IMPACT Speaker Series

Robinson and Shipman share leadership lessons and insights into what it takes to turn an entrepreneurial dream into a reality, discussing their own journey in working toward building the Atlanta-based National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

For 25 years, Donna W. Hyland has helped shape the delivery of healthcare to children in Georgia and beyond. First as Chief Financial Officer, then Chief Operating Officer and now as President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyland has overseen monumental growth and achievement at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She was an instrumental player during the 1998 merger of Egleston Children's Health Care System and Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center that led to the formation of what is now one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country. Today, Children's is consistently ranked as a Top Pediatric Hospital by U.S. News and World Report and one of FORTUNE magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For. In 2007, realizing that Georgia's pediatric population was significantly growing, Hyland led the development of the Children's Vision 2018 Strategy, which defines the organization's journey to achieve clinical excellence by focusing on three areas: research, teaching and wellness. For all her work in pediatric healthcare, Hyland was named Georgia Trend magazine's Most Respected Business Leader in 2011 and one of Business to Business magazine's 2007 Women of Excellence. Hyland has the distinct honor of being the only female CEO among the top 25 hospitals in Atlanta, making her a role model for women throughout Children's and the state. Hyland's dedication to the community extends outside of Children's, where she serves on the boards of: Ronald McDonald House Charities; Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce as chair of the Bioscience Leadership Council; Georgia Tech Advisory Board; SunTrust Bank Atlanta Advisory Board; Agnes Scott College Board of Visitors; and Stone Mountain Industrial Park, Inc. Hyland was also recently asked to serve on Governor Deal's Georgia Competitiveness Initiative, an effort focused on developing a next-generation strategy for economic development.

Frank Blake is the chairman and CEO of The Home Depot. Prior to his appointment to this position in 2007, he served as vice chairman of the board of directors and executive vice president of the Company. He joined The Home Depot in 2002 as executive vice president, business development and corporate operations, and was responsible for real estate, store construction, credit services, strategic business development, growth initiatives, call centers and the Home Services business. Frank previously served as deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a role similar to that of chief operating officer in the private sector. There, he was a leader in departmental policy decisions and managed DOE's annual $19 billion budget. Prior to that, Frank served in a variety of executive roles at General Electric. As senior vice president, Corporate Business Development, he led all business development efforts, including worldwide mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and identification of strategic growth opportunities. As GE Power Systems' head of business development, he played a key role in expanding that business into new technology and global marketplaces. He also held the position of general counsel at GE Power Systems. Frank's public sector experience also includes having served as general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), deputy counsel to Vice President George Bush and law clerk to Justice Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court. Frank serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Aquarium. He holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a jurisprudence degree from Columbia University School of Law.

Brian brings both business expertise and years of valuable field experience in emerging markets to Gray Ghost Ventures' Social Venture Group. Brian was the chief architect of the strategic direction for GGV's social venture investment practice, and he helps lead the analysis, evaluation, and execution of investment opportunities. Prior to joining Gray Ghost Ventures, Brian was an independent economic development and microfinance consultant for a start-up social venture company named Benevolink. Brian began his professional career as a volunteer focused on community development, information and communications technology with the United States Peace Corps in Turkmenistan, Central Asia. He subsequently worked with KPMG as a consultant in the Business Valuations practice, and later joined the international humanitarian organization CARE International. While at CARE, Brian was the Financial Systems Implementation Manager responsible for Asia, Eurasia and parts of Africa, and also served as Deputy Director for the Southeastern European offices. Brian serves on the boards of local non-profit organizations and facilitates a financial management workshop for at-risk homeless families in the Atlanta area. Brian is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia, and earned an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University. He is a Kauffman Fellow and Certified Financial Analyst.

David Jernigan is the Executive Director for KIPP Metro Atlanta, overseeing the network of KIPP schools in Metro Atlanta. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director, he was the Founding Principal of KIPP WAYS (West Atlanta Young Scholars) Academy from 2003 to 2008. Under his leadership, KIPP WAYS Academy was consistently one of Atlanta's highest performing middle schools, and in 2008 it was named the #1 "No Excuses School" in Georgia by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. David came to Atlanta through the Teach For America program, where he taught at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School in the West End of Atlanta. Mr. Jernigan is a Morehead Scholar and graduate of the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and is the recipient of the 2003 Outstanding Young Alumni Award. He received his teaching certification through Georgia State University's Urban Alternative Teacher Certification Program and his Masters in Educational Administration from National Louis University in Chicago. In 2006, Mr. Jernigan was nominated and selected for LEAD Atlanta, a program for emerging young leaders in the Metro Atlanta area. In 2007, he was honored with one of ten Outstanding Atlanta awards. He is passionate about improving the educational opportunities for students in Atlanta and looks forward to broadening the scope of KIPP's impact in Atlanta by helping to open additional KIPP schools in the near future.