Donna Brazile

Donna Brazile is one of the best known, most influential African American women in modern American political life. She is chair of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute (VRI), an organization established in 2001 to help protect and promote the rights of all Americans to participate in the political process. Brazile made history as the first African American woman to lead a major presidential campaign when she served as campaign manager for Gore-Lieberman 2000. She is author of Cooking With Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics, a memoir about her life in the political arena, and co-author of What We Do Now. Brazile is also a weekly contributor and political commentator for CNN, a political consultant for ABC News, and a contributor to NPR's "Political Corner."

Sponsored by:

Keith Ferrazzi

Keith Ferrazzi, who has been called one of the world's most "connected" individuals by both Forbes and Inc. magazines, is CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a consulting and training company based in Los Angeles and New York. Before founding Ferrazzi Greenlight, he served as chief executive officer for YaYa Media, a leading interactive entertainment consultancy. Prior to that, Ferrazzi was chief marketing officer at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. In addition to his book Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, Ferrazzi has authored numerous articles for leading business publications, including Inc., Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review.

Sponsored by:

Ted Childs

In August 2006, Ted Childs retired from IBM after a distinguished 39-year career as a member of its corporate human resources team. Upon retiring, he founded Ted Childs LLC, an organization whose goal is to move a company from "spinning your wheels, politically correct behavior" to execution that reflects performance and leadership. Childs also served as executive assistant to Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks, executive director of the NAACP. Childs is involved with and serves as a leader for many organizations.