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James L. Carter Jr. is an accomplished technology executive, published author, mentor, and transformational leader whose life and career embody resilience, innovation, and purpose. Originally from the Bronx, New York, James has built a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in corporate technology leadership, strategic planning, infrastructure modernization, and enterprise transformation.
Currently serving as First Vice President of Information Technology for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, James provides executive leadership and strategic direction for enterprise technology operations and infrastructure initiatives. In this role, he continues to drive modernization, operational excellence, and innovation across the organization.
Prior to joining Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, James served as Senior Director of IT Platform Services for The Coca-Cola Company, where he led strategic technology initiatives across North America Operations for one of the world’s most recognized global brands. His leadership focused on strengthening enterprise capabilities, improving operational performance, and advancing large scale technology transformation initiatives.
Before his tenure at Coca-Cola, James spent more than sixteen years with Shaw Industries as Director of Technology Planning, Strategy and Innovation, where he served as a chief technology strategist responsible for enterprise planning, infrastructure improvement, innovation, and organizational modernization efforts.
James also held leadership roles with PwC as Director of Global Technology Services and with Coopers & Lybrand as Manager of Infrastructure Operations, consistently building a reputation as a visionary and inspirational leader with a proven ability to guide organizations through periods of growth, change, and technological advancement.
Throughout his career, James has become known for leaving every organization stronger than he found it, improving efficiencies, increasing organizational capabilities, strengthening infrastructure, and building high performing teams committed to excellence and innovation.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, James is deeply committed to mentoring young people and empowering the next generation to believe that the sky is truly the limit. Through mentorship, leadership, and personal example, he inspires youth to recognize that where they begin in life does not determine where they can ultimately go.
James is also a devoted family man. He is the proud father of two adult children and the loving grandfather of three grandchildren, roles he considers among his greatest blessings and most meaningful accomplishments.
In addition to his corporate leadership and community engagement, James is the author of the recently published memoir, Driven by the Suit: From the Bronx to the Boardroom. Told through personal experiences and raw storytelling, the book chronicles his extraordinary journey from poverty in the South Bronx to becoming a senior technology executive for a major financial institution. More than a memoir, the book serves as an inspiring testament to the power of faith, perseverance, discipline, and purpose, reminding readers that their beginnings do not define their destiny.
Layne L. Fontes is a marketing executive, entrepreneur, creative, and operational strategist with a proven record of building brands, businesses, and cultural platforms. His career began in fintech, where he served as an executive supporting Fortune 500 and national retail brands while helping advance EMV technology across the U.S. payments ecosystem.
As co-founder and former CEO of Six Degrees Creative Management and Consulting, Layne helped grow the Atlanta-based creative marketing agency into the 6th fastest-growing company in the Southeast in 2024. Under his leadership, Six Degrees earned major recognition, including AD Age’s Small Agency of the Year and a number 5 ranking on Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies list after revenue grew from $7.3 million to $20 million in one year.
Layne is also the founder of Company X Media Group and serves as Executive Producer, director, co-founder, and writer of the Not All Hood podcast with Malcolm- Jamal Warner and Candace Kelley. His creative work also extends into publishing, where he produced Gunner Stahl: Portraits I Have So Much to Tell You, a #1 book that further reflects his ability to build, package, and amplify culturally significant storytelling.
Dr. Karma Hill is a Business Psychologist, Positive Psychologist, ICF-credentialed Executive Coach, and President of the International Coaching Federation Georgia Chapter. With more than 20 years of experience across corporate, healthcare, government, nonprofit, education, faith-based, and correctional settings, she is recognized as one of today’s most dynamic voices in leadership development, workplace well-being, and human flourishing.
As the creator of the REST™ Framework — centered on Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Care, and Trust — Dr. Karma helps leaders and organizations prevent burnout, strengthen leadership capacity, and build cultures where people and performance thrive together. Her work blends business psychology, neuroscience, coaching, and systems thinking to deliver practical, research-informed transformation.
Dr. Karma is the founder of Konversations with Karma, publisher of Flourish Forum Magazine, and author of the upcoming Sacred Pause — a leadership guide for women navigating burnout recovery and reclaiming sustainable power.
Recognized by Yahoo Finance as one of the Top 10 Life Coaches to Watch, she holds a PhD in Business Psychology from The Chicago School. She doesn’t just study human flourishing — she helps organizations and leaders live it.
Sophia Casey is an International Coaching Federation {ICF) Master Certified Coach {MCC), globally recognized keynote speaker, executive coach, and leadership consultant.
