2024 Speakers
From inspirational stories of triumph to practical approaches to advancing your career, the stories shared by the featured speakers at Elevate will create a meaningful experience for all attendees.
The lineup of keynote and breakout session speakers will be listed below. Check back frequently as new speakers are added!
Brett Culp
Filmmaker and Speaker Who Documents the Positivity of the Human Experience
Empowering Innovation: Unlock Your Hidden Potential and Performance
Brett Culp inspires us to engage in a passionate, meaningful mission that leaves a positive impact on the world and brings out the heroic spirit in us all.
Brett is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of the not-for-profit, The Rising Heroes Project. He is known for the films, Legends of the Knight, and his latest, Look to the Sky, both of which explore the power of heroic stories and heroic individuals to inspire us to believe in a better tomorrow. Brett's newest film, A Voice That Carries, follows the relationships between fathers and daughters, premiered in early June 2021.His films are featured on Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, and other top digital platforms.
Through his groundbreaking non-profit documentary work, Brett has pioneered the art of creating “mini-movements” that inspire the super-human spirit in us all. His unique approach to community-building and relationship-driven engagement invite people to connect with a noble vision and make a difference together.
Passionate, energetic, and engaging, Brett encourages audiences to find the superhero within and their own path to “everyday leadership.” His insights on connecting individuals to an organization's mission and goals resonate, help us realize our greatest personal and business potential, and renew our collective sense of hope for the future and belief that our efforts can make an impact.
Kelli Masters
Attorney, NFL sports agent and Founder and President of KMM Sports
Becoming a High Impact Person
Recognized as one of the most influential women in sports business, Kelli Masters often hears, "You have a DREAM JOB." But she chooses to inspire others not with her successes, but with her vulnerability, sharing not only the victories but also the battles and failures along the way. Kelli is an attorney, an NFL sports agent, and Founder and President of KMM Sports, a full-service sports management company based in Oklahoma City. Kelli has represented more professional athletes than any woman in the industry, having served as agent/contract advisor to players in every NFL draft since 2006 as well as numerous athletes in the MLB draft and the Olympics. In 2010, she made history as the first woman to represent a Top 5 pick in the NFL Draft. Her story of progress through pain was featured as part of Motrin's national "Women in Progress" campaign in 2017. Kelli is a former National and World Champion baton twirler, and was also Miss Oklahoma 1997, winning awards for talent and community service at the Miss America pageant that year. She has served as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma Christian University, teaching sports law. Moreover, Kelli has ventured into publishing with her acclaimed book, "The High Impact Life: A Sports Agent's Secrets to Finding and Fulfilling a Purpose You Can't Lose," released in 2021. Renowned for her expertise, she is sought after as both a writer and speaker, covering topics ranging from sports and nonprofit initiatives to leadership, diversity and the pursuit of purpose.
Teresa Atkinson
Director of Organizational Development, Express Employment International
Energize with Working Genius
Teresa Atkinson has spent more than 25 years helping professionals build their professional skills and be successful in their roles. With experience in multiple industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, academia and staffing, and a master's degree in adult education, Teresa uses her experience and knowledge to create energetic and engaging sessions.
Tammy Overholt
Supervisor of Learning and Development, American Fidelity
Fact or Story?
Tammy Overholt is the supervisor of learning and development in HR at American Fidelity. She has been with the company for more than 16 years and is passionate about colleague development, both personally and professionally. Tammy is a Senior Certified Professional with the Society of Human Resources Management and has her MBA with a focus on leadership and organizational development. When not at work, she loves to travel and spend time with her family and two little kitties, Buzz and Woody.
Layla Bokhari-Lima
Senior Consultant, Steople Group
Who Do You Want To Be? What Causes Incivility In The Workplace And Strategies To Combat Burnout
Layla Bokhari-Lima, Ph.D., is a trusted advisor to senior leaders in organizations by seeking out their unique strength and helps them leverage that difference as a value proposition. Layla is an industrial organizational consultant specializing in leadership development with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusiveness. She is a speaker, board member, consultant and coach who has worked with companies across the globe.
Dr. Bokhari-Lima has a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology, a master's degree in sociology and is ICF-PCC certified. Layla also speaks three languages and is a gymnastics coach, world traveler, community activist and loves her fur babies.
Sunny Cearley
President/CEO, Allied Arts
Relationships Matter
Sunny Cearley serves as president/CEO for Allied Arts. Cearley came to Allied Arts from her role as senior vice president of membership for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Prior to that, she spent almost a decade leading sales efforts for The Journal Record Publishing Company. Before working in the arts full-time, Cearley sat on the executive committee for The Civic Center Foundation and on the advisory board for El Sistema Oklahoma. She is passionate about the fact that art improves the quality of life and supports economic development in our community. Cearley holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University and a Master of Journalism from the University of North Texas. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City Class 30 and LOYAL Class III.
