STACY L. SMITH
Associate Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Founder and Director, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative

Inclusion in Top-Grossing Films:
On Screen and Behind the Camera 

Stacy L. Smith joined the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism faculty in 2003. Her research focuses on content patterns pertaining to onscreen representation examining gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT, disability, and mental health across all media, including film, television, and digital; employment patterns behind the scenes in entertainment; barriers and opportunities facing women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on screen and behind the camera in media; economic analyses examining correlates of box office performance; and solutions to inequality in entertainment. She is also the founder and director of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the world’s leading think tank studying diversity and inclusion in entertainment through original research and sponsored projects.

Smith has written more than 100 journal articles, book chapters and reports on content patterns and effects of the media. She has received multiple “top paper” awards for her research from the Instructional Developmental Division of the International Communication Association. Smith’s research has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, Variety and USA Today, to name a few. She also a co-edited an essay in Maria Shriver’s book, A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything.

Smith earned her PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Read more here.

RAMONA L. CAPPELLO ’81
Founder and CEO, Sun Harvest Salt, LLC
Chair, Alumni Affairs Committee, USC Board of Trustees

Great Women – Great Leaps

Ramona L. Cappello is an entrepreneur with a strong track record of delivering excellent business results for a variety of food and beverage companies by leveraging strong brands or creating new ones. Over the course of her 30+ year career, she has held senior management roles at Nestlé Foods, Kendall Jackson Wine Estates and Celestial Seasonings. Cappello also played a key management role at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Company prior to its sale to Hershey Foods.

In 2014, she founded Sun Harvest Salt, LLC, the exclusive distributor for all-natural and low-sodium salts from Guerrero Negro, a Baja, California wildlife preserve and UNESCO World Heritage site. She currently serves as the company’s CEO.

After losing her father and both grandfathers to heart disease, Cappello founded Corazonas Foods, which markets the only line of great tasting, heart-healthy snacks that are clinically proven to lower cholesterol.  She served as president and CEO of Corazonas Foods from 2005 to 2013.

The chair of the True Beverage Holdings Board of Directors, Cappello also serves on the boards of Luxco, Inc. and Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. Appointed to the USC Board of Trustees in 2014, she currently chairs its Alumni Affairs Committee. In addition, she’s a member of both the USC Associates and Marshall Partners.

Cappello graduated as valedictorian from the USC Marshall School of Business, where she earned a degree in business.

YASMIN DAVIDDS ’95
CEO, Women’s Institute of Negotiation

Wisdom Meets Passion: Women Redefining Power through Collaboration

Yasmin Davidds is an organizational psychologist, bestselling author, and the founder and CEO of both the Women’s Institute of Negotiation and the Latina Global Executive Leadership & Entrepreneur Institute.

As one of only a few Latina negotiation experts in the United States and Latin America, Davidds has coached and counseled more than 2,000 corporate leaders in 200+ blue-chip companies in 22 countries. In 2011, Davidds established the Women’s Institute of Negotiation (WIN), which is dedicated to the teaching, instruction and development of negotiation skills for leadership success in academic, corporate and professional settings. Her commitment to the empowerment and development of women leaders has been recognized by the U.S. Congress, the California State Senate and the California State Assembly.

Davidds has written several books, including Empowering Latinas: Breaking Boundaries, Freeing Lives (2001) and Take Back Your Power: How to Reclaim It, Keep It, and Use It to Get What You Deserve (2015).

Davidds graduated from the USC Marshall School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

JAIME LEE ’06, JD ’09
CEO, Jamison Realty, Inc.
President, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors

University Greeting

Jaime Lee, a commercial real estate executive and dedicated Trojan, began volunteering for her alma mater in 2010, when she was appointed to the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association (APAA) Board of Directors. Named board president five years later, she served in that capacity for two years. During her tenure, APAA reached its initial $2 million fundraising goal and awarded a record-setting 77 scholarships to deserving students in 2016.

A member of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors since 2011, Lee has served on the USC Women’s Conference host committee three times and served on the founding board of the USC Gould School of Law Alumni Association from 2013 to 2014.

Lee is the CEO of Jamison Realty, Inc., which owns, manages and leases approximately 18 million square feet of office, mixed-use and multi-family properties in Los Angeles. She is also commissioner and board president for the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System, and a board member of Town Hall Los Angeles; the California Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board; and the Anderson Munger YMCA.

Lee earned her BA and JD from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the USC Gould School of Law, respectively.

