Susie Black (she/her)

Susie has 20 years of professional experience spanning both Finance and Technology.

Unwilling to accept the status quo, and with a desire to optimize systems and processes, she has led impactful transformation programs for some of the world’s largest companies.

She began her career in accounting / FP&A and made a mid-career pivot into a leadership role to finance systems transformation. After delivering several successful projects, Susie was appointed as the leader for BP’s US agile innovation hub. Here, she focused on building capabilities in agile practices, digital design, development, and data science, which enabled her organization to deliver modern and transformative applications.

Most recently, Susie has been working in the tech industry, where she has been responsible for using automation and artificial intelligence to enable global operating efficiency. She enjoys the challenge of using leading-edge technology to create best-in-class user experiences.

She graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Law and subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant with a Big Four firm. Susie is a lifelong learner who has since taken several college-level programs in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Human Systems Engineering.

In her spare time, Susie is a volunteer committee member for the MS Society and the team captain for Google’s MS150 team. She enjoys traveling, cycling, and exploring the Austin food scene.

Jason Gray (he/him)

Jason is a human resources professional with an AST in Computer Information Systems from South Hills School of Business and Technology, a BS in Labor Relations from Penn State, MS in Human Resources Management from American, and an MBA from Western Governors University.

After a successful 20+ year career in retail leadership with a consistent focus on the employee lifecycle, training, and exceeding customer expectations, he transitioned formally into the HR space.

After an arduous career transition, he has been a resource for others who are also seeking to transition into different career tracks.

He was a founding member of the Philadelphia Starbucks LGBTQIA+ resource group before ERG was a common term, and the Penn State VLERA group.

With a focus on returning humanity to human resources, Jason has been able to foster employee relations and retention and improve overall HR functionality.

He and his partner Jose enjoy traveling and spending time in the Dominican Republic. In his spare time, he enjoys tending his flock of about 150 fowl, three honeybee hives, six alpacas, and two Coton de Tulear dogs.

LaToya Stallworth (she/her)

LaToya Stallworth is Area Production Manager for bp’s Mad Dog and Argos platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

LaToya joined bp as a process engineer after graduating from Florida A&M University with a BS in chemical engineering. She also completed her MBA at Harvard Business School.

While at Harvard, LaToya served as a McKinsey summer management consultant and participated in leadership immersions in China and Rwanda.

Following Harvard, LaToya returned to bp as the executive assistant to the president of BP’s Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. LaToya was promoted to Operations Team Leader for PSVM, an FPSO in Angola.

After Angola, LaToya returned to GoM region and was promoted to Offshore Installation Manager and transitioned to be Operations Support Team Leader for Mad Dog and later Facility Support Squad Lead for Thunder Horse.

In her free time, LaToya loves to travel and has visited over 50 countries. She also considers herself a foodie and wino and enjoys exploring the Houston food scene and taking wine-tasting classes.

Gene Valentin (he/him)

Gene is a leader in the hospitality industry with a passion for community and justice.

Gene hails from the Lower East Side in Manhattan, New York. He's done a little bit of everything, but what has always been at the center of his work is community.

Whether behind the bar serving up creative cocktails, behind the check-in desk, assisting patients with Planned Parenthood appointments, or behind the scenes stocking locally sourced goods at the neighborhood co-op, Gene's roles have consistently been focused on building and supporting community.

Currently, Gene is part of the small team launching a new bar and restaurant grounded in Puerto Rican heritage called Papi.