Desiree Johnson serves as the Head of Strategic Talent Pipelines at DRW.  After successfully pioneering the Leadership Rotation Network (LRN) program, she enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to also oversee the Apprenticeship and Code Platoon pipelines. Desiree is honored to work alongside other DRW leaders committed to championing a purposeful culture of inclusion, firmly believing in the abundant yet often untapped potential of underrepresented populations and is energized by the work to be done in this space.

Prior to DRW, Desiree earned her Master’s Degree in Human Resources from Ohio State and spent a decade in the oil industry as an HR practitioner and global leader.  As a first-generation student herself, she actively volunteers with organizations dedicated to supporting first-generation initiatives and currently serves on the Emerging Leaders Council for Bottom Line. Desiree also enjoys travel and her fun fact is that she has visited 70+ countries thus far!

Deborah Zoerkler is a seasoned Talent Acquisition professional with over 15 years of experience in the recruitment and HR industry. Deborah holds a Masters in Administration, is SHRM-CP certified, obtained her Talent Acquisition credential and is committed to continuous learning and professional development ensuring she remains at the forefront of industry best practices and trends.

Deborah's expertise lies in strategic talent sourcing, candidate engagement, and employer branding. Her strong interpersonal skills and keen understanding of market trends enable her to build lasting relationships with both candidates and hiring managers.

Throughout her career, Deborah has been recognized for her exceptional ability to understand the unique needs of her clients, deliver customized recruitment solutions as well as developing and implementing recruitment strategies that align with organizational goals. Her dedication to her profession and her community exemplifies her holistic approach to talent acquisition and human resources.

Raiyana Bryant serves as a Human Resources Specialist at SHRM. She is dedicated to providing exceptional onboarding and orientation experiences for new employees. Transitioning from a fast-food marketing background to the corporate sector, she brought a fresh perspective and a commitment to ensuring smooth transitions for all hires. In her brief tenure in HR, she completely revamped the onboarding process, boosting its efficiency and appeal, leading to increased satisfaction and retention rates. Her dedication extends to ensuring that every new hire's transition is welcoming and seamless, regardless of background, earning her recognition as an invaluable asset in her organization. Her passion for people extends further as she expands her role in the talent acquisition space, internship programming, and overall employee engagement, fostering a positive work environment for a better workplace for all.

Jay Jones brings ten years of broad HR experience, including employee relations, performance management, training, and career development. As a senior HR Specialist at SHRM, he serves as a trusted advisor to people managers and employees throughout the employee lifecycle. He is a critical part of the Talent Management Employee Experience and broader HR team, supporting talent recruitment and retention and employee engagement solutions that enable an agile, engaged, and inclusive workplace.

Rakhi is a Professional Corporate Recruiter with 10 plus years of hands-on experience in ATS Management and Passive Sourcing. Adept at combining data-driven insights with a people-centric approach to lead successful process Improvement solutions. Demonstrated expertise across diverse industries including Consulting, Information Technology / SaaS, Healthcare, Retail, and Hospitality. Committed to enhancing operational efficiency to elevate both candidate and stakeholder experiences.

Mo Fathelbab is founder and president of International Facilitators Organization, which provides training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators and group facilitation services to businesses, organizations, and associations. Additionally, he is the founder and president of Forum Resources Network, LLC, a leading peer-to-peer learning and facilitation provider, and co-founder of Harvard Business School Alumni Forums. Mo is the author of two best-selling books, Forum: The Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders and The Friendship Advantage – 7 Keys to Building Relationships that Transform Culture and Drive Productivity. 

For nearly three decades, Mo has been at the forefront of creating and advocating peer groups and building communities. He has worked with over 20,000 CEOs and entrepreneurs in 30+ countries, delivering over 2,500 retreats, programs, and trainings to corporate clients and leading organizations, including Google, Pathstone Federal Street, Harvard Business School, SHRM, and Young Presidents’ Organization. 

In addition to being a highly sought-after forum facilitator and consultant to corporate leadership teams, Mo is a very engaging keynote speaker and emcee. He has delivered keynote addresses to large audiences, including TEDx, Conscious Capitalism, Scale Up, SOSi, and SHRM. 

Mo previously served as executive director of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (1991-1997), where he launched hundreds of CEO peer groups and grew the organization from 100 to 2,000 global members. 

Personally, Mo is dedicated to health and fitness. He loves skiing, sailing, yoga, and stand-up paddle boarding. He has completed three marathons, an Ironman, and, in 2018, placed first in USA Yoga’s Midwest regional championships for men over 50. Mo serves on the boards of Young Presidents’ Organization Washington and Baltimore Gold Chapter and Beyond CEO Coaching. Mo lives in Alexandria, VA with his much better half, Sally, and their son, Eli.