Leading with Purpose: Cultivating Culture and Communication

Justin Joffe is the Editorial Director and Editor-in-Chief at Ragan Communications where he oversees the editorial strategy for Ragan across brands and products. In addition to his editorial duties, Joffe also advises the programming team on best-in-class conferences, webinars and workshops during a time of unprecedented change in the way that communicators and marketers learn and meet. He is also a freelance journalist and communications writer specializing in the arts and culture, media and technology, and ad tech beats. Before joining the Ragan team, Joffe worked for Muck Rack, PR News, and The Observer. Additionally, his writing has appeared in several publications including Vulture, Newsweek, Vice, Relix, Flaunt, and many more. You can find him on X @joffaloff.

Kate Barton is the Chief Growth Officer of The Honest Company (NASDAQ: HNST). Barton is an experienced innovator, lifestyle brand builder and established CPG business operator with a strong track record of scaling omnichannel founder-built brands, elevating high-profile beauty businesses and growing classic CPG portfolios. In this role, Barton is focused on driving growth ideas that inspire the loyalty and imagination of Honest’s passionate consumers. Reporting directly to CEO Carla Vernón, Barton works alongside Honest’s executive leadership and oversees Honest’s baby, beauty, wellness, personal care and household care categories. She will also guide the company’s Honest.com, creative design and communications teams. Barton's strategic leadership experience has enabled her to grow clean, natural and lifestyle brands in beauty, food and home categories through e-commerce, physical retail and modern content channels. Prior to joining Honest in May 2023, Barton was Chief Brand Officer of Magnolia, the lifestyle company founded by Joanna and Chip Gaines. Barton also has deep experience in beauty and skincare from her time at Estée Lauder’s Aveda brand, where she was responsible for driving year-over-year share growth across North American B2B and B2C channels. Prior to her leadership of Aveda, Barton was at Johnson & Johnson, where she managed global campaigns for Clean & Clear and led Neutrogena’s global anti-aging innovation pipeline. She also worked on many leading food brands at General Mills including leadership of the Nature Valley business where she accelerated sales to nearly 15% year-over-year. Barton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Baylor University, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.