SUMMIT SPEAKERS

Abhinav is a senior at UNLV studying Finance. He also works for Junior Achievement as the middle/high school program coordinator helping implement financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship programs in schools in the Las Vegas area.

Ashley Moore is a noteworthy saleswoman within the medical device space where she has been recognized for her success within Gastroenterology, Cardiac Rhythm Heart Failure & Cardiac Plumbing . She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.

Carl Kennebrew has been a proud member of IUE-CWA for over 30 plus years, where he currently serves as International President. He is a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Trainer and Mediator. He was recognized as a 2017 Top Ten African American Male. Additionally, he received Dayton’s 2017 Men of Influence award.

Evelyn has a BS from USC in Public Policy & Development, an MA in Urban Leadership, and is working on a doctorate at UNLV. She is an instructor at CSN Division of Workforce & Economic Development. She completed spiritual studies in Egypt, Peru, Kenya & the US, and is the CEO of Mindful Alliances, LLC.

Dinisha is Las Vegas native. She completed her undergraduate studies in Portland, Oregon and earned her Master’s in Educational Psychology from UNLV. She has worked as a behavioral and rehabilitation specialist since 2011 providing outpatient services to children and adults with mental health diagnoses. Her experience includes working with diverse ages, ethnicities and genders. Dinisha advocates for cultural competency in treatment and speaks conversational Spanish. She has facilitated groups for children starting at age 4, adolescents and adults. She worked as treatment coordinator and Director of other agencies until beginning her own.

Dinisha opened MHS due to wanting to provide quality mental health services to a high-needs population by teaching. Setting and expecting a standard of excellence in mental healthcare through provider quality, compassion, education and experience. Dinisha has always been an advocate and servant of under-privileged and under-served populations. She has volunteered and given community service throughout high school and college by tutoring and supporting youth groups. Dinisha is the current chairperson of Solutions of Change, a non-profit which advocates, supports and helps those with mental health diagnoses. Dinisha believes it’s important to facilitate open, solution-oriented dialogue about mental and behavioral health in the Las Vegas community so those dealing with such stressors are not stigmatized but get the proper help. Dinisha and MHS continue to build community partnerships and support initiatives for the advancement of people and families through education, spirituality, health, arts, and community service as it relates to mental and behavioral health. Dinisha believes in living a life of service which is the most effective way to BE THE CHANGE and help Free the Mind of the Mental Health.

Jada Bell is a freshman psychology major at Fisk University. As an accomplished and forward-thinking student, Jada is a voracious reader and has a deep passion for serving her community. She is a track & field athlete, coffee enthusiast, and storyteller. Known for being the fourth oldest of ten children, Jada is a born leader and hopes to leave an impact on the world as she strives to become an FBI agent.

A Georgia-born, Award-Winning medical device rep by day and a mindset coach by evening. Voted Rookie of the Year, District MVP, 2X Winners Circle & Field Sales Leader. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

Karen Szwed Prieto is the Graduate Assistant for UNLV Early Outreach. She is a current UNLV student in the Social Work Masters program and is passionate about sharing college readiness knowledge.

Kimberly Scott is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from Mississippi Valley State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), with a major in Criminal Justice. She currently works as an ASM for TJX Companies.

Kourtney Hollingsworth, PhD, has a Doctor of Philosophy in Statistical Analysis. She is a Delta, the Co-Chair under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the representative for the White House Federal Commission in STEM and HBCU Initiatives.

La'rell Wysinger is the 14-year-old owner of Chily Barkers, the first chili cupcake company. Chily Barkers launched in March of 2020. La'rell began by making deliveries to people unable to leave their houses. Within a short period of time, he invested in a trailer and converted it into a food truck. La'rell's biggest goal is to go on Shark Tank to help franchise his business so the world can taste The Best Chili Cupcake Thingy?!

LaSaundra Powell works in medical device sales where she serves as a Clinical Specialist for Boston Scientific. Her journey includes a career pivot where she shifted from construction to the medical industry. Currently she travels across the West Coast providing a solution for chronic back pain.

LaShonda Shields is an IT Security and Audit professional and Army veteran with over 15 years of industry-tested experience and performance. Areas of expertise include: IT project management, vulnerability scanning, document management, risk assessment/management, incident response, access control, security awareness user training, business continuity and disaster recovery, information systems and technology examinations. With experience working for both the federal government and the private sector, LaShonda has used her knowledge and skills to conduct compliance reviews and co-manage several programs with respect to SOC, ISO, FFIEC, GLBA, and GDPR. LaShonda received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Alcorn State University. LaShonda is inspired by her daughter. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her daughter, travel, and try new things.

LaToya Shields, a native of Woodville, Mississippi is entering her 7th year in the transit industry and her 3rd year employed at a mid-size transit agency in North Texas as the Senior IT Project Coordinator. As the Senior IT Project Coordinator, she maintains the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Asset Management Systems.

She is a 2004 graduate of Alcorn State University, receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Computer Networking. LaToya is currently working on her Master of Science Degree from Lamar University in Management Information Systems. She is a firm believer in God and knows that her faith has gotten her through many tough times and challenges.

LaToya resides in the Midcities with her daughter, Aria. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, dancing and cheering on the Alcorn State University Braves. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and the Honor Society.

Laura's journey with UNLV began 14 years ago, when she joined Admissions in a small office where part of the process was manual. She became part of the growing UNLV community and fell in love with its innovative changes. She is proud to be a member of such a different, daring, and diverse institution focused on promoting higher education and helping its students achieve it.

Laura Modrcin holds a master's in education from Vanderbilt University and spent six years teaching middle and high school before making the move to higher education. As the UNLV Early Outreach Specialist, Laura works with students from kindergarten through high school to increase their likelihood of attending college. Laura is especially interested in removing obstacles that stand in the way of college attendance and in empowering both students and parents to make educational choices that lead to fulfillment and success.

Dr. Luna Rodriguez has strong hands-on experience in applications related to atmospheric science and transport and dispersion, and is exceptionally creative when it comes to data mining techniques for large datasets. Dr. Rodriguez received a B.S in Physics from The University of Puerto Rico, a M.S. and Ph.D. in Meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Dr. Rodriguez is a boundary layer meteorologist who has 12 years of experience working in national laboratories, as a contractor for the United States government, and in academic settings. Her interest lies in discerning and extracting patterns in large datasets that have immediate societal impacts.

Malik Green is 21 years old, and was born, raised, and still lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a junior at UNLV where he is majoring in Theatre.

Melvin Valentine Jr. had to overcome a multitude of obstacles growing up in the inner city. Despite those challenges, he was able to graduate college with a bachelor's degree in Human Communication and has developed a 16 year career in developing effective public and private partnerships.

Myles Diego Green is the younger twin brother of Malik Green. He is 21 years old and was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attends UNLV, class of 2023, and his major is Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.

Nakia Barker is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from Grambling State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), with a major in Secondary Math Education. She currently works as a Secondary Middle School Administrator at the Clark County School District.