Legacy Ambassador

Lori Hall Armstrong is an attorney, business owner, a civic engagement and community service enthusiast, a master connector and a philanthropist-at-large.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Lori is a graduate of Hampton University (B. S.), Wayne State University School of Law (J. D.), and Loyola Chicago University School of Law (LL.M). In 2011, she founded Verbify, LLC, a strategy activation firm focused on brokering partnerships between corporate, non-profit, and community entities. The contacts that Verbify has cultivated, maintained, and advanced has helped several organizations grow and develop their missions in fundraising, civic engagement, and philanthropy. Clients include The National Hockey League, Black Women Lawyers’ Association in Chicago, several charter schools and non-profits and a current congressional candidate in Florida.

Lori was a public servant to some of New York’s most recognized politicians, including former Governor Eliot Spitzer, New York City Council Member Eva Moskowitz, and New York State Senator & Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. As a political consultant, she worked with Senator Cory Booker on his transition team after his election as Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and with Gary, Indiana Mayor Karen Freeman Wilson. A prolific fundraiser, Lori raised several hundreds of thousands of dollars for political candidates and continues to identify support for various causes and non-profit campaigns. In the last congressional cycle Lori served on the finance committee for Congressman Antonio Delgado in his successful bid to become the representative in upstate New York. Lori is also a Founding Circle Member of Higher Heights for America which raises funds and awareness for black women running for political office at all levels of government. Most notably, she helped to arrange an event where the organization hosted Stacey Abrams during her Georgia gubernatorial run. Lori is most proud of her role as a board member, New York Ambassador and currently Los Angeles Ambassador for the Pinkwellchick Foundation and its annual “Bag-It” initiative. The foundation was established in honor of her late friend, Barbra Watson- Riley, who lost her battle with breast cancer but wanted to ensure that her legacy lived on through supporting other women who were battling the disease in chemo. The “Bag-It” initiative was created as a result and is an annual day of service on which volunteers nationwide assemble bags containing comfortable items suited for women receiving chemotherapy treatments. As a Los Angeles Ambassador, Lori established a partnership with UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center for the distribution of bags. Lori was honored by The Guidance Center of Westchester, a large, multi- service non-profit in New York, for her dedicated service to the community in 2018. She was also honored by the Westchester (NY) Business Council as one of the county’s 40 under 40 leaders. In New York, Lori served on the boards of the New Yorkers for Children, Girls Inc. NY, Partnership for Hugeunot Children’s Library, Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, and New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence. She was also a member of the Grants Advisory Committee for the New York Women’s Foundation, and her participation in and graduation from the Volunteer Center’s Leadership Westchester program was transformative. Lori is very proud of her tenure as an adjunct professor at Monroe College where she specialized and taught Social Media Marketing and mentored countless students in the college’s business department. Additionally, Lori is proud of what she helped create as Co-Founder of the OB Boogie, an annual kid and family fun fest held in Martha’s Vineyard every summer. The OB Boogie was founded by Lori and 3 other mom friends with 200 guests and in 6 years, it grew to the biggest family event on the island with 1,000 guests and premier sponsors such as BMW, Essence and Shea Moisture. It also featured kid entrepreneurs showcasing and selling their items. It has become a most beloved island tradition that was covered in the local newspaper. Lori is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Sigma Lambda Omega Chapter in the San Fernando Valley where she chairs the Sisterly Relations Committee. She is also a member of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of Jack & Jill of America where she is currently the Lead Teen Advisor and was awarded the distinction of Mother of Month for outstanding programming for the kids including a virtual session with Vice President Kamala Harris’ office, a workshop featuring the President of the ACLU and a Teen Town hall featuring ABC’s Mike Muse. Lori also volunteers her time, along with her family, to help the unhoused in Los Angeles by serving meals and supporting drives and initiatives in partnership with A Step to Freedom in South LA.

