Colene Elridge, Owner, Be More Consulting
Colene Elridge, also known as Coach Colene, is a dynamic speaker, leadership coach, and CEO of Be More Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in HR and organizational development, she’s known as “The Fixer” for her ability to help leaders and teams create better workplaces. Colene is the author of Monday Morning Pep Talks, and her new book, Read This When... Pep Talks For When You're (Barely) Holding It Together. She is also the founder of the EmpowHer Conference, and a trusted voice on leadership, inclusion, and personal growth. She brings energy, honesty, and heart to every room she steps into.

Jordan Harris, Client Relationship Executive, Deloitte
Jordan Harris is a Client Relationship Executive with Deloitte Consulting, based in Louisville, Kentucky. He previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on his staff in Washington DC. Prior to joining the Senator's staff, Jordan is the Founder and former Executive Director of Pegasus Institute, a state-based public-policy think-tank – the first founded by millennials in the United States. While serving as Executive Director for Pegasus Institute, the organization's research contributed to more than two dozen national, state, and local legislative changes. In the role, Jordan was a regular columnist with work appearing in USA Today and more than 70 newspapers and was cited more than 250 times by national and local media outlets.

Nat Irvin, II, Futurist and Professor, University of Louisville College of Business
Nat Irvin II is a professor, writer, innovator, futurist, composer, and former radio and television commentator whose work sits at the intersection of business, culture, and the future. He holds the Woodrow M. Strickler Professorship of Management Practice at the University of Louisville College of Business, where he teaches graduate courses on the future of management, leadership, team dynamics, spirituality & Principles of Self Discovery.  He also serves as Assistant Dean of Thought Leadership and Civic Engagement.

For more than three decades, Irvin has helped leaders in corporations, nonprofits, and civic institutions anticipate the forces reshaping society. He has engaged leadership and management teams, including those of Fortune 100 companies, in strategic conversations about the social, political, economic, technological, and environmental trends that will drive the mid- to long-term future. He has served as futurist for the National Black MBA Association and the Executive Leadership Council and received the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Award of Relevance, as well as the Faculty Service Award from the University of Louisville College of Business.

A long-time public commentator, Irvin has been quoted in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, BBC, Christian Science Monitor, ABC News, Essence, and other media outlets. For over fifteen years, he wrote a column for the Winston-Salem Journal, contributed commentary to NPR’s Weekend Edition, and appeared regularly on NPR’s News & Notes. He also created and hosted “Other Voices,” a weekly commentary program on NBC affiliate WXII-12 in Winston-Salem, which received a Midsouth Regional Emmy Award in 1999. Further amplifying his impact, he developed and hosted “N2 the Future,” a syndicated program on Radio One’s Syndication One network, which aired in over 30 urban markets nationwide. Through these channels, Irvin helped introduce futurist thinking to diverse and often underrepresented urban audiences.

Irvin is the founder of Future Focus 2020, a think tank dedicated to bringing futurist thinking to urban communities and later served as Executive Professor of Future Studies and Assistant Dean for MBA Student Development at Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management. He introduced the global concept of “Thrivals” at TED Global 2005 in Oxford and later at TED in Long Beach and went on to create “Thrivals @ IdeaFestival,” a program highlighting imagination, new perspectives, and transformational ideas for emerging leaders at the Idea Festival, Louisville. KY.

In addition to his academic and consulting work, Irvin serves as musical consultant and Chief Learning Officer for Janelle Monáe and the Wondaland Arts Society. He is the original composer of “Ba Bop Bye Ya” on the Grammy-nominated album The ArchAndroid and performs classical guitar on “Look Into My Eyes” on The Electric Lady. He holds degrees from the University of South Carolina, the University of North Texas, and is a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management, Harvard University Graduate School of Education. His career reflects a commitment to preparing global leaders for a world defined by change, complexity, and possibility.

Adria Johnson, CEO, Metro United Way
Bio coming soon.

David Marbaugh, Director of Community Impact, Humana
Bio coming soon.

