AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY

Maiah Martin is a passionate marketer committed to driving results, generating brand love and building equity through innovation and cultural relevance With over 10 years of marketing experience, 7 have been fully dedicated to beauty which is a passion point of hers

Maiah currently serves as Executive Director, Consumer Engagement for Clinique North America where she leads the development and execution of all multi-channel paid media strategies for the brand and it’s retailer partners along with all PR, Comms, Influencer and Eventing efforts

In 2022 she was named a Luxury Woman to Watch by Luxury Daily in their annual honoree list of exceptional women executives who show the most promise to “push the envelope”; and that has been and will continue to be a guiding principle throughout Maiah’s professional journey!

Brandon is a senior chemist professional and has had a successful tenure with the Estée Lauder Companies (ELC)

Brandon’s career spans over 19 years and he has an excellent track record of leading key initiatives, leveraging his knowledge of skincare formulations

Brandon started his career as a Junior Chemist for the Beauty Bank Brands in Skincare Formulation. He also spent nine years working on Estee Lauder Skincare as a formulator

Prior to his current role, Brandon served as Director, Research and Development, where he led the integration of DECIEM Brands, including skincare brand The Ordinary, from an ELC R&D standpoint bringing all R&D subfunctions together.

Brandon graduated from York College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Masters degree in Chemistry from New York University. His personal interests include spending time with his family, cooking, traveling and working on home renovation projects.

Ms. Austin is an attorney and legal analyst who has appeared on a number of networks including ABC News, CBS News, Inside Edition, Law and Crime, and Court TV. Previously she served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Journalism.

Prior to that, she served as Chief Corporate Policy Officer for S&P Global where she was responsible for implementing and monitoring corporate policies, standards, and procedures to ensure compliance with the highest industry standards. Previously, Ms. Austin served as the first Chief Diversity Officer for S&P Global where she managed an integrated diversity strategy across the businesses.

Prior to that, Ms. Austin worked at American International Group (AIG) from 1990 to 2010 in several roles including Chief Diversity Officer for AIG, Chief Compliance Officer for Domestic Insurance, and General Counsel for Domestic Claims. Prior to joining AIG, she was a litigation associate at Richards & O’Neil from 1986 to 1990, and an assistant counsel with the New York City Law Department from 1983 to 1986.

Ms. Austin holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Grinnell College, a juris doctor from Columbia University School of Law, and a master's degree from Columbia University School of Journalism. She is a member of the New York City Bar Association and has served on a number of non-profit boards including Riverdale Country School, Women’s Sports Foundation, Girls Inc of New York, and New Alternatives for Children.

Ms. Austin has received a number of honors including The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business in 2008, Girl Scouts Council of New York Woman of Distinction in 2010, Top Diversity Executive by Black Enterprise in 2011, and The Foundation for the Judicial Friends Leaders in Law in 2013. She lives in New York City where she has completed three New York City Marathons.

In The Legal Profession

Erika Munro Kennerly is a Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at Endeavor, a publicly traded global sports and entertainment company. Mrs. Kennerly leads a bi-coastal team of business affairs executives and legal staff charged with strategizing, negotiating, and drafting agreements related to all phases of the development, production, licensing, and exploitation of Endeavor’s non-scripted television programming and audio content offerings. Mrs. Kennerly works directly with her colleagues in senior management and the creative, production, sales, and finance teams to provide business advice and strategic insight related to the development, production, and distribution of a variety of non-scripted television productions (e.g. documentaries, reality programming, award shows, talk shows, game shows, sporting events, etc.) and in support of the Endeavor Audio division. She is a trusted leader, proven television executive, business strategist, dealmaker, relationshipbuilder, negotiator, diversity & inclusion specialist, philanthropist, and community advocate.

