Agenda

Roger Cheng

Lead, Supplier Inclusion
AT&T

Roger Cheng recently joined AT&T as a Sr. Supplier Diversity Sourcing Manager. Prior to AT&T, Roger spent the previous 14+ years with M/WBEs in the technology space leading business development through Supplier Diversity.

Roger, also known as “The Voice,” has served as emcee or VOG for a number of organizations across the country. In 2017, Roger was recognized as the #Hes4Shes Champion at the WBENC National Conference.

Trevor Boylston

Economic Inclusion Manager
Boston Scientific

Antoine Hinton

Sr. Director, Small Business Development
Dollar General

Jim Flynn

Executive Director
JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Tobias Thornwell

Regional Director of Global Business Impact
MGM Resort International

Tobias Thornwell is the Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for MGM National Harbor, a $1.4 billion resort and casino located on the banks of the Potomac River in National Harbor, MD. He is responsible for developing and overseeing all procurement activities including vendor sourcing, purchasing, vendor contracts, and supplier diversity for the property. Mr. Thornwell is focused on ensuring that MGM National Harbor continues to meet or exceed its spending goals with certified diverse suppliers with the State of Maryland and Prince George’s County.

Mr. Thornwell has more than 12 years of purchasing and supply chain management experience in the food service industry. Prior to joining MGM National Harbor, Mr. Thornwell served as National Product Manager/Regional Buyer at The Chef’s Warehouse in Hanover, MD, and Lead COP Buyer/Product Line Manager at US Foods in Severn, MD.

Mr. Thornwell earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park (Go Terps!). He also holds a Certified Purchasing Manager certification (C.P.M.), and a Certified Professional in Supply Management certification (CPSM) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Mr. Thornwell is originally from the Bronx, New York and enjoys traveling.

Debra Quade

S.D. Manager
Kellanova

Debra Quade is the Supplier Diversity Manager at Kellogg Company. Prior to joining Kellogg, she served as Supplier Diversity Specialist at Toyota Boshoku America in Erlanger, Kentucky and Magna Donnelly in Holland, Michigan.

Debra serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in addition to leading a MiDiCo module for supplier inclusion and opportunity. She represents Kellogg Company on the National Minority Supplier Development Council Working Group, and the Corporate Advisory Council for the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in addition to participating on the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Programs Committee, the Food Marketing Institute Group Supplier Diversity Committee, WEConnect International Agricultural Industry Group and the Food & Beverage Industry Group.

Brian Gatus

Principle Manager, Direct Services Procurement
Southern California Edison

Brian P. Gatus leads the Direct Services Procurement group for Southern California Edison (SCE), managing over $3.5 billion in annual spend. He oversees a team of professionals dedicated to delivering effective procurement and category spend management solutions for SCE’s supply chain.

With a proven track record of success, Brian excels in leveraging spend, optimizing procurement controls, minimizing risk, and improving product quality. He brings over 25 years of experience in both public and private sectors, with expertise in sourcing transmission and distribution line construction, technology, complex contract negotiations, logistics, and business process improvements.

From 2000 to 2010, Brian held various supply chain leadership roles at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest public school district. He began his professional career in Southeast Asia, working in business operations roles within the construction and textile industries.

Brian is recognized by the Institute of Supply Management as a Certified Professional in Supply Management. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at Purdue Global Law School

Hector Martinez

Vice President, S.D.
U.S. Bank

Pafoua Xiong

Procurement S.D. Specialist
U.S. Bank

Pafoua Xiong joined the Supplier Diversity team at U.S. Bank in 2021 as the Procurement Supplier Diversity Specialist, where her work is focused on enhancing the Supplier Diversity program by actively working to grow relationships with diverse-owned businesses and partners. Shortly after joining the Bank, Pafoua became a board member for the Asian Heritage Business Resource Group (BRG).

Pafoua founded her way into this industry after working as a Merchandiser Assistant at The Scoular Company managing the inventory of pet food ingredients. She later moved on to support the non-retail side of supply chain at Target for 3 years.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota where she majored in Journalism and Communication Studies.

