HEATHER MCCULLOCH

SENIOR FELLOW

Aspen Institute Financial Security Program

Heather McCulloch is an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program and a national thought leader on gender economic equity. She recently launched the Women in the Economy (WE) project at Aspen FSP, a two-year initiative to inform the design of a gender-equitable economy based on the insights, wisdom, and lived experience of working women across America.

Heather has more than two decades of experience working as an advocate and thought leader in closing the racial and gender wealth gaps and building an equitable economy. Previously, she founded and led Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap (CWWG), a multiracial/ethnic, cross-sector network of leaders working together to transform public policies and systems to advance gender economic equity. Prior to starting CWWG, she was the principal of Asset Building Strategies, a consulting firm that supported nonprofit, philanthropic, public, and private-sector leaders to advance policies and strategies to build the financial security of low-wealth families; and a founding staff member of the national nonprofit, PolicyLink.

Her insights have been covered in major news publications, including CNN Business, Fast Company, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, NPR Marketplace, Slate, and USA Today. She earned an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley.

EMMA TUCKER

EDITOR IN CHIEF

The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires

Emma Tucker is editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. She is responsible for all global news gathering and editorial operations. Previously, Emma was editor of The Sunday Times—the first female editor of the paper in more than a century. Before that she worked at The Times, where she held several roles including associate features editor and editor of T2, The Times award-winning daily features supplement. Emma also served as editorial director where she helped foster a closer working relationship between the editorial and commercial teams, before being appointed deputy editor.

Prior to The Times, Emma was a reporter with the Financial Times where she covered economics before moving to work in the Brussels and Berlin bureaus. She returned to London in 2001 where she served in several leadership positions.

CAROLYN TISCH BLODGETT

CEO AND FOUNDER

Next 3

Carolyn Tisch Blodgett is the CEO and Founder of Next3, where she oversees a portfolio of assets across sports. Sheis the Governor of Gotham FC, the New York / New Jersey NWSL team, where she acts as the lead owner across the business. She also serves as a strategic advisor to the Tisch Ownership Group at the New York Football Giants, supporting ownerships' interest across the business. She is an independent board member at Hatch, a leading sleep technology company, and serves on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation.

Carolyn was most recently the Head of Global Marketing at Peloton where she built and led the company’s first ever brand and marketing teams, resulting in an 80% CAGR in revenue from 2016 to 2020 and over 200% CAGR in sales during that period. Under Carolyn’s leadership, Peloton successfully launched the Peloton Bike+, the Peloton Tread, The Peloton Tread+ and Peloton Digital, all while transitioning into a global public company. She has received numerous awards including Crain’s 40 under 40, AdAge 40 under 40, Business Insider’s 25 Most Innovative CMOs in the World, and the AdWeek Brand Genius Award.

Misty Heggeness

Associate Professor

Economics and Public Affairs, University of Kansas

Misty Heggeness is an associate professor of economics and public affairs at the University of Kansas and co-director of the Kansas Population Center. She tells data-driven stories about women and caregivers in today's economy, and her latest book project, titled SWIFTYNOMICS, highlights lived stories of women in today's economy through reinvention and authenticity. Her research has been highlighted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Washington Post. She's appeared on Yahoo! Finance, GMA, CNN, and Bloomberg TV. You can find her writing with quick wit and kind-hearted sass about current events and her experiences as a caregiver here: https://medium.com/@misty-heggeness.

Monique Woodard

Founding Partner & Managing Director

Cake Ventures

Monique Woodard is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Cake Ventures where she invests in areas where she sees the future of technology being driven by major demographic trends.

Monique is a seasoned venture capitalist who has invested in global startup ecosystems in the U.S. and internationally since 2016. Prior to founding Cake Ventures, Monique was a Venture Partner at 500 Startups where she invested in early stage companies in the U.S. and Africa. Following her time at 500 Startups, Monique became a Venture Scout at Lightspeed Venture Partners and a trusted advisor to foundations and venture capital firms like SoftBank where she continues to advise on the Vision Fund’s Emerge program. Before moving to the investor side of the table, Monique spent 15+ years in the startup industry as a founder and operator.

Monique has a BA in Political Science from the University of Miami and is a Kauffman Fellow.