Prior to joining Endeavor, Mrs. Kennerly worked at Google (initially as Head of Strategic Partner Development on the New Business Development team within Google’s Global Partnerships division) as Global Head of Partnerships & Outreach on Google’s Employee Engagement team reporting directly to Google’s Chief Diversity Officer

Mrs Kennerly acquired extensive legal and business experience in the entertainment field at a variety of law firms and entertainment companies including Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP and Pryor Cashman, Sherman, and Flynn (as a litigator) and 360HipHop com, BET com, Arista Records, VH1/MTV Networks, and truTV/Turner Broadcasting System (transactionally). As an executive at these companies, her primary duties were to advise, counsel, and consult with her creative colleagues on a variety of development and business affairs matters; as well as cultivate and maintain extensive relationships in the entertainment industry.

Mrs. Kennerly is the author of the publication "Under Age, Under Contract, and Under-Protected: An Overview of the Administration & Regulation of Contracts With Minors in the Entertainment Industry in New York and California". Columbia-VLA Journal of Law and the Arts, Vol. 20, No-3, Spring 1996.

Mrs. Kennerly was a Presidential Scholar at Hampton University, graduating with Highest Honors and earning her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media /Communications. She received her Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School and was named a Susan Price Carr Scholar.

Mrs. Kennerly was selected Turner Broadcasting System's 2012 "Working Mother of the Year", as awarded by Working Mother Magazine. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the “Emmys”), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and as a member of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s (PPGNY) Regional Leadership Council and PPGNY Board Equity Committee. Mrs. Kennerly serves as a board member of The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Legal Outreach, Inc., and Kicked It In Heels. The state of New York named September 16, 2017 as “Erika Munro Kennerly Day” in recognition of Erika’s philanthropic contributions and community advocacy.

In The Legal Profession

Sarah Dodds-Brown is an Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at American Express. Sarah has held various roles of increasing responsibility over the course of her 17 year career in the General Counsel's Organization at American Express before becoming Deputy General Counsel in 2022. In her current role, her team leads support for many strategic and cross-functional initiatives and provides legal expertise and advice across a range of subject matter and regulatory areas, including digital transactions, technology, cybersecurity, intellectual property, antitrust, bank regulatory, advertising and marketing and privacy and data law.

In addition, Sarah coordinates the legal teams across the U.S. market and focuses on ways to enhance the operation of the legal department and management of legal risk. She serves as a member of the Company's enterprise risk management committee. Additionally, Sarah is a legal strategist who uses her field of expertise to influence business. She strives to thoughtfully challenge status quo thinking and widen the pipeline of professional talent to include more diverse and underrepresented candidates.

In The Legal Profession

Alexandra Thompson (she/her/hers) serves as Assistant Counsel at LDF, where she works on cases to advance racial justice in the areas of education and economic justice.

Prior to joining LDF, Alexandra was a Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights (Center). Alexandra’s litigation work included cases challenging various abortion restrictions in the United States such as pre-viability abortion bans, and targeted regulations of abortion providers. She also worked to expand access to medication abortion care, and co-authored a commentary published in the journal Contraception titled “The Disproportionate Burdens of the Mifepristone REMS.” Before joining the Center, Alexandra was a litigation associate at two international law firms, representing clients in white collar and regulatory investigations and complex civil litigation. During her time in private practice, she actively participated in pro bono matters involving education adequacy, prisoners’ rights, and immigration.

Alexandra received her J.D. cum laude from Howard University School of Law, where she served as Senior Articles Editor for the Howard Law Journal. Alexandra received her B.A. in Anthropology, with honors, from the University of Michigan.

Trained as an attorney, Carol Sutton Lewis has spent over 25 years focusing on parenting, child development and education, with a particular interest in how Black children learn and develop. Over the years she has been engaging parents and thought leaders across the country in conversations on parenting issues. Carol now shares best practices in her Ground Control Parenting blog and her award-winning podcast, Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis. The name explains the mission: helping parents become skilled members of the “ground control crew” who make sure their boys and girls have what they need for successful takeoff.

Carol recently expanded her podcast work to include producing and cohosting Season 3 of Lost Women of Science, a podcast sponsored by PRX and Scientific American, that tells the forgotten stories of female scientists who made groundbreaking achievements in their fields. She is currently co-hosting Season 4 of this podcast series.