Outside of the office, you can find her hiking around state parks with her Pitbull, listening to supernatural podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Tamara Rashid

Senior Vice President, Enterprise Transformation Team
Agile One

Tamara Rashid is a uniquely talented Workforce Solutions Professional; positively impacting people, organizations, and communities through her two decades of work in management consulting, HR services, managed services, and vendor management technologies.

A recognized process reengineering professional known for her strategic vision and change management, Tamara offers a unique blend of executive acumen, strategic vision, effective execution of vast human capital solutions, and operational leadership. She is credited with delivering industry leading results in service delivery, process standardization, and business process outsourcing.

As Senior Vice President of the AgileOne Enterprise Transformation Team, Tamara is responsible for leading the efforts for 5 key functions: Implementation Services, Supplier Partnership & Engagement, Change Management, Innovation & Optimization, and Product Management on a global scale. Tamara holds Business and Human Resources Management degrees from City University and Seattle University and is a well utilized Mentor.

She remains involved with community based organizations primarily advocating well- being for homeless women and children organizations and at-risk youth populations in Seattle, WA where her family resides.

Steve Schumacher

President
Allegis Global Solutions

Debra Timmerman

President
Kelly OCG

Ryan Baker

President
Monument Consulting

Ryan is an industry veteran with decades of experience in the Human Capital Management industry. His experience includes Staffing Services early in his career, with his most recent experience being spent in MSP / Strategic Consulting within the contingent workforce industry. Ryan relies on his ability to perform and deliver at an elite level and takes a bold, passionate, consultative and people first approach as it relates to the growth of Monument Consulting. He prides himself on being a relationship based executive leader, excessive about Monument’s culture. Ryan has served Monument in a variety of ways over the past 10 years, including strategic sales pursuits, and leading the Sales organization and Account (Program) Management organizations as Vice President. Ryan is currently Monument’s 2nd President in its 21-year history and has served in this role since January of 2019. Ryan is a proud and committed graduate of Florida State University (Go Noles!) and resides in Richmond, VA with his wife and 2 children.

Lee Baldwin

SVP, Global Head of Sales
Pontoon Solutions

Lee leads Pontoon’s commercial organization globally, inclusive of sales, sales operations and bid management. His team is instrumental in achieving revenue growth through new client acquisition and current client expansion activity.

Lee’s tenure with the Adecco Group spans 16 years since joining Pontoon in 2009 to support customers in our financial services segment. Over the years, he's held multiple leadership roles and successfully driven innovative global workforce strategies for some of our most complex customers. He serves with a passion for developing teams and creating career development opportunities. Lee has also been recognized as a 2020 and 2021 Provider Superstar by HRO Today and appeared on SIA’s 40 under 40 list in 2020.

Originally from the UK, Lee moved to the US to play collegiate soccer at North Carolina State University. He now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and three children.

Carolyn Joshua

President & CEO
Trilyon, Inc.

Carolyn Joshua is the President and CEO of Trilyon, Inc., a leading content management, documentation, and technology services provider for Fortune 500 companies. Under Carolyn's exceptional leadership, Trilyon has earned notable recognition, including the esteemed 2023 Fast 100 Asian American Business Award from USPAACC. Her outstanding achievements have also been acknowledged through the prestigious Enterprising Women of the Year Award in 2023. Furthermore, she has been honored as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of San Francisco for 2023 by Women We Admire, highlighting her significant contributions to the business community.

In addition to her role at Trilyon, Carolyn holds a board position at the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC West), a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering economic growth and promoting diversity through leadership, education, and business networking. Carolyn also plays a pivotal role as the Co-Chair of USPAACC WISE (Women Initiative for Strategic Empowerment), spearheading initiatives that empower and advance women professionals in the business world.

Carolyn serves as a General Partner at Early Equity Capital Advisors, specializing in late-stage technology startups. Additionally, she contributes to How Women Invest as an LP, a venture capital firm focused on promoting women-led companies and advancing women leaders within the venture capital ecosystem. Carolyn's commitment to diversity and inclusivity is further exemplified through her role as a global advisor for the Women Leaders for the World Fellowship Program. This transformative leadership training program empowers social change innovators and industry disruptors to create positive impacts on society.

