General Session

Gretchen Carlson is a fierce, fearless and internationally recognized advocate for women’s rights, whose bold actions against Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes helped pave the way for the global #MeToo movement. A journalist, author, TED talk alum, and champion for workplace equality, Carlson was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and is a member of the TIME’S UP Global Leadership Board. She’s a PEOPLE TV special contributor and host of the new daily news podcast “Get The News With Gretchen Carlson” on Quake Media. Carlson is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Be Fierce” and “Getting Real,” and recently co-founded the non-profit Lift Our Voices to end the silencing of harassment victims through forced arbitration and non-disclosure agreements.

One of America’s most successful journalists, Carlson has been on the front lines of the biggest stories shaping our nation for over two decades. Starting her career as a political reporter in Richmond, Virginia, Carlson worked her way up through local newsrooms in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dallas before moving to national news in 2000 as co-host and correspondent for CBS’ “The Saturday Early Show.” At CBS she led coverage of historic events including the World Trade Center bombing and 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2005, Carlson joined Fox News, where she co-hosted the #1 cable morning news show “Fox and Friends” for more than seven years and “The Real Story” for three years. Over the past two decades, Carlson’s catalog of interviews includes every U.S. President, Vice President and Presidential candidate as well as hundreds of leaders in business, entertainment and politics.

Carlson’s advocacy for women is a cornerstone of her career, beginning in 1999 with a 30-part, award-winning series on domestic violence she produced and reported in Dallas. Her groundbreaking 2016 complaint against Ailes made her the face of workplace harassment and inaugurated her more recent work to support survivors and hold predators accountable.  

Since 2017, Carlson has worked with a bi-partisan coalition of legislators in Congress to introduce and advocate for the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act,” which voids forced arbitration agreements that prevent sexual harassment survivors from getting their day in court. The bill was reintroduced in the House of Representatives in February 2019 and Carlson testified before the House Judiciary Committee in May 2019.

Carlson created the Gift of Courage Fund in 2017, partnering with the nonprofit All In Together to launch the Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative, which hosts advocacy trainings for underserved women nationwide. In 2018, she founded the Carlson March of Dimes Advocacy Fellows program, which brings together women from across America to promote legislation and policies benefiting women and children.

Carlson returned to television in 2018 as host and producer of A&E and Lifetime Network documentary series “Breaking the Silence” on workplace harassment and led investigative reporting into the NXIVM cult and college admissions scandals. Earlier this year, Carlson announced a TV deal with Blumhouse Productions to produce and host a new interview series.

.Carlson’s story of harassment and retaliation at Fox News has garnered international attention, including the Showtime mini-series “The Loudest Voice” and movie “Bombshell.” Yet because of non-disclosure agreements, Carlson was prohibited from giving any input into these projects or providing feedback to actors Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman, who portrayed her.

Carlson’s advocacy has been honored by numerous organizations, including the New York Women in Communications’ Matrix Award; the Radio Television Digital News Association’s First Amendment Leadership Award; the National Organization for Women’s 2018 Women of Power and Influence Award; the YWCA Greater Los Angeles’ 2018 Phenomenal Champion of Change; and the Arizona Foundation for Women’s Sandra Day O’Connor Lifetime Achievement Award.

Carlson serves as a trustee for the March of Dimes National Board; on the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation Gala Committee; on the Greenwich Academy Board; and on the Advisory Committee of The Press Forward, which focuses on issues surrounding harassment and workplace rights in America’s newsrooms. She is also a member of the philanthropic organization Women Moving Millions, a global collective of women making unprecedented gifts of $1 million or more for the advancement of women and girls.

Carlson is an honors graduate of Stanford University and studied at Oxford University. A violin prodigy, she performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 13 and was one of her high school's valedictorians. In 1989 became the first classical violinist to win the Miss America crown.

Carlson is married to sports agent Casey Close. The couple and their two children live in Connecticut.

Greg has built a career with best-in-class organizations in retail (TJX Companies, Pilot Travel Centers, H.E.B., and Thriftway), consumer products (Pepsico and Daymon Worldwide) and media information services (Reed Elsevier and Reed Business Information). In each of these great organizations he held key executive positions and has had global HR oversight for a combined 35+ years. His leadership approach is to lead and drive international excellence in HR, Succession Planning, Diversity & Inclusion, Executive Compensation, Organizational Development and Operational Practices; senior leadership support and alignment with the business values; and competencies and profitability strategies. He has international senior leadership experience in the UK, China, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Canada.  He has accomplished this by leading with integrity, passion and creating high performing teams with direct connections to the business and culture. In addition to HR leadership responsibilities, he has also led and managed business P&Ls, operations, sales teams on-and-offshore in a number of these organizations.