JULIE MILLER ’69, MS ’72
Founder and President, SuccessFactorsInc.Net
Author of  Secrets of Self-Starters

My Curious Source for Passion, Power and Wisdom 

If you want to be more successful in life, both professionally and personally, Julie Miller will get to what matters most. You will leave motivated, empowered and inspired to think differently about your future. 

Julie Miller brings more than three decades of business acumen to SuccessFactorsInc.Net, a market-tested employee development and training program that helps participants recognize their key talents and learn how to align their personal and professional goals with their company’s vision and mission.

Over the course of her career, she has consulted, trained and coached executives of all levels at organizations ranging from startups to such Fortune 500 companies as Costco, Microsoft and Starbucks. Through her vast experience and extensive research, Miller has identified the “success factors” that contribute to high performance, enhanced leadership skills and increased profits. bottom line profits.

In recognition of her professional success and community service, Miller has received numerous awards, including the Women Business Owners (WBO) Excellence Award and the Helen Thayer Woman of the Year Award. In addition, the YMCA has twice voted her Volunteer of the Year.

A bestselling author, Miller recently published Secrets of Self-Starters: 48 Amazing Stories to Ignite the Self-Starter in YOU! One of her earlier books, Business Writing That Counts!, is now in its seventh printing.

Miller earned her BA and MS from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the USC Rossier School of Education, respectively.

CAROL J. GEFFNER MPA ’78 
Professor of the Practice of Governance, Management and Policy
Director, Executive Master of Leadership Program
USC Price School of Public Policy

Leadership as Improvisation (TCC 352 – Franklin Suite)

Improvisation is the art of the unexpected. And it is the unexpected and ever-changing landscape in which great leaders rise to the occasion. This workshop will highlight core practices and principles that will help leaders learn to let go and succeed as masters of improvisation.

Carol J. Geffner is a nationally recognized speaker on such topics as organizational change and CEO and executive team leadership and performance.  She is particularly interested in the intersection of organizational performance, management and the discipline of psychology as a basis for her work. Throughout her career, she has worked with multi-sectorial organizations to improve their capacity for sustainable success.

For the past 10 years, Geffner has served as the president of the national healthcare consulting firm Newpoint Healthcare Advisors, which helps healthcare organizations transform so they can compete and thrive in a new, value-driven environment.

Geffner earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, a master of public administration from the USC Price School of Public Policy, and a PhD from Claremont Graduate University.

CAT LAMBERTINI
First Vice President-Wealth Management,
Senior Financial Advisor, Retirement Benefits Consultant
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Bank of America Corporation

Wealth Management (TCC 302)

Cat Lambertini entered the financial services area from the small business and legal world in 2002. From the beginning, her avid interest in the corporate retirement space lined up perfectly with her managed-money approach for her individual clientele.

After working more than a decade at Morgan Stanley, where she served as the corporate retirement director, Lambertini joined Merrill Lynch in 2012. She quickly gained the designation of retirement plan consultant, which enabled her to continue her business-cornerstone pursuit of 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Her Merrill Lynch team prides itself on the high-touch custom plan servicing model. This corporate plan business provides Lambertini’s team with a pipeline of individuals and families that she serves in her retail practice. In this area, Lambertini spends time getting to know her clients and their relationship with their money so she can properly get them to and through retirement.

A true Angeleno, Lambertini attended UCLA and later finished her studies in philosophy at the University of Bologna in Italy. She credits her experience in Italy, where she also ran an import-export company, with teaching her to become a problem solver in the most difficult business situations—along with learning how to eat seasonal-only food and drink proper wine.

Fluent in Spanish and Italian, Lambertini serves on Bank of America’s Latino Leadership Team and chairs the National Association of Professional Women-Los Angeles Financial Committee. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two teenage daughters.

DESIREE WATSON (USC Parent) 
Founder, Wellness Interactive, Inc.

Creating a Culture of Wellness for Your Company (TCC 227)

Communicating your company’s commitment to wellness and sustainability adds to your brand’s cachet. This workshop will help corporate and nonprofit executives adapt to a culture of community social responsibility. Learn how to capitalize on your constituents’ interest in being well and protecting the environment to create brand loyalty and positively impact those around you.

Desiree Watson is an award-winning, performance-focused corporate wellness and sustainability program leader with 20+ years of experience customizing innovative wellness programs to support staff engagement, productivity, morale, communication, motivation and efficiency. As the CEO of Wellness Interactive Inc., Watson leads a dedicated team of physicians, therapists, educators and consultants in providing a holistic mind, body and spirit approach to wellness challenges and wellness corporate solutions. Her clients include AARP, the PGA of America, Kaiser Permanente, BET Networks, NBA Wives Foundation and other educational institutions, corporations, foundations and civic groups.

