KEYNOTE

Teveia Barnes, Former Executive Director of California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank 

As the Executive Director of the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) Teveia Barnes was responsible for financing public infrastructure and private development that promote a healthy climate for jobs, contribute to a strong economy and improve the quality of life in California communities. Ms. Barnes has over 42 years of legal, finance and regulatory experience with banks and other financial institutions, municipal finance experience as well as experience representing for-profit and not-for-profit companies and small businesses. Ms. Barnes was appointed by Governor Brown as the Executive Director of IBank in 2013 and retired from IBank at the end of 2018.

Prior to joining IBank, Ms. Barnes was commissioner at the California Department of Financial Institutions where she was the chief state regulator responsible for the licensing, examination and supervision of banks, credit unions, savings associations, trust companies, foreign banking organizations, and money transmitters. Barnes was a partner at the law firm of Foley and Lardner LLP with finance and regulatory experience. Ms. Barnes worked at Bank of America in multiple positions, including associate general counsel and senior vice president, and was an active member of the Diversity Committee.

Ms. Barnes now serves as executive director and volunteer attorney at Lawyers For One America providing pro bono legal services in underserved communities and promotes diversity in the legal profession. She was a director on the boards of Rice University, including Chairman of the Audit Committee, On Lok, Inc., including Chairman of the Board, American Conservatory Theatre and Hospice by the Bay, and served as a member of the U.S. Bank Advisory Board of Northern California.

Ms. Barnes earned a Juris Doctorate from New York University School of Law in 1978 and received her BA degree in economics, political science and German studies from Rice University in 1975, where she was an Arthur B. Cohn Scholar.

PANEL MODERATOR

Sheila Lewis, CEO of Ashton 212

Sheila Lewis began her product development career climbing the ranks of corporate America at firms including Quaker Oats, Visa International, and Lane Bryant. After 15 years, she founded Flyin’ West, a business and marketing strategy consultancy. From 1997 to 2012 Sheila grew the firm into a highly respected firm with satisfied clients and consultants from coast to coast. In 2012, Flyin’ West expanded its services to include interim staffing which signaled the need for a new brand. Sheila enjoys the art and act of building and expanding business. Over the years she has worked with entrepreneurs and their leadership teams to link the thought of business growth to the business rigor and behavior necessary to achieve it.

Sheila is a sought-after speaker with a gift for inspiring her audiences on topics that are critical in the establishment, growth and sustainability of business. She also regularly serves as an emcee for charitable events. A longtime volunteer leader, Sheila works with select nonprofit organizations to help them to refine processes and enhance awareness of these groups in the community. She currently serves on the Northwestern Board of Directors of Operation HOPE; the Leadership Committee of 2.Oakland; the Economic Development Committee of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce; and the Executive Board of Advisors of the Bay Area Women Leader's Network.

Sheila earned her BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St Louis, Missouri and her MBA with highest honors in marketing and finance from Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.

PANELISTS

Marc Doss, Regional Chief Investment Officer, Wells Fargo Private Bank

Marc Doss is the regional chief investment officer and a managing director for Wells Fargo Private Bank in California and Nevada. He leads a team of investment professionals who deliver comprehensive, custom, diversified portfolio management for clients of The Private Bank. In his role, Marc serves as the investment thought leader in the region by providing insight and interpretation of the economy and financial markets at client events and through written commentary. He serves on the Wealth Investment Policy and Fiduciary Oversight Committees.

Prior to his current role, Marc served as senior director of investments for the Southwest region and the regional investment manager for the San Diego Wealth Management Group. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he worked as a managing director at Lehman Brothers and U.S. Trust. Marc has 25 years of experience in financial services and has been featured in various media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones MarketWatch, CNBC.com, U.S. News & World Report, and Bloomberg.

Marc earned a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, Bachelors of Science in Economics and Political Science from the University of Illinois is a CFA charterholder, and the holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. He served four years of active duty in the United States Navy and eight years in the reserves as a U.S. naval officer.

Evelyn Dilsaver, Independent Board Director for Multiple Companies

A CPA at Ernst, Evelyn spent the first 17 years of her career in the audit and finance function as Controller for a bank and for Charles Schwab and as CFO and Chief Administrative Officer for U.S. Trust, a wealth management firm. She was given the opportunity to hone her skills in marketing, business development, strategy, M&A and product development, culminating in the role of EVP of Charles Schwab, member of the Management Committee and President and CEO of Charles Schwab Investment Management, responsible for over $200 Billion in assets and over $1 Billion in revenue.