Callie Miracle, Director, Implementation, Kentucky Chamber Foundation 
Callie Miracle has been with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation since 2022 where she works to advance Kentucky’s workforce and drive impactful change across the Commonwealth. With a degree in Public Relations and an education emphasis from Western Kentucky University, Callie has dedicated her career to shaping the futures of aspiring professionals. She spent eight impactful years at Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass, specializing in work and career readiness for students. In 2018, Callie was honored with the National Junior Achievement Rising Star award, recognizing her innovative solutions and unwavering commitment to the organization. A passionate advocate for education and workforce development, Callie oversees a range of programs at the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Center. These include education initiatives like the Bus to Business® program, which connects students with key industries, and workforce development efforts such as hiring academies designed to empower employers with strategies to find, hire, and retain top talent. Callie also leads employer-driven initiatives, helping businesses align workforce needs with innovative pipeline solutions to address critical labor shortages. Callie is a proud graduate of Leadership Lexington, and the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship. At the helm of the Workforce Center programs, she fosters strategic partnerships that bridge the gap between Kentucky businesses and the workforce, strengthening the state’s economic future. Outside of her professional life, Callie cherishes time with her family—her husband, Bryan, and their sons, Lucas and Tyler.

Dan Oliver, Founder, Dan O’s Seasoning
Dan Oliver, known as Dan-O, is the entrepreneurial founder of Dan-O’s Seasoning, which transformed from a childhood dream in his grandmother's kitchen into a popular brand available in over 20,000 retailers nationwide. His journey began in Louisville, Kentucky, where he developed a passion for cooking and the power of food to bring people together. After years of perfecting his seasoning recipe, he launched Dan-O’s Seasoning in 2015 and gained a massive following through engaging social media content. Dan-O’s represents his commitment to changing the way people season their food while inspiring creativity in the kitchen.

Ben Reno-Weber, CEO, Essential Innovations and District 8 Metro Council member 
Ben Reno-Weber is a social entrepreneur, civic innovator, and systems builder based in Louisville, Kentucky. With a career spanning microfinance at the World Bank, strategy at the Boston Consulting Group, and leadership in several nonprofits and tech startups, he focuses on aligning business, technology, and social good. 

Ben is CEO of Essential Innovations, a company that serves as an easy button for HR professionals—helping employers unlock funding streams like tax credits and training grants by leveraging data they already collect. By simplifying complex paperwork and connecting employers to a network of support, Essential Innovations removes barriers to work and wellbeing for traditionally untapped talent pools. He holds an MBA and MPA from Harvard and lives in Louisville with his wife and three teenagers.

Ariana Rodriguez, Miss Kentucky 2025
Ariana Rodriguez, 21, of Bardstown, Kentucky, was crowned Miss Kentucky 2025, earning a $20,000 scholarship through the Miss Kentucky Scholarship Foundation. During her year of service, she traveled statewide as a spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, promoting initiatives such as Kentucky Proud, farm safety, and Raising Hope—supporting the mental and physical well-being of Kentucky’s farming communities.

Ariana is currently a junior at the University of Kentucky, where she is pursuing a dual degree in Social Work and Psychology. She is the founder and executive director of The Lucky Ones, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering youth in foster care through mentorship, life skills education, and community-based initiatives.

Her service initiative, The Lucky Ones, is rooted in her own experience growing up in foster care and experiencing homelessness. Through her work, Ariana advocates for dignity, opportunity, and systemic change, using both her platform and her voice to amplify the stories of youth who are too often overlooked.

Ariana is passionate about creating lasting impact through advocacy, public speaking, and nonprofit leadership, with the goal of expanding her work to support foster youth on a national level.

Renee Shaw, Director of Public Affairs, Kentucky Educational Television (KET) 
Renee Shaw is the Director of Public Affairs and Moderator for Kentucky Educational Television, currently serving as moderator of KET’s Kentucky Tonight, Connections, Election coverage, Legislative Update and KET Forums. Since 2001, Renee has been the producing force behind KET’s legislative coverage that has been recognized by the Kentucky Associated Press and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Under her leadership, KET has expanded its portfolio of public affairs content to include Kentucky Supreme Court coverage, townhall-style forums, and multi-platform program initiatives. As an award-winning journalist, Renee has earned many top awards, including being named as one of the 50 most notable women in Kentucky politics and government by The Kentucky Gazette. Renee is a sought-after speaker on media, diversity/inclusion, public policy, and political issues.

Erin Van De Voorde, Co-Founder and CEO of West of Perfection
Erin Van De Voorde is a leadership development strategist, executive coach, and Co-Founder and CEO of West of Perfection. At West of Perfection, Erin designs and facilitates high-impact training programs, provides one-on-one executive coaching, and co-hosts an annual Leadership Summit that brings together industry leaders and decision-makers to share best practices. Her work is results-driven: with clients reported a 18-33% increase in annual revenue as a direct result of implementing West of Perfection's programs. With clients across 16 countries and 5 continents, West of Perfection brings a global perspective to a deeply personal practice. Their work sits at the intersection of self-awareness, strategic leadership, and human flourishing — helping leaders build teams, navigate complexity, and create practices and organizations that run on leadership, not just technical skill. West of Perfection runs multiple leadership academies for leaders who are ready to dive in and grow themselves.

