President, Porter Novelli US

Conroy Boxhill is the President of Porter Novelli US with more than 20 years of experience helping companies achieve their business goals through strategic communications. In his current role leading U.S. and Canada operations for Porter Novelli, Conroy leads a high-performing team of 300 communications professionals. As the global pandemic and fight for racial justice emerged a focal point, Conroy and team launched a consulting offering to guide clients on values-based solutions designed to break down systems of injustice and create systems of fairness and equity. Conroy has extensive expertise working with the C-suite and Boards of Directors to shape strategic communications programs to transform their business.

Director, Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity

Dr. Marvin D. Carr is a Director at the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity where he leads the center’s philanthropic efforts focused on creating systems change in the nation's criminal justice system.

Before joining Walmart, he worked to advance federal funding and policy making efforts in educational research, community development, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion. He previously served as a Policy Advisor for STEM Education, Innovation and Diversity in the White House during the Obama administration, leading efforts to expand access to high quality education and job opportunities in science and technology. Most recently, Marvin led federal efforts through the nation's public libraries and museums to support formal and informal education and community development research and grantmaking. Marvin earned a Bachelor of Science and a Doctorate in electrical engineering from Morgan State University and a Master of Science degree in systems engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is a Bill and Melinda Gates Fellow, a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and a Fellow of The Funders Network’s PLACES for Philanthropy Fellowship program.

CEO, Televerde Foundation

Michelle Cirocco is the CEO of Televerde Foundation and Chief Impact Officer for Televerde. She joined Televerde in 1999 and has held several leadership positions including Chief Marketing Officer.

Michelle was named one of the World-Changing Women in Conscious Business by Conscious Company magazine and Most Admired Leader by Phoenix Business Journal. Her journey of transformation was also featured by Forbes in a two-part interview. Michelle is a strong customer champion with a tireless commitment to using business as a force for good. Michelle earned her MBA from Arizona State University where she also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council. Michelle is an avid TED fan and organized and hosted TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional, the first TEDx to be held in an Arizona prison. The event looked behind the curtain of incarceration to show the potential that exists in providing second chances. Michelle dedicates a significant amount of her time to supporting justice reform as an ambassador for Represent Justice. She is also a Sixth Amendment Center board member and a member of Conscious Capitalism and Women in Revenue.

Vice Chair, Heising-Simons Foundation

Caitlin Heising is Vice Chair of the Heising-Simons Foundation. Having joined the board in 2014, she has developed a grantmaking program focused on human rights and criminal justice reform in the U.S.

She is a founding member of Maverick Collective, a global community of strategic philanthropists and informed advocates working to end extreme poverty by improving the health and rights of women and girls around the world. She serves on the Board of Directors and U.S. Program Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch, and co-founded and co-chaired the Human Rights Watch Young Professionals Network. Caitlin graduated from Brown University in 2012 with a BA in international relations and received a Master of Public Administration at the London School of Economics (LSE) with a focus on social impact, graduating with distinction in 2020.

Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Checkr, Inc.
Executive Director, Checkr Foundation

Ken Oliver is Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Checkr, Inc., and the Executive Director of the Checkr Foundation, Checkr’s 501(c)(3) corporate foundation. Checkr’s mission is Building a Fairer Future of Work by designing technology for all, while its foundation seeks to reshape the narrative and provide pathways to sustainable employment for the 80M Americans who suffer from an arrest and conviction record. Ken's professional expertise spans the landscape of philanthropy, DE&I, Clean Slate, talent development, change management, and public policy. His proximate leadership is informed by lived experience after having been sentenced to life in prison for joyriding. During his close to 24 years of incarceration, he served nine years in solitary confinement for reading a book written by former Black Panther Party member George Jackson. With the support of Stanford University and corporate law firm Mayer Brown, Mr. Oliver successfully litigated a civil rights lawsuit against California, which led to his release in 2019. Upon his release, Mr. Oliver quickly established himself in the legal field, first as a paralegal at a public interest law firm and later as a state policy director. In 2020, he co-founded and became the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization where he designed an innovative reentry model focused on providing justice-impacted individuals with career pathways in tech and the knowledge-based economy. He then led an effort that secured a $28.5 million investment from the State of California to build the first of its kind residentially based tech training campus in the country.

Ken's insights and contributions to the field have been recognized and featured in publications such as Newsweek, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., the New York Times, World Economic Forum, Bloomberg, and others. He also played a role in shaping California Governor Newsom’s 2021 Future of Work Report.

In addition to his primary roles, Mr. Oliver holds board positions with several organizations, including The Last Mile (TLM), the San Mateo County of Community Colleges Foundation (SMCCCF), Turning Basin Labs (TBL), ClimbHire (CH), Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), the Justice Reform Foundation (JRF), the National Reentry Workforce Collaborative (NRWC), and the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY).

