SETTING THE STANDARD: CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
20th Annual National Business Leaders & Recognition Conference
Day 3 | Wednesday, August 19, 2026
CHAMPION SPONSOR
UPMC
Day 3 brings leaders together for candid conversations on culture, resilience, trust, people-centered leadership, and industry-focused solutions, followed by the Top 100 Elite Trailblazers Award Reception.
Opening Program
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 8:40 AM | Welcome & Introduction | Andres Gonzalez
Board Chair
Vice President, Belonging & Community Engagement
Froedtert Thedacare Pam McElvane Promena |
| 8:45 AM – 8:55 AM | Thought Leader Connector | Mitchell Levy, PhD Author, Executive Abundance |
Inclusion Town Hall
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Inclusion Town Hall The Architects of Culture Transformation |
Moderator:
Bradley Wagner, Chief Inclusion Officer, Principal Financial Group Panelists: Dalia Ballesteros-Torres, Executive Manager, Workplace & Employee Experience, GE Aerospace Peggy Harris, Area Vice President, Advocate Health Tina Ragland, PhD, Chief Administrative Officer, Save the Children |
| 10:20 AM – 10:30 AM | Stretch & Snack Break and Panel Transition | |
Leadership Conversation
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 10:35 AM – 11:55 AM | Leaders Leading Leaders: Vision, Resilience & Adaptation | Moderator:
Pam McElvane, CEO, Promena
Board Chair: Andres Gonzalez, Vice President, Belonging & Community Engagement, Froedtert Thedacare Past Chair: Reggie Miller, Chief Culture and Inclusion Officer, GE Vernova Former Chair: James Taylor, PhD, Senior Vice President, Chief Culture, Community and Talent Management Officer, UPMC |
Networking Lunch & Keynote
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM | Interactive Networking Lunch Break | |
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Building Trust & People-Centered Leadership Leadership Keynote | Introduction:
David Bubas, UPMC Moderator: Andrea Davis, PhD, Chief Insights Officer, Promena Keynote Speaker: Keith Wyche Bestselling Author and Fortune 500 Board Director Author, Uncommon Leadership |
| 2:05 PM – 2:15 PM | Stretch & Snack Break and Transition to Industry Solutions Roundtables | |
Industry Business Solutions Roundtables
Concurrent, solution-focused conversations addressing the opportunities, challenges, and leadership standards shaping major industries.
| Time | Industry Roundtable | Facilitator |
|---|---|---|
| 2:25 PM – 3:25 PM | Healthcare | Gerard Camacho, Former Chief Belonging Officer, Novant Health |
| Financial Services | Sheena Gray, CEO, Association of African American Financial Advisors | |
| Consumer Packaged Goods & Services | Sharmila Fowler, Executive Director, Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) | |
| Technology | Karen Gordon, CEO, Simpli5 | |
| Energy | To Be Announced | |
| Community Empowerment | Rev. Michael Atty, Executive Director, Gamaliel Network | |
| Education | CF Younger, Save the Children | |
| Pharma | Heather Ashby, Zimmer Biomet | |
| Retail | James Cheng, Cheng Advisors Consulting | |
| Transportation | Jil Littlejohn Bostick, Chief Sustainability Officer, Winnebago Industries | |
| Inclusion Consulting | Celeste Warren, Author | |
| Media | David Beckford, Dynasty Media | |
| Wealth Management | Jean Lam MacInnes, Mizuho Americas |
Industry Think & Share
| Time | Session | Facilitator(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Group Think & Share: Hot Key Industry Themes | Mitchell Levy, PhD
Author
Andrea Davis, PhD Chief Insights Officer, Promena |
Top 100 Elite Trailblazers Award Reception
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | Reception Lobby Opens |
| 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Top 100 Elite Trailblazers Award Reception
Honoree reception, dinner, and awards program |
| 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Music & Networking |
20th Annual National Business Leaders & Recognition Conference Day 3 | Wednesday, August 19, 2026