What Makes a Leader: Leaving a Leadership Legacy

Aiko Bethea

Aiko is a leader, builder, and connector who has successfully navigated leadership roles in government, philanthropic, nonprofit, and private sectors. In each sector, she created inaugural roles to meet growing organizational needs. After leading a legal team at the City of Atlanta under the leadership of Stacey Abrams, Aiko served as Director of Compliance for the City of Atlanta and Deputy Director of a compliance department at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Most recently, she was the Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center.

The founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting, Aiko guides leaders and organizations to remove barriers to inclusion. She serves as an executive coach to leaders and teams of Fortune 100 companies and global nonprofit organizations. She has been recognized by Forbes as one of the top seven anti-racism educators for companies and by CultureAmp as a DEI influencer to follow. Aiko is a Senior Director of the Daring WayTM and Dare to LeadTM facilitator communities of the Brené Brown Education and Research Group. She oversees development and implementation of the overall strategy for the communities, as well as the specific DEI and belonging strategy for the global 1500+ member facilitator community. Aiko’s writing has been published in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and the upcoming anthology You Are Your Best Thing. She holds a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s from Smith College.

On most days Aiko enjoys spending time with her two sons. You can stay connected with her on IG at @rare_coach.

Sheema B

La’Sheema “Sheema B” Babbs’ is no stranger to challenge and struggle. After almost 18 years of service in the US Navy, she continues to serve as a Chief to develop and grow the future leaders of the military and board rooms. She is married to a woman, and continues to encourage and facilitate diversity and inclusion in leadership. Earning her Bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing, with a minor in Psychology, she enhanced her ability to empower others, create positive change and lead with trust. Paying it forward is how she teaches, coaches, and leads.

Sheema B is the Chief Executive Officer for the Proactive Leader AcademyTM. The Academy’s signature program, The Leadership Shift, helps frustrated women leaders who lack focus, foresight and resilience develop a game plan to create clarity, be proactive and build toughness within herself and those she leads.

Through her Academy, 1-on-1 and group programs, and motivational speeches she has provided thousands with the tools and guidance they needed to have an internal transformation that influenced external wins in leadership.

“I once thought the mistakes of my past would completely derail me from the future I wanted. I know how it feels to feel hopeless. Feel stuck. Feel inadequate and unworthy.

That's why it is important to me to tell others that they do matter; that they will make it. They are worthy and adequate. I know that means being vulnerable, and bearing my scars, but it is worth it even if just one person is able to move forward and survive. This world is waiting on them to and I want to help.”

Hakemia Jackson

Hakemia is the GIFT ENFORCER! She helps clients walk in their freedom and utilize their gifts within. She is intrigued and experienced in journeying with clients as they disengage from limiting beliefs and conditioned responses. Her formal credentials are, Masters in Science in Organizational Behavior & Executive Coaching, Licensed Spiritual Belief Therapist (LSBT), and Professional Certified Coach (PCC). She specializes in transforming complex cultures into human-centric cultures of inclusivity and innovation that will create long-term sustainable value. Hakemia takes a systemic, intersectional, human-centric approach to her work to deliver tailored and sustainable solutions to organizations like Shell Oil & Gas, The New York Times, Pinterest, and many more. She is a visionary force that has touched the lives of people across the globe (from Israel, Germany, Africa, to the America's) with diverse backgrounds professionally and culturally.

Hakemia is the CEO of Divinely Powered Leadership Development and Executive Coaching Practice. Prior to coaching, the core of her expertise resided in the field of SAP & Oracle enterprise system implementations and Talent Management. While at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the second largest global accounting firm located in over 150 countries, her career flourished and created this unicorn opportunity for her to WALK IN HER GIFT.

Quinn Conyers

Quinn Conyers partners with meeting event and event planners to transform their events into epic experiences as a compelling Keynote Speaker and Energetic Emcee. She has over 17 years of virtual and in-person speaking, event hosting and Emcee experience. Quinn takes pride in unleashing the voices of Entrepreneurs, Executives and Speakers so they can communicate with confidence, charisma and clarity on ANY virtual or in-person platform or podium.

Quinn has an impressive history as a professional speaker and Emcee. She has spoken for organizations like Nike, Maryland Public Television, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Meeting Planners International and the Black Speakers Network to name a few. Quinn is the author of 2 books, made it to the 2nd round of Shark Tank auditions four times, been featured on the Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch TV show as well Essence, Black Enterprise, Vision and Purpose and Empowering Women to Speak Out Magazines.

Quinn is a proud member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), sits on the Board the Global Black Women Chamber of Commerce (GBWCC), was named 1 of 20 Black Women Entrepreneurs to Watch and a Distinguished Alumni from her high school in 2021. Quinn has taught Speech Communications for 5 years at Coppin State University, earned a Bachelor's Degree from West Chester University and a Masters from Howard University in Washington DC.

If you are requested or required to speak on behalf of their business, brand or in your career pay close attention, Quinn’s presentation has your name written all over it…