SPEAKER

BIOGRAPHIES

Jennifer Betts
Chief Executive Officer
Magnar Metals

Jennifer Betts is the Chief Executive Officer of Magnar Metals, specializing in business scouting, public relations, and digital marketing for the metals manufacturing and recycling industries. With two decades in the circular economy, she amplifies companies’ impact through their brand, drives engagement and uncovers high-value opportunities. Magnar Metals is the one-stop business development, public relations, and digital marketing firm for the innovative metals manufacturing and recycling industries worldwide. Betts works with top industry players, utilizing her experience from The David J. Jospeh Co. (Nucor Steel) and AK Steel (Cleveland-Cliffs) to shape the future of sustainable metals. She is also the creator of Betts on the Future, a podcast that showcases the variety of careers and leadership in the metals and recycling supply chain and metals and advanced manufacturing, focusing on the innovation in the industry today. With a finance degree from Indiana University and an M.B.A. from Xavier University, Betts combines financial expertise with industry insight and experience. After calling several U.S. states home, she currently lives in Thousand Oaks, Calif., with her husband, two children, and their dog, Lucky. 

Tamika Catchings
WNBA Hall of Famer, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist 

Tamika Catchings is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion, and Naismith and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game, she’s also a 10-time All-Star and five-time Defensive Player of the Year. Beyond basketball, Catchings is the founder of the Catch the Stars Foundation, owner of Tea’s Me Café and Bottled Tea, and a respected leader in business and community service. She serves on multiple boards, provides commentary for ESPN/SEC Network, and holds an Executive M.B.A. from Notre Dame. Whether on the court or in the community, Tamika continues to inspire through purpose-driven leadership.

Alacyia Fields
Safety and Health Director
Nucor Steel Lexington

Alacyia Fields is the safety and health director at Nucor Steel Lexington, where she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being and safety of all teammates during the plant’s construction phase and as it transitions to full operation. With a robust background in operations that started at Nucor Steel Louisiana LLC in 2013, Fields has held various leadership roles throughout her career that have provided her with a unique and comprehensive perspective on both operational efficiency and safety, emphasizing innovative approaches that go beyond compliance to truly engage a project and people. She was also a proud member of the Army National Guard where she served 8 years in total. As a passionate advocate for a culture of safety excellence, Fields is dedicated to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered. Her approach to safety is deeply rooted in understanding the diverse cultural backgrounds of her team, which enables her to implement strategies that resonate across all levels of the organization. Her enthusiasm for continuous learning and development is evident in her daily work as she strives to excel and inspire those around her. She is a wife and the mother of three loving children.

Iris Goldfeder
Founder
GasStoveCreative

Iris Goldfeder is the founder of GasStoveCreative, an all-in-one marketing solutions agency built for service-based businesses ready to scale with clarity and confidence. With over two decades of experience across branding, digital strategy, and business storytelling, she has a knack for helping businesses cut through the noise, clarify their message, and turn their marketing efforts into real, measurable results. Throughout her career, she has worked with startups, legacy brands and everything in between guiding them to not just look good online, but to communicate in a way that truly connects with the people they serve. As a speaker and consultant, Goldfeder is known for her bold, relatable voice and no-fluff approach to communication, leadership, and the human side of business. She is also the host and producer of The Cookbook: Recipes for Business and Marketing Strategies — a podcast where she explores the entrepreneurial journey through honest conversations, creative tactics and practical advice. 

Jamie Lewis Smith
Chief Executive Officer and Leadership Psychologist
Pixel Leadership Group

Jamie Lewis Smith is passionate about making managers suck less by providing simple, science-backed actions to transform them into empowering leaders! Her company, Pixel Leadership Group, offers data-driven coaching that can be applied at scale to turn managers into talent maximizers and foster employee thriving. She has spent her career as a human resources leader, coach, and advisor across private sector, nonprofit and government agencies. She is a contributing member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a published author, and an international speaker on the topics of leadership, assessment and employee retention.

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin
Founder
Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin is the founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting. Through one-on-one coaching, she helps early and mid-career women leaders working in schools and non-profits gain valuable leadership skills, rediscover their authentic voice, and build the confidence they need to achieve their goals. In her role as a speaker and consultant, she works with organizations to provide inclusive leadership training to reduce biases and eliminate barriers for all employees. Rebecca combines her background in social research with 20 years of sales, marketing, communications, and school leadership to create an in-depth and engaging experience for her clients. Rebecca also co-hosts the Confidently You: Women in Leadership Podcast.

