We are pleased to introduce our speaker lineup for ASBPEvolve 2026: The Biggest B2B Editorial Summit, June 16-18, 2026. Learn more about the incredible sessions these speakers, panelists and moderators are bringing to our 2026 conference here.
ASBPE members pay only $325 through June 5 for three full-days of education and networking, with no travel costs! The final deadline to register is June 15, 2026, at 12 pm ET.
Andrew Bass
Art & Production Manager, Risk Management magazine, Risk & Insurance Management Society, Inc.
Session: From Print to Screen: Transforming our Publications
With over 25 years of experience, Andrew Bass has built a career that blends award-winning creativity with strategic design. His expertise spans identity, publication, marketing, and digital media. He has led art departments at Essence Communications, McGraw-Hill, CMP Media, and Nielsen Business Media. In these roles, he shaped visual narratives that engage and inspire. Currently, Bass serves as the art and production manager at the Risk & Insurance Managment Society (RIMS). He art directs Risk Management magazine and develops digital assets, including video shorts, social media graphics, and email series. Since joining RIMS, his creative work has earned the organization over 25 design awards.
Brooke Bilyj
Founder and Chief Content Officer, Bantamedia, and ASBPE Vice President (Incoming ASBPE President)
Session: Annual Members’ Forum
Brooke Bilyj is a national award-winning journalist, published author and PR/marketing consultant. Since founding her content marketing firm, Bantamedia, in 2013, Bilyj has worked with marketing agencies, trade publications and brands to provide content, PR, SEO and marketing for industries ranging from healthcare to horticulture. Her work has been published in more than 55 publications and more than 60 websites, earning 31 awards for editorial excellence.
Jacquie Chakirelis
Senior Director of Digital Strategy, Cleveland Studios
Session: The Power of Print in the Digital Age
Jacquie Chakirelis is an award-winning marketing and media strategist named among LinkedIn’s Top Ten Rising Stars in Marketing and one of the Top 50 Influential Women in Content Marketing. As Senior Director of Digital Strategy for Cleveland Studios — publisher of Cleveland Magazine and Ohio Magazine — she brings decades of impact across media, marketing, and digital strategy. She founded the nationally-syndicated talk show and podcast Family Matters Radio, and helped launch MomsLikeMe.com across 80+ Gannett markets. As an inductee to the Content Marketing World Hall of Fame, she is an international speaker on digital strategy, media, and personal brand storytelling.
Bryan Abdul Collins
Creative Career Coach, Poetic State
Session: Who Will Feed the Unicorns?
Bryan Abdul Collins is a creative coach and owner of Poetic State, a creative consultancy based in Atlanta. Collins is a former graphic designer who spent 15 years in the creative industry observing where the real pressure lives and what it does to people over time. He has coached hundreds of creative professionals, from designers finding their footing to founders carrying entire teams.
Eric Effron
Editorial Director, NewsGuard
Session: Lessons from NewsGuard in Navigating Fake News
Eric Effron is editorial director of NewsGuard, where he oversees editorial operations. Prior to NewsGuard, he spent more than a decade at Reuters, supervising coverage of media, technology, and other industries, and launched Reuters Legal, a news service for legal professionals. Before Reuters, he was executive editor of The Week, guiding its coverage and the annual Opinion Awards, which recognized the nation’s top columnists, bloggers and cartoonists. Before that, he served as editor and publisher of Legal Times and editor of Brill’s Content, both focused on media and law. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Clark University and a master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Abby Faulkner
Digital Media Strategist, Journal of ACR, American College of Radiology
Session: Case Study: How the JACR Launched a Thriving Podcast That Builds its Brand
Abby Faulkner has been with the American College of Radiology (ACR) since 2022. As digital media strategist, she oversees website and social media operations for the Journal of ACR (JACR), along with newsletters, press releases and promotional activities. Before the ACR, Faulkner spent over a decade in broadcast and print journalism and is the recipient of numerous awards, including six Minnesota Newspaper Awards and two regional Associated Press awards for breaking news coverage and feature writing. A Chicago native, she holds a BA in English and Religious Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.
Khalil Garriott
Executive Editor, ABA Banking Journal and Vice President for Creative Content & Copywriting Strategy, American Bankers Association; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: B2B Mental Health: Handling Trauma on Difficult Beats
Khalil Garriott doesn’t want you to have to read another wordy professional bio. So instead of adding yet another protracted, milquetoast bio to the sea of them that already exist on the internet, here are a few quick fun (or not that fun; that depends on you) facts about him: He was a nationally ranked table tennis player as a teenager. He has been to seven Super Bowls. He has traveled to 12 countries.
Megan Gates
Senior Editor, Security Management and Editor-in-Chief, Security Technology, ASIS International
Session: B2B Mental Health: Handling Trauma on Difficult Beats
Megan Gates is a senior editor at Security Management. She has more than a decade of experience covering cyber and physical security incidents, including executive attacks, extremist activity, fraud, mass shootings, sexual harassment and workplace violence. Gates is also the editor-in-chief of Security Technology, a quarterly supplement published by Security Management, and a board member of the ASBPE Washington, D.C., Chapter. She’s received numerous awards for her writing, including the 2022 ASBPE Stephen Barr Award for Feature Writing, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Print/Online Journalism with a Minor in Film Studies from Missouri State University.