Recognized in the community for her leadership, she has received San Francisco Business Times “100 Most Influential Woman” award, 2003-2009, and SF Business Times “Outstanding Director,” 2014. In 2016, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Cal State University East Bay.

Evelyn has served on several public and private boards and currently serves as Audit or Compensation Committee Chair on public company boards Tempur Sealy (TPX) and Health Equity (HQY); large private companies Blue Shield of CA, global consulting firm Protiviti, a private REIT and leadership roles in several non-profit boards, including as Chair of the Board for The Commonwealth Club and Chair for the Blue Shield Foundation, and Co-Chair of Women Corporate Directors Advisory Board. She formerly served on the boards of Long Drugs, Tamalpais Bancorp, Aeropostale (teen specialty clothing), High Mark Funds and the NACD NorCal chapter. She is a graduate of CSU East Bay and the Stanford Senior Executive Program.
 

Elizabeth Hillman, President of Mills College

Dr. Elizabeth Hillman is the 14th President of Mills College. When she arrived at Mills in 2016, she brought a passion for independent, student-centered education and gender and racial justice along with the grit, courage, and resolve to help Mills envision its future.

During her first year, the College articulated MillsNext, a new standard for accessible, transformative education through three pillars: academic excellence in the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, and technology; applied learning, global understanding, and real-world skills development; and gender and racial justice in academic programs and community engagement. In September of 2017, she led a tuition reset effort to translate the value of a Mills education to prospective students and their families, resulting in a historic 36 percent (or $16,000) reduction in undergraduate tuition, confirming Mills’ commitment to access and affordability for all students. Her leadership team has relied on Mills’ illustrious faculty and enterprising students to elevate student success, building new pathways to degrees, new academic structures and programs, and stronger partnerships.

A scholar of history and law, President Hillman frequently speaks and publishes on issues of sexual violence and gender equity and teaches courses at Mills. Her expertise in sexual violence and gender issues in the military has won national and international recognition. She has been an expert witness for Congress and national commissions, most recently at a Congressional Women’s Caucus hearing to address non-consensual pornography in the US Military (Marines United), and served on the Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel (RSP), an independent panel chartered by the US Congress to study and make recommendations about sexual assault in the US military. A veteran of the US Air Force who taught history and law at the US Air Force Academy, Yale University, Rutgers, and the University of California Hastings College of the Law, she was president of the National Institute of Military Justice and reporter for the two Cox Commission reports, which recommended improvements to the US military justice system.

President Hillman has also engaged nationally in higher education leadership. She serves on the board of the Women’s College Coalition, as a member of the NCAA Division III Chancellors and Presidents Advisory Group, and is a founding member of the President's Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which seeks to influence the policy-making process on immigration, especially the policies that affect undocumented students.

 

Nicole Sanchez, Founder & Managing Partner, Vaya Consulting

For more than 20 years, Nicole has served as a leading expert on workplace culture with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Nicole has transformed workplace culture for Fortune 500 corporations, tech startups, and mission-driven organizations. She consults globally, advising tech executives on best practices in diversity and inclusion. Previously, Nicole served as VP of Social Impact at GitHub and Managing Partner for the Kapor Center for Social Impact. Nicole earned a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business where she is a lecturer on workplace diversity. Nicole serves on the Board of CODE2040, and has received numerous awards for her work. Nicole is a mother of two teenagers and lives with her family in the East Bay, where she was born and raised.

 

Roundtable Facilitators

The Language of Inclusion

Donald Duggan, Former Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Banking Services & Chief Diversity Officer at Bank of the West

Donald Duggan is a thoughtful, engaged, high-impact leader with deep skills and experience in technology, operations, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement and human capital strategies.

Duggan recently retired after 16 years on the Executive Management Committee of Bank of the West where he served the bank in roles that included Chief Information Officer, Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Banking Operations.

His most recent position, leading enterprise-wide delivery of core banking services, entailed a dual focus on delivering industry-leading customer experiences plus continuous improvements to the quality, timeliness and efficiency of the bank’s service delivery.

Duggan designed and built the bank’s Diversity and Inclusion program. Objectives for that program were threefold: engaging team members, making customers feel valued, and augmenting diversity at all levels of the organization. The program won several industry awards, and Duggan has spoken at multiple national conferences on his beliefs about and experiences around diversity and inclusion.

