Mary Messner
Mary Messner & Highline Creative Group LLC

Mary’s professional experiences created a canvas to explore the power of imagination, resilience, and collaboration in the workplace. Her career as a health care executive, fostered a deep appreciation for breaking down limitations and encouraging innovative solutions. Mary’s leadership roles solidified her willingness to take strategic risks and explore new frontiers in business. Her career became her case study; analyzing her process for navigation success. The result: a deep appreciation of the importance of creativity in the workplace and a framework for guiding others towards their dreams. Mary believes if we allow for the freedom to be creative, we can find paths we never thought possible.

Jason Rogers
CEO, Invary

This session will focus on the Jason is a native Kansan and the Chief Executive Officer of Invary, a cybersecurity company that ensures the security and confidentiality of critical systems by verifying their runtime integrity with NSA-licensed technology, enabling organizations to uncover hidden threats and reinforce confidence in their existing security posture. Prior to joining Invary, Jason served as the Vice President of Platform at Matterport, which included a stint as interium CISO. Jason has also successfully launched a consumer-facing IoT platform for Lowe's and developed numerous IoT and network security software products for Motorola.

Jessica Hunt
VP, Programs & Strategy, Patterson Family Foundation

As Vice President of Programs & Strategy, Jessica Hunt plays a critical role in shaping and executing the Patterson Family Foundation’s vision for thriving rural communities. She provides executive leadership for the Foundation’s program, insights, and operations teams, directing the development and implementation of its multi-million dollar grantmaking portfolio. Jessica ensures that resources are strategically deployed to address complex rural challenges, leveraging data-driven insights and cross-sector collaborations to amplify the Foundation’s ability to create meaningful and measurable impact. Jessica is a member of the Harper County Health Foundation board and the Zero KC Task Force on homelessness and a past member of the WE Kansas Women’s Economic Development Task Force. Jessica’s connection to rural communities is deeply personal - rooted in family ties and strengthened by years of listening, learning, and working alongside those who call them home.

Tina Gillespie, MBA
CEO, Harrison County Community Hospital

Tina Gillespie brings over two decades of dedicated service in healthcare as the Chief Executive Officer of Harrison County Community Hospital in rural Northwest Missouri. Her career journey began in financial services, managing her own investment firm before transitioning into healthcare finance. Tina’s thirteen-year tenure as Chief Financial Officer at HCCH laid a solid foundation, overseeing critical financial strategies that ensured the hospital’s stability and growth. Driven by a passion for holistic healthcare management, Tina briefly served as Chief of Operations, gaining invaluable insights into patient care delivery, which prepared her for her current role. As CEO for the past seven years, Tina has led HCCH with vision and resilience, expanding its capabilities with the establishment of HCCH Medical Clinic. Currently, she is spearheading the construction of a new hospital, demonstrating her commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility in rural Missouri.