Keynote Speakers
Tan France
Tan France has been a successful fashion designer behind-the-scenes for over 15 years and has recently stepped into the spotlight as the star of the Emmy-winning makeover hit and Netflix re-boot, Queer Eye.
Following the global success of Queer Eye, Tan recently released his New York Times best-selling memoir, Naturally Tan, as well as the 1st season of his viral YouTube series, Dressing Funny, which features him making over his celebrity friends, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Nick Kroll, Miranda Sings, Pete Davidson, and John Mulaney. He is the host of the Queer Icons podcast.
Prior to his media career, Tan was the creative mind behind successful brands including the popular ladies clothing lines, Kingdom & State and Rachel Parcell, Inc. In Tan’s early years, he spent his summers working in his grandfather’s denim factory, while he secretly enrolled in fashion college in preparation to start a new chapter as a fabulous design star.
Susan Petersen
Susan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Freshly Picked. After becoming frustrated by the lack of well-designed baby shoes, Susan designed baby moccasins and put them on her blog in 2009. From there the company took off, with the rich and famous (or at least their kids) wearing the moccasins. Susan and her moccasins have been featured on ABC’s Shark Tank.
Susan lives, works and plays at the base of Utah mountians with her drone-flying husband and her two great children.
Breakout Session Speakers
Shift Summit is all about helping you take your next steps. Our speakers are exceptional people with real-world skills and varied experiences who are working to develop over-the-top sessions that will blow your mind and shift your thinking. This is only the start of good things to come. Join us!
Britt Larsen
Britt Larsen is a career coach helping people reach their career goals, and provide clarity in their career paths.
She created Livlyhood, a community for women who work.
Britt served as the Director of Communications for prominent politicians, including the Governor of Florida and a sitting Congressman. Most recently, Britt was a Vice President at a political consulting firm.
Britt recently welcomed Tate into her family and she is exploring the art of work-life balance.
Olivia Jaramillo
Olivia Jaramillo is a diversity and inclusion trainer and an LGBTQ advocate. Olivia is a seasoned presenter and specializes in a variety of topics. She is active in politics as a citizen lobbyist and works diligently to better our state.
Olivia retired from the U.S. Air Force after a 20 year career which included two deployments in Iraq and three relief missions to Africa.
Sunny Washington
Sunny has spent over 20 years working in the technology industry in Silicon Slopes. In 2001 she worked at Certiport, bringing digital literacy certification programs to over 80 countries primarily working with K-12 institutions.
Today Sunny is the COO of Blyncsy, a movement intelligence company that helps departments of transportation understand how people move and behave.
Sunny is also the public policy chair of Silicon Slopes Commons. She serves as a board member of Equality Utah. In addition, Sunny sits on the Board of Trustees for Salt Lake Community College.
Angela Ashurst-McGee
Angela Ashurst-McGee is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and the creator of RedRocketResume, a premium resume-writing service for professionals who want to keep their career moving onward and upward. In the last 15 years, Angela and her team have written resumes for everyone from blue collar workers and new grads to Fortune 500 executives. She brings expertise in hiring processes, resume content, and LinkedIn strategy.
Angela has six children and lives in Salt Lake.
Kimmy Paulch
Kimmy Paluch is the founder and Managing Partner of Beta Boom, a pre-seed fund that invests in software companies serving the rising majority and provides a unique post-investment model that increases the likelihood of successful outcomes by providing daily tactical support and coaching from product, marketing, sales, and fundraising experts.
Prior to Beta Boom, Kimmy founded a Silicon Valley innovation firm where she defined the strategic vision and design of award-winning interactive products for startups and high-profile clients. She is also part of the leadership circle for The Conservation Lands Foundation.
Kimmy earned her B.A. in Computer Science from Dartmouth College and MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.
Christine Wzorek
As an influencer and thought-leader, Christine encourages a proactive pursuit of partnerships with academia, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and private-equity firms by establishing an active presence.
She is the CEO of White Label Advisors which provides sophisticated CHRO solutions to all company sizes.
Christine Stenquist
Christine Stenquist is a mother of four, a brain tumor survivor, and a chronic pain patient turned medical cannabis activist. Her efforts played an instrumental role in Utah’s medical cannabis movement, eventually leading to much-needed policy change.
