Dr. Kelley Hoskins, is an award-winning journalist with over 30 years in television and radio news. She is a regional Edward R. Murrow Award winner, two-time Emmy nominee, and veteran reporter for FOX 2 News in St. Louis. Her career includes positions at KPLR CW11, KDNL ABC 30, STL-TV, WSMV, KMOX, and WSFK Radio. Dr. Hoskins has interviewed national leaders and covered of high profile cases for more than three decades. A sought-after motivational speaker, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., NCNW, and the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists.

Anthony “Tony” Thompson is the President, CEO, and Chairman of Kwame Building Group, Inc., one of St. Louis’ most prominent construction management firms. With advanced degrees in civil engineering and business, he has overseen landmark projects including Lambert-St. Louis International Airport’s expansion, Busch Stadium, STL City SC’s MLS Stadium, and multiple K-12 and higher education facilities across the region. Beyond his business leadership, Thompson founded the Kwame Charitable Foundation to support students pursuing higher education and remains a proud, engaged member of the St. Louis community.

Tracy Hart, President of Tarlton Corporation and CEO of Waterhout Construction, has led Tarlton to triple in size while expanding its services as a WBENC-certified Women’s Business Enterprise. Widely recognized as one of St. Louis’ most influential business leaders, she serves on numerous civic and corporate boards and was the first woman elected chairman of the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis.

Liz is Sr. Manager, AI Practice and AI Evangelist at WWT, leading AI enablement for Sales. She designed WWT’s Prompt Blueprint and enjoys teaching prompting techniques to others. She's previously held roles as Director of Product Ownership and Agile Coach and has 20+ years in product and data.  She holds an MS in Biology and Biomedical Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis; and a UT Austin AI/ML certification. She turns messy prompts into repeatable workflows.

Lisa Hardin is a seasoned procurement professional with extensive experience leading procurement, supplier engagement, and operations across complex organizational environments. She currently serves as Senior Manager – Procurement at Salesforce, leading strategies and initiatives to maximize engagement with small and underleveraged business suppliers.

Beyond her corporate role, Lisa is deeply engaged in the inclusive supplier network, serving as Board Chair of the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council (GLWBC) and Board Member of Mid-States MSDC. She also participates in national and regional organizations supporting suppliers, including NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, and Disability:IN, and serves on the executive committee of the ISM Board.

Lisa’s leadership and advocacy have earned her multiple recognitions across the industry as a change leader and champion for underleveraged suppliers. She studied at Purdue University and is a certified Supply Chain Professional.

Lakesha Mathis is a systems strategist and regional ecosystem builder driving
transformative change across the St. Louis small business landscape. With deep expertise
in program design, stakeholder alignment, and operational strategy, she leads initiatives
that translate complex challenges into scalable, data-informed solutions.

As Vice President of Strategy leading SupplySTL, Lakesha has led the development of
foundational infrastructure to support small business growth and resilience. In 2024, she
established the Small Business Support Collaborative—a regional network that unites over
50 organizations around shared standards, coordinated referrals, and collective impact.
Through her leadership, the Collaborative designed and launched the Small Business
Support Toolkit, equipping practitioners with intake tools, messaging frameworks, and
readiness assessments that streamline service delivery and elevate business outcomes.

Under her leadership, the Collaborative also built a centralized small business resource
and case management hub, enabling real-time data collection, cross-organizational
storytelling, and strategic visibility into the needs and progress of hundreds of businesses.
These systems have strengthened procurement pipelines, informed policy, and positioned
St. Louis as a national model for ecosystem coordination.

In addition to her strategic leadership, Lakesha serves on the boards of Delmar Main
Street, City of St. Louis Workforce Development, and Cortex Entrepreneur Advisory
Board, where she helps shape regional workforce strategy, urban revitalization, and
inclusive entrepreneurship policy. Her board service reflects her commitment to aligning
institutional strategy with community-driven outcomes and ensuring that regional
investments translate into measurable impact for small businesses.

Lakesha’s work is defined by clarity, precision, and a relentless focus on execution. She
brokers complex partnerships, facilitates iterative improvement, and ensures that every
tool and message is designed for usability, impact, and scale. Her leadership continues to
shape the region’s capacity to support supplier readiness, close wealth gaps, and drive
inclusive economic growth through durable systems and collaborative investment.