2025
Small Steps, Giant Leaps
April 19th, 2025
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Speaker Lineup
Pleshette Strong
Afro-Latin Dancer
Pleshette began her Salsa journey in 2016 and has since immersed herself in Afro-Latin dance. She advocates for inclusive dance spaces as a plus-sized dancer and emphasizes the importance of adult hobbies. A Southside Chicago native, she is passionate about the connections between Afro-Latin and Afro-American music and dance. Through dance, she transforms the challenges of her 20s into a lifelong passion.
Rebecca Okamoto
Communication and Personal Brand Consultant
Rebecca is a communication and personal brand consultant, and the founder of Evoke Strategy Group. She helps professionals communicate, align, and influence at higher levels, specializing in coaching managers to present complex ideas to senior stakeholders. A former Procter & Gamble supply chain leader and the first Asian American woman to lead supply chains in the US and Asia, she now works with corporations and nonprofits to help leaders showcase their strategic thinking and elevate their executive presence.
Cole Reynolds
NU Journalism and Anthropology Major
Cole is a junior at Northwestern studying journalism and anthropology. He is a former managing editor of The Daily Northwestern. In that role, he revealed the extent of sexualized hazing on Northwestern’s football team, along with three other reporters. With them, he was named Illinois Journalist of the Year for 2024 by the Northern Illinois Press Association, becoming the first student ever to receive the honor. He has investigated the misuse of lead remediation funds in Oakland and the mistreatment of taxi riders with disabilities in Chicago. His work has appeared for The New York Times, Trace Magazine, and PBS, among other outlets.
Emily Soriano
CHANGE Illinois Advocacy Manager
Emily Soriano is the Advocacy Manager at CHANGE Illinois and a dedicated public policy professional with five years of experience in social services and advocacy. She holds a Master of Public Policy from DePaul University and a Bachelor's in Urban Studies from Elmhurst University. Previously, she advised the CEO at Gads Hill Center on legislative matters and led civic engagement efforts. Her experience includes roles in policy, advocacy, and immigration law. Passionate about social justice, Emily strives to drive structural change in Illinois through effective public policy and advocacy.
Scott Imbrie
BCI Pioneer
Scott is an incomplete quadriplegic with fine motor skill limitations, following a spinal cord injury (C4 through C6) from a car accident in 1985, caused by a seatbelt failure. Today, Scott participates in groundbreaking spinal cord injury research at the University of Chicago, where he can control a robotic arm and hand with sensory feedback. The goal of this study is to restore independence to individuals with spinal cord injuries. His journey is one of hope, resilience, and unwavering determination.