Meet Our Speakers
Blake Carleton
Nathan Hippenmeyer
Blake Carleton
Blake Carleton started his YMCA career as a summer camp counselor the summer of 1997 in Richmond, VA. Over the course of the next 18 years he held a wide range of positions for the YMCA of Greater Richmond – program director, Executive Director, VP, and finally Chief Operating Officer. Blake left the Y in 2015 as the co-founder of a technology start-up. After 3 years of amazing life lessons – otherwise known as failures– he returned to the YMCA of the USA as a National Fund Raiser. In 2023, Blake became the Vice President of Growth and Engagement and oversees the marketing, branding, and Financial Develop operations at YUSA.
Blake and his wife Kristy have three children; 15 year old twin girls, Molly and Grace, and a 12 year old son, Caleb.
Kelly Kennai
Nathan Hippenmeyer
Blake Carleton
Kelly Kennai joined YMCA of the USA in 2006. Prior to taking on the role of Vice President, Organization and Digital Communications in 2023, she led communications for the organization’s healthy living initiatives and Government Relations team. Currently, she oversees communications, public relations, thought leadership, digital communications, and social media.
Kelly lives in the Washington, DC-area with her husband, Andy, and son, Logan, who is a college sophomore. When she’s not at work, you can find her passionately cheering for the Maryland Terrapins football and basketball teams or exploring local hiking trails that conveniently end near wineries or breweries. relationships and grow your business.
Nathan Hippenmeyer
Nathan Hippenmeyer
Nathan Hippenmeyer
Nathan brings over nine years of progressive leadership in digital marketing and platform development, with a unique background in filmmaking. In his current role, Nathan co-leads the Virtual Y initiative, transforming traditional fitness & wellbeing experiences into dynamic, on-demand digital platforms. Under his guidance, the Virtual Y has successfully launched subscription-based fitness and wellness services, designed for YMCA members and corporate clients alike. With a strong background in digital strategy, Nathan has led the charge in enhancing customer engagement through personalized, data-driven marketing efforts. He is well-versed in leveraging emerging technologies like AI and data storytelling to create innovative solutions that drive growth. Nathan’s experience includes strategic planning, content development, and implementing digital ecosystems that expand brand reach and impact.
Wendy White
Erin Gutknecht
Erin Gutknecht
Wendy White, the CMO of Daxko, brings over two decades of B2B technology marketing experience. Her responsibilities include driving the company’s market presence and expansion. Wendy’s career includes leadership roles at TigerConnect, Egencia, Microsoft, and Intel. She is also a U.S. Army veteran with an MBA from the University of California at Davis and a BA from UC Berkeley.
Erin Gutknecht
Erin Gutknecht
Erin Gutknecht
Erin Gutknecht serves as the Vice President of Public Relations at &Barr since May 2019, where responsibilities include strategic counsel on reputation management and leading a diverse team in public relations and social media. Prior experience includes Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Hilton Grand Vacations, where Erin expanded the corporate communications department and implemented key initiatives for crisis management and team member engagement. Additional roles include Director of Communications at the American Red Cross Central Florida Region, Director of Public Relations at Patterson/Bach Communications, and various positions in marketing and communications across numerous organizations. Erin holds a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida.
Dr. Ze Wang
Erin Gutknecht
Dr. Ze Wang
Ze Wang is Associate Professor in Marketing at the College of Business Administration. She received her PhD from University of Kansas in 2010. Dr. Wang’s research focuses on consumer behavior and customer experience analysis. In specific, her research interests span and combine three main areas: employee-customer interface and frontline management, social media and consumer-generated content analysis, and the cognitive and affective biases in consumers’ judgment and decision making. Her work has been published at Journal of Consumer Research, Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Experimental Psychology, among others.
Dr. Wang is strongly committed to bring new insights from research to the classroom. She collaborates with local business community in guest speaker series and “live” projects to provide practical learning experience to students. At University of Central Florida, Dr. Wang delivers a variety of courses including Marketing Strategy, Consumer Behavior, Services Marketing, Doctoral Seminar on Consumer Behavior, and Directed Independent Research.”
