Women In Leadership - Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni is a human rights activist, poet, author, and professor at Virginia Tech University, where she has been named the university distinguished professor. She is also a lung cancer survivor and a contributor to the book, Breaking the Silence: Inspirational Stories of Black Cancer Survivors.

An intense and straightforward diversity speaker, Nikki Giovanni presents a riveting speech encapsulating the past three decades of civil rights. She discusses the ideals of equality in her famous poetic oratory.

Dana McKelvey is a Corporate Marketing Manager at Tableau where she brings to life impactful international events for our customers and communities. She has interviewed thought leaders including Alicia Garza, Komal Ahmad, DJ Spinderella and others. Before joining Tableau, Dana worked for leading companies and institutions including VIACOM, The University of Texas - Austin, and the Museum of Pop Culture. She has also led marketing initiatives for various brands including Gucci, Nike and Valentino.

In addition to her work in technology, Dana has planned, produced, and promoted global festivals and events for a range of recording artists including Dave Matthews, Herbie Hancock, Brandi Carlile, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Erykah Badu, Tanya Tucker, Questlove of The Roots, The Indigo Girls and Zhu. Other events include the 15th Annual Costco Scholarship Breakfast that raised a record $3.6 million for at-risk student scholarships.

She also mentors and has taught music courses to high school students, and curated music for international A-listers and iconic brands. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, USA Today, The New York Times, ABC News, CNBC and many other media outlets.