Watson earned a BS in marketing, communications and advertising from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

She has two daughters: Alayjah ’12, who graduated from the USC School of Dramatic Arts, and Sheridan ’14, who graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

LUANDA GRAZETTE MD 
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Dr. Luanda Grazette is a cardiologist who has extensive experience with cardiac transplant patients and management of heart-failure patients in critical-care settings and in-patient consultation. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, she engages in clinical and translation research exploring the potential for myocardial recovery in systolic, diastolic and right ventricular failure.

Dr. Grazette earned both her medical degree and master’s in public health from Harvard University.

MITRA K. NADIM MD 
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Dr. Mitra K. Nadim’s major clinical and research interests concern the diagnosis and management of resistant hypertension. She is currently one of the national principal investigators in the Rheos Pivitol Trial, which is a multicenter clinical trial looking at efficacy and safety of the Rheos system, an implantable baroreflex device, in subjects with resistant hypertension.

Dr. Nadim earned her medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

SHARON ORRANGE MD ’98, MPH, FACP 
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine 

Dr. Sharon Orrange specializes in internal medicine and primary care. She is often invited to lecture internal medicine and psychiatry residents on depression and anxiety disorders in primary care, as well as in the area of women’s health. She has an active private practice and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Orrange earned her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

DONNA BENTON 
Research Associate Professor, USC Davis School of Gerontology

Family Caregiving and Caregiver Health (TCC 221) 

Learn about the importance of caregiver roles in society; tips on how to care for yourself as a caregiver; and available resources for helping caregivers overcome challenges.

Donna Benton is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked in the field of aging for 30+ years. A high school volunteer experience with the Gray Panthers inspired her to become an advocate for improving how people view the natural aging process; her research has focused on understanding how resilience in minority populations helps them face the challenges of aging. Currently the director of the USC Davis School of Gerontology’s USC Family Caregiver Support Center, Benton also serves on the California Task Force on Family Caregiving.  She has also served as a commissioner on the California Commission on Aging (COAA) and chaired the legislative sub-committee for many years.

Benton received her graduate training in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and was a gero-psychological postdoctoral fellow at USC/Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center.

CATHERINE CASSIDY ’05 
CEO, Leadership Style Power

Leadership Style Power ™ (TCC 433)

Developing your sense of leadership style begins with seeing and knowing yourself as a leader, and creating your own authentic style and brand. Leadership Style Power™ starts with getting grounded in your values, goals and yourself to help you come away with a clear sense of how you want to show up as a leader—both figuratively and literally.

Catherine Cassidy has 15+ years of experience in the fashion industry and a unique blend of business, operations, sales, merchandising and personal styling skills. Formerly with Nordstrom, Robinsons May and BCBG, she founded Ustyled, a style company serving professional women, in 2008. The success of Ustyled has made Cassidy a sought-after speaker on leadership, style, success and entrepreneurship.  With Leadership Style Power™, Cassidy focuses on research, writing and workshops, and works with clients and companies across the U.S. and abroad from her home base of Washington, D.C. In addition to being profiled in the Washington Post and on Today.com, she has been published in the anthologies Smart Women Know Their WHY and Give Yourself Permission, and is currently writing her first book on Leadership Style Power.

Cassidy earned her BS in business administration from the USC Marshall School Business.

GENA YUVETTE DAVIS ’91 
Founder and Chief Potential Officer, True Synergy, Inc.

Beautiful Chaos: Transforming Your Mindset through Mindfulness Practice (TCC 232)

Mindfulness is all about self-awareness and maintaining a moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations and surrounding environment. In this interactive learning lab, we will give you tools to practice your mindful awareness to help you prepare for any task, reduce stress, regulate your emotions, increase your attention, and focus and enhance your executive effectiveness.

Gena Yuvette Davis is a lead executive coach, corporate trainer and organizational development consultant who helps corporate leaders advance their careers and run their companies effectively. An expert in change-management based behavior, Davis takes an evidence-based approach to working with clients, and uses tools from neuroscience, positive psychology and cognitive behavioral science to recommend solutions that can strengthen a corporate system. Prior to founding True Synergy, Inc., Davis spent 18 years as a marketing professional and executive at some of the biggest entertainment companies, including Sony, Disney, Warner Bros. and Fox. She also had her own marketing communications agency with such powerhouse clients as Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Nestlé and HBO.

