​A​ ​passionate​ ​adventurer​ ​and​ ​idealistic​ ​entrepreneur,​ ​Magatte​ ​was​ ​born​ ​in  Senegal,​ ​educated​ ​in​ ​Germany​ ​and​ ​France,​ ​and​ ​came​ ​to​ ​the​ ​U.S.​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​her​ ​career.​ ​​ ​She​ ​lived​ ​and  worked​ ​in​ ​Silicon​ ​Valley​ ​at​ ​the​ ​height​ ​of​ ​the​ ​dotcom​ ​boom,​ ​started​ ​a​ ​beverage​ ​company​ ​that  obtained​ ​national​ ​distribution,​ ​and​ ​is​ ​now​ ​happily​ ​nurturing​ ​her​ ​latest​ ​entrepreneurial​ ​baby,  Tiossan,​ ​which​ ​offers​ ​skin​ ​care​ ​products​ ​based​ ​on​ ​Senegalese​ ​recipes​ ​and​ ​ingredients.​ ​Magatte  and​ ​her​ ​husband​ ​also​ ​work​ ​tirelessly​ ​to​ ​build​ ​schools​ ​and​ ​create​ ​jobs​ ​back​ ​home​ ​in​ ​her​ ​native  Senegal.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​a​ ​renowned​ ​speaker​ ​on​ ​numerous​ ​topics​ ​including​ ​entrepreneurship,​ ​creating  prosperity​ ​in​ ​Africa,​ ​and​ ​living​ ​life​ ​well.  

Erin​ ​is​ ​a​ ​nationally-recognized​ ​speaker,​ ​executive​ ​coach,​ ​and​ ​consultant​ ​in​ ​the​ ​areas  of​ ​leadership​ ​development,​ ​organizational​ ​change,​ ​and​ ​organizational​ ​strategy.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​more​ ​than  25​ ​years​ ​of​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​has​ ​worked​ ​for​ ​elite​ ​firms​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Bain​ ​&​ ​Company,​ ​Goldman​ ​Sachs,  and​ ​Accenture.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​the​ ​Managing​ ​Partner​ ​of​ ​SuiteTrack,​ ​a​ ​firm​ ​dedicated​ ​to​ ​helping  companies​ ​advance​ ​their​ ​professionals​ ​in​ ​the​ ​workplace.​ ​Erin​ ​is​ ​also​ ​the​ ​Executive​ ​Director​ ​of​ ​The  Coles​ ​College​ ​of​ ​Business​ ​Women's​ ​Leadership​ ​Center​ ​at​ ​Kennesaw​ ​State​ ​University​ ​where​ ​she  develops​ ​and​ ​implements​ ​initiatives​ ​and​ ​connections​ ​that​ ​help​ ​women​ ​students​ ​and​ ​professionals  reach​ ​their​ ​fullest​ ​leadership​ ​potential​ ​and​ ​she​ ​sits​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Women's​ ​Leadership​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Harvard  University's​ ​Kennedy​ ​School.​ ​​ ​Her​ ​publications​ ​include​ ​two​ ​books,​ ​​Lessons​ ​From​ ​the​ ​Trenches:​ ​A  Woman's​ ​Guide​ ​to​ ​Winning​ ​the​ ​Corporate​ ​Game​​ ​and​ ​​If​ ​I​ ​Knew​ ​Then​ ​What​ ​I​ ​Know​ ​Now:​ ​Secrets​ ​to  Success​ ​from​ ​Top​ ​Women​ ​Leaders. 

Hailed​ ​in​ ​2015​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​Washington's​ ​"Most​ ​Powerful​ ​Women"​ ​by​ ​the  Washingtonian​ ​​magazine,​ ​Laura​ ​has​ ​more​ ​than​ ​24​ ​years​ ​of​ ​experience​ ​in​ ​communications,  corporate​ ​governance,​ ​stakeholder​ ​engagement,​ ​and​ ​public​ ​policy​ ​strategy.​ ​A​ ​partner​ ​and  executive​ ​at​ ​Pricewaterhouse Coopers​ ​for​ ​12​ ​years,​ ​she​ ​oversaw​ ​regulatory​ ​affairs​ ​and​ ​public  policy​ ​for​ ​the​ ​world's​ ​largest​ ​professional​ ​services​ ​firm.​ ​In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​serving​ ​on​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of  non-profit​ ​boards,​ ​Laura​ ​also​ ​lends​ ​her​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​voice​ ​publicly​ ​to​ ​a​ ​range​ ​of​ ​topics  important​ ​to​ ​the​ ​public​ ​and​ ​private​ ​sectors​ ​including​ ​career​ ​and​ ​talent​ ​development,​ ​the  importance​ ​of​ ​developing​ ​a​ ​diversified​ ​workforce​ ​and​ ​of​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​diversified​ ​teams,​ ​women’s  leadership,​ ​and​ ​corporate​ ​governance.  