Allstate

Boston Scientific

Constellation Energy

Cushman & Wakefield

Delta Airlines

Denny's

Dollar General

Home Depot

IBM

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Kaiser Permanente

Mass Mutual

MGM Resorts International

Penn Entertainment

Southern California Edison

Takeda Pharmaceutical

Target

Travel & Leisure

U.S. Bank

USPS

Speakers from USPS

Akraya

Ampcus

Arohak

Boston Scientific

Export-Import Bank

Home Depot

Kellanova

Lola's Fine Sauce

Merck

MGM Resorts International

MSL Global Express, Inc.

Penn Entertainment

SoalTech

Southern California Edison

Stirista

T-Mobile

Speakers from T-Mobile

Tri-Force Consulting Services, Inc.

Trilyon, Inc.

Tronex International, Inc.

Universal Processing

U.S. Bank

Veritis

WISE

Xero

Vivian Young

Global Head of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs
JPMorgan Chase

Vivian Young has over 15 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry. In her current role as global head of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs for JPMorgan Chase, Vivian is responsible for developing a leading a global, unified strategy to advance equity and inclusion for the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community. Key focus areas include driving opportunity and progress through increased cultural understanding and collaboration; raising awareness about cultural identity and the challenges faced by underserved individuals and communities; supporting API communities globally through public advocacy, economic inclusion and community development.

Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Vivian spent 7 years at Charles Schwab Advisor Services, where she was responsible for strategy, execution and management of the Family Office and Investment Consultant client segment. She also served as business lead on new product initiatives for trust products, ETFs, mutual funds and separately managed accounts. Previous to Charles Schwab, Vivian was a relationship manager and team lead at U.S. Trust Company of New York providing financial planning services to high net worth individuals and families in the Wealth Management division.

Vivian Joined JPMorgan Chase in 2012 leading strategic initiatives for the Product and Platform team in the Private Bank and J.P.Morgan Wealth Management. She was responsible for product management, development and expansion of Trusts & Estates services, donor advised fund, and financial planning tools. She most recently was global head of Bank Product Marketing in Asset & Wealth Management, developing strategies to deepen client relationships and drive business growth. Working in partnership with Product leadership in banking, lending, mortgage, annuities, trusts and estates, and cyber and fraud, Vivian lead the content development and implementation of strategic marketing programs.

Vivian received a BA in Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.

She resides in New York City with her husband and two children.

Learn more about Vivian:

⦁ Office of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs at JPMorgan Chase https://www.jpmorganchase.com/...

⦁ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vi...

⦁ Bringing a cultural lens to her community: Women on the Move podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episo...

Katie Lawler

Executive Vice President, Global Chief Ethics Officer
U.S. Bank

Katie leads U.S. Bancorp’s Global Ethics Office and serves as the leading voice in the company’s ongoing commitment to ethics and integrity. Under her leadership, U.S. Bank has been recognized by Ethisphere as a World’s Most Ethical Company 11 years in a row. In 2023, Katie received the Carol R. Marshall Award for Innovation in Corporate Ethics from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative. Katie is a regular speaker, sharing insights on the importance of cultivating an ethical culture to drive business success.

Since joining U.S. Bank in 2002, Katie has served in multiple leadership roles within the Law Division and Human Resources, including Deputy General Counsel, Director of

Inclusion and Employee Relations, and Human Resources Chief Risk Officer. An active member of the Twin Cities community, Katie serves on the board of trustees of Wallin Education Partners and the advisory board for the University of St. Thomas Center for Principled Leadership.

Katie received her B.A. from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. Katie lives with her husband, Charlie, and their two children in Minnesota. In her free time, she is an avid reader, novice crocheter, cautious mountain biker and Ted Lasso fanatic.

Susan Au Allen

CEO
USPAACC

Pamela Prince-Eason

President & CEO
The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

Pamela Prince-Eason is the President and CEO of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a role she assumed in 2011. She was previously Vice President of Worldwide Procurement for Pfizer Inc. and held various leadership positions at Texas Instruments, GSE Systems and Warner Lambert, as well as co-owner of RMR Associates.

Pamela is a member of the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), a non-partisan federal advisory council who advises the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners.

Pamela’s dedication to women’s business leadership is illustrated in her many professional and personal roles advancing women’s excellence and opportunity. She serves on women’s advisory committees of several corporations including the CVS Health Executive Learning Series, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program, the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, and Walmart’s Women Owned Business Advisory Council.

