In-person Pass

Sharell Thomas-Hodge is a dynamic speaker, coach, and consultant.  As CEO of the Sharell Group, her mission is to help individuals connect purpose and passion leading to a career of meaning and profits.  She is a wife, bonus mom of four and woman of faith.  She enjoys reading, singing, traveling, and most importantly spending time with family.  Additionally, Sharell is the Total Rewards Director for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta.  She joined the company in 2020 and is responsible for formulating and executing a strategic approach to compensation, benefits, and incentives that attract and retain top talent.  Prior to joining the Y, Sharell was the Director of Total Rewards at Dekra North America. During her tenure at Dekra she played a significant role in the acquisition of 7 companies and was a key architect in the creation of a total rewards program designed for the newly established safety company. Sharell is a graduate of Devry University and holds an MBA. She is a SHRM Certified Senior Professional.  She has been a featured speaker with Wellspring Living, BLR, HR Jetpack, Quit Commuting Conference and PayScale, just to name a few.  She currently serves on the board of Friends of Refugees and the Atlanta Mission, where she provides human resources expertise.  She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia but is a proud native of Nassau, Bahamas.

Darrell “Coach D” Andrews, CSP (Certified Professional Speaker) is known by corporations and organizations worldwide as “America’s Passion Coach.” He is one of less than 600 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide which means that by selecting Coach D to speak at your event you are choosing someone who has met the speaking industry's international measure of professional platform skills. His passionate speeches, professional development workshops and coaching sessions are designed to help individuals become introspective when considering changes needed to improve workplace performance. He customizes all of his events to assure that your needs, whether it’s a company or conference keynote speech, staff development, or an individual coaching session, are met.

Darrell “Coach D” Andrews, CSP (Certified Professional Speaker) is known by corporations and organizations worldwide as “America’s Passion Coach.” He is one of less than 600 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide which means that by selecting Coach D to speak at your event you are choosing someone who has met the speaking industry's international measure of professional platform skills. His passionate speeches, professional development workshops and coaching sessions are designed to help individuals become introspective when considering changes needed to improve workplace performance. He customizes all of his events to assure that your needs, whether it’s a company or conference keynote speech, staff development, or an individual coaching session, are met.

Joanna Colosimo, M.A., is the Vice President of Workforce Equity and Compliance Strategy at DCI Consulting Group, where she leads a division that consults on OFCCP compliance, pay equity, audit strategies, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also assists clients with defining their diversity, compliance, and pay equity programs. Joanna presents at conferences on pay equity, diversity, and OFCCP topics and writes for multiple publications. Joanna earned a M.A. degree in I/O Psychology from Radford University and a Bachelor of Business Administration and Psychology from Roanoke College. She holds a SHRM-SCP certification and serves on the Board of WMILG.

Professional Background and Accomplishments:

• 26 years in Human Resources; 17 years in strategic roles
• Served in hospitality/restaurant, retail, distribution, non-profit, education and finance/banking industries
• 2012 Delaware Valley (Philadelphia Metropolitan Area) Human Resources Person of the Year
• 2013-2016 SHRM National Membership Marketing
• Articles and interviews published in HR and Business publications such as Certified, HR Matters Magazine, Recruiter.com and Accelerate
• Keynote speaker for International and U.S. conferences  

Professional Organizations:

• Garden State Council SHRM – Leader, Young Professionals Initiative
• Tri-State HRMA, an affiliate of SHRM – Vice-President

Professional Background and Accomplishments:

• 26 years in Human Resources; 17 years in strategic roles
• Served in hospitality/restaurant, retail, distribution, non-profit, education and finance/banking industries
• 2012 Delaware Valley (Philadelphia Metropolitan Area) Human Resources Person of the Year
• 2013-2016 SHRM National Membership Marketing
• Articles and interviews published in HR and Business publications such as Certified, HR Matters Magazine, Recruiter.com and Accelerate
• Keynote speaker for International and U.S. conferences  

Professional Organizations:

• Garden State Council SHRM – Leader, Young Professionals Initiative
• Tri-State HRMA, an affiliate of SHRM – Vice-President

Emily helps clients implement and operate employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs). Emily also handles benefits issues related to corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions due diligence.

As a compliment to her benefits practice, Emily regularly counsels clients in the area of healthcare law, including healthcare reform and HIPAA compliance. Her expertise includes advising clients with ties to the healthcare and pharmacy benefit management industry on business and contractual matters, practitioner employment agreements, administrative services agreements, compensation plans, and confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements.

Emily establishes strong relationships with her clients by building trust and confidence in her ability to identify goals and solutions. She emphasizes effective communication and strategic planning when working with employers on benefit plan design and compliance. Emily has the ability to analyze complex legal issues and state key points in a practical manner that can be applied to real-life client situations. She advises clients in a variety of industries, from small closely held businesses to national corporations.

Emily’s positive attitude, highly motivated personality, and determined approach result in successful outcomes and long-term business relationships.

Tess Michaels is the Founder and CEO of Stride Funding, a mission-driven company tackling the healthcare labor shortage. Stride connects health systems, high-quality schools, and diverse talent to transform access to career pathways. Stride’s innovative approach helps build & retain pipelines of talent, while increasing access and affordability for students, through employer-sponsored student loan programs. Tess grew up in a healthcare family and founded Stride from a student-first perspective as an MBA at Harvard Business School. Tess is also recognized as a member of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in education.