As​ ​Director​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Center​ ​for​ ​American​ ​Women​ ​and​ ​Politics​ ​(CAWP)​ ​at​ ​Rutgers’  Eagleton​ ​Institute​ ​of​ ​Politics,​ ​Debbie​ ​manages​ ​and​ ​oversees​ ​CAWP’s​ ​multi-faceted​ ​programs​ ​that  include​ ​national​ ​forums​ ​for​ ​political​ ​women​ ​and​ ​provide​ ​vital​ ​information​ ​and​ ​facilitate​ ​creative  strategy-building.​ ​She​ ​also​ ​manages​ ​leadership​ ​and​ ​campaign​ ​training​ ​programs​ ​designed​ ​to  empower​ ​women​ ​of​ ​all​ ​ages​ ​to​ ​participate​ ​fully​ ​in​ ​politics​ ​and​ ​public​ ​life.​ ​In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​tracking  and​ ​overseeing​ ​research​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​women​ ​as​ ​candidates,​ ​public​ ​officials​ ​and​ ​voters,​ ​Debbie​ ​is  frequently​ ​called​ ​upon​ ​by​ ​the​ ​media​ ​for​ ​information​ ​and​ ​comment,​ ​and​ ​she​ ​speaks​ ​to​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of  audiences​ ​around​ ​the​ ​country​ ​on​ ​topics​ ​related​ ​to​ ​women’s​ ​political​ ​participation. 

Heather​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Director of Strategic Partnerships ​with​ ​Americans​ ​for​ ​Prosperity​ ​Foundation’s  Grassroots​ ​Leadership​ ​Academy.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​worked​ ​for​ ​two​ ​Fortune​ ​500​ ​companies,​ ​holds​ ​an​ ​MBA  from​ ​Harding​ ​University,​ ​and​ ​has​ ​served​ ​as​ ​field​ ​director​ ​for​ ​several​ ​federal​ ​campaigns​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as  for​ ​the​ ​Republican​ ​National​ ​Committee​ ​and​ ​American​ ​Action​ ​Network.​ ​Her​ ​experience​ ​includes  political​ ​work​ ​in​ ​Texas,​ ​Arkansas,​ ​Iowa,​ ​Virginia,​ ​Mississippi​ ​and​ ​Florida. 

Jill was first elected to the Loudoun County School Board in 2011, and then re-elected in 2015. She served as the Vice-Chair for 4 consecutive years and currently Chairs the Curriculum and Instruction Committee.  A former educator, she is a strong advocate for educational choice, and has been engaged in a number of educational initiatives both locally as well as at the state level. She was instrumental in bringing forth Loudoun’s first charter school, served on the founding board of a local private school, and was asked by the VA Secretary of Education to participate in the development of an Standards of Learning Testing reform bill, which was later signed into law.  She is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network (Spring 2016 cohort) and is actively engaged in political and civic activities within her community.  Jill is a self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur”.  She has run a successful photography business for nearly a decade, co-founded a micro-school focused on services for homeschool students, co-founded a children's lifestyle accessory line with her daughter, and is working on developing a leadership program for youth and young adults.

As Director of Public Affairs at The Policy Circle, Nicole works tirelessly to promote The Policy Circle among various constituencies.  She is responsible for outreach, growth, and national recruitment, as well as spearheading membership initiatives. Prior to joining The Policy Circle, Nicole served as Public Affairs Manager for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, where she worked with Connecticut’s leading companies to influence the legislative process. While at CBIA, Nicole spearheaded the association’s “Adopt a Legislator” program, an initiative that allows business executives to foster relationships with state lawmakers. She has also worked on over a dozen federal, state, and local campaigns as a manager, fundraiser, and writer. Having earned her BA in communications and political science from the University of Connecticut, Nicole is also a graduate of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University.

