BIOS
Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner
VIB Network CEO Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner is a celebrated leader in the veteran and minority business spaces as co-owner of a successful SDVOSB/DVBE/MBE second- generation printing business. With over 30 years in sales and marketing, Rebecca has been instrumental in the continuous growth and success of her family’s 52-year-old enterprise.
Her commitment to supporting veteran-owned businesses is marked by nearly two decades of organizing and executing national veteran conferences. Rebecca has championed workforce development initiatives as Chair of the San Diego Workforce Investment Board, in addition to being actively engaged in Business Leaders United and Business Forward. Her hard work and dedication were recognized with an invitation to the White House for a bill-signing ceremony with President Obama.
Rebecca’s family-run business has garnered numerous awards, including MBE Supplier of the Year and Family-Owned Business of the Year. Rebecca herself has been recognized with the Elite SDVOB John Rak Award in 2016, at the MCCSN “Women Leading the Way” luncheon in 2017, with the Leadership Award at the 3rd Annual Women of Excellence Awards in 2019 and the Veteran’s Business Enterprise Champion of the Year Award from NaVOBA in 2022.
Most recently, Rebecca was appointed to the U.S. Small Business Administration Advisory Committee on Veteran Business Affairs (ACVBA), where she continues to shape policies that impact veteran entrepreneurs nationwide. Her experienced leadership, accompanied by a passion for collaboration, underscores her belief in the power of community and collective success within the VIB Network and beyond.
Kristin Bentsen
Kristin Bentsen is responsible for the management of Amgen’s Supplier Diversity and Supplier Sustainability programs. In this role, Kristin partners with internal stakeholders to execute strategies for these programs that are aligned with Amgen’s intent to support economic development efforts, entrepreneurship and positively impact the communities and environments in which Amgen operates. In addition to her passion for driving the Supplier Diversity and Supplier Sustainability programs within Amgen. Kristin is a board member on the West Region Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) and serves on various committees with local, national and global advocacy organizations committed to supplier outreach and development.
Prior to joining Amgen in 2012, Kristin worked for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), Home Box Office Inc. (HBO), and Warner Bros. She received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from University of San Francisco (USF).
Wade Colclough
Wade Colclough is the Global Senior Director, Supplier Diversity – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (COE), for Avantor. Before joining Avantor, Wade served as the President and CEO of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) for PA, southern NJ, and DE. During his tenure, he has been recognized by many national supplier diversity and business development organizations and magazines – Diversity Plus Top 25 Professionals in Supplier Diversity, a co-host talk-radio show on WWDB in Philadelphia, and served under Philadelphia Mayor’s Michael Nutter’s Committee of Economic Office of Empowerment. Prior to the NMSDC, Wade served 20 years in the utility industry for PECO, An Exelon Corporation in various positions of increasing responsibility – community relations, government affairs, media and public relations, advertising, and corporate social contributions. Wade received his BA from Eastern University, executive education in Strategic Alliances and in ESG for Executive Leaders from University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Aresty Institute of Executive Education, an advance certification in Corporate Community Relations from Boston College, certification in Non-Profit Management from LaSalle University, and certification in the Management Accelerator program, part of the Black Leadership Academy from McKinsey & Company. Wade is a proud native of Philadelphia, Pa and has supported and served on many Philadelphia and surrounding counties’ non-profit boards and volunteer organizations.
Dr. Sanaz Cordes
Dr. Cordes is an executive with 19 years of healthcare and healthtech leadership experience. A serial entrepreneur whose first startup was acquired by a publicly traded company. An investor, speaker, and commercial expert with a proven track record of growing revenue. A hands-on leader with expertise building companies from idea stage to acquisition.
Sherry Davis
Sherry Davis, senior vice president and CPO, oversees the company’s procurement strategy and operations with a focus on delivering value to the business, savings, and small/diversity suppliers. During her 18 years at Lilly, Davis has held various international and domestic roles in the finance organization and has also been a key leader in Lilly’s efforts to advance diversity and inclusion, serving on the executive advisory board of the Black Employees at Lilly ERG and executive sponsor of the Finance and Procurement Global DEI Council. Most recently, Davis was the CFO of Lilly USA and Immunology, providing oversight of commercial operations and capability investments in the USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Davis also served as the CFO and Treasurer of Lilly Del Caribe Manufacturing site in Puerto Rico, helping to lead the site through the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Davis’ other roles include serving as CFO of Research, Corporate Audit Services, and an assignment in assignment in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to joining Lilly, Davis worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and in the accounting department of Ford Motor Company.
