2023 was another successful year for the Southeast Leadership Forum! Abshire PR was honored to help put on such an incredible event filled with so many amazing and motivational speakers.

With its core mission being to include, listen, learn, act and grow, the Forum was founded to help our region address generational systemic poverty, isolated silos of community and communication, while moving the community forward towards excellence and growth opportunities for all.

This event brought together established and emerging leaders in an innovative environment promoting leadership development, networking and collaborative teamwork for the betterment of our growing Coastal Georgia community.

Organized by Morris Media, forum attendees received a powerful dose of inspirational leadership. Headlining speakers for the 2023 Forum included Ciara, a Grammy-Award-winning singer/songwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Russell Wilson, Super Bowl Champion, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In addition to Ciara and Russell Wilson, featured 2023 speakers included:

• John O’Leary – New York Times Bestselling Author, “On Fire; The 7 Choices to Live a Radically Inspired Life” and “In Awe: Rediscover Your Child Like Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy”

• Lynsey Dyer – Seven-time overall winner of the extreme skiing tour/first woman to appear on the cover of Freeskier magazine/co-founder of charity SheJumps.org

• John Guydon – Inspiring and Innovative Entrepreneur/Motivational Speaker/Startup Expert

• Mashama Bailey/Johno Morisano – Partners behind Grey Spaces, which operates The Grey Market and The Grey/Co-Writers of Black, White and The Grey. which explores how two unconventional partners built a relationship and a restaurant that would inspire conversations around gender, race, class and culture.

• Lt. General Leslie Smith – US Army Retired/Former Inspector General of the Army/W.E. Carter Chair of Leadership, Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business.

• Hala Moodlemog – President and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, home of the High Museum of Art. Alliance Theatre, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

• Amelia Nickerson – CEO at First Step Staffing, a multi-market employment social enterprise company aiming to hire individuals with barriers to employment and help them take the first step to self-sufficiency.

• Bird Blitch – Chief Payments Officer at Waystar/Started multiple technology companies/Served as an advisory board member of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology and Development Center (ATDC).

We can’t wait to see what the Southeast Leadership Forum has in store for 2024!