Friday, January 19, 2007

NYC Leadership Breakfast, 7:35 am – 11:45 am

NEW LOCATION: The Harvard Club of New York City
35 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
Discounted parking is available at Hippodrome Garage directly across the street.

<click on speaker name for full biography>

Featured Speaker: Gay Gaddis President and CEO, T3 (The Think Tank) Gay Warren Gaddis is president and CEO of T3 (The Think Tank). She started her company in 1989 with a cashed in IRA and two employees. Today, T3 is the largest independent advertising agency wholly-owned by a woman in the country, with offices in Austin, New York and San Francisco, over $175 million in capitalized billings, and a staff of 175. Organized as a marketing and creative think tank, T3 works with clients including Dell, Marriott, JCPenney, UPS, MSN, John Deere, Universal, Ingenix and MTV. Ms. Gaddis is an active industry spokesperson and entrepreneurial advocate. She is a business mentor for Count-Me-In's Make Mine a $Million Business™ program, a columnist for iMedia Communications, Inc., an interactive media and marketing trade publisher, and recently participated in the Global Businesswomen and Leaders Forum in Dubai, the America-China Women's Business Conference and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) National Conference. In addition, she's a member of the Texas Governor's Business Council's executive board, the Advertising Women of New York (AWNY) and the Committee of 200 (C200). Ms. Gaddis holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Featured Speaker: Della Britton Baeza President and Chief Executive Officer Della Britton-Baeza became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jackie Robinson Foundation on February 2, 2004. She is only the fourth individual to hold the position in the Foundation's 33-year history.  In Della's recent experience, she was President of AJM Records, L.L.C., the record label responsible for launching pop sensation "Ashanti". She also served as President of Hillside Publishing, L.L.P., where she managed the successful acquisition, restructuring and ultimate sale of various radio and television properties, including Station WWAY-TV (Channel 3) in Wilmington, N.C. Other aspects of Della's varied career include working as a consultant to the National Black Archives of Film & Broadcasting - Ford Foundation Project and serving in a volunteer capacity as the Chairperson for the Dance Theater of Harlem Board of Directors. Ms. Britton-Baeza brings a solid background in legal training as well, having worked for five years as an in house counsel for American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., in New York City and, before that, as an attorney with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.  Della has served on several boards and committee in New York, including the Inwood Settlement House, the National Urban League Black Executive Exchange Program and the New York Times Institutional Task Force.  In 2005 Della was named by The Network Journal as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Black Executives.  A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Della received a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University before graduating from Columbia Law School. She resides in Englewood, New Jersey with her husband and three children.

WHO ATTENDS:  Attendees are SVP or higher women leaders representing Fortune 1000 equivalent companies, or C-level executives representing emerging growth companies with annual revenues exceeding $50M, Board Directors, and other guests representing or invited by symposium co-hosting organizations or symposium corporate sponsors. 105 minutes of peer networking, including a 45 minute facilitated peer networking program.  Speakers will talk about how mentoring and their experiences outside of work helped shape their leadership skills and successful career path.  They will share personal career stories and practical tips and be open to a Q&A with the audience. AGENDA/SCHEDULE*: 7:35 - Doors open/ Breakfast served/ Informal peer networking 8:05 - General session introductions 8:20 - Featured speaker 9:15 - Coffee break 9:30 - Facilitated peer networking program 10:15 - Coffee break 10:30 - Featured speaker 11:15 - General session closing remarks 11:45 - Conference end * schedule and speakers subject to change SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: For sponsorship information please call 212-937-8413.

Della Britton Baeza

President and Chief Executive Officer

Jackie Robinson Foundation

Della Britton-Baeza became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jackie Robinson Foundation on February 2, 2004. She is only the fourth individual to hold the position in the Foundation's 33-year history. 

In addition to overseeing the Foundation's current programs, Della works to expand the Foundation's exposure and outreach nationally, and otherwise develop new program ideas commensurate with the Foundation's overall mission. 

Most recently, Della was President of AJM Records, L.L.C., the record label responsible for launching pop sensation "Ashanti". She also served as President of Hillside Publishing, L.L.P., where she managed the successful acquisition, restructuring and ultimate sale of various radio and television properties, including Station WWAY-TV (Channel 3) in Wilmington, N.C. Other aspects of Della's varied career include working as a consultant to the National Black Archives of Film & Broadcasting - Ford Foundation Project and serving in a volunteer capacity as the Chairperson for the Dance Theater of Harlem Board of Directors. Ms. Britton-Baeza brings a solid background in legal training as well, having worked for five years as an in house counsel for American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., in New York City and, before that, as an attorney with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. 

Della is active in the community and has served on several boards and committees in New York, including the Inwood Settlement House, the National Urban League Black Executive Exchange Program and the New York Times Institutional Task Force.  In 2005, The Network Journal named Della to their "Top 25 Most Influential Black Women In Business" list.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Della received a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University before graduating from Columbia Law School. She resides in Englewood, New Jersey with her husband and three children.

