Speakers

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Tribal Member and Commissioner of Natural Resources

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe 

Kelly is a tribal member and has been working for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for 23 years and has been appointed as the Commissioner of Natural Resources for a second 4-year term.

As Commissioner, Kelly oversees a department of 40 staff who have a wide range of duties including environmental and resource protection, cultural preservation, tribal enrollment and programs to enhance tribal participation in harvesting under treaties. Kelly's role as a Commissioner is to protect the sacred gifts including clean water and the environment that the Creator has provided to his people.

Kelly has also been appointed to 3 boards in the energy and natural resources realm including Governor Walz’s Advisory Council on Climate Change, Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Future of Minnesota Water Task Force, and the Critical Materials Recovery Task Force.

Chief Client Officer

Beehive Strategic Communication  

Ayme Zemke is chief client officer for Beehive Strategic Communication and a certified crisis communication leader. She leads the agency's client experience approach and delivery using her strengths in relationship-building and collaboration to drive meaningful business results. She also leads a full client portfolio and serves on the agency’s executive leadership team.

Ayme has more than 25 years of strategic communication experience and has used that expertise to help many organizations solve complex business challenges and nurture positive organizational cultures. She has been recognized by PR News as a Top PR Professional and PR Team Leader and is an accredited member of the Public Relations of America.

President and Chief Marketing/Mission Officer 

Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce   

Jon Althoff is President and Chief Marketing/Mission Officer of the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he directs the DCR Chamber’s community building efforts with member programming, partnerships, and advocacy – in Minnesota's 3rd largest county. With decades of experience at Fortune 500 companies General Mills and Nestlé, Jon is a strategist and business leader with a career that bridges global brand building and regional economic development. Jon is also co-chair of the American Cancer Society's Men Wear Pink Minnesota Campaign. With his wife, Jane, three daughters, sons-in-law, and five grandchildren, Jon is also passionate about building his family’s brand.

Founder and Chief Marketing Officer

Amuse Agency   

Jeehye Jung is Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Amuse Agency. She believes that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and understood. Marketing, to her, is just an extension of that humanity, applied with different means. Everyone is fighting for the same numbers: conversion rates, CTAs, ROAS and more. But in this economy where supply exceeds demand, Jeehye believes the best way for long term growth is to avoid competitive strategy altogether. Instead of getting stuck in the rat race, where competitors enter and exit at a dizzying pace, she helps businesses find and carve out their path to success.

CHIRO FOR MOMS   

Jesse Lillejord is a compassionate leader and advocate for women’s health, devoted to creating a space where women feel truly seen and supported. As the heart behind CHIRO FOR MOMS, Jesse has helped build a clinic centered on listening, gentle care, and meeting women exactly where they are. With a focus on chiropractic care and pelvic floor therapy, Jesse blends hands-on treatment with education and movement to help women feel stronger and more at home in their bodies. Deeply passionate about motherhood and community, Jesse leads with warmth, intention, and a genuine desire to care for every woman who walks through the door.

Teaching Assistant Professor

University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication   

Dr. Allison Steinke is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She leads thousands of future leaders through courses ranging from brand thinking to podcasting and digital storytelling. She is an award-winning scholar with industry experience as a blogger, magazine editor, and social media consultant; published an internationally acclaimed dissertation on solutions journalism; has authored 100+ blog posts and articles; and recently published a book, Brand Thinking: Building Brands You Can Believe In (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025). Her claim to fame is meeting Justin Bieber while working at KDWB-FM in 2009.

President

Minnesota Aurora FC

Saara Hassoun is President of Minnesota Aurora FC, a community-owned women’s soccer club blending competitive success with a mission-driven, community-first model that has over 5,000 community owners around the world. Previously, she was Chief of Staff at NJ/NY Gotham FC, overseeing soccer operations, player and staff well-being and sporting-side business operations. She is co-founder of HT Sports Consulting and a Global Sports Fellow at Harvard University. Saara holds degrees from USC and the University of Cambridge Judge Business School.

Senior Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs

Minnesota Twins

Dustin Morse, the Minnesota Twins’ Senior Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, is in his 21st season with the team and 25th in MLB. He oversees team communications efforts, Target Field affairs, civic partnerships, publications, media and player relations and club archives.

Dustin joined the Twins in 2006 and is the 2020 recipient of MLB’s Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations excellence. He previously worked with the Padres, Rangers, Cubs and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dustin serves on the Minneapolis Chamber board and is a member of Twin Cities Dunkers.

Chief Communications Officer

Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx  

Patrick Rees enters his third season as Chief Communications Officer for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, where he leads communications, media and broadcast strategy. He partners with ownership and executive leadership to shape a clear, consistent organizational voice. Patrick and the Timberwolves PR staff earned the 2023-24 Brian McIntyre Media Relations Award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association.

He brings more than 20 years of experience across seven organizations, including leadership roles with Madison Square Garden Sports, the New York Knicks, Rangers and the Philadelphia 76ers. A Washington, D.C., native, Patrick is a graduate of Elon University and a 2022 alumni honoree.

Chief Communications Officer 

University of St. Thomas 

Andres “Andy” Ybarra is the Chief Communications Officer at the University of St. Thomas, where he oversees the central marketing and communications team for Minnesota’s largest private university. He helped lead the announcement of the university’s historic transition from Division III to Division I athletics. Prior to joining St. Thomas in 2019, he spent 15 years at the Minneapolis office of global PR agency Weber Shandwick, where he worked on a range of technology clients. Andy started his career in journalism, as a reporter for the Minneapolis bureau of The Associated Press before moving into public relations.