The Black Relauncher Series, Part 3: What Black Women are Saying About Relaunching their Careers

Kuae Kelch is National President of Mocha Moms, Inc. and an Emmy-nominated journalist with more than 20 years of experience in the print, broadcast and online media. Currently she is an editorial producer booking high profile newsmakers for CNN's morning show 'New Day" with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota. She has written for a wide range of newspapers, magazines and websites and has contributed to The Huffington Post. She was a contributing editor for Plum Magazine and is the former editor in chief of the national magazine Black Family Today. Kuae is a former producer for the award-winning newsmagazine Dateline NBC, as well as Headliners and Legends with Matt Lauer on MSNBC. Since 2010 Kuae has been National President of Mocha Moms, Inc., a non-profit organization with 100 chapters in 29 states and a fast growing online presence of 100,000+ dedicated to supporting mothers of color. Over the past decade, she has increased the visibility of Mocha Moms and highlighted the stories of numerous mothers of color. Mocha Moms has been profiled in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Essence Magazine, and television segments have appeared on NBC Nightly News, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s Nightline. Mocha Moms was a stakeholder organization during the Obama administration that partnered with the White House on various initiatives, as well as the EPA, U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In August 2013, she was on the cover of the New York Times Magazine as part of “The Opt-Out Generation Wants Back In” story by Judith Warner on moms returning to work after taking a career break. Kuae holds a B.A. in Print Journalism from Howard University and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Janet is a strong advocate for Relaunchers interested in returning to the workplace. The Business Development team helps employers develop unique strategies to increase diversity and value all talent.

Prior to joining iRelaunch and a five year career break, Janet held leadership roles in sales, marketing, and training and advocacy at Johnson & Johnson and Xerox Corporation. She served as a five year Leadership Board Member for The American Diabetes Association and was a liaison for The National Urban League, NAACP and LaRaza. Janet also enjoys serving her community through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Women’s Ministries. She lives in Alpharetta, GA with husband George, Toma (Mom) and is mother to Devin and Paige.

Ashley Miller spent the first 19 years of her career working in the NBA and WNBA organizations. After a two-year career break, Ashley pivoted her career by joining Goldman Sachs in private wealth management via Goldman’s Returnship program. She later became Chief of Staff for Diversity Recruiting and leader of the Returnship program. From there, Ashley moved to Yum! Brands, parent of Pizza Hut Global, where she leads equity, inclusion, and belonging. She spearheads initiatives that champion inclusiveness and foster cultures of belonging around the world.

Giovan Lane is a Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Program Manager with over 15 years of experience as a Scientist. In her role, Giovan is a dynamic innovator who activates the strategic evolution of GSK’s inclusive culture within Pharma R&D by leading a multi-dimensional DEI strategy, enhancing the inclusion efforts of the organization and influencing actions to help achieve the benefits of a diverse workforce. By operationalizing innovative employee engagement opportunities, Giovan drives the strategic implementation of her organization’s DEI change agenda, resulting in the development of behaviors that embrace diversity and inclusion at all levels. Outside of her dynamic role at GSK, Giovan is a seasoned entrepreneur and dedicated board member. Recently, she has also been appointed as the Chair of the inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Expert Panel at US Pharmacopeia (USP).

Tawanna Browne Smith is a Vice President in the Baltimore office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Tawanna began her career as
an institutional bond broker in New York before moving on to run a trading firm in Los Angeles.
Tawanna leverages her trading and analysis background to guide successful individuals and their families in taking a holistic
view of their wealth management goals and aspirations. Her strengths include strong technical agility and acute attention to
detail. Drawing from personal experience, Tawanna is particularly interested in helping clients who are facing life-changing
circumstances—educating and empowering them as they manage generational wealth and navigate their financial futures.
Thanks to a short stint as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Marine Corps and her familial connection to the U.S. Navy, she
has a keen focus on working with business owners in the government contracting space in addition to bio tech and female
founders.
Tawanna is a graduate of Stanford University, earning a B.S. in Political Science. She holds a master’s degree in International
Security and Economic Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Policy. She began her
professional journey at J.P. Morgan while in college, and considers her return to the firm after a career break as a full-circle
moment.
As a mother of a child with special needs, Tawanna is involved in the autism community as well as a host of other
organizations. Out of personal necessity, one of her many passions is self-care. She loves collecting international teas,
researching Japanese rituals, experimenting with herbalism and playing games with her sons.