Davis earned her BA from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

SHARONI LITTLE EdD ’14
Professor of Clinical Business Communication, USC Marshall School of Business
CEO, The Strategist Company, LLC

Diapers and Dissertations: Women, Work and Education (TCC 301)

This session will cover the journey of women pursuing higher education while working, and, for some, also parenting. As women, we are often uncertain how to navigate strategic decisions around education, work and familial issues. Through participant engagement, you’ll learn practical strategies to address the real-life scenarios and problem-solving situations that women face.

Sharoni Little is an educator, organizational and management consultant and nonprofit executive who is also an author and renowned scholar. Her areas of expertise and research include educational and organizational leadership, executive development and global communication, as well as social justice, institutional diversity and inclusion. Since joining the USC Marshall faculty in 1999, she has received an award from the USC Fund for Innovative Undergraduate Teaching, two Golden Apple awards, and USC’s Remarkable Woman award. In addition to teaching at USC, she speaks both domestically and internationally on educational leadership, equity and empowerment, and strategic organizational management. Little also serves on the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families, sits on several boards of trustees, and partners with the Children’s Defense Fund.

Little earned her doctorate in education from the USC Rossier School of Education.

BRENNA CLAIRR O’TIERNEY MA ’13
External Relations Advisor, Shell Oil Company – Puget Sound Refinery

Speak Up! (TCC 302) 

Too few women feel empowered to speak up, push back and challenge peers or those in levels above them. Learn how and why it’s critical to stop apologizing for voicing your opinion and to embrace your role as a leader or aspiring leader.

Brenna Clairr O’Tierney is a communications and public relations professional who has experience with a wide range of clients across a diverse set of industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, investment banking, retail, consumer goods, food and hospitality, construction and real estate. O’Tierney is well-versed as a management consultant, web manager and editor, media specialist, account executive and strategic communicator, able to collaborate effectively with a variety of C-suite teams and members. She also serves as a guest lecturer at Northwestern University and USC.

O’Tierney has a master’s in strategic public relations from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

RHONDA RICHARDS-SMITH ’02
Psychotherapist and Relationship Expert

Lifestyle Detox: How to Eliminate Toxic Relationships (TCC 352)

This presentation will explore the ways in which toxic relationships can negatively affect your physical and mental health, as well as your professional life. Attendees will walk away with specific tips and strategies to set or reset boundaries with family, friends and colleagues, allowing room to live authentically.

Rhonda Richards-Smith, LCSW, is a nationally recognized mental health and relationship expert who serves journalists, producers and screenwriters. Her thoughts on the latest celebrity couples and break-ups are frequently featured in US Weekly and other magazines, such as Glamour, Brides, Redbook and Ebony. Richards-Smith has served as a psychological expert for the KFWB 980 Los Angeles radio series “The Sandwich Generation,” and for the Parenting Tips 2 Go “Mental Health Awareness” podcast. In 2016, she was inducted into the inaugural “Women of Worth” class for her leadership in the mental health and relationship space by L.A.-based Worthy Women. In 2017, Match.com CEO Mandy Ginsberg named her one of the top dating and relationship experts in the country. With 15+ years of experience, Richards-Smith is passionate about helping people improve their personal lives, relationships with others and overall emotional health.

Richards-Smith earned her BA in sociology from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and her master’s degree in social welfare from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

RITU RIYAT MPH ’04 
Chief Mindfulness Officer and Founder, Mindshift Wellness

Stress Detox (TCC 320A) 

Stress is personal. One person’s stressor can be another person’s passion. We need stress to survive, but too much may kill us. Stress influences decision making, productivity and wellbeing. Managing stress is a key element of self-care. In this talk, we will look at the burden of stress, where stress is hidden in our lives, and how to detox stress and take back control of our lives.

Ritu Riyat is dedicated to creating wellbeing from the inside out. Believing that true growth comes from life experience, she has studied meditation with teachers in the United States and India, and the science of mindfulness at Stanford University. Riyat started Mindshift Wellness after years of practicing and teaching meditation, as well as designing workplace wellness programs and recognizing the impact of stress-related health conditions. Previously, Riyat was a senior wellness program manager at Blue Shield of California. She is also a 500-hour certified yoga teacher.

Riyat earned her BS in genetics from the University of California, Davis, and her master’s in public health epidemiology from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

MARY STEPHENSON ’89 
Leadership Coach, Mary Stephenson, LLC

Goddess Principles at Work—Feminine Leadership for a New Age (TCC 434) 

We are living in a time of great transition. As chaos abounds, we are collectively shifting towards a more feminine way to lead. In this thought-provoking workshop, you will discover the leadership principles associated with the inner goddess, which traits of the goddess you possess, and how to use them to define or enhance your leadership style.

