SPEAKERS DIRECTORY

V. Jesse Smith, a professional and motivational leadership speaker, strategist and coach, who specializes in helping individuals, entrepreneurs and employees, become influential leaders and dynamic public speakers.

D’Andre J. Lacy is a motivational speaker and an Amazon best-selling author of his book “Out of the Ashes: Finding the Purpose in Your Pain” that debuted in the PTSD category at #5. D’Andre is has over a decade of experience engaging, educating, empowering and inspiring audiences across different cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds. This internationally-known speaker has spoken at universities, conferences, prisons, churches and has captivated the crowd each time.

Ali J. Taylor is a Consultant and Growth Strategist who helps service-based businesses double their revenue by aligning their operations with their vision for success. His approach challenges toxic hustle culture by showing leaders how to leverage their natural strengths and authentic ways of working as competitive advantages, proving that being good with you is actually great for business.

As a founder, coach, consultant, or agency owner it’s only natural that you want to boost revenue, grow your business, and reap reward... fast! But to succeed, it’s critical that you take a planned approach. Scaling your business minimizes risks and ensures that it can keep pace with your success. Our workshops help increase productivity and streamline goals' weekend and week out with the SLFB transformation process. We help enlightened entrepreneurs stay accountable.

Stacey’s story begins with a simple desire: to edify and empower girls and young women to live successful, enjoyable lives from the inside out. She uses her distinctive blend of expertise, creativity, and influence to connect her audiences with the information and essential skills needed to win at life on their terms.

Dr. Janice Fortman, Ed.D believes that communication is the foundation for personal and professional relationships, therefore, people's opinions of you or your organization are formed by the way you communicate verbally and non-verbally. She is an author, award winning international motivational speaker, corporate trainer, and effective communication coach. As a Distinguished Toastmaster, Dr. Jan provides memorable and engaging, presentations focusing on giving people peace and power through the use of effective communication skills.

Lyric Wardlow, shaped by her lived experience of chronic homelessness, is a dynamic speaker and advocate. She speaks on Black girl empowerment, leadership,mental health/trauma and understanding the impact of homelessness. Now working within the system, Lyric collaborates with leaders nationwide to influence policy and develop better systems for those in need. Her speaking style fosters empathy and compassion, making her a sought-after expert in the field.

Committed to maximizing results Mariama S. Boney, LMSW, CAE, CPEC celebrates over 25 years as an award winning educational administrator, executive, facilitator, coach, trainer, and consultant for DEI, Leadership, and Wellbeing. She also serves as a host/moderator. Mariama guides individuals and organizations to safely move through transition to find shared purpose and create frameworks. She is the author of articles, book chapters, and 3 books, the latest of which is VENT: Our Resilience Is Enough.

Malaika Simmons is the founder of Momentology Media, LLC, and creator of The Momentology Method™. Using the Momentology Method™ she shows servant-leading executives, managers, and high performers how to design a life, career, and business that brings peace, productivity, and profit. Malaika provides motivational speaking, empathy-based corporate training, workshops, and coaching services. As a result of hearing her speak, audiences are encouraged to live intentionally, helping people increase performance and productivity through insight and impact.

Denisha Gingles, LCPC, BCBA, LBA is a dynamic counselor and social justice activist. Owner of a behavioral health organization, she pioneers creating sacred spaces for wellness and growth. As a formative researcher in the field of Behavior Analysis, Denisha merges social justice with behavioral science, driving systemic change and personal transformation. Her research and practice includes empowering individuals to overcome self-defeating behaviors and internalized anti-blackness, while focusing on Black liberation and collective freedom.

Oumar Dieng is a resilience subject matter expert who helps clients build “everlasting resilience" and spark a chain reaction of motivation, productivity and high performance in teams and individuals so that they can overcome any challenge life throws at them and reach their goals.

Dr. Eric L Holmes is a senior coordinator in the Otolaryngology department at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr Holmes has earned a bachelor's and master's and a master's and Doctorate in Christian Education. A certified life coach and a published author.