Interpersonal (Behavioral)

Ashley T. Brundage is the President and CEO of Empowering Differences. While seeking employment at PNC Bank in the United States, she identified openly during the interview process as a woman of transgender experiance and subsequently was hired after facing years of harassment, discrimination, and homelessness. These factors led her to start her second career as a means of survival while doing research on empowerment & differences. She took a role in the bank as a part time teller and then rose to national Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion in less than 5 years. She captured her research as a 4-Step process of empowerment to cultivate change in her new book and online leadership course. Ashley credits her success to those closest to her for providing actionable allyship including her 2 teenage sons, Bryce and Blake. She also volunteers her time serving numerous nonprofit organizations including serving as the vice chair for the national board of directors for GLAAD who works to accelerate acceptance across all forms of media for the LGBTQ+ community.

At a time of high work stress, declining mental health and burnout, Woodrie is on a mission to strengthen teams, drive better outcomes and offer hope. An award-winning thought leader, author, Forbes Coaches Council Member and TEDx speaker, Woodrie’s known for her proprietary approach to setting boundaries and building sustainable strategies in fast-paced and high-demand environments. She brings 20+ years of senior leadership and change management expertise working with Fortune 500 companies on global tech projects and billion-dollar merger & acquisition work. She’s won Stevie Awards for her Achievements in Thought Leadership and as Female Thought Leader of the Year.

Dick Finnegan is THE global turnover expert, having cut turnover by 30% and more for healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, distribution centers, call centers, and other industries…and on all six inhabited continents.

Dick has authored the top-selling SHRM-published book, The Power of Stay Interviews, along with four other books. BusinessWeek magazine has said “Finnegan offers fresh thinking for solving the turnover problem in any economy”. He has been similarly cited by Forbes, Chief Executive Magazine, and Consulting Magazine.

He holds bachelors and graduate degrees from The Pennsylvania State University and lives in Orlando, Florida.

Shannon Taylor, a Global Talent Acquisition leader with over 16 years of experience in the Human Resources. Shannon's current role as the Director of Talent Acquisition at JCPenney puts him at the helm of the company's talent acquisition strategy, operations, and processes, making him a crucial contributor to the company's success.

Shannon’s extensive talent acquisition experience includes working for industry leaders such as Hard Rock International, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Republic Services. Shannon has a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and has a SHRM -CP Certification.

Justin Fronberg, a strategic talent leader with over 14 years of experience in highly matrixed, growth-orientated environments. Justin is a dedicated and results-driven leader known for his commitment to servant leadership principles. With a passion for empowering others and fostering collaboration, Justin excels in creating inclusive and high-performing teams.

Justin is the Executive Director of Talent Acquisition for MGM Resorts International and is responsible for developing and leading the strategy and operation of the recruiting function for all Las Vegas Properties, Corporate, Technology, Executive Recruiting, and Sourcing. He leads a team of recruiters to support the overall organizational goals and objectives for attracting talent while ensuring the candidate and hiring manager experience are delivered seamlessly.

During his time with MGM Resorts International he has supported the organization through its growth and development to become the leading entertainment company globally. More recently he has led the Talent Acquisition team through a transformation to become an agile and flexible recruiting model to align with the organizations growth and changing environment post pandemic.

Christopher “CJ” Gross is the author of the best-selling book What's Your Zip Code Story? Understanding and Overcoming Class Bias in the Workplace and the highly acclaimed Harvard Business Review article, A Better Approach to Mentorship. He is a TEDx Speaker and founder of Ascension Worldwide, a firm dedicated to DEI and cultural transformation consulting based in the Washington, D.C. area. CJ has 20-years of experience as an international organizational development consultant specializing in leadership development, and DEI transformation. CJ is a certified Social + Emotional Intelligence coach, trainer, Keirsey Temperament professional, and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Administrator.

Michael Bach is a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader and subject matter expert in the fields of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA). He has worked globally in the IDEA field, including as the Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for KPMG International. He is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), CCDI Consulting and Pride at Work Canada.

He is the author of the best-selling and award-winning books Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work.

Christopher “CJ” Gross is the author of the best-selling book What's Your Zip Code Story? Understanding and Overcoming Class Bias in the Workplace and the highly acclaimed Harvard Business Review article, A Better Approach to Mentorship. He is a TEDx Speaker and founder of Ascension Worldwide, a firm dedicated to DEI and cultural transformation consulting based in the Washington, D.C. area. CJ has 20-years of experience as an international organizational development consultant specializing in leadership development, and DEI transformation. CJ is a certified Social + Emotional Intelligence coach, trainer, Keirsey Temperament professional, and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Administrator.

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group.  Michael concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country on subjects including harassment prevention; diversity, equity and inclusion; combatting implicit bias; performance management; discipline and discharge; hiring and recruiting practices; performance evaluations; FMLA, ADA and FLSA compliance; leave of absence policies; LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace; substance abuse testing; workplace violence; records retention; conducting background checks; and more. Michael also has conducted investigations into claims of harassment and discrimination and has drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, non-compete agreements and post-termination agreements. Michael regularly conducts in excess of 200 trainings each year.  He has represented clients throughout the country in EEO and other administrative proceedings.

Michael has been cited as a national authority on employment issues by The New York Times, The Associated Press, USA Today, MSNBC.com, HR Magazine, SHRM On-Line, Employment Law 360, Inside Counsel Magazine, as well as many other publications. Michael serves as an Advisory Board Member of GenHERation and as a Board Member of Serve, Inc. Michael is a 1997 magna cum laude graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law and a cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Alexandra (Alex) Suchman is CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, a company that uses games and play to build stronger workplace cultures. She’s a woman on a mission to make work a place you actually want to be, and by facilitating game sessions for Barometer’s clients, she helps individuals and teams build a sense of trust and community that leads to meaningful, sustainable culture change.

Before co-founding Barometer XP, Alex founded the consulting firm AIS Collaborations as well as working for over a decade in policy, public health, and operations management. She has an MPP from The George Washington University, a BA in psychology from Colby College, and is certified as both a Project Management Professional (PMP) and DISC coach.

Alex currently lives in Washington, DC with her partner and their dog, who thinks that any “play” she’s involved in should definitely include her.

Robert Bogue has led change projects for three decades. As a recovering technologist, he’s changed the way people work as he changed the technology. He’s the author of 28 books and has been a Microsoft MVP for 20 years. His work has transformed corporations, government, and quasi-government organizations. It’s not about the technology, but he leverages his strength in technology and human systems to create change that is sustainable and transformative for organizations of all sizes and shapes.