Davis earned her B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in Bloomington, IN. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and maintains an active license in Indiana.
Davis currently serves on the Eskenazi Health Foundation and Lynx Capital advisory boards.
Philip DeVliegher
Philip is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of Disability:IN’s global supply chain and supplier diversity program. As an accomplished leader in supplier diversity and inclusion, he has been actively involved with Disability:IN’s supplier diversity program since its inception in 2010. With more than 20 years of corporate experience in supplier diversity, human resources, and talent acquisition, as well as over 10 years of entrepreneurship and non-profit leadership in supplier diversity, he brings a unique perspective to his role. Philip is a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®), the premier cross-culturally valid assessment for building cultural competence in individuals and organizations, and a graduate of Florida State University.
He and his husband of 30 years reside in the DC Metro area along with Auggie and Alvin, their Australian Labradoodles.
Daniel Dorr
Daniel Dorr has spent the last 20+ years leading marketing teams, launching new businesses, and developing winning campaigns. At supplier.io Daniel is responsible for connecting with Supplier Diversity leaders globally; helping them create and mature successful supplier diversity programs with supplier.io’s industry leading data, software, and services.
Prior to Supplier.io Daniel was the Sr. Director of Marketing at PowerSchool, an education software company that has supported districts through the challenging last few years. Daniel has also held marketing and leadership roles at Vail Resorts, Hewlett Packard, and P&G.
Brittany Gonzalez
Brittany Gonzalez is the Associate Director of Membership Growth and Development at WEConnect International. In this role, Brittany is primarily focused on business development with new member buyer recruiting efforts, SD&I thought leadership and strategy support.
Brittany was previously the Membership Relationship and Supplier Inclusion Manager and was instrumental in supporting the growth of member buyers, achieving positive relations and support with our member community, and has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the mission and success of WEConnect International. The number of corporate members doubled from the year Brittany joined to 2022.
She has over more than ten years of Supplier Diversity experience and a bachelor’s degree from Towson University. Brittany has extensive professional expertise in marketing and business development roles for small, minority firms, with an emphasis on SD&I strategies, government contracting, stakeholder engagement, proposal writing and developing training programs.
Prior to joining WEConnect International, Brittany worked as the Supplier Diversity Outreach Coordinator for WSSC Water, which is one of the largest wastewater and water utility companies in the nation. In total, WSSC Water made $152 million in contract payments to minority- and women-owned firms and total contract payments of $34 million were made to small, local firms in Fiscal Year 2019.
Brittany serves on the Food, Beverage and Agriculture Industry group, the Information Technology Industry group and the Membership Development committee.
Brittany enjoys listening to music, traveling, supporting mompreneurs and spending quality time with her family.
Anna Hakobyan
Global Supplier Diversity, Sustainability & Government Compliance Lead @ AstraZeneca
President of board @ Diversity Alliance for Science
Anna Hakobyan is a distinguished professional in the realm of Supplier Diversity, Sustainability and Government Contracting.
With a career spanning over two decades, half of which has been with AstraZeneca, Anna has built and leads AstraZeneca’s award-winning Supplier Diversity Program and its global expansion to 22 countries by the end of 2024. Her approach integrates supplier diversity into the company’s end to end processes and systems, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness and influencing through collaboration.
Anna has also been instrumental in building the Positive Sourcing Program for AstraZeneca embedding Sustainability across the Global Procurement end to end processes.
Through Anna’s leadership, AstraZeneca has received multiple external awards and has been recognized by industry partners, as well as diverse supplier communities for its exceptional contribution to Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Anna currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Diversity Alliance for Science (DA4S).
Anna is an accomplished professional with 25 years of domestic and international leading experience in Procurement & Contracting, Program Management, Compliance, Sustainability & Supplier Diversity, having held various roles across Human Rights, Hospitality, IT, and Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology fields.
Shannon Jackson
Mr. Shannon Jackson was appointed as the Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) in November 2021. Mr. Jackson is responsible for implementing the Department’s small business procurement programs across the HHS portfolio valued at $9.4 billion in procurements, awarding contracts each year to small businesses.
