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Breann Branch, PhD

Director, Center for the Advancement of Women, Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles

Dr. Breann Branch is an educator, researcher, and equity leader with over twelve years of experience across higher education, nonprofits, government, and consulting. A Los Angeles native and LAUSD graduate, she earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Howard University, a master’s degree in Organizational Development Psychology from Avila University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. She serves as Director of the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University, leading statewide efforts to advance gender equity. Her research focuses on inclusive innovation, patenting, and equitable access to technology ecosystems.

Alex Cohen

National Anchor, Spectrum News

Alex Cohen is an Emmy award-winning National Anchor with Spectrum News based in Los Angeles. Prior to her career in television, she spent nearly two decades covering California on the radio for NPR, KPCC-LAist and Marketplace. She is also the co-author of the book Down & Derby: The Insider’s Guide to Roller Derby. As Axles of Evil, she was one of the original members of the LA Derby Dolls and served as the choreographer and trainer on the 2008 Drew Barrymore film Whip It!

Knatokie Ford, PhD

Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Fly Futures

Dr. Knatokie Ford is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of Fly Futures™, which launched as a new chapter of Fly Sci® Enterprise—her long-standing education and media consulting firm. Fly Futures merges futures thinking with a legacy of leveraging storytelling to drive social impact. As a biomedical scientist turned visionary strategist, Dr. Ford developed the Futures ALCHEMY™ method as the intentional practice of using bold visions of tomorrow to transmute today’s challenges into liberated possibilities.

Dr. Ford has built a career at the intersection of science, creativity, and impact. She served as a senior policy advisor in the Obama White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she spearheaded the “Image of STEM” project to advance equity and representation of STEM in careers and media. Prior to that, she was a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at OSTP with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). In this capacity, she managed concurrent projects on education technology and workforce development.

She brings a rare fusion of scientific rigor and creative brilliance to everything she touches—from serving as science consultant on Netflix’s Emmy–winning Ada Twist, Scientist to advising on the development of Eureka! on Disney Junior. She has also co-led groundbreaking content initiatives with PBS Digital Studios (Science Storytelling with Intentionality), YouTube (Equity and Empowerment in Learning Content), and the global SeeHer movement (#WriteHerRight Strategy Guides).

A nationally recognized leader in STEM advocacy and international speaker, Dr. Ford engages diverse audiences across sectors through inspiring keynotes, creative partnerships, and transformative learning experiences.

She earned a PhD in Experimental Pathology from Harvard University and BS/MS in Chemistry from Clark Atlanta University.

Jen García

Caltech AI Strategy Lead and Founder of Ingrained.ai

Jen García is the founder of Ingrained.ai, an AI tools learning ecosystem that makes AI fluency accessible and affordable for professionals across corporations, social impact organizations, education, small businesses, and underrepresented communities. She also serves as the AI Strategy & Partnerships Lead and AI Tools Instructor at Caltech's Center for Technology and Management Education (CTME), where she designs and delivers AI curriculum and builds strategic partnerships to bring AI training programs to large organizations. A certified Microsoft AI Engineer Associate, Jen is also the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation, where she advises LA-based nonprofits and public sector teams on AI integration.

A native Angelina with roots spanning Diamond Bar, City of Commerce, and Montebello, Jen brings over 20 years of experience, including her prior work as an English instructor at institutions including UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, USC, and her alma mater Cal State Fullerton. She has led AI training and consulting for hundreds of organizations, from the County of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Giants to DoorDash and the Los Angeles Fire Department. Known for her warm, practical teaching style, Jen is passionate about ensuring that all communities, especially those historically underrepresented, can thrive in an AI-powered future.

Krishauna Hines-Gaither, PhD

Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships

Krishauna Hines-Gaither, PhD, is the inaugural Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles. At the start of 2022, she relocated from North Carolina to Los Angeles to assume her role. Hines-Gaither holds a bachelor’s degree from Salem College, a women's college in North Carolina, a master’s degree in Spanish education from Wake Forest University and a PhD in cultural studies from UNC-Greensboro.

