Senior-Level

Heather Stefanski is the Chief Learning and Development Officer at McKinsey & Company where she is responsible for Learning & Development for 45,000+ colleagues globally.  She built McKinsey’s Talent Management capability and she is currently leading the work to pivot the firm to a skills-focused development culture.

Throughout the past 19 years at McKinsey, Heather has held a broad range of People roles, including talent acquisition, professional development, and learning.

Prior to her People roles, Heather was a McKinsey consultant serving clients on various operational topics such as procurement, product development and supply chain.  

Heather has an MBA and an MA in Education from Stanford University, and a BS in Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University. 

Dr. Benjamin Granger is Chief Workplace Psychologist and Head of EX Advisory Services at Qualtrics. He has over a decade of experience building Experience Management (XM) programs across the globe and leads EX thought leadership and research initiatives across Qualtrics and the XM Institute. His research has been featured in academic and practitioner forums, including Forbes, the Journal of Business and Psychology, the International Journal of Training & Development, the Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Ben is a certified XM Professional and earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Benjamin Granger is Chief Workplace Psychologist and Head of EX Advisory Services at Qualtrics. He has over a decade of experience building Experience Management (XM) programs across the globe and leads EX thought leadership and research initiatives across Qualtrics and the XM Institute. His research has been featured in academic and practitioner forums, including Forbes, the Journal of Business and Psychology, the International Journal of Training & Development, the Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Ben is a certified XM Professional and earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Ryan Ellis, a distinguished litigation attorney, boasts considerable expertise in state and federal employment law. Proficient in representing both employers and employees as an attorney,
Ryan's experience also spans business consulting and leading MatrixHR, a comprehensive human resources provider. Proactively assisting clients before lawsuits are filed, he effectively
mitigates risks and fosters harmonious workplace environments. With unique insights and a wealth of expertise, Ryan stands as a trusted authority in the ever-evolving realms of HR and
legal consulting. Licensed in California, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas, his reach extends across multiple jurisdictions.

April Simpkins is an HR professional with 30 years of executive-level Human Resources experience. She has worked with over 1,000 organiztions in 15 different industries helping to align people strategies with business goals. She is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at Questco, a fast-growing national company that provides HR services to small and mid-sized companies.  April, an international keynote speaker has shared her knowledge and expertise on the topics of leadership, culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and mental health.

April, a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)®, has created diversity initiatives for numerous medium- and large-size organizations.  April is also a past Diversity Director For South Carolina SHRM. In 2020 April received the Unsung Hero Award from Greenville SHRM for her exemplary leadership in DEI.  She has also received awards and honors for her business acumen including The 2020 Women In Business Achievement Award from the Charlotte Business Journal and being named one of Charlotte's 50 Most Influential Women by Mecklenburg Times.

Jonathan Fraser Light, managing attorney at LightGabler, has more than 30 years of experience in the field of employment law. He is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been named as one of Southern California's "Super Lawyers" for 15 years. Mr. Light and his team members consult with over 1,500 companies throughout California in the private and public sector on their day-to-day employment law needs. He offers employment counsel and training programs to companies of all sizes to reduce liability and protect against lawsuits.

Mr. Light frequently speaks to employer and human resources groups on topics such as avoiding sexual harassment claims, wage and hour issues, business and employment law pitfalls, diversity in the workplace, supervisor strategies, employment law updates, and preparing employee handbooks.

He is the author of the nationally acclaimed and award-winning book, The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, Second Edition, published in 2005. Mr. Light is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude in history from UCLA, and is a graduate of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Jonathan Fraser Light, managing attorney at LightGabler, has more than 30 years of experience in the field of employment law. He is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been named as one of Southern California's "Super Lawyers" for 15 years. Mr. Light and his team members consult with over 1,500 companies throughout California in the private and public sector on their day-to-day employment law needs. He offers employment counsel and training programs to companies of all sizes to reduce liability and protect against lawsuits.

Mr. Light frequently speaks to employer and human resources groups on topics such as avoiding sexual harassment claims, wage and hour issues, business and employment law pitfalls, diversity in the workplace, supervisor strategies, employment law updates, and preparing employee handbooks.

He is the author of the nationally acclaimed and award-winning book, The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, Second Edition, published in 2005. Mr. Light is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude in history from UCLA, and is a graduate of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Dr. Loren Murfield is a disruptive thinker who serves as an Executive Coach, Author, Filmmaker, and Speaker. Working with entrepreneurs and organizational leaders, he stretches their thinking to sense and seize cutting-edge opportunities. Dr. Murfield has authored over 30 books, including Pivotal Thinking, Pivotal Leadership, and Pivotal Power. He has also penned eight plays, a screenplay and produced his first movie short in 2020. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Nebraska and taught 23 undergraduate and graduate courses in Leadership and Communication.

Dr. Loren Murfield is a disruptive thinker who serves as an Executive Coach, Author, Filmmaker, and Speaker. Working with entrepreneurs and organizational leaders, he stretches their thinking to sense and seize cutting-edge opportunities. Dr. Murfield has authored over 30 books, including Pivotal Thinking, Pivotal Leadership, and Pivotal Power. He has also penned eight plays, a screenplay and produced his first movie short in 2020. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Nebraska and taught 23 undergraduate and graduate courses in Leadership and Communication.

Judge Mary A. Celeste (ret.) sat on the Denver County Court bench 2000-2015. She was the Presiding Judge 2009-10 and the co-founder of the Denver County Court Sobriety Court. She is currently a law school professor teaching Marijuana and the Law at California Western School of Law and at the Florida Gulf Coast University Fall 2023. She is considered a national content expert and speaker on the topic of cannabis and the law. She recently coordinated the successful National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium 2022. She is a former board member of the IALGBT+ Judges’ Association and member of the Judicial Advisory Board for the Foundation for the Advancement of Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR); Faculty for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Judicial College (NJC). She has also served as the past chair of ABA National Conference of Specialized Court Judges; the President of the American Judge’s Association and the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Foundation, and, as a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Judicial Outreach Liaison. She has written many articles and is a national expert and speaker on the topics of cannabis, marijuana, marijuana and drug impaired driving, drugged driving, and cannabis and specialty courts.