Mr. Jackson comes to HHS with a wealth of experience and is joining us from the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) where he served in various roles to include Acting Director of OSBP, Deputy Director of OSBP, and Associate Director for the DoD Mentor Protégé Program and Senior Advisor to the Director of the DoD OSBP. Mr. Jackson has served over 29 years in the federal government and has held various leadership positions throughout his career, to include his military service retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. Mr. Jackson led a network of 700 full- and part-time small business professionals across the DoD. Noteworthy is that the work of DOD’s small business workforce results in more than $50 billion in prime contract spending on contracts to small businesses and over $40 billion in subcontract spending for small businesses annually.
Mr. Jackson began his acquisition career with the U.S. Army successfully. He was certified as a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Program Manager Level III and Level II Contracting. Mr. Jackson has completed several executive level training courses in leadership throughout his career to include certifications from the University of Chicago and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He holds an undergraduate degree in history from Virginia State University, a master’s degree in business administration from Nichols College and a master’s degree in procurement and acquisition from Webster University.
Dee Knopp
Dee Knopp is the Executive Director of Diversity Alliance for Science, a non-profit 501c3 organization focused on the training, development, and advancing economic inclusion for small and/or diverse businesses in the life sciences. Dee partners with the board of directors and key stakeholders to execute strategies for programming and events, that are aligned with the mission and vision of the organization, as well as driving the strategic planning behind the organization.
Dee is a member of Meeting Professionals Institute and has over 30 years’ experience and dedication in successfully organizing and executing national conference events anywhere from 10 – 2,500 attendees and takes immense pride in the partnerships and long-standing relationships she has built throughout her journey. Creative cost-savings and operational financial growth is key to leading the advancement of DA4S. Her leadership, foresight and passion for the mission and vision of DA4S is what drives her in her leadership role.
Prior to joining Diversity Alliance for Science in 2009, Dee worked for a Contract Research Organization as their Business Director, was an Executive Business and Financial Budget Manager for several high-profile individuals and worked as a Marketing Director in a large corporate dental company. She enjoys volunteering, served as the President of her Parent Teacher Association for four years and on the Board of Directors as the Assistant Regional Commissioner for her regions AYSO.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, minoring in Marketing and Public Relations, and also holds her California Real Estate License.
Kathy Langham
Cathy Langham opened trucking and air freight franchises 3 years after graduating from college, then sold them and co-founded Langham Logistics, Inc. Langham is now a $90+ million global transportation and warehousing business with 210 employees and distribution facilities across the United States. Ms. Langham, a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, shares her logistics expertise with business leaders in industries including pharmaceutical, food and beverage, automotive, and other sectors with complex supply chains.
Cathy is the logistics company’s Founder and CEO and spends much of her time focused on strategic direction, key client relationships, business management and civic leadership. During George Bush’ Presidency, Langham’s visibility as CEO of a fast-growing business enterprise earned her firm a 2-hour visit to her corporate headquarters from him. From 2005 – 2012, she accepted a 6-year role on the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) Board at the invitation of Governor Mitch Daniels. In 2015 she Co-chaired Governor Mike Pence’s Blue-Ribbon panel charged with creating and prioritizing the next 10 to 30 years of transportation infrastructure for the State of Indiana. Today she serves on the board of directors of Penske Entertainment and the IU board of trustees.
Langham was Vice chair of the Superbowl in 2012 and is past Chair of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), and Past President of The Economic Club. Cathy has received several awards: Sagamore of the Wabash, IU Kelley School of Business Distinguished Entrepreneur, EY Entrepreneur of the Year, the Andre Lacy Vanguard Award for industry acumen and community leadership and has been inducted into the Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame. Cathy lives in Carmel with her husband Rick Kocerha and has a 25-year-old son, who works in Washington DC.
Al Limaye
A serial entrepreneur and a leader in the field of technology, Al Limaye has always aspired to apply technology to find solutions to problems. As the founder and president of LSINextGen (AKA Logistic Solutions, Inc.,) a large multinational software consulting firm founded in 1990, Mr. Limaye has turned it from a small start-up into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. It has received numerous recognitions including being listed 25 on Deloitte & Touché’s list of the fastest 50 technology companies in New Jersey. Mr. Limaye brings with him years of experience including two MS degrees in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering and managerial experience working with AT&T and Lucent Technologies prior to forming his own company.
In addition to managing businesses, Mr. Limaye also serves on several boards including Pace University’s Ivan G. Seidenberg School of Computer Science and the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in NJ where he spearheaded its Information Technology Committee. Mr. Limaye also served as an Executive Board member of TiE, a global network of entrepreneurs and professionals heading its expansion in New Jersey.