Brittany Skoda

Head of Global Software Investment Banking

Morgan Stanley

Brittany Skoda boasts 14+ years in Software and Internet Investment Banking, and is currently the Head of Global Software Banking at Morgan Stanley after serving as a VP in Venture and Strategy at Workday and gaining experience at Goldman Sachs. Recognized for her achievements, she's named one of Business Insiders Rising Stars on Wall Street and a Top Women Leader in SaaS by The SaaS Report. A Georgetown University alum with a double major in Accounting and Finance, Brittany is also a former NCAA Division 1 golfer and an alumna of IMG Academy and David Leadbetter Golf Academy.

Jessica Sibley

CEO

Time

Jessica Sibley is the Chief Executive Officer of TIME.
As CEO, Sibley oversees the global media brand which includes TIME’s iconic magazine and digital platforms that reach the largest audience in TIME’s history of 120 million people around the world; TIME Studios, the Emmy Award-winning film and television division that has generated more than $100 million in revenue; a rapidly growing global live events business built around the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises; Red Border Studios, producer of award- winning branded content; TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for children and valuable resources for teachers and families; TIME CO2, the sustainability and climate-action division, and more.

Under Sibley’s leadership, TIME has accelerated its digital transformation, expanded into new platforms and revitalized its brand overall. She has established new revenue streams, launched new products, supercharged TIME’s global live events business, increased advertising revenue and meaningfully engaged new audiences, all while upholding TIME’s mission to provide trusted journalism and reporting on the people and ideas that are shaping the world.

Prior to joining TIME, Sibley was the Chief Operating Officer of Forbes, where she led all revenue and growth initiatives for the world’s largest business media brand and achieved five consecutive years of growth from 2018 to 2022.

Previously, Sibley held senior leadership positions at The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Condé Nast.

Jess Lee

Partner & Chief Product Officer

Sequoia Capital

Jess Lee originally wanted to dive into drawing manga, but her parents weren't on board with the whole art school idea. So, she ended up at Stanford doing computer science, which eventually led her to Google Maps as a Product Manager. But life took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with Polyvore, a cool product that blended her love for self-expression with her knack for software development.

She didn't stop at just being a user. Jess emailed the founders with her thoughts and they hired her as employee #1. She wore a ton of hats at Polyvore - from coding and designing UX to building communities, fundraising, and selling ads. The founders even dubbed her a co-founder and shared some of their own shares with her. Fast forward four years, she was running the show as the CEO.

Following Polyvore’s sale to Yahoo!, Jess joined the team at Sequoia, where she is all about being the kind of partner she wished she had when she was hustling as a founder - the go-to person for sharing the highs and lows. Besides investing, she's in the trenches with engineering, product, design, and data science teams. Plus, she's a driving force behind Arc, Sequoia's catalyst for pre-seed and seed stage founders. On the side, she co-founded All Raise, a crew on a mission to shake up the gender balance in tech by backing female founders and funders.

Erin Harkless Moore

Senior Director of Investments

Pivotal Ventures

Erin Harkless Moore is the Senior Director of Investment for Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company created to accelerate social progress in the U.S. As a member of Pivotal’s Executive Leadership Team, Erin leads the organization’s fund, and direct investment decisions, overseeing a diverse portfolio of investments that drive breakthrough innovations and impact for people in this country. With nearly 20 years of investment experience, building and managing customized portfolios for endowed institutions and family offices, Erin’s commitment to discovering and cultivating relationships with leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and founders has been a driving force in her success. Prior to joining Pivotal, Erin served as Managing Director at Cambridge Associates, where she sourced and conducted diligence on investment managers across asset classes, with a particular focus and expertise in the private markets and early-stage venture capital. She currently serves on the Board and Investment Committee for Builders Initiative and is currently an at-large member of the Alumni Board of Governors for her alma mater, Washington University. A native Texan, she resides on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with her husband and two children. When not chasing after her kids, Erin enjoys exploring new restaurants, spending time with friends, travel, reading and fiction writing.

Arianna Huffington

Founder & CEO

Thrive Global

Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company with the mission of improving health and productivity outcomes.

She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.

Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night At A Time, both became instant international bestsellers. Most recently, she wrote the foreword to Thrive Global's first book Your Time to Thrive: End Burnout, Increase Well-being, and Unlock Your Full Potential with the New Science of Microsteps.

