I’m Torren Manning, a Quality Development Associate at Ardent Mills with a background in Food Science from Florida A&M University. I work closely with teams to support product quality, documentation, and continuous improvement. Through my current role, I collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure finished products meet stringent standards for accuracy and efficiency, contributing to consistent operational excellence. With a commitment to continuously improve, I help drive impactful solutions in fast-paced production environments, rooted in a passion for leveraging scientific principles to enhance product quality while maintaining a focus on efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Alicia Luarks is an Operations Excellence Practitioner at Ardent Mills. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Bakery Science and Management from Kansas State University and began her career at Ardent Mills as an intern in the summer of 2016. Approaching her 10-year anniversary with the company, Alicia has built a diverse career spanning Food Safety and Quality, Operations Management, and Continuous Improvement. In addition to her professional role, she serves as Chair of B.E.A.M. (Black Excellence at Ardent Mills), where she is passionate about advancing equity, representation, and inclusive leadership. 

Greg Garrett is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Ardent Mills, the premier flour-milling and ingredient company. In this role, Greg leads the company’s DEI branding expression, Ardent Coming Together, which is built upon the pillars of People, Customer, Community, and Supplier. Through this effort, he drives cultural transformation, inclusive leadership, and inclusive business practices that foster a sense of belonging and shared success.

Greg has over 20+ years of experience in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, marketing, and human resources, having held leadership roles at State Farm, Westfield, and Asurion.

His career has focused on advancing employee engagement, inclusive talent development, and market growth through inclusive strategies. Greg is passionate about building bridges across differences and creating environments where all individuals feel seen, heard, and empowered to thrive.

Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead is the 30th president of Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). She is a professor of communication and African and African American Studies at Loyola University Maryland and the founding executive director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice. She is also the host of the award-winning radio show Today with Dr. Kaye on WEAA, 88.9 FM, and the recent recipient of the Rev. John LaFarge, S.J. Award for her contributions to the struggle for racial justice and commitment to advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Vernon Jarrett Medal for Journalistic Excellence for her outstanding reporting on the impact racial reckoning has had in helping to close the social/racial wealth gap for Black people in America. As one of only a few daily drive-time afternoon radio shows hosted by a Black woman, “Today with Dr. Kaye” has received two Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and nine Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards. Dr. Kaye has also been cited by Essence magazine as one of the “Woke 100 black women” advocating for change. 

She is the author of five books, including the recently released my mother’s tomorrow: dispatches from Baltimore’s Black Butterfly and the award-winning Notes from a Colored Girl: The Civil War Pocket Diaries of Emilie Francis Davis. Dr. Whitehead is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the country, having given over 800 keynotes worldwide. She lives in Baltimore with her family. 

Julius Probst is a Senior economist at Appcast, the global leader in programmatic recruitments. He is based in London and focuses on global economic and labor market analysis with a particular focus on the EU, UK, and US markets. He did his M.Sc. in Economics with a specialization in macroeconomics and his PhD in Economic History at Lund University in Sweden. During his PhD, he also worked as a researcher for the European Central Bank.

Ashton Bentsen-Bush is a Relationship Manager on the Relationship Expansion Team at Seramount. In this role, she manages the delivery of member benefits, fosters partner engagement, and collaborates on the creation of individualized success plans. Ashton joins Seramount from EAB, where she supported higher education leadership in their student success and equity initiatives. Prior to her time at EAB, she built a strong foundation in client-facing work through roles across multiple industries, gaining experience in relationship management, communication, and partner support.

Ashton graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS in Tourism Management, and currently lives in Arlington, VA.

Paul-Anne Robb is a Senior Research Analyst on the Insights team. In this role, Paul-Anne supports Chief Diversity Officer Collaborative partners with custom research on current and relevant topics. Prior to joining Seramount, she served as a research analyst at EAB, supporting multiple areas of inquiry and providing best-practice research to partners.

Paul-Anne graduated from UNC Greensboro with a Master of Education and from Dickinson College with a BA in Sociology. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, trying new places to eat, being a rom-com enthusiast, and being a novice sewist.

Royal Phillips is a Director of Partner Development at Seramount. In her role, she partners with organizations to expand their engagement with the Human Resources Executive Board (HREB), helping HR leaders identify solutions that support their talent strategy, employee experience, and organizational effectiveness goals.

Before joining Seramount, Royal built a diverse career supporting organizational operations and leading administrative and sales functions. Her work has consistently centered on creating strong relationships, improving processes, and elevating the experiences of colleagues and clients.

Royal holds a degree from Spelman College. Originally from Virginia, she now lives in Indian Land, SC with her partner and their daughter, Sophia. In her free time, she enjoys researching her family’s ancestry, traveling the world, and learning new recipes.

Elliott Jones-Poulson is a seasoned Human Resources professional with nearly a decade of experience driving organizational success at Fortune 500 companies. Known for his personable leadership style and strategic vision, Elliott has built and executed global programs that strengthen early-career talent pipelines, foster inclusive workplaces, and elevate employee engagement globally.

Currently serving as Senior Specialist, Belonging and Employee Experience at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Elliott is responsible for ensuring the success of full-cycle staff engagement initiatives from attraction to off-boarding and empowers the organization’s employee resource groups (ERGS).

Prior to entering the world of conservation, Elliott held roles in retail, manufacturing, and biotech industries where he honed expertise in campus recruitment, human resources, and people leadership.

Elliott holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development & Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Certificate in Inclusion from Cornell University.

Sophie is the founder and CEO of Kite Insights, a company that empowers organisations and their people to embed sustainability into their strategies and culture. A former corporate leader turned impact entrepreneur, she leads initiatives such as the Kite Academy, DEBATABLE., and Hurd—a free app that helps employees take practical climate action at work and provides business leaders with data to inform decision making for a future-ready workforce.

With over 30 years’ experience in research, content strategy, and thought leadership, Sophie is passionate about harnessing the power of insights to drive progress on climate, inclusion, and sustainable development.