From Representation to Empowerment: Cultivating Inclusive Cultures

Special Presentation: 2024 Michigan Business Challenge Innovation Track winner Milieu

Milieu is dedicated to revolutionizing skincare through cutting-edge science and personalized solutions. It believes that every person’s skin is unique, and their skincare should be too. By analyzing your skin’s microbiome, Milieu creates custom formulations that work with your body’s natural processes, not against them.

Expert Panel: From Representation to Empowerment: Cultivating Inclusive Cultures

Representation is just the beginning! Our panel discussion will explore how businesses can move from symbolic diversity to meaningful inclusion where diverse voices influence outcomes, drive strategy, and lead with impact. Understanding the real value of diversity isn’t just ethical - it’s profitable.

Gain insights into how empowering underrepresented groups leads to higher engagement, stronger teams, and better returns – our panelists will discuss practical strategies for building inclusive, future-ready organizations that attract top talent, reduce risk, and maximize innovation.

Moderator

April Christian-Davis is Publisher of Ypsilanti Press, a community newspaper that celebrates the people, places, and things that make Ypsilanti a vibrant and diverse city. It features stories that showcase the achievements, challenges, and opportunities of local residents and businesses, and promotes events and activities that foster social connection and civic engagement among its readers. Its mission is to inform, inspire, and empower our community with positive and relevant news.

Panelsts

Masrur Huq is a strategic growth advisor and operator, trusted by entrepreneurs and investors who want to build aligned, profitable businesses with strong foundations. He is the Co-Founder of CAAZ Consulting, where he helps service-based founders scale sustainably through clear positioning, efficient systems, and practical strategy. He also leads Mahdiya Holdings, a firm focused on building secure, ethical real estate portfolios grounded in long-term value.

Wonwoo Lee, serves as Managing Director, Real Estate at Song United Family Office. He is also an adjunct clinical instructor at the University of Michigan, teaching fundamentals of real estate development in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He also serves as the chairperson and commissioner on the city of Ann Arbor’s planning commission and serves on the transportation commission. He previously served as chief real estate officer for Oxford Companies, a full-scale real estate services group managing over $500M in assets in the greater Ann Arbor region.  

Dr. Nancy Wayne, Professor Emerita of Physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and President of Women Advancing Together, which provides women, male allies, and institutional leaders with practical, goal-oriented, evidence-based tools and best practices to help overcome gender-based barriers in the workplace. Dr. Wayne is a reproductive physiologist and was Principal Investigator of a biomedical research laboratory for over 25 years. 

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