Mikaela has an MS in Human Resources Management, is a certified executive coach, and experienced consultant. In 2015, Mikaela founded Reverb, a leading provider of flexible HR services for startups and growing companies in the Pacific Northwest. An HR professional for nearly twenty years, Mikaela enjoys coaching leaders at all levels and helping companies build healthy, inclusive cultures. She's been quoted in Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal and The Muse, and is a member of the Forbes Human Resources Council. She’s the author of Female Firebrands: Stories and Techniques to Ignite Change, Take Control, and Succeed in the Workplace.

Today, Aparna is a founder of  Moving Beyond, a practice that operationalizes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, creating positive impact for people and the planet. Her clients include The Raikes Foundation, Nordstrom, King County and Cascade Public Media. Growing up in 5 countries, Aparna witnessed the power of diverse voices early in life. This concept continues to be reinforced personally and professionally: diversity and inclusion is a pathway to success.

She believes in the power of story and frequently shines a light on equity at work as a presenter, keynote speaker, and panelist. Over the past decade, she has launched a number of groundbreaking equity initiatives, including Project Feast, a platform providing employment pathways for immigrant and refugee women in the food industry, and Firki, a highly scalable, nationwide teacher training portal in India.

B.J. leads Urban Impact's economic development efforts. As COO, he directs Urban Impact's Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Financial Management, and Administration functions. He also manages Urban Impact's Strategic Initiatives, including Urban Impact-owned programs and fiscal sponsorships. Prior to joining Urban Impact, B.J. was a 10 year Arby's Restaurant franchisee and owned a staffing agency. B.J. spent more than 10 years in consulting/public accounting with PriceWaterhouseCoopers also serving as a CPA (now inactive). He earned a MBA from the University of Colorado, and a B.A. in Accounting & Finance from Michigan State University.

Racquel Russell is the Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs at Zillow, the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration, and knowledge around the place they call home. In her current capacity, Racquel creates key public-private partnerships with government and NGOs at the local, regional and national level.

Previously, Racquel led President Obama’s Office of Urban Affairs and Economic Mobility where she focused on numerous issues including affordable housing as well as community and economic development. Prior to joining the White House in September 2010, Racquel held leadership positions for U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Bob Graham as well as for the National Governors Association.

Racquel received her Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Miami, where she graduated with honors.

Mark Monroe is the Managing General Partner at RedEye Studio; a venture firm that focuses on not only investing capital into startups but also working alongside startups to help grow and scale from startup idea to company.

Mark is social impact focused with a mission to improve diversity in startups which impacts the products and services that are provided to people. His background started at Microsoft then transitioned to UrbanTech Systems; a successful black owned civil engineering firm that he co-founded in 2007. He started MyUnfold which was the launchpad for his work alongside a few great partners to solve the problem of diversity in hiring alongside validation of skills.