Emcees

Casey O’Brien
Director of Workforce Development, MKE Tech Hub Coalition

Casey O’Brien is the newly appointed Director of Workforce at the MKE Tech Hub Coalition, where she is excited to lead initiatives to strengthen and retain the region’s tech talent pipeline. She previously served as Assistant Director at UW-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute, where she developed online workforce trainings, including Digital Manufacturing Leadership and AI for Manufacturing, and launched industry-driven hackathons that connected students with real-world manufacturing challenges. An award-winning educator and Wisconsin Teaching Fellow, Casey dedicated more than 15 years to higher education as a senior lecturer, mentor, and faculty development innovator. She brings a strong commitment to inclusive, future-focused workforce development.

Tiffany Trizna
Electrical Engineering Intern, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC

Tiffany Trizna is a senior electrical engineering student at MSOE, graduating in May 2026. Her long-term plans include attending law school and practicing as a Patent Attorney after spending time in industry developing her technical abilities. For the past two summers, Tiffany interned for Miller Electric’s Precision Welding Solutions division and will likely work for Illinois Tool Works (their parent company) after graduation. An avid member of the Society of Women Engineers, she has held both fundraising elect and President positions in MSOE’s collegiate section and currently serves as Vice President, working to sustain and improve company connections. Once working as an engineer, she plans to increase her national involvement, after having the privilege of coordinating social media platforms for the WE Local Milwaukee conference Social Committee in 2025. She has been an involved member of the Honors Program at MSOE, as well as the executive board for the school’s IEEE chapter, and has been a valuable member in multiple student worker positions: on MSOE’s setup team, as a senior Commencement lead, and currently for the Org Committee within Campus Life. Additionally, Tiffany is working on an energy harvesting rectenna system for her senior design project, which will serve as proof of concept for Field Theory, a custom RF solutions company based in Illinois. She is beyond excited to graduate, move somewhere for a fresh challenge, and begin this new chapter, accompanied by her pet rabbit, Meatball.

Keynote

Kiesha Bamiro
Area Vice President of Community Engagement, Aurora Health Care
With over a decade of leadership experience spanning K–12 education, nonprofit, higher education, and healthcare, Kiesha Bamiro brings a cross-sector perspective to building stronger, more connected communities. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to expanding opportunity and driving meaningful change for those often left unheard.

Kiesha's impact began in education, where she served as the Founding Principal of an elementary school. Under her leadership, the school expanded through three successful facility projects, doubled its student population, and elevated student achievement through visionary leadership and staff development. She has since translated that same transformational approach into leadership development and organizational strategy roles across sectors.

Kiesha currently serves as the Area Vice President of Community Engagement for Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin. In this role, she leads efforts to foster trusted partnerships, activate sponsorships with purpose, and strengthen community bonds through strategic initiatives in community relations, community board service strategy, hospital and community advisory councils, and local government relations. Her work is focused on amplifying community voices and driving sustainable impact across the region.

Before stepping into this role, Kiesha served on Advocate Health's People & Culture (HR) Leadership Development team, leading systemwide programs focused on leader onboarding, coaching, and collaborative leadership.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Master's in Urban Education from Cardinal Stritch University, and an MBA in Education Leadership from Milwaukee School of Engineering. Kiesha serves on the Executive Board of City Year Milwaukee and is Board Co-Chair for Believers in Christ Christian Academy.

Above all, Kiesha is a devoted wife to her husband and proud mother of her daughters. She lives each day guided by a belief in the power of leadership, legacy, and love.

Panel Discussion | Advancing Women's Economic Influence and Leadership

Jennifer Abele
Founder and Managing Partner, VC 414

Jennifer Abele is the founder and managing partner of Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based venture capital firm VC 414, which she co-founded in 2023 with business partner Raquel Filmanowicz. The vision of the firm is to invest where venture returns and public good intersect. Their investment strategy is to back founders modernizing frontline industries, forging urban resilience, and wealth creation. The firm backs exceptional operators building early stage companies in complex, regulated, and often overlooked markets—where venture capital has historically underinvested, despite durable demand and outsized outcomes. As a 100% women- and 50% Latina-owned firm, their priority is to support startups founded by women and other undercapitalized entrepreneurs. Recently having closed commitments on Fund I, the firm has a portfolio of 20 companies. 

Additionally, Jennifer is a former public sector executive, water utility CEO, and higher ed leader with over two decades of executive leadership experience. She worked in leadership roles across local/state/federal government and higher education, including executive service to four different mayors and influencer roles in a number of high visibility, “game-changing” projects that have shaped and reshaped Milwaukee. Examples include the Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Streetcar, the transition of Waukesha to Great Lakes water, and the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute.

After earning her Master's degree in Public Affairs from the LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2001, Jennifer served as a lead financial analyst and planner for the City of Milwaukee. In 2012, she was the youngest woman ever appointed to the Mayoral cabinet when she was selected to lead the City’s governmental relations team. She stayed in city leadership for 17 years, culminating in a second cabinet role leading the Milwaukee Water Works, a regional water utility serving 1 million customers with $100m annual P/L and 350 employees.

