Bianca Crawford Shelton is an entrepreneur, strategist and educator with nearly 20 years of experience in public relations, marketing, strategic communications, and brand development. In 2007, she founded The Crawford Austin Agency, a minority-owned, all-female public relations and marketing firm rooted in inclusivity, cultural relevance, and purposeful storytelling. The agency partners with clients across entertainment, sports, nonprofit, government, and media sectors to build authentic, impactful brands that shape culture and prioritize social responsibility.

Alongside her agency work, Shelton has remained deeply committed to education and mentorship. From 2013 to 2022, she taught in the Department of Mass Communications at Claflin University, leading courses in public relations, entrepreneurship, and advertising. Her impact extended beyond the classroom — earning multiple teaching awards, including being named the 2020 South Carolina Public Relations Society of America (SCPRSA) Educator of the Year, serving as a Fellow at the Scripps Howard Journalism Entrepreneurship Institute, founding the university’s Student Public Relations Society of America (SCPRSSA) chapter, and supporting student success as the department’s Learning Communities Coordinator.

In 2018, Shelton expanded her impact by launching Branding with Bianca, a conference and workshop platform designed to educate and equip entrepreneurs and small business owners. Through annual workshops and convenings, she addresses real-time challenges facing founders, creatives, and executives, with a focus on visibility, strategy, and sustainable growth.

Shelton is also a co-founder of Next Level Partners, a strategic advisory firm focused on athlete brand building, media positioning, and long-term career strategy. Through Next Level Partners, she works at the intersection of sports, business, and culture, helping athletes, executives, and high-profile talent translate visibility into equity, opportunity, and lasting influence beyond a single moment or season.

Judi Gatson is co-anchor of WIS News at 5 and WIS News at 6. Under her leadership, WIS has won multiple Emmys for outstanding newscast.

Gatson has been honored as Anchor of the Year by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, Military Advocate of the Year by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Reporter of the Year by the National Alliance on Mental Health, South Carolina (NAMISC) and celebrated as a trailblazer on the South Carolina African American History Calendar.

Since joining WIS News in November of 1995, Gatson has anchored live coverage on many of the biggest stories around the state.

As an award-winning journalist, Gatson has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in covering critical issues ranging from education to health disparities and civil rights.

Gatson is also known for her smart and insightful political coverage. She received international praise for her skillful performance as moderator of the 2020 U. S. Senate debate between incumbent Lindsey Graham and challenger Jaime Harrison. In addition to moderating a number of gubernatorial and mayoral debates, Judi has conducted numerous in-depth interviews with influential politicians and newsmakers.

One of Gatson’s proudest moments in her accomplished career involved anchoring and producing an award-winning documentary on the Confederate Flag, which explored the controversy and eventual compromise reached to remove the flag from the South Carolina State House dome.

In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gatson helped launch, produce and anchor “WIS Today” which replaced NBC’s “Third Hour of Today” after Covid concerns forced the network to put that program on hiatus. Gatson and her team highlighted how the pandemic affected South Carolina, profiled heroic first responders and connected viewers to critical resources that helped them navigate unprecedented challenges. “WIS Today” also featured uplifting and inspirational stories that reminded viewers of our strength and resilience as a community.

Gatson has earned multiple awards from Columbia Metropolitan Magazine and the Free Times for being named Anchor of the Year. She’s also been honored as a Champion for Children by Healthy Learners, Outstanding Professional in Support of Philanthropy by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Carolina Chapter and Anchor of the Year by radio station KISS 103.1FM.

As an in-demand emcee, keynote and motivational speaker at schools, churches and conferences, Gatson delivers powerful messages about overcoming challenges, using faith to triumph in times of trouble and tapping into your personal power to find your purpose.

Gatson also has a heart for service and devotes much of her community involvement to working with organizations that benefit youth and families. She is Honoree Co-chair for the United Way of the Midlands’ Campaign for Good, served as Chair of the 2025 Ripples of Hope Luncheon benefitting City Year and has been an active board member with Homeless No More for more than five years. Over the years, Gatson has been honored to also serve on the boards of Healthy Learners, the Palmetto Health South Carolina Cancer Center, Palmetto Center for Women and United Way's Palmetto Society.

Gatson is married to Dr. Dwayne H. Gatson who retired as a Lt. Colonel after serving 22 years in the United States Army and has established a reputation as a visionary leader in education. She and Dwayne share the blessing of two sons, Aidan Kash and Nicholas Jax.

An Emmy Award-winning journalist, Jemele Hill is the co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. With a career spanning over two decades, Hill has made an indelible mark on journalism, broadcasting, and podcasting while using her platform to address critical issues at the intersection of sports, politics, and culture.

On October 25, 2022, Hill released her memoir, UPHILL: A Memoir, published by Henry Holt and Company. In this deeply personal and provocative work, Hill shares her tumultuous childhood, complex family dynamics, and the life-saving journey that led her to journalism. Since 2018, she has been a contributing writer for The Atlantic, covering topics related to race, gender, culture, and politics.

