President, Women's Professional Basketball Alumni Association and SERVCOM, INC
Sessions
Rushia Brown
President, Women's Professional Basketball Alumni Association and SERVCOM, INC
Rushia Brown was born in the Bronx, NY and raised in South Carolina. As a sophomore, she first picked up a ball and joined the Summerville High School Junior Varsity basketball team. Athletic, yet untrained, Rushia began a journey that would forever change her life. Through hard work and dedication, she was one of the top student-athlete recruits in the state of South Carolina as a senior; being courted by esteemed universities such as Harvard, Duke University and her then dream school, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. With the recent loss of her father, Rushia chose to stay close to home and attend Furman University.
As a Lady Paladin, Rushia pursued her education and competed on the court, attaining every accolade available including Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, multiple MVPs, Southern Conference Player of the Year, Edna Hartness Athlete of the Year and eventually having her jersey hang from the rafters as #34 was retired, never to be worn again. Rushia’s collegiate years lead to a 10 year professional career overseas, which spanned 5 countries; Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Korea and 7 years in the WNBA; 6 years in Cleveland and 1 year in Charlotte.
When transitioning from the world of professional sports, Rushia decided that she would only pursue the passions that fed her spirit. She earned her Executive MBA from George Washington University to support her efforts. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to be a part of starting several companies, including the Women’s Professional Basketball Alumnae, the only organization to assist women who have played professionally in the WNBA or Internationally as they transition into mainstream society; ServCom, a nonprofit organization that strives to improve its communities by providing educational and enrichment activities for its citizens; Hearts & Hands Catering, a family business offering health food alternatives; and Young Black Entrepreneur Magazine, a quarterly publication that serves as an educational platform encouraging minorities to start their own businesses.
Brown has made her mark in various sectors of business and continues to travel the world inspiring others to use their gifts and talents to pursue their dreams. Rushia spent 5 years as a WNBA executive. Her 1st experience was working in the NBA/WNBA front office in New York as a member of the Crossover Program. In 2018 Brown helped relocate the San Antonio Silver Stars to Las Vegas, where she served as the Player Programs & Franchise Development Manager for the Las Vegas Aces for 2 years. Brown then served as the Director of Community Relations and Youth Sports for the Los Angeles Sparks for 2 years. She also serves as a catalyst for change for those looking to take their lives and professions to the next level.
Rushia is also the proud mother of one daughter, Morgan MacKenzie Brown.
Owner & CEO, Sagelight Integrative Wellness Center
Sessions
Morning Mindfulness
Dr. Renee McSwain
Owner & CEO, Sagelight Integrative Wellness Center
Dr. Renee McSwain brings over 20 years of experience as a producer and director in both the entertainment and healthcare sectors, with a career that has taken her from the West Coast to the East Coast, working in Los Angeles, CA, and Washington, DC. During her time with various public relations and consulting firms across these regions, she played a pivotal role in managing outreach efforts on behalf of diverse clients, including associations, federal agencies, and independent filmmakers.
It was during her tenure communicating healthcare messages for federal government agencies that Dr. McSwain recognized the glaring gap in the communication of complementary healing therapies to the public. A life-altering experience occurred when, after becoming a mother, she suffered from debilitating neck pain. Seeking relief, she turned to acupuncture, which had a profound impact on her well-being. Her pain nearly vanished overnight, leaving her with a lasting impression and a redefined life purpose. Dr. McSwain transitioned from healthcare communication to a role as a healer, changing the trajectory of her life’s journey.
Dr. McSwain currently practices holistic healthcare, focusing on helping her patients recover from physical and psycho-emotional trauma while also addressing spiritual well-being. She firmly believes in supporting her clients on a holistic level, encompassing body, mind, and spirit. Holding a doctorate degree in Oriental Medicine from Maryland University of Integrative Health in Laurel, MD, Dr. McSwain specializes in Mental and Behavioral Health, Women’s and Men’s Health through Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. Her clinical expertise extends to chronic pain management, endocrine diseases, autoimmune conditions, gynecological health, prostate and urogenital health, and overall health and wellness maintenance, with a deep commitment to the holistic well-being of her clients.
Ronalda Sullivan is the founder and CEO of Dream Differently®. As a certified personal and executive coach and published author, she helps women who are at a crossroad navigating major life transitions and disappointments reimagine their life. This led her to create her company Dream Differently® where she helps clients explore and address a rollercoaster of emotions with the goal
of recalibrating their mindset following a life interruption.