Erin Hallstrom
Director of Content Operations and Visibility, Endeavor Business Media; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: How Far is Too Far with AI?; and The Great SEO Pivot: Adapting to the Answer Engine Experience
Erin Hallstrom is the director of content operations and visibility for EndeavorB2B, where she works with more than 150 trade journalists across 90+ brands to implement search engine optimization (SEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO) best practices. She’s been a featured speaker at the News and Editorial SEO Summit (NESS) and headlined ASBPE’s B2B Media SEO Playbook education series. In addition to optimization strategy, Erin is responsible for Endeavor’s metrics reporting, where she uses her expertise in website analytics to help teams understand their data to make informed content decisions. Erin holds multiple technical certifications in Google Analytics and also trains audience and marketing groups how best to utilize SEO and GEO tactics for enhanced content marketing performance.
Stephanie Hendrixson
Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing Media & Manufacturing Connected, Gardner Business Media
Session: One Story, Many Uses: Making Your Work Go Farther
Stephanie Hendrixson reports on the ways that industry technology transforms manufacturing in her dual roles as editor-in-chief of two Gardner Business Media publications. With Manufacturing Connected, she follows the trends shaping manufacturing businesses across markets, bringing actionable insights to newsletter and website readers. For Additive Manufacturing Media, she reports on the advance of industrial 3D printing technology through articles, short-form video and The Cool Parts Show video series. Stephanie has been in manufacturing media since 2012 and is based at Gardner Business Media headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Craig Johnson
Senior Editorial Director, Staffing Industry Analysts, Crain Communications
Session: Tips for Tackling Big or Controversial Stories
Craig Johnson is senior editorial director at Staffing Industry Analysts covering the staffing and workforce solutions industry both nationally and internationally. Johnson works on the Staffing Industry Daily News, IT Staffing Report, Healthcare Staffing Report and other publications at SIA. He joined SIA in 2006. Prior to SIA, Johnson worked in B2C journalism as both an editor and reporter at publications throughout California. He also serves on the board of the American Society for Business Publication Editors.
Jenny Jones
Award-winning Freelance Editor, Writer and Communications Lead
Session: Case Study: How the JACR Launched a Thriving Podcast That Builds its Brand
Jenny Jones has more than 20 years of editorial and strategic communications experience. Her career has spanned newspaper journalism, nonprofit B2B publications, and internal communications. Jones specializes in transforming complex topics into clear and engaging narratives.
Wyatt Kash
Senior Vice President of Content Strategy, Scoop News Group
Session: Lessons from NewsGuard in Navigating Fake News
Wyatt Kash is an award-winning business media executive and journalist serving as Senior Vice President of Content Strategy at Scoop News Group in Washington, D.C. He leads custom content initiatives across government and technology sectors, supporting a portfolio that includes leading public sector news brands and major industry events. Over his career, Kash has built and managed high-performing editorial teams at top media organizations, including InformationWeek Government, AOL, and The Washington Post’s Tech Media group. A seasoned interviewer and speaker, he has earned more than three dozen journalism awards. He is a Syracuse University graduate and recipient of the prestigious G.D. Crain Award.
Carolyn Kuimelis
Social Media Editor, Tax Notes, Tax Analysts
Session: Best Practices for LinkedIn
Carolyn Kuimelis is a digital journalist passionate about multimedia storytelling. As social media editor at Tax Notes, she enjoys finding creative ways to bring tax news to new audiences. Her work has been recognized with the 2026 Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Short-Form Video and ASBPE’s 2025 National Gold Azbee Award for Best Use of Social Media. Her approach to audience engagement is informed by years of reporting, where she learned to think carefully about how stories connect with readers. She has written for publications like CalMatters, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and her college newspaper, The Santa Clara.
Dr. Karen Ladley, Ed.D.
Senior Associate Director, The Carter Center
Session: B2B Mental Health: Handling Trauma on Difficult Beats
Dr. Karen Ladley began her career as a broadcast journalist for TV stations in Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. After 16 years, Karen transitioned into higher education, overseeing learning support and accessibility. Her role as the Senior Associate Director of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships in Mental Health and the Parity Newsroom Collaborative brings her various professional experiences together, providing the opportunity to mentor and support journalists as they learn best practices in mental health reporting. Karen earned her undergraduate communications degree from Elizabethtown College, her Master of Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and a doctorate in transformative education from Kutztown University.
