Keynote Speaker Bios: 2013 Conference
Coquese Washington
From 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on April 18, 2013 the Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference will feature a kickoff dinner with keynote speaker Coach Coquese Washington
Coquese Washington was introduced as the fifth head coach of the Penn State women’s basketball program in April of 2007 and is the first female African-American head coach in Penn State history.
Coach Washington returned the Lady Lions to Big Ten prominence in 2012 as she guided Penn State to a 26-7 record, the Big Ten regular-season title and the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. For her efforts in rebuilding the Penn State program, Washington was honored as the 2012 Big Ten Coach of the Year.
The 2013 Lady Lions repeated as Big Ten Champions with a 23-3 record (two regular season games left), and look to make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament as one of the nation’s top ten teams.
The epitome of a student-athlete, Washington was a four-year starter at Notre Dame, graduating a full year ahead of schedule with a bachelor’s degree in history. She went on to attain “Double Domer” status by earning her Juris Doctorate from the Notre Dame Law School.
A native of Flint, Michigan, Washington and her husband, Raynell Brown, have a son, Quenton (7), and a daughter, Rhaiyna (3).
Porter Gale
On April 19, 2013 the Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference will feature keynote speaker Porter Gale.
Porter Gale is a social media expert, an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience working in marketing, advertising and independent filmmaking, and an Author. She has been a keynote speaker at numerous events, including The Economist Forum, Ad Age Digital Forum, TedX La Jolla, Real Estate Connect, The THINK Conference, and more.
From 2007 to 2011, Porter led Virgin America’s marketing and advertising efforts as Vice President of Marketing, and before that, she acted as a consultant for a diverse array of clients. She held the post of General Manager at Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners where she worked with clients like Vegas.com, Coach, and Snapple Natural Beverages (to name a few). Porter and her work have been profiled in numerous press outlets, and she was awarded the Changing the Game Award by Advertising Women of New York (AWNY), along with a spot on AdAge’s Digital Hotlist in 2011.
In the independent film world, Porter produced or directed documentaries that aired on Lifetime, PBS, Channel 4, and in film festivals around the globe and her film work has been honored by the Directors Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences, and Filmmaker magazine. Porter has a BSBA from Boston University and a Masters in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University.
Porter has been quoted or interviewed in over 100 online, print and broadcast press outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Adweek, AdAge, CNN, The Huffington Post, San Francisco Business Journal, Forbes.com, Mashable, Techcrunch PR Week and more.
After feeling the need to experience new challenges, Porter left Virgin America at the end of 2011to join Kred, a leader in influence measurement, as the Lead Advisor on their new Kred Stars and Kred Leaders program. Her work with Kred helps to develop advocacy programs with their community of friends, peers and colleagues. Porter is a blogger for AdAge and The Huffington Post and currently finishing her book titled Your Network Is Your Net Worth for Atria Books.
Tiffany Persons
On April 19, 2013 the Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference will feature keynote speaker Tiffany Persons.
Known for bringing her magnetic personality and sheer joy for living to every experience and individual that she encounters, Tiffany Persons is the founder and director of the non-profit organization Shine on Sierra Leone.
Currently celebrating Shine on Sierra Leone’s fifth anniversary, Tiffany’s passion and commitment for empowering the communities of Sierra Leone through innovative initiatives and strong cultural partnerships is stronger than ever. Since Shine on Sierra Leone’s inception, she has overseen the six cornerstone programs that have contributed to the phenomenal growth and success of the region. With unabashed enthusiasm and the collective generous spirit of many, SOSL has unleashed groundbreaking education, healthcare, microloans, adult literacy, computer literacy, sustainable building, and agriculture programs. Dedicated to using the most effective, long lasting, and green methods available for each initiative, the results are astounding.
In just five years, about 3,500 women’s small business have been financed with a 97% successful return, more than 6,000 individuals have become computer literate, over 600 elementary students have received a stellar education, 150 adults have gained literacy, and 3 major community buildings have been built using the trailblazing Earth Bag technique with the renowned Cal Earth Institute. By trailblazing, this means that each of these buildings is made to last 1,000 years, cost a fraction of what conventional building techniques cost, and were built by the locals themselves. With each of SOSL’s initiatives and upcoming campaigns, Tiffany’s essential philosophy that “We are all meant to shine, thrive, evolve” is ever present.
Recognized for her work as the founder of Shine On Sierra Leone, Tiffany has been honored by the United Nations as a Woman Of The World and Sustainopia 2011, selected as a moderator for the Opportunity Collaboration conference, and featured in various popular domestic and international publications including Elle, Vibe, Emirates Woman, and People.com.
Marjorie Stromberg Miller
On April 19, 2013 the Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference PINK Lunch Benefitting the American Cancer Society will feature keynote speaker Marjorie Stromberg Miller.
Marjorie Stromberg Miller is a staff writer for The Centre County Gazette, and is a two-year breast cancer survivor. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2011 at the age of 26, she had gotten engaged only two months earlier. She started a blog, Pink and Pearls, to document her journey of planning a wedding while coping with breast cancer.
Pink and Pearls got Marjorie recognition with the Lifetime Movie Network for its promotion of the movie “Five” for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in fall 2011, as well as with the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, in which she was featured in a “survivor spotlight” story. Since her diagnosis Marjorie has volunteered with and spoke at events for numerous breast cancer organizations, including the PA Breast Cancer Coalition and the Pennsylvania Pink Zone.
In June 2012 Marjorie told her story, along with two other breast cancer survivors, at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. as part of The Moth and Phillips Ultrasound’s “Getting it off our chests: stories from breast cancer survivors.” This past winter she spoke at the Penn State Men and Women’s gymnastics “Paint it Pink” meet, as well as at the Pennsylvania Pink Zone Lady Lions Basketball game. This September, she plans to ride her bike 200 miles for the Young Survival Coalition’s Tour de Pink, a three-day trek from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
Marjorie graduated from West Virginia University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in news-editorial journalism. Prior to working for The Centre County Gazette, she was a health, business and social services reporter for The Lewistown Sentinel from 2008 to 2012, and while attending West Virginia University, she was a freelance reporter for various newspapers, magazines and other publications.
Marjorie and her husband Sean live in State College.