She is the Founder & CEO of Sophia Casey Speaks and ICLI RISING, an !CF-accredited coach training and leadership development institute where she has trained, mentored, and coached thousands of leaders and professional coaches worldwide.
She is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the International Black Coaches Alliance {IBCA), a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing visibility, opportunity, community, and economic empowerment for Black coaches globally.
Sophia has held influential leadership roles, including serving as Director of First Impressions for a task force for the former Vice President of the United States and leading enterprise-wide leadership development initiatives across public and private-sector organizations, supporting thousands of professionals. Her clients include major organizations such as Google, TJ Maxx, BetterUp, and Dress for Success.
An eight-time published and bestselling author, her work has been featured on Fox News, NBC, CBS, and SUCCESS Magazine. She is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker on leadership, coaching excellence, organizational performance, and professional development.
Within the International Coaching Federation, Sophia has served in several key leadership and advisory roles, including the ICF DEIB Global Council, reinvention efforts related to mentor coaching and coach supervision competencies, and as the inaugural lead for the ICF Coach Education Assessor Community. She was also the featured spokesperson and demonstration coach for the 2025 ICF Core Competency #8 “Facilitates Client Growth” global video, shaping coach education and credentialing standards worldwide.
Danielle Manning‑Halsey is a native Washingtonian with deep roots in community leadership, philanthropy, and women’s empowerment. With more than nineteen years of executive experience in nonprofit development and strategic partnerships, she currently serves as Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Tostan, where she leads high‑level fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and institutional partnerships advancing community-led development across West Africa.
Prior to Tostan, Danielle spent eight years at WETA, serving in senior leadership roles supporting PBS national productions and the Inkwell Society, where she secured transformational philanthropic investments and cultivated influential relationships nationwide. Recognized for her strategic leadership and relationship‑building expertise, Danielle has built a career at the intersection of impact, advocacy, and transformational giving.
She is also the founder of the WellSpirit Women’s Collective, an organization dedicated to empowering women through holistic wellness retreats, professional development, mentorship, and advocacy for women’s rights. Her commitment to service extends throughout the Washington, DC region, where she actively supports initiatives focused on women, youth, and underserved communities.
In her personal time, Danielle enjoys horseback riding, interior decorating, and spending time with her family.
Dr. Jamil Ramsey is a technology executive, educator, and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in information technology, software development, and digital innovation. A 2016 graduate of the Founder Institute startup accelerator program, Dr. Ramsey has built a career at the intersection of emerging technology, leadership, and human-centered innovation.
He has served in senior leadership roles across both the public and private sectors, most notably as Chief Technology Officer of the Positive Psychology Coaching and Diversity Institute, where he leads the design and development of innovative technology solutions that support coaching, leadership development, and interventions for underserved populations.
Dr. Ramsey is also a recognized voice in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and blockchain adoption. His academic and professional work focuses on how organizations can responsibly integrate advanced technologies while maintaining ethical, people-centered systems. He currently teaches at Life University in Atlanta, GA.
His doctoral dissertation, Toward a Framework for Adoptability of Blockchain Technologies, explored the organizational, technical, and human factors influencing blockchain implementation and adoption within modern enterprises.
Dr. Ramsey frequently speaks on topics including artificial intelligence, technology strategy, digital transformation, leadership development, and the future of work.
Dan Parkinson is a seasoned entrepreneur, asset manager, and combat veteran who brings over two decades of high-stakes operational leadership to the stage. After serving 13 years in the Australian Army, Dan translated his tactical discipline into the private sector, building and running a thriving 7-figure construction company, a high-volume parking and storage operation, and a multi-7-figure real estate portfolio.
His ultimate joint venture, however, began in Afghanistan 15 years ago, where he met his wife and business partner, Chelsey—who frequently jokes that she kept him from getting blown up over there (a claim that happens to be 100% true, just ask her). Today, they run their lives and their multi-million dollar entities side-by-side. Sitting on both the Entrepreneurial Panel and the Husbands of CEO Women Panel, Dan offers a rare, grounded perspective on true strategic alignment and what it actually takes to build a legacy with your spouse.
Equally dedicated to his operations at home, Dan is an incredible dad to their six-year-old daughter, Kenna, and seamlessly handles the logistics of the family farm. He’s the definition of the unshakeable partner—the kind of husband who reacts to his wife bringing home more livestock by saying, “Well, it’s inconvenient that you got more ducks, but I’ll go dig a pond.” Whether he is managing corporate scaling or overseeing everything from the poultry to his wife’s pack of wolf hybrids, Dan believes in absolute execution.
Dakota Grady is a professional speaker, author, accounting and tax professional, podcaster, and money coach. He helps women over 40 reset their personal and business finances, so they can stop struggling and start living financially.
