Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson is an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose accomplishments span the arenas of hospitality, sports, entertainment, the arts, education and humanitarian causes.

As CEO of Salamander Hospitality LLC, a company she founded in 2005, she oversees a growing portfolio of luxury properties including Woodlands Inn in Summerville, South Carolina, Innisbrook, a 72-hole Golf & Spa Resort in Innisbrook, Florida, and the much-anticipated Salamander Resort & Spa, currently being constructed in Middleburg, Virginia.

As Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment and President and Managing Partner of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, Johnson is the first African-American woman to have a stake in three professional sports teams including the Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Mystics (WNBA) and the Washington Capitals (NHL).

As a founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television), she pioneered modern television programming. Currently, Johnson produces films that convey a strong humanitarian message, with completed projects including "Kicking It, A Powerful Noise, She Is The Matador" and her latest film, "The Other City", about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Washington DC. In May 2011, Ms. Johnson joined the AOL Huffington Post Media Group as Strategic Advisor for Multicultural and African-American Initiatives.

In 2006, Johnson was named global ambassador for CARE, a leading aid organization fighting global poverty by empowering women. Johnson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of Parsons - The New School for Design in New York. She is also a fervent supporter of the arts and education.