In reaching back to his community, Mr. Limaye has often mentored young entrepreneurs as part of Middlesex County College, TiE Tristate, and other forums. In addition, Mr. Limaye founded www.adopt-a-company.org, a novel way to help victims of 9/11. Mayor Bloomberg and NY Economic Development Corporation used this platform to enable 85+ major companies to help 400+ small companies that were victims of the attack.
He is a recipient of the Business Leader of the Year award in NJ and the “Outstanding 50” best Asian American businesses award. His leadership and commitment to innovation continue to be key factors in his success and LSInextGen’ S current development.
Mr. Limaye has MS in Computer Science from NJIT and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, and is a recipient of three Patents.
Rohit Mahajan
Rohit is an entrepreneur, investor and business leader with over thirty years of experience. He is specializing at the intersection of AI, Gen. AI and Healthcare. He is the Managing Partner and CEO at BigRio and Damo Consulting with focus on Digital Transformation. And, Co-Founder and President at Citadel Discovery which is specializing in AI for Drug Discovery.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering, is a Wharton School Fellow and a graduate from the Harvard Business School. He has completed executive education programs in AI in Business and Healthcare from MIT and Harvard School of Public Health. And, he has recently completed the Global Healthcare Leaders Program from Harvard Medical School.
His first full length book, Quantum Care, A Deep Dive into AI for Health Delivery and Research, has been published and has been trending #1 in several categories at Amazon.
ONTE MCCLENDON
Onté McClendon is a dedicated and highly skilled technical professional with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. With a strong background in managing and planning multiple projects globally, Onté has a proven track record of successfully formulating organizational strategies that align with emerging industry trends.
As a compliance-driven and strategic leader, Onté is noted for championing significant process performance improvements. His exceptional leadership skills and ability to engage and influence cross-functional team members have consistently driven and tracked cost-effective solutions.
Onté possesses a range of valuable skills, including critical thinking, strategic problem-solving, project management, decision-making, data-driven storytelling, negotiation, and continuous improvement as noted by his Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
In his current role as Chief of Staff and Program Management Office Lead at Merck & Co., Onté plays a crucial role in enabling the R&D Procurement functional strategy. He serves as a trusted advisor, shaping messaging, providing thought leadership, and challenging perspectives on high-priority strategic and operational initiatives. Onté has successfully removed silos and fostered synergies among the R&D Procurement leadership team, resulting in the identification of strategic initiatives and process improvements. He has also played a key role in developing annual strategic priorities, improving strategy communication, implementing a balanced scorecard, and providing performance management and coaching to direct reports.
In his previous roles as Associate Director Knowledge Management and Packaging Technical Operations, he has demonstrated a strong ability to accelerate organizational development, reduce issue resolution time, and advance capability building. He has facilitated quality-focused engagements, identified significant cost savings, and enhanced diversity awareness within the organization. Additionally, Onté has excelled in managing packaging operations, leading cross-functional teams, and collaborating with Global Procurement to drive material savings and ensure supply continuity.
Beyond his professional experience, Onté is actively involved in various leadership positions and community engagements. He has served as the President and Board Member of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, Global Business & Community Strategy for the Merck League of Employees of African Descent, and a member of esteemed organizations such as the National Black MBA Association, National Society of Black Engineers, and the Institute of Packaging Professionals.
Onté holds several certifications and has pursued specialized training in areas such as business leadership, management acceleration, after-action reviews, packaging, Six Sigma, and change management. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration degree and holds an MBA, an M.S. in Packaging Science, and various other educational achievements.
Lisa Miller
Lisa is a seasoned professional with 20+ years of professional experience in Vendor Diversity, Relationship and Contract Management across various industries, including Government, Finance, Media, and Life Sciences, holding a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Southern CT State University.
Having joined AstraZeneca in 2017, Lisa has contributed to numerous acquisitions while leading initiatives and implementations across all business units. Progressing from overseeing US Contingent Workforce and Direct Sourcing solutions, she now holds the position of Government Subcontract Compliance Manager.
In addition to Lisa’s professional and academic credentials, she has had the honor of receiving various awards and recognitions over the course of her career, including but not limited to President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership, Inavero Institute Platinum Award for Outstanding Service and AstraZeneca’s HR Special Recognition Award for 2022 and 2023.
Lushentha Naidoo
Lushentha Naidoo, the Managing Director of the European Supplier Diversity Program (ESDP), a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands. At ESDP, we focus on closing the socio-economic gap by bringing together European Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs) with industry leaders who are committed to inclusive procurement and supplier diversity.
