Speakers

Lance is responsible for overseeing the design of products, buying of materials, getting inventory to stores, marketing and creating how displays look for Home Depot's holiday decorations, including this year's Halloween decorations.

Rachel has been with The Home Depot 8 years, holding various roles within In-Store Environment and Marketing. 

In her current role as the Senior Manager of Workshops and Regional Marketing, she and her team bring best-in-class learning experiences to customers of all ages through the Kids Workshops and Livestream Workshops programs. 

She also leads marketing support for new store grand openings, tax-free events, and disaster response. 

Outside of the home office, Rachel’s 1.5-year-old daughter and future doer, Charlie, keeps her very busy!

Marilyn Bonner supports the Earned Media Content team, a group of talented SEOs focused on driving visibility to the best-in-class content created by THD Content Programs.

Prior to joining THD, she developed and led successful enterprise SEO programs for two Top 25 banks, with Content and UX central to program strategy. 

She loves being a part of the Home Depot, often joking that she wears orange-colored glasses. 

At home, her “Future Doers” (ages 7 and 6) keep her life busy and full.

Dan Brandt has been with The Home Depot for the past two years leading the Brand & Capabilities audience pod. 

He’s originally from Minneapolis, MN with previous experience at Best Buy & agency side. 

He and his wife currently live in Decatur and are expecting their first child in January.

Jasmin Bretaña is a seasoned SEO professional on The Home Depot Earned Media Content team with nearly a decade of industry experience. 

She is passionate about improving the user journey through various techniques, from content and on-page optimization to user experience and technical site enhancements. 

Her expertise in implementing innovative organic search methods has led to a consistent track record of success. 

Dr. Mackenzie Bristow is a seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience, specializing in corporate and higher education training. 

Currently, she is a UX instructor at Home Depot, after earning her PhD from Georgia State University. Her career includes roles as Director of ESL and Global Engagement at Emory University, an English Language Specialist at the Department of State, and a corporate trainer at Samsung Corporation. 

Her work at Home Depot combines her passions for language and technology.

Maya is a transformative creative leader, instrumental in growing Delta's in-house agency WindowSeat. 

Her focus on empathic storytelling and diversity led to a 300% YOY output increase. She's helped launch partnership campaigns with prominent brands like Starbucks and Peloton. 

As Delta's first Creative Director of color, she's a champion of representation. 

Outside of Delta, Maya teaches at Georgia State University, mentors with KPMG, and supports non-profits dedicated to youth arts empowerment.

Dennis Han brings a wealth of experience in business and technology transformation and is passionate about the ramifications of Artificial Intelligence on society and the planet. 

He has a proven track record of driving concepts to reality, with a portfolio of "firsts" across industries. Dennis has held leadership positions at Microsoft, Salesforce, AIG, PwC, and BlackRock, among others. 

In his current role, Dennis is an Industry Advisor at Microsoft, working closely with Microsoft's marquee customers to drive value-based digital transformation. 

Dennis holds an MBA in Finance and Information Systems from the University of Southern Queensland and has completed education in Sustainability Leadership at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

Catlanta, aka Rory Hawkins, is an Atlanta based artist primarily known for his colorful and fun paintings of cats. He has produced hundreds of paintings under the moniker ‘Catlanta’, a name that grew from a few cats Rory spray painted on the walls of underpasses and abandoned properties throughout Atlanta in 2011. 

Inspired by nondestructive art movements like Free Art Friday, Rory transitioned from painting cats on walls to creating small, hand painted wooden cutouts of his iconic three-legged cat (called kittens) which he hides around town for anyone to find. Rory shares photo clues of the piece’s location and invites his followers to track down and keep any kitten that they can find. 

These ‘art drops’ are meant to highlight the people, places, and events that make Atlanta and other cities unique while inspiring exploration and engagement within the community where the artwork is hidden. 

Lee Hendrickson joined The Home Depot Foundation in May 2022. 

Her role as Corporate Volunteerism Manager is focused on establishing a successful, meaningful volunteerism program for store support associates across the country.

