Angie Cooper leads Heartland Forward’s mission to accelerate economic growth and help change the narrative about the middle of the country. She is driving a bold goal: to generate $500 million in economic impact across the 20-state heartland region — the third-largest economy in the world.

As president, Angie leads Heartland Forward’s strategy, research, programming, advocacy, convenings and flagship event — the Heartland Summit. She is focused on turning insights into impact by serving as a strategic resource to states and communities, forging bold public-private partnerships, and driving innovative solutions that deliver real results.

Before joining Heartland Forward, Angie spent more than 16 years at Walmart Stores, Inc., where she held leadership roles across merchandising, public affairs, state and local government relations and the Walmart Foundation. Prior to joining Heartland Forward, Angie led global public policy for the company.

In 2023, Angie received the Charles Benton Digital Emerging Leader Award from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society for her leadership in expanding access to high-speed internet — the #1 economic issue of our time. She was named one of Arkansas’s Top 100 Women of Impact, and in 2024, was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC). Most recently, she joined the Emerging Prairie board, an organization committed to energizing heartland communities through innovation, entrepreneurship and technology.

A proud Oklahoma native, Angie is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

In his role, Jonas directs Heartland Forward’s talent pipeline research projects, co-authors reports and conducts data analysis.

Prior to joining Heartland Forward, Jonas was a senior research associate for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where he conducted spatial analysis, created surveys and co-authored peer-reviewed journal articles, reports and blog posts on housing, trade, agricultural finance, and the macroeconomy.

Jonas holds a Bachelor of Science in economics with a focus on quantitative analysis from Auburn University. He is on the advisory board for the Center on Rural Innovation’s Rural Opportunity Map. In his free time, Jonas is a volunteer mountain biking coach for a Bentonville-area junior high school.

Krista Cupp is the Vice President of Development at Heartland Forward, where she leads the strategic and operational direction of private giving initiatives and fosters impactful partnerships, including those integral to the organization’s flagship event, the Heartland Summit. 

She has held prominent roles such as Chief Communications Officer for the Runway Group, Vice President at The Herald Group in Washington D.C., and led Corporate Identity and Executive Communications for Tyson Foods. Additionally, she was the Senior Elections and Grassroots Coordinator at the National Rifle Association and a Communications Specialist for U.S. Senator Kit Bond.

Krista has been recognized for her contributions, earning accolades such as being named one of the Top 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas, Arkansas’ Forty Under 40, and a recipient of the PRSA Silver Anvil Award, while also serving on the boards of the Independent Women’s Forum and Perry Ryan Theater Company, and contributing as a member of the US Global Leadership Coalition.  

She holds a degree in political science and government from William Jewell College and currently lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, with her husband and children.

Ross DeVol is the chairman emeritus of the board of directors and distinguished fellow at Heartland Forward, a role he assumed in 2025. Under his leadership, Heartland Forward launched a series of award-winning research, programs and policy initiatives focused on accelerating economic growth throughout the heartland. In recognition of this work, the organization received the 2025 National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Impact Award for its efforts supporting entrepreneurship. He has been highlighted in Arkansas Money & Politics’ C-Suite, Chief Executive and numerous other publications as a leader in his field. He also serves on the board of the Heartland Whole Health Institute.

Since joining the organization in 2019, DeVol has elevated Heartland Forward’s national profile through strategic media engagement, including quotes in The New York Times, The  Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Axios, as well as op-eds in the Dallas Morning News, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, and Des Moines Register. He has also made numerous television appearances across the heartland, highlighting the organization’s mission and impact. He has keynoted numerous conferences addressing strategies for boosting state and community economic growth.

Before leading Heartland Forward, DeVol served nearly two decades as Chief Research Officer at the Milken Institute, a globally recognized economic think tank based in California. There, he oversaw research on international, national, and regional economic performance, the role of capital access in job creation and key health-related issues. His thought leadership in these areas earned him recognition as one of the “Superstars of Think Tank Scholars” by The International Economy magazine. Previously, he was Senior Vice President at Wharton Econometrics Forecasting Associates and Director, Economic Planning at CSX Transportation.

