Speakers & Panelists
Below you can find more information about our 2026 panelist and Keynote Speaker.
Our Panelists
Dr. Heather Scott
Associate Dean & Professor
University North Geogia
Heather I. Scott, Ph.D., is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of North Georgia. A Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Dr. Scott holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Higher Education Administration from Mercer University, a Masters from the University of Georgia, and a Bachelors from Agnes Scott College.
Matt Gill
Senior Brand Manager Newell Brands
Matt Gill is the Senior Brand Manager for Calphalon at Newell Brands, where he leads brand strategy and innovation for one of the industry's most recognized premium kitchen brands. He has held a variety of brand management roles including Newell Brands, Serta Simmons Bedding, and leading projects for Walt Disney Studios and DreamWorks Animation.
Lisa Craig
Vice President, People
Rialtic
Lisa Craig is an executive leader passionate about solving problems and unleashing the superpowers of people to help organizations reach their full potential. She's held leadership roles with Rialtic, Cotiviti, Kodak, and other Fortune 500 companies where she partnered with founders, CEOs and executive teams to lead transformation, change, and build organizations where people and businesses thrive.
Johnta Johnson
Chief Financial Officer
Lakeside Behavioral Health
Johnta' Johnson has held leadership positions for more than 10 years in the healthcare industry. He currently holds the position of Group-CFO providing mutli-facitliy oversight of behavioral health hospitals and is a certified public accountant (CPA) in the State of Tennessee.
Ashely Williams
Preventative Cardiologist
Morehouse School of Medicine
Dr. Ashely Williams, MD, MPP is a noninvasive cardiologist, educator, and physician-scientist. Earning her MD from the School of Medicine at UCLA and a Master's in Public Policy from UCLA Luskin, she currently is apart of the faculty at Morehouse School of Medicine. Her work focuses on cardiovascular imaging, preventive cardiology, hypertension, and advancing health equity through research and community engagement.
Thad Anderson
Product Development Engineer
AT&T
Thad Anderson is a Product Development Engineer at AT&T. He helps in developing and providing proof of concept for business wireline connectivity products. From Agentic AI to efficiency improvements, his company is never ending listening to the voice of their Enterprise customers.
Tish Taylor Searcy
Founder & Principal Strategist
Brand Fetish Agency + Four Five Talent Management Co.
Tish Taylor-Searcy is a respected strategic marketing executive and serial entrepreneur. She is the founderof Brand Fetish®, a marketing and brand visibility agency and Four Five Talent Management Co, a full service talent management agency. With over 25 years of experience, Tish has quarterbacked campaigns for brands such as McDonald's, Scott Tissue, Sony Music Group, Capitol Christian Music Group, and Nickelodeon. A respected force in entertainment, Tish manages her son, actor and R&B artist Jacob Latimore.
Keynote Speaker
Owner & Trainer
Burn Boot Camp South Cobb
MonTayla Yancey
At the age of 26, Tay became a Burn Boot Camp franchisee alongside her husband and best friend, Deangelo. Today, she pours her energy into leading and growing their gym community with one central mission: to transform as many lives as possible through fitness. She will serve as our 2026 Keynote Speaker at The Elevated Link Up on September 12th.
