Head of Creative Diversity, BBC
Joanna leads on the BBC’s planning and development of diversity and inclusion initiatives related to on-air talent, commissioning guidelines, diverse audience panels, and monitoring and reporting. She joined the BBC in 2022 as a multi-award-winning social impact entrepreneur, journalist and broadcaster, and is the founder of executive search, diversity and inclusion consultancy Blue Moon. Joanna was awarded an MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours list for her services to diversity and inclusion in the creative and media industries.
Chief Partnerships Officer, The Valuable 500
Crosby Cromwell has worked across the corporate sector, global NGOs, and as a social impact entrepreneur, dedicating her career to ensuring people with disabilities can thrive economically. She was pivotal in designing and implementing Walmart’s first national disability platform. Crosby also served as a senior program officer at the Walmart Foundation where she led Women’s Giving, creating sustainable career pathways for low-income women. She is a development advisor for Mobility International, and regularly speaks on topics ranging from DEI employment to corporate social responsibility.
Director of Diversity Products, Cox Communications
Jen Earnest serves as Sr. Director, Digital & Accessibility for Cox, in Atlanta, GA, and is responsible for B2B digital marketing, sales & self-service as well as Cox’s enterprise accessibility program. Jen’s team works collaboratively with other groups within the organization to develop and deliver products and services to meet the needs of all customers, including those with disabilities. Jen joined Cox in 2009. During this time, she has played key roles in the development of cox.com through strategic contributions in the areas of user experience and online communications. Jen has a passion for creating a culture where Accessibility is engrained into the company’s overall DNA. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications.
Senior Principal, Accenture Research
Dominic King is the UK & Ireland Research lead at Accenture. His research explores the relationship between sustainability and business performance. He co-led Accenture’s Getting to Equal research series (2018-20) which evidenced the link between inclusive workplace cultures and employee/company performance and has led inclusion & diversity research projects for organizations such as the IFC, W20, B20 and Girls Who Code. He splits his time between London and Bath, where he plays and watches as much sport as his two young children allow.
DEI Consultant, New Perspectives
As a woman with a disability since birth and additional disabilities developing later in life, Jessie has always navigated a world (literally) not built for her and others like her. Born in a pre-ADA America meant learning to fight at a young age for her right to proper education, enrichment, and health care. She learned to navigate the constant stream of “no” and reach her personal and professional goals. Jessie has observed the reality that even the most robust DEI strategies often exclude the identity intersection of disability, leading to her initiate conversations essential for closing this gap and increase disability equity. While laws have changed, many harmful “norms” have not. Watch her keynote presentation on views of disability for more information.
With an MBA in Organizational Behavior, Jessie understands how businesses work. Her leadership track record in people programming fuels her ability to effectively integrate equity and inclusion into HR solutions. Jessie is passionate about making sure programs work together from onboarding through exit equity analysis to amplify equity and improve the employee experience.
Jessie provided a case study addressing how to influence change and increase cross-functional involvement in DEI work in Cynthia Owyoung’s book All Are Welcome. Additionally, she provided expert guidance on disability-related content for Dr. Suzanne Wertheim’s book The Inclusive Language Field Guide. She is currently a program advisor and instructor in the Kapor Center’s DEIB Certification Program.
She has experience working directly with executive leadership in areas including leadership coaching, strategic planning, and change management. Jessie holds a Certification in the Foundations of NeuroLeadership and utilizes her unique training in this area to help others design and implement successful learning initiatives and drive behavior change. She is currently pursuing a degree in Disability Studies from City University of New York.
