Power Agenda Executives

Community, passion, and leadership are words to describe the President and CEO of the New York Urban League, Avra Rice.

Debra Lee spent 32 years at BET (and 13 years as CEO), and she retired in 2018. Currently, Debra serves as a Board Member for AT&T, Burberry, Marriott, and Procter & Gamble. Her legacy and impact are undeniable.

Nanette Medved-Po's company, PCX has diverted more than seven million pounds of plastic waste from nature, invested over $2.7 million into the plastic circular economy, and has driven 54,000 tons of carbon reduction from coal replacement.

Janice Bryant Howroyd is the first Black woman to own a billion-dollar company. The North Carolina native left her hometown in 1976 with $900 and two years later, with hardly any work experience under her belt, founded ActOne which started … Read More

Jenay Alejandro Communications Director, Hennessy shares the inside scoop on how to effectively monetize your worth, her secret to successful mentorship and how she leveraged her experiences to tell the story of a global brand.

Alexis McGill Johnson is the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood whose work is dedicated to defending freedom.

From developing PR strategies to leading urban music at Columbia Records, and now spearheading music industry partnerships at Amazon Music, Phylicia Fant’s upward mobility is the result of pure sweat. Despite her place on the executive ladder, Phylicia refused to sacrifice one thing - ownership.

Toni L. Bullock is the Director of Development at Vox Media Studios and the founder of a networking group called Callsheets 2 Cocktails.

As the president of America’s largest Black bank, OneUnited Bank, Teri Williams shares a passion for the almighty Black dollar; creating wealth and educating others on doing the same.

As the reigning Chief Operating Officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Christine is hyper-aware of her influential, often praise-garnering role in Hollywood. Her road to success, however, was not always paved in gold.

As the Co-CEO of New Profit Montgomery is on a mission to support leaders on the frontline directly impacting Black and Brown communities.

As the Executive Director of the Clara Lionel Foundation, founded by superstar and mogul Rihanna, Justine Lucas is actively challenging global inequality on a daily basis.

Le An Hinh talks about her transition to becoming a sports executive along with the life lessons she’s learned along the way.

Featured in Essence Magazine, O Magazine, and CNN, Aliah was named one of The Top 100 PR Influencers to Follow in 2021. Her Agenda recently met with Aliah to talk about digital trends, wellness, and entrepreneurship versus intrapreneurship.

Jennifer Barrett is on a mission to help women break cultural barriers and go after a world of financial freedom. As an author, executive, and financial expert, Barrett invites women into her journey of what it means to take financial responsibility to create the lives they want. In her book, Think Like a Breadwinner: A Wealth-Building Manifesto for Women Who Want to Earn More (and Worry Less), she reframes what it means to be a breadwinner and the importance of women building their own wealth.

Nicole Gibbons, the founder & CEO of paint start-up, Clare, has been making waves in the design industry since she started her decor blog in 2008. While working what many would call a dream job after a decade-long career in … Read More

Dr. Thomishia Booker noticed the lack of Black boys represented in children’s books and took matters into her own hands. She launched Hey Carter! Books in October 2016, while pregnant with a baby boy, and published her first book, “My … Read More

From her role as Head of Global Communications at Cantu Beauty to establishing her own platform that merges sneaker culture with sisterhood, Melissa Carnegie is a true trailblazer. Throughout her career, she has managed seven-figure budgets and hired teams from … Read More

A moment of despair turned to determination for Destiny’s Child’s former employee, Danika Berry. The 46-year-old turned the pain from her recent divorce into purpose in hopes of helping women feel beautiful inside and out. With her beauty company, Glam … Read More

Benish Shah grows companies, and that’s not even the half of it. She is also a marketer, lawyer, and writer. With more than ten years of experience in taking companies and products to market, Shah has held a number of … Read More

Maeva Heim always had a passion for beauty, after all, it is practically woven into her DNA. Long before her existence, Maeva’s grandmother was a soap maker in an Ivory Coast village, and her mother owned the first hair braiding … Read More

Thirty-five years ago, Kelly Edwards tried to get her foot in the door of Hollywood’s billion-dollar industry in the ways she knew how: utilizing hard work and talent.  But as rejection after rejection started to roll in, Kelly realized that … Read More

Eliza Blank may have founded a multimillion-dollar business aimed at making houseplants more accessible to those not predisposed with a green thumb—but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t killed a few herself. When she founded The Sill in 2012, Blank’s mission … Read More

Daisy Auger-Dominguez is a disruptor. Raised by her grandparents in the Dominican Republic, Daisy grew up questioning sameness and difference. When Daisy moved to New York City as a junior in high school and labels like ‘Hispanic’ and ‘poor’ were … Read More

Brandice Daniel is not your typical fashion executive. Firstly, she is not from the Big Apple and secondly, she did not have a network to tap when she left her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Furthermore, her fashion capital is Harlem, … Read More

Sevetri Wilson is a serial entrepreneur, founder, author, speaker, change agent, and wealth creator dedicated to helping others tap into their potential and achieve their highest goals. Some people you hear about and know they are true community builders identifying … Read More

When Imani Ellis noticed the absence of safe spaces for creatives of color, she took matters into her own hands. Four years after launching the Creative Collective NYC in her one-bedroom apartment, Imani’s efforts grew into one of the fastest-growing … Read More

In her current role of Head of Global Commerce at Verizon Media Group, Andrea Wasserman is working with her team to build a new set of commerce businesses for Verizon. Whether that’s launching media and commerce verticals to help Generation … Read More

After nearly ten years at the Webby Awards, Claire Graves understands the value in recognizing others for what they have done, not who we want them to be. As an extraordinary industry leader, Graves has a warmth that can be … Read More

Bank of America's AJ Barkley is tasked with identifying opportunities for low- to moderate-income, underserved, multicultural and first-time borrowers to become successful homeowners.

Dreams do come true. That’s the message behind Elisa Padilla’s career journey. The daughter of two blue collar working parents, growing up in Newark, New Jersey Padilla fell in love with the sport of basketball as a little girl, and … Read More