Kari Chance-Moore
Strategic Partner, Director of Economic Development, Sandler Custom Growth Solutions / Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
Kari Chance-Moore is a success coach focused on the behaviors, attitudes, techniques and guts needed to be more successful in business improvement, sales/revenue growth and employee development. Her firm specializes in helping identify the blind spots and obstacles that are holding you back and then implementing systems, behaviors and guts to become more successful. Clients ultimately develop new habits that lead to proactive growth professionally and personally. Kari earned a degree in international business from Northern Oklahoma College. She is based in Stillwater, Okla. and serves visionary clients across the United States.
Dr. Trevor Cox
Director, Learning Innovation, LX Studio / University of Central Oklahoma
Fostering Creativity and Innovation in Hybrid and Remote Teams
Dr. Trevor Cox is the director of learning innovation and associate professor of organizational leadership at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is a teacher, scholar and practitioner of leadership. In his director role, he oversees UCO's online degree programs and initiatives as well as LX Studio, a center for innovation in higher education specifically focused on creating learning spaces and rigorous microcredentials to help people build their resumes and skill sets for the workplace. Dr. Cox conducts research and training on inclusive leadership and adult education/training, with several published book chapters in these areas.
Mike Crandall
Success Coach and Principal, Sandler Custom Growth Solutions
21st Century Prospecting
Mike Crandall is a consultant, coach, trainer, speaker and author focused on the subconscious psychology of human interaction and motivation. He is brought in by business owners and executives to work on the behaviors, attitudes, techniques and guts needed to be more successful in business improvement, sales/revenue growth and employee development. His firm specializes in helping identify the blind spots and obstacles that are holding you back and then implementing systems, behaviors and guts to become more successful. Mike earned an MBA in leadership and organizational development from Oklahoma Christian University and a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Nebraska. He is based in Oklahoma City and serves visionary clients across the United States.
Lauree Dash
Founder, Meditation Revbound, LLC
Mindful Self-Compassion: An Experiential Workshop
Lauree Dash has taught meditation/mindfulness in Oklahoma City for six years, including at INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, Mercy Cardiac Rehab Center, The Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies, Public Strategies, Chesapeake Energy and Soul Yoga. Lauree has presented for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Calm Waters, INTEGRIS and the Oklahoma Arts Council. A graduate of the two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with master teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, Lauree also studied mindfulness through UCLA. She is the only trained teacher in Oklahoma of Mindful Self Compassion [MSC], the work of Kristin Neff, Ph.D., and Christopher Germer, Ph.D.
Michael Dickerson
CEO/Founder, Dickerson Consulting Group
Cultivating a Flourishing Workforce: 5 Strategies for Enhancing Employee Wellbeing
Michael Dickerson is the CEO and Founder of Dickerson Consulting Group LLC, a consulting firm specializing in human resources, workplace mental health and well-being. Michael holds a certificate in applied positive psychology from the Flourishing Center in New York, which is one of the world's leading institutions in the field of positive psychology. He is also the author of a new book, "Struggle Well at Work." In addition to his work as an entrepreneur and a consultant, Michael has served as a licensed mental health practitioner, educator and keynote speaker for more than 13 years, where he's trained more than 3,000 mental health professionals. Today, his primary focus and passion is helping leaders and organizations cultivate a culture of well-being that enables all employees to uncover their unique strengths, find meaning and flourish at work.
Samantha Divine Jallah
Assistant General Counsel, Geisinger Health Plan
So You Want to Do This: Steps to Help You Succeed
Samantha Divine Jallah is a lawyer, certified professional life coach, former bank executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of combined experience in healthcare, banking, law, small business and nonprofit. Her legal resume includes experience at Coca-Cola Company, government, law firms and as in-house counsel. Having lived overseas and visited all 50 states, Samantha now lives in Oklahoma City with her husband of 18 years and their two children. She loves God and people and never goes a day without music. Samantha also enjoys reading, writing, cooking and traveling.
Bryan Estabrooks
Senior Manager, Leidos
Lighting the Fire and Passing the Torch
Bryan Estabrooks is a senior contract manager for Leidos, where he currently supports the Federal Aviation Administration. He has spent his almost 30 years in leadership working to hone his craft and inspire his teams. He has developed and facilitated multiple leadership courses and collaborated with senior leaders in multiple arenas. His proudest professional achievement, however, has been growing leaders throughout the decades and empowering individuals to take ownership of their own leadership style.
Jacqueline Hirlinger
Leadership Development Specialist, Love's Travel Stops, Inc.