Sarah is a senior accountant for Heartland Forward with nine years of experience in private accounting. She prepares and analyzes financial statements, assists with the annual audit, and assists with annual budget processes.  She is native to the state of Arkansas and graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. Like many who grow-up in the Natural State, she enjoys all things outdoors including biking and hiking.

She and her husband have one young daughter, Hazel, who keeps them very busy. She loves to travel, and her dream is to visit all the national parks.

Mary Larkin serves as the Senior Manager of Connecting the Heartland. In her work, she supports Heartland Forward’s advocacy work as well as the operationalization of Heartland Forward’s research and programmatic work.

She attended University of Arkansas for her B.A. in Theatre as well as the Clinton School of Public Service for her Master of Public Service. During her time at the Clinton School, Mary Larkin discovered her passion for research-based policy solutions and community engagement.

Mary Larkin grew up in the heartland, born and raised in Northwest Arkansas.

J.T. Geren joined Heartland Forward in 2024 as director of strategic communications.

He oversees the brand strategy, public relations, media relations and digital communications of Heartland Forward.

J.T. previously led communications and marketing for Runway Group and their investments in outdoor recreation, hospitality, aviation, and real estate. Bentonville-based Runway Group is a holding company for Tom Walton and Steuart Walton’s investments with a mission to “make Arkansas the best place to live”.

Prior to joining Runway, he spent nearly a decade in college athletics and worked in leadership roles at the University of Kansas and University of Arkansas. He led marketing efforts for Jayhawk and Razorback Athletics, notching revenue and attendance records during his time on campus.

He’s lived in four different Heartland states including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Kansas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Samford University and a master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Arkansas. J.T. is married to Heidi, a Bentonville Public School teacher. They reside in Northwest Arkansas with their two children.

Allison Hubbard joined Heartland Forward in 2024 as administrative assistant. Allison offers support to the Programs Team. She brings to the team more than 20 years of experience in event planning, fundraising and strategic development across nonprofit, corporate and government sectors. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Harding University and a Certificate of Event Management from George Washington University. Hubbard grew up in Arkansas and was drawn to opportunities in Washington, D.C. but finds herself back in the heartland. She lives in Bentonville with her husband and two kids. When she’s not in the office you can find her riding a mountain bike, volunteering or geeking out on healthy living practices.

Ali Jeffrey serves as the Director of rootEd Arkansas for Heartland Forward. In her work, she has devoted interest for developing advisors and incorporating programs that fit the needs in our rural communities.

She attended Wichita State University for her B.S. in Biological Sciences and the University of Arkansas for her master’s in Higher Education. Prior to Ali’s master’s degree, she discovered her excitement for investing in collegiate leaders and empowering community members during her time as a Collegiate Development Consultant. She previously served as the Associate Director of Enrollment Services at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

She grew up in the heartland born and raised in Kansas.

Stacey Kelley joined Heartland Forward in 2021 as an administrative assistant. She comes to the team bringing 15 years of an administrative background. Stacey has worked for some impactful organizations in the community as an administrative assistant.  Most recently, Stacey supported the senior executive for the Walmart team for PepsiCo. Prior to PepsiCo, she was the executive specialist at Saatchi & Saatchi X, a shopper marketing agency in NWA, supporting multiple senior executives for six years.  

Stacey attended Northwest Arkansas Community College through the business vendor management program, as well as, completing the administrative assistant program. She and her husband reside here in Bentonville, AR with their three young boys and two dogs. In their spare time, if they’re not working on a home project, they enjoy the trails and spending time on the lake as a family. 

Sydney Allsbury Lowe serves as the senior manager of events for Heartland Forward. In her work, she will tell you she has a passion for eye-catching detail, highly organized logistics and incorporating that into every event she plans and executes.

She attended the New York Institute of Technology as well as Arkansas State University studying hospitality management and will graduate from the University of Arkansas. Today, Sydney manages all events for Heartland Forward including Heartland Forward’s flagship event, the Heartland Summit. The Heartland Summit is recognized for bringing together thought leaders, innovators and investors to create powerful networks to forge paths of progress and turn great ideas into economic action.

Prior to Sydney’s schooling and work in NYC, she discovered her passion for detailed logistics and event planning during her time abroad in Asia, South America and Europe doing humanitarian work and travel coordination for student groups. 

