CONFERENCE
SPEAKERS

Celeste Warren is a visionary leader, TEDx Speaker, author, and former Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at a global Fortune 100 company, where she spent 28 years driving transformational change. During her decade leading the Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence, she implemented groundbreaking strategies that helped embed equity and inclusion into business operations and culture.

Today, Celeste is the founder of Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, where she partners with organizations to build equitable systems that create opportunity and drive sustainable impact. Her TEDx talk highlights the critical importance of changing systems—not just individuals—to create real and lasting momentum in equity.

Celeste is also the co-founder of Destination STEM, Inc., a nonprofit she launched with her two children to support students of color and underserved students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Celeste is a published author and her articles on diversity, equity and inclusion have been featured in numerous national and global publications and she has had the opportunity to speak at various events across the world. She has recently published her second book entitled “The Truth About Equity”

Dr. Adaobi Okocha is a board-certified pediatrician with a background in public health and non-profit work. She graduated from Emory University with an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. She received her Master's in Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Science and Health Education. She pursued her medical training at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by her pediatric residency at Nemours Children’s Health in Orlando, Florida. Throughout her journey, Dr. Okocha has had numerous wins but also many failures. In order to forge her way forward through an arduous path, Dr. Okocha re-imagined her approach of turning her losses into wins. With these lessons, she pays it forward through mentorship of pre-medical students and graduates. Her experiences also fuel her passion-work as a founding member and now Vice President (a self-proclaimed “STEMinist,”) of The African Research Academies for Women, a non-profit organization dedicated to correcting the gender disparity in STEM research for African women. Outside of the clinical space, Dr. Okocha is involved in health advocacy. Off the clock, you will find her spending time with her husband, learning a new language, or being a foodie.

co-founder of Avatar Buddy

Dr. Isi Idemudia is a Principal at Infosys Consulting and a globally recognized Responsible AI leader, with prior experience at Accenture and HCLTech. She is Chief Builder at StyleMyCrown, where she is on a mission to make AI work for everyone. A Global AI leader specializing in agentic AI and AI governance, Dr. Idemudia holds a Ph.D. in Technology Management and is completing a Master of Intellectual Property Law — a rare combination of deep technical AI expertise and legal strategy. She helps organizations and professionals turn AI agents into real engines of growth.”

Dr. Samantha March Clark is a Doctor of Chiropractic, NIH-affiliated researcher, IIN Certified Health Coach, and published author of Harmonize Your Life: Finding Alignment From Within. Over the past decade, she has worked with nearly 6,000 patients across 89,000 clinical visits, building a unique vantage point into the hidden physiology that derails high-achievers.

Her expertise bridges three disciplines: clinical chiropractic care, evidence-based health coaching, and NIH-affiliated research on hormonal dysregulation and performance. She founded the Rmoniz® Framework specifically to address the pattern she witnessed repeatedly: brilliant women and leaders who excelled professionally while their physiology quietly collapsed. Conventional medicine missed it. Wellness trends missed it. Only a framework anchored in clinical insight and lived credibility could solve it.

Dr. Clark brings 26 years of combined clinical, research, and leadership experience to every room. She understands both the science of why burnout breaks founders and the lived experience of building while running on empty. She was her.

At HER ASCENSION, she's offering something unique: a data-backed methodology that positions physiology not as a wellness afterthought, but as the competitive infrastructure that separates founders who scale sustainably from those who don't.

Dr. Sheila Volante is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategist of CollectiveLogik, LLC, where she partners with organizations to drive strategic IT initiatives, digital transformation, and operational excellence. She holds a PhD in Philosophy with a focus on Strategy and Innovation, and has spent over two decades managing, and often rescuing, multimillion-dollar transformation programs for Fortune 1000 companies including Target, Xerox, Aetna, State of Washington, MGM Resorts International, and Caesars Entertainment.

CEO of Black Women Moguls

Joy Johnson-Carruthers is a professional speaker, executive peer advisor, and CEO of JTraining Solutions, where she helps organizations navigate tough workplace topics—such as civility and generational differences—with greater respect, connection, and purpose. With over 20 years of HR and training experience across corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors, Joy brings real-talk expertise as an award-winning HR Advisor and workforce strategist. She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee SHRM—one of the eight largest HR management associations in the U.S. A former police officer and military veteran, Joy is known for cutting through the fluff—her sessions get real, get personal, and get results.
Credentials and Highlights
• SHRM-SCP Certification, the highest HR designation.
• Master DDI-certified facilitator and certified Peacemaking Circle Facilitator.
• Inclusion in the Workplace Certification from the University of South Florida.
• Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Lincoln University (HBCU).
• Master’s Degree in Cultural Studies from UCLA, with international studies in West Africa,
Europe, and South Korea.
Joy’s engaging delivery and practical solutions resonate with today’s workforce, earning her top marks
from audiences nationwide. Her work has helped organizations reduce turnover, improve engagement,
and create inclusive cultures that thrive. She also provides targeted workplace guidance to
professionals, helping them overcome challenges and take ownership of their careers.