Dr. Michael Baran is the CEO of Iris Inclusion, a global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) firm. Dr. Baran draws on his own social science research to inform his DEI speaking engagements, writings, consulting, leadership development, and eLearning. After teaching at Harvard University, he has been supporting DEI in organizations for 20 years. His work has been covered in the New York Times, BBC, Forbes, CNN, NPR, and more.

His recent book, Subtle Acts of Exclusion, was named by Forbes as one of “The 11 Books To Read To Be A More Inclusive Leader” and has won several awards.

Kenston Henderson Sr., CSP, is the founder and CEO of Live With Lyfe, LLC, a premier training and development company. A TEDx Signature Speaker, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), and certified John Maxwell Leadership Trainer, Kenston brings over 20 years of expertise in Human Resources and personal development. His powerful presentations have reached audiences across 40+ U.S. states and around the globe. Kenston is also an Amazon bestselling author, accomplished musician, and a devoted husband and father, dedicated to living out the values he inspires in others.

Josh Christianson is Project Director for the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA) where he leads efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce through apprenticeship. Josh has extensive experience in supporting the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts of non-profit organizations, private companies, and government agencies.
 
He is the former director of the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), where he built cross-sector partnerships to shape the policies and practices contributing to the development of accessible emerging technologies in the workplace.
 
Before coming to PEAT Josh was a Senior Consultant at Deloitte where he provided talent strategies, change management, and leadership development support to federal agencies.
 
Prior to Deloitte he spent several years with The Posse Foundation as the Career Program Manager where he cultivated relationships with companies and organizations to provide career development opportunities for Posse Scholars and Alumni.

Human Services Management Corporation | OCEID@hsmc.org

Believing passionately in the power of community to expand human services, transform lives, and impact communities with shaped civic engagement is what drives Dr. Dione Christy to contribute global leadership and innovative service. As Senior Vice President, Dr. Christy leads the Business Office of Cultural Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity with the Human Services Management Corporation and serves as Executive Consultant with Beacon ABA Services and Beacon Services of Connecticut. Dr. Christy has the daily privilege to influence C-suite executives and lead organizational effectiveness while contributing expertise for intentional transformation strategy for positive impact outcomes. Expertise includes Keynote Speaking; Environmental Scans; Mapping/Needs Assesment; Strategic Consulting; Organizational Audits; Executive Coaching; Leadership Advising; Systemic Integration; Change Management; Business Strategy; Implementation Framework; Accountability Blueprints; Learning and Training; Research, Measurement, and Evaluation; and Customized Developments.

Dr. Christy brings decades of executive leadership experience and consulting with noted schools, systems, state agencies, federal offices, business corporations, and international organizations in leading and deploying divisions and agencies for several award-winning improvement and redesign initiatives to innovate and turn around low performing schools, systems, and institutions that were featured in the United States Department of Education’s PROGRESS in Education, United States Department of State Oversea Schools Advisory Briefs, Education Week, and other national publications. In this work, Dr. Christy has led and partnered with local, state, national, and international organizations to develop dynamic leaders, effective teams, efficient systems, and creative resources while overseeing rigorous external reviews, accreditations, and change management initiatives to a variety of over 34,000 educational institutions across states that were within the divisions of the Northeast Central Association Commission, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council, Northwest Accreditation Commission, and the Department of State Overseas Defense Education Commission. As a president and nonprofit executive, she has positioned associations to benefit from high profit-driven and customized professional business services and resources for corporate executives, commissioners, and superintendents that supported over 25,000 elementary and secondary leaders dedicated solely in their commitment to 35 million students in the United States of America and other affiliates worldwide. Moreover, Dr. Christy has served as a visiting university adjunct professor of research, policy, and evaluation as well as a chairperson of doctoral program dissertation institutional review boards and global corporations accreditation reviews.

In addition to her professional work, Dr. Christy brings decades of volunteering and collaborating with diverse stakeholders to make a difference in the lives of children and adults with marginalized needs across communities. In Massachusetts, Dr. Christy was a founding member of the state-wide Brain Building in Progress Action Planning Team for early education partnership with birth to grade three strategy of the MA Department of Early Education and Care and has previously been appointed to the state-wide Educator Workforce Diversity Initiative and Equity Task Force of the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Harvard University and Boston Public Schools’ Inclusion and Equity Advisory Committee and Working Group.

Dr. Christy has been invited to address diverse audiences at thought leadership events and has received numerous service honors such as the United States Presidential Education Awards for Educational Excellence, Chamber of Commerce’s International ATHENA Individual Leadership Award, Economic Council and the Education Foundation’s Executive of the Year, DWYER Award for Excellence in Special Education, and Executive Women’s National Female Executive Award. Dr. Christy earned postdoctorate advanced certification in change leadership, education reform, and the urban superintendency from Harvard University; global education senior policy fellow designation from the Institute of Education Leadership (IEL); a Ph.D. (College of Sciences Marshall, Kappa Delta Pi honors distinction) in leadership and education from Barry University, and a M.S. in speech language pathology administration and supervision from Purdue and Nova University. Additionally, she is a certified Facilitative Leadership Coach from the Interaction Institute for Social Change.