Meet the 2026 SWLS Speakers
Melissa Bandy
Mitchell Williams
Melissa Bandy advises businesses and individuals on commercial lending, real estate, and corporate transactions. She represents banks, real estate developers, REITs, and commercial and multifamily property owners in a wide range of financing and acquisition matters. Melissa is recognized by Chambers USA for Corporate/Commercial law and by The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law, and has been named as a top attorney in Real Estate by Soiree. She chairs Mitchell Williams' Culture and Belonging Committee.
Jillian Bowman
Project Mockingbird
Jillian Bowman is a seasoned social media strategist with a passion for helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations connect meaningfully with their audiences. Over the years, she has partnered with organizations across multiple industries, including children’s hospitals, mental health organizations, education and the arts, to lead successful social media campaigns, bringing clarity, creativity, and consistency to their online storytelling.
As the Social Media Director for Project Mockingbird, a social impact communications agency, she is known for her innovative approach, attention to detail, and passion for purpose. Jillian partners closely with organizations to translate big-picture goals into actionable social media strategies. Jillian resides in Colorado, where she can be found wrangling her three children and embracing new hobbies in the mountains.
Susanne Brunner-Williams
Project Mockingbird
Susanne Brunner-Williams is an Emmy Award-winning former news anchor and reporter with over 15 years of newsroom experience nationwide, including eight years in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she anchored FOX16 News Weekends, Good Day Arkansas, and KARK 4 Today. Known for her work covering breaking news and community issues, she also launched local job fairs and a reading initiative to inspire young readers.
Now an Account Director and Media Relations Strategist at Project Mockingbird, a social impact PR and communications agency, Susanne helps clients craft compelling narratives and communicate with confidence in a rapidly evolving media landscape. She is also the author of the children’s book Busker the Tusker and lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and two children.
Kandi Chitman Hughes, J.D., MBA
MISO
Kandi Chitman Hughes, J.D., MBA, is a dedicated legal strategist and public servant with almost 20 years of multifaceted experience across the public, private and regulatory sectors. She currently serves as managing senior corporate counsel at Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), an independent, not-for-profit, member-based organization headquartered in Indiana that oversees the reliable transmission of high-voltage electricity across 15 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba, where she provides strategic legal guidance on complex transactions, vendor management, corporate governance, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to promotion to her current role, Kandi served as senior corporate counsel, leading high-value negotiations, advising cross-functional teams, and driving results through sound legal counsel.
Hughes also brings experience from the public sector and higher education, having served as Associate General Counsel at the University of Central Arkansas and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Little Rock, where she focused on regulatory compliance, governance, labor and employment law, and transactional matters. In addition to her in-house counsel responsibilities, she serves as adjunct faculty at the Bowen School of Law, where she teaches Lawyering Skills I and Advanced Contract Drafting.
She holds a Juris Doctorate from the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law, an MBA with a business management concentration from the University of Central Arkansas, and a Bachelor of Arts in public policy with a concentration in health policy from Duke University. She is admitted to practice in the State of Arkansas and the U.S. District Courts for both the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.
Angela Duran
Excel by Eight
Angela Duran is the Executive Director of Excel by Eight. She has spent her career engaged in program and policy development, strategic planning, research and evaluation, and project and organizational management across the nonprofit, philanthropic, and government sectors. Angela served as the President of Southern Good Faith Fund, a Program Officer at the Foundation for the Mid South, and a Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Angela received her Bachelors Degree in Political Science from the University of Tulsa and has a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Angela has been chosen as one of the Arkansas 250, Arkansas Business’ list of Arkansas’ most influential leaders for the past three years, and she was named as one of the Top 100 Women of Impact by Little Rock Soiree in 2023.
Alyssa Frisby, MS, RD, LD
UAMS Health
Alyssa Frisby is a registered and licensed dietitian at UAMS, where she serves as an instructor and senior brand and project manager for the Culinary Medicine program. She specializes in translating evidence-based nutrition into practical, approachable strategies that help individuals and families build healthier lifestyles.
With degrees in mass media communications from the College of Charleston and nutrition from the University of Central Arkansas, Alyssa blends communication, culinary skill, and science to make wellness both accessible and actionable. She is currently completing formal culinary training at UA–Pulaski Technical College and integrates advanced culinary techniques into her work teaching healthcare professionals and the community how to cook for better health.