In April 2019, Hill debuted Jemele Hill is Unbothered on Spotify, a two-time Webby Award-winning podcast featuring thought-provoking interviews with prominent figures across entertainment, culture, music, and politics. The podcast explores topical and controversial issues with Hill’s trademark humor and candor. Notable guests have included Vice President Kamala Harris, Ava DuVernay, Ice Cube, Gabrielle Union, and Stephen Colbert. In 2022, the podcast won two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Podcast in the Arts and Entertainment and Society and Culture categories. Hill expanded her podcasting repertoire with The Wire: Way Down in the Hole, co-hosted with Van Lathan, which premiered on April 15, 2020. The series dives deep into the iconic HBO show The Wire, breaking down episodes, key moments, and characters. In October 2024, Hill launched another groundbreaking podcast, Spolitics. The weekly series blends sports and politics, delving into race, gender, sexuality, and social issues with Hill’s unique insight and unapologetic style. On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Jill debuted a limited series television show called Above the Fold with Jemele Hill on TruTV. The weekly sports magazine series focused on a comprehensive and engaging exploration of diverse stories inside the sports world.

In 2020, Hill teamed up with longtime friend and former ESPN anchor Cari Champion to create Cari & Jemele: Won’t Stick to Sports, a late-night Vice Network show tackling politics, sports, pop culture, and current events. Hill also serves as executive producer for Colin Kaepernick’s ESPN documentary, directed by Spike Lee, and is developing a comedy series with Gabrielle Union.

Hill’s journalism career began at the Raleigh News & Observer in 1997, followed by roles at the Detroit Free Press and the Orlando Sentinel, where she became the only African American female sports columnist in North America. She joined ESPN in 2006, contributing to digital and broadcast platforms, including SportsCenter, First Take, and Outside the Lines. Hill co-anchored the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter with Michael Smith in 2017 before transitioning to a senior columnist role at The Undefeated, ESPN’s platform dedicated to race, sports, and culture.

Hill’s accolades include the 2018 Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. In July 2016, she participated in the Emmy Award-winning town hall The President and the People: A National Conversation, featuring President Barack Obama. A Detroit native, Hill graduated from Michigan State University in 1997 with a journalism degree. In 2019, she married Ian Wallace.

LaChina Robinson is an award-winning sports broadcaster, author, and founder of The Rise with LaChina, a personal development platform empowering women to step into purpose, confidence, and bold leadership. With over two decades in sports media, Robinson is best known as a prominent women’s basketball analyst and host on ESPN, where she has covered the WNBA, NCAA Women’s Basketball, the Final Four, and major basketball events across national platforms.

A former collegiate standout at Wake Forest University, Robinson brings deep experience as both a player and commentator. Her media career spans coverage on ESPN, NBC, Fox Sports, and SiriusXM, and includes hosting the celebrated “Around the Rim” series and engaging conversations on the Huuuge Fan podcast.

Robinson is a passionate advocate for representation and mentorship. She co-founded Rising Media Stars, a mentorship and training program dedicated to helping women of color break into sports broadcasting and media careers. Her contributions to the sport have been honored with the Dawn Staley Excellence in Broadcasting Award and the Mel Greenberg Media Award, among others.

Through The Rise with LaChina, she inspires women to rewrite the rules of success, cultivate resilience, and rise with purpose in every season of life—a mission rooted in her own journey of growth, grit, and leadership

Charece Williams is an award-winning sports and entertainment marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience building iconic brands, architecting culture-shaping partnerships, and driving business growth at the intersection of sports, media, and society.
Throughout her career, Williams has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most influential companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Under Armour, Disney, and Wasserman. In these roles, she led high-impact partnerships, sponsorships, and brand platforms across the NBA, WNBA, college athletics, and global sports properties.

Williams is widely recognized for pioneering work in women’s sports and athlete marketing. She helped unlock major endorsement opportunities for WNBA athletes, including landmark partnerships with A’ja Wilson, Aaliyah Boston (NIL) and Kelsey Plum. She led Under Armour’s groundbreaking NIL strategy by signing the entire South Carolina Women’s Basketball team to one of the first team-wide NIL licensing deals in college sports history, creating the now-iconic South Carolina Shirzees — redefining how brands engage athletes in the modern era. She is also known for reinventing the NBA 3-Point Contest experience through the creation of the Mountain Dew Zone (now Starry Shot), setting a new standard for culture-forward, fan-centric activation.

Today, Williams is the founder of Inside the Huddle, where she serves as a strategic advisor and fractional CMO to brands, universities, athletic departments, and sports organizations navigating growth, transformation, and disruption. She is also the co-founder of Next Level Partners, a consultancy focused on athlete branding, communications, and career readiness.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Williams is known for translating complex industry shifts — including NIL, the rapid growth of women’s sports, and the evolving economics of fandom — into clear, actionable insight. She is the host of the podcast How the Business Is Played, which explores the business behind sports, and serves on several advisory boards, including the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida.

Williams holds an MBA and a Master’s degree in Sports Business Management from the University of Central Florida, where she was inducted into the UCF College of Business Hall of Fame, and earned a B.S. in Business Management from North Carolina State University, where she was a two-time captain and MVP of the women’s volleyball team. She brings a distinct combination of athlete perspective, brand-building expertise, and executive leadership to every room she enters.