Experts

Tonya McKenzie, founder of Sand & Shores, is an international speaker, moderator, author, and civil servant. Tonya is also a Los Angeles County Commissioner of Alcohol and Other Drugs. She is a master storyteller at the intersection of communications and leadership. Tonya consults organizations and businesses to help them tell their story, elevate their brand awareness, and build a strong reputation. Tonya is a PR and reputation specialist. She hosts the top-100 leadership podcast, Leaders & Learners, and is the co-host of My Morning Coffee Podcast.Tonya McKenzie was the first African American woman elected to the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors, and president of the North Redondo Beach Business Association. She was the only African American named Redondo Beach Woman of the Year (2021). She serves on the City of Redondo Beach GPAC (General Plan Advisory Council), is Vice president of the Black Public Relations Society – Los Angeles, the Redondo Beach Emergency Crisis Council, and the Advisory Council for Better Youth. Her body of work with chambers and business associations has shaped her into an advocate and valuable resource for small businesses and community organizations.Tonya McKenzie can be found highlighted in the pages of Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century. As a young gun violence survivor, she has become a dedicated youth advocate. She is the author of a memoir titled, A Child's Memories of Cartoons and Murder. Tonya has been married for over 20 years, and has four kids, including a set of twins.

Robin is a 25-year beauty industry veteran with successes as a writer, editor, public relations/media expert, and entrepreneur. Following a bucket list trip to India in 2020, she witnessed how Western consumerism impacts developing nations – and decided she didn’t want to perpetuate this cycle any longer. With a passion for beauty, travel, learning about cultures, and media savvy, Robin created Beautyologie.com in 2021, an online beauty marketplace catering to conscious beauty consumers who want their dollars to make a difference. Since Beautyologie’s inception, Robin has secured 50+ brand partnerships with global producers, and garnered favorable press in media outlets (including Bloomberg, Byrdie, and The Good Trade). Beauty Independent recently awarded Beautyologie an Honoree Retail Award for “Audience Educator.” She has been recognized as one of “40 Social Entrepreneurs to Watch for in 2022” by Cause Artist. Additionally, Robin has opened 3 brick-and-mortar shop-in-shop locations across Southern California. Robin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California – Irvine. During her undergraduate degree, she fueled her love of travel by completing a study abroad in South France. Eager to continue exploring the world, she secured internships in London and began working as a freelance writer for several media outlets, including Entertainment Weekly magazine. In 1998, she landed her first beauty editor position at teen magazine Jump.  The daughter of an entrepreneur, Robin has always had the drive to create. In the early 2000s, she conceptualized and launched two retail businesses. Wrap Star, a hair accessories company, sold products in 200 retailers across the U.S. (including Fred Segal and Henri Bendel) and was featured in InStyle, Glamour, and People magazines. She also co-founded Innies ‘n Outies, a children’s clothing line, which launched 2 successful seasonal collections.

Priscilla Manzo is the Director of Public Relations at Dragon Glassware, a Sacramento-based boutique and luxury glassware company offering a variety of modern and unique barware and drinkware for the home and kitchen. Manzo leads all public relations, social media, and influencer marketing efforts on behalf of Dragon Glassware.For the entirety of her career, Manzo has focused on public exposure and brand advancement through digital marketing and effective public relations strategies. Manzo started her digital marketing career in NYC PR and Marketing firms that specialized in the fashion and beauty industry. From there, she moved on to work at an in-house social media firm for a sunglasses start-up. With a great focus on influencer marketing, Priscilla aided in the brand’s growth from a 5 figure brand to a 7 figure brand. Manzo combined her expertise in the marketing and public relations space to mesh together the ultimate PR and social media formula for Dragon Glassware’s social media success. Manzo joined Dragon Glassware in 2019, and has helped leverage the brand’s social growth ever since.

Patrick Jones is the founder of Outdoor Fellow who discovered his passion for scented candles and home fragrances in an unexpected way.His journey began with a love for scented candles to elevate his home which ultimately led to the simple purchase of a 'make-it-yourself' candle kit. This experience ignited a newfound love and interest in candle-making, especially for scents that were not readily available in the market. Patrick's deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors inspired him to create candles that encapsulate the essence of the wilderness, bringing a slice of the great outdoors into homes.In 2018, amidst a successful career in fashion, Patrick decided to channel his passion into a tangible venture, leading to the birth of Outdoor Fellow. This side business was a harmonious blend of his professional expertise and personal interests, focusing on crafting candles with scents that evoke the tranquility and beauty of nature.By 2022, Patrick's dedication and vision for Outdoor Fellow had grown so strong that he made a pivotal decision. He chose to leave his thriving fashion career to devote himself entirely to Outdoor Fellow. His commitment to building and expanding the brand is a testament to his belief in the unique value and appeal of his products. Under his guidance, Outdoor Fellow continues to thrive, bringing the serene and invigorating scents of the outdoors into homes everywhere.Outside of Outdoor Fellow, Patrick is an avid home cook with an obsession for baking bread as well as the perfect omelette. He enjoys going on daily long walks with his dog Lincoln where often times inspiration for new home fragrances emerge. He's also an avid scuba diver and is always looking for his next spot to dive.

