Dr. Laura Hanson MacKnew is an accomplished professional holding a PhD in Sociology from the University of Kent, England. Transitioning from academia to market research in 2009, she embarked on a diverse career path, initially as an ethnographer and analyst, before advancing to roles such as Research Manager and Director at SmartRevenue, and later as Senior Research Director at Luth Research.  In her present position as Manager, Consumer Insights at Publix, Laura leads a team of professionals, drawing upon her wealth of industry expertise and leadership skills. Apart from her professional commitments, Laura devotes time to her family and actively engages with her community.

Tara Rowell is a problem solver with an MBA in Computer Information Systems and over 20 years of experience in business and technology. She is currently focusing on developing her expertise in AI Ethics, Responsible AI, and Data Governance. Tara prioritizes her faith and family. She actively participates in her children's activities and finds fulfillment in balancing her professional and personal responsibilities. As a woman in leadership, Tara is passionate about demonstrating the potential of women and aspires to inspire others in their career and family endeavors through her enthusiasm and integrity.

Judit Tejada, is a Strategic Insights Director for Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. In this role, she consistently anticipates, recognizes, evaluates, and informs leadership of macro forces, health care consumer insights and disruptive forces and assess impact to overall Brand Strategy. She also supports strategic decision making and action with senior leaders. Judit joined Moffitt Cancer Center in November of 2007 and has held various strategy roles including Director of Planning. Before that, she held various roles at Merck & Company. She currently serves as Vice-President on the board of the Southeast Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SESHSMD) and 2 nd Vice Chair for the MacDonald Training Center in Tampa (link). She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and BA in Mathematics from Columbia University and an MBA from Old Dominion University.

Darshini Narayan is a seasoned User Experience (UX) Professional with expertise in the e-commerce industry. With over 10 years of experience in UX design, User Centered research and analysis, and User Interface design; Darshini’s passion for understanding users is forever growing. Throughout her career, Darshini has been recognized to solve problems with a more wholistic approach – which is balancing user needs with business requirements and technical capabilities. Her expertise in optimizing user journeys, identifying friction points and implementing data-driven solutions has enabled her to significantly contribute to increasing conversion rates and enhancing user satisfaction. She has a master’s degree in UX Design from The University of Texas at Austin and has worked for companies like Samsung, Ford, Ashley Furniture, etc. Currently, Darshini serves as a Sr UX/UI Architect at Visual Comfort & Co., where she leads efforts in enhancing the user experience for their digital products. In this role, she also contributes to increasing Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) as well as manages Digital Accessibility efforts. Outside of work, Darshini enjoys applying her design knowledge in home DIY projects, mentoring aspiring professional and more recently; learning how to grow and maintain a herb garden.

Maria has been fortunate to be part of travel and hospitality industry for most of her professional life. Today, as a Sr. Director of Market Research and Insights, Maria leads a breadth of insight initiatives that help shape Visit Orlando’s business strategies, supporting the entire destination. Prior to joining Visit Orlando, Maria spearheaded numerous consumer insights studies for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment as part of SEA’s Corporate Research team. Maria’s resume also includes four years with TNS (now Kantar), where she was responsible for delivering insights and strategic direction for clients in travel, hospitality, transportation, and technology sectors. An avid supporter of professional volunteering, Maria served on the Board of Florida Chapter of Insights Association and Central and North Florida Chapter of the Global Business Travel Association. Today she is a member of the Board for TTRA's Southeast Chapter (SETTRA). When not crunching numbers and digging for trends, you can find Maria reading fantasy books, painting, figuring out piano or watching her son play soccer.  Maria holds BA in International Economics from Tomsk State University in Russia, BBA in International Business from Stetson University and MBA from Rollins College. In addition to formal education, Maria has also obtained certification in Advanced Analytic Techniques from the University of Georgia's Center for Continuing Education.