I started my career in South Africa over 15years ago as a finance management trainee at Unilever and worked in over 7 countries (5 continents). I discovered my passion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) during this time. As Supply Chain Director, I led large scale transformation and circular economy projects, successfully set up the EDI SC strategy in Europe (growing gender diversity by +5% in one year). Leaving role at Unilever was an extremely difficult decision for me but having grown up as a woman of colour in apartheid South Africa, I knew that I had to use my lived experience to make an impact on the world. I managed to combine my experiences and passion to set up and lead ESDP, a start-up non-profit that is only 7 months in existence but we making waves. We are the first advocacy network on continental Europe to certify ethnic minority suppliers in the Netherlands, France and Germany with a database of over 500 suppliers.
Angie Namenuk
Angie is currently the Head of the Genentech Research and Early Development Procurement Partnering Organization and Global Head of the Roche Procurement Research and Lab Network. She has nearly 30 years of business experience in the biotechnology industry and is deeply passionate about bridging science and business by bringing business skills that shape critical infrastructure needed to enable scientific innovation.
Over the course of her career she has held positions in many functions critical to drug development including Research, Project Management, Business Operations and Procurement Partnering. She is also passionate about leveraging the skills she has developed in the business world to make a difference in the global community. She regularly mentors emerging talent and offers support to what she considers “the next generation of leaders” In her personal life, she is passionate about giving back locally and globally in very diverse efforts. She was a founding member of Kahawa Foundation which funds projects focused on addressing women’s health issues in Sub Saharan Africa. Locally, she has chaired commitees that established $72M funding for public schools, led the elementary school science fair for her local schools for 6 years, served as coach for over 30 youth sport teams, and has served as a member on the board of directors for two local youth sport organizations.
Angie holds a MBA in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, a BS in Chemistry from Willamete University and a Certificate of Project Management from the University of California Berkeley Extension Center and is a Certified Professional Coach.
Matt RAben
Matt Raben is a procurement professional with 20 years’ experience. His background includes global category management, commodity risk management and operations procurement. The past companies he has worked at include Whirlpool Corporation, Mead Johnson NutriGon and Reckit Benckiser. In his current role, Matt is an Associate Director within Operations Procurement where he is a sustainability champion as well as promotes supplier diversity. Matt is an ambassador for Junior Achievement and enjoys mentoring others. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance & management from the University of Evansville.
Ann Ramakumaran
Ann Ramakumaran is the Founder and CEO of Ampcus Inc. Ann is a technology-savvy entrepreneur with more than 20 plus years of design, development, and delivery of innovative and leading-edge Technology Solutions and Human Capital Management across the globe. Under her leadership, she has cultivated Ampcus and Ampcus group of companies into a fast-growing Consulting and Professional Services organization. For eleven consecutive years, she has been recognized as a top Asian American-owned business by USPAACC and for over twelve consecutive years honored as one of the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned and Women-Led Business in the CONUS by the Women Presidents Organization. Under Ann’s leadership, Ampcus has made the Inc. 500/5000 list and has been recognized as a Top Diversity Business. Ann was also awarded Women in Technology Entrepreneur of the Year by WIT and most recently was inducted into the Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame and Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council Hall of Fame. Ann has also received the Chairman’s Award for Inspirational Leadership from CRMSDC and the President’s Award from WPEO, the Global Growth Award from Astra Women’s Business Alliance, Supplier of the Year Award from GMSDC, Top Asian American Business Award from USPAACC-SE and USPAACC-SW, CRMSDC Supplier of the Year, NMSDC Supplier of the Year and NMSDC MBE of the Year, MBDA Minority Business Enterprise of the Year. In 2019, Ampcus became part of the NMSDC’S elite Corporate Plus Program.
Ann serves on the National Board of WBENC, Board of Greater Washington Partnership CRMSDC Board, WBEC DMV/NY Board, CWE Board, and USPAACC Scholarship Committee. She has been a speaker at numerous National and Local Procurement and Diversity and Technology Conferences. In addition, Ann has mentored several women and minority start-ups in an effort to help them grow their business. Ann holds her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business and Commercial Management from India and has completed Executive Management from the Robins School of Business, University of Richmond Virginia, and an Advance Management from the Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University Illinois.
