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The Women Who Lead: Influence, Expertise, and the Future of Black Leadership

Author: Desiree Whitehead

LegacyCon 2025 reminded me of one truth.
When Black women lead, the whole room rises.

➤ There was brilliance on every stage.
➤ Depth in every panel.
➤ Courage in every story.
➤ Connection in every conversation.

➤ The women at LegacyCon did not just speak.
➤ They shifted something in me.
➤ Each in a different way.
➤ Each with a different lesson..

This blog is for them.

“Resilient by Design”

Moderated by Nadine Gardner
with Dr. Jeff Rocker, Vantasia Owens, Maya Evans, Dr. Nikki Price

➤ This panel was powerful for a very simple reason.
➤ The women were not performing leadership.
➤ They were living it.

Maya Evans: Intentionality and Vulnerability in Practice

➤ Maya spoke with a level of honesty and intentionality that made the room quieter.
➤ Not because she lowered her voice.
➤ But because everyone felt the weight of what she was saying.

➤ Her vulnerability was not for show.
➤ It was a form of leadership.

➤ After the conference, Maya and I had meaningful one-on-one time.
➤ Her clarity, softness, and emotional intelligence stayed with me.
➤ She reminded me that leadership does not always roar.
➤ Sometimes it reveals.
➤ Sometimes it reflects.
➤ Sometimes it invites you to slow down and listen.

Vantasia Owens: Strength and Self-Redefinition

My conversation with Vantasia happened off stage, and I am grateful that it did.
➤ Her presence is grounded.
➤ Her perspective is lived.
And the way she moves through the world is intentional.

We talked about resilience, identity, and what it means to keep going even as life evolves and shifts.
There was honesty there.
And steadiness.
The kind of steadiness that reminds you that becoming is an ongoing process.

Dr. Nikki Price: Faith, Grace, and Growth

Dr. Nikki Price was unforgettable.
She stood in the center of the room as a woman of faith who leads with compassion, confidence, and conviction.

She spoke about self grace, discipline, and the responsibility we all hold to be better tomorrow than we were today and she closed our session out and prayed over all of us. Leadership rooted in faith produces an impact that lasts.

Power of Presence

Jasmine Garrett

The Power of Presence session was exactly that. Presence. Not performance.

Jasmine Garret was direct, led with confidence and said we need to authentically show up as ourselves, I heard don’t compromise, be bold and be you.

After her session, we said hello. Our conversation was short, but the connection was real, and I am already claiming that in 2026, Jasmine will know my name! I am claiming that with confidence.

Dr. Jacqueline Hill: Purpose as a Call to Action

Dr. Jacqueline Hill deserves her own section because what she offered was not commentary.
It was a charge.

➤ During The Ultimate Mission panel, she issued a real call to action.
➤ To show up in our communities.
➤ To speak to students.
➤ To be visible.
➤ To be present.
➤ To give back.

As someone who is a true Florida native, everything she said landed deeply.
I plan on speaking to her Florida Memorial University students, because the next generation of communicators and marketers deserves access to people who look like them, think like them, and come from where they come from.

Dr. Hill reminded me that purpose is not passive, it is service, it is responsibility, it is commitment and communication is at the core of everything I do. How can I not give that back?

The Women I Met and The Women Who Moved Me

These moments did not happen on stage. They happened in the hallway, in passing, in shared smiles, in unexpected alignment.

Donielle Young

I jokingly called Donielle “Olivia Pope” all day, but the truth is it fit. The power. The posture. The all-white outfit. The presence. Donielle carries a level of quiet confidence that fills a room without ever needing to compete for it.

Some people just walk in alignment with who they are, and the room adjusts accordingly. Donielle is one of them.

What These Women Taught Me

LegacyCon showed me that the future of leadership can be feminine, faith filled, emotionally intelligent, and purpose driven.

➤ These women did not just occupy space.
➤ They expanded it.
➤ They did not just speak.
➤ They transformed the room.
➤ They did not just show up.
➤ They led.

And they reminded me that leadership is not a moment.
It is a way of being.

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