Ciara Dilley
Consultant, Former SVP Pepsico

Ciara Dilley is a strategic brand and marketing leader with almost three decades building some of the world's best-known brands. Born in Ireland, she spent over a decade at PepsiCo, most recently as Senior Vice President, Future Growth Portfolio, with earlier leadership of Lay's, Quaker and the company's global corporate brand. Before PepsiCo she led European innovation at Kellogg's and held Marketing Director and Board-level roles at Campbell's Soup and Premier Foods Ireland. Across these roles Ciara has focused on growing more nutritious options across the foods portfolios she has led , with a focus on ensuring that all consumers should have access to delicious foods that are healthier.
Across every stage of that career, Ciara has championed women — as Chairwoman of Kellogg Europe's Women of Kellogg, as leader of PepsiCo's Global Women's Group, and as architect of WomanMade by PepsiCo, harnessing the female founder community to bring entrepreneurial programmes to life. As the eldest of 4 daughters and a mother of 2 teenage sons she fervently believes that it is through supporting all that we will build a stronger community , inclusive of everyone.
Today she consults, advises, coaches and sits on boards, working with businesses making a positive impact across diversity, sustainability and healthcare, with a particular focus on building individual brands, entrepreneurs and start-up businesses. She also sits on the board of ChildCare Group in Dallas.

Danielle Solomon
Managing Partner - Forvis Mazars

Danielle Solomon is Managing Partner of the Chicago office of Forvis Mazars US, a role she has held since 2024. A CPA with nearly 30 years of experience, much of it in healthcare, she also serves as the firm's National Industry Leader for Healthcare, overseeing a practice that provides audit, tax, and advisory services to more than 5,200 providers across the country. Before the formation of FORVIS in 2022, she spent a decade as a National Industry Partner in BKD's health care group in St. Louis. Earlier in her career, she was Director of Financial Planning, Risk Management and Corporate Compliance at St. Luke's Hospital and spent nearly 14 years at KPMG, rising to Senior Manager. Danielle holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Negar Sedghi
General Manager - Bel Brands USA

Negar Sedghi is General Manager of Bel Brands USA, Group Bel's largest global market, where she leads a ~$600M business and a team of about 850. In this role, she has doubled operating income, delivered double-digit growth post-inflation, and is repositioning the business from cheese into better-for-you snacking. Previously, she was Global General Manager of The Laughing Cow®, leading the brand across 130+ countries, and before that General Manager of Bel Rouzaneh in Iran, where she became the first woman to lead a multinational in the country and delivered record sales through sanctions and hyperinflation. With 20+ years of P&L leadership in emerging markets and CPG, she is committed to building teams and businesses grounded in inclusion and trust. Negar is an Officer of the French National Order of Merit and serves on the boards of FACC Midwest, the International Dairy Foods Association (Cheese Segment), and the Bel Foundation.

Leïla Bessila
Astrophysicist

Leïla Bessila is an astrophysicist specializing in asteroseismology, the study of the "song" of stars. She develops mathematical models for the European Space Agency's (ESA) PLATO mission, set to launch in 2026.Passionate about science education, she co-founded Projet Matilda, an association that offers fun, hands-on workshops to make science accessible to all young people. She also authored and illustrated Audacieuses ! 10 femmes qui ont marqué les sciences (Daring! 10 Women Who Made Their Mark on Science), a book celebrating women scientists through colorful watercolor portraits.Leïla is a 2025 laureate of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Prize and was named to Le Point's 2026 Deeptech list.

Aïda Camara Crowder
Nextland Consulting

Aida Camara-Crowder is the founder of Next Land Consulting, a career strategy and talent
development firm. As a certified coach and trainer, she supports managers and senior leaders
through career pivots, leadership growth, and professional reinvention, in English and French.
Aida draws on 25+ years of experience, from Cost Control at Allianz in Paris and Human Capital
at Lend Lease in Chicago to leadership and career coaching at the Kellogg School of
Management. Her expertise in personal branding, executive presence, intercultural leadership,
and negotiation serves clients across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.A sought-after speaker and trainer, Aida delivers keynotes, workshops, and corporate training,
moderates panels, and guest-lectures at universities across Europe and the U.S. Passionate about education and youth, she has designed programs for universities and the French Consulate in Chicago. She coaches graduate students and young professionals launching their careers and regularly participates in critical sessions on education and youth employment at the United Nations and the World Bank.Aida holds a Master’s in International Business and a Bachelor’s in Engineering Economics,
with certifications in Organizational Development (DePaul University), Training (ATD), and Gallup Strengths Coaching. She chairs the HR Committee of the French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) and is a member of the ICF Chicago chapter.

Taft is a law firm of more than 1,250 attorneys practicing in virtually every area of law. Ranked the 61st largest law firm in the U.S. by Am Law, Taft combines 140 years of heritage with a modern, progressive approach, serving as a trusted advisor to clients across its national footprint.The firm pairs a client-first mindset with a workplace culture built on respect, transparency, teamwork, and inclusion. Its servant-leadership model sets it apart: Taft has no single headquarters and is led by a management team drawn from each of its major markets and practice groups.Giving back is part of the firm's fabric. Taft lawyers dedicate substantial time and resources to charitable and community organizations and to pro bono work for those in need.

Véronique MacDonald is a licensed real estate broker with Compass - the company building the first modern real estate platform, pairing the industry's top talent with technology to make the search and sell experience intelligent and seamless. Based in Evanston, she helps clients buy, sell, and rent across the Chicago area and specializes in international relocation.Born in Normandy, Véronique earned her law degree in France and a Master of Laws at Northwestern University. She practiced law in Brussels before returning to Chicago, where she led the global communications team of a large international organization. Her experience across two cultures and two languages shapes her approach today: attentive listening, agile problem-solving, and support that goes well beyond the transaction, from schools to utilities to settling into a new city.A committed leader in Chicago's French community, Véronique serves on the boards of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and the Association des Français et Francophones de Chicago.