Carol serves on the Common Sense Media Education Advisory Board and on the board of Stanford Law School. She has previously served on the boards of the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences and her sons’ K-12 independent school in New York City.

Carol is also passionate about the arts. She is the Vice Chair of the Studio Museum in Harlem and serves on the Collections Committee of the Addison Gallery of American Art. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford Law School www.4riise.org | gpc@4riise.org | socially on IG: @4RIISE + @artic.ultating

Dr. L. Susan Branche is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and families. Among her areas of focus are fostering healthy parent child communication from 2 to 25, and the challenges of raising teens during a life stage of exploration and discovery in an era of increasing uncertainty. Dr Branche has been senior psychologist and consultant at numerous hospitals and child development centers, and served on the boards of Northside Center for Child Development, Aprils Child Abuse Prevention Agency, The family Academy, and Planned Parenthood of NYC. Dr Branche has been a diversity and inclusion specialist, leading workshops and presentations in several independent schools, and currently maintains a private practice serving children and families. As a mother of grown sons, Dr Branche supports families transitioning through the many dynamics of empty nesting that arise for both parent and child.

DGina Parker Collins is the proud mom of two independent school scholars, a parent advocate, school advisor, and founder of RIISE - Resources In Independent School Education, plus, the co-host of Articulating -an Independent School Podcast.

RIISE is a support network for black and brown families seeking to navigate independent school culture grounded in the values of radical love, selfexpression, and acceptance honoring cultural richness, perseverance, and emotional wellness.

RIISE has developed a playbook, a toolkit, and signature events for prospective and enrolled parents of color, to ensure that students K-12 and their families thrive as they leverage every aspect of independent school education. Advancing recruitment and enrollment through an academic, cultural, and financial lens, Gina and RIISE deliver digital and live platforms that empower parent advocacy and partnerships for enduring legacy.

Before focusing on independent schools as communities of positive change, Gina was VP of Events for Working Mother Media, Director of Events for Meredith Corporation, and a graduate of Howard University. Gina has held several parent leadership roles in her children’s independent school such with the Parents of Color Affinity Group, Parent’s Association, and Head of School's Advisory Council.

Eulas Boyd is the Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid at Brooklyn Law School. Dean Boyd practiced commercial litigation in New York for 9 years before transitioning to careers in workforce planning, talent acquisition, and law school admissions. Dean Boyd combines experience in corporate environments, financial institutions, non-profits, and law schools to inform his perspective on law school admissions, legal education, and the legal profession. He joined Brooklyn Law School in 2015.

Judge Jared R. Rice joined the bench in the New Rochelle City Court in January 2020, where he presides over criminal, civil, and traffic matters daily. In October 2020, Judge Rice initiated the Opportunity Youth Part (OYP), the first Emerging Adult Justice initiative in the 9th Judicial district, which works with defendants ages 16-24 who are justice-involved. Through the use of extensive community partnerships, OYP has engaged with more than 200 young individuals to provide workforce development, educational services, behavioral health, mentoring, housing assistance, and other key supports.

Prior to 2020, Judge Rice was a public defender in the Mount Vernon City Court for 14 years where he was the lead attorney in its Adolescent Diversion Part. Additionally, between 2011 and 2019, Judge Rice was a member of the New Rochelle City Council where among other things, he spearheaded Westchester’s first My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which focused on the cradle-to-career development of youth, particularly boys and young men of color.

Judge Rice is a lifelong Westchester resident and currently lives in New Rochelle with his wife Jasmine and their children, Jocelyn, and Jayden.

My name is Layla Ruiz and I am a bilingual xicana from Los Angeles, California. My debate experience began in 2015 as a policy debater under the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League. I then continued my debate career at Hofstra University competing in Lincoln Douglass and Parliamentary debate for 3 years. Today, I work as a Coordinator for the American Debate League where I coach and oversee the debate program for schools across the tri-state area. My passion and love for debate is fueled by my experiences as a low-income student with limited resources available and I want to provide accessible debate to students of color.