Since moving to Los Angeles with her husband Michael and sons Caleb and Coleman, Lori immediately joined two boards: 1) the inaugural board for Private School Village, which provides support and community to families of color in Los Angeles private schools, where she served as Co-Chair of its first fundraising gala and 2) the board of Girls Inc of Los Angeles  where she served as the Chair of the Governance Committee and Vice Chair of the board. At her sons’ school, Oakwood School, Lori is a very active parent as a member of the Board of Trustees where she serves as the Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee. Additionally she was appointed to and recently completed a two year term to serve as a Co-Chair of the Parent Organization Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee, a role in which she worked closely with the Head of School and other administers and parents to implement meaningful programs and initiatives to engage the parent body. Lastly, she is also a member of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of The Links, Incorporated where she currently chairs the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Committee

Michael D. Armstrong serves as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Television Licensing and Operations for ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group. In this position he manages relationships with third-party studios and oversees the international sales teams for formats and the CBS Newspath service for the global content licensing team.

Previously, Armstrong served as General Manager of BET Networks. In this role, Armstrong drove strategy and operations, with direct oversight of Content Strategy & Multiplatform Scheduling, Marketing, Corporate Communications and Operations. He also liaised closely with teams across Viacom’s Media Networks, including Strategy, Finance and Research & Audience Science.

Prior to that role, Armstrong was Executive Vice President and General Manager, Revenue and Emerging Brands, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN). In this role, Armstrong managed the development and expansion of BET, Paramount Channel, and Spike internationally and oversaw International Program Sales, Affiliate Sales, and Viacom Velocity International, VIMN’s ad sales division.

Armstrong has led many firsts for the company including the creation and launch of Paramount Channel internationally in 2012, the largest ad supported film channel in the world, available in almost 100 countries and 106 million homes outside the US. In 2016, Armstrong co-led the launch of BET Play, Viacom’s first direct-to-consumer subscription video on demand offering for adult audiences. Under Armstrong’s guidance, BET is now available internationally in more than 72 countries and 39 million homes. Armstrong has also been instrumental in growing Spike’s distribution internationally, having worked with local market leadership to launch the first Spike channel outside the US in 2015 in the UK, followed by Benelux, the Middle East, Australia, Hungary and Russia.

Armstrong first joined the company in 1998 and held a variety sales and affiliate marketing roles for brands including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CMT in both the New York and Chicago offices. He joined VIMN in 2011 as Senior Vice President and General Manager of BET International and Paramount Channel, having previously led BET International since May 2006.

Armstrong received a B.S. in marketing from Hampton University, where he also serves on the board. He received an M.B.A. in strategy and marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he was honored with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award in 2012. He serves on the boards of Canada Goose (NYSE: GOOS), and Inspirato (NASDAQ: ISPO), and GLAZA (Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association). He is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and previously chaired the boards of NAMIC (National Association for Multi Ethnicity in Communications) and Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Fashion and Beauty Expert and Editor, Kahlana Barfield Brown, has carved a niche for herself in the hyper-competitive world of fashion and beauty publishing. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Kahlana grew up devouring magazines, igniting a passion for writing, fashion, and beauty. She went on to study Journalism and Fashion Merchandising at Howard University, leading her to begin a career at InStyle Magazine in New York City. Kahlana spent a decade climbing the ranks at InStyle, holding titles ranging from Intern to Beauty Director. 

As social media began to dominate the fashion industry, Kahlana saw an opportunity to transition out of publishing, and take her talents to the next level. In September 2022, Kahlana teamed up with Target to design, develop, and launch ‘FUTURE COLLECTIVE, a first-of-its-kind clothing brand featuring a multitude of looks from a rotating roster of style experts and tastemakers. The streetwear-inspired collection drew inspiration from Kahlana’s own philosophy of style, and featured 120 items available in an inclusive size range of XXS-4X over four seasonal refreshes. Future Collective garnered extraordinary success through sold out collections and millions of social media impressions, inspiring a new generation of ‘fly girls’ to manifest their individuality through style.

