Jamie Beard (she/her) is a senior communications manager at VMLY&R and is a member of the TEDxKC planning team, one of the largest independent TED events in the world. At VMLY&R, she is proud to be a part of the ILLUME team, a powered by DEI group that champions the cultural contributions of BIPOC employees across the VMLY&R North American network. Jamie is passionate about the intersection of wellness and education; she currently volunteers with Lead to Read and has previously served as the marketing director and interim board chair for Exploring Roots, a Girls on the Run coach, and a surfing facilitator in Muizenberg, South Africa. In her spare time, you can find her rock climbing, hiking, and planning her next surf trip. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, with focuses on strategic communication, sociology and multicultural studies.