Mary Stephenson has been coaching leaders and businesses with a specific focus on the corporate sector for 20 years. She has a unique ability to help leaders see the truth about their own interpersonal dynamics in order to bring about positive personal and cultural transformation. Stephenson is passionate about her work and is dedicated to evolving leaders from the inside out. Her coaching support is both therapeutic and bottom-line practical for career success and finding happiness through embracing life more fully.

Stephenson earned her BA from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

YVONNE THOMAS ’84
CEO, Precision Creative Services

Offering two presentations:

Cashing in on Your Side Hustle (11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Only) (TCC 450 – The Forum) 

Learn how to create a step-by-step plan for turning your hobby into a money-making business. You don’t need to quit your day job immediately to get started. Most people focus all of their attention in one area. But successful entrepreneurs have multiple revenue streams and are constantly creating ways to make passive income or regular incoming cash flow with minimal effort.

Sustaining a Long-Term Small Business (1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Only) (TCC 450 – The Forum) 

Once your business is up and running, how do you keep it going? Business ownership is truly survival of the fittest. Regardless of what is thrown at you, NEVER GIVE UP. Learn how to remain successful and take your career to the next level.

Yvonne Thomas is a media professional, entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of both Precision Creative Services and YGolf Magazine. In 1999, she started her own business after more than three decades as an entertainment executive, and is currently celebrating her 18th year as the CEO of Precision Creative Services. Thomas has been featured on the Emmy award-winning television program Making It!, which spotlights entrepreneurs in various fields of business.

Thomas was the first African American student to earn a degree in sports information from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

COZETTE WHITE 
Founder and CEO, My Financial Home Enterprises
Author of  Attracting the Best

Eliminate Your Financial Clutter (TCC 434)  

Financial clutter can go far beyond not knowing where you’ve stashed important documents. Eighty percent of Americans stress about money, and this is a cycle that this workshop aims to stop with immediately actionable tips for “Decluttering and Restoring Your Financial Health.”

Cozette White is the founder and CEO of My Financial Home Enterprises, a global financial consultancy firm providing comprehensive accounting, tax and financial management services for businesses and individuals. She is a member of the National Association of Black Accountants and is the founder and executive director of Achieving My Dreams Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit that provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

White earned her BS in accounting from California State University, Dominguez Hills, her MBA from the University of La Verne, and her PhD in philosophy from Global Oved Dei Seminary & University.

MARTINE CULTY
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Women and Chemicals – A Dangerous Liaison?

Martine Culty serves as a tenured associate professor at the USC School of Pharmacy. She was previously a faculty member at McGill University, Canada. In her research, she studies the regulation of germ cell development and the impact of endocrine disruptors on male reproduction. She also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in toxicology, endocrinology and reproduction. Culty has published numerous research articles and reviews, and serves as an editorial board member of scientific societies, and as a committee member of Canadian and French funding agencies.

Culty earned a PhD in molecular chemistry from the Université Grenoble Alpes, France. She acquired postdoctoral trainings in biochemistry, endocrinology and cell biology before joining the Georgetown University faculty.

NANCY PIRE-SMERKANICH MS’14, DRSc ’16
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, USC School of Pharmacy

We Need YOU – Women in Clinical Trials 

Nancy Pire-Smerkanich has more than 30 years of experience in all regulatory aspects of drug development, having served as a regulatory liaison, U.S. agent and global regulatory lead across all therapeutic areas. In addition to teaching courses related to drug development and clinical trials at the USC School of Pharmacy, she provides regulatory guidance to industry peers.

Pire-Smerkanich earned both her master’s and her doctorate in regulatory science from the USC School of Pharmacy.

ANNIE WONG-BERINGER PharmD ’90
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education

Talk to Your Pharmacist – She’s a Doctor Too! 

Annie Wong-Beringer serves as the associate dean for research and graduate education at the USC School of Pharmacy. Over the course of her career, she has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters in the area of her clinical expertise and research: antibiotic resistance and the contribution of host immune response to outcomes of infection. Wong-Beringer served as the appointed pharmacist member to the FDA Anti- Infective Advisory Panel for three years. At USC, she has trained and mentored numerous pharmacy students, residents, fellows and graduate students, and received the USC Mentoring Award in 2017.

Wong-Beringer earned her doctorate from the USC School of Pharmacy and received her postdoctoral training in infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco. Her clinical practice and research is at Huntington Hospital, Pasadena.