SPEAKERS

Shyra Smith

Author, Professional Life Coach, Speaker

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Shyra Smith is a seasoned marketing professional, certified life coach and transformational speaker. She is also the award-winning author of, Anew: Living Life As A Better You, a powerful guide to self-discovery, emotional healing, and personal responsibility.
With over 20 years of experience in branding, personal growth and development, she empowers individuals to heal from the inside out and show up fully in their purpose.

Shyra’s work empowers women—especially highly sensitive, heart-led leaders—to break free from generational patterns, reconnect with their truth, and rise into the life they were created to live. Through her coaching, writing, speaking engagements, and online platforms, Shyra creates nurturing spaces for healing, self-discovery, and emotional empowerment.
She also mentors young professionals and speaks at universities and conferences, guiding others to lead with integrity, compassion, and courage. Her work is rooted in the belief that healing is possible, freedom is your birthright, and your sensitivity is not a weakness—it’s a gift.

Dr. E'Toyare (Torie) McDonald-Williams

Founder, Executive Director |Be VicTORIEus Educational Services

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Dr. E’Toyare (Torie) McDonald-Williams is a dynamic professor, transformational leadership coach, and the visionary Founder and CEO of the Be VicTORIEus Educational Services, mission-driven organization and educational program empowering schools and communities worldwide with trauma-informed practices that enhance student behavior, academic achievement, and social-emotional wellness.

A proud first-generation graduate from Paseo Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. Torie holds a B.S. in Psychology, an MBA, an M.A.T. in Special Education, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Chicago State University. She has served as a Special Education Administrator and Director of Student Activities in the Chicagoland area and is a certified vendor with Chicago Public Schools.

As a respected international speaker, podcast host of Be VicTORIEus Podcast, and author of the acclaimed book It’s Time to Talk About ACEs, Dr. Torie is currently on a national book tour and serves as the host of the annual A.C.E. International Awareness Conference. In 2025, she proudly presented her newest case study, “Trauma-Informed Strategies for Healing ACEs & Their Ripple Effects: MANifest Detroit Through the Lens of the ACEs Score”, at both the A.C.E. Conference and the highly respected MANifest Men’s Mental Health Conference.

With a bold presence and powerful message, Dr. Torie brings transformative energy to every stage she steps on. Her Be VicTORIEus Foundation (501c3) has become a movement, mobilizing schools, churches, and communities to break cycles, embrace healing, and foster a culture of resilience. She currently serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Collin County in Texas and continues to build strategic partnerships that bridge education, mental health, and equity.

Dr. Akua Rose Feathers

Coach, Speaker, Training Facilitator, Life Strategist

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Dr. Akua is an Empowerment Speaker, Training Facilitator, Life Strategist, and current ISI Fellow with Fielding Graduate University, conducting research to explore supports for Black women’s wellness in the workplace. Her work will also be featured in an upcoming Fielding Graduate University monograph, offering a call to leaders to move beyond statements of solidarity and take responsibility for cultivating workplaces through daily practices of equity, trust, and repair. With a deep commitment to wellness, equity, and leadership development, her work focuses on helping individuals and organizations cultivate emotionally intelligent, healing-centered practices that support authentic growth. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Development with a concentration in Traumatology Counseling, two master’s degrees, and multiple coaching certifications. Through her writing, master classes, and thought leadership Dr. Akua continues to create spaces where people are invited to reclaim wellness, challenge harmful norms, and lead with intention.

Dr. Tracy Timberlake

Coach

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Dr. Tracy Timberlake is a highly sought-after coach, speaker, and the creator of the Mantle Assessment™, a diagnostic tool that has helped thousands discover their divine calling, clarify their purpose, and confidently walk in their God-given assignment. She equips leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to step into business, ministry, or new seasons of life with strategy, spiritual alignment, and boldness.

Over the last decade, Dr. Tracy has built a global coaching business helping clients start, scale, and sustain purpose-driven brands that transform lives. She is the co-founder of Flourish Media and the Flourish Media Conference, connecting women-owned businesses with investor funding. Her expertise has been featured on TEDx, NBC, CBS, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine.

In addition to coaching, Dr. Tracy serves on nonprofit and educational boards including the University of Miami Black Alumni Association, City to City Miami, and City Kids. She is on the executive team at The Brook Church Miami and teaches as an adjunct professor at Trinity International University.

At her core, she champions those who refuse to settle, who know they carry a divine mandate, and who are ready to walk it out with clarity, confidence, and kingdom authority.

Panelists