Pi Beta Phi's 75^th Biennial convention

Gay Gaddis is an entrepreneur, author, artist and founder of T3, an innovative marketing agency that grew into the largest woman-owned independent advertising agency in the country through Gay’s leadership for over 30 years. Through her speaking career on women’s leadership and company culture and her book “Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business & Life”, Gay focuses her always-on energy to empower the next generation of business leaders to take big leaps in their careers and lives.  

Gay recently launched Women Who Mean Business, a women’s development program that she co-teaches at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. She is also the past President and Chair of the Board of Directors of Texas Exes, the official alumni association of the University of Texas, and was recently appointed to the Governor’s Commission for Women. Gay has received numerous awards including the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Texas, 2021 Hall of Fame Award by the McCombs School of Business, the Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award, Fast Company’s Top 25 Women Business Builders, Inc. Magazine’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year and C200’s Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence. 

Intertwined with her successful career in business, Gay is also a member of the Texas Alpha Chapter and a celebrated artist. Her vibrant paintings have been shown in several prestigious galleries around the country including New York City and Santa Fe. Her latest collection "Angels and Arrows," is inspired by and dedicated to Pi Beta Phi for helping women reach their highest goals and dreams. Gay and her husband own and operate the historic Double Heart Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, home to Gay’s private art studio and gallery, Fossil Ridge. 

Gay will present her keynote address during Friday’s Opening General Session. 

Carter Webb is a Kentucky Alpha and native Louisvillian who has been performing since the age of four. She danced through childhood (including years in the Louisville Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker") and performed with competitive and all-star dance teams through college. After grad school, she continued to dance as a professional cheerleader and in modern dance companies until she discovered pole and aerial arts. This discovery changed her life and she dove head-first into training then performing, coaching and competing in circus arts. Her primary disciplines include pole, aerial pole, aerial silks/fabric, aerial rope/Spanish Web and aerial hoop/lyra. Over her career in pole and aerial arts, Carter has performed in 14 states and 5 countries, and she has accumulated 15 gold medals and 8 silver medals. This includes 6 national titles between 2021 and 2024 and two world titles in October 2024: gold in aerial silks art (and silver in aerial hoop art) at the World Aerial Arts Championships in Greece and gold in artistic aerial pole at the World Pole and Aerial Championships in Sweden.  

Carter will perform at Thursday’s Convention Kickoff at Churchill Downs.  

Pi Phi is proud to partner with Derby Diana’s—a Louisville-based, Black-owned business founded by designer Diana Heron—as an opportunity to recognize Juneteenth (June 19), which takes place during convention. Born and raised in Louisville, Diana comes from a criminal justice and paralegal studies background and currently works for a private ambulance company alongside her fascinator business.   

The idea for Derby Diana’s began after Diana attended the Kentucky Oaks in 2011 and made her own hot pink fascinator to compliment the annual breast cancer survivor theme. Her design garnered lots of interest, empowering Diana to teach herself how to make fascinators in a variety of styles and textures, eventually launching her successful business.   

With creative inspiration stemming from childhood vacations to visit family in Jamacia, Diana has since created stunning, handcrafted fascinators that have been featured in Ebony Magazine, Essence Magazine, Kentucky Tourism and on Bravo TV’s official site for Olympic gold medalist and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Sanya Richards-Ross. Looking ahead, Diana hopes to expand her brand by adding more collections and business partnerships, as well as clothes for men and children.  

We are excited to support Diana—our official milliner for convention—and celebrate local businesses like Derby Diana’s that bring creativity and craftsmanship to the community!