Rich Luna
Senior Director, Content, Associated Luxury Hotels International; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Building Your Email Audience
Rich Luna is senior director, content, at Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). He is an ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) scholar and serves on the ASBPE board of directors. He also serves on the communications committee for the U.S. Travel Association Travel Communicators Network. Prior to ALHI, he was in publishing roles for Meeting Professionals International and the Boy Scouts of America, and in reporting, editing and leadership role at newspapers across the country. He received his B.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Jonathan Maze
Editor-in-Chief, Restaurant Business, Informa Connect; and ASBPE Board Member
Session: Making the Transition from Journalist to Personality
Restaurant Business Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants. He writes daily about the factors influencing the operating environment, including labor and food costs and various industry trends such as technology and delivery. Maze has been widely quoted in media publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on the History Channel, the Today Show, CNBC, Yahoo Finance and NPR. He writes a weekly finance-focused newsletter for Restaurant Business, The Bottom Line, and is the host of the weekly podcast “A Deeper Dive.” He also has a popular, award-winning TikTok program called Fast Food Minute.
Claire Meyer
Editor-in-Chief, Security Management, ASIS International
Session: Tips for Tackling Big or Controversial Stories
Claire Meyer joined Security Management in 2019 as its managing editor before being promoted to the editor-in-chief position in 2024. She has been covering the security industry since 2012, regularly reporting on issues affecting security leaders today, including cybersecurity, leadership, security technology, and trends. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s in journalism and minors in French and fine arts.
John O’Brien
Editor & Publisher, ABA Journal, American Bar Association
Session: The Power of Print in the Digital Age
John O’Brien is the editor and publisher of the ABA Journal, the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. His experience in journalism spans more than 33 years, including roles as a reporter, news editor, digital editor, managing editor and now editor/publisher. Since 2019, he has led the staff of the ABA Journal, which has been named Magazine of the Year for the past three years by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Nicole Racadag, MSJ
Senior Managing Editor, American College of Radiology
Session: Case Study: How the JACR Launched a Thriving Podcast That Builds its Brand
As senior managing editor for the American College of Radiology, Nicole Racadag oversees the Bulletin, the ACR’s monthly member magazine, and the Journal of ACR (JACR), the ACR’s scholarly journal. Prior to joining the ACR in 2016, she served in various publishing and public relations capacities at several healthcare associations in the Washington, D.C. area. Racadag currently serves on the American Society of Business Publication Editors national board of directors. She was named an AM&P Network Emerging Leader in 2021 and awarded an ASBPE Diversity Fellowship in 2023.
Samantha Ragland
Senior Vice President, American Press Institute
Session: B2B Mental Health: Handling Trauma on Difficult Beats
Samantha Ragland, an experienced journalist, educator and digital strategist, is senior vice president at the American Press Institute. Previously, Ragland was a member of the faculty at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies where she also served as director of the Leadership Academy for Women in Media. As senior vice president, Ragland leads API’s efforts to promote cultural transformation and business sustainability in media, helping news organizations serve diverse readers and communities more effectively. She leads API’s journalism programs portfolio. While at Poynter, Ragland created custom workshops based on newsroom needs, including trauma and resiliency training developed in collaboration with clinical psychologists.
Katja Ridderbusch
Independent Journalist
Session: Best Practices for LinkedIn
Katja Ridderbusch is an award-winning, independent journalist based in Atlanta. A media veteran of three decades, she reports for news organizations in the U.S. and Europe — mostly about law enforcement, public safety, security and healthcare. Katja’s work has been published by Police1, KFF Health News, NPR, TIME, U.S. News & World Report, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, German public radio, The Times of Israel and others. She currently serves as president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Georgia Chapter.
Davide Savenije
Senior Vice President of Editorial, Informa TechTarget and ASBPE President
Session: to be announced soon
Davide Savenije is the president of ASBPE and the senior vice president of editorial for Informa TechTarget. Savenije helped build up the Industry Dive editorial model and newsroom as editor-in-chief. His team’s publications are widely recognized for their journalistic excellence and impact — winning ASBPE’s Website of the Year and the Neal Award for Best Industry Coverage three times.
Christina Sincere
Career Advisor, School of Communication, American University Career Center
Session: Your Worth, Your Words: Navigating Compensation and Negotiating Pay
Christina Sincere has been a Career Advisor in the American University Career Center since Fall 2023, where she works closely with School of Communication students to help connect their strengths and interests to meaningful career pathways. Her student-centered advising approach is informed by several years of coaching students across all majors and experience in recruiting for a large professional services firm. Christina holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education from The University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre–Arts Administration from Christopher Newport University.
Scott Wenger
Senior Economics Editor, World Bank
Session: Tips for Tackling Big or Controversial Stories
Scott Wenger is a senior economics editor at the World Bank, where he focuses on economic mobility and development, sustainable business and climate risk. Previously, he most recently managed a content development firm, was an editorial director at Barron’s and a group editorial director at Arizent, formerly SourceMedia, managing six titles, including Financial Planning magazine. Over his career, Wenger has managed editorial teams or reported for some of the nation’s top media outlets, including the New York Daily News, CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal and The Hartford Courant. In addition, he worked as a healthcare analyst at Alex. Brown & Sons, has been an editor-writer for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Research and recently passed the Series 65 exam for financial advisors. This year, Wenger was elected to a third term on the board of governors of SABEW, the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
Registration
ASBPE members pay only $325 through June 5 for three full-days of education and networking, with no travel costs! The final deadline to register is June 15, 2026.