He is currently founder and owner of Sculpted Leaders, LLC. This top-to-top by referral only consulting practice drives change and increases organizational presence and profitability by one-on-one coaching of C-suite executives, and ensuring all Human Capital Talent, Organizational Development, Diversity & Inclusion, Executive Compensation, Executive Recruitment and HRIS Systems are aligned to the core business mission and strategy. He also consults closely with Private Equity organizations as they assess purchases and sale of portfolio assets. He is fluent in Spanish, a leading voice in diversity & inclusion and has significant board experience with for and not-for-profit organizations like EnsembleIQ, National Domestic Violence Hotline, Our Lady of the Lake University, Conexion and AVANCE as lead in succession planning, executive compensation and CEO recruitment.

Greg has been married for over 35 years to Cindy and they have 2 great kids; Rebecca, who lives in Los Angeles, CA and Greg Jr, who lives in the San Antonio area. Greg is also a scuba diver instructor, enjoys reading fiction/non-fiction, yoga and is into metal sculpting. Greg and Cindy currently live in Canyon Lake, Tx.

Byna Elliott is devoted to caring for communities. Her decades long career in banking centers around reinvesting to improve the economic plight of the vulnerable. As the Head of Advancing Black Pathways for JPMorgan Chase, Elliott’s mission is to strengthen the economic foundation of the Black community and bring shrinkage to the racial wealth divide.

By focusing on targeted investments and programs under the firm’s diversity and inclusion framework, Elliott leads the Advancing Black Pathways global efforts surrounding Careers & Skills, Financial Health & Wealth Creation, Business Growth & Entrepreneurship and Community Development.

Prior to JPMC, Elliott was the chief architect behind the success of Fifth Third Bank’s landmark five-year $32 billion investment in underserved communities nationwide from 2015 – 2020. As Chief Enterprise Responsibility Officer at Fifth Third, Elliott oversaw the firm’s corporate social responsibility functions which included environmental sustainability, philanthropic giving, ethical business practices and economic responsibility.

A native Detroiter, Elliott openly shares of growing up poor while being raised by her single mother and grandmother. Despite their lack of resources, her grandmother instilled in a strong sense of community and concern for others. This foundational lesson and example stuck. Today Elliott intentionally continues her grandmother’s legacy both professionally and personally. Her hard work is heart-work. She has brought hope and real impact to hurting communities in measurable ways for more than two decades.

Elliott and husband Tony reside in Michigan with their two children.

Kal Penn is an actor, writer, producer, and former Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. He is known for starring roles including the Harold and Kumar franchise, House, Designated Survivor, and most recently the patriotic immigration comedy Sunnyside, which he co-created with SNL alumnus Matt Murray for NBC and Hulu. Penn’s other credits include roles on Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, 24, and Law & Order: SVU. He has appeared in a number of independent films, most notably Mira Nair’s adaptation of Pulitzer-winner Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake, about which The New York Times called his lead role a "crackling, star-making performance."

From 2009 to 2011, Penn took a sabbatical from acting when he was appointed by President Obama to serve as an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, where he focused primarily on outreach to young Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the arts community. He worked on issues as diverse as the Affordable Care Act, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, college affordability, countering violent extremism, and veterans benefits for service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan among others. Penn served as a national co-chair for President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, and later served on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, focusing on arts education in underperforming schools, and cultural diplomacy in Cuba and India.

Penn has taught courses on film and media at the University of Pennsylvania, and on politics and sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Originally from New Jersey, he received his BA in Sociology with a specialization in Theater, Film, and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a graduate certificate in International Security from Stanford University.

He has maintained careers in both entertainment and public service, has been an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and most recently completed several global documentary series for Amazon, VICE, and National Geographic.

Melissa Dawn Simkins, affectionately known as "The First Lady of Personal Branding," is a pioneer in personal brand leadership with a proven track record of advising Fortune 100 organizations, CEOs, C-suite executives and influencers. She is a sought-after strategist on how to lead change in the face of adversity. Relevance and readiness are core to her approach as she gives insight around future-ready talent development, bridging the diversity divide and brand leadership innovation.

She is CEO of Velvet Suite® (www.velvetsuite.com) an award-winning leadership innovation firm advancing the future of profit through people. She is the Founder of The She-Suite®, the female focused platform of Velvet Suite on a mission to break the outdated paradigm of work by empowering working women to boldly design a career and life with purpose (theshesuite.com). The She-Suite Brand Leadership Institute (BLI), is the only online leadership readiness platform community with proven results to ready, retain and advance all women and women of color who work for large enterprises. 

Melissa is a former contributor to Inc.com and has been a frequent guest on media outlets such as CNN, CNBC and more. She is the author of Brand Me. Make Your Mark: The Ultimate Playbook for Personal Branding. Melissa is a sought-after keynote speaker on leadership innovation.

