John Valverde is the President and CEO of YouthBuild USA. He joined YouthBuild in 2017 after decades of work as an advocate for creating access to opportunity and removing barriers for formerly incarcerated and low-income people.

John began working with imprisoned individuals in 1992 to ensure access to HIV/AIDS counseling, high school equivalency instruction, alternatives to violence programs, and college education. In 1995, responding to the gap created by the elimination of TAP and Pell funding for people in prison, he led an initiative to develop and deliver a college-level certificate program, the Certificate in Ministry and Human Services. Today called Rising Hope, this program continues in several New York State prisons. In 1998, he co-founded Hudson Link for Higher Education, the first privately funded accredited college program in New York’s prisons. More than 450 students in prison have graduated from Hudson Link, which has grown to serve five prisons with six college partners.

In 2009, John worked with a team at the Osborne Association to create New York City’s first green jobs training program exclusively for people with criminal records. As Osborne’s Executive Vice President, John launched, managed, and led programs including children, youth, and family services; substance abuse treatment; workforce development; community benefit projects; financial literacy; health and wellness services; housing; alternatives to incarceration; mentoring and leadership development; and social enterprises. John has led teams that offer multiple evidence-based interventions, with a trauma-informed approach, to distinct populations that range from very young children to the elderly.

As a steady and persistent advocate for creating access, John has worked with city, state, and federal agencies to develop and operate proven job readiness and placement programs. He forged Osborne's first relationships with labor unions and has served on the Board of Pathways to Apprenticeship that supports individuals from traditionally underserved communities gain access to apprenticeship programs.

John often serves as a keynote speaker at important and related events to share his personal story of transformation and second chances. As a young man who was incarcerated at 21, John’s work to accept responsibility for his actions and commit to making amends started him on a journey of redemption that allowed him to imagine and build a new future. Though he was incarcerated for almost 16 years, John is now recognized as a proven leader and example for people affected by the criminal justice system. John’s personal and professional life embodies the work of YouthBuild and is a powerful representation of its mission. He is the proud recipient of the 2018 Brian S. Fischer Achievement Award from Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. This award is presented annually to a formerly incarcerated leader who has made an impact by advocating for positive change in the world.

John is a graduate of Aspen Institute’s Sector Skills Academy and a 2018 Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow. John received his Master of Professional Studies in Urban Ministry from the New York Theological Seminary and holds a Bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Mercy College.

Delia Joy O’Steen is a former Communication Professor turned Workplace Culture Strategist. Joy is a SHRM-SCP and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She taught at Texas Tech University for 18 years and was the Director of the Business and Professional Communication Course for 8 years. In 2017, Joy and her business partner LeAnne Lagasse co-founded ROI Talent Development-a consulting firm that helps employers create excellent workplace culture. Joy holds an MA in Communication Studies from Texas Tech University and a BA in Business Communication from Lubbock Christian University. She resides in Wolfforth, Texas with her husband, two kids and one dog.

LeAnne Lagasse is an HR consultant and keynote speaker who helps leaders and organizations improve their employee engagement and retention and develop their people managers. LeAnne is a SHRM-SCP, a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths© Coach, and also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Missouri State University, where she teaches professional communication courses to MBA students. Prior to launching her consulting business, LeAnne was a faculty member and the Director of Public Speaking in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, where she served for 14 years. Alongside her husband, Ben, she is a proud mom to three children and two pet prairie dogs.

Erica Dhawan is an internationally recognized leading authority, speaker and advisor on 21st century teamwork, collaboration and innovation. Named by Thinkers50 as the “Oprah of Management Thinkers”, she is the author of two books Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence and Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. It’s 2021, the world of business is increasingly digital and work practices have changed at a blistering rate. Erica shares innovative strategies to unlock the collective power of teams, build a culture of trust across any distance and create authentic engagement to ensure competitiveness. Rated #1 on the Top Women Keynote Speakers of 2020 and featured as one of the management thinkers most likely to shape the future of business, Erica frequently appears in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Wall Street Journal. Erica speaks on global stages ranging from the World Economic Forum at Davos to TEDx and for companies such as Coca-Cola, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, SAP, and Cisco. She has degrees from Harvard University, MIT Sloan, and The Wharton School.

Russell Podgorski is the head of executive recruiting at Providence, which operates across seven states on the west coast and is comprised of 120,000 employees, 51 acute care hospitals, 1,100 physician clinics, 22 long-term care facilities, 19 hospice and home health programs, 693 supportive housing units, and one major health plan. Russell specializes in building and improving high-performing executive recruiting teams and functions that exceed national benchmarks. He brings over a decade of experience recruiting executives and physicians for multi-billion dollar integrated health care delivery systems. He holds a B.A. degree from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri and a Master of Health Administration degree from St. Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine.

President and Co-Founder of Helpr, Becka Klauber Richter, has been operating childcare brands for 15 years. Helpr was grown from a boutique domestic placement and babysitting agency into a global network of care professionals and family enterprise technology servicing the top media, retail, finance, and technology companies. As a former foster parent, new mom and power user of her own platform, Becka is driven by her mission of achieving universal parent inclusion and community in the workplace.

Mike is the current CEO of Crosschq, a Slack, Tiger Global, GGV, Bessemer, Rocketship.vc and SAP.io backed startup that helps companies screen, source and hire the best talent through its digital and automated reference checks/assessments. Prior to Crosschq, he was the Co-Founder and CEO of Advanced TV Advertising & Commerce Company, Connekt, Inc. which was acquired by JMJ Financial in 2018. Mike was also the former Founder & CEO of Interactive Commerce Company, Delivery Agent which was acquired by Hillair Capital in 2016. 

Mike is experienced in all aspects of corporate and business development as well as general corporate functions including finance, sales & marketing, technology and product management. Named a Forbes Next 1000 in 2021, Mike is an industry thought leader who has been featured on CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, NY Times, WSJ, Forbes among others. 

Roxi Bahar Hewertson is a leadership expert, Presence-Based® and ICF Certified ACC executive coach and organizational development expert with more than three decades of practical experience in the worlds of higher education, business, and non-profits. She is the CEO of Highland Consulting Group, Inc. and author of two highly-acclaimed books, “Hire Right, Fire Right: A Leader’s Guide To Finding And Keeping Your Best People” (Rowman & Littlefield) and “Lead Like it Matters…Because it Does” (McGraw-Hill). With a successful career focused on developing high performing leaders, Roxi is a foremost authority on helping executives and managers create thriving teams and work cultures that achieve stellar results. Her no nonsense, practical, tell-it-like-it-is insights have graced the TEDx stage and been featured by premier media outlets. She holds an MPS from Cornell University where she was Adjunct Faculty and a Senior Administrator. Connect with Roxi online at www.AskRoxi.com and www.HighlandConsultingGroupinc.com.