She grew up in the heartland raised in Oklahoma City.

Zoe Maddox directs the Maternal and Child Health Center for Policy and Practice at Heartland Forward, a think-and-do tank in Bentonville, Arkansas. In this role, she leads research, policy, and programming to improve health outcomes and economic opportunities for women and families across Arkansas and the American heartland.

Previously, she worked within the Division of Economic Development and the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas focused on entrepreneurship programming and outdoor recreation initiatives. She began her career at the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO), the office responsible for managing the university’s endowment investments, and went on to additional roles in fintech, investment management, and investor relations. 

Dr. Maddox earned her PhD in History from Princeton University and her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her doctoral research focused on the Battle of Normandy during World War II and postwar Franco-American relations. She maintains strong ties to Princeton University through several volunteer leadership positions. She currently chairs Graduate Alumni Annual Giving and co-chairs the Dean’s Leadership Council for the Graduate School, helping to shape the institution’s strategic direction and alumni engagement efforts. 

She resides in Fayetteville, Arkansas with her husband Ben.

Katherine (Katie) Milligan brings the power of public policy to building entrepreneurial communities. Born and raised in the Heartland, she currently serves as the Director for Entrepreneurship, Human Capital & Workforce Development for Heartland Forward.

Katie previously served as the Chief of Staff for Start Co., a venture development organization based in Memphis, TN and as the Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), a federal agency that works to improve regional economic opportunity in the eight-state Delta region. While at the DRA, Katie launched the Delta Entrepreneurship Network, a competitive fellowship program to identify entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship support organizations in the Delta.

Katie has served as a US delegate at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress and is currently serving as the Board Chair for the Clinton School of Public Service Alumni Board. Katie has a B.A. in political science from the University of Mississippi and a M.P.S. from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

Through her robust knowledge of public policy, Katie has been selected as the first cohort of 100 emerging changemakers selected to participate in the Obama Foundation’s inaugural Leaders USA program. Milligan is ready to keep on building her skills and learn how she can expand her impact across public, private and nonprofit sectors. 

Rodrigo Ramirez-Perez is a Research Analyst focused primarily on workforce development. In his role, balances his time between projects for Heartland Forward and projects for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, which focuses on workforce development in Arkansas. These projects have a special emphasis on Latino and Marshallese populations.

A California Native, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with degrees in Political Science, with an emphasis in Quantitative methods, and Philosophy. While at UC Berkeley, Rodrigo conducted research on the relationship between political distrust and attacks on healthcare workers and assisted with research at the intersection of human rights and policing in the United States. He was also an officer in the Cal Hiking and Outdoor Society (CHAOS), one of the nation’s oldest outdoor recreation societies. Additionally, he served as a leadership conference facilitator for the National FFA Organization.

In his free time, Rodrigo loves rock climbing, film photography and traveling.

Maria Rodriguez-Alcala applies a holistic approach to health and wellness and takes a proactive angle aiming to balance the reactive model that still dominates in the Heartland. She previously worked for University of Missouri as a researcher, instructor and, more recently, as a field faculty in Extension. She also worked in Sao Paulo, Brazil for Icone – an applied economics-based think tank and Washington State University. Her multi-disciplinary background, combined with her international, statewide and, more recently, local community-level experiences, allows Maria to bring unique tools to the table to help change the approach on how to improve health in the mid-states. When compared to the coast states and other developed economies, it is clear to her that innovative ideas and strategic partnerships are needed. She has a B.S. in applied economics from Texas A&M University, M.S. in applied economics from University of Missouri, and a PhD in Sustainable Development from University of Missouri. When asked about why she chose to stay in the Heartland, she says that after living for many years in Missouri, hiking in the Ozarks, and building relationships at the community level, her heart belongs here.

David Shideler serves as the chief research officer for Heartland Forward’s research team which includes visiting senior fellows Richard Florida and Maryann Feldman. With a mission to help improve the economic performance in the heartland and change the narrative of the middle of the country, the original research efforts focus on four key pillars:  innovation and entrepreneurship, human capital, health and wellness and regional competitiveness.