Lydia Fenet

Founder & CEO

Lydia Fenet Agency

Lydia Fenet is the founder and CEO of the Lydia Fenet Agency, a boutique agency representing best in class charity auctioneers. Over her two-decade long career, Lydia served as the Global Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships for Christie’s and reshaped the fundraising landscape as the world’s leading charity auctioneer. She has single handedly raised over one billion dollars for more than 800 organizations and broken-down countless barriers for women in the auction industry. Widely recognized for her poise and power onstage, she has stood alongside celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Hugh Jackman, Elton John, Matt Damon and Jerry Seinfeld to raise record-breaking donations for the most notable charities across the globe.

Lydia is the author of two best-selling books, The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You & Claim Your Confidence as well as the podcast host of Claim Your Confidence in collaboration with Rockefeller Center. Her first book was optioned by Netflix in 2022 for a series that will be produced by Chernin Entertainment starring Kiernan Shipka as the lead.

Lydia is represented by CAA and travels internationally to speak to companies about unlocking their sales potential, empowering people in the workplace and the art of public speaking. You can follow her auctions, antics, and anecdotes on Instagram @LydiaFenet.

Jane Lauder

Executive Vice President Enterprise Marketing and Chief Data Officer

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

As Chief Data Officer and Executive Vice President, Enterprise Marketing, board member, shareholder and family member, Jane Lauder holds a unique role in the 75-year plus prestige beauty company founded by her grandmother, Estée Lauder.

In her role as Chief Data Officer, Jane has accelerated ELC’s enterprise-wide innovation strategy, including deployment of AI and ground-breaking technology tools to advance the way the company gathers and applies consumer insights, trends and high-touch experiences. She leads ELC’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force and has been instrumental in defining and deploying the company’s global AI strategies in support of enterprise operations and consumer outreach. Jane leverages her deep understanding of data and consumer marketing using a “math and magic” approach to drive ELC’s marketing, media, digital and data.

Prior to her 2020 appointment to the dual ELC enterprise roles, Jane had extensive brand experience with the company, serving as Global Brand President for Clinique, where she tripled the beauty giant’s online business and launched the brand’s breakthrough digital skin diagnostic tool, Clinique Clinical Reality, which uses 50 years of proprietary clinical data and dermatologist expertise. As Brand President for the Origins, Ojon, and Darphin brands, Jane helped reposition the Origins brand to focus on nature powered by science and launched two of the brand’s bestselling products, Plantscription and Ginzing.

A passionate advocate of talent, Jane leads ELC’s gender equity strategy and serves as the executive chair of the company’s global women in leadership efforts. Her commitment to support women in STEM extends beyond ELC with an endowed Data Science professorship at Stanford University, her alma mater, focused on educating next gen leaders’ development of analytical and quantitative insights for tackling data driven problems in science, industry, and society.

Jane joined the ELC Board of Directors in 2009. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the New York Public Library, the Board of Directors of the Friends of the High Line in New York City, and the Board of Directors of Silicon Valley-based Eventbrite. Jane is a member of the Council of the School of Humanities and Sciences, a strategic advisory group to the Dean of Humanities and Science at Stanford University, which includes strategic input into the University’s AI policies and processes.

Jane earned a B.A. in History from Stanford University and currently resides in New York City.

Cathy Engelbert

Commissioner

WNBA

After being elected the first woman CEO in the history of a Big Four professional services firm, finishing 33 years at Deloitte leading over 100,000 employees, Cathy Engelbert was named the first-ever Commissioner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and is charged with bolstering visibility for the sport of women’s basketball and leading the business through transformation.

Cathy began her tenure executing a historic player-first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2020 which tripled the pay of top players and provided an array of progressive benefits. She has built and socialized a new economic framework to drive league growth and stakeholder success. Cathy led the longest tenured women’s professional sports league in the U.S. through its 25th anniversary season and through the COVID-19 pandemic over her first two seasons at the helm. Cathy then raised $75M capital from outside investors to fund league transformation projects and establish the WNBA as a premier sports and media property.