Pia Clarke oversees messaging and curriculum development and strategy for programs for Bridge to Wellbeing at AFP Foundation. Pia’s passion for helping people improve their lives started at a very young age, after witnessing her family members lead community initiatives, pushing her to find opportunities to serve in her own and surrounding communities. Prior to this role, Pia has  started tutoring programs in local public schools mentored children and their young mothers in her community,  and shaped programming and course offerings in a DC Charter school. She currently leads a mentoring program in Washington DC, where she has been serving at-risk girls for over five years.  In her spare time, Pia can be found finding new and innovative ways to serve, exploring new places to eat, or spending quality time with friends and family.

Barbara has more than twenty-five years experience in government relations and public affairs working with leading companies and elected officials. Barbara retired from JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she was Senior Vice President in the firm’s Global Government Relations & Public Policy Group. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Barbara served on the staff of a former Illinois Governor, two Illinois Lt. Governors, and led the Chicago public affairs practice of Fleishman-Hillard.

A founding member of The Policy Circle, Beth leads a circle in Wilmette and serves as editor of the Policy Briefs discussion materials for Policy Circle meetings around the country. In her community, Beth recently launched a neighborhood advocacy group, NewTrierNeighbors.org, so local residents who believe in the ideas of common sense, free enterprise and the Golden Rule can connect and address local issues. She also works with the Free Speech Civil Rights coalition, a group of writers, academics, students, professionals, clergy, local community leaders, and citizens dedicated to promoting free speech, true diversity, intrinsic human dignity, and the American Dream. Previously, Beth worked in consulting and public relations for Hill and Knowlton and Arthur Andersen. She is a graduate of Miami of Ohio (BA) and Northwestern University (MS) and lives in Wilmette with her husband and three children.

Sheila A. Weinberg, CPA, is the founder and CEO of Truth in Accounting, whose mission is to compel governments to produce financial reports that are understandable, reliable, transparent and correct.  Since 2002 Ms. Weinberg has led their research initiatives, which include "The Truth about Balanced Budgets: a Fifty State Study," the "Financial State of the States," and the "Financial State of the Union." Because of her expertise in governmental budgeting and accounting, Ms. Weinberg has testified before the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB), the Government Accounting Standards Board, and numerous state legislative hearings on matters of proper government accounting.

Ms. Weinberg earned her Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Denver and received her certified public accountant (CPA) credential in 1981.  Her commentary on the federal budget, Social Security, Medicare has appeared in numerous publications, including USA Today, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times.

Hilary Gowins is the vice president of communications for the Illinois Policy Institute.

During her time at the Institute, she has received two Lisagor Awards from the Chicago Headline Club, as well as a PR News Award for her writing. Before joining the Institute, Hilary was a reporter at the Northwest Herald, where she covered local government and wrote enterprise stories focusing on politics at the state level. While at the Northwest Herald, she received an Illinois Press Association Award for feature writing.

Hilary earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Kenyon College and her master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Jumana is an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology and the Department of Public Policy at DePaul University. She teaches classes in research methods, youth and society, gender studies, mass media studies, and education policy. Her 17 year higher education experience provides her students with a richer appreciation of the dynamic intellectual relationships forged through critical thinking in the classroom, thought provoking discussions, and meaningful civil dialogue needed in a democratic society.  Her most recent research examined the way newspapers frame education policy issues and how this framing is also about how language, discourse, and ideology are embedded within policy documents.

For nearly twenty-five years, Kelly has devoted her professional life to advocacy on issues that impact physicians and their patients. As CEO of the Physicians Advocacy Institute, Kelly leads PAI’s efforts to promote the interests of physicians and patients at the national level. In 2012, Kelly founded K2 Strategies, a health care consulting firm. Since that time, K2 Strategies has represented corporate, association and medical board clients with a wide variety of public policy and business goals. Prior to K2 Strategies, Kelly managed the state government affairs division of the American Medical Association, one of the most influential lobbying organizations in the nation. She began her career as a litigation attorney at the Chicago firm Wildman, Harrold, Allen and Dixon. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She and her husband Crane have four children.