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Gay Warren Gaddis

President and CEO

T3 (The Think Tank)

Gay Warren Gaddis is president and CEO of T3 (The Think Tank). She started her company in 1989 with a cashed in IRA and two employees. Today, T3 is the largest independent advertising agency wholly-owned by a woman in the country, with offices in Austin, New York and San Francisco, over $175 million in capitalized billings, and a staff of 175. Organized as a marketing and creative think tank, T3 works with clients including Dell, Marriott, JCPenney, UPS, MSN, John Deere, Universal, Ingenix and MTV.

Her dynamic business acumen and corporate culture has led to national recognition. In the January issue of Inc. magazine, Gay was featured for her success as an entrepreneur and the ways in which she balances her personal and professional life. She has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "Top 25 Women Business Builders," Inc. magazine's "Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year" and 25 Advertising Working Mothers of the Year by Working Mother magazine. T3's family-friendly workplace programs have been recognized by the White House, NBC's Today Show, The New York Times and most recently in the May issue of Fortune Small Business.

Gay is an active industry spokesperson and entrepreneurial advocate. She is a business mentor for Count-Me-In's Make Mine a $Million Business™ program, a columnist for iMedia Communications, Inc., an interactive media and marketing trade publisher, and recently participated in the Global Businesswomen and Leaders Forum in Dubai, the America-China Women's Business Conference and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) National Conference. In addition, she's a member of the Texas Governor's Business Council's executive board, the Advertising Women of New York (AWNY) and the Committee of 200 (C200).

Starting her career as a copywriter with The Richards Group, Gay then served as public relations director for Baylor University Medical Center; marketing director for Leadership Dynamics, a national management consulting firm; and a full partner at an Austin advertising agency before founding T3. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Gay and her husband Lee are parents to three: Sam, a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, Rebecca, a senior at the Laboratory Institute on Merchandising, and Ben, a graduate of Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. Together, Gay and Lee, who is also a principal and strategic planner for T3, run the Double Heart Ranch where they raise Texas Longhorns and endangered Madrone trees.

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Pam McElvane

CEO, P&L Group

Pamela McElvane is CEO of P & L Group, Ltd a Chicago based business of specialty companies offering an innovative approach to diversity business solutions, serving Fortune 1000 companies. Ms. McElvane is a visionary and strategic critical thinker, with proven ability to link concepts, organizations and people to achieve goals. A strong facilitator and strategic planner, Pam's expertise is in business development, strategic planning, and positioning. 

Ms. McElvane's vision transcends through her personal and professional life, having spent the last decade building a business and serving the community while simultaneously meeting the demands of family life. 

P&L Publishing was founded in 1996, whose products include Black MBA Magazine, the official publication of the National Black MBA Association and Black IT Professional Magazine, the official publication of National Black Data Processors Association. In a survey of reading preferences of African American MBAs, Black MBA Magazine was ranked the No.1 diversity publication, ahead of Forbes, Fortune, and other business-related publications, for African Americans with MBA degrees who consult periodicals for their professional information. Ms. McElvane also received the 2005 Media Ambassador Award from Boardroom bound for her work in diversity communications. 

To compliment the diversity advertising services, Diversified Recruitment Inc.(DRi) was founded in 2002, to provide sourcing and staffing of MBAs, IT and Engineering professionals. DRi MBA and DRi IT/Engineering staffing are the targeted divisions. DRi Consulting was the final company formed in 2002 that provides retention services through leadership development and recruitment strategies. These companies offer a full suite of diversity business solutions. 

While she has spent the past nine years in publishing, Ms. McElvane has more than 15 years of executive leadership experience within the insurance property and casualty industry. Pamela was known for her business acumen to turn around unprofitable divisions. Ms. McElvane's distinctive commitment to service and development extends beyond the business sector into the non-profit community. She has used her corporate expertise to provide strategic development and organizational consulting for non- profit organizations. Ms. McElvane is a champion of social responsibility, and is a Chicago area leader in this arena. 

As Board Chair for StreetWise, Inc. an organization dedicated to the empowerment of homeless men and women, Ms. McElvane has changed their board from a grassroots team to a governing fiduciary responsible board. In addition, Pamela is a director of the Board of Gamaliel Foundation. Ms. McElvane manages her family mentoring program as well. Pamela both speaks and provides board development workshops and seminars for the nonprofit organizations. Ms. McElvane has served on more than 15 private and community boards in her career. 

Pamela is the recipient of the Rosalee Stern Award (highest Alumna award given by UC Berkeley for exceptional community service); Outstanding Volunteer award by Streetwise, Outstanding Achievement by NBMBAA various chapters throughout the country; Outstanding Youth Mentor by Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the country; and many other awards for her community service and leadership. It is through this work that Ms. McElvane demonstrates her spiritual commitment to God, as he uses her for the empowerment of his people. 

Ms. McElvane has a B.A. in Social Welfare, and Sociology. Pamela also received her M.B.A. in Finance and International Marketing from University of California Berkley, School of Haas; and a M.A. in Public Policy. Ms. McElvane is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Pamela is a mother of two boys, who are tri lingual, Joshua who 5 years old, and Cameron who is 2.5 years old. 

Websites: www.dristaffing.com; www.blackmbamagazine.net 

Email: pam@blackmbamagazine.net

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