Leaders and organizations also seek Erin out for strategic advising, where she brings her critical thinking to work through direction, structure, and growth. She has a passion and track record of helping leaders and organizations grow in skills, clarity, and alignment. She is the co-author of Beyond the Brackets: Leadership Development for Orthodontists (2026). She also co-hosts The West of Perfection Podcast.

Her career spans private sector, higher education, international nonprofit work, and public policy. After building deep expertise in operations, policy, and organizational leadership, Erin made a deliberate shift toward entrepreneurship. She has served on the launch teams of multiple grassroots startups before founding her own firms. Her work took her internationally, creating strategic partnerships at the international level across institutional, academic, and organizational lines and broadening her strategic insights. That experience taught her that the fundamentals of great leadership translate across cultures and industries. She has built programs from scratch, led teams, and worked across sectors and continents, including roles at The Heritage Foundation, Ave Maria University, and Baker Donelson.

She holds a BA in Politics with a concentration in International Relations from Ave Maria University and is a certified executive coach. She currently serves on the Board of the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America and as an adviser to several non-profits.

She believes that great leadership is the highest-leverage investment any leader can make and that most leaders are far closer to exceptional leadership than they realize. She resides in Nashville with her husband and their four sons.

Mary Katherine Wathen, Co-Founder and President, West of Perfection and Author, Made for More
Mary Katherine Wathen is Co-Founder and President of West of Perfection, a leadership development and executive coaching firm dedicated to forming and developing leaders at work, not just as professionals, but as whole people. She is a nationally recognized business consultant, coach, and speaker with over 20 years of experience helping leaders and teams grow with purpose and performance. With clients across 16 countries and five continents, West of Perfection works with founders, executives, business owners, and leaders ready to do the internal work that drives lasting organizational change.

A former Fortune 50 professional, Mary Katherine left corporate America to build something of her own, founding and running a monogramming and retail business for over eleven years. What started as an entrepreneurial bet became a masterclass in the realities of business ownership: navigating cash flow, building a customer base from scratch, and learning to lead through every season a small business throws your way. She didn't just study entrepreneurship; she lived it, in the day-to-day grind of running a real operation. That experience is the foundation of her no-excuses, high-impact approach to business and leadership, and it's why founders and business owners trust her in the room. It's also the foundation of West of Perfection's broader work, which sits at the intersection of self-awareness, strategic leadership, and human flourishing, helping leaders build teams, navigate complexity, and create practices and organizations that run on leadership, not just technical skill.

Mary Katherine holds certifications in The Working Genius along with coaching credentials from multiple academies. She is the author of Made For More (2025), a bold and practical guide for working moms who want to lead with clarity at work and at home without burning out or playing small. She is the co-author of Beyond the Brackets: Leadership Development for Orthodontists (2026). She also co-hosts two podcasts, The West of Perfection Podcast and Defining Moments with JP Blevins.

She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky in Corporate Communications and Political Science, served as Student Body President, and was named UK Homecoming Queen. She also ran Division I cross country for the Wildcats and has finished multiple marathons, a testament to the drive and discipline that still fuels her today, a drive she now passes on as a coach for her local high school cross country team. Today, she lives in Owensboro, Kentucky, with her husband, Will, and their seven children.

Katina Whitlock, Senior Director for People, Culture and Community Engagement, GE Appliances/Haier
Bio coming soon.

TJ Williams, Design Engineer, GE Appliances
TJ Williams is a Louisville native who believes that discipline, continuous learning, and giving back are the foundations of personal and professional growth. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville in 2020 and later completed his M.B.A. at Northern Kentucky University in 2024, driven by a desire to broaden his perspective and better understand all aspects of business and leadership. After Joining GE Appliances in 2021, he’s developed a strong career in design engineering and project management. He’s worked with both Global Sourced goods and now continues that work as a part of the MCTO/COQ team for laundry products. Beyond his engineering career, TJ is passionate about serving the Louisville community. Through GE Appliances, he has been actively involved with LEBE, NextGen Volunteering, and currently serves as Co-Lead of the Black Excellence ERG Community Partnerships Committee. His volunteer efforts have supported organizations including Black Achievers, the Lincoln Foundation, Dare to Care, Feed Louisville, and JCPS, allowing him to give back to programs that helped shape his own journey. Outside of work, TJ enjoys working out, coaching and playing chess, cooking, and sharing movie and TV reviews.