Shideler joined Heartland Forward after more than a decade at Oklahoma State University, serving as a professor and Community and Economic Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics. In these roles, he oversaw projects in community and rural development and small business development, and published peer-reviewed research articles on the economic impacts of internet access, incentive programs, and local food production.

Shideler holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics and an M.A. in Economics from the Ohio State University, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the Pennsylvania State University, and a B.S. in Community and Rural Development from Clemson University.

Abby Smith joined Heartland Forward as its Program Manager, Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development. Growing up in a small town, community has always been a determining factor in Smith’s career. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Social Work, Smith took a role with SOAR Afterschool for five years, where she served at all levels, from Site Director in her first year leading direct, on-the-ground programming to Director of Operations in her final year, leading fundraising efforts and operational functions of the organization. While at SOAR, Abby helped launch and grow a collaborative effort between education partners and the regional community to promote workforce development and 21st-century skills in elementary, middle, and junior high students across Northwest Arkansas and the state at large.

During her final year with the SOAR organization, Abby obtained her Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas, where she found her passion for macro-level work seeking to address systemic challenges from a holistic, research-based perspective. After a year-long stint as the Community Development Officer for The Bank of Fayetteville’s Northwest Arkansas market, Smith joined Heartland Forward, where she currently serves as the Program Manager for Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development.

In 2023, Smith was awarded by the University of Arkansas’ School of Social Work for Excellence in the Field for her community development work in the region while with SOAR. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Yvonne Richardson Community Center in Fayetteville and is active in philanthropy, serving on multiple fundraising committees for local nonprofits. Abby grew up in the heartland, raised in Northwest Arkansas.

Will Trolinger is a Research Analyst for Heartland Forward and joined the “think and do” tank after serving as an intern.

Will graduated from the College of STEM at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS) with a degree in computer science and has a particular interest in AI. While at UAFS, he balanced his academic career while playing on the baseball team in the positions of short stop and second base.

Will was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Stephanie White serves as Manager, Operations at Heartland Forward. Prior to joining the team, Stephanie worked in the nonprofit community in Nashville, Tennessee. Most recently, she served as the Development Associate at Safe Haven Family Shelter, the premier shelter-to-housing program in middle Tennessee. Before this role, she served for two years as the Development Coordinator at Thistle Farms, a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors of trafficking and addiction. 

Stephanie was born and raised in southern Illinois. In 2010, she graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

As a native of Texas, Woolsey has been consulting for nearly three years helping clients primarily with strategy, communications, and development. Prior, she served as the executive vice president at Fayetteville, Ark.-based public relations agency Mitchell from 2008 to 2018. She served on the executive committee and advised clients in media relations, strategy, and messaging for global brands and nonprofits.

Prior to her role with Mitchell, Woolsey was a partner and co-owner of Executive Communications Consultants, LLC, where she offered facilitated strategy sessions, public speaking workshops, media training, and private coaching for executives. She also served as a senior development officer at the University of Arkansas’ College of Business, taking the lead on the school’s Campaign for the 21st Century and solidifying a $50 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, which at the time was the largest ever gift to an American business school.

Woolsey was honored in 2018 by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce with the Mrs. Sarah Jessie Young Leadership by Example Award. She was also appointed to the Northwest Arkansas National Airport’s board of directors in 2015 and has served as its first female chair since 2018.

Send Blake an email: bwoolsey@heartlandforward.org

Yee-Lin Lai is a Fellow with Heartland Forward. Also, Lai is a program officer with the Walton Family Foundation on the Home Region Program.

Prior to joining the foundation, Yee-Lin assisted the dean of the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business in conducting an assessment of the Northwest Arkansas entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Her previous roles include deputy director of the Ministry of Health and senior assistant director at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Singapore.

Cara Osborne MSN, CNM, ScD is a nurse midwife who holds a Masters in Nursing from Vanderbilt, and a Masters and Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health. She spent her early career as a clinician, nursing professor and perinatal epidemiology researcher. Cara owned and operated her own health services business, and in 2013, she sold her business to the partners fund at Fortress Investment Group. She has spent the past three years as a professor of practice in Entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas Sam M Walton College of Business, starting businesses and advising start-ups. She is a technical advisor to Diana Health, a venture backed comprehensive maternity care solution based in New York, founder of Blaize and Brooks Bourbon, Managing Partner at Native Spirit Holdings and a maternal health subject matter expert for Ingeborg Initiatives.

