Lauren K. Alleyne serves as Executive Director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center and a Professor of English at James Madison University. She is author of two collections Honeyfish and Difficult Fruit, two chapbooks Dawn in the Kaatskills and (Un)Becoming Gretel, and co-editor of Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry. Her award-winning work has been widely published in journals and anthologies internationally, including venues such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Ms.. Alleyne, who hails from the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has been recognized with a US Artist Award nomination (2023), an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Poetry (2020), the Green Rose Prize from New Issues Press (2017) and has been shortlisted for the BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature and the Library of Virginia Prize for Poetry (2020). In 2022, Alleyne was awarded the JMU Agency Star Award and an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 

Suzanne Bergmeister has served as the executive director of the Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship at James Madison University since 2021. Although she has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, her career began in a different field. She earned degrees in Electrical Engineering from both Rutgers and Fresno State and later worked as an Avionics Flight Test Engineer for the US Air Force. After getting her MBA from Cornell in 1998, she shifted her focus to venture capital and entrepreneurship. In 2004, she founded Sunflower Business Ventures Inc., a company specializing in small business consulting, temporary management roles, education and training, and angel investing opportunities. She was the longtime Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Louisville prior to coming to JMU.

Claire Chewning is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and the founder of Yours Chewly Nutrition LLC. She and her team of dietitians help individuals develop a healthier relationship with food and their bodies by simplifying nutrition and promoting an inclusive approach to eating. She earned a B.S. in Dietetics from James Madison University in 2017 and completed her Dietetic Internship in 2018 at The Ohio State University. Chewning and her team specialize in working with individuals who have a history of disordered eating, chronic dieting, PCOS, and other chronic health conditions. She is also the Registered Dietitian Advisor for Health-Ade Kombucha, where she educates both employees and consumers about gut health from a non-diet lens. What sets her apart from other registered dietitians is her commitment to moving away from diet culture while helping clients improve their nutrition.

Karen Dubi is the author of The Art of Getting Out of Your Own Way: 10 ½ Ways to Create a Growth Mindset and a Business Energetics Coach, Mentor, and NLP Master Practitioner. She helps entrepreneurs step into their next quantum leap in business and wealth expansion with certainty and ease.

As the founder of Fierce Femme, she specializes in subconscious reprogramming, mindset mastery, and aligned business strategy. With nearly 25 years of experience in yoga, meditation, and breathwork, she brings a deep mind-body approach to leadership, confidence, and expansion.

Morgan Dye (’05) is the co-founder and managing partner of Meraki Communications Group in Alexandria, Virginia. Meraki is a full-service marcom agency with a mission to bridge communications gaps and connection points between awareness, access, and opportunity.  Before founding Meraki, Morgan helped to shape research-driven communications campaigns and managed reputational risks in industries and issue areas spanning healthcare, transportation, commerce, and education.  

A former on-the-record spokesperson for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Morgan has handled press relations during times of intense controversy over safety, service, and funding. Bringing a coordinated approach to high-pressure situations, she also provided strategic counsel to c-suite executives in preparation for high-stake media interviews, hearings, and speeches. 

Morgan holds a BA in English (minor in Sociology) from James Madison University, and lives in Fairfax, Virginia with her wife and boy-girl twins.

Leigh Evans is the executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council, where she leads and manages a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and connecting the tech community in the Shenandoah region. She also serves as the director of Research to Impact, an initiative focused on fostering innovation by protecting and commercializing intellectual property developed at JMU, creating research opportunities for faculty and students and driving economic development through business partnerships. Evans has a law degree from George Mason University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from UNC Asheville and a certificate in Contemplative Psychotherapy from Nalanda Institute, which equips her with a diverse perspective in her work.