Cathy is a member of the Board of Directors of McDonald’s Corporation, Royalty Pharma, and the USGA Executive Committee. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the Partnership for New York City and is member of the Business Council, Council on the Foreign Relations, and Catalyst, a global non-profit organization that promotes inclusive workplaces for women.

She has been listed as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women for four consecutive years and is one of Fast Company magazine’s Most Productive People. In 2021, Engelbert was listed on the Forbes’ ‘50 Over 50’ list and Adweek’s ’40 Women to Watch’. Cathy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Economics (Accounting) from Lehigh University. She has two children—earning her the recognition as one of Working Mother magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Moms for three years.

Jennifer Hyman

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founderr

Rent the Runway

Jennifer Hyman is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rent the Runway, a company that is disrupting the trillion-dollar fashion industry and changing the way women get dressed through the Closet in the Cloud, the world’s first and largest shared designer closet. In her role, Jennifer sets the strategic priorities and leads the company in growing all areas of the business, including marketing, technology, merchandising, supply chain and data science. She co-founded Rent the Runway in 2009 and its mission has been the same ever since: to power women to feel their best every day. The brand offers women the ability to subscribe, rent items a-la-carte and shop resale from hundreds of designer partners, driven by a two-sided discovery engine that connects deeply engaged customers and differentiated brand partners on a powerful platform built around its brand, data, logistics and technology. Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors of The Estée Lauder Companies and Zalando, and also is a Founding Member of the NYSE Board Advisory Council, a Member of the Women.nyc Advisory Board and a Member of the Launch with GS Advisory Council for Goldman Sachs. She received her BA from Harvard University cum laude and MBA from Harvard Business School and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters Aurora and Selene.

Shana Randhava

Senior Vice President

New Incubation Ventures

In her position as the head of New Incubation Ventures (NIV), Shana Randhava is responsible for building The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) early-stage investment and incubation strategy. This new team is building a distinctive capability for ELC to invest and experiment at scale and create an actionable pipeline of next generation brands for the ELC portfolio. Prior to creating NIV, Shana led the New Business Development team and was responsible for shaping and executing the ELC’s M&A strategy including DECIEM, Dr. Jart+, Forest Essentials, KILIAN PARIS and Too Faced.

Rashida Jones

President

MSNBC

Rashida Jones is President of MSNBC, the premier destination for breaking news, award-winning journalism, in-depth analysis and perspectives. She is responsible for oversight of all programming, editorial units, business development and technical operations.

Prior to taking on the role of President in 2021, Jones served as Senior Vice President, NBC News and MSNBC. Jones also led MSNBC’s dayside and weekend news programming, managing hours of live reporting and newsgathering. Jones executive produced the most-watched Democratic presidential debate in history during the 2020 election cycle.

Jones has won two Emmys, three Edward R. Murrow Awards and was honored with the RTDNA 2022 First Amendment Award. She has been honored with leadership awards from the National Action Network, the National Urban League, ColorComm and the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.

In 2019, Jones was inducted into the Hampton University Scripps Howard Journalism School Hall of Fame. She also received the inaugural Media Leadership Award from Montclair State University for the significant national impact she has made in the media industry across platforms and genres.

Jones received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Media-Arts Broadcast from Hampton University, where she has launched a scholarship in her name.

Melissa Smith

Managing Director & Co-Head of Innovation Economy and Head of Specialized Industries Commercial Banking

JP Morgan

Melissa Smith is the Co-Head of Innovation Economy and Head of Specialized Industries for JPMorgan’s Middle Market Banking & Specialized Industries (MMBSI) business. She leads a team of national managers responsible for industry verticals including Technology and Disruptive Commerce, Life Sciences, Startup Banking, Venture Capital coverage, Climate Tech, Healthcare Tech, Agribusiness, Apparel, Beverage, Franchise, Media & Entertainment, and MNC. The industry teams provide traditional banking services and investment banking solutions to mid-cap sized companies across the country. Melissa is also responsible for the Government, Healthcare, Higher Ed, and Not-for-Profit businesses within MMBSI and sits on the Operating Committee for the Commercial Bank.

Melissa joined the firm in 1998 in Public Finance and spent much of her career in the Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), including as the Head of EMEA Investment Grade Finance in London. Prior to her London move, she spent 14 years in the Debt Capital Markets group in New York as the Head of the Consumer, Retail, Healthcare and Chemicals team.

