2026 Speakers

Allie Vanata Gill

Allie Vanata Gill is a jewelry entrepreneur and the creative visionary behind ALV Jewels. Founded in 2015, Allie blends craftsmanship and storytelling to bring fun designs to life as wearable art. She is passionate about empowering others to use their creativity and bringing her community together, always inspiring others to turn their dreams into reality.

Amelia Mei

Amelia Mei is a wellness entrepreneur, content creator, and the founder of CHI Heated Mat Pilates and creator of Always, a platform centered around breathwork, meditation, and self-love. With a rapidly growing social media presence, she shares movement, mindfulness, and personal growth with a highly engaged community. Amelia is a Forbes Under 30 honoree and a member of the Ulta Beauty Collective, recognized for her impact in the wellness and lifestyle space. She is also an Amazon-published author, having released her 365 Daily Self-Love Journal, which was named a Top 50 Best Seller in the Self-Care category in 2024. In 2025, Amelia opened Columbus' first dedicated heated mat Pilates studio, CHI, creating a space designed to bring movement, connection, and community together.

Amy Nelson

Amy Nelson is a battle-tested entrepreneur, strategist, and attorney who helps people navigate their highest-stakes moments — the career pivots, unexpected crises, and big launches that define everything. A former corporate litigator who spent a decade working for elite law firms and Fortune 500 companies, Amy pivoted in 2017 to found The Riveter while pregnant with her third daughter. She raised $30 million in venture capital as a first-time founder and scaled the company from idea to 150 employees and 10 physical locations across six states. When the pandemic hit, Amy pivoted once again and rebuilt The Riveter into a digital career and media platform serving Millennial and Gen X women. A renowned storyteller and former Forbes columnist, Amy's work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Seattle Times, and beyond. She's built a community of over 500,000 followers who tune in …

Amy Nelson is a battle-tested entrepreneur, strategist, and attorney who helps people navigate their highest-stakes moments — the career pivots, unexpected crises, and big launches that define everything. A former corporate litigator who spent a decade working for elite law firms and Fortune 500 companies, Amy pivoted in 2017 to found The Riveter while pregnant with her third daughter. She raised $30 million in venture capital as a first-time founder and scaled the company from idea to 150 employees and 10 physical locations across six states. When the pandemic hit, Amy pivoted once again and rebuilt The Riveter into a digital career and media platform serving Millennial and Gen X women. A renowned storyteller and former Forbes columnist, Amy's work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Seattle Times, and beyond. She's built a community of over 500,000 followers who tune in daily as she shares her own life — including her own "canon event," a multi-year legal battle that transformed her into an advocate working on justice issues across the country. Today, Amy architects strategies, crafts narratives, and executes to win for clients facing their own inflection points. A graduate of Emory University and NYU School of Law, she's also the mother of four daughters, an avid lifter, a world traveler (65 countries and counting), and a fierce advocate for anyone brave enough to stand in the arena.

Caitlin Menosky

Caitlin is a standup and sketch comedian based in Columbus, OH. Equally theatrical and sincere, Caitlin has a penchant for dark wordplay and sharing TMI tales of her life growing up in a religious family in rural Appalachia. She has performed with Don't Tell Comedy as well as at The Stand NYC and Second City Chicago. Caitlin has opened for Amber Autry, Natalie Cuomo, Bo Johnson, Jasmine Ellis and multiple games of Keno playing on the TV at her local dive bar. She'll tell anyone who will listen (and plenty who won't) about which regional sodas are worth the gas money to acquire.

Claire Edwards

Claire Edwards is a Morning Routine Coach, Writer, and Speaker who helps 9-5ers unlock work/life balance with a powerful morning routine. She has helped 900+ people through her coaching, workshops, and workbooks, and built a community of 3,800+ people across different platforms. She has hosted her signature Morning Routine Workshop at companies like Sherwin Williams, JM Smucker, Marzetti, and more.

Dr. Callie McAdams

Callie McAdams, MD, is a breast surgical oncologist practicing within the Mount Carmel Health System. She completed her fellowship training in breast surgery at the University of Chicago and the Endeavor Health System. Dr. McAdams enjoys caring for women at every stage of life and is committed to providing compassionate, individualized care. She values education and enjoys empowering her patients and community to better understand their health.

