Queens University of Charlotte Athletics

Molly Grantham

Keynote Speaker & Moderator

4x-Emmy winner. 3x-author. National speaker. Charity auctioneer. Proud mom. 

Molly Grantham has been named “TV News Reporter of the Year” and juggles life with humor and poise, bringing clever wit to diverse crowds. She delivers hundreds of keynotes and has interviewed over 15,000 people in her 25-years of television news. 

Molly left her journalism career when at the top of her game—the #1-rated anchor in a top 20 American media market, doing 20 live shows a week—to reinvent and motivate audiences across the country to “Bet On Yourself.” 

She is adept at speaking live to 100,000 people a night, sitting beside Hollywood celebrities, NFL stars, and throughout her career worked at ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates. She appeared on CNN, Today Show, CBS News, the CBS Morning Show, and in Huffington Post and People Magazine. Her social media is its own channel, with more than 200,000 combined followers. In late 2024, she founded the “Bet On Yourself Summit,” a soul-filling experience to help women uncover power in themselves. It made history as the first women’s event inside the Carolina Panthers NFL stadium. 

Molly is also a trained and active charity auctioneer, bringing non-profits around the country to earn record-breaking amounts. 

Her three books are a popular series described as “raw and relatable” about not losing yourself while loving your career and raising children. She and her husband, Wes, have three children under the age of 14. 

In her next life, Molly says she wants to be a mermaid. 

Molly Barker

Founder, Girls on the Run International

Panelist

Molly Barker is the founder of Girls on the Run, a nonprofit organization that has inspired millions of girls across North America to find strength, courage, and joy in being themselves.

What began in 1996 as a small running program in Charlotte, North Carolina, grew under Molly's vision into an international movement, recognized for transforming the way girls see themselves and their potential. With its unique blend of running, discussion, and self-discovery, Girls on the Run has become a touchstone for empowerment, teaching girls that they are more than enough just as they are.

Molly's professional journey is deeply intertwined with her personal one. A recovering alcoholic, she speaks candidly about her path to sobriety and the ways her own healing has shaped her vision of leadership, belonging, and wholeness. Her vulnerability and honesty have helped dismantle stigma and opened doors for others to see recovery not as a weakness but as a profound act of courage.

In addition to her work with Girls on the Run, Molly continues to create spaces where authenticity and connection can thrive, whether through curriculum development, speaking, or her writing.

Today, Molly lives in Charlotte, where she balances her passion for community work with her love of cycling, time outdoors, and being a grandmother. Her life's work remains rooted in the belief that when people are free to show up fully as themselves, they not only transform their own lives but also ripple freedom outward to others.

Anna Cockrell

Olympian

Panelist

Anna Cockrell is a two-time Olympian (2020, 2024) and the 2024 Olympic silver medalist in the women’s 400m hurdles. She runs professionally for Nike and is one of only four women in history to break 52 seconds in the event, setting a personal best of 51.87 at the Paris Games.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Anna earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from the Annenberg School and a master’s degree in public policy with a certificate in public policy advocacy. While competing for USC, she became a four-time NCAA Outdoor Champion, an NCAA Indoor Champion, and the 2021 Pac-12 Women’s Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a family that valued both education and athletics, Anna was inspired early on by her siblings—sister Ciera, an attorney, and brother Ross Cockrell, a Super Bowl–winning NFL cornerback. She attended Providence Day School, where she became a two-time World U20 Champion.

Beyond the track, Anna is a passionate advocate for mental health policy and accessibility. She is interested in partnering with nonprofits serving local communities and has interests in politics, reading, music, and fashion as she looks ahead to LA28 and beyond.

Kieth Cockrell

President, Bank of America Charlotte

Panelist

As President of Bank of America Charlotte, he is responsible for connecting banking and investment resources offered to people and companies across the region as well as deploying Bank of America’s resources to address social and economic concerns to help the Charlotte region thrive.  

During his 42-year career in the financial industry, Kieth has held several key executive roles and is a passionate ally and advocate for Opportunity and Inclusion. Kieth is also an active member of the community serving as Board Chair of the Foundation For The Carolinas, Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee for Johnson C. Smith University as well as member of the Executive Committee, Board Member for United Negro College Fund, Charlotte Sports Foundation, HoopTee Foundation, My Brother’s Keeper Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Road 2 Hire, and is Past Chair of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for Davidson College.  

He and his wife, Serena, are proud parents of three adult children: an NFL Super Bowl Champion, a practicing Attorney in DC, and an Olympic Silver Medalist. 

Andrea Smith

Chair, Bank of America Alumni Network; Chief Administrative Officer, Bank of America (retired)

Panelist

As a trailblazer and champion for women in banking, Smith held many senior leadership positions for Bank of America during her 34-year career with the company. Those included such roles as the head of Global Human Resources, where she transformed the bank’s hiring, employee benefits, and diversity and inclusion efforts before being named the Chief Administrative Officer for the company. As CAO, Smith led a global portfolio that included capital planning, vendor management, marketing, data analytics and real estate. Smith has been recognized by many including, American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking, NC Business Hall of Fame, Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year by Queens University and the Citizen of the Carolinas by the CLT Alliance.

She has been an ardent supporter of promoting economic mobility in Charlotte, including serving as the inaugural Co-Chair of the Leading on Opportunity Council. Smith is the chair of Bank of America Alumni Network and also sits on the boards of HCA, World Kinect, Queens University of Charlotte, Every Mother Counts and is the Co-Chair of the Charlotte Sports Foundation. Additionally, Smith is part of a women’s investor group owning 25% of the Carolina Ascent Women’s Football Club, the first professional women's sports team in Charlotte.

Smith served as Interim President & CEO for the CLT Regional Business Alliance from May 2024 until April 2025 and held the title of Strategic Advisor until the end of 2025.