Jamie Samuels
Jamie began her career with Eli Lilly and Company 37 years ago in Information Technology (IT). She accepted her current role in Supplier Diversity Development at the end of 2020 and was promoted to Executive Director in 2023. As Executive Director of Supplier Diversity Development, she develops Lilly’s supplier diversity strategy, champions the use of small and diverse suppliers, and engages with the community to identify, mentor, and grow small and diverse suppliers. In addition, she is a member of the Lilly Racial Justice Commitment Team and the Lilly Global Accessibility Team..
Jamie has been awarded Buyer of the Year by the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council four times. She is also a four-time winner of the Lilly Chief Procurement Officer award and a 2021 Lilly DEI award winner. Last year Jamie was awarded the Advocate of the Year by the Mid-States Minority Suppier Development Council. Currently, she serves on the Procurement Council of Disability:IN, and is involved with the Indy Chamber’s Business Equity for Indy Procurement Roundtable.
Reshma Sheikh
Reshma Sheikh, Managing Director of Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK), leads in promoting supplier diversity and ensuring ethnic minority businesses gain access to corporate supply chains. Her leadership at MSDUK embodies her deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As a former corporate lawyer and Ethnic Minority Business Leader, Reshma’s expertise in supplier diversity is matched by her deep understanding of the challenges faced by ethnic minority businesses. She is passionate about developing strategies that empower these businesses to thrive in competitive markets. Beyond MSDUK, her influence extends through various board memberships.
As a speaker, Reshma shares her insights on entrepreneurship, business growth, and supplier diversity globally. Her work has been featured on mainstream television and in major tabloids. Reshma’s dedication to supporting CEOs and business leaders, has helped numerous organizations achieve sustainable growth.
Recognized as an award winning business leader and the ‘Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech’, Reshma Sheikh is a powerful advocate for diversity and inclusion, blending business acumen with a commitment to social responsibility on both the UK and global stages.
Justin Virden
Justin Virden is the Executive Director and Global Head of Indirect Procurement at Amgen. In his role he leads procurement teams around the globe, responsible to drive category strategies that impact business needs, specifically across Amgen’s Commercial and Professional services. Over the course of his 17 years working in procurement he has held a variety of category and leadership roles managing Indirect services within the Pharmaceutical industry. Justin is based out of Amgen’s HQ office in Thousand Oaks, California.
Dustin Washington
Dustin is the Chief Programs Officer and Co-Director of The Human Solidarity Project. Dustin has over 25 years of powerful experience as a Racial Equity educator and social change leader. His work is grounded in the integration of social justice consciousness and spiritual consciousness.
With unparalleled passion and dedication, Dustin serves his community as a brilliant and creative teacher, facilitator, spiritual life coach, and friend. He models relationship-first psychology, and his trademark charisma and heart-centered facilitation style inspires joy and transformational growth as he facilitates genuine connection between people.
Dustin has facilitated Racial Equity and Leadership Development workshops all across the world including at The National School of Anthropology in Mexico City, The Nobel Laurette Summit in Warsaw, Poland and at The World Social Forum in Brazil.
Dustin is a deeply spiritual and intuitive leader who strongly believes in the infinite transformational possibility and the inherent beauty and genius in every human being. Through a journey of courageous self-healing, he has recovered from a narrative of disempowerment to become the transformational leader he was always meant to be. He vulnerably shares his own experiences of recovery to inspire others to heal their toxic groundwater, move beyond their assigned Egos, and step into their authentic Light and Love.
Dustin a sponsor for Adult Children of Alcoholics, basketball coach, martial artist, writer and poet. He is the father of three incredible boys – Calin, Dominick, and Elijah – and parents from his soul as he models for them what it means live and love from a place power.
Brian Ziskie
Brian is currently the Global Head Procurement Partnering – Workplace and Supplier Diversity for Genentech.
He is a seasoned Procurement Professional with experience in the development and execution of strategic initiatives to drive continuous improvement, change management and operational efficiency.
Prior to joining Genentech, Brian spent 25 years in the Automotive Industry where he held several Senior Procurement Leadership positions. Brian has over 37 years experience developing and leading Supplier Diversity Programs. These Supplier Diversity programs have won numerous State and National Awards for excellence. In addition, Brian has also won several individual Supplier Diversity awards, for excellence in Supplier Diversity Leadership. Brian was a member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council Board of Directors for over 17 years and also served on several other Diversity Boards in his career. He currently is a Member of Genentech’s Diversity and Inclusion Board of Directors.
Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northwood Institute, and has also completed Executive Leadership training at the University of Warwick (UK) and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
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