Pamela holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from East Tennessee State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland with a Master of Administrative Science in International Business and Finance. In 2008, she was among the first to receive ISM’s Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) designation, in 2010 was named a Power Women by NYMoves, and in 2012 she received the AIDC WBE Hall of Fame “Executive Leadership” award. In 2013 and 2017, she was named a top leader in Supplier Diversity by WE-USA Magazine and selected by the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) as the 2014 Woman of Achievement. Most recently she was inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame in March 2018 and was recognized as Alumna of the Year at East Tennessee State University in May 2018.

She and husband John have three children and six grandchildren. Favorite family activities include tennis, basketball, and snowboarding.

Hollina Ung

DEI Consultant
Boston Scientific

Kimberley Thompson

G.D. & Inclusion Leader
Edwards Lifesciences

Inclusion thought leader, diversity, inclusion and equity strategist, culture changer, influencer, internal and relationship architect with over 15 + years related experience in diversity and inclusion design, management and community engagement.

Currently practicing D&I in the healthcare industry. Prior to that spent 12 years at Starbucks Coffee Company, providing D&I subject matter expertise, best practices, tools and strategic consultation across the corporate and retail businesses.

Kimberley has a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Sociology (Race Relations and Education) from University of California, Los Angeles. She holds several certifications: D&I from eCornell, Unconscious Bias and Cultural Intelligence training.

Outside of work, Kimberley enjoys listening to podcasts and running, spending time with her husband, George, and children George, Alexander (twins) and Grace.

Naina Patel

Head of Supplier Management
MassMutual

Naina Patel has over 20 years of experience as a leader in all areas of global procurement within pharma and insurance industries. Leading operations strategic sourcing, Category, and supplier management as well as manufacturing and supply chain strategy. Naina is results-driven and drives maximum value by leading change, creating vision, collaboration, inclusive approach, and inspiring people to achieve goals. Throughout her career Naina has focused on driving simplicity, process improvement, operational excellence, relationship management and organizational transformation.

In her current Executive leadership role at MassMutual life Insurance company as Head of Supplier Management Naina is focused on aligning and working closely with MassMutual leadership and cross-functional stakeholders across all business units to ensure that the management of MassMutual suppliers is executed consistently and efficiently across all levels while driving diversity and inclusion within the process and with supplier partners

Naina is an Avid runner, loves cooking and traveling.

Tammy Tran

Principal Manager - SD
Southern California Edison

Pafoua Xiong

Procurement S.D. Specialist
U.S. Bank

Pafoua Xiong joined the Supplier Diversity team at U.S. Bank in 2021 as the Procurement Supplier Diversity Specialist, where her work is focused on enhancing the Supplier Diversity program by actively working to grow relationships with diverse-owned businesses and partners. Shortly after joining the Bank, Pafoua became a board member for the Asian Heritage Business Resource Group (BRG).

Pafoua founded her way into this industry after working as a Merchandiser Assistant at The Scoular Company managing the inventory of pet food ingredients. She later moved on to support the non-retail side of supply chain at Target for 3 years.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota where she majored in Journalism and Communication Studies.

Outside of the office, you can find her hiking around state parks with her Pitbull, listening to supernatural podcasts, and spending time with her family.

Dale Shintani

Senior Vice President
Wells Fargo

Dale Shintani is a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo. In addition to being a strategy and planning leader in her day job, she also serves as the strategy chair for Wells Fargo’s internal women’s employee resource network with over 25K members. She has also focused on supporting small businesses for much of her career through various leadership roles including head of Customer Experience, Digital Strategy, and business manager of a business line of credit portfolio all while continuing to be a Diversity Equity and Inclusion champion.

Passionate about mentoring emerging leaders, Dale regularly delivers talks on women’s empowerment in business and was a frequent leadership speaker in an Asian American Pacific Islander Diverse Leaders program. Dale lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Mark and daughters Claire and Katie.

Jerome Flores

Senior Consultant - D & I
Wells Fargo

Jerome Flores is a Senior Diversity & Inclusion consultant focused on enhancing the employee resource network program to grow leadership capabilities, bench strength and serve as a diverse resource to influence business outcomes. Jerome has always been passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging helping to stand up the Washington, DC chapter of Pride Connections, and forming relationships through community outreach and engagement.

