Johnny Caldwell is a Charleston-based author, entrepreneur and beverage expert who co-founded the Cocktail Bandits with Taneka Reaves. Known for presenting Charleston’s food-and-beverage culture from a feminine, urban perspective, Caldwell creates curated cocktail experiences while promoting greater diversity within the hospitality industry. She is the co-author of Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails, which explores Lowcountry beverage traditions through original recipes, local history and connections to Gullah Geechee culture. A graduate of the College of Charleston, Caldwell combines hospitality, cultural storytelling and entrepreneurship to serve as an ambassador for Charleston and its distinctive culinary heritage.

Dr. Tiffani Bailey Lash is a scientist, entrepreneur and real-estate investor committed to preserving and revitalizing historic Atlantic Beach, South Carolina. She co-founded Tilair Capital with Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy to encourage responsible investment, strengthen Black land ownership and create new economic opportunities in the community known as the “Black Pearl.” Their developments include Serenity by Tilair, an upscale vacation property designed to introduce visitors to Atlantic Beach’s culture, history and coastal beauty. An HBCU graduate with a doctorate in chemistry, Dr. Lash brings scientific leadership, entrepreneurial experience and a commitment to culturally responsible development to her work. Learn more about her Atlantic Beach development work at Travel Noire.

Wanda Davis is a Business Development Officer with CommunityWorks Carolina, a community-development financial institution supporting entrepreneurship and financial opportunity across South Carolina. She works with entrepreneurs and small-business owners to connect them with business-development assistance, financial education, and resources for sustainable growth. Davis has also represented CommunityWorks in conversations about African-American tourism and the importance of capital and support systems for under-resourced entrepreneurs. Her work advances CommunityWorks’ mission of building stronger and more equitable communities through small-business development.

Greg Perry is a North Charleston native and Program and Partnership Manager at the South Carolina Community Loan Fund. Since 2022, he has supported entrepreneurs and small-business owners through business education, technical assistance, strategic partnerships, and access to resources, while also managing an affordable-housing fund. Perry earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Higher Education and has experience as a middle-school educator and college marketing instructor. He also serves on North Charleston City Council and has a longstanding record of mentoring young people and advocating for community opportunity.

Shanel Jackson is Development Director for the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, where she strengthens organizational capacity, cultivates partnerships, and secures resources supporting Gullah Geechee heritage and communities. She brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, grant writing, community engagement, and strategic partnerships. Her work explores the connection between cultural preservation and economic opportunity. She believes tourism can sustain heritage when communities and culture-bearers remain at the center of how their stories, traditions, and cultural assets are shared.

Amy Southerland, AICP, serves as Director of Livability and Tourism for the City of Charleston. She leads the department responsible for tourism management and efforts to balance Charleston’s visitor economy with residents’ quality of life. Her career with the department has included work in tourism operations, special events, and municipal tourism policy. Southerland brings a public-sector perspective on responsible tourism management, regulation, and the relationship between visitors and local communities.

Al Miller is a certified tour guide, author, lecturer, and community historian who owns and operates Sites & Insights Tours in Charleston. With 39 years of experience as a licensed guide, he interprets Charleston’s Black history, Gullah Geechee culture, and local traditions for visitors from around the world. Miller also has more than four decades of experience in local performing arts and earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Speech-Dramatic Arts from Baptist College at Charleston, now Charleston Southern University. Through his tours and presentations, he has helped thousands of visitors experience Charleston’s history from an informed African-American perspective.

Lori “LJ” Johnson is President of the South Carolina Lowcountry and Gullah Geechee Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. She supports the chapter’s mission of helping people research, document, and preserve the family histories of people of African ancestry throughout the Lowcountry and Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Johnson’s work connects genealogy with cultural preservation, descendant engagement, and a deeper understanding of community identity. She also represents Gullah descendants who have traced ancestral connections to Nigeria’s Igala people.

Malika N. Pryor, JD, is Chief Learning and Engagement Officer for the International African American Museum. She works closely with the CEO to provide strategic direction for dynamic programs exploring the Middle Passage, the African diaspora, and the crucial contributions African Americans have made to history and the modern world. As a member of the senior executive team, Pryor leads the learning and engagement division and builds partnerships and initiatives that sustain the museum’s mission, including exhibitions, school programs, faith-based initiatives, local and national public programs, and the Center for Family History, a one-of-a-kind research center focused on African American genealogy.

Donna Davis is a Certified AI Consultant and CEO of D.W. Davis Consulting. She helps organizations harness AI to analyze data, target audiences, and personalize content while ensuring their unique voice shines through. With nearly 30 years in public-service leadership, Donna also equips leaders to prevent burnout and build resilience through transformative training programs. Known as “The Intentional Shift Strategist,” she empowers professionals to optimize strategy, embrace innovation, and lead with emotional intelligence—turning technology and wellness into tools for sustainable growth and greater impact.