Today, Kahlana serves as an on-camera, beauty, and fashion expert, stylist, on-air talent, and ambassador for leading fashion brands around the world. A mother to two beautiful daughters, Kahlana aims to empower and inspire young Black women through her inspired content, demonstrated work ethic, and partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Shanique Bonelli-Moore is chief diversity and social impact officer of The Clorox Company where she leads all inclusion, diversity, equity and allyship initiatives while also guiding the strategy and execution of The Clorox Company Foundation's charitable giving and employee community engagement programs.

Bonelli-Moore joined Clorox from United Talent Agency (UTA), where she served as executive director of inclusion. In this role she spearheaded the company's efforts to model inclusion across the entertainment industry.

Before UTA, Bonelli-Moore held positions at BuzzFeed, Anheuser-Busch InBev, NBCUniversal and GE, where she focused on corporate communications, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Leticia Rhi Buckley is a mom, wife, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, born and raised in East Los Angeles. She has built a career developing programs and guiding public policy that connects the dots between historically under-resourced communities and the arts. Leticia is Chief Executive Officer of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a museum and cultural center dedicated to uplifting the history of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, and collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories, accomplishments, and experiences of Latinx people and Latino culture. She is an LA County Arts Commissioner, Board Chair of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, and Board President for Californians for the Arts. Leticia holds a degree in political science from Loyola Marymount University and is a recipient of the Alumni Role Model Award from the LMU Latino Alumni Association.

Bel Hernandez Castillo is the Founder/CEO of Latin Heat Media, a multi-media company that includes a news and entertainment website (www.latinheat.com); TheTRENDTalk TV show (thetrendtalk.tv), and LATINAFest the largest outdoor festival on the West Coast that celebrates everything Latina.  Bel believes in the mission of creating content by Latinos, about Latinos for universal audiences.

Alex Martin is an American actress and film producer who is the daughter of Academy Award-winning actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg. She was honored with the title of "Miss Golden Globe" at the 1994 Golden Globe Awards. She started acting in the 1990s and became known for movies such as Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Quest of the Delta Knights, American Intellectuals, Call Me Claus and Strange as Angels. In 2008, she was one of the producers of the animated short Descendants. In 2015, she and her best friend Leisa Weaver, daughter of actor Lee Weaver, began appearing on their own BET reality series, According to Alex, which revolved around her and her family. Since then, she has made guest appearances on several television shows including Good Morning America, Wendy: The Wendy Williams Show, The Chew and Rebel Hearts w/ Kristie Reeves, and she has also been a co-host on her mother's talk show, The View.

Jamie DuBose is a senior at the University of Southern California, where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. She is a talk show host on a Fox streaming network called Foxsoul on a show called The Mix, where they interview celebrities and discuss entertainment, social and political events. The audience is the Gen Z and Millennials of today. She will enroll in law school to continue her education and pursue a law eegree.

Derek Fisher is a Los Angeles basketball legend, playing 18 seasons in the NBA and winning five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fisher was drafted 24th overall by the Lakers in 1996, and played alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal en route to three consecutive titles from 2000-2002. He later added two more rings in 2009 and 2010 with Los Angeles. Fisher also played for the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Fisher’s accolades include holding second all-time behind only LeBron James for NBA playoff game appearances (259). He’s also known for hitting a buzzer-beater with 0.4 seconds left against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals as a member of the Lakers. In his time as a player, he served as President of the Players’ Union from 2006-2013.

After finishing the 2014 season with the Thunder, Fisher transitioned to the sidelines, being named Head Coach of the New York Knicks on June 10, 2014. Fisher coached into the 2015-2016 season with New York, helping develop then-rookie Kristaps Porzingis.

