Speakers 2027
The education opportunities at Cater+Event feature presentations from more than 100 industry luminaries who have been there, done that, and are armed with content that’s trendy, thought-provoking, and always influential.
Ekima Smith, CEO/Founder, EDCAC
Ekima Smith, has had a remarkable career across the Banking, Retail and Insurance Sector. She has contributed significantly to finance and accounting operations for CITI Group, LBrands (the former parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works), and Nationwide Insurance. Her expertise spans areas such as earnings preparation, enterprise capital forecast, Profit & Loss modeling, procurement & sourcing, supplier relationship management, and departmental budgets. While her career has spanned across the corporate sector, Ekima has always had a passion for event planning and design. She turned her passion into a portfolio of successful event centric businesses, The Five Collective, which consist of, The Five Party & Event Center, The Five Props & Rentals and EDCAC (Event Designers & Creative Accelerator Consultants) providing a full-service event experience from event design and venue management to industry education. Ekima is currently a Board Member for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Central Ohio African American Chamber of Commerce (COAACC). She also previously served on the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and the Certification Committee of the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council.