Navigating Team Dysfunction
Jacqueline Hirlinger is a leadership development specialist at the Love's Family of Companies. With a passion to support people and help them grow, Jacqueline frequently facilitates new employee, current employee and leadership trainings for Love's corporate audience. Her education background is in English, secondary education and organizational leadership, and she uses her expertise as she supports the Talent & Organizational Effectiveness department at Love's. Jacqueline can also be found teaching yoga, reading and playing golf in her free time.
Gunnar Hood
Chief Digital Officer, WSI
Accelerate Your LinkedIn Impact: Quick Wins and Long-Term Strategies
How to Make Artificial Intelligence Your Unfair Business Advantage
Gunnar Hood is the chief digital officer of WSI Summit, a digital marketing and AI consulting agency. His company is focused on helping B2B companies develop and implement business growth strategies using the Internet and Artificial Intelligence. As a WSI certified LinkedIn trainer, Gunnar has trained and coached thousands of individuals over the last eight years on LinkedIn and Sales Navigator, conducted corporate training workshops and was a featured speaker in global conferences and webinars. Gunnar helped launch One Million Cups OKC and the Oklahoma Professional Sales Association. He has served on various boards, including the Greater OKC Chamber Board of Advisors.
Shalynne Jackson
Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, City of Oklahoma City
Code-Switch or Switch the Culture Code?
Shalynne Jackson serves as the City of Oklahoma City's first chief inclusion and diversity officer. Prior to joining the City of OKC, Shalynne supported strategic inclusion and diversity initiatives for multiple Fortune 500 companies. She has served on various boards and is currently the diversity chair for the Oklahoma Human Resources State Council; serves on Schnake Turnbo Franks' I&D Advisory Committee; and is on the board of ReMerge, a comprehensive diversion program. In 2023, Shalynne was recognized by 405 Business Magazine as a Notable DEI Leader and one of the metro's most influential leaders. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Shalynne holds a Master of Human Relations degree. Additionally, she is a qualified administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory, a cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence.
Michele Leeper
Director of Sales, Topgolf
Leading Teams to Success - Celebrate & Elevate
Michele Leeper is the director of event and platinum membership sales at Topgolf OKC, where she joined in 2018. Following graduation from Putnam City West, Leeper received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma, along with her U.S. Army commission where she served as an Officer in the U.S. Army, Military Police Corp. She is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer & Microsoft Certified Database Administrator with more than 30 years of professional experience in leading people.
Prior to Topgolf, Leeper was a manager in both operations and sales while with Kinko's/FedEx.
Shannon Lockwood
Employee Giving Manager, Allied Arts
Public Speaking: Walk Confidently into the Terror
Shannon Lockwood manages the employee giving program at Allied Arts. She grew up in Edmond and earned a degree in music education from the University of Oklahoma. She is a percussionist and spent the first 12 years of her career teaching 6th through 12th grade band. Shannon is married to a caring and hard-working man, and she has one cat and two giant fluffy dogs. She is a vegetarian, loves the beach and enjoys exercising daily. Her life goal is to leave people and things better than she found them.
David McLaughlin
Founder, Pendulum Coaching LLC
The Emotionally Intelligent Leader
David B. McLaughlin, M.Ed, SHRM-SCP, CWMF, is the founder of Pendulum Coaching, LLC and focuses his practice on mindfulness and emotional intelligence. He has more than 20 years of experience coaching and consulting. He has been committed to mindfulness and meditation since 2012. He has a Master of Education in adult education and Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Central Oklahoma. David is the host of The Mindful Leader podcast. He is certified in emotional intelligence coaching and assessments and is also a certified workplace mindfulness facilitator (CWMF).
Jessica Mollica
Senior Director, Human Resources, The Hertz Corporation
Navigating Your Career Journey
Jessica Mollica has over 15 years of experience across human resources, including talent acquisition, leadership development and total rewards. In her present role, she champions the employee experience at Hertz as the senior director of human resources, where she leads talent management, talent acquisition, HR shared services, HR policies, and recognition functions. Jessica is passionate about giving back to the community, mentoring young professionals and the importance of DE&I in the workplace. When not working, she is likely attending concerts, appreciating pop culture and traveling with her husband.
Matt Palmer
Senior Director of Employee Experience and Employer Branding, Heartland
Being an authentic leader
Matt Palmer is the senior director of employee experience and employer branding at Heartland. In this role, he leads strategic initiatives connected to the full life cycle of all Heartland teammates, ranging from recruiting and onboarding to leadership development and performance enablement to offboarding from the company. He is passionate about creating amazing experiences and forming leaders to make a positive impact wherever they live, work and play. He has held leadership positions in large and small companies and in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Matt Payne
CEO, Prairie Surf Creative
Why Storytelling in Business Matters
Matt Payne is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, writer, photographer and educator. During his 15 years in Los Angeles, Payne worked as a writer on the hit CBS series "Vegas" and "Defenders," and TNT's "Memphis Beat," additionally he was a part of the production team of Fox's "24" and CBS' "Without a Trace." With his return to Oklahoma in 2015, Payne has taken a key role in the film and photography community. He was the travel editor of 405 Magazine and has been a contributing writer and photographer to National Geographic Traveler, Travel Age West, Explorer Magazine and many other travel publications. Today, he serves as the CEO and founder of Prairie Surf Creative, a production company that produces high-impact narratives, documentarian work and original content for visionary businesses, nonprofits and institutions across the region.
