Walter is responsible for creating innovative design solutions within the health practice and beyond, and synergizing brand and customer experiences across a broad range of clients. As the cofounder of Diverse Creatives, he has worked to create a diverse and inclusive culture for Black and brown creatives in advertising. A veteran of digital advertising, Walter holds six U.S. patents for digital ad formats and has implemented creative products and strategies for companies including Google, Viacom, The New York Times and MySpace. 

Amber has over 15 years of experience executing and interpreting mixed methods research, extracting user experience and brand insights that inspire powerful campaigns. She is also a former adjunct professor in the Steinhardt school Department of Media Communication and Culture at New York University.

Fatima has 13 years of experience in the media industry, leading OOH strategy and investment across PayPal, Essentia Water, Burger King, Popeyes, and more. Fatima recently made a career pivot into the DEI space where she is leading Horizon’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts. The career change was fueled by Fatima’s realization that her love of people, curiosity and empathy could shift the way organizations engage with and support a truly diverse workforce. She is personally passionate about creating spaces for people of varying life experiences to feel accepted in their wholeness, artistic expression, personal development, volunteering, and health & wellness.

LaRonda is versatile creative with a specialty in copy, beauty, and multicultural representation. During her long tenure at Publicis, she has led or contributed to campaigns for Garnier, Nestle, and SoftSheen-Carson among others. She currently serves as the National President of the Black Rock Coalition and happily served on the Board of Directors for Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls for twelve years. Community-minded, she uses her salary to fund the revolution. World rockers… stand up.

Nick has worked in finance for nine years and was originally drawn by Performic’s focus on corporate finance with an agency feel. He has not only elevated the FP&A department with automation, but has led the team to drive profitable results. On the side, he is a DJ named Quicktastic and plays funky, soulful tunes throughout Chicagoland.

Terea has worked in the ad industry for 17+ years. Her passion is in investigating how we tell stories around behavior and how certain groups aspire to live. Spending most of her career in Project Management she found herself being the only person of color in the room during briefings, creative reviews, and client presentations so she pitched the idea of a new role for the agency, a Cultural Curator. Today her work focuses on investigating the lived experiences of Black people and other marginalized groups. Her mission is to harness insights and her degree in Curatorial Studies, to lead to greater foresight, relevancy, and business impact for the agency, clients, products, and services. The main objective is consumers seeing themselves portrayed authentically in the work the agency creates. She is also a proud board member of the Publicis Groupe BRG, Viva Women of Color. 

RJ has spent over six years at UM leading multi-disciplined, award-winning teams with a focus on driving client business objective across CPG and automotive accounts. Throughout his 19-year career, he has worked on globally recognized brands including Applebee’s, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, T. Rowe Price, Coca Cola, BMW, Energizer, and J&J. In his free time, RJ enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, reading, and cooking.