Libby Hale Azzarello (11’) is a real estate broker and small business owner in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has over 14 years of experience in the event planning, marketing, digital media, and real estate technology industries, working with companies ranging from Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, to GEICO, to General Motors. Her passion for entrepreneurship started at a young age—whether it was selling lemonade at her dad’s open houses or filing client reports at her uncle’s real estate law firm, which became her first job. She graduated from James Madison University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Public Relations and Organizational Development. Now based in the Triangle area of North Carolina, Azzarello founded At Home with Libby and owns two locations of Bumble Brews Play Cafe, where she continues to make her mark in the small business world.

Karen Hillis-Skipper is the founder and senior strategist at Strategically Human, which she started in 2016. For more than 25 years, she has worked with many of the most well-known brands, using psychology, behavioral science and business strategy to better understand consumers and help them to achieve success. Hillis-Skipper’s background in marketing with a Business Administration degree from James Madison University and a graduate degree in Behavioral Economics, plays a big role in her work. Her ability to integrate strategy with human insights helps businesses connect with their audiences in a more meaningful way. Diagnosed in July 2024 with incurable brain cancer, she is only further motivated to deeply understand the human experience. 

Dr. Ebony Parker Waugh is a 32-year seasoned nurse turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Parker Waugh Enterprises, Inc., the parent corporation of EPW Consulting, where she serves as the principal consultant and a certified master mindset coach. She is passionate about helping women break through limiting beliefs, embrace their authentic selves, and pursue their passions with unstoppable confidence.Dr. Ebony believes in the power of authenticity—not just as a concept, but as a daily practice. She often reminds others that even on the hardest days, showing up for yourself, even in the smallest ways, is an act of self-empowerment. She views the journey to authenticity as a deeply personal and transformative process—one that involves self-discovery, self-acceptance, and the courage to live in alignment with one’s core values and beliefs; overcoming your fears and embracing vulnerability.She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from James Madison University, her Master of Science in Nursing from Emory University, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. A firm believer in the power of self-reliance and resilience, Dr. Ebony lives by the mantra:

"You have everything you need inside of you to be successful; trust yourself, own your journey, and go after the life you deserve."

Corrie Park is a self-made entrepreneur, a dedicated local council member and an accomplished educator. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, Park has embraced Staunton, Virginia, as her home, dedicating herself to fostering greater opportunities within the community. She earned her undergraduate degree in Government from William and Mary, where she developed a deep passion for advocating for equal representation and giving a voice to all individuals. An award winning educator of nearly twenty years, Park currently teaches AP US History, AP US Government, and more at Stuart Hall School. Her shop, Made; By the People, For the People, in historic downtown Staunton supports the works of dozens of independent creatives and will be celebrating twelve years in business this summer.

Elizabeth Paul is the chief brand officer at The Martin Agency, a full-service agency specializing in advertising, strategic planning, direct response, digital marketing, data analytics, design and branded content. Previously, she served as the strategic planning director at The Mom Complex, a company focused on helping businesses create better products, services and experiences for mothers. As the founding strategist at The Mom Complex, she led insight and ideation efforts for Fortune 500 companies looking to better understand and engage with modern mothers. Additionally, Paul holds a Bachelor in Arts in Communications, Creative Writing and Cultural Anthropology from James Madison University.

Caroline Stoaks is a senior Media Art and Design Journalism major and Youth Justice and Family Studies double minor at James Madison University. She works as a leadership coach in the university’s Student Leadership Center, giving presentations on leadership and coaching individuals on Clifton Strengths. After graduation, she plans on pursuing her master's degree in social work to better serve and advocate for foster children who share a similar story to her own. She is currently starting a nonprofit, Pain to Purpose, that provides mentorship, programming and scholarships for youth aging out of foster care. She is using her pain and turning it into purpose, inspiring others to do the same.

Carrie Willetts is currently the chief administrative officer at West Virginia University Health System where she leads the integration efforts of the $7B system of care to harness benefits of scale.  Previously, she worked at WellSpan Health for seven years as a senior vice president, leading the organization’s east region and launching an enterprise-wide business development department. Willetts graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Sciences in Health Services Administration and has been in the health and medicine industry for over 20 years.