Duggan is deeply knowledgeable of U.S. banking regulations and requirements. His 2017 work with the FDIC and Bank of the West’s board resulted in full remediation of several outstanding MOUs for the bank and board commendation for Duggan.  During the bank’s expansion period, Duggan led due diligence, merger planning and conversion implementation for multiple acquisitions of other financial institutions.

Prior to Bank of the West, Duggan spent 15 years with Fidelity Information Services where he managed relationships with large financial institutions, developing and implementing strategies to increase efficiency and improve customer experience.

Duggan is actively involved in giving back to the community. He is board chair for Life Courses and a board member for the Cancer Support Community, where he was named that organization’s 2018 Annual Gala Honoree based on his efforts to extend services to under-served communities.

Marilyn Nagel, Chief Learning Officer, SAMI game

Marilyn has an unusual background including over 30 years of experience in the corporate world as a C-Suite executive, entrepreneur and executive coach. In addition to being Chief Learning Officer of SAMI, a game-based leadership development company Marilyn has her own consulting firm Ready-Aim-Aspire and is a partner consultant with Boardwise. Her consulting work is widely recognized in the field of executive and board development, diversity and inclusion, as well as leadership and networking.

Prior to starting Ready-Aim Aspire, Marilyn was CEO of Watermark, leading strategic initiatives designed to help women enhance their personal and professional impact.  Before joining Watermark, Marilyn served as Chief Diversity Officer at Cisco. She was recognized as a thought leader in creating inclusive environments, and co-chair of the Conference Board Global Diversity Group as well as senior advisor to the Center for Talent and Innovation.

Marilyn consults with pre and post IPO companies, fortune 500 and multinational companies on developing and implementing diversity strategies. She is an internationally recognized speaker and workshop facilitator on topics such as Inclusive Leadership, Building Intentional Connections, Inclusive Hiring, Creating Influence, as well as Board Accountability and Women’s Leadership.  She is a regular blogger for the Huffington Post and frequently contributes to numerous publications.

Marilyn serves on the Board of Directors of Ceres Community Project and has served on the Board of Directors of Watermark, Professional Business Women of California, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME), UPWARD, and Family and Children Services. Marilyn also currently serves on the Advisory Boards of YOL, The Everest Project, as well as the Advisory Council of Courageous Leadership.

The Art of Allyship

Pamela Hopkins, Managing Partner, Enact Leadership

As co-founder of Enact Leadership, Pamela co-leads strategy, business development, growth and development of a diverse, talented team. Pamela is driven by her passion for personal and organizational growth, and has dedicated her life’s work to creating opportunities for individuals, teams and entire companies to more deeply introspect to catalyze real transformation. With Enact, Pamela brings an integrated approach to help clients strategically address complex issues through high-stakes facilitation, talent development strategy consulting, diversity and inclusion expertise and executive coaching. Her ultimate goal is to help create healthy, engaged work environments and leave people “in action.”

Prior to Enact, Pamela worked across a multitude of industries and held leadership roles at Levi Strauss & Co., Context Integration and PeopleSoft, and consulting roles with Interaction Associates & Personnel Decisions International.

Pamela holds a Ph.D. from Fielding Graduate University in Human Development. She received her BA in Liberal Arts from Russell Sage College in New York and her MA in Educational Psychology from Rhode Island College and a second MA from Fielding Graduate University in Human & Organization Systems. She has participated in post-graduate work in organizational development with National Training Lab, and serves as part of the Management & Psychology faculty at Golden Gate University, teaching several courses in the graduate MBA program and is a speaker on diversity, equity and inclusion for organizations around the world.

 

Flavio Bravo, Graduate Intern, Office of Diversity Engagement & Community Outreach, University of San Francisco

As a graduate student in Migration Studies at the University of San Francisco, Flavio envisions a world in which immigrants and refugees are empowered and embraced. Born and raised in Arizona and having studied in Chicago, San Francisco, and most recently, Mexico City, Flavio is a tireless advocate for global educational equity. During his time in the Bay Area, he has served as a live-in volunteer at the Oakland Catholic Worker accompanying migrant families from Latin America and currently works within the University of San Francisco’s Office of Diversity Engagement and Community Outreach.

Prior to arriving to the Bay Area, Flavio received his BA in Political Science and Philosophy of Social Justice from Loyola University Chicago where he served as Student Body President and helped establish the Magis Scholarship Fund for undocumented students who, despite demonstrating high financial need, do not qualify for federal financial aid.

