Breakout Session

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.

With over 20 years of legal expertise, Sejal Thakkar serves as a strategic business partner and cultural architect. She designs and implements systems and processes that not only align with organizational values but also drive business outcomes. Sejal combines storytelling, real-world insights, and actionable strategies to deliver leadership coaching and training programs to cultivate strong connections in virtual and global teams.
 

Jack Gottlieb is a results-driven senior executive with 20 years of experience in transforming and revitalizing organizations. As the CEO of Total Solutions Group, a strategic consulting and results-based training firm, he has a proven track record of aligning culture, strategy, and capability to achieve critical short-term and long-term goals. TSG has generated $3.25 billion in ROI for clients in growth, profitability, innovation, and efficiency, including leading fifteen M&As and ten turnarounds from inception to implementation. 

With extensive experience in the C-Suite and as an HR leader Jack has a deep expertise of how to drive organizational health and performance through an embedded employee experience. Jack has had global roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, & Chief Culture Officer in banking and currently is the Vice President of Global Capability & Transformation in a market leading test lab in the gaming industry. 
Jack has been one of the top rated speakers and thought leaders for SHRM both at annual and state council conferences. Jack also hosts the successful "L&D Transformation Podcast: How To Lead The Future Of Our Organizations Through Talent Development” which is in its third season with over 100 episodes.

After 20 years as a tech veteran managing 7-figure projects for Fortune 500 companies, one thing troubled Mike Hess, he was always the token blind guy. Knowing that the invaluable skills he developed because of his blindness were the keys to his success, he couldn’t understand why unemployment amongst the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community was so high. In his pursuit to reshape the prevailing stigmas and misconceptions surrounding blind and visually impaired professionals within corporate America, Mike undertook a transformative journey. This endeavor resulted in the establishment of Blind Institute of Technology (BIT), dedicated to challenging stereotypes and fostering inclusivity for disabled professionals. Through advocacy, education, and innovative initiatives, BIT strives to create a more equitable and supportive landscape, ultimately redefining the narrative around the capabilities and potential of disabled professionals in the workforce. Using the same skills that made him a success in IT, Mike has built partnerships and placed disabled professionals in Fortune 500 companies nationwide.
 
To address the need for marketable tech skills among people with disabilities, Mike also established the BIT Academy. Through a partnership with Salesforce, the Academy offers specialized courses in Salesforce Administration and Digital Accessibility Analysis, empowering individuals with disabilities to compete effectively in the workforce. As the only approved training provider for people with disabilities by Salesforce, the BIT Academy is committed to leveling the playing field, equipping individuals with high-level certifications for success. Additionally, BIT is the exclusive owner of two nationally Registered Apprenticeship programs for the blind and visually impaired, both endorsed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Katie Duarte is the Founder of Action Potential Solutions, a company dedicated to helping organizations improve their effectiveness and success by optimizing feedback. With a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and a research background in feedback dynamics, she brings insights to help organizations make impactful improvements to feedback. Taking a systems approach to her work, Katie also holds two professional designations: one in training and development, and one in organization development, acknowledging that truly effective feedback requires a cooperative effort between the environment (policies and procedures), the feedback giver, and the feedback receiver. 

Kerri Nelson, Ph.D., is the Director of Mission Research at SHRM. She is responsible for leading, developing, and designing strategic, public-facing research that provides organizations, business leaders, and policymakers with evidence-based insights at the intersection of people and work. She also partners with public and private organizations to produce research related to work, worker, and workplace. Kerri has led research on a variety of topics including pay equity, skills-based hiring, untapped talent pools, workplace culture, and the global workforce. Her work has been featured in top news outlets, on podcasts and webinars, and on the Hill.

Kerri Nelson, Ph.D., is the Director of Mission Research at SHRM. She is responsible for leading, developing, and designing strategic, public-facing research that provides organizations, business leaders, and policymakers with evidence-based insights at the intersection of people and work. She also partners with public and private organizations to produce research related to work, worker, and workplace. Kerri has led research on a variety of topics including pay equity, skills-based hiring, untapped talent pools, workplace culture, and the global workforce. Her work has been featured in top news outlets, on podcasts and webinars, and on the Hill.

Kaitlin brings over 10 years of inclusive leadership experience and business innovation to her diversity, equity, inclusion, and access work. With a strong corporate background in crisis and change management, her superpower is building empowered teams and organizational cultures that interrupt systems of oppression and marginalization. As a queer woman and fat liberation activist, Kaitlin is passionate about creating safer spaces where all bodies are celebrated and have agency.

Kaitlin lives on the Little Feminist Farm just outside of Atlanta, where she and her partner enjoy sustainable homesteading and host social justice workshops and sanctuary retreats.

Kat Frey-Johnson is the owner and founder of Oxygen Coaching Group and The Thalassa Group, speaker, author, and coach.

What started as Oxygen Equestrian, her brainchild of helping business professionals learn more about their body language and relationship styles through hands-on work with horses has turned into an elite training and coaching company where her experience in the intermodal transportation industry (BNSF & UP Railroads), industrial manufacturing industry, and wireless communication industry (Verizon Wireless) allows owners, managers, and business professions to learn more about how their actions affect every part of their results and how they contribute to their lives.

OCG has built programs such as the Tie Game Theory, Conflict to Growth, and the online calculator to determine the optimal rate of pay, SmartHire/ B.L.I.S.S. ©™

Brought up in a family-owned business, the best lesson Kat learned was to stretch and risk which led to her being co-owner of multiple companies before developing OCG. This diverse background helps business owners and their teams see outside the box when looking to take their business and personal relationships to the next level. She is a Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt. She has post-secondary education in engineering, human resources, manufacturing engineering, and project management along with CAD/CAM.

Kat is the ChairWoman of Ohio Western Reserve Ladies, a non-profit that ensures No Veteran is Buried Alone within the National Cemetery system, and also advocates for the American Lung Association. She is a frequent volunteer with the young people in her community through programs like Sources of Strength, Girls on the Run, and the Just Keep Living Foundation.

Her passions include her two adult children, reining horses, rescuing Great Danes, gardening, and long-distance running.

Kat’s daily goal is to take on life’s experiences, good and bad, and all that they teach you.

Jevon Wooden, CEO and Founder of BrightMind Consulting Group, is a dynamic speaker, certified coach, and business consultant with expertise in empathetic leadership, emotional intelligence, and workplace culture. A Bronze Star recipient and Army Veteran, Jevon brings a unique blend of resilience, authenticity, and strategic thinking to his engagements. He captivates audiences with his ability to inspire actionable change, making him a sought-after speaker for organizations looking to elevate leadership effectiveness and organizational performance. Jevon’s insights on leadership and growth strategies have been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Fast Company.