Howard J. Ross
partner
Udarta Consulting
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Howard Ross is lifelong social justice advocate, and is considered one of the world’s seminal thought leaders on identifying and addressing unconscious bias.  Howard has delivered programs in 47 states and over 40 other countries to audiences including Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities, and major institutions within healthcare, government, and non-profit sectors. He authored the Washington Post best seller, Everyday Bias:  Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives, ReInventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to Strengthen People, Purpose and Performance. His latest  book, Our Search for Belonging: How the Need for Connection Is Tearing Our Culture Apart, published by Berrett-Koehler in 2018, received the Nautilus Gold Medal for Social Change and Social Justice. His next book, Building Belonging: 9 Pathways to Creating Inclusive and Joyful Organizational Communities, will be published in 2020.

 

SESSIONS:
Minjon Tholen
senior consultant
Cook Ross Inc
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Minjon Tholen is a Consultant and Training & Development Lead at Cook Ross Inc. She has over a decade of experience in facilitation & curriculum design, and specializes in creating and facilitating trainings on diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias, leadership development, and cultural competency. Minjon has developed and led workshops for corporations, educational institutions, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and other clients in the US and around the world. Her clients include EMC-EMEA, the Royal Bank of Canada, T. Rowe Price, Bank of America, Genentech-Roche, Johnson & Johnson, Mitre Corporation, USDA, Kellogg’s, Tata Communications, George Washington University, Community Health Network of Connecticut, the Roosevelt Institute, and the Human Rights Campaign. Minjon has been a speaker at a number of conferences, such as the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles annual event, SHRM Diversity & Inclusion Conference, and Linkage Institute for Leading Diversity & Inclusion. She also served as an international witness at the first European diversity conference dedicated to addressing racial and ethnic differences in the European Diversity & Inclusion space. Minjon’s other responsibilities at Cook Ross include the onboarding and learning & development programming for consultants, delivering Train-the-Trainers, curriculum design, and managing the pro-bono and charitable giving initiative of the organization. Born in Sri Lanka, raised in the Netherlands, and further educated in the United States, Minjon graduated cum laude from the University of Utrecht for her Bachelor’s degree, and holds a Master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining Cook Ross, Minjon was a New Leader at the Center for Progressive Leadership and the National Council of Women’s Organizations. She has also worked at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington D.C., and served as a Pipeline Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute in New York.

SESSIONS:
Michael Miller
motivational speaker
FUN Enterprises, Inc.
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Michael is “the happiest person he knows!” That said – Michael has a unique take on life given his experiences growing up in The Bronx, New York City. The son of a brave New York City Policeman and fabulous Italian-American mother, Michael finds being direct and honest easier than most – allowing him to mix humor and passion in a way that makes him memorable and motivational!

Expect no soft soaking – rather, Michael gets you motivated in this arena by telling it like it is and by insisting that you consider new ways to “get it done.” Done humorously, his employers and clients repeatedly claim that his manner really gets people to listen and motivates to make positive changes.

Michael has been working at hundreds of college campuses across the US for 10+ years.  He brings a positive attitude, a multitude of experience and humor to all of his programs.  As a former Student Affairs professional, he is in touch with the needs of college campuses today.

After reading this, you might like to meet Michael – consider this session as your first introduction.

SESSIONS:
Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - 8:00am to 9:15am
Sarah Morgan
sign language intepreter
National Reconnaissance Office
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Sarah began working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing people while she was still a college student in the year 2000. Upon her 2001 graduation she earned her national certification as a Sign Language Interpreter and became a staff Interpreter for the National Institute of Technology for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, NY. In 2006 Sarah earned her graduate degree in Service Management and Leadership from the Rochester Institute of Technology and transitioned to working in the, then brand-new, arena of Video Relay Service interpreting, where she became a team lead for Snap! VRS. In 2011, Sarah joined the Central Intelligence Agency’s EEO office as a staff Sign Language Interpreter, and transitioned to the National Reconnaissance Office as a Reasonable Accommodations Specialist in 2013. She is passionate about bringing education to the workplace about working with Sign Language Interpreters and the Deaf/Hard of Hearing population.

