WWC26 SPEAKERS
For the last 12 years, Joanna Meyer has served with Denver Institute for Faith & Work, first as Director of Public Engagement, and now as the executive director of Women, Work, & Calling. Before coming to the Institute, she worked in global telecom, nonprofit consulting, and campus ministry with Cru. She has an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Bakke Graduate University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Joanna is the author of Women, Work, & Calling: Step Into Your Place in God's World, winner of InterVarsity Press’s Readers’ Choice Award for Christian Leadership in 2023.
ELLIE NIEVES
Head of Strategic Public Policy & Assistant General Counsel
(Fortune 300 Company)
President & CEO
Leadership Strategies for Women, LLC
Ellie Nieves is the President & CEO of Leadership Strategies for Women, LLC, a leadership development firm dedicated to helping high-achieving women show up, speak up, and step up in their careers. Since 2010, she has partnered with companies and associations to deliver engaging seminars designed to transform emerging women leaders into influential managers and executives. Leadership Strategies for Women powers the Christian Career Women network, is a membership community for ambitious women of faith who are ready to grow their careers without sacrificing their values or their lives.
In addition to leading these initiatives, Ellie serves as Head of Strategic Public Policy and Assistant General Counsel, Government Affairs, at a Fortune 300 company. She leads the development of proactive public policy strategies on emerging issues essential for driving innovation and advocacy, with a focus on artificial intelligence and other critical issues shaping business strategy. Ellie also founded the company’s women’s leadership employee resource group, driving efforts to support and advance women in the workplace.
Ellie holds a B.A. in Communications from Fordham University, a J.D. from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, with specializations in Leadership and Global Business.
Through her work, Ellie is passionate about equipping women with the tools they need to lead with confidence, influence, and purpose.
Jena Dunay is the founder of Recruiter Unlimited and Recruit the Employer. She started her career out on Wall Street, working in investment banking and at the New York Stock Exchange. From there, she spent 10 years in the learning and development space in a variety of roles - from trainer to Chief Learning Officer - at a variety of growing organizations.
Jena has 50k+ followers on LinkedIn, is a LinkedIn Learning Instructor with 162k+ learners, and has been featured on Business Insider, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, TheSkimm, and The Muse. She hosts a podcast called Culture Uncovered that goes behind-the-scenes of the coolest companies to work for.
Jena is passionate about faith at work, foster care, and multi-generational discipleship. She is also the co-host of a faith-based podcast called My Southern Godmother with her 70-something mentor Debbie French.
Karen Harmon is a physical therapist, clinic owner, leadership coach, speaker, and writer with a passion for helping women live with purpose, lead with confidence, and thrive in every season of life. With more than 23 years of experience as a licensed physical therapist, she is the founder and owner of Function360, where she provides specialized physical rehabilitation and wellness services that help individuals achieve optimal health and function.
Beyond her clinical practice, Karen is deeply committed to developing leaders. She serves as a leadership coach with Propel Women and oversees leadership development groups for the women of her local church. Karen has spoken at conferences, seminars, and live events, and has served on numerous panels discussing leadership, personal growth, faith in the workplace, ministry, and motherhood.
Karen occasionally writes at karenharmon360.com and has contributed articles to a variety of publications and websites. With transparency, practical wisdom, and humor, she loves encouraging and empowering women to passionately pursue Jesus and their God-given dreams, purpose, and callings through the many roles they hold.
Kaley Hutchinson is a nonprofit revenue strategist and consultant with two decades of leadership experience spanning development, marketing, and organizational strategy at organizations including Compassion International and the Alzheimer’s Association, where she drove multi-million dollar revenue growth and built fundraising capacity at scale. She now leads Kaley Hutchinson Consulting, partnering with mission-driven CEOs and executive teams to build sustainable revenue strategies, strengthen donor engagement, and advance long-term organizational impact. Kaley is also co-founder of tKW (The Kingdom Way) Legacy, helping high-capacity families translate their values into lasting, faith-centered legacy through intentional family culture and stewardship practices.
Dr. Ashley Hales is Director of Storytelling for the CityGate Storytelling Initiative at Denver Institute. Previously she served as the print managing editor and podcast producer at Christianity Today. She holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Edinburgh and is the author of Finding Holy in the Suburbs, A Spacious Life, and A Fruitful Life (a bible study on the Sermon on the Mount). She and her husband, Bryce, founded The Willowbrae Institute and host The Cartographers podcast. Bryce is the pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo, California, and together they are the parents of four children. Ashley loves hiking in the central coast, enjoying a glass of local Pinot Noir, and gathering around the table—asking questions to elicit the deepest stories.
