Keynote Speakers

MONICA is a Grammy Award-winning Multi-platinum Artist, 25-million-plus selling Singer, Actress, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur.  She is also one the most inspirational Women you will ever meet.  Don’t miss MONICA as she shares her thoughts on love, self care, and living an authentic life at 1:00 on Sunday.

Monica began her amazing career at the tender age of 12 years old. She’s the youngest female ever to have two #1 back -to- back hits on Billboard’s R&B chart from her 1995 debut album, “Miss Thang.” Her sophomore album, “The Boy Is Mine,” garnered Monica pop success with the record-breaking title track which spent 13 weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts. Monica has continued to produce chart topping hits and albums throughout her career. Monica is the first artist ever to have #1 Billboard singles in 3 consecutive decades, which puts her in the elite company of history making superstars such as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, James Brown and Marvin Gaye, whom all had similar accolades. She also received the BET Soul Train Lady of Soul Award. In 2019, Monica released her first single, “Commitment”, on her very own independent label, MonDeenise Music (MDM). “Commitment” hit #1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Charts for two consecutive weeks. The success of her recently released chart topping second single, “Me + You”, keeps Monica on pace to soon deliver her highly anticipated album, further solidifying her exceptional and longstanding iconic career. Don’t Miss MONICA Sunday at 1:00

Celebrating Over 40 Years in Entertainment, Don’t Miss Award Winning Actress, Author, Producer, Bestselling Author and Pop Culture Icon Kim Fields on Saturday at 2:00 as she delivers an inspiring Keynote Address on Living Your Best Life.

TV Personality, Entrepreneur, Host of the Top-Rated Podcast Unlocked with Savannah and Star of “Growing Up Chrisley” Savannah Chrisley Delivers an Inspiring Keynote on Entrepreneurship and Living Faith Over Fear on Saturday at 1:30

MC Lyte knows how to be first. has been grinding since 1987, first as powerhouse MC during rap’s golden age, then as an actor, radio personality, and entrepreneur, among other pursuits. With the new Netflix docuseries, Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop, she got to try out a new role: executive producer. Lyte is confident that Ladies First — which tells hers and other crucial stories — will help ensure that no one else sleeps on the culture’s large-and-in-charge women. “It was very important to release Ladies First in the 50th year of hip-hop”.

Lyte became Hip Hop’s first woman artist to release a solo album Lyte As A Rock, one of the earliest and most significant albums.  She was the first Hip Hop artist to perform at Carnegie Hall, the first woman Hip Hop Artist to have a gold single and a solo Grammy nomination. She is also the first woman to have been inducted into the VH-1’s Hip Hop Honors, the first woman to receive BET’s “I Am Hip Hop” Icon Lifetime Achievement Award and was early Hip Hop’s most successful recording artists and remains an important figure in its history.

She’s a fixture in Hollywood, leveling up in each era, from the fierce Eighties to the flossy Nineties, she earned hits with the spunky “Keep On, Keepin’ On” and the Puffy-helmed “Cold Rock a Party” and appeared in everything from sitcoms to blockbusters. And somewhere between crashing Moesha episodes and the film Girls Trip, Lyte produced a star-studded Centric doc about the life of Heavy D.

Don’t miss MC Lyte as she joins Celebrity Financial Coach Dr. Lynn Richardson as they deliver the Keynote Address “Real World, Real Women and Real Wealth” Sunday at 1:30

She’s everyone’s favorite Mom who’s always keeping it 100% real, join the OG from BRAVO-TV and Entrepreneur, Chef and TV Personality Caroline Manzo with an inspiring Keynote Address on Living Your Best Life Saturday at 1:00

Don’t miss world-class Beauty Entrepreneur, VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” and TV Personality Shekinah Jo Deliver an inspiring Keynote on Celebrating Women in Business and Living an Authentic Life Saturday at 2:30!

Don’t miss the QUEEN of Relationship Talk, Chanel Scott the Bestselling Author, Executive Producer & Creator of FOX SOUL’s CheMinistry and Co-Host of the TV Show Crowned as she brings her expertise to the Main Stage with in-depth conversations designed to enrich your life and your relationship on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30.

Graham Elliot is an acclaimed chef, cookbook author, and TV personality. Born into a Navy family, he developed a deep passion for food, experiencing diverse culinary traditions across the globe. Starting as a dishwasher, Graham’s talent led him to become the youngest chef in the US to receive four-star reviews from major publications. He earned three James Beard Award nominations and was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2004.