Ronalda believes it is important to help women reframe their understanding of disruption and how it pulls a new version of us from us. An international speaker, she especially enjoys sharing her journey to Dream Differently® like she did throughout 2023 in the Kingdom of Cambodia where she embraced every opportunity to encourage and empower women. Her true passion is inspiring others through transparent conversations that transform whether they reside on the East Coast or East Asia.
Ronalda encourages clients to embrace their ability to dream differently. A single mother of three, Ronalda especially understands challenges women may face when the life they now have may be completely different than the life they imagined. As a mother of a son with a disability, Ronalda is also a passionate advocate who believes that people with differing abilities deserve to live their most fulfilled lives.
Ronalda’s life has been a series of indescribable experiences such as living and working in countries like England, Turkey, and the Netherlands to locally in the U.S. at the Pentagon. With more than 30 years of military and federal service experience leading teams, Ronalda thrives on improving people’s outlook on life. With the Dream Differently® experience, results are outcomes better than they could have asked or imagined.
Ronalda’s motto: “Tomorrow will be better than yesterday” when you learn to Dream Differently®.
Jennifer Anderson is a Leadership Coach and dedicated public servant who loves working with people who make a positive difference in the world. As an engineer and problem solver, she focuses on continuous learning, performance, and outcomes. As a mother and wife, she understands how to bring balance, win-win, and alternative perspectives. She teaches practical techniques to gain clarity on what’s important, define meaningful goals, and act now to achieve real results that last and energize – even, and especially, during stressful, uncertain conditions. She genuinely believes in the power of positivity and improving yourself for a greater purpose: one leader to another, growing from one level of leadership to the next.
Before coaching, Jennifer’s distinguished career spanned 30 years in the U.S. Department of Defense as an electrical engineer, program manager, and Senior Executive (SES). She led and re-energized the Intelligence Community’s largest and most sophisticated software development program of precision cyber tools. She challenged herself with frequent, deliberate career pivots including a dramatic shift from foreign intelligence to cybersecurity that enabled her to oversee the capability development, training, and flyaway teams that respond to cyber threats from global adversaries seeking to disrupt or harm U.S. critical infrastructure. And subsequently, she represented U.S. interests to unite domestic and foreign partners toward common national security goals.
Jennifer’s proudest accomplishments and greatest joys center around her family. With their love and support, she earned a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from Virginia Tech, a Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (MSEE) from Johns Hopkins University, and a black belt. She and her husband are currently pursuing Pickleball coaching credentials and aim to share their love of the sport with more families.
Kashonna Marrow is an engaging speaker, an inspiring coach, a motivational author, and an insightful corporate trainer. Kashonna is the President & CEO of Simply Kashonna, a business built to promote BOLD, FEARLESS and COURAGEOUS living. She goes beyond surface issues to address the challenges that inhibit personal, professional and spiritual growth, leading her clients to embrace their evolution.
Kashonna has activated the purpose and call of many, helping them to discover, define and develop their authentic self. Both, in the corporate arena and in the non-profit world, strategic growth and development of people have always been the focal point of her service. Corporately, she has held positions in both Human Resources, as well as the Staffing industry. Additionally, Kashonna spent years in an executive pastoral role where crisis intervention and spiritual guidance were her primary responsibilities. Understanding that leadership training and development is essential to any corporation or organization’s growth, Kashonna launched SK Leading Forward, which is dedicated to enhancing employee engagement, performance, productivity and morale.
Through corporate relationships and interactive group/focus sessions, she has facilitated workshops in Customer Service, How to Handle Difficult People, Navigating Conflict, Emotional Intelligence, Developing Yourself and Others, Behavioral Based Interviewing, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to name a few. In addition, she has facilitated and provided training for various personality assessments. Kashonna’s area of expertise is transformational leadership development and personal empowerment.
Kashonna is also the author of 7 Days to Simply Shift: A Daily Guide to Transforming Your Mindset Personally, Professionally and Spiritually. Kashonna has been a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and Association for Talent Development. She has deepened her knowledge by obtaining a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, becoming a National Licensed Consultant through the Standards for Excellence Institute, and completing PANO’s Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant Training Program. She also serves her community on the Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency, the Commission for Women, Women’s Giving Circle, the ARC of Howard County, and as a Rotarian. No matter the venue, Kashonna will impact you with her professional agility, contagious energy, vibrant smile, and engaging delivery.