Christy Hiler - Moderator

Moderator Christy Hiler is the President & Owner of Cornett, an independent, full-service advertising agency proudly based in Lexington, KY, with clients such as Busch Light and Legoland.

Christy stressed the importance of empathy and understanding in communication – “Start with the heart, especially during hard conversations.”

Suzet McKinney

Suzet McKinney is the Principal & Director of Life Sciences at Sterling Bay, a Chicago real estate firm that develops award-winning urban headquarters for some of the world’s largest companies, including McDonald’s, Dyson, and BCG.

Suzet highlighted the influence of young professionals in shaping new workplace norms – “Young people have the power to ask for what they want.”

Desiree Vargas Wrigley

Desiree Vargas Wrigley is the Chief Innovation Officer & Executive Director of TechRise by P33 Chicago, a multi-stakeholder initiative to support historically underrepresented tech founders from Chicago. She is also the Serial Founder of GiveForward, Pearachute, & The Josephine Collective.

Desiree left us with a great statement on the critical importance of in-person connection – “Opportunities are built on relationships.”

Caralynn Nowinski Collens

Caralynn Nowinski Collens is the Co-Founder & CEO of Dimension Inx, a Chicago Biotechnology Research firm that designs and develops therapeutic products to restore tissue and organ function.

Caralynn emphasized the importance of creating healthy environments that fulfill employee needs – “It’s all about culture-building.”