Presenters, Moderators & Mentors

Abbey Glass is an attainable luxury womenswear brand that helps women explore the art of dressing up. Abbey started designing dresses when she was 10 years old, sewing with her grandmother on a vintage Singer sewing machine. She went on to become a classically trained fashion designer, graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, and launching her business creating playful couture gowns for women across the country. Abbey is inspired by mid-century design, creating attainable luxury pieces through luxurious fabric selections and timeless silhouettes. Her mission is to lend a playful elegance to women’s wardrobes, giving them effortless confidence for every occasion. The namesake brand operates out of the flagship store in Abbey’s hometown of Atlanta, GA.

Jackie Thomson founded of Counsel in early 2022 after co-owning and expanding the Charleston-based lifestyle pr firm, leapfrog, for 13 years. Her consultancy focuses on promoting female founders in the design and style space with a focused approach on brand development through media and influencer relations, events and strategic partnerships. The term of Counsel refers to her team’s hands-on approach to brand building and the partnerships that she builds with long-term clients.

Jackie earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston, then moved to New York for a buying position at GUCCI, and then to grow the wholesale business for bridal and evening wear designer Reem Acra. She later returned to Charleston to join, and later take over leapfrog’s design-related projects. Her wide-ranging interests in lifestyle-related categories drives of Counsel’s expertise in the fields of fashion and design. Beyond the realm of traditional PR, Jackie enjoys honing brand strategy, content creation, and developing market positioning for her clients.

Laura Cox Kaplan is the creator of She Said / She Said — a multimedia platform for women who strive to live their best lives with intention and who are seeking insight and inspiration through thoughtful conversation and content focused on women.
Laura’s 30-year career spans some of the highest institutions in Washington, DC — a place of constant change. She spent ten years on the executive management team of global professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, where she served as Principal-in-Charge of Government, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy, coordinating strategies across more than 150 countries. Before that Laura held senior positions at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, after getting her start as a Press Secretary on Capitol Hill.
A common thread for Laura has been not only navigating change, but understanding and mastering the art of influence — in government, business, communications, advocacy, and in navigating family life.

Over her tenure at Leapfrog PR, Libba guided many of her clients, both large and small, to become prominent brands among the shelves of national retailers. A storyteller at heart, she looks for common threads – pride in the process and an authentic history – in all of the companies she works alongside. Now as a founder of the creative consultancy Add Lib, she focuses on only a handful of carefully selected clients who have a truly great story – business owners in the south who have products and services that are inspired by heritage (a recipe, an orchard, a kettle built to last, kinship) and built on people’s need to gather, connect and foster relationships. She advises some of the South’s best-loved brands including Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, Caroline’s Cakes, Sea Island Forge, Schermer Pecans, and The Southern Coterie #tscsummit. She thrives on mentoring entrepreneurs and small business owners. To celebrate these relationships, she offers a pro bono Small Business Mentorship program with three to five women participating each year.

An Atlanta native, Libba found her passion for all things edible as a post-grad student at New York’s French Culinary Institute (International Culinary Center). She segued into restaurant public relations at Baltz & Co. and the Dunn Robbins Group, promoting brands in the food, wine, and spirits industries. Following a move to her husband’s hometown of Charleston, Libba joined Leapfrog to continue her craft, as an owner from 2009 to 2021. She recently founded Add Lib in 2022.

Libba is a graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee. Libba and her husband, Chris, are raising their two sons a stone’s throw from the Ashley River.

Mollie Burch is the CEO and Creative Director of CROSBY by Mollie Burch, a women’s fashion line known for its imaginative use of color, original prints, and effortless vibe. Since founding CROSBY in 2015, she has grown her small business into an established and recognizable brand that is thriving on all fronts with over 300 wholesale accounts across the country and an ever-growing e-commerce presence. CROSBY believes in ultimate inclusion — advocating for women from various backgrounds and stories and creating pieces for all personalities. From sizes XXS to XXL, CROSBY creates flattering fits that can be worn by any generation!

Mollie hand-designs every style and print based on inspiration from unexpected color palettes, vibrant cultures, and the wonders of nature. As she dives into her ninth year of business, her mission remains the same: celebrate who you are through what you’re wearing. She is fiercely dedicated to her craft and passionate about helping women feel like their boldest, brightest selves.

CROSBY’s Shine Your Bright mantra is anchored in the company’s dedication to the fight against human trafficking. Every year, Mollie designs two special prints inspired by a survivor’s journey. The proceeds from these pieces are donated directly to Wellspring Living, an organization whose mission is to transform the lives of those at-risk or victimized by sexual exploitation. Learn more about the brand’s social mission here.

Born and raised in Newnan, GA, and a graduate of the University of Virginia, Mollie currently resides in Atlanta with her husband, Evan, and the newest (and sweetest!) CROSBY gal, Baby Burch.

Morgan Hutchinson is the co-founder and CEO of BURU, a women’s clothing brand based in Los Angeles, California.

Born in the small town of Murray, Kentucky, where the importance of dressing up for nearly any occasion was instilled in her, Morgan believes in the mood-boosting power of wearing a proper ensemble (that is comfortable to boot!)

She went off to Alabama for college, then began her career in New York as an entrepreneur and co-founder (along with her two best friends) of Passport Panties, a lingerie brand that landed in 500+ international doors and allowed her to travel the globe. After meeting her husband, Brett, in NYC, they moved to Beijing for four years and Morgan found a career there as a stylist and the “Blonde in Beijing” blogger.

After moving back to the USA 8-months pregnant, Morgan became a mother for the first time. She soon discovered that her wardrobe needed a refresh. She scoured online shops, high-end boutiques and big box stores for stylish, daytime essentials that offered easy access in washable fabrics with little success. So, with the help of her husband and now full-time business partner, Brett, Morgan embarked on a mission in the name of fashion

With Brett’s business acumen and Morgan’s former experience as an entrepreneur and stylist, they founded BURU in 2013. Through several evolutions, the company has hit its stride. Morgan now exclusively designs every collection for the brand. Today, one half of the brand’s manufacturing happens in BURU’s own microfactory in downtown LA where they employ twenty full-time team members, including pattern makers, cutters, and sewers. They run a retail store, warehouse and business and design office just down the street from the factory.

Though Morgan’s designs can be worn by every woman, transcending generations and seasons of life, her inspiration has consistently been and will always be—motherhood. She aspires to create a space, a community and a resource for mothers to connect and have fun with their wardrobe. Her forever mission is to redefine “mom style”.

Sarah Slaughter joined Atlanta-based public relations and marketing consultancy agency Domino Media Group in August 2016 as Domino’s first hire when she moved to Atlanta after living in New York City. Her time there was spent at a public relations agency working on a variety of luxury beauty and lifestyle accounts, including Bioré, KORRES, L’Occitane, DreamDry, and more. During her time at Domino, Sarah has been the lead on accounts of various sizes, including leading Atlanta real estate developments and nationally recognized e-commerce brands and designers. As of early 2021, Sarah is now President of Domino, overseeing each of the company’s accounts and overall strategy and execution.