In 2018, Jennifer moved from local government to higher education, joining the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM) as Chief Partnership Officer, a role through which she built a new team focused on major campus initiatives, corporate engagement, government, and external relations. Throughout her career, she has deeply engaged in board service related to socioeconomic priorities, including as a member of Milwaukee’s community action agency, Neighborworks housing agency, and Workforce Investment Board. Jennifer is also the Managing Partner of Kitsune Capital, her personal investment entity. Kitsune Capital makes real estate and private equity investments, and venture investments that are out of scope for VC 414, primarily in consumer packaged goods and space technology. She is an experienced private angel investor.

When she is not at work, Jennifer, who lives in Milwaukee with her husband and children, reinforces her commitment to Greater Milwaukee through philanthropy, service on a number of community boards, and pro bono strategy consultation. As a result, she was recently named by the Milwaukee Business Journal as a Woman of Influence. She also gives back to her alma mater by serving on the Board of Visitors for the University of Wisconsin’s La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Emily Garofalo, LEED AP
Development Property Manager, Dominion Properties

Emily Garofalo is the Development Project Manager at Dominion Properties, where she leads the firm’s development projects through the development lifecycle, from acquisition to disposition. Emily’s career in real estate development started when she was hired as a temporary receptionist at The JBG Companies (now known as JBG Smith), one of Washington, DC’s largest development firms, during graduate school. After several years of providing administrative support to development teams and learning the industry at JBG, Emily transitioned to being part of the development team and managing real estate projects. As the project manager for real estate projects in a variety of asset classes, Emily has extensive experience in developing financial models, negotiating complex transactions, managing relationships with financial partners and government entities, and overseeing the construction of projects. The most recent development project Emily completed is Hotel Verdant, a LEED™ Gold Certified boutique hotel located in downtown Racine. Throughout her career, Emily has excelled at working under pressure, a skill she helped to hone while working as an EMT in the Milwaukee area. Outside of work, Emily enjoys staying active and is a proud member of The Milwaukee Rowing Club.

Rebecca Gries
Executive Director, Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership (M7)

Rebecca Gries is Executive Director of the Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership (M7), where she leads economic development efforts across southeast Wisconsin's seven-county region. Since joining M7 in December 2018, she has helped companies, including Microsoft, Generac, and Lilly, expand to or within the region, while advancing initiatives that strengthen the region's economy. Known for building strong partnerships between businesses, government, and community organizations, Rebecca has positioned Milwaukee as a premier destination for business growth and innovation.

Her leadership and impact have been recognized through numerous honors, including Milwaukee Business Journal 40 Under 40 (2024) and North American Top 50 Economic Developer (2022). She serves on the boards of Northwest Side CDC and Literacy Services of Wisconsin. Rebecca holds an MA in Global Politics from Loyola University Chicago and a BA in Political Science from St. Norbert College.

Michelle Lee
Owner, Clean Choice

Michelle Lee is the owner of Clean Choice, a commercial cleaning company she purchased and transformed using the same problem-solving mindset she developed as an engineer. She graduated in 2016 with dual degrees in Electrical Engineering from MSOE and FHL in Lübeck, Germany. Michelle began her career in engineering but soon realized she wanted greater freedom and creativity in both her work and her life. She applied her analytical thinking and systems-focused approach to entrepreneurship, using process design, efficiency, and leadership to strengthen and scale her business. Today, Michelle combines structure with adaptability, leveraging her engineering background to solve complex challenges and build a company that values both operational excellence and human connection.

Workshop

Kellie Hamilton, ACC
Leadership Coach, Kellie Hamilton Coaching & Consulting LLC | Founder

Kellie Hamilton is a leadership coach who partners with ambitious women navigating the unique challenges of building influence in complex organizational environments. With 30 years of corporate experience across small, medium and large organizations, spanning entrepreneurial to Fortune 500 settings, she brings lived understanding to the realities women face in historically male-dominated industries.

Her three-decade career includes 15 years as a direct report to executive leadership and boards of directors of a Fortune 500 company, where she developed deep expertise in executive presence, strategic communication, and navigating high-stakes organizational dynamics. Having led high-performing teams through corporate politics and competing priorities, Kellie knows firsthand what it takes to establish credibility, build influence, and lead with confidence at the highest levels.

Kellie's coaching focuses on helping leaders develop the self-awareness, communication skills, and strategic mindset required to succeed at their next level. Her clients describe their work together as immediately actionable, a trusted space for navigating internal barriers and self-limiting beliefs, and transformational in reshaping how they lead and influence others. She holds a BBA in Marketing and Management from UW-Madison, an MA in English, with a concentration in Professional and Technical Writing, from UW-Milwaukee, a Professional Coaching Certification from UW-Madison, and the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation. She is also certified in Foundations of Woman-Centered Coaching through The Institute for Woman-Centered Coaching and has served on both non-profit and private boards of directors for over 10 years. Kellie operates her own leadership coaching company, Kellie Hamilton Coaching & Consulting LLC.