Flavio regularly leads conversations on issues surrounding immigration reform, migration policy, and access to education for immigrant youth in the United States.

This spring, Flavio will graduate with his M.A. in Migration Studies from the University of San Francisco and in 2016, he received his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy of Social Justice from Loyola University Chicago.

 

Addressing Implicit Bias

Molly Anderson, CEO – Exponential Talent, LLC

Molly Anderson is CEO and founder of Exponential Talent LLC, a management consultancy specializing in diversity and inclusion strategies that catalyze innovation and performance.

She is also co-author of The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work (Harvard Business Review Press, 2010). The Corporate Lattice™ framework provides a blueprint for how organizations can adapt their HR and work practices to today’s diverse workforce.

Previously Molly was the diversity and talent innovation leader for Deloitte’s 50,000 employees which included directing the rollout of Mass Career Customization® (for which she holds a patent). During her tenure, Deloitte earned a number of “employer of choice” and diversity awards, including receiving the prestigious Catalyst Award for a second time.

Molly is a frequent and her articles have appeared in leading publications. She speaks at forums such as the NY Times New Rules Summit, the Stanford Executive Program, the Conference Board, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Her articles have appeared in leading publications such as Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, CNBC, Leadership Excellence and The Conversation at Harvard Business Review and she appeared on First Business TV.

Molly is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Stanford University Clayman Institute for Gender Research and a Corporate Partner in the Stanford University VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab. Previously she has served on the Stanford Graduate School of Business Women’s Task Force and the Organizational Change Working Group of the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Computing.

Molly earned her M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her undergraduate degree from Harvard University.

 

Faye Sahai, Senior Director Innovation & Inclusion, Exponential Talent LLC

Faye Sahai is the Senior Advisor at Exponential Talent. She has been singled out and celebrated as an innovation growth leader and diversity change catalyst in multiple companies including AIG, Blue Shield, Deloitte, Charles Schwab, and Kaiser Permanente.

She served as the AIG Global Head of Employee Experience, and AIG Executive Advisor of Global Women in Technology and UP Upward Professionals, and was nominated for the Women Executive Leaders Initiative and Global Inclusion and Diversity Task Force. She was one of founding members and leaders of Kaiser Permanente’s Women in Technology (WIT) and Women Embracing Life and Leadership (WELL) programs.

As an innovation adviser to companies, start-ups and accelerators, Faye serves on the Board of Directors for Ayogo Health Inc.; co-chairs the Innovation Executive Forum at the Berger Research Institute Work, Life and Family at Claremont McKenna College (CMCAA); serves on the CMCAA boards and Boards of Advisers for Somnology MD and Autonomous ID; is a member of the board for Ascend Leadership Western Region; and she is co-chair of the Innovation Executive Forum.

Faye’s many forms of recognition include: being named on the Insurance Business Hot 100 and Elite Women in Insurance Business America in 2017; she received an Ascend Leadership Award in 2017; was named among Computer World’s Top Premier IT Leaders in 2015; and received an Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Kaiser Permanente Asian Community and Innovation Enterprise Best Ideation Award in 2014.

A sought-after speaker, Faye has delivered presentations on diversity and innovation at the Consumer Electronic Show CES, ABIM, Chief Innovation Officer Summit, Venture Beat, Apps World, Watermark, Smart City, UCLA, Monte Jade Science and Technology, Blue Print, ACG Silicon Valley, UIX Global, Women in Tech, Institute for Health Technology Transformation, C200, Alchemist Accelerator, Plug & Play, EY Disruptive Innovation, Worth Conference, Insure Disrupt, and Corporate Innovation Huddle events.

Faye received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology from Claremont McKenna College and her Master of Business Administration at the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management.

 

Knowing Your Worth – Project Worth

Emma Reilly, Vice President, Head of Technology Strategy & Execution, Lending Club

Emma Reilly, is Co-Founder of Project Worth and Vice President, Head of Technology Strategy & Execution at Lending Club. Emma has over 20 years of Financial Services Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams at investment banking, retail banking, asset management, insurance and fintech companies. Emma joined Lending Club in October of 2018 to design and build the Technology Strategy and Execution function. The objective of this function being to design a technology strategy to support business innovation and growth and implement program management discipline for the organization.

Prior to joining Lending Club, Emma ran her own consultancy business, GSD Business Consulting Solutions, where she provided program management and execution services to financial services firm and held positions at BlackRock, Barclays and KPMG.

Emma is an FCCA, fellow members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and earned a Masters in Professional Accountancy from the University of London.

