Becoming a Woman of Influence

Moderator: Dr. Rachel Grant

Assistant Professor
Department of Journalism 

Dr. Grant is an assistant professor in the CJC Department of Journalism. Her academic research looks at media studies of race, gender and class and she has conducted extensive research with social movements, social justice, and Black feminism.

Grant has worked professionally as a news reporter for local daily newspapers and statewide magazines and has worked in corporate advertising as a digital copywriter. Read More.

Allyson Park

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Yum! Brands, Inc.

Allyson leads Yum!’s global reputation, stakeholder engagement and environmental social governance strategy known as our Recipe for Good, with functional responsibility for corporate communications, financial communications, external communications, crisis and issues management, social media, internal communications, sustainability, government relations, philanthropy, social impact, creative services and meetings and events. She also serves as Chairman and CEO of the Yum! Brands Foundation. Read More.

Leigh B. Radford

Board Member/ Retired Senior Vice President of Procter & Gamble
Founder P&G Ventures

Leigh is an experienced board member, retired senior vice president of Procter & Gamble and founder of P&G Ventures, an early-stage start-up studio within Procter & Gamble.  Known for her business turnarounds, disruptive product innovation, and expertise in brand building, she is recognized as one of the industry’s most innovative, consumer-driven business leaders and world-class brand builders. Read More.

Giselle Thomas

Multimedia Journalist
WGFL/CBS4 in Gainesville

Giselle Thomas, a 2018 graduate from the Florida A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, is a reporter/multimedia journalist with WGFL/CBS4. Previously she was a broadcast associate at CBS Mornings, one of America’s top-rated morning shows. While at CBS, she was a part of CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil’s editorial/producing team. She had previously interned for CBS Mornings/CBS This Morning in New York as part of a summer 2017 Fellowship Program. She also interned at CBS affiliate WCTV EyeWitness News in Tallahassee, Florida, while enrolled as a full-time student. Read More.

Kalisha Whitman

Senior TV News Manager
CJC Innovation News Center

Kalisha Whitman, also a FAMU graduate, is an award-winning journalist, who coaches students in CJC’s Innovation News Center. During her professional career, she covered a range of stories including the historic 2008 presidential election, one of America’s deadliest storm systems that ripped through the southern region of the U.S. in 2011, and the 50th commemoration of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. She was a member of an Emmy®, Edward R. Murrow and Alabama Broadcasters Association award-winning team, and received several Associated Press awards — while working as a one-person band. Read More.

Breakout Session: Audriana Thomas

Multimedia Journalist
NBCU Academy

Audriana Thomas is a 2022 NBCU Academy Embed and works as a Multimedia Journalist with NBCU Academy. She  graduated from Florida A&M University in 2021 with a degree in journalism and a minor in international business. Prior to graduating, she wrote for The FAMUAN, the student publication, interned at WCGL Victory Radio Station in Jacksonville, Florida, and served as a Thursday morning news anchor for WVFS, Florida State University’s Radio Station. She also served as Meta HBCU Local News Fellow at the Boston Globe developing content for Instagram and TikTok with a  focus on short-form, social-first video in an effort reach a younger audience.