SESSIONS:
Sarah Morgan
sign language intepreter
National Reconnaissance Office
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Sarah began working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing people while she was still a college student in the year 2000. Upon her 2001 graduation she earned her national certification as a Sign Language Interpreter and became a staff Interpreter for the National Institute of Technology for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, NY. In 2006 Sarah earned her graduate degree in Service Management and Leadership from the Rochester Institute of Technology and transitioned to working in the, then brand-new, arena of Video Relay Service interpreting, where she became a team lead for Snap! VRS. In 2011, Sarah joined the Central Intelligence Agency’s EEO office as a staff Sign Language Interpreter, and transitioned to the National Reconnaissance Office as a Reasonable Accommodations Specialist in 2013. She is passionate about bringing education to the workplace about working with Sign Language Interpreters and the Deaf/Hard of Hearing population.

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 3:15pm to 4:30pm
Nikki Cicerani
president and CEO
Upwardly Global
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Nikki Cicerani became president & CEO of Upwardly Global in April 2009 after serving as founding managing director of the organization’s New York Office. During her tenure as CEO, the organization expanded from two major metropolitan areas to five, launched online, virtual services and elevated its mission from a local program to a national conversation around skilled immigrants’ value to the United States. Upwardly Global's services now reach thousands of underserved immigrants and refugees across the country, who are increasingly being recognized as a valued community asset at the city and state level.

 

Today, Nikki leads the organization’s efforts to scale its impact by advocating for inclusion of skilled immigrants in federal, state, and local workforce policy, as well as full integration of this population into corporate recruiting and diversity programs. Nikki believes in building strong national and community partnerships that support the awareness and resources available to this often invisible and overlooked talent pool.

 

Nikki is a founding member and serves on the steering committee of IMPRINT, a coalition of organizations working to promote and implement best practices in the integration of immigrant professionals. She has advised the White House Domestic Policy Council on the economic integration of foreign-trained professionals. She has also served as an expert panelist at national and international forums on migration, including the 2010 Cities of Migration Conference, 2014 Global Great Lakes Conference, and the 2011 and 2013 Clinton Global Initiative meetings on the U.S. economic recovery.

Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Nikki worked in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. She was an associate in Morgan Stanley's Private Wealth Management Practice, and spent several years with Ernst & Young in the Economics Consulting Practice, as well as in the Office of the Chairman where she focused on evaluating the success of integration strategies for advancing women to the Partner level. Nikki proudly initiated and led the creation and implementation of the first network for women of color at the firm. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she was president of Columbia Women in Business, and a bachelor’s degree in Policy Analysis from Cornell University.

Nikki lives in Millburn, New Jersey with her husband and two children.

SESSIONS:
Nikki Cicerani
president and CEO
Upwardly Global
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Nikki Cicerani became president & CEO of Upwardly Global in April 2009 after serving as founding managing director of the organization’s New York Office. During her tenure as CEO, the organization expanded from two major metropolitan areas to five, launched online, virtual services and elevated its mission from a local program to a national conversation around skilled immigrants’ value to the United States. Upwardly Global's services now reach thousands of underserved immigrants and refugees across the country, who are increasingly being recognized as a valued community asset at the city and state level.

 

Today, Nikki leads the organization’s efforts to scale its impact by advocating for inclusion of skilled immigrants in federal, state, and local workforce policy, as well as full integration of this population into corporate recruiting and diversity programs. Nikki believes in building strong national and community partnerships that support the awareness and resources available to this often invisible and overlooked talent pool.

 

Nikki is a founding member and serves on the steering committee of IMPRINT, a coalition of organizations working to promote and implement best practices in the integration of immigrant professionals. She has advised the White House Domestic Policy Council on the economic integration of foreign-trained professionals. She has also served as an expert panelist at national and international forums on migration, including the 2010 Cities of Migration Conference, 2014 Global Great Lakes Conference, and the 2011 and 2013 Clinton Global Initiative meetings on the U.S. economic recovery.

Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Nikki worked in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. She was an associate in Morgan Stanley's Private Wealth Management Practice, and spent several years with Ernst & Young in the Economics Consulting Practice, as well as in the Office of the Chairman where she focused on evaluating the success of integration strategies for advancing women to the Partner level. Nikki proudly initiated and led the creation and implementation of the first network for women of color at the firm. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she was president of Columbia Women in Business, and a bachelor’s degree in Policy Analysis from Cornell University.

Nikki lives in Millburn, New Jersey with her husband and two children.

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 3:15pm to 4:30pm
Shirley Davis, SHRM-SCP
President and CEO
SDS Global Enterprises, Inc.
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Dr. Shirley Davis, CSP, President of SDS Global Enterprises, a global workforce solutions firm, is an award-winning Human Resources expert, with over 30 years of business experience in a variety of senior executive roles for several Fortune 100 companies, as well as her last role of Vice President of Global Diversity and Inclusion for the Society for Human Resource Management. She’s also a best-selling author of 5 books, serves on the National Speakers Association and the NSA Foundation Boards, and the Make A Wish Foundation Board. She is a popular facilitator for eight LinkedIn Learning leadership courses.