Lee brings perspective from sports and nonprofit industry leadership in people strategy, operations, and community engagement – including stints with the Arthur M. Blank Family of Businesses and the Super Bowl LIII host committee.

Kwame’s career path has progressed from Woodson Center's National Program Director, addressing low-income community issues, to PowerMyLearning Atlanta's CEO, augmenting education impact with 65% revenue growth and 115% program reach.

Recognized for excellence, he earned the Manhattan Institute's Social Entrepreneur Program Award, Atlanta Business Chronicle's Most Admired CEO, and Georgia Trends' 40 Under 40 accolades. 

A Leadership Atlanta graduate with a degree from University of Maryland and Executive Education Certificate from Harvard, Kwame remains dedicated to community enrichment and transformative leadership.

Nida is the Senior Manager of Personalization at The Home Depot where she is helping to the team to develop an enterprise approach to meet our customer experience needs with data driven strategy.  

Nida has been with Home Depot since 2013 and has spent her career in Marketing, specifically working on audience strategies.  

Nida is a graduate from Georgia State University, earning her MBA in Marketing and International Business.

Meghan Keaney Anderson is a writer and marketing executive with twenty years of experience at the intersection of brand, product marketing and demand generation.

 She currently runs Marketing for Jasper, an AI platform that helps companies securely create on-brand AI content anywhere. Prior to Jasper, Meghan was in executive marketing at HubSpot, where she helped it grow from a start-up to a publicly traded global company. 

Meghan also serves on the board of directors of FamilyAid, an organization working to prevent homelessness in Boston.

Luke Lambert is the Chief Innovation and Product Solutions Officer for OMD USA. the largest media agency in the world, awarded multiple accolades from Creative Agency of the Year to Most Innovative. 

He brings his clients and his agency innovative opportunities that deliver future-proofed, advanced capabilities that allow them to always know what’s next –and be confident these investments have high returns. 

He has a true understanding of Agile, a product dev process he’s instilled in the agency to ensure high rigor and internal and external rapid collaboration. 

Fast is Luke’s first gear, because consumer behaviors are influenced more rapidly than ever before. Luke believes it is important to live an integrated life. 

There is no “outside of work,” — he loves what he does and looks for new media and brand experiences whenever IRL. When recharging, he does so off the grid – exploring the outdoors with friends and family.  

He resides just outside of Chicago, IL.

Regina Malloy currently serves as the Manager of CRM Design at The Home Depot.

 Regina's work experience includes her role as a Production Coordinator at The NUN Group in Atlanta, where she took on multiple responsibilities, including IT management, graphic & web design, talent management, transportation coordination, film coordination, and so much more. 

Regina holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Atlanta. 

Beyond her professional endeavors, Regina is actively involved in extracurricular activities. Her responsibilities include planning and implementing programming, coordinating field trips and guest speakers, as well as working closely with volunteer groups.

Marcelo Lewin is a technology enthusiast with a focus on emerging filmmaking technologies. 

Starting his career in the late 90s as a web developer, he has worked with renowned companies such as Toyota, NBC, and Walt Disney. He has also sold five websites of his original creation, including "How to Create VR" and "Headless Creator".

 Currently, he is studying Post-Production and Editing at UCLA and running CreativeSpark.ai, a platform for filmmakers interested in cutting-edge technologies.

Ryan McEnaney, a fifth-generation family member of Bailey Nurseries, manages public relations and social media for the 115-year-old company, one of America's largest shrub and tree producers. 

As a national consumer spokesperson, he's been featured in major publications, appeared on television across the US, and tours the country educating homeowners about gardening. 

His approach emphasizes fun, accessibility, and collaboration in gardening.

Macy Moreau is a Manager of Marketing Technology and Operations at The Home Depot, where she leads a Solutions team delivering innovations that drive operational excellence and company growth. 

Joining the company in 2017, she has held roles of increasing responsibility across online merchandising, product data management, and marketing. 

She is passionate about participating in initiatives that promote associate development, diversity, and engagement. 

