Organization (Technical)

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.

Amy E. Hull, M.Ed. is the First Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Paycor, Inc. She brings authenticity to the forefront of leadership, action, and learning in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Hull is a corporate leader turning DE&I strategy into actionable results. Recently featured as the cover of the July, 2022 issue of HR Future Magazine, her work is helping people learn how to internalize the work of DE&I to achieve systemic change for sustainable inclusion and belonging for all. After just one year of work, her leadership guided her company in obtaining the 2021 Top Workplace DE&I Practices Award.

Kim Crowder, Founder & CEO of Kim Crowder Consulting, is one of the country’s leading Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Speakers, Coaches, Trainers, and Consultants. 

Kim and her team work across industries serving global organizations. From Adobe to Smugmug, the American Library Association, HarperCollins Publishers, and more, Kim and her team provide leaders and companies actionable tools to move initiatives forward long term.

Kim has been named by Forbes as a “Top Anti-Racism Educators Companies Need Now,” A Top 10 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Expert by All American, and Top Influential African-American Business Women To Follow by LinkedIn. She is also a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel and For(bes) The Culture.

She has been featured by The New York Times, Business Insider, Cheddar News, CBS, NBC, FOX, Katie Couric Media, regularly by Forbes, on Hubspot’s podcast, The Growth Show, Workology, and As Told By Nomads.

Jason R Thompson is a successful author, speaker, and experienced diversity officer that has developed and led award-winning diversity programs in multiple industries including the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Jason is known for his practical and outcome-based approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Jason’s book, Diversity and Inclusion Matters: Tactics and Tools to Inspire Equity and Game-Changing Performance, is a handbook for HR executives, CEOs and DE&I professionals that provides Jason’s clear blueprint and tools for a successful DE&I program.  Jason is the co-founder of CAPE Inclusion, a minority-owned DE&I software solutions company.

Sherika Ekpo brings 20 years of strategic leadership, human capital, talent management and professional development experience to the interim Chief People Officer role at Anaplan, where she leads the company’s global culture, people, and communications teams. She is focused on building an innovative employee experience and culture of belonging that empowers people to contribute their best selves at work. Sherika joined Anaplan as the company’s first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Previously, she was the Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead for the Research and Artificial Intelligence teams at Google. She received her MBA from the University of Maryland and her bachelor’s degree from Howard University.

Joy Chen, CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute, is a trailblazer in global leadership development. A former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles and executive recruiter with Heidrick & Struggles, she brings unique cultural insights to modern leaders.

Joy’s pivot to leadership development was serendipitous, fueled by her blog's viral success in China, establishing her as founder of global training organizations that have served millions. Joy's contributions to global cross-cultural leadership have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, CNN and Vogue China.

Join Joy to hone your ability to excel in a world rich with possibilities.

Nicole is an award-winning social entrepreneur. As a 2018 People’s Liberty Haile Fellow, she founded Ellequate—a leading data-informed employer certification and cohort-based leadership program for workplace equity. For over a decade she developed design and brand strategy for mission-driven organizations around the globe. Before founding her company, she practiced social innovation, applying the principles of human-centered design to complex challenges alongside those most impacted by inequity. Nicole holds a BS in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati and an MA from Suffolk University. She is a member of the Cincinnati Business Courier's Forty Under 40 Class of 2020.

Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V) is CEO of Mattingly Solutions, a woman-owned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm that uses data and science to improve the human experience at work. She is a professional speaker, adjunct professor, DEI practitioner, and co-author of the globally-acclaimed book, Inclusalytics: How DEI Leaders Use Data to Drive their Work. Dr. V helps her clients take a more data-driven approach to their DEI efforts by helping them better measure and track DEI outcomes. She earned her PhD in organizational psychology, specializing in inclusive behaviors and workplace allyship.

Malcom Glenn is a speaker, writer, and equity advocate. He’s the Founder of MG Equity Consulting, an advisory firm that helps organizations embed equity in everything they do, inside and out. He’s also a Fellow at New America’s Future of Land and Housing program, and a senior equity advisor to the Health Action Alliance.

Malcom was previously the Head of Global Policy for Accessibility and Underserved Communities at Uber, and before that, an executive communications manager at Google. He’s held various roles managing campaigns related to education reform, marriage equality, workforce inclusion, and more. Learn more about Malcom at www.malcomglenn.com.