 

 

SESSIONS:
Grace A. Odums
strategy consultant
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Grace A. Odums, an independent strategy consultant, has a growing consultancy spanning over fifteen years.  Her impressive client list boasts Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500 companies including: Disney ABC Media NetWorks, Waste Management (PA/WVA Area), Fairmount Southampton Resorts, Chevron-Phillips, Siemens Medical Solutions, Wells Fargo Bank.  

A much sought after international speaker, Grace welcomes the opportunity to partner with organizations and professionals in the areas of management coaching, revenue recapture, change leadership, optimum customer care, talent performance enhancement, productivity improvement, increased efficiencies, balanced scorecard architecture, and diversity strategy creation with diversity scorecard and strategy map development and system-wide implementation.

SESSIONS:
Mark Schmit, SHRM-SCP
executive director
SHRM Foundation
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Mark J. Schmit, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, is the Executive Director for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation. In this capacity he leads the Foundation’s efforts to advance the strategic direction and impact of the HR profession. Dr. Schmit was previously the Vice President of Research for SHRM. Dr. Schmit has more than 25 years of experience in the field of human resources including work as an HR generalist, academic, applied researcher, and internal and external consultant to both public and private organizations. Dr. Schmit earned a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Bowling Green State University in 1994. Dr. Schmit is a Fellow in both the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association. He is also certified as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

SESSIONS:
Jen Schramm, SHRM-SCP
manager, Workforce Trends & Forecasting
SHRM
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Jen Schramm is the Manager of the Workforce Trends and Forecasting program at SHRM, which produces SHRM’s Workplace Forecast report, monthly SHRM Leading Indicators of National Employment® (LINE®), SHRM Jobs Outlook Survey report and the SHRM HR Jobs Pulse. She also writes the Trend Watch monthly column appearing in HR Magazine.  Prior to joining SHRM, Jennifer worked as Research and Policy Advisor at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and as Research Manager of the Employment Policy Institute both in London, UK. She received her Master’s Degree in Social and Political Science from the University of Cambridge, UK and her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 10:15am to 11:30am
Barbara Bissonnette
principle
Forward Motion Coaching
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Barbara Bissonnette is a certified coach and the Principal of Forward Motion Coaching (www.ForwardMotion.info). She specializes in career development coaching for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome (autism spectrum disorder) and Nonverbal Learning Disorder. She is the author of the award-winning Complete Guide to Getting a Job for People with Asperger’s Syndrome; the Asperger’s Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide; and Helping Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome Get & Stay Hired: Career Coaching Strategies for Professionals and Parents of Adults on the Autism Spectrum.

Barbara also offers consultation and training. Finding Employment that Works for Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome is a full day seminar for career counselors, vocational rehabilitation and transition specialists. Services for employers include training on how to utilize the talent of individuals on the autism spectrum, and coaching for employees.

Prior to coaching Barbara spent more than 20 years in business, most recently as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for an information services firm. In addition to first-hand experience hiring and managing people at all levels, she understands the challenges of Asperger’s and NLD and focuses on practical strategies for employment success.

Barbara earned a graduate certificate in Executive Coaching from the Massachusetts School Professional Psychology and is certified by Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC).

She has spoken about Asperger’s and employment at Antioch University, Asperger/Autism Network (AANE), Bentley College, Boston University, Bryant University, Career Counselor’s Consortium Northeast, Career Resource Manager’s Association, Central Massachusetts Employer’s Association, College Internship Program, Colleges of the Worcester Consortium (keynote), Community Resources for People with Autism, Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers Conference, Emerson Hospital, Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference, Job Developer’s Network, Katherine Greer Associates, Keene State College Transition to Employment Symposium (keynote), Maple Leaf Center, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Massachusetts Vocational Rehabilitation Commission, Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association (keynote), National Association of Career Development Professionals, New England Human Resources Association, New Hampshire Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, New York Society of Human Resource Management, Rhode Island Psychological Association, Shriver Job Corp, Wayside Youth and Family Support Services, The Wellness Corporation, Work Without Limits (keynote).

Her articles have been published in AANE Journal, Autism-Asperger’s Digest Magazine, Autism Spectrum News, Career Developments magazine, Insights, Job Training & Placement Report, and the Journal of Employee Assistance.

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