Writer, Political Strategist, & Criminal Justice Advocate

A charismatic political strategist, criminal justice activist, and award-winning executive, Ashish Prashar is known for flipping the script and winning over the toughest adversary. He is formerly incarcerated, and writes and speaks candidly and passionately about ending prison and policing systems.

Ashish began his career in journalism and shortly moved over to politics, handling communications for the Conservative Party. Eventually, he became the youngest press secretary for the Mayor of London when he joined Boris Johnson’s press team in 2008. He also worked for the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative in Sierra Leone. In the United States, Ashish worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign, the 2018 Midterms for a number of Democrat candidates, and President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. He also mobilized formerly incarcerated citizens to exercise their right to vote in the 2020 election. Ashish brought his political communications acumen to the private sector as well. Since 2014, he has provided communication and policy counsel to multiple U.S. and Brazil based start-ups. In 2018 he became head of communications for Publicis Sapient, and most recently, he was the Global Chief Marketing Officer for R/GA. Ashish has appeared as a regular commentator in the media, contributing to CNN, Fast Company, NBC, The Guardian and USA Today. He graduated from the University of Westminster in London and happily resides with his family in New York City.

Chief Diversity Officer, Kelly

When Keilon Ratliff was named the first Chief Diversity Officer at Kelly in September 2022, he stepped into the role with more than 24 years of experience in the staffing industry. Keilon has a passion for breaking hiring barriers for underemployed talent groups, and a track record of success with clients and job seekers. As chief diversity officer (CDO), Ratliff leads the development and execution of the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, including programs and partnerships to attract and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce for Kelly and its clients.

Prior to being named CDO, Ratliff was a driving force behind the growth of the company’s Equity@Work initiative, which makes employment more accessible for job seekers who face discrimination. His pioneering work included a pilot project that inspired the launch and catalyzed the growth of Kelly 33, an initiative that connects Kelly clients with job seekers who have a non-violent, non-relevant criminal background. A solutions-driven leader, Ratliff previously led the automotive, energy and finance business at Kelly Professional & Industrial, where he was responsible for driving growth and profitability within these industries in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. He has also served as vice president of operations at KellyOCG, the outsourcing and consulting business of Kelly, where he was responsible for operational delivery within the industrial and manufacturing industry. Prior to that he was an operations leader in the Strategic Accounts and Operations Group at Kelly. In total, he has 20 years of experience with the company, serving in several additional key roles throughout his tenure. Ratliff is a Six Sigma Green Belt and holds a bachelor’s in psychology/human resources and an MBA from Ohio Dominican University. He has been named to Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2023 List of DEI Influencers. He lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, two sons, and Pomeranian.

CEO, The Ladies of Hope Ministries
Topeka K. Sam is the CEO of The LOHM and founder and President of EPIC Financial, TKS Ventures LLC, and Faces & Voices Inc. She serves on the board of directors for Coalition for Public Safety, The Marshall Project, Operation Restoration, and United Justice Coalition.

Since her release from federal prison on May 5, 2015, Topeka has served as a 2015 Beyond the Bars Fellow and a 2016 Justice-In-Education Scholar both from Columbia University, 2017 Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow, 2018 Unlocked Futures Inaugural Cohort Member, 2018 Opportunity Agenda Communications Institute Fellow, Director of #Dignity Campaign for #cut50, Senior Advisor of New Yorkers United for Justice. In 2020, the United Nations appointed Topeka as the Goodwill Ambassador for Social Justice (Incarceration Reform) of the Global Festival of Creative Economy. In December 2020, Topeka received a full presidential pardon for her dedication to helping women turn from a path of despair towards a path of redemption. She is the host of “The Topeka K. Sam Show” on SiriusXM UrbanView.

President, CEO, and Board Chair, NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG

Jo-Ann Wallace is the President, CEO and Board Chair of NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG, an insurance and risk management firm dedicated exclusively to the unique needs of the equal justice community and an advocate for justice and equity within the insurance industry.

Jo-Ann is the immediate past President and CEO of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), where she spent more than 20 years in leadership roles at the organization. She has received many honors for her advocacy including recognition from the Obama Administration as a White House “Champion of Change for Innovative Equal Justice Leadership” and by the Woman’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia as the 2023 Woman Lawyer of the Year.

Head of McLarty Europe & Senior Managing Director Years on the Council: 2019-2023

Strategic Partnerships Lead, Quantum Delta NL Years on the Council: 2018-2023

Advocacy & Activism Manager, Lush Cosmetics Years on the Council: 2018-2023

Partner, Clarke Johnston Thorp & Rice Years on the Council: 2017-2020    

Criminal Justice Reform U.S. Lead, Virgin Unite Years on the Council: 2018-2023