Minoli Ratnatunga is an economist dedicated to helping communities prosper. Her work at think tanks, non-profits and local government has focused on the tools and policies that create outcomes that matter.

Minoli’s research at Heartland Forward continues her pursuit of pragmatic and effective policies to spur economic renewal, including exploring the role of research institutions and entrepreneurship in economic development. She draws on both an in-depth local perspective from her time crafting regional development policy in Pittsburgh, and her knowledge of national best-practices built as the director of regional economics research at the Milken Institute.

Minoli helps mission-driven organizations better understand and address critical issues to increase their community impact with Star Insights, a strategic advisory firm based in Los Angeles.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics from the London School of Economics, and a Master of Science in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.

For the past 10 years Andre Fowlkes has been working to grow the technology startup ecosystem in Memphis TN, through a venture development organization he co-founded called Start Co. As President of Start Co. Fowlkes oversees and manages sales and business development, corporate and government engagement, smart cities activity, civic innovation efforts, and resource cultivation. Under Fowlkes’ leadership Start Co. has seen exponential growth not just in startups supported and investment raised but in the expansion of its business model providing corporate and civic innovation solutions.

Before Start Co. Fowlkes spent a decade in the capital markets, previously serving in roles as an Investment Counselor at Fisher Investments in San Francisco and as a relationship manager through an agency of Guardian Life Insurance in New York City.

Today, Fowlkes brings extensive experience in building new and unconventional partnerships to assist in the brokering of technology, talent, and capital for economic growth. He leads the charge at Start Co. to build and operate new programs and resources for the inclusion of minorities and women, students, and social organizations. He directly supports Start Co. companies by serving as an Executive in Residence and deliverer of programming in areas of growth and operating modeling, business development and sales, business operations, financial forecasting, and corporate development.

With great commitment to service and the community Fowlkes is Chairman of the Board for Orion Federal Credit Union and serves on the Advisory Board for Southern Sun Asset Management and Heartland Forward. Fowlkes was a Mayoral appointment to the Memphis & Shelby County Metropolitan Charter Commission directed with researching, analyzing, writing a recommendation, and bringing to voters a new consolidated metropolitan Government. Fowlkes recently served on City of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s Transition Team.

In acknowledgement of Fowlkes’ commitment to community and talent development, Governor Bill Haslam appointed him to the Tennessee Workforce Development Board of Directors and Mayor AC Wharton appointed Fowlkes to the Workforce Investment Network Board of Directors. Fowlkes also serves on numerous startup boards.

Recognized as a leader in social innovation, Fowlkes is a trainer on the” Power of Social Innovation” as designated by Harvard University Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. He is a co-teacher and creator of the University of Memphis’ Department of Journalism’s Entrepreneurial Journalism initiative and Certificate. Fowlkes also provided thought leadership as a frontpage business columnist for the Commercial Appeal, Memphis’ leading media outlet from 2011-2013.

Having worked in startups, wealth and money management, small business & entrepreneurship, government, non-profit, and economic & community development has allowed Fowlkes to accumulate a unique set of skills to build social, political, and financial capital for growing entrepreneurial ecosystems and startups as a diversifier to traditional forms of economic growth.

Michael (Mike) Hubert is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications, Government Relations and Business Development officer at Mercy. In 2020 Mike joined Mercy, one of the twenty largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state healthcare system including more than 50 acute care, managed and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has nine hundred physician practices and outpatient facilities, more than 5,000 physicians and advanced practitioners and over 50,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Prior to Mercy, Mike was Vice President, Global Communications for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, where he led their communication, U.S. government relations and CSR efforts prior to Alexion’s acquisition by Astra Zeneca. Previous to Alexion, Mike was Vice President, National Physician and Provider Relations for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA Inc.), the nation’s largest provider of healthcare services. At HCA he was responsible for leading the physician and provider relations (PPR) communication and business development efforts organized across HCA’s 16 divisions. The PPR team is the interface between HCA’s hospitals and physicians, focused on engagement, communication, business development and growth for the company.

