LeRoy Butler is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, Green Bay Packer Super Bowl Champion, and one of Wisconsin's most treasured favorite sons. As a team leader, social influencer, educational and business professional, or concerned constituent, LeRoy Butler has helped positively impact and move countless organizations forward.

Michele Thornton Ghee is a transformational leader that has generated over $1B in revenue while working for some of the most powerful media companies in the world including EBONY and Jet, EBONY Studios, WME, CNN, A&E, The History Channel, and BET Networks. While at BET, Michele created and ran the first and only network for Black women: BETHer.chieve on DE&I.

Mckenzie Boyce is a PhD student in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her master’s degree in agricultural economics from Mississippi State University and her bachelor’s degree in agribusiness and agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University. She works broadly in the area of community economic development. Some of her work has focused on telework, financial literacy, broadband adoption, and quality of life.

Lynden Bond, PhD, MSW is a Senior research associate at the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Bond is a licensed social worker whose direct practice and research has focused on housing, housing insecurity, and homelessness. She is passionate about and committed to using community-empowered methods and partnering with people with lived expertise in research and advocacy.

Matthew Kures is a Community Development Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development. Matthew carries out the Wisconsin Idea by assisting communities and organizations in the areas of regional economic analysis, labor force research, socio-economic impact analysis and industry sector competitiveness.

Meet Chisa Miller, a woman leading with passion and teaching for change. As an accomplished trainer, facilitator and public speaker, Chisa brings a big bundle of enthusiasm and energy into every room. Prior to dedicating her life to diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) education, you could find Chisa in Las Vegas working as the Casino Operations Manager at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. It was under this role that she attended, and fell in love with, her first inclusion and diversity class, opening the doors for her true calling and leading her to where she is today.

Mikaela Tajo is a research analyst in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Her research focuses on homelessness, housing insecurity, and community-engaged methods. Before coming to Urban, she received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in legislative affairs from the George Washington University.

Brian "Woody" White is a semi-retired technology executive who launched his tech career at the young age of 15. He has explored various tech roles across diverse sectors, such as education, media, finance, and government. He has also risen to the top as a C-level executive and a DEI trailblazer in the mortgage industry. His session will offer an introduction to AI and its yet to be defined impact on jobs, society, and human value and its potential for devastating impact on communities of color.

All registrations include continental breakfast and lunch along with access to a morning and afternoon plenary session and your choice of concurrent breakout sessions on a wide variety of topics. The day will also feature ample opportunities to network with other business, government, nonprofit, and community leaders from across the eight-county Madison region.