Emily is a venture capitalist, mentor and former founder who sold her first company at 35, leveraging her BA and MA in economics from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. With 12 years of experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG) product development, she has launched multiple 7-figure brands and now helps entrepreneurs through her course, START to SOLD. She co-founded Jocko White Tea, growing it to over $1 million in revenue before exiting. Emily’s early work as a research assistant under economist Richard Easterlin shaped her data-driven, people-focused approach to scaling businesses. Now based in Dallas, she’s publishing Success Sauce and empowering others to achieve success on their own terms.

Cassandra Cummings is the founder of The Stocks & Stilettos Society, a community of more than 250,000 beginning investors stepping up their financial game to achieve their financial and wealth-building goals. The author of Fearless Finances: A Timeless Guide to Building Wealth, Cassandra has been featured on The Breakfast Club and The Tavis Smiley Show, and profiled in Black Enterprise, Marie Claire, Business Insider, Essence, AfroTech and The Wall Street Journal. She earned a BS in accounting from the USC Leventhal School of Accounting and a certificate in women’s entrepreneurship from Cornell University.

Mónica Gil is the Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, where she leads Operations, Marketing, Strategy and Insights, and Communications. Since joining in 2017, she has played a key role in positioning Telemundo as the nation’s top Spanish-language network, spearheading brand development, digital marketing, and record-breaking campaigns like the 2022 FIFA World Cup broadcast.

A champion for diversity and women’s leadership, she launched Telemundo’s leadership programs and the Telemundo Academy. Previously, she held leadership roles at Nielsen, shaping consumer insights for major media clients, and began her career in political strategy. Recognized among Adweek’s 50 and People en Español’s 25 Most Powerful Women, she serves on the boards of NIKE, Inc. and the National Women’s History Museum. Gil holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley and an M.A. from USC.

Candace Givens is the sector vice president of Mission Assurance at Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems sector, a premier provider of military aircraft, autonomous systems, aerospace structures and next-generation solutions.  In this role, she is responsible for compliance, independence and mission assurance of Northrop Grumman’s systems across the total program life cycle, from design through fielded operations. Candace previously served as the Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) and Geospatial Systems (OGS) business units, where she focused on delivering highly capable, resilient and defendable systems for scientists and warfighters. She earned her EdD from the USC Rossier School of Education.

Angie Simonson is the senior vice president of strategy and operations for Asante Health Network, a Southern Oregon nonprofit healthcare system. In this position, Angie specializes in strategizing inclusive, financially sustainable and operationally strong hospital leadership skills, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. A strong believer in supporting others, Angie mentors leaders and speaks with a focus on growing skill sets in the demanding, fast-paced and competitive landscape of healthcare. She earned her EdD from the USC Rossier School of Education.

Pilaar Terry is a managing partner & COO for POV Agency, a boutique strategic communications agency that not only reimagines how public relations and communications are done, but also who does the work. Her agency is powered by all types of diversity and a firm belief that representation truly matters. Pilaar has 20+ years of entertainment public relations and marketing experience and has worked alongside more than 100 global brands, including Nike Brand Jordan, AT&T, Clorox, Diageo, Universal Pictures, Frito Lay, Disney and more. She earned a BA in broadcast journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and currently serves on the school’s alumni advisory board. In addition, she previously served as her alma mater’s Executive in Residence.

Alexis Jeffries is a principal senior manager within the communications, media & technology strategy practice at Accenture. She previously served as the global head of business product marketing at Glassdoor, and as a business product marketing executive at Meta. Alexis has also worked in global advertising at OMD and Wunderman Thompson, and began her career as a journalist, writing for Money Magazine. Alexis is currently an “Expert-in-Residence” and an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at her alma mater, the USC Marshall School of Business. In addition to her MBA from the USC Marshall School, she holds degrees from Northwestern University and The American University of Paris.

Shannen Coleman Siciliano is an executive/life coach and the founder and CEO of Begin Within Leadership. Through her belief that transformative leadership “begins within,” she guides leaders to move beyond systemic barriers and take aligned action toward their goals. Shannen’s executive experience spans education reform and nonprofit leadership, as well as consulting for schools, nonprofits, government entities and corporations. A Peter Jennings Civic Leadership Award recipient, she has helped has secured more than $380 billion for local and statewide education through coalition building and campaign management. . A SoCal native now based in Chicago, Shannen earned a BA in communication from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Amy Kesselhaut Rice is a proud graduate of the USC Marshall School of Business, where she earned a BS in business administration, focused on finance and entrepreneurship. Currently serving her third term on the Alumni Entrepreneur Network Board, she works as the youth education manager for the Women Founders Network. Amy is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and the next generation of leaders.

