Keynote Speaker & Moderators

Mike Beckham graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business in 2003. He began his career with a nine-year tenure at the worldwide nonprofit Christian ministry CRU before transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship in 2012. Since then, he has built brands that have collectively generated over $2 billion in retail sales.

Today, Mike is the CEO and co-founder of Simple Modern, one of the world’s leading drinkware companies. Simple Modern has established major partnerships with Amazon, Target, and Walmart, and is a licensed partner for the NFL, NBA, NCAA, and Disney. Beyond business success, Simple Modern is deeply committed to philanthropy, donating over $10 million to nonprofits over the past decade.

Mike is also passionate about mentorship and leadership. He serves as an advisor and mentor to several companies and aspiring entrepreneurs. In addition to his work in the business world, he is an elder at his church, the Senior Entrepreneur-in-Residence at OU, and a host of The Operators podcast.

He lives in Norman, Oklahoma, with his wife of 22 years, Heather, and their two children, Carter and Kenzie.

Vilona Michael, marketing strategist and connector, owner of V.Marketing for the last 15 years, a full-service agency creating opportunities for brands to engage through innovative, cost-effective strategies from social media and PR to influencer marketing and everything in between. Whether you're a national chain or a local fave, she’ll tell your story like it's never been told before. She’s helped grow businesses in a variety of industries, districts and communities with her white glove, authentic approach. She thrives on building connections and is always ready to hear someone’s story over coffee or happy hour.

Kelli Hayward Walsh

Kelli Hayward Walsh currently serves as the Manager of Outreach and Engagement for OG&E, Oklahoma’s oldest and largest investor-owned electric utility serving over 900,000 customers. In her role she oversees the company’s community stewardship initiatives that include partnerships that drive meaningful change and strengthen the communities OG&E serves, education initiatives focused on energizing future generations through investing in education by offering resources and financial support to students and teachers, a focus on philanthropy by giving back through sponsorships and grant opportunities to nonprofits, as well as outreach and volunteerism.

Kelli joined OG&E after a 20+ year career. For 16 years she led community relations and partnership initiatives for OU Health, and prior to that managed marketing and special events at a local education publishing company, Saxon Publishers. She most recently served as the Director of Development and Communications for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation where she now serves on their board of directors.  

She is a native of Shawnee, OK and a proud product of public education, graduating from Shawnee High School. Kelli received a BA in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma in 2001.

Kelli is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City, LOYAL class 6, a 2011 Forty under 40 honoree and a Journal Record Beacon Award winner recognized for an employee volunteer program she created and managed. She has also served on the Boys & Girls Club board of directors, is a proud sustaining member of the Junior League of Oklahoma City and has received recognition as an Oklahoma City Panhellenic Woman of the Year and University of Oklahoma Panhellenic Outstanding Alumnae. Her most important title, however, is that of “mom” to two spunky daughters, Nellie and Ruby.

Ken Parker is a first generation college graduate. From a young age he developed a love for computers. He graduated from Oklahoma Christian, then earned a master’s in computer science from the University of Colorado, and an initial job in aero-space. Eventually Parker landed on Wall Street with JP Morgan. He moved back to Oklahoma in 1995 and started a company first focused on online education. About four months into the concept, a buddy from his JP Morgan days, Ethan Berman, suggested he and Parker pivot towards a company that provided risk management tools to financial institutions. Berman served as CEO and co-founder along with Parker. After eight years, they moved off Parker’s ranch and moved to Norman and continued to grow. After 10 years, they did an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Two years after the IPO, they sold for $1.5 billion to MSCI in 2010. Now RiskMetrics has become the world’s largest independent provider of risk management solutions.