Michelle Songy, CEO and Founder, Press HookMichelle Songy is a serial tech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Press Hook, a media relations platform that connects brands, media, publicists and journalists. As a PR industry change maker, she was recently named on PRWeek’s Dashboard 25 list of the most influential people in communications technology, representing the enterprises that are shaping your tech stack. She has more than a decade of experience developing, managing and marketing businesses from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.After relocating to London in 2014 for a finance management position with Coca-Cola, Michelle founded her first company, Cake Technologies. It became the United Kingdom’s largest mobile payment platform for restaurants and was sold to American Express just three years later, in 2017.In 2020, Michelle founded her second entrepreneurial endeavor and passion project, Press Hook, a tech-enabled media relations platform specializing in promoting brands, especially small businesses. The Press Hook platform offers the first two-sided marketplace that intelligently connects brands seeking publicity with journalists seeking content. With Press Hook, lifestyle and consumer brands can easily and affordably get the media coverage they deserve with unprecedented speed, volume and reach. Michelle is a graduate of the University of Georgia, in the Terry School of Business with a degree in Management Information Systems.

Lisa is the Co-founder and CEO of Mermaid Straw. An extroverted introvert that loves cats, puzzles, being goofy, and working (it's true - Lisa loves to work), she's also an empath and highly intuitive. As a matter of fact, Mermaid Straw came to be what it is today, all because Lisa had a dream about starting the company. She has a chronic illness known as POTS, and is an advocate for fellow Spoonie warriors everywhere. She has a deep passion for doing what's right for this planet, and has long before this company began. She is obsessed with her husband, Adam, of over 13 years, and their 5 precious kitties. Lisa is forever grateful that Adam took this leap of faith with her and started Mermaid Straw from the ground up. Lisa's goal is to make Mermaid Straw a common household name, to be seen on the shelves at your favorite stores, and to spread awareness about how one person can make a difference.

Kerry Barrett is an Emmy Award-winning former news anchor with over twenty years of experience in the heart of New York City’s media industry. Now a sought-after PR coach and media trainer, Kerry empowers entrepreneurs and lawyers to master their media appearances, from crafting impactful pitches to delivering with confidence on camera. Leveraging a rich career in broadcast journalism, Kerry helps clients enhance their visibility, credibility, and business growth by turning every media opportunity into a strategic advantage.

I am the founder and CEO of KMO HAUS - a one-of-a-kind agency that combines affiliate PR management, consulting, and human design-led business guidance. My mission is to help individuals and businesses achieve their goals while feeling their best and honoring their uniqueness. I believe we’re all unique and brilliant humans, designed to operate and experience life differently. As a certified Human Design and energy reader, I use Human Design as a tool to blend, empower and support my clients in creating and executing effective strategies that align with their energy, purpose, and potential to create a more productive and highly autonomous work culture. This innovative approach has the ability to reduce turnover and hiring costs.I also leverage my extensive editorial network and always evolving industry knowledge of affiliate PR to generate exposure, revenue, and partnerships for KMO's category-defining DTC brand clients across various industries. Equally passionate about mentorship and community building, since launching KMO December 2020, I have delivered over 60+ hours of affiliate PR training to 300+ industry professionals.With a dedicated heart and focused mind, I set new standards for individuality in the workforce and expand perspectives for what’s possible.

Julia is a marketing veteran who has over a decade of experience in branding, partnerships, content creation, influencer relations and marketing, endorsements, public relations, and social media. She has managed campaigns and partnerships for highly visible brands including BMW, Southwest Airlines, Gatorade, UnitedHealthcare and more.She spent 7 years at an agency based in Atlanta, GA as Director Marketing and ascended to Vice President of Branding by 2018. She oversaw all marketing activities for the firm and led branding strategy and execution for the high profile clients represented by the agency. Julia began consulting for brands and non-profit organizations in late 2021, and has helped guide and create marketing strategies that utilize athletes and influencers in meaningful ways - including charitable connections, PR and media opportunities, NIL partnerships, brand building, and endorsements. She joined Brutus Broth in 2023 as their Chief Marketing Officer, and is excited to be a part of a rapidly growing female-founded CPG brand.

John has diverse background holding leadership positions in a series of organizations from larger established Governmental entities to startups. Currently in addition to founding a world class hot sauce firm, John and his partners, spend a fair amount of time creating and preserving affordable housing in the NYC metro area . He is a board member of the NYS Gaming Commission as well as NFP Santa Angel’s. His love of gardening was sparked when his older daughter decided to forgo her chance at becoming the next Jackie Mitchell, gardening become the substitute activity for the weekends. He graduated from both college and grad school in reasonable time frames, an occurrence many of his elementary school friend’s still doubt.

Jamie Bryan is a Brooklyn-based writer, copywriter, UX writer, and content creative. Along with ghostwriting high-profile thought leadership pieces for Fortune 500 CEOs, he crafts digital content and marketing projects for American Express, Rolling Stone, Atypon, Publicis Sapient, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Bacardi, Sprinklr, Clover, Pepsi, and Western Union among other leading brands. In earlier journalism days, he penned feature articles for Fast Company, Details, Time Out, High Times, and Surfer — along with contributing columns and other editorial content for numerous other national print and online publications.As a visual artist, Jamie's ties to graffiti, street, and contemporary art include selling Keith Haring some of his original surfing-inspired t-shirts in the 80s; collaborating with Greg Lamarche and interviewing Zephyr, Tracy 168, and LSD-OM among other subway legends in the 90s; mounting popular, sometimes provocative sticker art throughout lower Manhattan in the 2000s; and most recently working with Simon Liu to take his pop sensibilities and enigmatic-yet-irresistible imagery to a grander scale.