Gigi Edwards Bryant, Activist and Philanthropist
Gigi Edwards Bryant founded GMSA Management Services, an Austin-based business development consulting firm, in 1993 after a 20-year career in information systems at the State of Texas. She serves her community through organizations that address the foster care system (having been raised in the system herself), education and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Currently Bryant chairs the Department of Family and Protective Services Council (DFPS).
Jackie Northam, NPR Correspondent
Jackie Northam is NPR’s International Affairs Correspondent. She is a veteran journalist who has spent three decades reporting on conflict, politics, and life across the globe – from the mountains of Afghanistan and the desert sands of Saudi Arabia, to the gritty prison camp at Guantanamo Bay and the pristine beauty of the Arctic. Her present beat focuses on the complex relationship between international business and geopolitics.
Kathy Valentine, Bassist for The Go-Gos
Kathy Valentine has been a working musician and songwriter for over 40 years, ever since she started her first band at age 16 in her hometown of Austin, Texas. After moving to Los Angeles, Kathy joined a band that would go on to make music history: The Go-Go’s. In this group, Kathy wrote or co-wrote some of the bands most renowned tunes, including the hits “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels.” She returned to Austin in 2006 and began finding new creative pursuits and career opportunities as a public speaker, spokesperson, producer, actor and author. Her memoir, which we’ll be selling at the event, is All I Ever Wanted.
Rochelle Weitzner, CEO and Founder of Pause Well-Aging
Rochelle Weitzner is a seasoned C-suite executive and beauty industry veteran. Prior to founding Pause, she was CEO of Erno Laszlo, reimagining the 90-year old brand, modernizing the product range through her deep involvement in product development and expanding its market to successfully position the company for private equity sale in August 2016. As CFO at Laura Mercier Cosmetics and RéVive Skincare, she drove a multi-department reorganization that helped quadruple revenues.
