HONOREE SHOWCASE

The Ambitious

  • Allyiah Gainer Allyiah Gainer Content Creator and Entrepreneur, Allyiah's Face Her Dossier fragrance collaboration brought in $1.1 million in one day, and she is now helping build the beverage brand Sensori as a founding creator. Learn More >
  • Arielle Russo Arielle Russo Co-founder & Chief Community Officer, Qru Media Ventures She left an established leadership role to co-found Qru and challenge how the conference industry brings people together. Learn More >
  • Cassandra Chase Cassandra Chase Mayor (2025-2026) City of Lakewood, California She carried her work in youth literacy into public office, expanding her influence from classrooms to city leadership. Learn More >
  • Imani Laners Imani Laners Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Shinko Media, LLC She is building on two decades in media to create ventures that turn professional connections into economic opportunity. Learn More >
  • Jayde I. Powell Jayde I. Powell Founder & Head of Creative, The Em Dash Co She built an agency around her distinctive voice and creates opportunities for Black, brown and queer creatives. Learn More >
  • Jordan Chiles Jordan Chiles Two-time Olympian and Olympic gold medalist She is extending her Olympic success into bestselling authorship and advocacy for athletes’ mental health. Learn More >
  • Mariam Nusrat Mariam Nusrat Founder & CEO, Breshna.io he left a nearly 15-year World Bank career to build a platform that lets anyone create video games without coding. Learn More >
  • Nakaiya Turk Nakaiya Turk Product Marketing Manager, Voices Lead, LinkedIn he is advancing in product marketing while building a platform where women can speak candidly about their careers. Learn More >
  • Rebecca Aliab Deng Rebecca Aliab Deng VP, Business Operations, Cognitiv and US Lead, The Women in Programmatic Network She leads AI transformation for scaling organizations and champions pay, power, and parity for women as an angel investor, and a 92NY Women in Power Fellow. Learn More >
  • Tashana Ventura Tashana Ventura Vice President of Marketing, 300 Entertainment She rose from video promotion to vice president of marketing, helping emerging artists build audiences at 300 Entertainment. Learn More >

Her Agenda cordially invites you to the inaugural Groundbreakers Awards Gala.

December 1, 2026 · New York City
Black Tie · Venue to Be Announced

RSVP Here

The Agenda Setters

  • Alexys K. Feaster Alexys K. Feaster Founder, The Kinship Advisors/Partner, Visibility Media She helps athletes turn their influence into social impact and brings their stories to film and television. Learn More >
  • Aliah Davis-McHenry Aliah Davis-McHenry Global Head, Corporate Marketing, Novartis She shapes how Novartis communicates worldwide and examines how technology and culture influence trust in institutions. Learn More >
  • Daneyni Sanguinetti-Ureña Daneyni Sanguinetti-Ureña Head of Culture & Inclusive Marketing, Pernod Ricard USA She makes cultural understanding central to brand growth at Pernod Ricard USA and helps define excellence in multicultural marketing. Learn More >
  • Danielle Spikener Danielle Spikener Head of IMPACT, Kraft Heinz She built Kraft Heinz’s inclusive marketing framework and an AI-powered tool that helps brands understand culture. Learn More >
  • Jasmine Crowe-Houston Jasmine Crowe-Houston CEO, GOODR She built Goodr to show companies how surplus food can become a resource for communities facing hunger. Learn More >
  • Dr. Nikkia McClain Dr. Nikkia McClain Founder and CEO, Tene Nicole Creative Agency She helps entrepreneurs earn visibility and created Support Your Girlfriends and the Pow(H)er Experience to amplify women’s leadership. Learn More >
  • Shenan Reed Headshot Shenan Reed Global Chief Media Officer, General Motors She is reshaping GM’s global media strategy through MediaOne and influencing industry standards as the first brand leader to chair the IAB. Learn More >
  • Soledad O'Brien Soledad O'Brien Journalist and CEO of Soledad O'Brien Productions She uses journalism and documentary filmmaking to bring overlooked stories into the national conversation. Learn More >
  • Susan Spector McPherson Susan Spector McPherson Founder, CEO and Author, McPherson Strategies She helps organizations turn social commitments into action and teaches leaders how meaningful connections advance their work. Learn More >
  • Symone Sanders Townsend EXT Symone Sanders Townsend Co-anchor, The Weeknight, MS NOW She has shaped political messaging inside the White House and now helps drive the national conversation as a primetime co-anchor. Learn More >

The Advocates

  • Arva Rice Arva Rice President & CEO, New York Urban League She expands access to entrepreneurship, employment and leadership opportunities through the New York Urban League. Learn More >
  • BRANDICE DANIEL Brandice Daniel Founder and CEO, Harlem's Fashion Row and ICON360 She connects designers of color with funding, major brands and opportunities the fashion industry has too often denied them.
  • Deanna Hamilton Deanna Hamilton Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) She mobilizes billions in community investment to support affordable housing, small businesses and lasting wealth.
  • Dr. Dena N. Simmons Dr. Dena N. Simmons Founder and Executive Director, LiberatED She brings healing and racial justice into education so students and teachers have the support they need to thrive.
  • Gesche Haas Gesche Haas Founder, Dreamers & Doers She built a community where women entrepreneurs champion one another’s work and share access to visibility and opportunity.
  • Karen Boykin-Towns Karen Boykin-Towns Vice Chair, NAACP National Board of Directors She advances civil rights and women’s health equity while opening doors for future leaders through the NAACP.
  • Kelley Cornish Kelley Cornish President & CEO, T.D. Jakes Foundation She connects underserved communities with workforce training and opportunities to achieve economic mobility.
  • Nancy Brown Nancy Brown CEO, American Heart Association She brings science, public policy and community partnerships together to expand access to cardiovascular care.
  • Tatyana Ali Tatyana Ali Actor, producer and entrepreneur She advocates for Black maternal health and directs support to Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas through Baby Yams.
  • Ms. Tina Knowles Ms. Tina Knowles Businesswoman and Author, Cecred, Parkwood, BeyGOOD, WACO Theater She uses her influence to expand young people’s access to arts, mentorship and opportunities through WACO and her philanthropic work.

