Concurrent Session

Dan Berger is a partner at the immigration law firm of Curran, Berger & Kludt in Northampton, MA.

Dan developed his interest in immigration in college, where he studied immigration history and taught English to adult refugees. He is a founding member of the US Alliance of International Entrepreneurs, an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, on the Legal Advisory Board of the Presidents’ Alliance on Immigration & Higher Education, and a member of the USCIS Headquarters liaison committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Dan has edited Immigration Options for Academics and Researchers and the Diplomatic Visa Guide. He wrote an Issue Brief for the American Council on Education (ACE) after the 2016 election, and was a co-author on a “Note” on immigration in 2017 for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA).

Dr. Michael Baran is the CEO of Iris Inclusion, a global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) firm. Dr. Baran draws on his own social science research to inform his DEI speaking engagements, writings, consulting, leadership development, and eLearning. After teaching at Harvard University, he has been supporting DEI in organizations for 20 years. His work has been covered in the New York Times, BBC, Forbes, CNN, NPR, and more.

His recent book, Subtle Acts of Exclusion, was named by Forbes as one of “The 11 Books To Read To Be A More Inclusive Leader” and has won several awards.

Deb is driven by an obsession to do things the right way, particularly in employee relations, where she has spent her career championing excellence and effectively managing workplace investigations. After serving in executive HR roles at numerous Fortune 500 companies like Honeywell, Citibank, and Marsh & McLennan, Deb launched HR Acuity to create technology with built-in expertise and equip organizations to manage employee relations more strategically. Deb provides a wealth of real-world experience and guidance to help companies strengthen processes, transform workplace culture, and elevate employee relations as a strategic driver of business success. 

Sara Taylor, President and Founder of deepSEE Consulting, has 35 years of extensive experience, nationally recognized as in the practice of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion serving local, national and global clients. While her areas of specialty are in both Diversity and Leadership Development, Sara has become a thought leader particularly in the field of Cultural Competence. Her bestselling book, Filter Shift: How Effective People SEE the World, is used by numerous individuals and organizations to increase success and create greater effectiveness. Sara holds a Master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development and, prior to founding deepSEE, held positions such as Chief Diversity Officer and Leadership and Diversity Specialist.

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.

Jesse Raney Bridges is the Senior VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at EVERFI. She provides subject matter expertise to shape inclusive and equitable workplaces, higher education institutions and K12 schools. Jesse’s approach blends a strategic focus on organizational policy, practice and culture, with empowering individuals through behavior based skill building to create sustainable change. Her background in counseling, behavioral science, storytelling and practical DEI experience informs her work. Jesse has successfully architected the role of the DEI Strategist in 3 separate organizations. Jesse’s work can be found in outlets including HR.com and Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Chelsea C. Williams is an Entrepreneur, Workplace Educator, and Professional Speaker, dedicated to building empowered, high-performing leaders.

As the Founder & CEO of Reimagine Talent Co., a national talent and workforce development firm, Chelsea’s team powers customized, actionable learning solutions that build human potential, drive marketplace outcomes, and benefit communities.

Reimagine Talent partners with employers, educational institutions, and nonprofits to enhance employee engagement, development, and retention, with a focus on creating synergy across multi-generational workplaces.

A Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur, Tory Burch Fellowship Alumna, and JP Morgan Chase Entrepreneurial Woman of Impact, Chelsea is a trusted thought leader on talent development, inclusive leadership, and the future of work. She regularly contributes to CNBC, Fast Company, Forbes, and more.

With a decade of experience in global human resources on Wall Street and a B.A. in Economics from Spelman College, Chelsea is passionate about cultivating connected workplaces that drive lasting impact.

When she’s not leading Reimagine Talent, Chelsea enjoys traveling, training for races, and spending quality time with her family.

Charina P. Garcia is a partner and immigration attorney at Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP where she manages the firm’s Northern California – Oakland office. She represents and advises many Fortune 500 and start-up companies, as well as individuals on both employment and family-based immigration matters.  Charina is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She has served on the Executive Board of the Northern California Chapter of AILA and was the Vice-Chair of the AILA National Liaison Committee for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service’s California Service Center. In addition, Charina has served on the Board of Directors for Filipino Advocates for Justice (formerly Filipinos for Affirmative Action) and has previously served on the Board for the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC). She was also a member of the faculty of Law Review CLE, Sterling Education Services and Lorman Education Services, which provides continuing education seminars.

David has been in the mobility space for over 10+ years supporting and managing relocation, immigration, tax compliance/support for global mobile employees who are increasingly becoming global nomads.  From global firms with highly sophisticated programs (General Electric, Alstom, GlaxoSmithKline) to small/medium sized growth businesses (Deckers Outdoors, Procore) looking to open/expand their international presence, it has been a non-stop and fascinating journey.  We are now pivoting from having just traditional expatriate/global assignments to adding more short-term assignments, rotations, Local Plus, and remote work arrangements.  I constantly learn from other mobility professionals (corporate and mobility service partners) on approaches and best practices.  There is no one way of doing things.  It is about how we address or solve an issue based on our company’s culture, practices, cost, and level of risk.  Having a sense of humor is a must in this role!  I’m also a third generation lemon farmer.  When life gives you lemons, enjoy it in a beverage, cocktail, or on grilled items!

Erin McDermit is a partner and employment attorney at M&H, LLP in San Francisco. Erin provides strategic employment advice to employers and executives on a wide range of complex California employment laws. Throughout her legal career Erin has advised companies of all sizes, providing tailored advice to help her clients approach issues from a practical standpoint and reduce the risk of litigation.  Erin has litigated numerous employment disputes, representing companies and executives in court proceedings, arbitration, mediation, and before government enforcement agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) and the California Labor Commissioner at the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE”).  Erin has written numerous articles on California employment laws and frequently speaks to Human Resources organizations, community organizations, and to management teams about new employment laws and other employment-related topics. She has also been a guest lecturer at Santa Clara University Law School.

Erin holds a J.D. from Santa Clara University where she was a Cali award-winner in Employment Law and Comments Editor for the Santa Clara Law Review. She also holds a B.A. with honors in Communications from Mills College and attended The Putney School in Vermont.

John Quill is the Member and Chair of Mintz’ Immigration practice. John’s practice encompasses all aspects of immigration and nationality law. John draws on over two decades of experience to help companies and their employees obtain nonimmigrant visas, including B, E, H, J, L, O, and TN visas. He also handles applications for PERM labor certification; extraordinary ability, outstanding researcher, and national interest waiver petitions; adjustment of status procedures; consular processing; and naturalization. John has distinguished himself in the use of legal operations and technology to streamline practices and develop innovative solutions to challenging legal and case production issues. He represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including biotechnology, FinTech, hospitals & health systems, insurance, financial services, retailers, education, consulting, and staffing services.