2022 Speakers

Tyreo Harrison

EVP, The Financial Institution Group

Ty Harrison leads teams of lending and insurance professionals that are dedicated to delivering value-added programs, services, and technology tailored to address the needs of lenders, loan servicers, portfolio managers, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, and insurance brokers.

Dr. Stephanie Merrick

President and CEO of (SAS) Solutions Always Simple Consulting LLC

Dr. Stephanie Merrick is a strategic training consultant that cultivates and gains trust and provides expert knowledge to help organizations maximize their business results by keeping people positively engaged.

Darryl Bellamy

International Speaker, Author, Husband, and Father

Darryl uses his experience as an entrepreneur and past student leader to help students have more fearless moments.

KimArie Yowell

Chief Learning and Diversity Officer at Rocket Central, Detroit

KimArie Yowell leads the people development and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy for Rocket Companies, this includes the learning and development initiatives, post-secondary education programs, career development, diversity and inclusion programming and organizational effectiveness.

Jacqueline Baker

Speaker, Author, Leadership Consultant, and Advisor

Jacqueline Baker is known for her unique approach to modern etiquette and

leadership. As the author of The Unexpected Leader: Discovering the Leader Within You and Leader by Mistake: Becoming A Leader One

Mistake At A Time, she frequently speaks and writes on the leadership-for-all concept.

Raudy Perez

Senior Director, DEI External Partnerships

Raudy Perez leads external diversity partnerships with US-based community organizations in close collaboration with the Corporate Social Responsibility team at Experian. Collectively they fuel Experian’s force for good by strategically driving financial inclusion in underserved and marginalized communities.

Dawn Rhoden

Consumer Banking and Investments SVP, Consumer Banking Region Executive

Dawn Rhoden is the Georgia Tennessee Region Consumer Banking Region Executive. In this role, she has responsibility for leading over 1,100 teammates across 143 Financial Centers. Dawn and her team are responsible for delivering responsible growth for nearly 2.6MM consumer and small business clients with over $49B in deposits. They provide superior client experience, advice and guidance and connect clients to expertise aligned to client’s financial priorities.

Courtney Winston

Consumer Bank Market Leader SVP, Georgia Region

During her 15+ year career in financial services, Courtney has held several culture changing leadership roles starting as a Personal Banker moving into Assistant Manager, Financial Center Manager in Consumer and Small Business Banking. She was promoted to Senior Leader in September 2017 due to her top performing leadership and continued ties to community impact.

Joshua Roberts

Consumer Banking Market Leader VP, West Atlanta, Georgia, Tennessee Region

Jacqueline M. Baker is a speaker, author, leadership consultant and advisor known for her unique approach to modern etiquette and

leadership. As the author of The Unexpected Leader: Discovering the Leader Within You and Leader by Mistake: Becoming A Leader One

Mistake At A Time, she frequently speaks and writes on the leadership-for-all concept.

KeShaundra Malone

SVP, Georgia/Tennessee Region Operations Manager

After years of running a nonprofit organization which she founded, KeShaundra rejoined now Bank of America in 2011 and resumed the role of financial center manager. In her 14 years with the company, she has successfully managed multiple financial centers and also served as a Consumer Market Manager, Operations Market Manager, a Consumer Banking Market Leader, and most recently as a Region Operations Manager.

Raul Soto

Divisional Vice President, Appraisal Operations, Amrock

Raul Soto is Divisional Vice President of Appraisal Operations for Amrock, LLC, part of Rocket Companies and a leading Appraisal Management Company, empowering the company’s nationwide network of state-certified and licensed residential real estate appraisers. He leads the eastern market for the appraisal operations business area and is responsible for the market’s day-to-day operational efficiency and growth.

Spencer Iverson

Entrepreneur, Business Mogul, Speaker, and Author

Spencer Iverson is a multi-gifted business mogul who has achieved tremendous success

as a self-made entrepreneur, author, attorney, direct sales icon, business consultant, personal development expert and creator of the highly acclaimed Worthy of Millions corporate training series. He trains entrepreneurs, business owners, corporate execs and homebased professionals worldwide to reach their fullest potential.

Michael Blackshear

Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer | Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ryan Specialty Group

Michael E. Blackshear serves as senior vice president, chief compliance and privacy officer for Ryan Specialty Group (Ryan Specialty) with responsibilities for maintaining and growing an effective compliance and regulatory risk framework.

Loretta Williamson

Senior Vice President, Head of Mortgage Strategic Growth with Truist Bank.