Angela Russell
Organizational Development and DEIB Manager, Express Employment International
Creating an Inclusive Work Culture
Angela Russell is an organizational development and DEIB manager with Express Employment International. She proudly lives by the leadership philosophy of "leading people to be better today than they were yesterday," and has demonstrated this with her experience in human resources, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, recruitment, employee wellness, program management and career development. Angela is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, a Society of Human Resources Certified Professional and a Certified DEI Champion. In her spare time, you can find Angela at a hot yoga class, attending a community event or spending time with family and friends.
Tami Shaw
Organizational Development Trainer, Francis Tuttle Technology Center
The Secret to Listening and Leading [The Power of Questions]
Tami Shaw is a learning, talent and organizational development expert with decades of experience focused on training, communications and organizational system design. She is passionate about using radically simple ideas to help people gain clarity and maximize impact. Shaw's dream jobs have included teaching 8th-grade math in Tucson, Arizona, and innovating as the professional development dpecialist in Edmond Public Schools. In her current role as an organizational development trainer at Francis Tuttle, she partners with local companies to facilitate exceptional and affordable training that strengthens individuals, teams and leaders. Shaw earned her master's degree in talent development. She is also the co-founder of Positive StrategERY and a Working Genius Certified Facilitator.
Michael Shellabarger
Manager of Talent Development, Love's Travel Stops, Inc.
Fail Until You Don't
Michael Shellabarger has been employed with Love's family of companies since April 2014. He currently supports the human resources team with an emphasis on learning and leadership development. Michael graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcasting, and again in 2013 with an Master of Education in adult education/training.
Lily Terry
Research Analyst, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
Party With Your Data: Market Research for Small Business Success
Lily Terry is a dedicated advocate for economic development and education, with a focus on empowering communities to thrive. Graduating from the University of Oklahoma (OU) with a Bachelor's degree in International Business and Russian, she expanded her expertise by studying public health in Brazil and honing Russian language skills in St. Petersburg.
After completing her Bachelor's, Lily pursued a Master's degree in Global Economics and Infrastructural Development from OU, specializing in global development and business strategies. Her academic journey laid the foundation for a career committed to fostering sustainable growth and opportunity.
As a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, Lily contributed to advancing economic development in Moldova, working closely with the education system to enhance pathways for students. Following geopolitical events, she returned to the United States and joined the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce as a Research Analyst, focusing on workforce development and education initiatives.
In addition to her professional role, Lily serves on the Oklahoma City Public Schools Young Professional Board, advocating for an education system that prepares students for success in the evolving economic landscape. With a diverse background and a passion for community empowerment, she brings valuable insights to the intersection of economic development, education, and workforce dynamics.
Malcolm Tubbs
On-Court Emcee, Oklahoma City Thunder
Elevate 2024 Emcee
Malcolm Tubbs is a local media personality with over a decade of experience engaging the community both on and off camera. Malcolm has spent nearly a decade in news as a feature reporter, promoting local events and businesses across the state of Oklahoma. He currently holds the position of on-court emcee for the Oklahoma City Thunder and was named NBA All-Star Host during the 2020 season. He's also the on-field host for the University of Oklahoma football team. When he's not hyping up the crowds at OU and Thunder games, he encourages kids from across the state of Oklahoma as spokesperson for "Heroes in Waiting," a peace-building and anti-bullying nonprofit dedicated to the mental wellness of our youth. He's hosted dozens of corporate events and galas for organizations and locally owned businesses across the country. He spends his free time with his wife and son and is also an avid marathon runner who travels across the country for races.
Monique Walker
Research Coordinator, Economic Development, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
Party With Your Data: Market Research for Small Business Success
Monique Walker serves on the economic development division's research team at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Prior to joining the OKC Chamber, Monique served as an intern at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. Monique is passionate about driving economic growth and fostering community development and is dedicated to building a thriving and prosperous Oklahoma City. Day to day, Monique offers business intelligence and economic analysis that supports the growth of existing businesses and the recruitment of new companies to the region. Monique has a heart from small and minority owned business and serves on the Oklahoma City Minority Founders (OMFA) Advisory Council and has mentored several small business owners through her partnerships with Progress OKC and Gener8tor. Monique graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts in global studies and political science. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City LOYAL Class XVII.