Isana Sebastian

Isana Sebastian is an entrepreneur and Columbus native whose work focuses on women's empowerment through creativity and collaboration. She is passionate about creating spaces where women can connect, create, and lead together.

Katie Virtue

From Division 1 ice hockey player to corporate climber to world runner and now a recovering perfectionist focused on a purpose-driven identity, Katie coaches leaders to escape the 100% trap to beat burnout, elevate their performance and show up to make a sustainable impact. She does this through professional speaking, training and coaching using her signature Sustainable Performance Playbook and Energy Eval — a practical tool that identifies the behaviors that fuel or drain effectiveness. Known for her energetic delivery and rollerblading in on stage, she equips audiences with practical tools they can use immediately to reclaim focus, spark creativity, and lead with greater impact in demanding environments.

Lacey Picazo

Lacey Picazo is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio focused on driving real-world adoption in complex care environments. She helps organizations move beyond feature-driven thinking to design technology solutions grounded in human behavior, workflow realities, and the change required to make products stick.

Maureen O'Brien

With a distinguished background in arts leadership and a deep-rooted passion for community engagement, Maureen O'Brien joined the Columbus Symphony as CEO in July 2025. In her role, O'Brien oversees all dimensions of CSO's operations and is spearheading an ambitious campaign to build a new home for the orchestra. Previously, she held various roles at New World Symphony in Miami, most recently as Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement where she led a comprehensive $150 million campaign. Prior to that, O'Brien was part of the founding team of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix and has also held positions in New York City at Midori & Friends and Orchestra of St. Luke's. A passionate musician herself, O'Brien's roots in music — from learning piano from her mother to playing the flute and singing in choirs — shape her leadership style. She holds a double major in Music a…

With a distinguished background in arts leadership and a deep-rooted passion for community engagement, Maureen O'Brien joined the Columbus Symphony as CEO in July 2025. In her role, O'Brien oversees all dimensions of CSO's operations and is spearheading an ambitious campaign to build a new home for the orchestra. Previously, she held various roles at New World Symphony in Miami, most recently as Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement where she led a comprehensive $150 million campaign. Prior to that, O'Brien was part of the founding team of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix and has also held positions in New York City at Midori & Friends and Orchestra of St. Luke's. A passionate musician herself, O'Brien's roots in music — from learning piano from her mother to playing the flute and singing in choirs — shape her leadership style. She holds a double major in Music and French, is an avid learner of Spanish, and enjoys dancing Argentine tango. Recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as a member of the 2015 "40 Under 40" class, she is also a graduate of Valley Leadership Class 33.

Meg Pando

Megan Pando is the founder of Makers Social, a creative experiential craft-bar that blends hands-on making with socializing. Ever since she studied fine arts and entrepreneurship at the University of Cincinnati, she's been building businesses by thinking with her hands, embracing messy creativity, and failing forward. After her two brick-and-mortar businesses survived the pandemic, she landed a deal on Shark Tank in 2025 to begin scaling Makers Social. Megan now empowers others to stop asking for permission and start boldly building the business they've been dreaming about.

Michelle Warnky Buurma

Michelle Warnky Buurma is a 12-time Ninja Warrior competitor who has hit 4 season buzzers and won All-Stars with Team Matt. She is a motivational speaker and co-owner of Movement Lab Ohio, a ninja gym in Worthington. Michelle spent five years after college teaching English in Kazakhstan before stepping into the world of Ninja and gym owning. Michelle has been blessed with a husband who is a vegetable farmer and a child who was born three months premature, weighing under 2 lbs. Michelle loves God and people, and aims to live her life serving both with love.