As a highly skilled and experienced professional, Jerome has spent 19+ years working in the financial services industry. With a proven track record of success. Jerome is become known for their thought leadership, creativity, problem-solving, and attention to detail. Jerome has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificate from University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, Office of Executive Education, and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Pennsylvania State University and is committed to staying up to date with the latest industry trends and best practices.

And is based in Washington, DC

Trevor Boylston

Economic Inclusion Manager
Boston Scientific

Sunil Nandamuri

Chief Technology Officer
Cognivance

Dianca Kelly

Regional Liason, Buy to Pay Impact Spending
Kaiser Permanente

Dianca Kelly joined Kaiser Permanente in December 2015 as a Contracts Administrator with National Facilities Services, now known as National Facilities Design and Construction (NFDC). In this role, she collaborated with project delivery teams to establish contract strategies, provided subject matter expertise for the implementation, execution, and administration of construction, design, and specialty services contracts, and developed critical contract documents and processes for the organization’s major construction and maintenance projects. In 2017, Dianca became a Supplier Diversity Champion for the Mid-Atlantic States market, where her contributions were instrumental in helping the region consistently achieve its Tier 1 and Tier 2 Supplier Diversity spend goals.

In November 2024, Dianca transitioned to Buy to Pay Impact Spending as a Regional Liaison, focusing on increasing spending and contract opportunities with vendors in markets outside of California. In her new role, she connects small, local diverse vendors with contract opportunities, supports responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that include special spend requirements, and ensures compliance with the organization’s goals and standards.

Winona Taylor-Lee

Executive Director, Enterprise IT
Merck

Winona Taylor-Lee is a dynamic leader currently serving as the Executive Director of Enterprise IT at Merck, where she supports global Procurement and Workplace Services. Since joining Merck in July 2023, Winona has been instrumental in partnering with the Procurement and Workforce Services organizations to develop, implement, and manage innovative technology strategies and roadmaps.​
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In her role, she leads a talented team of solution architects, technical and solution engineers, and product analysts, focusing on delivering products that enhance the source-to-settle process, employee experience, and supplier management product lines. Winona's extensive experience spans multiple industries, having held key positions at renowned companies such as CareFirst BCBS, Johnson & Johnson, Barclays, and Citi.​
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Winona holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Morgan State University. Beyond her professional achievements, she is deeply committed to giving back to her community. Winona actively engages in mentoring and leadership forums to promote awareness of women in STEM fields. She is also a proud member of the National Black MBA Association, where she advocates for diversity and inclusion and the importance of education.

Ming Chen

President
MSL Global Express, Inc.

Ming is passionate about delivering exceptional service to clients while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within her team. Her ability to inspire and motivate others has led to the development of high-performing teams that consistently exceed expectations.

Ming's journey in the logistics industry commenced immediately after completing her bachelor's degree in Finance from SUNY-Plattsburgh in 2008. Equipped with a solid foundation in financial principles, she embarked on her career with a steadfast determination to excel in the world of logistics. Recognizing the importance of specialization and continuous education, Ming pursued a master's degree in Accounting from St. John's University, further augmenting her knowledge and skill set.

Ming has navigated the intricacies of the logistics landscape, adapting to evolving industry trends and regulations especially during the pandemic. Her leadership capabilities and strategic vision have proven invaluable in streamlining operations, optimizing supply chains, and ensuring seamless coordination between various stakeholders.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ming remains an avid learner, constantly seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge and stay at the forefront of industry advancements.

Joyce Eggers

Global Lead of S.D.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Joyce Eggers is a passionate Supplier Diversity expert with over 20 years of experience in the Life Sciences industry. Joyce is responsible for providing the leadership for Takeda to grow and develop a sustainable diversity, equity, and inclusion program for suppliers.

Supported by and aligned with Takeda’s overall DE&I strategy, her expertise and passion for fostering an inclusive and innovative supply chain drives positive impact in the global communities in which our patients, employees, and customers live and work, guided by Takeda’s commitment to patients, our people, and the planet.

In her role, Joyce also serves as an advocate, mentor, and coach for small and/or diverse suppliers and is actively involved with numerous NGOs and advocacy groups focusing on supplier mentoring, development, diversity, and inclusion.