Jayda Koland Jones is a data science consultant with over a decade of experience working across several industries, including healthcare, retail, e-commerce, aviation, B2B procurement, marketing, insurance and economic litigation. Her professional expertise includes deploying machine learning solutions, customizing optimization algorithms, building predictive models and strategizing on opportunities for AI adoption. Jayda is the founder and principal consultant of BDJ Strategy LLC, an AI and advanced analytics consultancy focused on delivering client-first data science projects. She has a BA in economics from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and an MSc in data science from Northwestern University.

Stephanie Sylvestre is a dynamic transformational leader and co-founder of Avatar Buddy, an AI company dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses. With a BA in international relations from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts an Sciences and an MA in international studies and economics from the University of Miami, Stephanie combines her academic background with hands-on IT leadership experience. She has held such pivotal roles as chief information officer at The Children’s Trust, where she managed a $184 million portfolio. Stephanie is passionate about leveraging technology for social impact, fostering high-performance teams and driving initiatives that promote diversity and innovation.

Adrienne Bankert is an award-winning national news anchor and author. She currently hosts NewsNation Now each weekend, as well as her special series, One Nation Under God, examining faith in America; Adrienne also launched NewsNation’s Morning in America. Prior to joining NewsNation, worked as a correspondent and anchor for ABC News, Good Morning America and World News Tonight. Adrienne’s book, Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness that Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone,” shares how kindness creates authentic muscle memory for being more fulfilled and more relatable in teams, friendships, with strangers, and high-caliber individuals wherever we are. She earned a BA in communication from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Gabriela Valverde-Rivera is a seasoned business leader with a passion for driving transformational change and culture. She is currently the head of human resources, North America Direct at Nike, where she partners with executives to align people strategy with business goals and enhance employee engagement. Gabriela is also a professor and teaches courses on business and leadership at East LA College and Portland State University. In addition, she is a member of the Latinas in Tech community, where she mentors women of color. Gabriela holds a master’s in management and leadership from Pepperdine University and a doctorate in organizational change and leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education.

Mary Andres is a professor of clinical education at the USC Rossier School of Education, specializing in substance abuse treatment, sexuality, LGBTQ+ concerns and clinical supervision. Her research focuses on experiential learning and best practices in therapist development. A dedicated volunteer, Mary supervises doctoral candidates at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. She also served on the USC Lambda LGBTQ+ Alumni Association Board of Directors, including a term as the board’s co-president. Mary earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Wright State University and served USC Counseling Services for a decade. She has also been a psychologist for Semester at Sea and Cannes Film Festival’s American Pavilion Internship Program, and remains active in advancing MFT training in Los Angeles County.

Tasha Danvers is a two-time Olympian who won the bronze in the 440-meter hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Games. While competing at USC , she won several Pac-10 and NCAA titles and was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2007. Tasha is also the founder of The Olympian’s Way, specializing in success and accountability coaching. An in-demand motivational speaker, she has given talks at such companies as Coca-Cola, Google and LinkedIn; for her alma mater, Tasha delivered the keynote address at USC’s Black Graduation. A mother, author, and adventurer who summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tasha is passionate about helping others achieve extraordinary results through discipline, purpose and unwavering focus. She earned a BS in music industry from the USC Thornton School of Music.

Priya Rana Kapoor is an executive life coach, consultant, author and speaker who facilitates workshops and trainings for international corporations and nonprofits. To help clients succeed personally and professionally, she guides them in building businesses, improving their leadership skills and navigating career advancement or transition. Over the years, Priya has been a guest on NBC’s Today Show, BBC Radio Asia and numerous podcasts.

Priya earned a BA in theatre (acting) from the USC School of Dramatic Arts and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFTH) from the USC Rossier School of Education. She currently serves on the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors Executive Committee.

The USC Career Center helps students, alumni and faculty thrive at all stages of their professional life. The center also offers resources, workshops and events to help students succeed in the job market. 

The USC Trojan Women’s Network (USC TWN) engages ambitious alumnae who are interested in personal and professional development, as well as in giving back to the university. Board members host multiple events throughout the year to engage alumnae and raise funds for student scholarships.