In the spring of 2016, Fisher became a television analyst for TNT, NBA TV and later Spectrum SportsNet as an in-studio analyst for the Lakers.  Fisher’s Los Angeles basketball legacy continued when he was named the 12th Head Coach of the Los Angeles Sparks on Dec. 5, 2018.  On December 22, 2020, the Sparks appointed Derek Fisher to be the General Manager. Since departing the Sparks, Fisher has focused on his family and his role on various organization’s boards, including Play Equity Fund/LA84.  Fisher is married to Gloria Govan. They are a blended family sharing 5 children (Carter, Isaiah, Tatum, Drew, Chloe) ranging from ages 14 to 20 years old. 

Fisher is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas where he attended Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School, lettering in basketball. He then attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he finished his four-year career second all-time in school history in points (1,393), assists (472) and steals (189). His senior year, he was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. 

Whoopi Goldberg is one of a very elite group of artists who have won a Grammy, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Tony. She is also a prolific producer, entrepreneur and is well-known around the world for her many humanitarian endeavors. Born and raised in New York City, she performed in San Diego and the Bay Area with the Blake Street Hawkeyes theater troupe. It was there that she created the characters which became The Spook Show and evolved into her hit Broadway show, Grammy Award-winning album and the HBO special that helped launch her career.

Whoopi has recently appeared in the 2020 adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling novel The Stand for Paramount+, a recurring role on Amazon’s upcoming Harlem, and reprises her iconic role of Guinan in season 2 of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard. She lends her voice to the animated features Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk and Luck and she appeared in and produced the feature film Till for MGM’s Orion Pictures.

Gloria Govan is an American actress, model, television personality, social media influencer, philanthropist, and author. She is currently blazing the trail in business as a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and innovative business leader as Co-Founder and CEO at RLNTLSS BRANDS.

Grammy nominee and two-time Emmy Award winner Suzanna Guzmán holds the distinguished title of an LA Opera 2023 Hispanic Opera Legend. As an international mezzo-soprano soloist, she has graced orchestras and opera houses worldwide (i.e. Kennedy Center, Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera) in lead roles (Carmen, Leonora, Mother, Art Banker). For decades, Guzmán has had an unwavering dedication to new opera works, creating roles in world premieres including the Duchess of Alba in Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera Goya, Paula in Daniel Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Lucha in Yuval Sharon’s mobile opera Hopscotch, Sheila in Eric Whitacre’s Gift of the Magi, Mrs. Fox in Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and many more. Recent appearances include Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts), Abuela Claudia in In the Heights (Rubicon Theater), Mama in Papi, Me and Cesar Chavez (B Street Theatre) and Luz in Nicolás Lell Benavides’s Caravana de mujeres (New Opera Workshop).

Guzmán is a celebrated radio and TV host, receiving two Emmy Awards as host of the 2019 and 2021 annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration for PBS SoCal. Also for PBS SoCAL, Guzmán hosted the weekly television series Open Call, focusing on the arts in Southern California. For over 20 years, Guzman hosted, wrote and produced many popular radio programs including LA Opera Notes, Sunday Evening Opera and LA Opera Live!

For her work as an arts advocate, she was honored by the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation as Mentor of the Year, received a lifetime achievement award for service to arts and the community from the Nederlander Organization and was Woman of the Year for Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. Artistic excellence awards include a Grammy nod for Best Classical CD for her solo work with Southwest Chamber Music, two Emmys for her work in television and first place vocal awards with Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Opera Guild. A longtime member of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Artists in Schools, her one-woman show Don’t Be Afraid; It’s Just Opera! has been presented for over 500,000 students across the United States.

Learn more at SuzannaGuzman.com.

