Senior-Level

John Austin is the P.D. Merrill Endowed Chair and Dean of the newly formed Honors College at University of New England. He also works with organizations around the world to improve the foresight skills of their leaders and future proof strategies and initiatives. Dr. Austin holds a BA in economics from The Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in management from Boston College. He is the author of Unquestioned Brilliance: Navigating a Fundamental Leadership Trap and Leading Effective Change: A Primer for the HR Professional published as part of the SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series. 

Michael Dickerson is the CEO and Founder of Dickerson Consulting Group LLC, a human resource consulting firm specializing in stress management, workplace mental health and employee wellbeing. He worked 13+ years as a mental health professional. Michael holds a certificate in Applied Positive Psychology from the Flourishing Center in New York. His ultimate mission? To help leaders create a culture of wellbeing — so employees can uncover their strengths, find meaning, and flourish at work. He is the author of a new book “Struggle Well at Work: Positive Mental Health Strategies for a Flourishing Workforce.”

Michael Dickerson is the CEO and Founder of Dickerson Consulting Group LLC, a human resource consulting firm specializing in stress management, workplace mental health and employee wellbeing. He worked 13+ years as a mental health professional. Michael holds a certificate in Applied Positive Psychology from the Flourishing Center in New York. His ultimate mission? To help leaders create a culture of wellbeing — so employees can uncover their strengths, find meaning, and flourish at work. He is the author of a new book “Struggle Well at Work: Positive Mental Health Strategies for a Flourishing Workforce.”

Jasmine Aquino has been driving learning and development for over a decade. She coaches individuals in action planning and career development to help them realize potential and achieve their goals, as well as redesigns organizational programs and launches strategic initiatives that focus on improving employee performance and retaining talent.  Her passion is influencing positive action-oriented change by increasing education, empowerment, and engagement.  Jasmine earned her MBA from University of Central Arkansas, and she holds multiple certifications in human resources (SHRM-SCP), project management (PMP), coaching (CPC), talent development (CPTD), and change management (CCMP).

International Speaker and Violinist Diane Allen is a TEDx/TED Speaker, and Thought Leader who speaks on increasing the meaning, joy and fulfillment in one's work and life by accessing the flow state. It was her unique approach to getting into flow, on demand, that landed her a spot on the TEDxNaperville stage as well as features on TED, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX. Today, Diane is known for her experiential Keynotes, Training and Coaching programs that go Beyond Engagement™ featuring her three-step Flow Strategy™ system empowering people to get into their flow state, be in their genius, and love their job.

International Speaker and Violinist Diane Allen is a TEDx/TED Speaker, and Thought Leader who speaks on increasing the meaning, joy and fulfillment in one's work and life by accessing the flow state. It was her unique approach to getting into flow, on demand, that landed her a spot on the TEDxNaperville stage as well as features on TED, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX. Today, Diane is known for her experiential Keynotes, Training and Coaching programs that go Beyond Engagement™ featuring her three-step Flow Strategy™ system empowering people to get into their flow state, be in their genius, and love their job.

Wellington O. Hepburn is a Senior Human Resources Leader with 24 years of business experience. Mr. Hepburn is the President of Wellington Hepburn International (WHI), which is an international talent management advisory company focused on training and development, talent acquisition, employee development, organizational development, leadership development, succession planning and career pathing. WHI has provided talent management solutions in numerous countries worldwide, some of which include The US, Canada, The Bahamas, Malaysia, Spain, Africa, Turks and Caicos, Europe, The British Virgin Islands and Jamaica.

Mr. Hepburn has earned over twenty awards for his leadership, communication and Human Resources expertise. Wellington is also a Past President of The Bahamas Society for Human Resources Management, a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and a two-time book author.

Wellington is married to his beautiful wife Rose, and they have three children: Sienna, Myles and Caleb.

Joe Grasso, PhD, is the Vice President of Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health and a clinical psychologist by training. At Lyra, he oversees Lyra's product suite for supporting workplace mental health and he leads a team of experts who consult with employers on their management practices, corporate policies, and learning and development programs. Dr. Grasso has been interviewed by national media outlets including CNN, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, and Washington Post for his perspective on workforce mental health topics. Prior to joining Lyra, Dr. Grasso managed the implementation of a national training program for the US Department of Veterans Affairs, where he also led quality improvement initiatives and conducted health services research. His peer-reviewed research spans topics including integrated health care, psychotherapy outcomes, and the intersection of social identities and mental health.

Keegan Fonte, Director of Product Marketing at PrimePay is deeply interested in the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and how these fields are shaping the Human Capital Management Industry. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, he has recently focused on global software and technology. In the past, he has contributed to marketing efforts at Paychex, Sage People and ADP.

Chaitanya Peddi is the co-founder of Darwinbox. Rated highest globally on Gartner Peer Insights, Darwinbox is used by 900+ growing businesses and enterprises to manage their end-to-end HR needs.

As a subject matter expert in both HR and technology, Chaitanya's experience as an HR consultant has equipped him to understand the specific needs of the HR tech market. This has enabled him to build a world-class product that not only automates and simplifies HR processes but also empowers HR to be a strategic, game-changing function.

Chaitanya strongly believes the HR function can be a source of great competitive advantage for an organization. And also, that this underlying potential can be optimally harnessed through technology.