Alyssa also co-hosts Arkansas Taste Kitchen, a statewide public television series on Arkansas TV that brings together a chef and registered dietitian to showcase affordable, nutritious meals and empower viewers to cook with confidence. She was named Best Dietitian in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s 2025 Best of the Best awards, Student Chef of the Year in the 2025 American Culinary Federation Central Arkansas Chefs Association competition, and earned first place in the 2025 Arkansas Diamond Chef competition.
Jasmine Hudson
Black Paper Party
Jasmine Hudson is a retail strategist, brand builder, and merchandising executive with deep expertise in scaling national consumer products. A Cincinnati native and graduate of Tennessee State University with a degree in e-commerce and supply chain management, Jasmine began her career at Walmart, where she led multimillion-dollar merchandising portfolios and helped shape assortments for some of the world’s largest retail categories. While in corporate retail, she also co-founded African Americans in Merchandising - advancing diversity within the industry.
As co-founder and chief merchant of Black Paper Party, Jasmine oversees product strategy, sourcing, and brand growth for a nationally recognized celebration brand centered on representation and Black joy. She is also a co-founder of Black Owned NWA, where she works to strengthen the economic ecosystem for Black entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas. Jasmine is known for her ability to bridge corporate retail strategy with culturally relevant brand innovation.
Aly LaBanca
FLEX360
Aly LaBanca is the Digital Marketing Director at Flex360, one of Arkansas’s longest-standing digital marketing agencies. With more than a decade of experience in the industry, Aly has built a reputation for turning complex digital strategies into clear, revenue-driving action plans for entrepreneurs and growing businesses.
Throughout her career, Aly has helped businesses of all sizes—from local startups to global brands—grow through strategic, results-driven digital marketing. Under her leadership, Flex360 has grown its digital revenue by more than 650%, a testament to her ability to pair bold strategy with measurable results.
Aly loves empowering business owners—especially women—to feel confident and capable in their marketing efforts. She loves demystifying social media, simplifying digital strategy, and equipping business owners with practical tools they can implement immediately.
Outside of the office you’ll find her baking, traveling with her husband, teaching dance, tending to her garden, or being lovingly supervised by her Goldendoodle, Bumble—Flex360’s unofficial Vice President of Good Vibes.
Meredith Lowry
WLJ
Meredith Lowry is a partner and registered patent attorney at Wright Lindsey Jennings, where her practice focuses on acquisition and licensing of various aspects of intellectual property rights for companies working in the retail space. From the products on the shelf, the packages they go in, and the platforms they’re sold on, Meredith advises businesses on intellectual property concerns and data privacy and security matters. Meredith is a frequent speaker on design patents, artificial intelligence, and women’s entrepreneurship. Meredith spearheaded the firm’s Woman-Run initiative to support woman- and minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through networking, mentorship, education and resources. Meredith was recently appointed chair of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force of the Arkansas Bar Association, which will develop recommendations and resources for AI use in the legal profession.
Leslie McCormack, RN, APRN
Perspective Health
Leslie McCormack is a board-certified nurse midwife who helps women navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence and care. McCormack believes women’s health- especially midlife care- should be a core part of excellent primary care. By blending hormone expertise, lifestyle guidance and long-term wellness, McCormack helps women feel heard, supported, and truly cared for at every stage of life. At Perspective Health - a direct primary care practice she and her husband opened in 2022, Leslie is the clinic’s midwife for the midlife- helping women navigate this chapter with clarity, confidence and a refreshingly authentic approach.
Lauren McKinnon
Project Mockingbird
Lauren McKinnon is the Founder and CEO of Project Mockingbird, a social impact communications agency built on the belief that strategic storytelling can move markets, shift systems, and change lives. With more than two decades of experience spanning public affairs, advocacy, and brand strategy, Lauren has advised Fortune 100 companies and mission-driven organizations on how to use their voices to advance meaningful social change. Her work has supported causes and institutions, including Children’s Health, the Environmental Defense Fund, Habitat for Humanity, the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, The Family Place, Nexus Family Recovery Center, and Make-A-Wish Foundation, among many others, each unified by a commitment to impact.
A recognized leader and advocate for women in business, Lauren has been named a U.S. Champion of PR by PRWeek, a D CEO Dallas 500 honoree, and a Dallas Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient. Under her leadership, Project Mockingbird has been consistently recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Best Workplace. Lauren is a member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), serves on the Dallas County District Attorney’s Task Force, and has held board roles with several organizations advancing equity and opportunity. She is deeply committed to the economic empowerment of under-resourced women and girls, a mission shaped by both her professional journey and her life as a mother of three daughters. Now based in Little Rock, Arkansas, Lauren is focused on continuing to build and advocate with purpose, clarity, and heart.
