KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

TARA JAYE FRANK

Award Winning Author & Equity Strategist

Tara Jaye Frank is an equity strategist who has advised and educated thousands of Fortune 500 executives across multiple industries and large member organizations. Her work, fueled by a deep belief in the creative power and potential of every ONE, focuses on building bridges between people, ideas, and opportunity. Before founding her culture and leadership consultancy, Tara spent twenty-one years at Hallmark Cards, where she served in multiple executive roles, including Vice-President Creative Writing and Editorial, Vice-President Business Innovation, Vice-President Multicultural Strategy, and Corporate Culture Advisor to the President. Her book, The Waymakers: Clearing the Path to Workplace Equity with Competence and Confidence (May 2022), is an invitation to all people with power and position to open doors, remove barriers, and facilitate access and opportunity for those who have been historically denied. Tara resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, two of their six children, and their three dogs. She is also a proud Spelman Alumna and a member of the Executive Leadership Council, Network of Executive Women, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and was recently named a 2022 SUCCESS 125 honoree by SUCCESS Magazine, and is listed among CORE Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Blacks in 2022.

JAMES WARREN VP of Brand Strategy, JMI CEO, Share More Stories

James Warren is a storyteller and a strategist, passionate about the intersections of human and digital, and brands, culture and communities. James is the Vice President of Brand Strategy at JMI, a brand strategy and consulting firm uniquely focused on brand community engagement. He is also the Founder and CEO of Share More Stories, a human experience company that delivers deeper human insights and solutions through storytelling and machine leaning, to help brands and organizations create more value for and with their constituents. For nearly 25 years, James has used his unique blend of marketing, storytelling, strategic planning, organizational development and innovation experiences to help companies form lasting connections with their employees, consumers and communities. Over the last several years, James and his team have led groundbreaking studies focused on the travel experiences of historically excluded and underrepresented consumer groups, helping clients at the state and local develop more authentic engagement and improve the visitation experience. A sought-after advisor, facilitator, contributor and convener, James serves on the BridgePark Foundation’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee as Chair; the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Mission, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Dwight School Foundation’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board.