Alexandra Billings

Shaun Harper

he/him

Shaun Harper, Ph.D., is a Provost Professor at USC. A prolific and energizing speaker on a range of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, Shaun has delivered hundreds of keynote addresses around the world, often to audiences comprised of thousands.

Larry Vincent

he/him

Larry Vincent is an advisor to some of the world’s leading brands. He is the founder of Conclusive, a strategy and research firm that specializes in marketing for science, technology, and media industries. He is also an Associate Professor of the Practice of Marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business. He was previously Chief Branding Officer at UTA and founded the agency’s award-winning Brand Studio. 

Larry is the author of Legendary Brands and Brand Real. He is also the creator of The Findings Report, a blog and podcast that explores consumer behavior, trends, and advances in marketing research.

Michael Paranal

he/him

Michael Paranal is a finance and legal executive specializing in international securities and capital markets. He has worked in governments and multinational organizations including Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, SpaceX , the NFL and the European Central Bank. He is also a professor of Accounting, Tax and Global Leadership at the Leventhal and Marshall School, and teaches the Implicit Bias Seminar for all Marshall Graduate Programs.

Michael Paranal is the Founder and Director of GEMS (Guiding Exceptional Minds to Success) and the host of “The Catalyst” podcast. He started “Real-World Ready”, a financial Literacy program, in partnership with the LAPD, teaching positive financial behaviors to at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area.

Celia Sandhya Daniels

Rex Wilde

they/them

Rex Wilde is Founder & CEO of Rex Wilde Consulting. As one of the leading educators on gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Wilde connects with audiences through cutting edge research, experiential learning, and personal storytelling.

Ximena Bobadilla

they/them

Ximena Bobadilla, USC MBA, and former president of Marshall Pride, is a Mexican filmmaker and a management consultant at McKinsey for major tech, media, and telecom companies. Ximena is also an award-winning LGBTQIA+ activist!

Beck Bailey

Leigh Tost

she/her

Leigh Tost is the Vice Dean for USC MBA programs and a Professor of Management and Organization. She specializes in studying the psychological and sociological dynamics of hierarchy and diversity in organizations. Her work on diversity explores people's attitudes and delves into the unintended consequences of diversity initiatives. The implications of her research have been discussed in various media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review.

Ilayda Sekercioglu (moderator)

Ilayda graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Wanting to expand her horizons and business acumen, she began her career in the insurance industry in one of the largest risk management consulting companies, Gallagher. Ilayda specialized in providing property & casualty insurance brokerage services and support for Fortune 500 and mid-cap multinational clients. Following her insights into the global companies,  she was inspired to learn more about business and decided to pursue full-time MBA at USC. 

During her MBA at USC, she was emboldened to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship, music industry, and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community. At USC, she holds several leadership positions, serving as the VP of Allies (Marshall Pride), Enterpreneruship (Entrepreneurship Venture Management Association), and Finance & Strategy (Business of Entertainment Association). Currently, Ilayda interns as part of the Partner Acquisition and Success team at Venice Music, the independent digital music distributor co-founded by Troy Carter. 

Amber Benton

she/her

Amber Benton is an educator, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategist and consultant, and intergroup dialogue facilitator. She is a proud first-generation college student and advocate for healthy workplace cultures. In addition to her decades long DEI expertise, she earned her PhD in higher, adult, and lifelong education (HALE) from Michigan State University, a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Pacific University. 

Benton currently serves as the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the Marshall School of Business Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Karl Mehu

Gerald Garth

he/him

As Board President of Christopher Street West (CSW)/LA Pride, Gerald Garth oversees the organization’s commitment and adherence to its mission to provide safe, inclusive, and equitable opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community of Los Angeles. He also serves as Executive Director of the AMAAD Institute (Arming Minorities Against Addiction & Disease) with the mission to facilitate personalized individual access to programs services that foster safe, supportive, and healthy environments for people to live, learn, and develop to their fullest potential with a focus among LGBTQ+ people of color.

Carson Zone