Natalie Siston

Natalie Siston is a globally recognized mindset coach, keynote speaker, and bestselling author who helps women transform the thoughts shaping their leadership, work, and lives. With two decades of experience spanning Fortune 100 leadership, entrepreneurship, and mental fitness, she is known for bridging insight and action — making inner work practical, powerful, and deeply human. Through her concept of Thought Blooms, Natalie explores how the thoughts we nurture quietly become the paths we walk — inviting women to redefine leadership beyond titles, set boundaries that honor real life, and claim their creative voice with confidence. She brings both professional credibility and lived perspective to the stage, shaped not only by her career but by daily leadership lessons from her two teenage daughters who keep her honest, curious, and laughing. Natalie's work reminds audiences that the most…

Natalie Siston is a globally recognized mindset coach, keynote speaker, and bestselling author who helps women transform the thoughts shaping their leadership, work, and lives. With two decades of experience spanning Fortune 100 leadership, entrepreneurship, and mental fitness, she is known for bridging insight and action — making inner work practical, powerful, and deeply human. Through her concept of Thought Blooms, Natalie explores how the thoughts we nurture quietly become the paths we walk — inviting women to redefine leadership beyond titles, set boundaries that honor real life, and claim their creative voice with confidence. She brings both professional credibility and lived perspective to the stage, shaped not only by her career but by daily leadership lessons from her two teenage daughters who keep her honest, curious, and laughing. Natalie's work reminds audiences that the most meaningful bridges we build in the world begin within ourselves.

Pamela Conn

Community Wellness Leader | Director of Volunteer & Corporate Engagement, Healthy New Albany

Pamela Conn is the Director of Volunteer & Corporate Engagement at Healthy New Albany, where she builds corporate partnerships and volunteer opportunities that support community wellness across the pillars of Movement, Nature, Nourish, and Knowledge. A certified functional nutritionist and certified personal trainer, Pamela brings 20 years of experience sharing wellness and well-being with the community. She is the founder of Columbus Fit Life, a corporate wellness expert, and a part-time professor at Otterbein University. Pamela also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for Proyecto Mariposas and as a mentor for the Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy (ELLA). A native of Ecuador and proud mother of two, she is a lifelong student and advocate for justice and equity. She is known for her kindness, collaboration, and results-driven approach, creating welcoming experiences that co…

Pamela Conn is the Director of Volunteer & Corporate Engagement at Healthy New Albany, where she builds corporate partnerships and volunteer opportunities that support community wellness across the pillars of Movement, Nature, Nourish, and Knowledge. A certified functional nutritionist and certified personal trainer, Pamela brings 20 years of experience sharing wellness and well-being with the community. She is the founder of Columbus Fit Life, a corporate wellness expert, and a part-time professor at Otterbein University. Pamela also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for Proyecto Mariposas and as a mentor for the Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy (ELLA). A native of Ecuador and proud mother of two, she is a lifelong student and advocate for justice and equity. She is known for her kindness, collaboration, and results-driven approach, creating welcoming experiences that connect people to meaningful service and measurable impact.

Rehgan Bleile

Rehgan Bleile is a seasoned leader in artificial intelligence with more than a decade of experience helping enterprises design and operationalize AI and machine learning initiatives at scale. As the Co-Founder and CEO of AlignAI, she has worked with highly regulated enterprises to bring structure and clarity to how AI initiatives are evaluated, refined, and approved — enabling teams to accelerate innovation while maintaining strong controls and compliance. As a recognized industry voice, Rehgan has keynoted and spoken at more than 50 conferences, appeared on leading AI and data podcasts, and continues to shape the conversation around enterprise AI governance, operating models, and organizational readiness. Rehgan is also the Founder of Women in Analytics, an industry initiative created to elevate diverse voices in data, analytics, and AI. Over the past decade, she built and led an ecosys…

Rehgan Bleile is a seasoned leader in artificial intelligence with more than a decade of experience helping enterprises design and operationalize AI and machine learning initiatives at scale. As the Co-Founder and CEO of AlignAI, she has worked with highly regulated enterprises to bring structure and clarity to how AI initiatives are evaluated, refined, and approved — enabling teams to accelerate innovation while maintaining strong controls and compliance. As a recognized industry voice, Rehgan has keynoted and spoken at more than 50 conferences, appeared on leading AI and data podcasts, and continues to shape the conversation around enterprise AI governance, operating models, and organizational readiness. Rehgan is also the Founder of Women in Analytics, an industry initiative created to elevate diverse voices in data, analytics, and AI. Over the past decade, she built and led an ecosystem that included the flagship DataConnect Conference, which has showcased more than 400 speakers and become a premier gathering for practitioners and leaders across the industry.