Alexandra Hinkle brings over 25 years of experience leading cross functional marketing teams. She is a data-driven marketer who has consistently delivered strong, sustainable financial and brand equity gains to world-class global and US-based companies including MGM Resorts International, eBay, Visa and Macy’s. Most recently, Alex led all property marketing and campaign strategy for Wynn Resorts Las Vegas, the world’s largest five-star resort, where she oversaw marketing and branding. In her current role as Chief Marketing Officer - Consumer Marketing for Universal Music Group, Alex works with the music labels providing marketing strategy and campaign executional support, to further elevate UMG artists. Alex is a member of the executive board for Jack and Jill of America, Inc. San Fernando Valley Chapter, GirlFriends Inc. and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated. She received a bachelor's degree in communication from the Northern Illinois University. She currently lives with her husband, son, daughter, and their dog Chloe.

Naima J. Keith is the Vice President of Education and Public Programs at LACMA. Within her role, she oversees all aspects of and sets the vision for LACMA’s innovative and exhibition-driven educational programming that serves more than 650,000 community members annually. Naima, along with Rita Gonzalez, is also co-curating a survey of artist Simone Leigh's work to be exhibited at LACMA in 2024. She was the 2017 recipient of the David C. Driskell Prize in recognition of her contributions to the field of African American art history and was co-artistic director of Prospect.5 in New Orleans in 2021. Keith holds degrees from Spelman College and UCLA and is a proud native of Los Angeles.

Josh Kun is Vice Provost for the Arts at the University of Southern California, where he is Professor and Chair in Cross-Cultural Communication at the USC Annenberg School. His books include Audiotopia: Music, Race, and America, Double Vision: The Photography of George Rodriguez, The Tide Was Always High: The Music of Latin America in Los Angeles, and a trilogy of books based on the special collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. As a curator, he has worked with the Getty Foundation, The Grammy Museum, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Vincent Price Art Museum, and LACMA. As an artist, his work has appeared with Prospect New Orleans, SFMOMA, California African American Museum, and Steve Turner Gallery. He is the recipient of an American Book Award and a Berlin Prize, and in 2016 was named a MacArthur Fellow.

Jason Delane Lee (he/him) is the CO-CEO of the Lagralane Group. At Lagralane, Jason has Co-Executive Produced the 2018 Academy Award-winning documentary, Icarus. His producing credits also include the 2019 Berlinale world premiere and TIFF North American premiere The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open; the 2018 Sundance premieres Night Comes On and This is Home; the 2017 SXSW premieres Served Like a Girl, The Blood is at the Doorstep, and Lucky, starring the late Harry Dean Stanton, and the upcoming Lisa Cortes documentary The Empire of Ebony. On-screen he acted in and executive produced the indie film Givers of Death (G.O.D.), written and directed by Addison Henderson and distributed by Buffalo 8. As a filmmaker, Jason recently completed the short film Lifeline, which he wrote, co-directed, and starred in. Lifeline has screened in over 16 film festivals worldwide earning several accolades including Award of Excellence at Best Shorts Competition and Finalist Best Short at Roma Prism Awards. He is a founding member of Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre; which produces intimate theater for LA's theater arts community and also serves on the board of directors of the Classical Theatre of Harlem in NYC. Jason and his wife, Yvonne, currently live in Studio City, CA with their three children.

Yvonne (she/hers) is an actor and producer of Black and Filipina descent. She is inspired by the female experience and seeks to elevate both female-driven narratives and women’s perspectives. Fearless in her pursuit of authentic and original works, she is passionate about storytelling’s power to entertain and foment social change. On stage, she starred in Safe Harbor written by Tira Palmquist with Lower Depth Theatre, where she is an artistic associate and founding member. She was also in Lower Depth's critically acclaimed Br’erCotton by Tearrance Arvelle Chisolm. She was nominated for the 2019 NAACP Best Actress (Intimate Theatre) for this role. She acted on screen and executive produced the indie film Givers of Death (G.O.D.), written and directed by Addison Henderson, and distributed by Buffalo 8. She also starred alongside Harry Dean Stanton in his career final film Lucky, distributed by Magnolia Pictures. Other executive producing credits include This is Home, Night Comes On, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, Rebecca Hall’s Passing, The Big Payback with Color Farm Media, and the upcoming Lisa Cortes documentary The Empire of Ebony. Yvonne serves on the board of Array Alliance and Lower Depth Theatre and is co-founder of the Lagralane Group with her husband, Jason Delane Lee, and their three children.