Macy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Oglethorpe University, where she still serves as a student mentor. 

In her spare time, you will find her walking her dogs or near a body of water.

In the ever-evolving realm of branding, Brandon stands as a visionary pioneer with over a quarter-century of transformative expertise. From navigating the tumultuous waves of the dot.com era, the explosion of social media, and now harnessing the power of Generative AI, he's been at the forefront, guiding brands into uncharted territories. 

Brandon's has breathed life into over 40 brands across diverse sectors including health and wellness, home improvement, hospitality, technology, retail and finance. 

Today, as the Head of Strategy and Transformation at Trade School, Brandon is on a mission: to usher brands into the future with dynamic strategies and tailored content.

Alan Parker is a proven innovator and transformation agent. Throughout his career, he has established numerous new capabilities, offerings, products and businesses for some of the world’s most successful agencies including: BBDO, MullenLowe, Golin, Ogilvy and Hill & Knowlton. 

He has a proven track record of planning and implementing transformation plans and product innovations for some of the world’s most notable brands such as: Mondelēz, LinkedIn, Unilever, Xbox and Ernst & Young. 

Since joining BBDO in 2018, Alan has led innovation and transformation projects in the areas of Data integration, Taxonomy strategies, Content Automation and AI implementation for clients including: Bayer, Mars- Wrigley, Champion and Brown-Forman.

Nick Skytland is the Chief Technologist at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where he drives open innovation and technology development. 

Starting as an engineer, he's held various roles, including Program Manager for Open Innovation and Data Science programs, and Agency Talent and Technology Strategist.

Skytland launched the International Space Apps Challenge and authored the Future of Work study.

He's also a published author of "What Comes Next?: A Guide for Shaping the Future in an Ever-Changing world", and a dedicated triathlete with 32 Ironman races under his belt.

John Stapleton, a stalwart member of Trade School for over two decades, holds the pivotal role of Head of Creative Innovation. 

With an extensive tenure that reflects his profound commitment, John has consistently spearheaded the integration of cutting-edge ideas into the organization’s fabric. 

Drawing inspiration from his ardent interests in technology, biking, photography, and video, he brings a dynamic perspective to his leadership. A true embodiment of creativity and dedication, John’s contributions have left an indelible mark on our company’s trajectory, propelling us into new dimensions of innovation and excellence. 

Julie Straw, Executive Director of Atlanta-based nonprofit RE:IMAGINE, is a trailblazer in youth programming. 

Her strategic alliances with Disney and Lionsgate have paved opportunities for young storytellers. 

With a Masters in Public Health and her background in health communications and program evaluation, she integrates arts and wellness into alternative education. 

Since joining RE:IMAGINE in 2014, Julie's production experience has resulted in over 200 films and a defiantly original podcast series, driving the organization to new heights.

Erin is the Director of Personalization at The Home Depot. 

She has been with the company since 2014 as part of the Integrated Media organization, holding various roles within marketing over the years, including being part of the team that established Audience Marketing for Home Depot. 

Most recently she held the position of Director – Audience Marketing, where she led the development of audience programs for both consumer and pro, while driving innovation across the organization to scale data driven marketing. 

Erin earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Business from Clemson University.

Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora co-founded Back to the Roots, an organic gardening company that grew from a college mushroom farming project into the nation's top brand, distributed in over 10,000 stores. 

Their mission to reconnect families to food and land has received international recognition, such as being on Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies" and Forbes' "30 Under 30". 

The duo have also given TEDx Talks and appeared on numerous media outlets.

For almost 20 years, Matt Wallaert has been applying behavioral science to practical problems.  After leaving academia, and before founding BeSci.io (Behavioral Science in organizations), he and the world’s most experienced behavioral science leaders helped companies grow applied behavioral science capabilities within their organizations.

In his book Start At The End and other writings, as well as in talks from the UN to SXSW, Wallaert details how the cycle of behavioral strategy, insights, design, and evaluation can help us build products and services that change behavior.