Before coming to HCA in 2015, Mike held leadership positions in communications, public & government affairs, investor relations and sales at Pfizer and Alpha Natural Resources over his career. At Pfizer, Mike led the communication effort surrounding Pfizer’s successful $68 billion acquisition and integration of Wyeth and went on to lead Pfizer’s U.S. Public Affairs and State Government Affairs team. At Alpha, he led the Corporate Affairs group including communications, government affairs, investor relations and philanthropy. 

Mike graduated summa cum laude from Emporia State University with a degree in communication and currently lives in St. Louis.

Ken Levit is executive director of GKFF. Prior to taking on the leadership role at GKFF, Levit served as president of the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa from 2001 to 2006. From early 1998 through 2000, Levit was special counsel to George Tenet, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Levit practiced corporate law at the firm of Crowe & Dunlevy in Tulsa from 1995 to 1998.

Levit is involved in several civic activities. He currently serves as chair of Teach for America-Oklahoma, as a member of the Teach for America National Council, and as chair of the Tulsa Regional Chamber Tulsa’s Future Commission. Levit also leads the board of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Levit earned his law degree from Yale Law School in 1994 and received his undergraduate degree from Brown University in 1987.

Anna is the managing partner at Ingeborg Investments and leads the day-to-day activity of the investing platform, including deal sourcing, portfolio management, investment recommendations and industry relationship management.

Prior to joining Ingeborg, Anna was a managing partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund. While there, Anna helped lead the transformation of Rise of the Rest from a startup-community bus tour initiative to a fund with $300M in AUM and nearly 200 early-stage investments across 75+ cities.

Anna’s passion for innovation and entrepreneurship comes from more than eighteen years of experience in finance, startup operations and venture community programming. Anna was named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in 2020, Business Insider’s list of 100 People Transforming Business in 2019 and a Washingtonian Tech Titan in 2017 and 2018. Anna is also a 2022 Presidential Leadership Fellow. Anna earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and her master’s degree from the NYU Stern School of Business. Anna lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband John, and their two daughters.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team at TIAA, I led the Hispanic Market nationally while also leading Executive Relations for our CEO and executive team. My responsibilities included establishing strategic relationships with leaders across higher education, business and government. After over 20 years at TIAA I transitioned into a new direction where I could leverage my experience, expertise and relationships.

My work focuses on serving the needs of ultra-high net worth families and family offices by providing investment access and business development of portfolio companies. Through a variety of roles and companies, each with their own set of capabilities, I’m able to work in a very symbiotic way to create comprehensive solutions for clients.

I established MRamirez Group, LLC as a consulting firm with a mission to help high net worth families and their businesses thrive by blending experience, expertise and strategic relationships.

As Chief Client Officer of Goldenrod, I am able to provide a high quality solution of real estate as an alternative investment to high net worth investors while also sourcing unique projects for our partners.

My role as Managing Partner of Avalon allows me the ability to represent companies seeking growth capital from investors I work with while providing specialty finance solutions for growing companies.

My extensive board service in both private and public companies as well as non-profit entities gives me the opportunity to give back while at the same time help build the best possible path forward for companies, organizations and their missions.

Claudia San Pedro serves as head of the Limited Service Category and president of SONIC Drive-In, part of the Inspire family of restaurants. Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes nearly 32,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants worldwide.

San Pedro sets the strategic direction for SONIC and is responsible for overseeing the brand’s marketing and operations teams. She is also responsible for the growth and success of SONIC’s company-owned restaurants as well as the brand’s relationship with its franchise community.

San Pedro assumed her role in January 2018. She joined SONIC in 2006 as vice president of investor relations and treasurer before being promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2015. In her previous roles, San Pedro was responsible for SONIC’s financial planning practices, as well as the brand’s relationship with lending institutions, shareholders, and the financial community.

Prior to joining SONIC, she served as the director for the Oklahoma Office of State Finance (OSF). Appointed by Governor Brad Henry in 2005, San Pedro was the first female and first Hispanic to serve as director of state finance for Oklahoma.