Karen Mack is a passionate, visionary leader in Los Angeles focused on leveraging the power of arts and culture to empower individuals, build connections and develop communities.  Twenty years ago, she founded LA Commons, a South LA based nonprofit implementing artistic and cultural programs reflecting the unique character of diverse neighborhoods to foster interaction, dialogue and a shared understanding of Los Angeles.  Through grassroots art projects, festivals and tours in partnership with communities across Los Angeles, LA Commons plays a unique role facilitating local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building and Vice President at Community Partners, responsible for Program Planning and Development. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the John Anderson School of Management at UCLA.  She has served as the President of the City’s Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and of the nonprofit Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative and is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Subcommittee Chair). She also recently complete service as  co-chair of the Los Angeles County Cultural and Inclusion Initiative. 

Since that time, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, implementing artistic programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles. LA Commons plays a unique role as a facilitator of local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as a Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building. She is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Chair) and supervisorial appointee and Co-Chair of LA County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative.  LA Commons has been a long time partner with NOCD-NY as exemplified by the collaborative national initiative “Creative Placemaking from the Community Up.”

Kennedy-Rue McCullough, a native of Los Angeles, is not only an actress and entertainment correspondent, she's also a recent graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta. 

Originally introduced to the entertainment industry at a very early age, Kennedy has grown up learning how to balance her academics with her workload. In addition to acting, Kennedy discovered a love for entertainment journalism when she was just six years old, while covering orange carpet interviews at the 2003 Kids Choice Awards. Since then, Kennedy has appeared and covered stories for Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider and Central Ave, to name a few. A love for creating and pitching her own segments and her ability to bring along some big named stars have proven that she is one to watch. 

In 2013 Kennedy's knack for understanding the underserved Gen Z audience led her to co-create The Guest House, produced by Will Smith and Overbrook Entertainment, a YouTube channel targeted towards teen girls, focused on tackling entertainment news, body image and lifestyle issues. 

While attending Spelman College, Kennedy never stopped working, hosting studio panel discussions and movie screenings both on and off campus, as well as serving as the social media host for the Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith Family Foundation's "Careers In Entertainment" initiative. 

Kennedy enjoys lending her time to empower young girls and stays actively involved with both the LadyLike and the In A Perfect World Foundations. The LadyLike Foundation provides educational and cultural advancement opportunities to inner city girls in the Los Angeles area and the A Perfect World Foundation provides mentorship and artistic expression to homeless youth, builds schools in underserved third world countries and encourages young people to take action and make a difference. 

Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy, in 2015 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received the National Medal of Arts—America’s highest honor for achievement in the field—from President Barack Obama. In addition to her Tony-winning performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill—the role that also served as the vehicle for her Olivier Award-nominated 2017 debut in London’s West End—she has appeared on Broadway in The Secret Garden, Marie Christine (Tony nomination), Henry IV, 110 in the Shade (Tony nomination), Shuffle Along, or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Tony nomination) and Ohio State Murders (Tony nomination).  

On television, she was seen by millions as the Mother Abbess in NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!, won an Emmy Award for her role as host of PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, and received Emmy nominations for Wit, A Raisin in the Sun and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Having played Dr. Naomi Bennett on Shonda Rhimes’s Private Practice (ABC) and Liz Reddick (formerly Lawrence) on both The Good Wife (CBS) and The Good Fight (Paramount+), she may now be seen as Dorothy Scott on Julian Fellowes’s The Gilded Age (HBO). On film, she has appeared in Seven Servants, The Object of My Affection, Cradle Will Rock, It Runs in the Family, The Best Thief in the World, She Got Problems, Rampart, Ricki and the Flash, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, the movie-musical Hello Again, Cinergistik’s documentary Whitney Houston in Focus, the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions’ Rustin and MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic Respect.  