She is the president and founder of the nonprofit organization TRUCE, a patient-focused advocacy group. She continues her effort in her home state, nationally, and internationally.
She lives in Davis County with her dog, Luna, and her youngest son.
Misha Hettie
Misha Hettie is a copywriter and communications strategist at YourLovableBrand.com.
She helps entrepreneurs and small business owners sound good, look great, and make more money online.
Silvia Castro
Silvia Castro is the Executive Director of the Suazo Business Center.
She has more than 20 years’ experience working with non-profit, government and for-profit organizations. Her love for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship began in 1999 when she worked as the Assistant Director at the Women’s Business Center of Utah.
When she is not working to better the lives of Utah’s small business owners, Silvia works to better the lives of her daughter, husband, and stepchildren. She and her family love to travel, play outdoors, hike, and spend time at any bodies of water they can find.
Camille Nugent
In her 20+ years in the industry as Designer, Art Director and Creative Director, Camille Nugent has overseen integrated campaigns across print, digital, and emerging channels. She has worked with notable clients including Microsoft, Adobe, and Autodesk.
She combines her education and experiences in the fine arts and graphic design with an overarching philosophy: Create beautiful things. Be kind while you do that.
Camille is currently the Art Director at LifeVantage, in Lehi, Utah.
Liz Owens
Liz is a womanist, feminist, multi-racial, multi-cultural woman of color from Utah. She serves as a community educator, gender justice and racial justice activist. Her multi-issue work is firmly rooted within a human rights and social justice framework with a focus on the intersections of power and privilege.
She currently serves as CEO of YWCA Utah where she leads the organization in meeting their mission of "eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all."
Mindy Young
Mindy Young thinks expansively. Her extensive work in film, theater, education, and advocacy are supported by a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Fine Arts. She uses her expressive voice to inspire, connect, teach, and spark creative thinking.
Her creative touch is even changing the political landscape in Utah, as she champions LGBTQ rights with Equality Utah.
Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck
Rebecca served Salt Lake City’s District 24 in the Utah House of Representatives from 2008-18, where she focused on policy related to health & human services, as well as voter engagement & access. She served as the House Minority Whip and Assistant Whip during part of her time in office.
She currently provides leadership coaching and community engagement consulting through her public affairs firm, Aspira Public Affairs.
She and her husband, Martin Houck, love traveling cross-country in their Class-C RV. They live in Salt Lake’s Avenues neighborhood and have two children and one granddaughter.
Moka Best
Moka is a former professional triathlete now turned marketing professional and a mother of four children. Moka manages a chronic degenerative disease, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which has led to various surgeries including a kidney autotransplant. Through both professional and personal challenges Moka has experienced much in the way of managing work-life balance and is passionate about helping others live their best life.
Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou
Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou is the CEO of PIK2AR, 2021 Forbes Magazines 50 over 50 Impact lister, recipient of the 2019 FBI’S Directors Community Leadership Award for the State of Utah and recently appointed by the Utah Governor to the Food Security Task force representing refugees and immigrants.
Susi has a diverse background of experiences in corporate, small business and non profit work coupled with her lived experiences as a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, lives with mental illness and as an ex felon helps her create structures of acceptance that people can succeed in and empower themselves to their own higher ground.
Susi has been a Community Health Worker empowering women with assistance to employment, business start ups, domestic violence and sexual assault resources, advocating for others for 30 years in every city she has lived in. Susi is a mentor, a community builder.
Trina Limpert
Trina Limpert is the CEO & Founder of RizeNext Corporation, assisting organizations to successfully execute equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Her prior corporate technology career spans across multiple industries and businesses at Novell, eBay and lastly at Oracle as the Senior Director of CX Consulting.
Trina currently serves on the Women’s Success Center Board of Advisors at UVU, Board of Advisors for Weber State University School of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology, and on the National Advisory Committee at Weber State University, and the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors.
Alyssha Dairsow
Alyssha Dairsow is a visionary and builder doing vital work for black girls and young women in an unlikely place: Utah. Her non-profit organization, Curly Me! is on a mission to educate, empower and encourage girls from 5-14 years old to be their best selves through community events and mentoring.
Alyssha looks forward to the continued growth of Curly Me! and forging and nurturing connections with girls nation-wide and internationally. A group trip to visit African-American history museums while forging those connections is something she envisions.