Before joining OSF and the Henry administration, San Pedro served as the assistant director of the Oklahoma State Senate fiscal staff and a staff budget analyst for the senate appropriations subcommittees on education, human services and general government.

For her leadership, San Pedro was included on the HERoes Women Executive Role Model List 2021, powered by Yahoo! Finance. She was also honored as part of Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2021 Power List: Women of Influence. In 2020, San Pedro was named one of LATINA Style’s 2020 Corporate Executives of the Year, and she was featured on Entrepreneur’s 100 Powerful Women 2020 list.

San Pedro presently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, BOK Financial, and the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. She also serves on the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Board of Advisors and the Smith College Board of Trustees.

San Pedro holds an undergraduate degree from Smith College in Massachusetts and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Born in Mexico City, San Pedro resides in Oklahoma City with her family.

Over the course of more than two decades, Neal Sharma has become one of the most recognizable business leaders in the country, breaking new ground at the forefront of digital marketing and technological change and serving marquee clients across the globe.

Neal is the Co-Founder and former CEO of DEG, a full-service digital agency, and directed the growth of an organization that evolved from a small web development company in Kansas City to an over 600-person firm now a part of global agency, Merkle. During that time, DEG formed long-lasting partnerships with brands like Hallmark, Gap Inc., Nestlé Purina, Johnson & Johnson, Hub International, PepsiCo, and Sam’s Club/Walmart. Neal was also instrumental in completing DEG’s successful sale to dentsu – the fifth-largest agency holding company in the world – for one of the highest multiples in the industry. He currently serves as the President of Alliance Solutions at the network.

Under Neal’s leadership, DEG appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the US nine consecutive years, became one of the largest and most decorated Salesforce partners in the world, was recognized as a regional “Best Place to Work” for ten straight years, and in 2019, became one of only four agencies nationally to be named both an Ad Age “Best Place to Work” and a member of the Adweek 100 fastest-growing agencies in the same year. In 2014, Inc. Magazine named DEG one of “25 Companies That Are Changing the World” for its unique entrepreneurial approach to business, and in 2016, the company was inducted in the Kansas City Business Journal’s Champions of Business Hall of Fame.

Neal has also been widely acknowledged for his personal achievements. Most recently, he was awarded the William F. Yates Medallion for Distinguished Service by William Jewell College and was named to the Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Business Hall of Fame. He has also been featured in the Kansas City Business Journal’s “Power 100” list of influential leaders five years in a row, included as an Ingram’s Magazine “40 Under 40” and “Ingram’s 250” honoree, noted as one of the 50 most influential Kansas Citians in tech by the Kansas City Star, recognized as the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and chosen as a Central Midwest Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Neal’s varied experience successfully operating and consulting with fast-growing enterprises affords him the unique ability to understand and appreciate the essential role of effective governance in an organization. He has provided strategic clarity, financial acumen, global exposure, and a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by rapidly evolving trends in technology in a fiduciary capacity as a current Director of Evergy, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVRG) and MRI Global, and as a past Trustee of American University. Neal also serves as a director and advisor to a number of startups in various industries in which he invests.

Rivaling Neal’s passion for business and his accomplishments in the field is his steadfast commitment to championing entrepreneurship, economic development, and civic advancement. Neal currently serves as the Vice-Chair of KC2026 – the organizing committee responsible for hosting the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City, a board member of the Truman Library Institute, an advisory board member of the Opportunity Now economic initiative of Overland Park, and a fellow of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program. Previously, he has given his time and expertise back to community organizations serving as the Co-Chair of regional collaborative KC Rising and as the Chair of the Kansas City chapter of the Young President’s Organization (YPO), as well as with organizations such as the University of Kansas Health System Advancement Board, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, Aligned, and the Salvation Army Central Territory as the Christmas Chair for the Kansas City region.

Prior to embarking on his professional career, Neal was a licensed commercial real estate agent while attending university. He also served in several capacities for former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Robert Dole, including as one of the youngest salaried members of Senator Dole’s presidential campaign staff.

He received his MBA from the University of Kansas in 2001 after graduating cum laude from American University in 1998 with an inter-disciplinary degree in Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government.

