Lisa Tanzer

Lisa Tanzer, President of Life is Good, started her journey to become president of the $100 million lifestyle brand, Life is Good, in 1990 when she joined the board of “Project Joy,” a small play therapy program. Today, that has evolved into the Life is Good Foundation, which positively impacts more than 1 million kids each year.   Prior to becoming president of Life is Good in 2016, Lisa served as the company’s head of marketing. She has held executive positions in the entertainment, ecommerce and education sectors, and earlier in her career worked in strategy and marketing at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hasbro, Staples and The Gillette Company. Lisa received her BA from Tufts University and MBA from Harvard Business School.   Her mission is to continue growing the Life is Good business to deliver a simple yet powerful message of optimism.

Nadya Okamoto

At 21, Nadya Okamoto already has an impressive list of accomplishments to her credit. At age 16 she founded and became executive director of Period (period.org), an organization now considered the largest youth-run NGO devoted to women’s health. Since 2014 the organization has addressed over 500,000 periods and registered over 300 campus chapters. In 2017, Nadya ran for a seat on the Cambridge, Mass., city council. While she did not win, her campaign made headlines for the way it mobilized young people on the ground and at the polls. Nadya recently published her debut book, Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement (Simon & Schuster), which made Kirkus Reviews’ list for Best Young Adult Nonfiction of 2018. Most recently, Nadya has become the chief brand officer of JUV Consulting, a Generation Z marketing agency based in New York City. A Harvard student on a leave of absence, Nadya proudly holds a spot on InStyle Magazine’s The Badass 50: Meet the Women Who Are Changing the World list, along with Michelle Obama, Ariana Grande and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

Martha Sheridan

Martha Sheridan is the President & CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Formerly President & CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention Bureau, Sheridan has over a quarter-century of destination marketing experience.  She has served as Chairman of the Destination Marketing Association International and is on the board of the US Travel Association. Recently she was appointed to the Destinations International Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, which aims to elevate diversity within destination organizations and, more broadly, within the tourism industry.  Sheridan’s tenure at the PWCVB has had many highlights, including the creation of the Rhode Island Sports Commission (RISC) as a division of the PWCVB, the development of a robust media relations program in Providence and the creation of a comprehensive electronic guide to 15 eclectic and vibrant neighborhoods in Providence.

Laura Yates

Laura Reed Yates, principal of Dovetail Event Partners, is a 30-year veteran of the incentive, meeting and corporate event industry. Prior to forming Dovetail in 2007, she held key positions at Carlson Marketing, Navigant Performance Group, Cornerstone, Incentive Strategies, DMI and S&H Motivation. Her multifaceted background includes operations, project management, program planning, purchasing/procurement, marketing, corporate communications, account management and sales. Over the years, Laura has successfully supported numerous clients in the automotive, high-tech, manufacturing, distribution, direct selling, insurance and finance industries.

Judi McLaughlin

Judi McLaughlin, CMP, serves as managing director for HelmsBriscoe, the global leader in meeting procurement and site-selection services for corporations and associations. She provides strategic direction and support of new business development, client retention, business planning and associate recruitment efforts in the Northeast market while offering leadership and support to over 50 HelmsBriscoe associates.   Her career includes a variety of leadership roles in the meetings and incentive industry, including management positions with Maritz Travel, McGettigan Partners and Talley Management. She has held a variety of association meeting planner and hospitality sales and service positions with organizations such as the American Institute of CPAs, Sheraton and Marriott. 

Jennifer Keltner

Jennifer Keltner is the Owner of Keltner Travel Consulting. Jennifer is a longtime supporter and fundraiser for the International Justice Mission, Keltner also has served on the advisory committee for ECPAT-USA, a group of travel industry veterans who lend their expertise and skills to developing and implementing policies and programs that protect children from exploitation (ECPAT stands for End Child Prostitution and Trafficking). Keltner has taken this issue on the road, speaking on the topic of travel and trafficking at events for a number of groups such as the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and GBTA. She was formerly manager of Toyota North America's travel and meetings program.