Robyn Hopper is a SHRM-CP with 24+ years of experience in the human resources field.  She obtained a BA, in Integrative Studies with a specialty in Social Work from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.  She has worked in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, for profit and nonprofit along with large and small employers.  Her experience also includes training HR professionals and supervisors in a variety of programs including FMLA; ADA; Recruitment; Terminations; FLSA; Reasonable Accommodation; and much more. 

Robyn has been a Knowledge Advisor for over 2 years and loves working for SHRM.  She says that this is the best company she has ever worked for with the hardest job she has ever had but wouldn’t change that for anything.  What she loves most about being an HR Advisor is helping members every day! 

Lorne Epstein, SHRM-SCP, MSOD, is a social scientist, keynote, and Vistage speaker who consults with senior leaders on improving decision-making outcomes by reducing biases. Over 50,000 professionals have taken his workshops worldwide. He has been quoted in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Christian Science Monitor, and other publications. His research focuses on improving decision-making and reducing the impacts of unconscious bias in the workplace. Lorne has been leading experiential workshops since 1993. His book, You're Hired! Interview Skills to Get the Job has been downloaded over a half-million times worldwide. Lorne is currently studying cognitive neuroscience at the master’s level at George Mason University. He was admitted to the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Psi Chi, The National Honor Society of Psychology.

I was a talent acquisition leader for 23 years supporting teams in the United States, Brazil and India. Many of my teams won awards for their performance. I wrote the National Talent Acquisition and Diversity Hiring plan for the United States Forest Service.

Dr. David S Cohen, Ed. D. has a vision: organizations that thrive by living their values in good times and especially VUCA times. David's first career was in elementary and high school education, where he built a reputation for building school communities based on purpose and social responsibility. Thirty-three years ago, David transitioned to corporate consulting. As a consultant, David earned a reputation as a contrarian consultant because he does not always follow what is popular in his chosen field. David works with leaders helping them understand what is and what is not necessary to build an active and positive organization. He helps leaders' step into life's challenges, inspiring them to create a sustained approach through a values-based focus, resulting in better business results. David has had the privilege of partnering with firms across five continents and all business sectors. Additionally, he has worked with governments, from the local to the federal levels, and not-for-profits.

He has taught at Queens University School of Labour Relations and the executive education program at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Currently, he teaches organizational development at Durham College. David earned his doctorate from Boston University in Humanistic and Behavioural Studies. During that time, he also completed independent studies at the Harvard School of Education, where he was a teaching assistant.

David is a keynote speaker, educator, disruptor, facilitator, team builder, and executive coach. He has authored two books and numerous articles in professional journals.

• The Talent Edge: A Behavioral Approach to Hiring, Developing, and Keeping Top Performers (John Wiley and Sons, August 2001)
• Inside the Box: Leading With Corporate Values to Drive Sustained Business Success (Jossey-Bass September 2006)

When David is not travelling, he is hanging out with his five grandchildren, when possible, attending Toronto Raptor's games, or relaxing with family and friends.

David is honored to be recognized by the GlobalGurus30 as one of the top 30 GlobalGurus in Organizational Culture.

Identifying innovative approaches and improved solutions to business challenges both motivate and drive me. Observation, inspiration, and determination are my foundation for success. My philosophy is that introducing fresh perspectives and new techniques allow businesses to evolve and grow. My goal is to remain on the cutting-edge of advancements. My successes have stemmed from essential skills, including organizational development and employee relations. I have enhanced my collaboration abilities and cultivated a reputation as a major contributor through motivation. I am a team player who is always searching for opportunities to impart valuable insights. With these qualities, I am able to facilitate positive change and impacting outcomes.

Jodi Brandstetter is a Brand Positioning Coach specializing in human design and design thinking, empowering HR business consultants to define their business uniquely. With two decades of HR and business experience, Jodi offers tailored strategies for HR consultants to authentically connect with their ideal customers. As an 8-time Amazon Bestselling Author, Jodi lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio, with her family.

Raushawna Price, CEO of Eyrie Success, is known as the Giver of Awesomeness, and is International Author, Coach, Speaker, and Award-Winning Radio Personality. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Purdue University, respectively and a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from the Broad (pronounced Broad) Center.

She resides in the York County, South Carolina area with her husband, two beautiful children, and dog, Frankie. She is a lover of superhero movies and fun workouts!

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.

Karl Ahlrichs specializes in helping professionals make order from chaos. He is a national speaker, author, and consultant, presenting on the people issues in all industries, and is often quoted in the local and national media. 

Karl’s experience is ideally suited to times of organizational change as he pulls on risk management and organizational development theories to replace “best practices” with “next practices”. He owes much of his communications mastery to working as a writer and editor in daily media, to on-the-job writing experience and to the process of becoming a published author.

He joined Gregory & Appel in 2010 after serving as a founding partner of ExactHire, bringing his HR, operations, diversity & belonging, and learning & development skills with him. Karl’s affinity for design, composition and learning started at a very young age, by taking and examining thousands of boring pictures with the goal of improving his craft. He loves deploying that practice-to-improve approach with all manner of hobbies including writing haiku, mastering cutting-edge technology and learning Spanish.

In 2003, he was named the SHRM Human Resource Professional of the Year for the State of Indiana. He is on the Boards of several organizations, including the Maryland CPA Society.  He has lived in Scotland and Spain and lives to explore new experiences with his wife and family.

Jonathan is a partner at Duane Morris LLP in its Employment Group.  Jonathan also is the managing principal of the Duane Morris Institute, which provides business-focused training on myriad employment issues.

Jonathan has trained federal judges across the country on employment issues for more than 20 years. Most recently, Jonathan provided formal training at a Judicial Conference to federal circuit and district judges on the new provisions in the Judicial Code of Conduct as they relate to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, reporting and abusive conduct. 

Jonathan has been cited as a national authority on employment issues in articles in SHRM, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Bloomberg, Forbes, Associated Press, Reuters, Business Week, CNN, Money, SHRM, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Philadelphia Business Journal, among many other publications.

On behalf of SHRM, Jonathan has testified before the EEOC  as well as the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues

Jonathan was appointed by the EEOC to its Select Task Force on Harassment.

Jonathan was a member of SHRM’s Compensation Equity Committee. 

Jonathan has published more than 400 articles on third party platforms, including for SHRM, Bloomberg, Fortune and Entrepreneur.

Jonathan’s personal passions include animal rescue. To adopt one shelter animal is to save a universe,