Shamina Singh is the founder and president of the Center for Inclusive Growth, the social impact hub of Mastercard. She is also the executive vice president of sustainability and a member of the management committee at Mastercard where she leads the company’s environmental, social and governance programs.

Since 2014, she has led the Center with a remit to leverage Mastercard’s data, technology, capital and expertise for social impact. Under Shamina’s leadership, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth was named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2024. She has also been recognized for her work and leadership in American Banker and Financial Times.

Deeply committed to public service, Shamina has held senior positions in the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives, most recently serving as a member of the President’s Export Council, the principal national advisory committee on international trade. Currently, Shamina sits on the board of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and serves on the advisory boards of Okta for Good, data.org, The Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellowship, and the CGAP Financial Inclusion Initiative.

She earned a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. She received the alumni of distinction award from both institutions and is currently a contributor to MIT Sloan Management Review on the topic of Responsible AI.

Anne-Marie Slaughter is the CEO of New America, a think ​and action ​tank dedicated to renewing the promise of America, bringing us closer to our nation’s highest ideals. She is also the Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. From 2009–2011, she served as director of policy planning for the United States Department of State, the first woman to hold that position. Upon leaving the State Department she received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award for her work leading the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, as well as meritorious service awards from USAID and the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe. Prior to her government service, Dr. Slaughter was the Dean of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School) from 2002–2009 and the J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School from 1994-2002.

Dr. Slaughter has written or edited eight​ books, including ​The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World (2017)​, Unfinished Business: Women, Men, Work, Family (2015), The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World (2007)​, and ​A New World Order (2004), ​as well as over 100 scholarly articles. She was the convener and academic co-chair, with Professor John Ikenberry, of the Princeton Project on National Security, a multi-year research project aimed at developing a new, bipartisan national security strategy for the United States. In 2012 she published the article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” in the Atlantic, which quickly became the most read article in the history of the magazine and helped spawn a renewed national debate on the continued obstacles to genuine full male-female equality.

Dr. Slaughter is a contributing editor to the Financial Times and writes a bi-monthly column for Project Syndicate. She provides frequent commentary for both mainstream and new media and curates foreign policy news for over 140,000 followers on Twitter. Foreign Policy magazine named her to their annual list of the Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. She received a B.A. from Princeton, an M.Phil and D.Phil in international relations from Oxford, where she was a Daniel M. Sachs Scholar, and a J.D. from Harvard. She is married to Professor Andrew Moravcsik; they have two sons.

Darrin Williams’ career is a unique combination of law, business, and politics. Currently serving as the CEO of Southern Bancorp, Inc., Williams oversees the strategic direction and operations of each of Southern’ s three Community Development Financial Institutions: Southern Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company; Southern Bancorp Bank, one of America’s largest rural development banks; and Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) development finance and lending organization – collectively known as “Southern.”

Southern was founded nearly thirty years ago when some of the nation’s most notable political, business and philanthropic leaders, including Bill Clinton, Rob Walton, Muhammad Yunus and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to name a few, came together around a central idea – that the economic challenges facing many underserved communities could in part be addressed through the creation of a values-based financial organization focused on providing these services to those who most need them. With an initial investment of approximately $10 million and a mission to create economic opportunity, Southern has grown to become one of the most effective and largest community development organizations in the United States, as well as a model for an entire industry of mission-focused financial institutions known as Community Development Financial Institutions. Southern Bancorp today is a $1.6 billion asset organization with over 65,000 customers and 49 branches located primarily in underserved markets in the Mid-South.

Prior to leading Southern, Williams served as managing partner at the law firm of Carney, Williams, Bates, Pulliam & Bowman, PLLC, where he focused on representing institutional investors and consumers in class action litigation against some of the nation’s largest publicly traded companies. Williams also served three terms of elected office in the Arkansas House of Representatives (2008-2013), serving as Speaker Pro Tempore of the 89th Arkansas General Assembly. As a lawmaker, he was recognized nationally for his legislative accomplishments, including being named a Champion of Small Business by the National Capital Coalition, an Aspen-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership by the Aspen Institute, and listed as one of 12 state legislators from around the country to watch by Governing Magazine. Williams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College, his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University School of Law, and his Master of Laws degree in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.