 

Heather Pelant, Baker Street Advisors

Heather Pelant is Co-Founder of Project Worth and Managing Director at Baker Street Advisors.  She is a member of Baker Street Advisor’s Management and Investment Committees, and advises the firm’s clients on the development and implementation of their investment portfolio and wealth management strategies. 

Prior to joining Baker Street Advisors, Heather served as BlackRock’s Head of Direct and Personal Investing business. She began her career in 1998 advising wealthy investors and has extensive expertise in both asset and wealth management. Her industry experience includes leading teams and businesses at Morgan Stanley and BlackRock in San Francisco, Toronto and Hong Kong.

Her lifelong passion around women’s leadership and economic advancement led her to studying Japanese women entrepreneurs in Tokyo; to launching women’s investing forums in Honolulu and San Francisco; to the newly launched Project Worth.  She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and serves on the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement. 

Heather earned an MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management, an MA degree in Asian Studies from the University of Hawaii and a BA degree in Asian Studies from the University of Victoria, Canada.

Paving the Path for Women to Serve on Corporate Boards

Dr. Donna M. Hamlin, Independent Board Director for Multiple Companies

Dr. Hamlin’s board experience includes serving as: Independent Director of Daily Pay, a company transforming how employees get paid, Director of Aussie Web Pty., Ltd., Google’s guru partner for SEO optimization, and Director for Growth Group, Inc., a financial services corporation.

Currently, Donna is CEO and Board Director of Boardwise., Inc. as well as Chairperson of Hamlin Harkins, Ltd., a 34-year-old international management consulting firm working with a broad spectrum of domestic and international companies on issues of strategy, market growth and performance improvement. Donna joined Boardwise, Inc. as CEO in 2010, taking it from start-up to a multinational organization in 3 years. Simultaneously, she continued her role and Board Chair for Hamlin Harkins, Ltd., which holds a long history of awards for corporate success, including ones from General Electric and the International Communication Association.

Prior to these current roles, she served as a director for Interhealth, USA, a leading international provider of nutraceuticals, including chair of the compensation committee; board advisory member for Paramit Corporation, a fast-growing standards-setting electronic contract manufacturer, board advisory member for Buyer’s Road, Inc., as well as for:  CoreBrand, a privately-held advertising and branding firm in New York;  and Themyscira Institute for Integrative Leadership in Europe and has been as a director for the San Jose Stage Company for 25 years.  Additionally, she served as advisor to compensation committees for publicly-held companies: Asyst Technologies and Trident Microsystems, Inc. director for Commonwealth Central Credit Union, CardioGrade, Inc., Agromac International, and for the non-profit organizations: Girls, Inc, United Way, and the San Jose Ballet.

Donna holds professional governance certifications from National Association of Corporate Directors and Harvard University. She is recognized for her board style as a statesman, with an ability to successfully facilitate robust discussions of issues and integrate directors’ thinking into creative solutions.

Donna holds a Ph.D. in strategic planning from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), an M.S. with honors in organizational communication also from RPI, and a B.A. from Siena College.

 

Danna Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, Athena Alliance

Danna is Chief Operating Officer of The Athena Alliance, an organization dedicated to advancing diversity in the boardroom by preparing executive women for board service and facilitating board matches. She is a strategic operations executive, board member and published author who scales for growth by leading cross-functional finance, operations, sales and marketing, and product development with a robust client-focused sophistication across industry sectors. She has strong expertise in leading operations through periods of rapid expansion and transformation, delivering substantial impact in startup, high-growth and Fortune 50 organizations reaching business, profit and quality targets.

Danna is a mindful leader with a passion for driving growth for purpose-driven brands with both integrity and keen attention to stakeholder value, including customers, employees, community, and board.

Danna is a gifted public speaker adept at hosting workshops and speaking engagements, addressing boards, and currently hosts a weekly conscious leadership radio talk show. Danna co-authored three Amazon best-selling conscious leadership books, including The Energy of Receiving, The Energy of Creativity and Relationships Done Easy. She is creator and host of a conscious leadership weekly radio show, “Luscious Leadership,” available on 70+ on-demand platforms. Danna holds a Bachelor of Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

She is a former board member of Second Wind and was part of the Host Team for Access Consciousness. Danna is passionate about giving back and has volunteered for the National Domestic Violence Hotline Gala Committee, Group de la Comida, providing food for seniors and the Friends of Noe Valley Rec Center.