Virtual Pass

Lauren Winans
CEO and Principal HR Consultant
Next Level Benefits LLC
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SESSIONS:
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Joanna Colosimo
Vice President of Workforce Equity and Compliance Strategy
DCI Consulting
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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.

SESSIONS:
Quenton K. Wright
Labor Economist
Charles River Associates
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Nicole Armstrong
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Founder and CEO
Ellequate
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Nicole is an award-winning social entrepreneur. As a 2018 People’s Liberty Haile Fellow, she founded Ellequate—a leading data-informed employer certification and cohort-based leadership program for workplace equity. For over a decade she developed design and brand strategy for mission-driven organizations around the globe. Before founding her company, she practiced social innovation, applying the principles of human-centered design to complex challenges alongside those most impacted by inequity. Nicole holds a BS in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati and an MA from Suffolk University. She is a member of the Cincinnati Business Courier's Forty Under 40 Class of 2020.

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 7:30am to 8:30am
Jason Nathaniel Sheffield
National Director of Compliance
Baldwin Risk Partners
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Jason Sheffield is BRPs National Director of Compliance for the Baldwin Regulatory Compliance Collaborative. He oversees the ongoing evolution of our firm's national compliance operations. Jason develops, designs and implements educational programming and compliance assuredness services by creating timely and relevant solutions designed for the benefit of our clients and colleagues, our industry partners, and the general benefits community. Jason has practiced employee benefits law and consulting for nearly two decades, representing individual, corporate, and tribal interests at the local, state, and federal levels. He has advised clients and provided representative services before administrative agencies such as the DOL, the IRS, CMS, OCR, several state-level treasury authorities, and others. He has experience with both qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, executive compensation matters, and extensive experience respecting health and welfare plan matters. Jason received his undergraduate degree from Georgia State University (magna cum laude) and his Juris Doctor from Western New England College School of Law. He is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia.

SESSIONS:
Dominique Town
Associate Director of Compliance
The Baldwin Group
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Robert Massa
Personal Pronouns
He/Him/His
Managing Director of Retirement
Qualified Plan Advisors, LLC
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Robert Massa is the Managing Director of Retirement in Houston, TX for Qualified Plan Advisors (QPA). Rob is a retirement professional with more than 25 years of retirement industry experience. His primary responsibilities include practice management, strategic investment direction and advice, retirement plan design consulting and compliance, employee education and development, financial wellness strategies, client relationship management and SEC compliance. His career has been focused in the investment management and administration of qualified retirement plans in a diverse series of roles including investment advice, trust administration, recordkeeping, plan document drafting, compliance testing, product management, legal and client consultation.

SESSIONS:
Michael A. Smoots
General Counsel
Financial Fitness for Life
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SESSIONS:
Steve Gilliland, CSP, CPAE
Best-Selling Author and Speaker
Steve Gilliland, Inc.
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Steve is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and was recognized in 2015 as one of the top 10 motivational speakers globally from over 9,000 candidates.

In addition to being one of the most sought-after speakers in North America, he has written 11 books and was named Author of the Year by Advantage/Forbes for his book Enjoy The Ride.

Steve built a multimillion-dollar company, which the Pittsburgh Business Times named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the region. Steve is one of SHRM’s top-rated speakers. This is his 18th consecutive year speaking at the SHRM Conference.

SESSIONS:
Steve Gilliland, CSP, CPAE
Best-Selling Author and Speaker
Steve Gilliland, Inc.
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Steve is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and was recognized in 2015 as one of the top 10 motivational speakers globally from over 9,000 candidates.

In addition to being one of the most sought-after speakers in North America, he has written 11 books and was named Author of the Year by Advantage/Forbes for his book Enjoy The Ride.

Steve built a multimillion-dollar company, which the Pittsburgh Business Times named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the region. Steve is one of SHRM’s top-rated speakers. This is his 18th consecutive year speaking at the SHRM Conference.

SESSIONS:
Monday, June 30, 2025 - 9:15am to 10:15am
Sonia Aranza
CEO
Aranza Global Cross-Cultural Strategies
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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.”

SESSIONS:
Miguel Joey Aviles
Personal Pronouns
He/Him/Él
Chief Belonging Officer
MJA & CO, LLC
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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

SESSIONS:
Tamla Oates-Forney
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
CEO
Linkage, a SHRM Company
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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.

 

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm