Riley Garrison Johnson, a Greenville, South Carolina native, earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Environmental Studies from Wofford College in 2018. Starting her career at the law office of Willson Jones Carter and Baxley in North Carolina, she collaborated with attorneys across the southeast. Riley then joined ManpowerGroup as a consultant, working across branches in North America and Canada. In May 2023, she became the director of philanthropy at Leadership Winston-Salem, spearheading transformative initiatives that connect corporate engagement with community empowerment. Her dedication to empowering people for community development positions her as a driving force in shaping a brighter future for Winston-Salem. Outside of her professional career, Riley is an active member of the Junior League of Winston-Salem, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, First Baptist on Fifth and the West Salem Community Garden. She also serves on the Winston Under 40 Advisory Board. An enthusiastic gardener and writer, Riley, along with her husband, Clay, and their dog, Brawley, enjoy spending time outdoors and serving the Winston-Salem community.

Katelyn Shires has always been motivated to help others. She started her own health and fitness journey back in 2019. Since then, she has helped family and friends start their own journeys which motivated her to go back to school for nutrition and become a co-founder of Fortis Training Grounds where she serves as the nutrition director. Her love and passion for cooking, helping others and health become apparent when she is working with Fortis members. She always goes above and beyond to celebrate and lift others up whether it be a birthday, engagement, accomplishing a goal or a promotion. When not working, Katelyn enjoys cooking, working out, swimming, golf, DIY projects and spending time with her husband, Ethan, and their two dogs, Khal and Ned.

Theressa L. Stephens is a dedicated leader and visionary in the field of early childhood education, currently serving as the director and owner of Church Childcare Center, Inc. and Church Childcare Plus, both distinguished five-star facilities. With a rich background spanning more than two decades, Theressa embarked on her journey in the early childhood education field during her high school and college years, initially as a teacher. After completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Winston-Salem State University in 1994, Theressa operated a family childcare home for seven years. However, her aspirations for a larger impact in the early childhood education sector led her to expand her family childcare home in 2005 and establish a prominent childcare facility in Walkertown. She earned her master’s degree in teaching in birth-kindergarten from Salem College in 2010. Beyond her role as a director and owner, Theressa actively participates in various local committees within the Forsyth County area. She contributes her expertise to the Provider Advisory Committee for Childcare Resource Center, the Smart Start of Forsyth County Board of Directors, the NC Pre-K Committee and the Malea Committee. Known for her compassion and strong leadership, Theressa devotes a significant portion of her time to advocating for equality and addressing the needs of families and children. With a family-oriented perspective, she is the loving mother of four beautiful children and has celebrated 26 years of marriage with her husband, Terrah.

Nicole Speeney was born and raised in Pennsylvania and moved down to North Carolina in 2020 after graduating from Colgate University with a degree in psychological sciences. During college, Nicole navigated disordered eating, orthorexia and body dysmorphia on her own. In order to heal her broken relationship with food and her body, she implemented the principles of intuitive eating and watched as her life slowly began to change for the better. Now, Nicole feels more confident, happy, strong and proud of her body than ever before. As the founder of her practice Expedition Nutrition, Nicole implements psychology-based mindset practices rooted in intuitive eating principles and body image work, nutrition education and the science behind ditching diet culture, as well as goal setting to help women shift their rigid mindset around food and exercise. She aspires to help women understand that nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. Outside of dietetics, Nicole loves CrossFit, being outdoors, spending time with her friends, family and puppy, Lily, going to concerts and trying new recipes with her husband! 

Joy Nelson Thomas is the founder and executive director of LEAD Girls of North Carolina, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering girls to become the next generation of women leaders. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Salem College and is a certified life coach. Prior to launching LEAD, Joy spent her early career growing and managing a multimillion-dollar professional services corporation. Joy’s commitment and passion for women in business led her to start New Journey Management, a project management company that provides for-profit and nonprofit enterprises with tactical support and accountability to accelerate their growth. She is active in the community and serves on the boards and leadership committees of the The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem Fashion Week. Joy’s a proud boy mom to JT, her four-year-old, and wife to her high school sweetheart! When Joy’s not leading, she’s listening to the waves on the lake, shopping at local boutiques and hosting family gatherings any chance she gets!