Mercedes Swan is the Career Love Coach and creates empowering and safe places for high-performing and purpose driven Black women. She is a business and career coach for Black Women across the US, leveraging her expertise as a certified HR Professional (SHRM-CP), executive recruiter, and DEIB champion. It's her passion to see more Black Women find bliss personally and professionally and her mission is to close the pay, promotion and inclusion gap.

Mercedes holds a Master’s degree in management and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida. Mercedes has 8+ years of experience as an HR professional in talent acquisition, DEI, talent management and change management.

Mercedes currently lives in Florida with her fiancé, and two sweet boys: a chocolate American Staffordshire Terrier named Uno and tri-colored Beagle named Thorin. In her personal time, she loves nerding out , kayaking, spending time with family and crafting.

You can connect with Mercedes Swan on Instagram- @mercedes.swan. Follow Mercedes tools and resources below:

1. Check out Happy Black Women.

2. Download Mercedes free Career Love Journal

3. Black Woman Bliss Community (a free and paid community experience for high-performing, passionate Black women).

Follow Pave Her Way Podcast on Instagram @paveherwaypodcast. Subscribe to Pave Her Way podcast on your favorite streaming platform on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.

Urmi is a self-published author, speaker, blogger, and podcast host who works in the financial services industry in Canada. She holds both the CFA and CAIA designations and is deeply passionate about empowering women through mentorship, education, and public speaking.

Her book, Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth from Interracial Struggle, reflects her journey as a third-culture kid navigating questions of identity, culture, and belonging. Through her writing and lived experiences, Urmi aims to create spaces for honest conversations around representation and self-discovery. She also hosts the podcast Stories Beyond Borders, which amplifies diverse voices and stories on identity, migration, and language.

Outside of her professional and advocacy work, Urmi enjoys reading thrillers, practicing boxing, and staying active through running and HIIT workouts.

You can connect with Urmi Hossain on Instagram- @urmamio. Follow Urmi’s 3 Tips for how to break into the financial industry:

1. Connect with 100 Women in Finance.

2. Listen to the podcast, Leave Your Mark.

3. Check out the following Books Recommendations: “Leave Your Mark” by Aliza Licht and “Ikigai:The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” by Hector Garcia.

Follow Pave Her Way Podcast on Instagram @paveherwaypodcast. Subscribe to Pave Her Way podcast on your favorite streaming platform on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.

Nina is a proud wife, mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and community leader whose life is deeply rooted in faith, family, and service. She is the oldest of three daughters, a role that taught her early about leadership, compassion, and perseverance. Nina’s entrepreneurial spirit was shaped by the example of her parents, who broke barriers in their own right. Her mother made history in their hometown as the first Black woman and first woman to own and operate an auto body shop, where she skillfully repaired and restored vehicles with determination and pride. Her father was a DJ, whose deep love for music inspired Nina’s own appreciation for creativity, rhythm, and connecting with people through joyful celebration.

Before stepping into public leadership, Nina spent more than twenty years in the nursing field. That same heart for service later guided her toward entrepreneurship and event design. She began her business journey humbly—selling floral arrangements, décor, and women’s clothing through roadside and tent pop-up shops for many years. She then launched into wedding coordination, event design, and planning. In 2020, Nina expanded her vision by opening SB Fashion Boutique and soon after, launched the Simply Beautiful Event Center, a vibrant venue that now hosts weddings, receptions, and community celebrations throughout the region.

Nina is a Certified Wedding and Event Planner through the Wedding Planning Institute and the CEO and Owner of Simply Beautiful Events & More, a full-service event and floral design company. In addition to her thriving business, Nina proudly serves as a school bus driver for Butler County Schools. She serves on both the Career Tech Advisory Board and the Hospitality and Culinary Arts Advisory Board, lending her leadership to career training and workforce development programs that help prepare students for success in the hospitality industry.

In August 2025, Nina Jones Bonner made history as the Mayor-Elect of Georgiana, Alabama, becoming both the first Black woman and the first woman ever to hold the position. Her leadership vision is built on unity, revitalization, and opportunity. She continues to pour her heart into every role she holds—serving God, her family, and her community with excellence, humility, and love.

You can connect with Nina Bonner on Instagram- @sbeautifuleventsandmore. Follow Nina’s 3 Tips for how to get involved in your local city:

1. Volunteer in your local community.

2. Network with people involved in local community organizations.

3. Stay updated and read local magazines and newspapers to know what’s going on in your local community.

Follow Pave Her Way Podcast on Instagram @paveherwaypodcast. Subscribe to Pave Her Way podcast on your favorite streaming platform on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.