Taryell Simmons is an HR Services Manager for the Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Division in the County of San Diego. The Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Division aspires to help create and sustain a countywide culture of belonging and interconnectedness. Taryell and his team have collaborated with various stakeholders to craft a future where all members can fully realize their potential through our diversity, strategic initiatives, partnerships, training, and policy development.

After working in building workforce programs and Talent Development for over eight years, he became more involved in efforts to integrate EDI as internal support, specifically in recruitment, hiring, professional development & career advancement.

Taryell Simmons is also a Board Of Director for Village UP, powering inclusivity in the San Diego Startup Space. Village Up is a collaborative initiative to increase diversity and access to the San Diego innovation economy. After winning a startup weekend pitch competition hosted by Google and Techstars, Taryell became more involved in D&I efforts to help bring diversity to the Tech Startup space. 

He is a RISE Urban Leadership graduate and a 2020 Rockwood Leadership Institute fellow. With an obsession with lifelong learning, he has worked with thousands of students, employees, entrepreneurs, and startups, supporting them through workforce development, employee training, strategic data-based strategies and partnership, execution of workforce program development, and vital alliance-building.

Julius Alejandro strives for innovative approaches to solving social issues and has years of experience in grassroots organizing, the nonprofit sector, and startup ecosystems that have crossed intersections from economic development to health disparities that affect communities of color. He received his master’s in organizational leadership from National University and a bachelor’s in sociology from San Diego State University, as well as professional certificates from Accessory and Notre Dame University on entrepreneurship and business strategy. He co-founded Village Up to use data-driven research to inform best practice and create systemic change for the San Diego innovation economy.

As one of Grant Thornton LLP’s human capital practice leaders, Bob advises boards and senior leadership on the strategic, governance, and technical aspects of human resource management and total rewards strategy.  Bob’s corporate and client experiences span over 25 years as a human resources and total rewards leader.  Bob earned his master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Illinois State University and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).

Falisha Karpati, PhD is an independent Inclusion Consultant based in Montreal, Canada. She uses neuroscience to build engagement in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives. Her unique brain-based approach centers on the intersection of cognitive, demographic, and experiential diversity: how we think, who we are, and what we’ve lived.

Falisha holds a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Her work focuses on EDI in scientific and research organizations, and bringing neuroscience-based inclusion strategy to organizations across all sectors. She conducts rigorous EDI assessments, guides action plan development, and facilitates brain-based training.

Fiona brings 25 years of experience conducting research and providing solutions to organizations with specific expertise in employee engagement, employee relations, diversity, and people analytics.  She is a sought after speaker and well known for her ability to translate complex data into easy-to-understand insights that promote action and can improve business performance. 

Her women-owned business, Spring International provides custom research and analytics for Fortune 500 companies across the United States and internationally. She is the author of numerous articles on people analytics, change management and engagement. Fiona’s Ph.D. is in Human Resource Management from the University of Bristol and was an Honorary Research Fellow for the University of Wolverhampton (U.K.).  In the USA, she has been an adjunct professor at Villanova & Temple University and is involved with leading HR think tank organizations such as the Wharton Research Advisory Group, University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Society for People and Strategy HCA Group.  She currently sits on the Diversity Committee for NAWBO and the Board of POWER, a women’s leadership development association. She is also is a mum of two teenagers!

Erika L. White, CDE is the owner of Griffin White Consulting, LLC specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) education, strategic plan development, a contributing author and serves as a keynote speaker.

She currently serves as the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Manager at Amtrak. Amtrak is the nation’s only high-speed intercity passenger rail provider serving more than 500 than destinations.

She has a BS in Business and Administration from Drexel University and is a Certified Diversity Executive. Erika is a 2021 National Diversity & Leadership Conference DEI Champion. A mentor, a volunteer, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.