2026 Annual 2-Day Educational Program

Ira Kaganovsky is a passionate entrepreneur, disruptor, and founder of FREEDOM™, a wellness brand born from love, resilience, and purpose. An immigrant from Kyiv, Ukraine, Ira came to the United States at the age of five on her own journey to freedom—a name she would one day give to the company she built with her own two hands.

FREEDOM™ began when Ira created an all-natural deodorant in her kitchen for three close friends diagnosed with breast cancer. What started as an act of care grew into a clean beauty movement—used in luxury spas, airlines, and hotels across the globe.

As a woman who’s overcome adversity with heart and grit, Ira challenges the hustle culture with a bold new message: “Lean back.” She believes that true power comes from caring for yourself first—to show up stronger, lead better, and live with intention rather than reaction.

Today, Ira is not only building a global brand, but also a movement rooted in self-care, sustainability, and soul. Her story has been featured on Good Morning America, Cosmopolitan, QVC, and more, and she continues to give back by supporting breast cancer charities and mentoring women entrepreneurs around the world.

WELLNESS SPEAKER SPONSORED BY

Katie Curry, Special Events, Frist Art Museum

Katie Curry is an accomplished events executive with more than 12 years of experience leading corporate, nonprofit, and cultural events throughout the Nashville region. She has managed large-scale productions and fundraising events generating more than $1 million annually, with expertise in event strategy, operational leadership, donor engagement, and team development. Katie has held leadership roles with the Nashville Symphony and currently serves as a Special Events Consultant for the Frist Art Museum, where she focuses on operational infrastructure, event innovation, and organizational efficiency. She is known for creating exceptional event experiences that drive engagement, revenue, and lasting impact.

Joe Faulder, Director of Sales and Client Experience, Projection

Joe Faulder serves as Director of Sales and Client Experience at Projection, where he works closely with organizations to better understand their goals, challenges, and attendee experience priorities. His role focuses on building strong partnerships and helping clients create thoughtful, impactful event experiences that resonate long after the meeting ends.

Joe is a husband, father, musician, technology buff, and audiovisual professional (among other things) whose passion lies in creating emotive experiences. He spent most of his twenties touring the country writing and singing songs to anyone who would listen. But after a two-year battle with a debilitating vocal disease, Joe changed lanes and found his second calling in the events world.

He soon realized that a great event, like a great song, taps into an emotional aspect of the human experience. Both are powerful, generate community, and are not easily forgotten. Working throughout the industry in roles spanning audiovisual production, creative services, technology, and experience strategy, Joe now advises some of Projection’s largest clients on how to deliver meaningful and memorable experiences for their attendees.

Abby Stevenson-Greiss, Sr. Marketing Manager, MAS Agency

Abby Stevenson is a marketing strategist and experiential leader at MAS, where she develops and executes large-scale experiential and phygital campaigns for global brands and cultural icons, including YouTube Shorts, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Anthropic.

Her work spans campaign strategy, talent partnerships, activation execution, and real-time content capture, helping brands turn live experiences into measurable business and cultural impact. Across campaigns, her work has contributed to more than 15 billion views, generated activations reaching over 850 million unique impressions, and driven hundreds of thousands of new subscribers and community members.

In addition to client work, Abby leads brand visibility initiatives for MAS, overseeing PR, awards strategy, and thought leadership efforts. She spearheaded the launch of MoreMore, MAS’s proprietary digital publication, helping position the agency as a leading voice in experiential marketing.

Her work has been recognized with five Clio Music Awards, two Webby Awards, and an HSMAI Best of Show Award. Abby was also named one of Ad Age’s Gen Zers to Watch, and her insights have been featured in Ad Age, Campaign, and Business Insider.

A passionate advocate for the intersection of live experiences, creator partnerships, and digital storytelling, Abby believes the most successful activations don’t just go viral—they create lasting cultural relevance.

Shannen Stewart, Founder + President, Heels and Handshakes

Shannen Stewart is the Founder and CEO of Heels & Handshakes, a community-driven organization that connects entrepreneurs, women in business, and industry leaders through curated experiences, strategic networking, and meaningful relationship-building. With chapters in Nashville, Chicago, and Las Vegas, the organization has become known for creating elevated events that foster authentic connection and collaboration.

With a background in hospitality and event production, Shannen has built a trusted brand recognized for engaging one of the industry’s most discerning audiences: event professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

Shannen has been recognized as one of the Eventex 100 Most Influential Event Professionals and is the recipient of multiple honors, including the Nashville Business Journal Women of Influence Award and Meeting Professionals International Tennessee Chapter Supplier of the Year. She is passionate about designing experiences that bring people together and create lasting impact.

Conversation Host – Tonisha Landry, Immediate Past President, PCMA Southeast Chapter

Tonisha Landry is a convening strategist with more than 15 years of progressive leadership at the intersection of community, purpose, and design. She served as director of conference programming at the Institute of Internal Auditors where she oversaw end-to-end program strategy for a $20 million conference portfolio. In 2015 she founded KĀK & Co, a boutique event experience consultancy named after her favorite dessert, cake. Today, Tonisha is incoming executive director of NACD Florida. Learn more about Tonisha here.