Lemons to Lessons with Whitney L. Barkley

The Climb: From Kilimanjaro to Brunette

Since 2021, Sonia & Maude have been building a skincare brand targeting exclusively melanin-rich women. Starting as a dare following a climb to Kilimanjaro, they worked hard to include social impact as the DNA of their brand and the need for the highest quality skincare.

Empathetic Branding: The Missing Link in Business w/Diamond Sands

Diamond Sands a creative entrepreneur and brand medium, Diamond embodies the philosophy that branding at its core is rooted in authenticity and mirrors how we develop, maintain and deepen relationships with one another as human beings. As the owner of an award-winning branding agency, DS Creative Design Studio, that serves DTC brands, her and her team have helped businesses tap into their unique essence and connect deeply with their audiences. Her agency's approach, informed by her degree in art, studies in psychology and sociology, and her innate intuition has earned her the trust of over 70 brands. An Atlanta, GA  native with years of experience she brings a unique perspective to the branding world. Diamond's philosophy is that branding is not at all about creating a facade but about revealing the truth of who you are, it's about authenticity and allowing that to shine through.

Turning pain into Passion by Disrupting the status quo.

Arion Long is the self-proclaimed “Chief Estrogen Officer'' at Femly, a hi-tech feminine care company that she started in 2016 after being diagnosed with a cervical tumor linked to additives in popular products. Femly increases access to natural and organic hygiene products through a high tech dispenser found in restrooms at schools, hotels, hospitals and other organizations. Some people go through their entire lives without disrupting the status quo and then you come across a unicorn who started college at 15 years old, decoded the genetic makeup of anthrax by 17, and disrupted a multi-billion dollar feminine care industry before 30.

Lemons to Lessons with Whitney L. Barkley

Whitney L. Barkley, M.S. is an author and co-author of four books, including a children's book, Hey, Black Girl!, and the founder of Luv Yours Stationery, which specializes in inclusive and nontraditional greeting cards and paper products. She also serves as the Director of the award-winning Greater West Dayton Incubator and is the CEO of Speakerazzi, a content marketing firm that caters to authors, coaches, speakers, and small business owners across the country.With over ten years of experience, Whitney has worked with nonprofits, startups, organizations, and influencers nationwide to repurpose and create original content that leverages storytelling. In 2019, Whitney produced, filmed, and directed the documentary "New Normal," which sold out during a film festival at the Gateway Theatre in Columbus, OH. The film highlights the lives of families affected by gun violence death. She is a former professor and social media instructor at the Ohio Media School and the International College of Broadcasting. Whitney is enthusiastic about helping others leverage authenticity to boost their personal brand and influence through value-based content.Whitney hosts the self-help podcast, Pink Lemonade Podcast, which has been downloaded in over 50 countries and has over 75K+ downloads. She has received numerous awards and honors, including the Millennial Visionary of the Year Award (2015), Project Entrepreneur Recipient (2016), Power of “I Am” Award (2017), Ambitious List (2018), "52 YPs to Know in Columbus" by City Pulse Magazine (2018), Who’s Who in Black Columbus (2019), The Hustler of the Year Awards (2021), and Dayton Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award (2022). In her free time, she is a certified SWERK Instructor, teaching hip-hop dance fitness, and enjoys traveling the world.

Meet Your Homebuying Match with PairGap

Nikki Merkerson is the founder of Pairgap, an innovative web platform that matches ideal partners to one another with the intent of buying property together. The platform makes homeownership both accessible and affordable. Nikki strongly believes that by leveraging today’s shared economy and matching potential buyers to one another, more people will have the opportunity to build wealth through co-ownership. Prior to pursuing her entrepreneurship ventures full-time, Nikki spent 23 years in the financial services industry. She most recently held the role of a Community Reinvestment Officer at JP Morgan Chase covering the Northeast markets and was responsible for building long-term relationships supporting key community stakeholders and assisting low and moderate income individuals with greater economic opportunity. In her former role, Nikki worked on many initiatives with partnerships between public officials; city, state, and government agencies; financial institutions, and community organization partners to help raise public awareness, target outreach to the unbanked and underbanked, and expand access to financial education. Prior to JP Morgan, Nikki served as a Loan Officer for 15 years at various financial institutions.