McDonald is a Juilliard-trained soprano, whose opera credits include Poulenc’s La voix humaine and Michael John LaChiusa's Send at Houston Grand Opera, and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at LA Opera, where the resulting recording earned her two Grammy Awards. She has issued five solo albums on the Nonesuch label as well as Sing Happy with the New York Philharmonic on Decca Gold. She also maintains a major career as a concert artist, regularly appearing on the great stages of the world and with leading international orchestras. She is a founding member of Black Theatre United, a board member of Covenant House International and a prominent advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, whose favorite roles are those performed offstage, as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson, and mother. 

Learn more at AudraMcDonald.com.

Kiesha Nix is the Vice President of Charitable Affairs & Executive Director of the Lakers Youth Foundation. In her current role, Kiesha oversees and directs programming and funding priorities for the charitable arm of the Los Angeles Lakers. She is responsible for implementing the mission of the Foundation which is to assist underserved youth in our communities to develop and recognize their full potential by providing positive experiences and resources in education, health & wellness and sports. Kiesha oversees the funding which supports over 100,000 youth in 20+ Southern California Boys & Girls Clubs through basketball and health & fitness and the Jr. Lakers Youth Basketball Program; has helped to build 40+ basketball courts throughout Los Angeles and surrounding counties, 15+ Reading Rooms and has completed 3STEM Lab projects at local middle and high schools in Los Angeles. Kiesha is also very active in the Lakers' civic engagement, social justice and diversity and inclusion efforts, as one of the founding members of the organization’s Employee Resource Group–B.A.N. (Black Action Network). Formerly Kiesha served as a Vice President in Enterprise Business & Community Relations at Bank of America and as a Private Wealth Associate in the Private Banking & Investment Group Division of Merrill Lynch–Bank of America where she was employed for 21+ years.

On the philanthropic side, Kiesha sits on various boards; some to include: the following Boards: Advisory Board for the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB’s RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), USC Black Alumni–Corporate Advisory Board and Habitat for Humanity Greater LA-Boards respectively. Kiesha works with countless nonprofit organizations and serves as a mentor to youth throughout the community. Kiesha has received numerous leadership, community service and humanitarian awards. She strives to uphold the Lakers' reputation of being “Champions in the Community” as well as on the court.

In 1997, Delia Orjuela arrived at BMI, taking on the role of Regional Manager while spearheading the development of the company’s new Latin division in the West Coast. Over the span of 23 fruitful years, she moved up in the ranks and eventually achieved the distinguished position of Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, continuing to lead BMI’s Latin Music department by developing and maintaining the company’s relationships with Latin songwriters, composers and publishers across the United States and the Americas and overseeing its influential showcases and panels. During her impressive run, she invaluably contributed to BMI’s incredible success, repeatedly demonstrating her exceptional ear for talent by signing some of the most prolific songwriters and composers of our time, including Juanes, Pitbull, Jenni Rivera, Horacio Palencia, Los Tigres del Norte, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, A.B. Quintanilla III, Pepe Aguilar, Espinoza Paz, Banda el Recodo, Alex Cuba, Ximena Sariñana, Larry Hernandez, Belinda, Chayanne, JBalvin, AAnuel, Gloria Trevi, Cafe Tacuba, Kinky, Molotov, and many others hereby shaping the Latin music landscape into the powerful force that it is today.

Orjuela is currently serving as Warner Music Latina General Manager Mexican Music as well as the president of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, where she continues to champion today’s most talented songwriters and composers. She is also committed to a number of impactful social causes, such as Mujer de Fé, an organization formed by singer-songwriter Paulina Aguirre that works to empower women; Los Producers, an annual charity concert initiated by Rebeleon Entertainment CEO Sebastian Krys in collaboration with BMI; and is an advocate for St. Jude.

