Shecession: Women at the Center of the COVID-19 Economic Reboot with Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO of YWCA USA

Alejandra Y. Castillo is the CEO of YWCA USA, an organization that serves 2.3 million women and girls at over 200 associations around the country. YWCA USA plays a dual role as both a social service provider and an advocate for reform and justice. Alejandra has over two decades of professional experience in Washington, D.C., having served in senior leadership in two presidential administrations. In 2014, Alejandra was appointed by the Obama Administration to serve as the national director of the Minority Business Development Agency, becoming the first Hispanic American woman to lead the agency. In that role, she helped secure financing and capital in excess of $19 billion and created or retained over 33,000 jobs. Alejandra holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in economics and political science; a Master of Arts degree in public policy from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and a Juris Doctorate from American University, Washington College of Law.

DeAnnah Stinson Reese is a Corporate Equity Strategist and Career Coach for minorities. She has 10+ years of experience in equitable hiring, retention, DEI education, and career development. DeAnnah educates, equips, and empowers minorities to advance in their careers using her proprietary career strategizing model while also partnering with companies to diversify their leadership by creating more equitable workplace cultures. As a corporate equity educator and strategist, DeAnnah helps companies to understand the power of biases, privilege, race, and social injustices to strategize ways to cultivate truly diverse and inclusive workplaces that retain top diverse talent. DeAnnah served as a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a current member of For(bes) the Culture, a partner with Fortune 250 companies, and has been featured in a variety of media outlets. She's also an undiscovered tennis pro, novice guitarist, and travel enthusiast. Her superpower is activating the potential in others!