Leaders of Color Network Forum Speakers

Soon Mee Kim is Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for the Omnicom Communications Consultancy Network, a division of Omnicom Group comprised of 27 global agency brands across communications, public affairs and brand consulting within Omnicom Public Relations Group and Omnicom Brand Consulting Group. In short, she is a catalyst for systemic equity within the Omnicom People Engagement Network (OPEN), working with intention and urgency to drive change.

Soon Mee is passionate about the power of the workplace to drive societal impact. Recognized as an industry pacesetter, Soon Mee’s expertise is in architecting innovative practices, programs and policies to create more just and inclusive workplaces. At Porter Novelli, she was one of the communications industry’s first global heads of diversity and inclusion. While there, she led award-winning initiatives such as “We Stand for Love,” using storytelling to impact hearts and minds. Her career in public relations is rooted in leading practice areas, advising clients, and managing teams.

She serves on the national boards of ColorComm, the Diversity Action Alliance, the Forum for Theological Exploration, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, The LAGRANT Foundation, and co-chairs The Conference Board’s DEI Innovators Council. She is also a founding member of VOICES for AAPI, and a founder and executive sponsor of Omnicom’s network-wide AAPI employee resource group.

Recognized for her leadership, Soon Mee has received accolades from ADCOLOR, ColorComm, the Diversity Action Alliance, Forbes, the Hispanic Public Relations Association, PR Council, PRSA Foundation, PRWeek, PROVOKE and others. She is a frequent writer and speaker at industry events, and has been a leading voice on addressing anti-Asian hate. A proud daughter of Korean immigrants, Soon Mee is a wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend and mentor to many.

Dr. Jennifer Jimenez Maraña is one of today’s foremost authorities in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a nationally recognized expert in fields ranging from higher education to healthcare, and her insight and engineering of strategic initiatives has been incorporated at some of our country’s most prestigious organizations. Maraña Consulting incorporates her leadership and training into a cohesive package that includes diversity training, consultation, and keynote addresses.