For almost 20 years, Hines-Gaither was a college professor of Spanish; she also taught courses in Cultural Studies. She served as the first Director of Inclusiveness at Salem College. Thereafter, she served as the inaugural Associate Vice President overseeing Inclusive Excellence at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, and later as their Interim Vice President. At Guilford, she spearheaded many campus initiatives, increased strategic partnerships, and was appointed by the President to co-lead their campus efforts to increase enrollment. Her team's work received national awards.

Hines-Gaither is the owner of Hines-Gaither Consulting, LLC, which offers dynamic, engaging and results-driven consultation on a range of topics and across disciplines and business sectors. Her work for inclusion has been recognized locally and nationally. Honoring her commitment to inclusion, Hines-Gaither was named a Voice for Change by Spectrum News, Woman of the Year by the LA County Commission for Women and received the Trailblazer Hall of Fame award from the Black Women's Collective Empowerment Institute. She currently serves on the professional advisory committee for the Los Angeles Police Department.  She is the 2026 President of ACTFL, the first African American woman to lead the organization. 

Dr. Terri Horton, EdD, MBA, SHRM-CP

Work Futurist; CEO, FuturePath, LLC

Dr. Terri Horton is a globally recognized work futurist and founder of FuturePath, LLC, her expertise sits at the intersection of AI and workforce transformation.

Her insights have shaped workforce and AI strategies for Fortune 500 companies, multinational organizations, government agencies, and institutions of higher learning.

Dr. Horton’s expertise has been featured by the Pew Research Center, Forbes, Google, Ernst & Young, Business Insider, and LinkedIn Global Learning. She serves on advisory councils for the Harvard Business Review, Microsoft  and the Gerson Lehrman Group.

Her commitment to shaping the future of work is also demonstrated through her work with LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft’s Global AI Skills Initiative, where her courses on AI and workforce transformation have reached more than 400,000 learners worldwide.

Dr. Horton holds a doctorate from the University of Southern California, micro-credentials from MIT and Cornell, is certified as a futurist by the Global Association of Professional Futurists and is a lecturer in the California State University and University of California systems.

Ann McElaney-Johnson, PhD

President, Mount Saint Mary’s University

President McElaney-Johnson’s commitment to inclusive excellence supports and advocates for the success of all members of the Mount Saint Mary's University community. The commitment to ensuring that all students thrive at Mount Saint Mary’s serves as a core principle for the University. Dr. McElaney-Johnson has also established Mount Saint Mary’s as a national resource for women’s issues and research with the creation of the Center for the Advancement of Women. 

As president, she identified inclusive excellence, wellness and women’s education as top priorities. She serves on several executive boards including: Chair of the Board for the Women’s College Coalition, Member of the Board of the Executive Committee of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), Executive Committee member of the Association of the Colleges of the Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ) and the Board of St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles.

Estelle Reyes

Senior Vice President, Enhancing Community, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)

Estelle is the Senior Vice President, Enhancing Community at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), where she focuses on creating equitable pathways into the green economy. She collaborates with her team to recruit and support promising underrepresented cleantech entrepreneurs, provide workforce development training to build a diverse talent pipeline for the growing green job market, and launch cleantech pilots in disadvantaged communities. Prior to LACI, Estelle was the Executive Director at the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Greater LA, where she played a central role in launching and growing the NFTE program to reach over 12,000 students locally. She also has experience as a Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs’ Private Wealth Management Division as well as a First Grade Teacher. Estelle holds a Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience from Brown University, and a Master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Rhianna Rogers, PhD

Senior Vice President of Research and Programs, CA-Based Public Policy Think Tank; Co-Founder of Sustainable Progress and Equality Collective (SPEC); & Graduate Faculty, CA's Command College

Dr. Rhianna C. Rogers is the Senior Vice President of Research and Programs at a California-based public policy think tank and an internationally recognized leader at the intersection of technology, workforce equity, and public policy. With more than 20 years of cross-sector experience — including federal executive leadership, think tank strategy, academic leadership, and nonprofit innovation — Dr. Rogers brings a deep commitment to expanding opportunity while strengthening institutional trust and social impact.

