PERSPECTIVE 2026
Meet The Speakers

Alina Doran is a seasoned corporate leader turned professional executive coach, advisor, and speaker. In her 25-year career spanning finance, business development, and business operations, Alina worked with organizations like Walt Disney Co., Paramount, and Kaseya to handle challenges at the core of stalled careers, sidelined projects, and derailed results. In solving them with a compassionate resolve, Alina became their secret sauce. Now, she is the Founder and CEO of Highline Leadership, where she works with executives and organizations navigating inflection points where the old operating system no longer serves. 

After spending two years in Honduras as a Peace Corps volunteer digging latrines and helping to engineer rural, gravity-fed water systems, Page Fehling worked as a TV host and morning news anchor for almost 20 years. 

In the fall of 2021 Page decided to leave TV and use her powers for good. She now delivers keynote speeches, and facilitates corporate trainings on a variety of professional development topics with a focus on leadership, communication and connection. Page and her husband Jake co-host the award-winning podcast, “Date Night with Jake and Page,” and co-wrote the best-selling book, “Holy Crap, We’re Pregnant.” She has three kids, three dogs, and still most of her sanity. 

Lanaire Malone is a dynamic speaker, trusted HR strategist, multi-passionate entrepreneur and former D-1 collegiate hurdler. As an entrepreneur, she has launched multiple ventures rooted in community and care: L. Enterprises, a² Healthcare, Hurdles In Heels, and The In Between Experience. Her focus includes equipping young girls and their moms and/or mentors in training for and overcoming real-life hurdles, together and as a Sandwich Generation (30+) advocate, she champions those of us holding it all, kids, parents, dreams, while still showing up. 

Liza Marie Garcia founded one of the first professional services firms in the U.S. telecommunications industry at age 27 and has been a business owner for over 24 years. She is the Active Partner of NOW Global Media and COO of CEO Book Publishing.  A 7-time book author, her titles include Never Drink Coffee During a Business Meeting and Tell Them of My Greatness, the latter launching an eleven-month Barnes & Noble tour. Today, she mentors entrepreneurs through Tampa Bay Wave and Techstars while serving as Ambassador with the United States Christian Chamber of Commerce. She’s worked with hundreds of writers and authors, growing NOW into a multi-genre company publishing more than 60 titles in its first seven years. Liza Marie is on a mission to amplify marginalized voices in publishing.

Michelle McKown-Campbell is a former HR practitioner turned Transformational Speaker, Positive Impact Strategist and founder of Activate the Awesome®, a human-centered company dedicated to helping people reconnect with the proof of who they already are. After more than twenty-five years in HR, recruitment, and coaching, Michelle is now leading what she calls The Reengagement Revolution of Our Time, inviting organizations to move beyond burnout, disconnection, and self-doubt by returning to the heart of identity, belonging, and human connection. She is the creator of the A.W.E.S.O.M.E.® Framework and one of the first global Positive Impact Mapping® practitioners. Known for her high-energy experiential style, Michelle’s work helps people see themselves clearly again, rebuild connection within teams, and step back into the light of their own potential.

Sydney Duarte, PMP, is an international muralist, immersive installation artist, speaker, retreat leader, and founder of Duarte Designs. She is also the co-founder of @pieceforpeace_movement and the @taohoutdoorgallery, as well as an event curator, illustrator, writer, community activist, adventure enthusiast, and nature advocate. Sydney creates multi-sensory experiences through large-scale murals and interactive installations, often incorporating 3D and illusionary elements to transform unexpected spaces and invite audiences into play. She also runs her travel company, Traveling Gypsy, where she blends adventure, fitness, and humanitarian work into global experiences. 

Mayuko Fukino-Mayhill is a passionate educator and storyteller with a deep commitment to fostering understanding and empathy through cultural narratives. As a teacher of Japanese language and culture, she engages students of all ages in the art of storytelling, highlighting the importance of 伝承 (densho) as a means to connect past experiences with present and future generations. With a background as a parent of four, she emphasizes the power of stories, including traditional folktales, to shape perspectives and promote global citizenship. Her work is rooted in the belief that sharing narratives helps us learn from history and build a more compassionate world.