Anna Grace Mills
Stephens Investment Banking
Anna Grace Mills joined Stephens in 2021 and is a member of the financial institutions group. Prior to joining the Financial Institutions Group, she was an analyst where she participated in a wide variety of M&A and capital raising transactions across a broad range of industries. She received a BA in Economics from Rhodes College.
Amanda Novack, MD
Baptist Health
Dr. Amanda Novack likes to meet patients where they are, as much as possible. Sometimes that means physically traveling the state or visiting with patients via telemedicine. Sometimes it means meeting them where they are emotionally. There is enough stigma and shame associated with infectious diseases and her goal is to bring healing and knowledge to as many Arkansans as she can reach. Dr. Novack specializes in infectious diseases providing infectious diseases consults, antimicrobial stewardship support and infection control support. Novack is married with three children and enjoys hiking, camping and riding bicycles as a family. The Novacks are honored to be a part of the foster care community here in Little Rock.
Sarah Riffle
Women’s Foundation of Arkansas
Sarah Riffle is the Chief Growth Officer of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, where she leads strategic fundraising, marketing, and programmatic initiatives to expand the organization’s reach and advance economic opportunity for women and girls across the state. She previously served as Chief Development Officer at the Arkansas Foodbank and Director of Development at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas, and earlier worked in sales and marketing at Acxiom Corporation. Sarah was named a “Woman to Watch” by Soirée Magazine in 2020 and a 2022 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree. She is an alumna of Leadership Greater Little Rock and Leadership Arkansas, a member of Rotary Club 99, and a graduate of the University of Arkansas. She lives in Little Rock with her husband, Steven, and their three children.
Robbi Riggs
Mitchell Williams
Robbi Riggs is a business attorney and certified public accountant who advises clients on commercial real estate transactions and corporate matters. She represents banks, developers, and other business entities in purchases, leases, loans, and entity formation. Riggs also counsels clients on state and local tax matters, including income, franchise, and sales and use taxes. Robbi was named an Arkansas Business Twenty in Their Twenties honoree and serves on the Board of Directors of Immerse Arkansas.
Christine Scarlett & Lauren Weaver
upSKILLery
Christine Scarlett and Lauren Weaver are former healthcare leaders turned speakers, authors, podcast hosts and founders of upSKILLery®, an app that teaches relational intelligence in healthcare.
After a combined 12 years of healthcare innovation (Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Brand Development) and global recognition for not only shattering revenue growth but also shaping exceptional patient experience and team development programs, Christine and Lauren became known as “The Patient Whisperers.”
They turned their passion for people (their patients, their team, their doctors) into a mission to change healthcare by bringing emotional connection and soft skills to the forefront of patient care.
Today, through upSKILLery®, Christine and Lauren teach healthcare professionals how to create an authentic brand online, connect with their patients, feel confident in their soft skills, and build thriving people-focused cultures through masterclasses, team training, and microlearning.
Dana F. Silaksi
Stephens Investment Banking
Dana Silaski joined Stephens in 1994. She is a managing director in the Private Capital Markets Group and leads the Private Company Advisory team. Throughout her career, Dana has advised private and family-owned companies, often multi-generational, as they consider financing alternatives and paths to maximize value. Dana has played a key role in structuring and negotiating private capital transactions for Stephens’ corporate clients across a broad range of industries and with a variety of capital sources, including family offices. Her experience includes minority and control transactions, preparing for and executing M&A transactions, as well as debt, equity, and equity-linked financings. Prior to Stephens, Dana managed equity and fixed income portfolios at a regional trust company. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and earned a BSBA with high honors in Finance at the University of Arkansas.
Julia Turner, DPN, APRN
Baptist Health
Julia Turner believes that a patient's needs always come first. I am committed to being a compassionate listener to develop individualized, evidence-based care plans that meet the needs of patients. Turner offers services for those concerned about developing cancer at Baptist Health High-Risk Breast & Hereditary Cancer Clinic in Little Rock, AR.Turner loves running half marathons and has a goal to do a half-marathon in all 50 states. She enjoys spending time with her family which includes her husband, daughter and their tabby cat. She also enjoys overseas medical mission work and has been to Kenya and Uganda.
