Closing and Next Steps

Melinda Briana Epler

Melinda Briana Epler
Founder, CEO
Change Catalyst

Melinda Briana Epler has over 25 years of experience developing business innovation and inclusion strategies for startups, Fortune 500 companies and global NGOs.

As CEO of Change Catalyst, Melinda currently works with the tech industry to solve diversity and inclusion together. Using her background in storytelling and large-scale culture change, she is a strategic advisor for tech companies, tech hubs and governments around the world. She co-leads a series of global solutions-focused conferences called Tech Inclusion. Melinda is also Director of Program Development at Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm, where she develops startup curriculum and builds inclusive local and global entrepreneur ecosystems for underestimated founders.

Previously, Melinda was a Marketing and Culture Executive and award-winning documentary filmmaker – her film and television work includes projects that exposed the AIDS crisis in South Africa, explored women’s rights in Turkey, and prepared communities for the effects of climate change. She has worked on several television shows, including NBC’s The West Wing.

Melinda speaks, mentors and writes about diversity and inclusion in tech, allyship, social entrepreneurship, underrepresented entrepreneurs and investing.

 

 

Wayne Sutton

Wayne Sutton
Co-Founder, CTO
Change Catalyst

Wayne Sutton is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Change Catalyst and its Tech Inclusion programs. Change Catalyst is dedicated to exploring innovative solutions to diversity and inclusion in tech through the Tech Inclusion Conference, training, workshops and the Change Catalyst Startup Fellows Program. Sutton’s experience includes years of establishing partnerships with large brands to early stage startups. As a leading voice in diversity and inclusion in tech, Sutton shares his thoughts on solutions and culture in various media outlets where he has been featured in TechCrunch, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. In addition to mentoring and advising early stage startups, Sutton’s life goal is to educate entrepreneurs who are passionate about using technology to change the world. Wayne has over 14 years experience in technology, design and business development. Wayne has been recognized as one of the Silicon Valley 100 coolest people in tech, one of the 52 hottest new stars in Silicon Valley, one of the 46 Most Important African-Americans In Technology by Business Insider and one of the Top 100 most influential black people on social media in 2014.

 

 

Thank you for 6 years of Tech Inclusion.

After much consideration, we have chosen to discontinue Tech Inclusion events. Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) is now focusing exclusively on learning and development solutions that drive inclusive and sustainable change.

We have recently launched our new eLearning platform! Head to empovia.co to learn more about our empowered learning solutions.

rainbow gradient banner with a white text box that says "Change Catalyst is now Empovia" using the two logos. Underneath, it says "learning & development solutions that drive inclusive and sustainable change. empovia.co" in white text.