Virtual Pass

Dima is Middle-Eastern in her genes and global citizen in her spirit. She ignites the untapped potential in individuals across the globe, empowering them to shatter limitations and become courageous, purpose driven leaders.

Through keynote speeches, workshops, and executive coaching, Dima shares her unique leadership transformation journey with one goal in mind: motivate those around her to reimagine their potential and grow into leaders.

Dima has worked across the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa for several Fortune 100 companies and has honed a keen expertise in developing leaders to meet the demands of the global workforce.

Mary Cheddie, SHRM-SCP is Divisional Director, Membership Community. 

Cheddie has more than 35 years of domestic and international experience in all aspects of human resources and training. She has extensive experience with strategic planning, M&As, and in starting and turning around businesses.

Prior to joining SHRM, she served as senior vice president of human resources for Interval Leisure Group, Inc. and its affiliated companies. The company was publicly traded on NASDAQ and the leading provider of vacation services with a global consumer membership base of nearly 2 million member families, more than 2,500 member resorts in over 75 countries worldwide, and has oversight for about 14,000 employees. 

Cheddie also served as senior vice president, people with PRC, as well as vice president, human resources, strategic planning, office services, and facilities for The Orvis Company, Inc. in Manchester, VT.

She earned her MBA from Upper Iowa University, a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey, and is certified as a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional.

Cheddie received the HR Award of Excellence, Hospitality in 2016 from South Florida Business & Wealth. Business Leader Magazine named Cheddie one of the 2011 Women Extraordinaire and in 2012 the National Diversity Council awarded her the Glass Ceiling Award.

She serves on the Board of Trustees for Upper Iowa University, Chairs the Human Capital Committee and is a member of the Governance and Advancement Committees, Chaired the Keiser Career College’s Advisory Board, was a member of the Board of Directors for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) from 2003-2008 and chaired SHRM’s governance and compensation committees. Cheddie has more than 35 years of SHRM volunteer leadership experience at the national, regional, state, and local levels.  She also served on the Waldorf College Alumni Board from 2004 through 2008 and was the President of the Dallas HR Association in 2000 (one of the largest affiliated SHRM chapters). She resides in South FL.

Giselle is a key member of the SHRM Certification Exam Development team, where she plays a pivotal role in working closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop and administer to HR professionals worldwide.

Giselle's 20 years of military service in the United States Marine Corps have deeply ingrained in her a profound dedication to service. This experience has not only shaped her values but also fueled her unwavering commitment to advocating for others, both within and beyond the workplace.

She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Excelsior College and a Master’s in Human Resource Management from Georgetown University and is SHRM-CP certified.

Tony Buffum is Vice President of HR Client Strategy at Upwork, where he is responsible for helping accelerate the growth of enterprise companies, helping them solve HR challenges related to finance, procurement and talent transformation. Tony brings over two decades of experience leading global HR teams as well as driving transformational change in company culture, organizational design, performance management, and employee integration and engagement. He joins Upwork following a series of leadership positions including chief human resources officer (CHRO) at FLIR Systems, VP of global human resources at STANLEY Security and VP of human resources at Stanley Black & Decker.

Dr. Wade Larson is a workforce consultant and human resources executive with 30-years of experience in strategy, leadership enablement, and talent management. His    expertise in HR and leadership helps organizations improve structures, culture, management, and leadership to achieve their goals. As an international speaker, published author, and professor, he strives to help others achieve the best versions of themselves. Wade has worked with hundreds of organizations and thousands of leaders to shift mindsets, innovate programs, and lead change that helps them do more, achieve more, and live their best lives.

Dr. Wade Larson is a workforce consultant and human resources executive with 30-years of experience in strategy, leadership enablement, and talent management. His    expertise in HR and leadership helps organizations improve structures, culture, management, and leadership to achieve their goals. As an international speaker, published author, and professor, he strives to help others achieve the best versions of themselves. Wade has worked with hundreds of organizations and thousands of leaders to shift mindsets, innovate programs, and lead change that helps them do more, achieve more, and live their best lives.

Ryan Leak is a best-selling author, researcher, and transformational speaker who gets an opportunity to impact 100,000 people every single month through his inspiring keynotes. He trains over 50,000 leaders each year, from Fortune 100 companies to professional sports teams. He’s widely known for his viral documentary, The Surprise Wedding, where he and his wife got engaged and married on the same day. Their story also led to an opportunity for Ryan to meet Kobe Bryant and try out for the Phoenix Suns, highlighted in another documentary called Chasing Failure. Ryan leverages hilarious stories to inspire audiences to see their challenges as opportunities to level up in their life and careers. 

Jennifer is the Vice President of Walmart Academy, the learning arm of the world's largest retailer, where she leads the design and delivery of learning experiences that enable over 2 million associates to build skills for now and the future. She has experience in various learning and development roles at Department of Defense, American Express, Walmart and Sam's Club, where she has launched award-winning programs that have enhanced the learning culture, career development, and performance of the frontline and supply chain workforce.

Jennifer holds an Executive Program for Leadership Acceleration certificate from Harvard Business School Executive Education, a Master's degree in Education from the University of South Florida, and a Bachelor's degree from Florida State University. She has published multiple articles on learning and development topics and has been recognized as a Top 50 Learning and Development Professional and a CLO LearningElite Finalist. She is passionate about creating learning opportunities that empower associates to achieve their career dreams and contribute to the success of the organization.

Tara Taylor, MPA, is the Managing Director of ADR Vantage, Inc., a woman-owned consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., that supports clients across the U.S. through conflict management, organizational effectiveness and leadership development, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) practices, as well as training and coaching. Tara holds a B.A. in Organizational Communication, an M.A. in Management & Public Administration and is a professional mediator and facilitator. She is a highly sought-after consultant and a dynamic speaker focused on helping audiences engage, get inspired, and walk away with ready-to-implement solutions for their professional challenges.

Nejat Abdurahman is the founder and lead at N-BAC, a business advisory and consulting firm that helps organizations transform the way they lead to transform their business and create a sustainable impact. Nejat is a certified Leadership and Emotional Intelligence coach, a keynote speaker, and a trainer. She facilitates Leadership Development programs at N-BAC Academy to equip managers and leaders with the needed skills to transform the way they lead.Nejat earned her MBA from Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst and holds a BA degree in Economics from Addis Ababa University. 

Evelyn Farías is a DEI&B Program Manager at Lyra Health. She is the creator and leader of Lyra’s Community Leads Program, a social and educational community where leaders of employee resource groups and peer champions programs can learn best practices for mental health promotion. Prior to this role, she worked as a full-time therapist, specializing in working with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ populations in private practice and non-profit settings. Evelyn holds Master’s degrees in Psychological Counseling and Bilingual-Spanish Latinx Mental Health from Columbia University and is a former fellow of the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program.