Outside of the organization, Alyssha enjoys spending time with her amazing husband Meligha, traveling, karaoke and meeting new people.
Liz Stanley
Liz Stanley is the founder of SayYes.com, an award-winning lifestyle site and The Huddle, an intimate retreat and community for female entrepreneurs centered around mentorship, skill sharing, deep dives into business strategy, and the holistic needs of women.
She is a mother of three and has recently moved to Bozeman, Montana.
@sayyesblog
@thehuddle_co
Shandra Benito
Shandra is a social worker, disability rights advocate, trumpet player, and art enthusiast from Seattle, WA. She is a graduate of the University of Washington Masters of Social Work Program and has worked alongside and served many different communities including individuals with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, immigrants, refugees, and native and indigenous people.
She is proud to identify as a person with a disability and as a member of the Deaf community.
She spent over four years as the Executive Director of Art Access in Salt Lake City and currently works as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at The Nord Center, a mental health agency in Ohio.
Dr. Susan Madsen
Dr. Susan R. Madsen is considered one of the top global scholars and thought leaders on the topic of women’s leadership, has authored or edited six books, and has published hundreds of articles, chapters, and reports. Her research has been cited in the U.S. News and World Report, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Chronicle of Higher Education, and The Washington Post. She is also a regular contributor to Forbes and other local and state newspapers. She is also the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, and her passion is to strengthen the impact of girls and women in Utah and worldwide.
Nicole Emma
Nicole Emma is a problem-solver. She specializes in working with individuals and couples on sex related topics. She understands that sexual energy impacts inspiration, passion, and creativity.
No topic is taboo.
Nicole is a TedX speaker and political advocate for sex workers. Nicole creates safe environments that encourage openness, conversation, and healing.
Rachel Warner
Rachel Warner is a passionate entrepreneur with a fiery curiosity about what drives people and the work they do. She’s the founder of Cinder Ventures where she is committed to making the venture experience more enjoyable, accessible, and authentic. Cinder works specifically with women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities to guide them in starting and scaling purpose–driven ventures. Rachel has her MBA from Westminster College and teaches strategy as an adjunct business professor for Westminster.
Nichole Harrop
Nichole is a Women’s Leadership + Career Coach, helping women get promoted at work. She has led teams in the corporate world for over 7 years where she worked to help other women climb the corporate ladder and stepped into her passion, helping women reach their potential.
Nichole helps women to create a foundation of leadership in the workplace using her 5 core areas of coaching including confidence, self awareness, communication, growth mindset, and networking to help them get promoted.
Nikki Walker
Nikki Walker is a consummate public relations professional with cross category experiences in the fields of beauty, fashion, celebrity and lifestyle. Specialties include media relations and press placement, celebrity seeding and wrangling, press and red-carpet event development and activation, consumer engagement and launch strategies. Ms. Walker has carved for herself a unique niche in the industry with her ability to bring ethnic brands into the mass consciousness and create opportunities for mainstream brands to authentically penetrate diverse markets.
As the current Director of Brand Experience and Community Engagement for Domo, she works with a team of professionals to elevate and amplify the brand by creating and driving PR programs and initiatives focused on Diversity and Inclusion, workplace equity and belonging, community engagement and Domo for Good.
Erin Weist
Erin's greatest passion is encouraging other women to see greater possibilities in themselves. She started Aspire Her when she saw women struggling to make career transitions, start businesses, return to work, and decide what they wanted to do with their lives. Her crash course in business came when she self-started her organization and grew it to serve hundreds of women, promoting a yearly event that attracts women from across the country.
She spends the rest of the time with her husband & 5 kids, going on trips with her friends, doing High Fitness, and singing in an a cappella group.
Becky Frost
Becky Frost is Founder and CEO of Frost Communications. She is a seasoned media strategist, diversity and inclusion leader, experienced spokesperson, and communications executive for startups to multi-billion dollar global organizations.
Becky earned two bachelor’s degrees in Communications and French from Brigham Young University. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University. She serves on the Board of Directors for Mama Dragons and has served on Advisory Boards for Best Buddies Mountain, Women Tech Council, and the State Board of Directors for the Utah Society for Human Resources Management.