In-person Pass

Global Speaker Sonia Aranza has presented on the international stage from Spain to Singapore.  She brings 27+ years of experience in Diversity, Inclusion & Global Leadership. Her clients include Boeing, CIA, McDonald’s and more. The U.S. Department of Labor describes her work as “Outstanding” and was selected to execute programs for landmark cases. SHRM featured her as a Diversity & Inclusion Expert in HR Magazine and she is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Leadership. She serves on the Faculty of Howard University’s Executive Diversity Program; named “100 Most Influential Filipina Americans in the United States” and honored “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World.”

Miguel is the Chief Belonging Officer of MJA & CO, a Minority-owned consulting firm helping leaders leverage DEI as a catalyst to improve recruitment, engagement, and retention.  Recognized as a LinkedIn's Top Voice in Racial Equity, Top 15 Champion of Diversity by Diversity Global Magazine, a Top 100 Executive by Diversity MBA Magazine, and featured as an Inclusion Innovator by SHRM.

Miguel served as the first civilian Chief of D&I in the history of the US Coast Guard.  He started his career as diversity recruiter and for over a decade held several leadership positions in 3 major Federal Departments. Miguel is a TEDx speaker, featured at the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and Telemundo.

 You can learn more about him by visiting www.migueljoeyaviles.com

Tamla Oates-Forney is an innovative thought leader and speaker, women’s advocate, wellness champion, philanthropist and investor. She serves as CEO of Linkage, a SHRM company, a global leadership development firm committed to advancing women and accelerating inclusion in leaders and organizations.

Tamla previously served as EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for USAA, where as a member of the Executive Council she led USAA’s team of more than 500 HR professionals spanning talent development, talent acquisition, pay and benefits, culture and employee services for 37,000 teammates.

Prior to joining USAA, Tamla served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at WM (previously Waste Management). She spent the majority of her career (20 years) at General Electric, where she held multiple leadership roles, including HR Leader for GE Africa, Chief Diversity Officer for GE Appliances and Lighting, and Vice President of HR for GE Energy Connections.

Tamla is also an independent director and member of the Human Capital and Compensation committee for Summit Materials. She serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for her alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and is a sought-after speaker, advisor and thought leader for several HR-related technology startups.

She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration. A renowned expert in her field, she has received multiple honors, including being featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business and Savoy’s 2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. She is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a network of black CEOs and business leaders who support the development of diverse talent and the promotion of social justice.

Tamla enjoys spending time with her husband, Warren, and their two children, Annia (25) and Camden (15). She also enjoys traveling to Africa, discovering new vegan restaurants, working out, and watching interior design shows on HGTV. She is a member of the 1% club having completed a marathon in 2018.

Kevin England, Ph.D. is a consultant, coach, facilitator, and educator in Human Resource Management (HRM), with focus areas in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), talent development, employee engagement, people analytics, and organizational culture. His career has included internal HRM roles, individual coaching, organizational consulting, teaching at the university level, and higher education administration.

Today Kevin helps individuals, teams, and organizations leverage their strengths in the workplace to realize their infinite human potential.

Dr. England holds the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential, along with SHRM Specialty credentials in Inclusive Workplace Culture, People Analytics, Talent Acquisition, Workplace Investigations, and Total Rewards.

Michelle has over 20 years of experience in L&D and HR, recently serving as an AI & Learning Strategist. She has worked at ELB Learning, Oracle, and UPS. With a graduate certification in AI from ASU, she now specializes in crafting top-level AI strategies, designing governance and ethical policies, driving change management, and enabling AI adoption across organizations for her own consultancy, Innovate + Elevate Strategies. Her superpower is centering the human experience in AI to ensure it drives innovation while empowering people.

Raiyana Bryant serves as a Human Resources Specialist at SHRM. She is dedicated to providing exceptional onboarding and orientation experiences for new employees. Transitioning from a fast-food marketing background to the corporate sector, she brought a fresh perspective and a commitment to ensuring smooth transitions for all hires. In her brief tenure in HR, she completely revamped the onboarding process, boosting its efficiency and appeal, leading to increased satisfaction and retention rates. Her dedication extends to ensuring that every new hire's transition is welcoming and seamless, regardless of background, earning her recognition as an invaluable asset in her organization. Her passion for people extends further as she expands her role in the talent acquisition space, internship programming, and overall employee engagement, fostering a positive work environment for a better workplace for all.