In 2008, Graham Elliot’s restaurant gained two Michelin stars, a rare feat achieved by only fifteen establishments nationwide. Alongside his culinary journey, he charmed audiences for ten seasons on MasterChef and MasterChef Junior, working with renowned chef Gordon Ramsay. Graham also judged on Bravo’s Top Chef for three seasons. His contributions earned him Chef of the Year in 2012 and a place in the Chicago Chefs Hall of Fame. Mayor Rahm Emanuel even proclaimed a day in his honor.

Beyond restaurants, Graham served as culinary director at Lollapalooza since 2009, catering to over 100,000 attendees and famous musicians backstage. Currently, he hosts and judges PBS’s The Great American Recipe, sharing his culinary wisdom. Graham is a devoted father of three and resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where he works as the Culinary Director and Partner of FAR Out Hospitality Group with chef Felipe Armenta.

Under the FAR Out Hospitality Group, Graham Elliot is involved in several renowned restaurants, including Cowboy Prime, Tavern, Press Cafe, Towne Grill, Pacific Table, Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, F1 Smokehouse, and the newly opened Le Margot in Fort Worth, Texas. Le Margot, curated by Chef Felipe Armenta and Michelin Star Chef Graham Elliot, offers a delightful range of French cuisine dishes that reflect the diversity of French culinary traditions while incorporating local and seasonal ingredients.

Graham Elliot’s creativity, passion, and relentless pursuit of excellence have made him an iconic figure in the culinary world. His dishes inspire and leave a lasting legacy.  Don’t Miss Graham Elliot share insight into the world of Food & Beverage on the Cooking Stage Saturday at 1:00!

Dr. Lynn Richardson, named by Urban Influence Magazine as one of the 20 Hottest Influencers in America, Dr. Lynn Richardson is an author, entertainment executive and celebrity financial coach who uses her quick wit and humorous presentation style to help others face their money issues and achieve personal, professional and spiritual harmony.   With more than two decades of leading roles in the banking and real estate sales industries, Lynn’s vision is best portrayed in her books, most notably Living Check to Monday: The Real Deal About Money, Credit and Financial Security, which achieved Best Seller status. Lynn is featured regularly on Good Morning America, Fox Business,  Access Live, The Steve Harvey TV Show, The Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family Show, BET Networks and has appeared in Essence, Jet, Upscale, on Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and in countless media outlets nationwide. She has served as Chief of Operations for Russell Simmons’ & Dr. Benjamin Chavis’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network and is currently the President and CEO of MC Lyte’s  Hip Hop Sisters Foundation where she oversees empowerment programs that impact the globe.

Don’t miss Dr. Lynn Richardson as she joins legendary MC Lyte as they deliver the Keynote Address “Real World, Real Women and Real Wealth” Sunday at 1:30

At the age of two, Melissa Gilbert made her on-air debut modeling baby clothes and continued with over 32 television commercials until the nine-year-old joined the cast of “Little House on the Prairie,” continuing with the number one rated series for 10 years. Over the years, Gilbert has continued to bring powerful stories to the small screen, starting at age fourteen with the Emmy award-winning “The Miracle Worker”, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Family Secrets” and “Choices of the Heart”.

She made Broadway debut earning an Outer Critic’s Circle Award for Best Debuting Actress and has also starred in such productions as “The Miracle Worker,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Bus Stop” and “Love Letters” .

Having fully outgrown the “Half-Pint” image of her “Little House” youth, Melissa has proven herself a successful adult actress and director.  She made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed ABC special “Me and My Hormones,” and teamed up to produce the highly rated A & E documentary “Child Stars: Their Story,” which gave an insider’s look at the privileges and pain of child stardom. Melissa’s legacy came full circle when she starred as Ma in the national tour of “Little House on the Prairie the Musical.”

Melissa shared her story of growing up in front of the cameras, dealing with a complicated family, overcoming addictions, and how she finally learned to move on in her New York Time’s bestselling memoir, Prairie Tale.

An avid philanthropist, Melissa is the President of the Board of Directors for the Children’s Hospice and palliative Care Coalition, and became the first-ever national spokesperson for The Partnership at Drugfree.org. Through her work with the Children’s Hospice, Melissa has dedicated her life to ensuring that all chronically and terminally ill children get to live and die with the gentleness, dignity and grace they deserve.