A Charleston, South Carolina native, Marc Gibson brings more than 33 years of hospitality-industry experience to his role as Director of Inclusion & Engagement for the Charleston Area Convention & Visitor Bureau, Explore Charleston. He has anchored his leadership in inclusion and engagement since 2018, after previously directing the bureau’s Mail Center operations. Gibson drives initiatives focused on expanding representation and career access, including Explore Charleston’s “Heart for Hospitality” program, which cultivates awareness, action, and professional pathways for underrepresented people throughout the Lowcountry hospitality sector.

Kwadjo Campbell is Founder and Chairman of the South Carolina African-American Tourism Council and President and CEO of JC & Associates. He is a community and economic-development strategist, educator, entrepreneur, and longtime advocate for expanding African-American participation in South Carolina’s tourism economy. Through the Council, he leads conferences, regional summits, research, product development, and partnerships connecting culture with business growth and community investment. His annual State of Black Tourism Address examines the industry’s economic impact, challenges, opportunities, and roadmap for the coming year.

Courtney Young is Founder and CEO of ForeSight Communications, a strategic marketing and public-engagement firm based in Columbia, South Carolina. For more than two decades, she has helped government agencies, businesses, and community organizations strengthen communications, engage stakeholders, and manage complex initiatives. Her work spans strategic marketing, public relations, program management, public outreach, and organizational development. In 2026, ForeSight Communications was recognized as the South Carolina Small Business Administration’s Woman-Owned Business of the Year.

Rochelle Riley is Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Charleston and an award-winning journalist, author, and national advocate for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Before coming to Charleston, she spent nearly 20 years as a nationally syndicated columnist for the Detroit Free Press and later served as the City of Detroit’s Director of Arts and Culture. Her public-art leadership includes Detroit’s citywide COVID-19 memorial, the Detroit Mural Map, the National Street Art Summit, and the transformation of nine arts alleys into outdoor museums. Inducted into multiple journalism halls of fame, she is also an author, playwright, and national trainer on artist management, branding, and finance.

Twila Jones is a native of Columbia, South Carolina with more than 30 years of combined hospitality-industry experience. She serves as Senior Sales Manager for Experience Columbia SC, bringing leadership experience ranging from team lead to mid-level hospitality management. Twila has served alongside community affiliates and participated in projects with United Way, the Columbia Urban League, Richland County Public Library, SCETV, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Historic Columbia Foundation, WLTX Channel 19, Red Dress of the Midlands, the University of South Carolina, and many others. An industry award recipient, expert, and speaker, she also manages a small interior-design company.

Christopher B. Thompson serves as Executive Director of the Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site in Greenwood, South Carolina. He helps preserve and interpret the life and legacy of Dr. Mays, the influential educator, theologian, civil-rights leader, and longtime president of Morehouse College. Through historical interpretation and public programming, Thompson connects Dr. Mays’ legacy with contemporary conversations about education, leadership, and community advancement. He brings an important perspective on using historic sites to preserve memory, educate visitors, and create economic opportunities.

Arun Drummond is a Charleston-based multidisciplinary artist and founder and director of Drummond Studio Gallery. His paintings, assemblages, and mixed-media works blend Gullah folk-art traditions with contemporary visual language to explore memory, identity, land, labor, and the Black experience in the Lowcountry. A former longtime manager of Gallery Chuma, Drummond incorporates sweetgrass basketry, textiles, and reclaimed objects into visual storytelling. His work has appeared in museums, galleries, and cultural institutions, including the museum stores of the Gibbes Museum and the International African American Museum.

Evelyn Del is a communications strategist and program administrator with ForeSight Communications. She supports organizations and community initiatives through strategic communications, program coordination, and guidance on funding opportunities, including South Carolina accommodations-tax resources. Her work helps transform community, cultural, and tourism ideas into organized and achievable projects. At the conference, she will share practical strategies for identifying grants, sponsorships, and other resources needed to move projects forward.

Victoria Rae Boykin is a public-relations professional, digital strategist, storyteller, and content creator with Victoria Rae Public Relations. She helps businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs strengthen their brands, communicate their stories, and build meaningful connections with audiences. Her work combines public relations, digital content, and influencer engagement to expand visibility and community impact. At the conference, Boykin will provide strategies for using digital storytelling and influencer marketing to promote tourism businesses and cultural experiences.

Dawn Dawson-House is Executive Director of the WeGOJA Foundation, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting African-American history in South Carolina. She directs the foundation’s operations, grants, and preservation initiatives, including the South Carolina Preservation Toolkit and work exploring a statewide Rosenwald Schools trail. Before joining WeGOJA, she completed a long communications career with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Dawson-House earned a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina and brings extensive experience in tourism communications, heritage preservation, and public storytelling.