Melissa received a BA in Political Science from American University and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. Since 2009, she has served on the Board of Trustees of American Ballet Theatre. She is currently a Fellow of the 2019 class of the Finance Leaders Fellowship at the Aspen Institute.

Diane von Furstenberg

Founder & Chairwoman

DVF

Diane von Furstenberg is a fashion designer, philanthropist, author, and Founder and Chairwoman of the company that bears her name. In 1974, she created the iconic wrap dress, which became a symbol of power and independence for women and grew into a global brand. She has continued her legacy as a supporter and empowerer of emerging female leaders through her philanthropy. In 2010, with the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, Diane established the DVF Awards to honor and provide grants to women who have displayed leadership, strength, and courage in their commitment to their causes. In 2005, the CFDA awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award and she went on to chair the council from 2006 to 2019. In 2015, she was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, and in September of 2019, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for her leadership and achievements which have changed the course of history. In 2020, France awarded her the Chevalier de la Légion D’Honneur and in 2021, she received the Commandeur de l'Ordre de la Couronne from her native Belgium. Her most recent recognition was in March of 2022 when she received the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award for her remarkable leadership and dedication to women. She currently serves on the boards of Vital Voices, and the CFDA and has written several books, including Diane: A Signature Life, The Woman I Wanted to Be, which was translated into 8 languages, and Own It: The Secret to Life. Most recently she was the subject of "Woman Before Fashion," a book that mirrors the 2023 exhibition dedicated to her life and career by the Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels, Belgium.

Ali Krieger

2x World Cup Champion, NWSL Champion, Olympian & Mother

Ali Krieger's career in professional soccer is distinguished by her remarkable achievements and leadership on and off the field. During her collegiate years at Penn State University, she set a precedent with her versatility, earning All-American honors in two distinct positions, a testament to her exceptional skill and adaptability. Her professional career spanned several top-tier clubs, including a significant stint at 1. FFC Frankfurt, where her contributions were crucial in securing the UEFA Women's Champions League, marking her as a key player on the international stage.

On the international front, Krieger's defensive prowess was instrumental in the United States Women's National Team's successes, notably participating in three FIFA Women's World Cups and securing the championship in 2015 and 2019. The 2015 victory was underscored by a defense that set a record for holding opponents scoreless for 540 minutes, showcasing Krieger's defensive mastery. Her resilience in overcoming a severe knee injury to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics further exemplifies her dedication and commitment to soccer at the highest levels.

Culminating her illustrious career, Krieger achieved a significant milestone by captaining Gotham FC to their first-ever NWSL Championship in 2023 before announcing her retirement. This victory not only highlighted her leadership qualities but also served as a fitting climax to a career filled with perseverance, skill, and significant contributions to women's soccer.

Kathryn Van Nuys

Head of Startup Business Development, North America

AWS

Kathryn is the Head of North America Startup Business Development at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Her team works with leading investors and founders to help the world’s most innovative companies build, scale, and disrupt. Kathryn spent the earlier part of her career in financial services starting in debt capital markets then sales and trading at Citigroup and Lehman Brothers. She later moved into early-stage startups where she built and led capital markets and partnership teams. Kathryn holds a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University and is a proud mother to two daughters.

Caroline Hyde

Anchor Bloomberg TV

Caroline Hyde hosts Bloomberg Television’s flagship daily technology show from New York. She has also served as anchor of "The Close" and the network’s chief European correspondent. Notable interviews include Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Sheryl Sandberg, Kris Jenner and Pharrell Williams.

Hyde joined Bloomberg in 2008 to cover the European debt markets for Bloomberg News as a corporate finance reporter, focusing on company loans and bonds as well as sovereign debt. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Hyde worked in public relations for London’s Moorgate Group. She holds an MA (Oxon) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

Chloé Hilliard

Comedian

Chloé Hilliard is a former journalist turned stand-up comedian and writer. She is a Co-EP/co-head writer on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show. She has a scripted half-hour pilot in development with Wanda Sykes’ Push It Productions. Chloé also wrote for late night and sketch series such as Peacock’s Wilmore, VH1 Live, Charlamagne & Friends, Wanda Syke’s sketch pilot, Nasty Women, Scared Famous, and several live news programs for BET News.