the world’s top entertainment, media and tech brands. At NBCUniversal, Jayzen led executive development and is noted as the architect of the Talent Lab, their uniquely branded corporate university.

Inspired by his multicultural background, he is a life-long equality advocate serving in roles to champion diversity, including leading global ERGs for fifteen years and creating development programs for female and other underrepresented employees.

Jayzen has been featured at international conferences, is the host of the popular Lead With Your Brand! podcast and is proud to serve on the American Red Cross’ National Diversity Advisory Council and the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.