Dr. Rogers served in the Senior Executive Service at the U.S. Department of the Treasury as Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Management for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics and as the Department’s Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Officer. In these roles, she co-authored the Treasury’s first AI and Data Strategy, led enterprise-wide AI governance and responsible technology adoption efforts across a 100,000-person organization, and shaped data-driven decision-making frameworks for public sector transformation.

As a Director and Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation in Los Angeles, she oversaw interdisciplinary research portfolios on technology governance, workforce development, infrastructure, and climate policy, translating complex evidence into actionable guidance for leaders and policymakers. Earlier in her career, Dr. Rogers led digital equity initiatives as a Technology Fellow in higher education and received recognition for applying advanced geospatial and digital heritage technologies in partnership with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

An award-winning scholar-practitioner, Dr. Rogers has delivered keynotes and executive briefings for the United Nations, TEDx, and major global forums on workforce modernization, ethical AI governance, and equitable tech adoption. She co-founded a national nonprofit advancing access to technical education and leadership pathways for historically excluded communities and holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Studies, an M.A. in History, a B.A. in Social Sciences, and professional certifications in Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals (IBM) and Responsible AI Leadership and Policy (Princeton University).

Her leadership reflects a systems-oriented approach to ensuring that emerging technologies expand, rather than constrain, women’s participation, prosperity, and power in the digital age.

Erin Steinberger, CPA, MBA

Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and AI Founder, CEO StackerU

Erin Steinberger is a professor of entrepreneurship, innovation, and AI at Santa Monica College and the founder of StackerU, a college course publisher that integrates education, technology, and AI. Her background includes experience at the Big Four, two national innovation team awards for launching breakthrough products for the brands Meow Mix and Milk-Bone, and working in Innovation on Coffee-mate creamer for Nestle USA. During her time in higher education, she's led the creation and development of 5 new courses, including the innovation course “D4D,” developed in collaboration with the Intuit Education team, as well as courses in Data Analytics and additional entrepreneurship and business courses. 

From 2017 to 2020, Erin led the $10 million LA SIM (Strategy, Innovation, and Marketing) regional economic development initiative serving all 19 Los Angeles community colleges, focused on designing and promoting education programs to strengthen growth in areas of economic need. Her work centers on closing the gap between academic preparation and real-world economic shifts, helping students and professionals build durable advantage in a rapidly evolving AI-driven economy. From 2022-2023, she volunteered as part of a Brain Trust with an advocacy group in CA, helping roadmap the future of education in California, contributing to recommendations that informed an executive order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom later that year.

Darcy Totten

Executive Director, California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

Darcy Totten serves as the Executive Director at the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She has over 20 years of experience in crisis communications, journalism, public policy, and external affairs. Darcy has built nationally recognized efforts while at the Commission including authoring the Commission’s award-winning original research report, the California Women’s Economic Blueprint for Pandemic Recovery and the award-winning #womenareessential campaign highlighting the role of women as essential workers in California’s economy. She is an expert in social impact strategies, issue advocacy, crisis communications and gender focused public policy. She is passionate about coalition building and working with intersectional and inclusive teams that prioritize historically marginalized communities. Darcy holds a bachelor’s degree from Mills College in studio art and visual communication and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Kendal Turner, CPA, CGMA

Executive Vice President & CFO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC)

Kendal Turner, CPA, CGMA, is the executive vice president and CFO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), bringing over 20 years of financial leadership experience in the nonprofit and education sectors. Since 2021, she has overseen LAEDC’s finance, HR, IT and facilities functions, aligning operations with its mission to foster equitable economic growth across the region. Turner’s previous roles included CFO positions at multiple charter school organizations, where she managed budgets up to $70 million and led key financial reforms. She holds a Master of Governmental Accountancy from Rutgers University and is pursuing a doctorate in public administration at California Baptist University. She serves as treasurer and secretary of the Southern California Leadership Council, a board member of the Community Coalition and a member of the AICPA Government Performance and Accountability Committee. Turner was also named among the 2024 Leaders of Influence: Minority CPAs by the Los Angeles Business Journal.