DR. CHARLITTA HATCH
Managing Director, Slalom
Dr. Charlitta Crowder Hatch is a Managing Director and executive transformation leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations navigate complex business, technology, and organizational change. She advises executives across the public and private sectors on enterprise strategy, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, organizational effectiveness, and innovation.
Prior to joining Slalom, Dr. Hatch served as Deputy Chief Information Officer and Chief Data & Analytics Officer for the City of Charlotte, where she led enterprise technology strategy, AI governance, Smart Cities initiatives, data and analytics, and organizational transformation for one of the nation's largest municipalities. Her leadership helped shape enterprise modernization efforts, responsible AI adoption, and digital inclusion strategies serving more than one million residents.
A trusted advisor, researcher, and board leader, Dr. Hatch is elected to serve on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education and as Chair of the Children's Theatre of Charlotte. She is an affiliate of the Urban Education Collaborative at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she teaches and researches educational equity, technology, and leadership.
Whether advising executives, governing public institutions, or mentoring emerging leaders, Dr. Hatch is passionate about building organizations that innovate with purpose, lead with integrity, and create lasting impact for the communities they serve.
Ruthie Kim is an Executive Coach and Speaker with Novus Global, partnering with founders, executives, and leaders to clarify vision, overcome obstacles, and lead with greater courage and purpose. A passionate advocate for women, she is also the Founder of Because Justice Matters, a San Francisco-based nonprofit creating pathways to brighter futures for women and girls. With more than 20 years of experience in leadership development and nonprofit leadership, Ruthie is dedicated to equipping others to lead with clarity, conviction, and lasting impact.
MICHELLE NIPP
Founder, Tyrian Partners
Executive Producer, ABD Legacy Project
Michelle Nipp is the founder of Tyrian Partners, a strategic advisory practice serving faith-focused leaders and organizations through fractional leadership, consulting, and coaching. With 20+ years of international leadership experience, she previously served as Executive Director of Israel Firstfruits, a center for economic development serving Jewish, Arab, and Gentile believers, where she launched the Firstfruits Women's Initiative for female entrepreneurs.
Earlier in her career, she founded RE International, and helped build Sierra Leone's first family-based orphan care program. She is currently co-authoring Embracing Sonship: An Invitation to Return and writing Ancient Wells: 7 Words to Reorient Your Work, and has led study tours to Israel since 2007 and formally founded HaGesher, a tour agency, in 2016.
Alongside her consulting work, Michelle serves as Executive Producer for the ABD Legacy Project, a capital campaign for a biblical teaching series filmed on location in Israel featuring Messianic tour guide Arie Bar David — a personal passion project rooted in her years of Hebraic study and love for the land.
Abby Worland serves as the VP of Operations & Finance where she spends her energy making sure things run smoothly and effectively. Before coming to Denver Institute, she spent more than a decade working in public education in Mississippi and Colorado as a teacher, administrator, and human resources leader. Abby is an alum of the 5280 Fellowship, and she is passionate about the Denver restaurant scene—ask her for recommendations.
Rachel Kistner is the Founder and Designer of Canvelle, a women's lifestyle handbag brand based in Denver. An artist trained in oil painting at Wheaton College, she designs with the conviction that everyday objects can be both meaningful and life-giving — beauty offered as a form of care.
Gracie Ahn is a Certified Senior Advisor® and founder of Bespoke Senior Services, where she provides personalized, person-centered guidance to older adults and their families navigating senior living and care. True to the meaning of bespoke, custom-made or tailored, Gracie believes every person is uniquely created and deserves support shaped around their individual needs, preferences, and life story. Her passion for this work is deeply personal, shaped by years of advocating for and caring for both of her parents through significant health challenges. She brings more than 25 years of experience in residential and healthcare real estate, senior living, and care. Gracie sees her work as a calling to serve older adults with compassion and dignity, honoring the lives they have lived, the stories that make them who they are, and the hopes, dreams, and purpose they carry into the future.
Like most women, Jess Basson wears many hats, but she has one mission in mind: to share life-transforming ideas. Jess has 18 years experience as a teaching pastor and speaker, including the famous TEDx red circle. She is the author of Empty Cages: Keys to Finding Freedom, and a certified life coach. Jess is a Ph.D candidate exploring the intersection of theology, philosophy and creative writing. When she’s not snowboarding or hiking with her family, she’s probably thrifting, reading fiction or procrasti-napping.
KESHINI THOMPSON
Account Manager, TEKsystems
Keshini works at TEKsystems, a global technology services organization. She helps Colorado public sector and mission-driven organizations tackle their most pressing workforce and technology challenges so they can better serve the communities that depend on them. Prior to entering the corporate world, Keshini served as a 1st and 2nd grade teacher at a public elementary school during the pandemic. Through that experience and her transition,, she developed a passion for helping organizations create meaningful, lasting impact in the communities they serve.