Laureen Meroueh
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Hertha Metals

Laureen Meroueh is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Hertha Metals, a venture-backed startup developing novel technology to modernize iron and steel production with greater efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. She is also the inventor of Hertha’s proprietary pyrometallurgical process, which underpins the company’s breakthrough approach. Before founding Hertha Metals, Meroueh was the CEO of Alchemr, a hydrogen startup, where she led the development and commercialization of the world’s largest single-cell anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer. She is widely recognized for her leadership and technical innovation through honors such as Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Energy Initiative Fellow, Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow, and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. Her work at Hertha Metals is also featured in Bill Gates’ new Netflix series "What’s Next?". Meroueh holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and materials science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a graduate minor in entrepreneurship and business, and a dual bachelor’s degree in civil and mechanical engineering. She is the co-founder of MIT’s prestigious Graduate Engineering Leadership program, a program currently sponsored by former Apple executives. 

Brenda Petrilena
Senior Director, Global Decarbonization and Program Management
United States Steel Corporation

Brenda Petrilena joined United States Steel Corporation in 2017 and currently serves as the senior director of Global Decarbonization and Project Management. In this role, she is responsible for identifying growth opportunities and developing partnerships aligned with U. S. Steel’s long-term sustainability and decarbonization strategy. Petrilena also leads U. S. Steel’s Engineering Project Management Organization, where she oversees the development and implementation of project management standards, processes, tools, and continuous improvement methodologies to enable the stabilization of assets and successful project portfolio execution. Prior to joining U. S. Steel, she hel¬d various leadership roles in engineering, supply chain management and project execution at Westinghouse Electric Co. for 11 years. She began her professional career at Ford Motor Co., advancing through increasingly responsible positions in engineering and plant operations over the course of 11 years. Petrilena holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.S. degree in engineering management from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of Duquesne University’s Women’s Executive Leadership Program. She currently serves on the board of directors for The Mentoring Partnership of SW PA. 

LaSheita Sayer
Founder and Executive Director
Women Who Charge

LaSheita Sayer brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, and project management to her roles as founder and executive director of Women Who Charge and founding principal of ZoZo Group LLC. For over two decades, she has led ZoZo Group, where her team specializes in public outreach, involvement and relations for publicly funded construction projects and equity campaigns for electric vehicle (EV) outreach. Recognizing the importance of representation and support for women in male-dominated industries, Sayer founded Women Who Charge to create an inclusive space for women to connect, inspire and empower each other. Sayer serves on the Denver Electric Vehicle Council and the transportation subcommittee of the Denver Sustainability Advisory Committee, and is an active member of the Colorado Electric Vehicle Coalition. She is committed to professional growth and knowledge sharing, as evidenced by her role in creating a local chapter of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization. She is also active in Denver's Historic Five Points cultural district, serving as a Five Points Business Improvement District board member, and has been a guest speaker for the Denver Business Journal and the African American Leadership Institute. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Business with a degree in marketing and international business. 

Brea Schmidt
Keynote Speaker and Writer
The Thinking Branch

Brea Schmidt is the Iris-Award-nominated writer and creative force behind the 175,000-follower social media community “The Thinking Branch.” Known for her vulnerable storytelling and self-care advocacy, Schmidt connects people by talking openly about the real and raw parts of life, caregiving, and entrepreneurship. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she collaborates with companies, ERGs and conferences across the country as part of the continued mission to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conversations in the workplace. In addition to her work online and in corporate spaces, as a writer, she has been a mental health contributor to Pittsburgh Magazine’s “BeWell” section, has over 50 articles featured on the popular contributor site Her View From Home, and is a contributing author to the national bestselling book So God Made a Mother. She is also a monthly panelist on CBS Pittsburgh’s daily TV show “Talk Pittsburgh.” Inspired by her experience raising three youth athletes, Schmidt also launched the social media community “The Top Bleacher” in April 2024. The platform creates a safe space for parents and coaches to reflect on their role in kids’ youth sports experience — with a goal of reducing toxicity and increasing mental well-being conversations in the youth sports environment. Brea and her husband are raising their three kids in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA. You can connect with Brea on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.