Marty Preciado passionately champions cultural equity and arts accessibility. Through her community and policy efforts, she ensures institutions truly represent the diverse communities they serve. Collaborating with cultural institutions, she constructs strategies ensuring they embody community values. Her impactful contributions notably affect and shape cultural organizations in Los Angeles and New York. Appointed to Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County Board of Governors by Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, Ms. Preciado is an alumna of Arts for LA's ACTIVATE Delegates program. She has propelled community engagement strategies for entities such as the LA Philharmonic, LA Times, LA Opera, The Ford, Academy Museum, and Gloria Molina Grand Park.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Patty Rodriguez is a multi-faceted entrepreneur, radio producer, media personality and co-founder of sin miedo productions and Lil' Libros.

Ferrari Sheppard is an internationally reckonized contempary artist with a primary focus in abstract figuration. The Los Angeles based artist was born in Chicago and has lived in various countries in Africa. Sheppard attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has exhibited work at Los Angeles County Museam of Art (LACMA), Art Basel (Miami, Switzerland and Paris) and The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF). Sheppard's work has been placed in distiguished private collections throughout the world.

Dr. V. Joy Simmons is an art collector and philanthropist who has supported the work of artists of African descent and more broadly, of artists whose work is informed and inspired by Black culture. Recognizing the importance of sustaining a healthy arts ecosystem, Dr. Simmons mentors the next generation of art collectors and cultivates interest in supporting the networks of culture that sustain creativity. She has played a vital role in the establishment and growth of various small to mid-size institutions that now help define Los Angeles’s vibrant cultural landscape. She served as a founding Board member of LAXART, The Watts House Project, and The Mistake Room where she currently serves as Board Chair. Having recently retired from a long career as a physician at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, she is currently working as the Senior Art and Exhibition Advisor for Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3 mile public art corridor down Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. She has been an active supporter of the Arts and diversity at Stanford where she served as a Trustee of the University. Dr. Simmons currently serves as a Commissioner of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Additionally, the Governor of California recently appointed Dr. Simmons to the board of the California African American Museum.

Following her tech career in Japan, Juri Watanabe briefly returned to pageantry, being crowned Miss Universe Japan in 2021 and going on to place in the top 16 at the 70th Miss Universe competition. She has since returned to her second home of Los Angeles and built a career as a communications and image coach, particularly for young women, aiming to make an impact in the mental health space, a topic close to her heart. In her work as an actress, she strives to represent the Asian community in global media.

With a relentless dedication to improving communities in neighborhoods that need help the most, Nichol Whiteman serves as Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF). An equity-focused leader, Nichol guides LADF in tackling the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos. Nichol bravely works to improve the complex struggles the City faces using every tool in her arsenal to ensure that ZIP codes never define opportunity. A child of Jamaican immigrants “in search of a dream" and a first-generation college graduate, Nichol is a visionary working to narrow gaps in opportunity and access—all while creating a source of pride and safety for those who often live in the shadows.

During her tenure as CEO, LADF transformed and built a team of dedicated people, strong operations, committed partners, and flexible funding with sustainability. While leveraging the Dodger brand, Nichol supports and amplifies the voices of marginalized populations. Through community infrastructure, sports-based youth development, leadership & capacity building, equity-focused grantmaking, strategic community engagement and knowledge sharing & convening, Nichol has built an alliance of community partners who fight for the resources that all youth deserve.  

Under Nichol’s leadership, LADF launched its cornerstone program Dodgers Dreamteam, the first-ever LADF Scholarship, College & Career Accelerator, Science of Baseball Initiative, LA Reads and more. LADF also completed its 60th Dodgers Dreamfield, created a multi-million dollar benefit gala, distributed 9.2 million meals, and raised over $90 million. Collectively, Whiteman has cultivated partnerships that have resulted in more than $53 million in community investment impacting over 9.8 million children, including $6 million in 2022 All-Star Game Legacy Projects.