The Architects

  • Clara Wu Tsai Clara Wu Tsai Vice Chair, Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment; Owner of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty She builds institutions that connect sports, scientific research and investment in communities’ economic futures.
  • Crystal Foote Crystal Foote Founder & CEO, Digital Culture Group She built an AI-powered advertising platform that challenges demographic assumptions and changes how brands understand audiences.
  • Janice Bryant Howroyd Janice Bryant Howroyd Founder & CEO, ActOne Group She built ActOne Group into a global workforce business and became the first Black woman to build and own a billion-dollar company.
  • Jerri DeVard Jerri DeVard Founder & CEO, BECA She founded BECA to connect Black executives and develop pathways for the next generation of C-suite leaders.
  • Monique L. Nelson Monique L. Nelson Executive Chair, UniWorld Group, Inc. She expanded UWG into a global platform for cultural intelligence and co-founded BLACKWEEK to connect culture, creativity and commerce.
  • Nathifa Forde Nathifa Forde Executive Director, NYC Her Future She is building NYC Her Future to give young women a voice in shaping the city’s opportunities and resources.
  • Sheila D. Collins Sheila D. Collins VC Fund Partner, Portfolia She invests in early-stage companies while helping more women and underserved communities become investors and founders.
  • Teri Williams Teri Williams President & COO, OneUnited Bank She helped unite four local banks into OneUnited Bank’s national platform for affordable financial services and financial education.
  • Tina Perry Tina Perry President of OWN, OWN She is expanding OWN’s programming and digital reach, building a television institution that centers Black audiences and women’s stories.
  • Valerie Jarrett Valerie Jarrett Chief Executive Officer, The Obama Foundation She leads the Obama Foundation’s development of the Obama Presidential Center and programs that prepare future generations to lead.

The Achievers

  • DEBRA LEE Debra Lee Chairman Emeritus BET Networks She rose from general counsel to chairman and CEO of BET, shaping the network’s programming and influence over three decades.
  • Diane von Furstenberg EXT Diane von Furstenberg Founder, DVF & Philanthropist She turned the wrap dress into a global fashion business and led the CFDA for 13 years.
  • atriece Watkins Latriece Watkins President and CEO Sam's Club (Walmart) She built expertise across nearly every part of Walmart’s business before becoming president and CEO of Sam’s Club.
  • Melinda French Gates Melinda French Gates Founder, Pivotal She helped lead the world’s largest philanthropy and now directs Pivotal’s work to advance women and young people.
  • Miko Branch Miko Branch CEO and Co-Founder, Miss Jessie's She is a pioneer who co-founded Miss Jessie’s and helped bring products designed for curly and textured hair into mainstream retail.
  • Monique Rodriguez Monique Rodriguez CEO and Founder, Mielle Organics he grew Mielle into a global beauty brand, securing major investment and a landmark partnership with P&G Beauty.
  • Racquel Oden Racquel Oden US Head of Wealth, Premier and Global Private Banking HSBC She built a career across leading financial institutions and now oversees HSBC’s U.S. wealth, private banking and retail businesses.
  • Ruth Ann Harnisch Ruth Ann Harnisch Founder and President, The Harnisch Foundation She is an investor, activist, philanthropist, writer, and coach, who, after a long career in television journalism, radio talk shows, and newspaper columns, is now supporting the journalism, storytelling, and leadership of others.
  • Salah Goss Salah Goss Chief Program Officer, Skoll Foundation She led financial inclusion initiatives at Mastercard and now oversees grants, investments and the World Forum at the Skoll Foundation.
  • Stacey Abrams Stacey Abrams Founder, Fair Fight Action She broke barriers in political leadership and helped reshape Georgia’s electorate through voter registration and voting rights advocacy.

BY THE NUMBERS

45 Million Lives Impacted
Combined
Companies Valued $9.4 Billion
36 Industries
Transformed

EDITORIAL FEATURES

  • Why We Created The Groundbreakers

    Why We Created The Groundbreakers

    I built Her Agenda by asking ambitious women how they did it. I started Her Agenda in 2008, when I was 19, because I could not find a media platform that met my ambition where it was. Our series, A Peek Inside Her Agenda, takes readers inside the agendas of women at the top of

    Read More >
  • Meet The Ambitious: 10 Groundbreakers Who Keep Climbing

    Meet The Ambitious: 10 Groundbreakers Who Keep Climbing

    The Ambitious honors women who keep climbing. They take risks and launch new initiatives, and they are willing to reinvent themselves when the work calls for it. We built this category around momentum instead of age or title. Some of these women are early in their careers, and others are seasoned leaders starting a new

    Read More >

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