Loren Greiff is a career coach, loud-mouth age advocate and President and Founder of PortfolioRocket. After decades in corporate and executive search, she faced a turning point in 2019 and realized her passion for helping 40+ executives win despite the broken hiring system, the ATS, and their age. In 2020, Greiff founded PortfolioRocket, which has since helped more than 400 executives 40+ transform their careers, lives, and confidence. Now 61, and based in Asheville, North Carolina, Greiff empowers older job seekers to combat ageism, challenge negative beliefs, and showcase value over quantity. Her clients have landed roles at companies including Meta, Target, Ford, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

​Shari is co-founder of Rose & Honey Apothecary, a writer and communications professional. Her written works span fiction, poetry, essays, screenplays, and various personal online publications. Shari is a featured poet as part of the global Of Earth and Sky exhibition, has been featured on the It's a Poetic Life podcast with award-winning poet Enzo Silon Surin, and was listed among Charlotte's Notable Young Professionals for her contributions in the nonprofit sector. As she completes her current manuscript she is also extending her lifetime of wellness experience into public speaking.

Lianne Hofer is a two-time award-winning international best-selling author, speaker to both national and international audiences and transformational home organizer whose work has reached thousands. She is the founder of The Clutter Consultant and the Tidy Tribe community. Her expertise has been featured on television, radio, podcasts and publications, including the Charlotte Observer and the Lancaster News. She is celebrated for her signature ability to turn everyday environments into pathways for healing and empowerment. Lianne's approach goes far beyond "getting organized". She helps people see beneath the truth of the things they keep, illuminating the timeline of who they've been, what they've survived, and the identity are still becoming. With a unique plan of practical strategy and emotional insight, she has become a leading voice and helping people reclaim their spaces and their lives.

Corliss Rassyle is an international speaker, best-selling author, personal development coach, podcast host, and CEO. For decades, she chased the traditional markers of success, building a family, advancing her career, and growing her income, until a turning point at 40 pushed her into deeper self-discovery. After 25 years in direct sales with PartyLite, she launched Corliss Co. in 2017 to help others redefine success from the inside out. Today, she’s on a mission to guide people from where they are to where they want to be and LEAD their lives with purpose.

Sarah K. Charles is the Founder & Managing Principal at Sanctuary Financial Planning, helping make financial planning less confusing, less intimidating, and less overwhelming. After spending more than two decades at top advisory firms, advising clients and advancing innovative approaches to client service, she launched Sanctuary Financial Planning with her husband, Jim, in 2023. Charles is committed to elevating advice-only planning, a model that expands access to independent, objective financial guidance by removing the common barriers typically found in traditional wealth management. She is also a strong champion of women’s financial empowerment and an advocate for building women’s confidence in investing. 

Jen is a professional photographer, educator, and keynote speaker who works at the intersection of creativity and courage.  Allison began her career assisting top commercial photographers in Toronto before launching her portrait and branding business in 2016. She has worked with entrepreneurs, agencies, and communities across Canada to create story-first imagery that highlights humanity over perfection. Today, she teaches photography at Humber Polytechnic and Centennial College. She leads workshops for emerging photographers and collaborates on visual storytelling projects, including “Debwewin: Threads of Truth” with Indigenous youth and communities. 

Dr. Susie Hansley is a keynote speaker, stress resilience specialist, and award-winning storyteller. A first-generation Mexican American, Brown University Ph.D., and trauma-informed Master Certified Coach, she helps teams and leaders create psychologically safe environments where emotions are understood as biology, not weakness. The result: improved communication, stronger retention, and teams that handle change and uncertainty with resilience.

Jess Diamond is The Adulting Coach, host of the podcast How To Twenty-Something, public speaker, and founder of Jess Diamond Coaching, where she helps college kids and young professionals adapt to the many challenges and transitions that come with adulting. Certified in Life and Nutrition Coaching and Personal Training, Jess brings together her knowledge and real-life experiences to serve as the one-stop shop for any twenty-something looking to figure their life out. Her influential work in the community and throughout her coaching business named her a Future Leaders of Charlotte Top 30 Under 30 honoree in 2025. Using her signature Own Your Life coaching program, Jess helps twenty-somethings build confidence, face challenges, and create a foundation for their future. Her mission is to help as many young adults as she can so they don’t feel alone in their journey through adulthood.