Sterling Hawkins is out to break the status quo. He believes that we can all unlock incredible potential within ourselves, and he’s on a mission to support people, businesses and communities to realize that potential regardless of the circumstances.

From a multi-billion dollar startup to collapse and coming back to launch, invest in and grow over 50 companies, Sterling takes that experience to work with C-level teams from some of the largest organizations on the planet and speaks on stages around the world.

Today, Sterling serves as CEO and founder of the Sterling Hawkins Group, a research, training and development company focused on human and organizational growth. He has been seen in publications like Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times and Forbes.

Based in Colorado, Sterling is a proud uncle of four and a passionate adventurer that can often be found skydiving, climbing mountains, shark diving or even trekking the Sahara. Maybe you’ll even join him for the next adventure – and discover the breakthrough results you’re looking for. He’ll have your back, #NoMatterWhat. 

Jennifer J Fondrevay is the Founder and Chief Humanity Officer of Day1 Ready, a consultancy that guides CEOs, business owners, entrepreneurs and executives through the people challenges of business growth strategies, particularly mergers or acquisitions.

Jennifer turned her corporate experience into a best-selling business book "NOW WHAT? A Survivor's Guide for Thriving Through Mergers and Acquisitions" and a popular TEDx talk, Create Opportunity in an Uncertain World.

Awarded the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year by Northshore Women in Business, Jennifer is routinely tapped by CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX News for her perspective on change leadership. Author of a business column with Forbes, she's published in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Inc.

Christopher J. Fernandez, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s HR Services and Digital Employee Experiences worldwide team, has been with Microsoft since 2005. He leads global HR teams in developing end-to-end digital strategies across all HR systems, including AI-enabled HR, and oversees HR service delivery worldwide. His responsibilities extend to compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, learning, onboarding, and more.

Before joining Microsoft, Fernandez was a human resource leader at General Motors Corporation. He holds a Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations from Michigan State University (MSU) and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Elizabeth Gore is a prominent business leader and humanitarian, known for her contributions in finance, tech, and entrepreneurship. As the co-founder and president of Hello Alice, she is committed to empowering small and medium businesses to achieve equitable access to capital by building the largest community of over 1.4M small business owners. In addition, Elizabeth spent a decade with the United Nations Foundation and currently sits as the emeritus chair on their Global Entrepreneurs Council.

Claire is a public health professional working on the National Safety Council’s workplace wellbeing initiatives. Claire is responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating initiatives, such as addressing workplace substance misuse and fatigue. As a Certified Health Education Specialist, Claire also focuses on creating tools to aid employers in addressing substance misuse and other forms of wellbeing safety risk in the workplace. Claire holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in policy and management from the University of Georgia, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in health promotion and behavior.

Sara Elkins is the Chief Administrative Officer and Vice President of Atec Companies. The Atec enterprise builds products and systems for Aerospace and Energy, including design and production of turbine engine test facilities, the world's leader in hush houses and noise suppression, and the precision machining of space flight components. In Sara's role, she also leads the Corporate Secretary function, strategic planning, marketing, PR, and all human resource functions managing 500 employees and 375,000 square feet across sixty acres. Atec customers include NASA, most Aerospace Primes, Airlines, USDOD and our Allied nations. 

Sara was a member of the world-famous Kilgore College Rangerettes. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Human Resources and Marketing. 

Sara received her Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2006 and the SHRM-CP certification in April 2015. She is an active member of the SHRM Executive Network.  Sara volunteers in the community and served as Chairman of the Board of St. Mark's Episcopal School.

Susan J. Schmitt Winchester is the past Chief HR officer for Applied Materials, a Fortune 150 Silicon Valley company, and Rockwell Automation. She is an author, keynote speaker, and HR consultant, known for her book, “Healing at Work: A Guide to Using Career Conflicts to Overcome Your Past and Build the Future You Deserve”, with co-author Martha I. Finney.
Susan is a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, representing the highest professional honor for leaders in HR. Susan is an Emeritus member of the HR Policy Association and sits on the Executive Committee of the Peer Roundtable for CHROs.

Charlene is the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including The Disruption Mindset, Open Leadership, and the critically acclaimed Groundswell. Her latest book, Winning with Generative AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success, lays out a master plan for generative AI strategy. 

She is an experienced speaker who has inspired leaders in intimate forums and expansive conference halls. She has delivered keynote addresses at such venues as the World Economic Forum, TED, and South by Southwest.

Charlene is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USAToday, Reuters, and The Associated Press, and she’s shared her expertise on 60 Minutes, The McNeil NewsHour, ABC News, CNN, and CNBC. 

Charlene earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an A.B. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College. In her spare time, she teaches her beloved cat new tricks.

Justin Ladner is a Senior Labor Economist at SHRM. His work centers on examining labor market trends and emerging issues facing employers and employees. He also has extensive experience researching occupational mobility, personnel training, recruiting, and retention. In all of these areas, he is passionate about leveraging data and analytics to inform real-world policy improvements.

Justin holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan, as well as a master’s degree in economics and bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Boston University.