Loretta has been with Truist for 8 years and has served in the Mortgage/Banking industry for 24 years. As Head of Mortgage Strategic Growth, Loretta leads a team responsible for identifying and deploying profitable growth, forward thinking strategies that focus on the shifting demographics driving home ownership in the coming years.

Ulysses Smith

Head of Global Impact, Equity & Belonging
at Blend

As a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Ulysses builds organization-wide DEI functions that drive social impact through product. Much of his work has been centered around participatory governance structures and creating access to institutions and decision-making processes for under-served and underrepresented groups.

Christina Roman

Consumer Education and Advocacy Manager at Experian

Christina Roman is the Consumer Education and Advocacy Manager for Experian. Christina manages Experian’s Education Ambassador Program, which is an employee advocacy program that provides credit education to Experian employees with the goal of empowering them to teach credit fundamentals in their local communities.

Reggie Beaty

President / Co-Founder, Foundation for Educational Success

Beaty graduated from West End Academy, earned a Bachelor's Degree from Stillman College and a Master's in Aerospace Education from Middle Tennessee State University. He built a stellar 20-year career in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. For 10 years Beaty served as Chief Operating Officer with Communities In Schools of Georgia, where he helped to build the non-traditional schools Performance Learning Centers and Georgia's "Graduation Coaches" initiative.

Letania Gonzales

Housing Outreach Manager in the Client and Community Engagement Division, Freddie Mac

Letania Gonzales has 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry and joined Freddie Mac as a Fellow and later returned in 2018 and has held positions in expanding markets including multicultural and low to moderate income segments. She holds a B.S. from Howard University and an M.P.A. from American University.

Breeann Johnson

Learning & Leadership Development Manager for Single Family Clients and Community Engagement, Freddie Mac

Bree Joined Freddie Mac in December of 2018. As the Learning & Leadership Development Manager, she brings her human-centered design skillset, innovation, training, and continuous improvement expertise to the expanded CreditSmart suite of financial capability and homeownership education resources for consumers and practitioners.

Stacy Walker

Director of Housing Outreach, Insights & Solutions, Freddie Mac

Ms. Walker is responsible for working with internal and external stakeholders to create and implement initiatives and activities that will advocate for and prepare consumers for sustainable homeownership. These relationships are directly related to providing equitable and responsible lending opportunities to first time homebuyers, low-to-moderate income borrowers, and families in underserved markets.

Brandon Iverson

Co-Founder of Meta Moguls, Entrepreneur, Author, Public Speaker, and Web3 Analyst

Brandon graduated from Georgetown University in 2020 double majoring in Marketing and Business Management. He currently resides in Washington, D.C where he worked as a financial advisor for 2 years before pursing entrepreneurship full time where he helped families and professionals create tax free retirement income, build generational wealth, and realize their dream retirement.

Perrin Kennedy

Public speaker, DEI Advocate, and Lifelong Learner

Perrin earned a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Fisk University. Perrin holds the title of Associate Faculty at Columbia University in the Graduate Nonprofit Management Program. In the role, Perrin teaches Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Management Capstone.

Jaida West

Jaida graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from Morgan State University with a B.S in Finance, minor in Accounting.

Jaida West is a former CFA Scholar and currently works for The Boeing Company as a member of the BCFP, a two-year early career business rotational program, where she will complete six rotations within business related functions. She is currently in her fourth rotation as an Internal Auditor.

O’Shaela Peebles

Workplace Team Lead, Cisco Systems

O’Shaela Peebles completed her Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). As a Workplace Team Lead, O’Shaela transforms the business by developing client relationships and assessing building infrastructure needs. She strives to lead with empathy while working to support her department’s purpose of creating a seamless work environment for all Cisco employees.

Li'yonna Battle

Mortgage Loan Officer, Rocket Mortgage

Li'yonna Battle is a Fort Valley State University graduate with a B.A. in Psychology. Right out of college she started working as an Instructional Design intern at Rocket Mortgage and soon found her passion for mortgage banking. Shortly after joining the Rocket Mortgage team, she accepted a full-time position as a Mortgage Loan Officer.

Tahj Anderson

Supply Planner at Robins Air Force Base

He received his bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Logistics Management at Fort Valley State University. While matriculating through undergrad, he was accepted into the CFA program. It was there he learned the importance of financial literacy and making money work for him. He served as President of the CFA Scholars program at Fort Valley State University and continue to be a passionate alum for the scholars who seek financial knowledge and life guidance.

Taelor Ferguson

Refinance Mortgage Loan Originator for Rocket Mortgage

She received her B.S. in Computer Science & Business from North Carolina Central University. Taelor is also a CFA Alumna. She is passionate about learning and educating those around her, stating "because if you aren't learning, are you living?".