As an innovator, Simkins was the first African American female advisory board member for the World Brand Congress. Velvet Suite created the NFL Player Brand University in partnership with the National Football League, the first personal brand development academy of its kind in all professional sports. Other Velvet Suite clients have included: Boston Scientific, UBS, Lincoln Financial, Allstate, Home Depot, Southern Company, the National Basketball Association, CEOs, C-Suite executives, celebrities, pro-athletes and more.

She has been recognized by NAMD as their Entrepreneur of the Year, The Atlantan's Women of Power & Influence and her firm is a finalist for the Greater Washington Innovation Award. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for The SHRM Foundation (Society for Human Resource Management).

Starla Sampaco is a keynote speaker, Emmy-nominated news anchor, and former University of Washington adjunct faculty member. As a speaker and educator, she teaches professionals of marginalized backgrounds how to advocate for themselves in the workplace, grow their professional visibility, and feel confident speaking up and taking up space. Starla was previously the primary TV news anchor for KCTS 9 (Seattle's PBS channel). She was also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington Communication Leadership Master's Program, where she taught a course on self-advocacy, professional visibility, and personal branding. Starla founded Career Survival Guide in 2019, and her work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review.

Starla Sampaco is a keynote speaker, Emmy-nominated news anchor, and former University of Washington adjunct faculty member. As a speaker and educator, she teaches professionals of marginalized backgrounds how to advocate for themselves in the workplace, grow their professional visibility, and feel confident speaking up and taking up space. Starla was previously the primary TV news anchor for KCTS 9 (Seattle's PBS channel). She was also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington Communication Leadership Master's Program, where she taught a course on self-advocacy, professional visibility, and personal branding. Starla founded Career Survival Guide in 2019, and her work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review.

Starla Sampaco is a keynote speaker, Emmy-nominated news anchor, and former University of Washington adjunct faculty member. As a speaker and educator, she teaches professionals of marginalized backgrounds how to advocate for themselves in the workplace, grow their professional visibility, and feel confident speaking up and taking up space. Starla was previously the primary TV news anchor for KCTS 9 (Seattle's PBS channel). She was also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington Communication Leadership Master's Program, where she taught a course on self-advocacy, professional visibility, and personal branding. Starla founded Career Survival Guide in 2019, and her work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review.

Recognized as a trailblazer in his field, Simon’s dedication to transformation and brilliance has earned him a spot as one of Success magazine’s Top 25, joining Brené Brown, Tony Robbins, and Oprah Winfrey, as well as leadersHum Top 200 Power List in 2023. For over two decades, he has mesmerized the world, leaving an indelible mark on 2,300+ organizations across 54 countries. Corporate giants such as American Express, Deloitte, Marriott, Visa, Stanford Health Care, and Taco Bell have all experienced his magnetic allure.

Amidst the pressing challenges of talent retention, employee burnout, the Great Resignation, and the impact of remote work on mental health, a billion-dollar retailer sought innovative solutions to invest in organizational health and prioritize employee well-being. Recognizing the importance of upskilling managers for the future, they turned to Simon T. Bailey, International for guidance. 

Through a transformative three-month coaching program, Simon virtually mentored 3,000 managers, empowering them to transition from a command-and-control leadership approach to a heart-centered style rooted in Caring Science. This strategic coaching was particularly vital in the retail sector, known for its high turnover rates, and the results were remarkable. Participants scored between 94% and 97% in categories reflecting their confidence in their ability to coach effectively, allowing the Fortune 500 company to nurture and retain top talent while fostering a healthier and more productive workplace. 

With a love and dedication to coaching individuals and organizations, Simon has now created Brilliant Coaching.™ This transformative growth experience offers tailored solutions to meet unique needs and align with specific goals and objectives, empowering both individuals and organizations to unlock their full potential. 

But his accomplishments don’t end there. Simon has made a remarkable impact with 11 books in his illustrious repertoire, and 14 groundbreaking courses on the LinkedIn Learning platform, translated into eight languages and consumed by over 400,000 professionals from more than 100 countries. His dedication to brilliance and transformation has been recognized with an honorary Doctorate of Science in Business Administration from Cleary University, further cementing his status among the titans of our time. 

In this new chapter, Simon T. Bailey unveils his latest audacious endeavor: BrilliantU.™ This digital experience transcends the boundaries of imagination, equipping and mentoring leaders to thrive and flourish in tumultuous economies. With a commitment to practical strategies that transform lives and ignite change within communities, Simon’s mission is clear — to kindle brilliance within leaders, forever altering the way they steer nations, corporations, and societies.