Since 2010, Dakota has coached people how to master their personal finances by creating a plan and crushing debt to move toward their financial goals. Dakota knows what it feels like to struggle financially. He grew up in a low-income family of nine, living on welfare.
Dakota is also known as The Accounting & Tax Doctor as he helps nurse practitioner entrepreneurs, med spa owners, and aesthetic entrepreneurs master their business finances with bookkeeping solutions and tax strategies to reduce their taxes and save them money.
Dakota has been featured on News Channel 5 in Nashville, TN, and Fox Carolina in Greenville, SC. He also has been a guest on podcasts such as Carolyn R. Owens’s show “Let’s Coach with Carolyn,” interviewed on Fisk University’s radio station WFSK Jazzy 88 with Sharon Kay, and other radio shows.
Dakota is also a husband, father, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Christin Smith, PCC, SHRM-SCP, is a leadership strategist, Executive Coach, and Principal Owner of Evolutions Coaching and Consulting, LLC. She is also the co-owner of Refined Hope Incorporated, a women’s empowerment initiative centered on growth, healing, alignment, and community impact.
An Atlanta native with more than 20 years of combined experience in coaching, human resources, and corporate leadership, Christin is guided by her belief that “Everyone Can Evolve.” She is passionate about connecting people, purpose, and business while helping individuals lead and live with greater authenticity, confidence, and intention. Her work focuses on moving clients beyond conformity and into purposeful action that aligns with who they truly are.
Known for incorporating professional empathy into her coaching approach, Christin creates space for honest conversations, self-awareness, accountability, and transformational growth. Grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Coaching principles and a strengths-based philosophy, she helps clients understand how their beliefs influence behaviors, decisions, and outcomes. Her top strengths—honesty, spirituality, and bravery—serve as the foundation of her coaching presence and leadership style.
Christin holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Services and graduate studies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a proud wife of 22 years, mother of two sons, and resides in Hampton, Ga.
Dr. Tyra Moore, DSW, LICSW, LCSW-C, is the founder of Moore Therapeutic and Consulting Services. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she offers trauma-informed and culturally sensitive therapy services to address issues such as depression, anxiety, workplace trauma, and grief and loss. Dr. Moore integrates approaches including mindfulness, CBT, ACT, and EMDR to support her client’s healing journeys. Dr. Moore is committed to creating safe spaces for courage, vulnerability, and growth.
Ron Sutton is a personal trainer with over 18 years of experience transforming lives through mind, body, and soul fitness. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Exercise Science, he founded D.R.I.P.P. Royalty Fitness LLC and is now a partner at Integral Personal Training in Charlotte, NC. Guided by faith and purpose, Ron helps clients thrive through disciplined, holistic training. Outside the gym, he enjoys teaching, family time, books, movies, gaming, and nature.
DeMarco Williams is a high-energy fitness coach with 18 years of experience motivating individuals to achieve their health and weight-loss goals. Beginning his career as a YMCA group fitness instructor in Birmingham, AL, he quickly became known for blending his radio and DJ skills to create fun, music-driven cardio experiences. His upbeat, fat-burning classes—loved by beginners and pros alike—feature easy-to-follow choreography and infectious rhythms that inspire people to move, sweat, and enjoy fitness like never before.
Tawawn Lowe is the CEO and Founder of TL Consultancy, LLC, a woman- and minority-owned coaching and consulting firm in Maryland. A speaker, author, and certified life coach with 25+ years of experience, she empowers individuals and organizations to transform, break limiting beliefs, and step into purpose. With a background in Behavioral Studies and Change Management, Tawawn is known for her powerful, practical approach to helping people bridge the gap between where they are and where they aspire to be.
Dr. Gail Crowder is a wife of 37 years, mother of four, and the Founder and President of Bringing Sexy Back to the Marriage (BSB). A Certified Master Sexpert, author, and marriage and life coach, she has helped thousands of couples enhance intimacy and strengthen their relationships. Featured on numerous TV and radio shows, Gail is known for her bold, practical approach, bestselling books, and dynamic teaching that empowers modern wives to build fulfilling, passionate marriages.
Chelsey is a high-performance coach, fitness competitor, and habit expert who helps entrepreneurs and leaders take radical action, master their mindset, and create unreasonably delusional success. With a background in leadership, coaching over 2,500 clients—including executives, creators, and high achievers—Chelsey blends science-backed habits with bold strategies to drive real results. Her approach is no-fluff, results-driven, and designed to push limits, proving that success is built through mindset, discipline, and taking action beyond what seems possible.