HUB Directory

Monique Hayward

Chief Marketing Officer

I’m a dynamic, high-energy leader with over 25 years of experience building a multifaceted career as an award-winning marketing executive, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. My mission is to arm current and aspiring professionals and entrepreneurs with the tools to tackle the unique challenges that test their resolve, strength, and spirit as they manage and grow their careers and businesses. Having battled my way to success, I offer real-world lessons learned so others don’t have to take the hard road. Since 2004, I've launched and managed three companies: Nouveau Connoisseurs Corporation, which owned and operated the critically acclaimed Dessert Noir Café & Bar in Beaverton, Oregon; Cerise Noire Software, LLC, an Oregon-based mobile app company; and my current venture, DRISCOLL Cuisine & Cocktail Concepts, LLC, a personal chef and vacation property company in Phoenix, Arizona. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, and my on-the-ground experience gives me the knowledge to help others navigate and overcome the pitfalls, obstacles, and challenges entrepreneurs face. In addition to my entrepreneurial pursuits, I’ve enjoyed a thriving corporate career in high technology. Currently, I’m the Chief Marketing Officer at Enactify.ai, a Silicon Valley startup transforming document publishing. I’ve also held leadership roles in marketing, communications, and business development at Microsoft, Intel, and Tektronix. I consider myself a “megaphone marketer,” focused on creating awareness, influencing perception, and driving engagement to deliver results. My commitment to excellence and continuous improvement has been the cornerstone of my professional journey, allowing me to inspire teams, transcend traditional marketing boundaries, and build impactful, data-driven campaigns that move companies forward in today’s digital landscape. I am also passionate about being the champion for customers, ensuring their success and leveraging their feedback to shape marketing initiatives. As an expert and speaker, I’ve shared my insights through keynotes, panels, and workshops at conferences like Professional Businesswomen of California, Digital Summit, Directions Asia, and top universities. My work has been featured in media outlets like CNN, CNBC, Medium, Entrepreneur, and Black Enterprise. I am also the author of Divas Doing Business, with a foreword by Morgan Freeman, and Get Your Hustle On!, a guide for career success. I’ve earned several accolades, including Count Me In and American Express OPEN Forum’s 2008 Make Mine a Million $ Business, Portland Business Journal’s 2009 “40 Under 40”, Diversity MBA’s 2010 “Top 100 Under 50”, and induction into Portland Business Journal’s “40 Under 40 Hall of Fame” in 2022. A New York City native, I hold a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland and an MBA in marketing from Case Western Reserve University. I’m also an ASCENT fellow from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and served on the board of SMART Reading, an Oregon non-profit promoting childhood literacy. I enjoy writing, cooking, fitness, and travel, and live in Beaverton, Oregon, with my husband Tom Freeman and our 15-year-old cat, Mac.

Christine Izuakor

Founder and CEO

Houston, Texas

Dr. Christine Izuakor is the founder of Rauk AI, an AI-powered platform that empowers professionals to connect, learn, and grow through immersive curated conversations surrounding AI, tech, business, and life. Christine has 16 years cybersecurity experience from Fortune 100 to startups and earned a Ph.D. in Security Engineering—becoming the youngest student and first African American to do so. Christine holds leading certifications such as CISSP and CISM, and is a cybersecurity professor whose work has impacted 10,000+ students worldwide. Her work has been presented globally from Italy to South Korea, including features in Crain's, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and more.