Concurrent Session

Rowena Crosbie is President of Tero International. Since 1993, Tero has earned a distinguished reputation as a premier research and corporate training organization with thousands of graduates from more than 40 countries. Crosbie has authored several articles, many published in International Journals and Magazines and she is currently collaborating on a book titled Powering Down to Power Up, which addresses the unique risks of misalignment in business communication in a high tech, interconnected world. She was honored as the Woman of Influence Business Owner of the Year by the Des Moines Business Record in 2009 and was named Executive of the Year by Executive Women International, Iowa Chapter, in 2004.

Kevin Pitts is an executive coach, motivational speaker and facilitator. He has conducted seminars and coached executives across the United States as well as in countries such as India, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Singapore to name a few.  Mr. Pitts has over 20 years experience partnering with senior leaders to identify and develop leadership talent, improve performance, manage change, and transform teams.  He, also, has over 20 years experience as a consultant working with global organizations to facilitate the management of budgets, develop organizational capabilities, marketing/product strategies and customer acquisition strategies. 

A sought-after Global Diversity Strategist and HR advisor, Laraine Kaminsky is an energetic and engaging speaker and a recognized leader in the fields of global diversity, cross-cultural awareness, language training, mentoring and consulting. With a focus on cultural, racial, religious, gender, generational and sexual orientation issues from a global perspective, she works with leadership teams and organizations to develop the competencies and skills needed to adapt to the realities of diversity in the ever-changing world of work.

Laraine’s contribution and commitment to her field of expertise has been widely recognized by the industry and communicated both through her writings and presentations. Laraine takes a well-rounded approach to expanding her own competence, and draws from life experience, study, research, and travel – in particular, she enjoys exploring a culture from the seat of her bicycle.
 

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.”

Pat joined Out & Equal Workplace Advocates in 2008 and is now the Director of Training.  She has expanded the classroom, online and asynchronous diversity training for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) cultural competency during her tenure and now is extending that reach to global LGBT workplace equality.  Out & Equal recently completed their first Global LGBT Workplace Summit in London and the lessons learned from corporations and agencies around the world are an integral part of the work Pat does.

Margaret Regan is President & CEO of The FutureWork Institute, a global consulting firm that translates future trends to transform organizations. She helps clients achieve a MindShift, HeartShift and SkillShift in creating more inclusive/flexible workplaces. She has worked on HR and generational practices in Asia, mergers in Europe, cross-cultural executive education and women’s studies on four continents. She has appeared on NBC-TV’s "Today Show", "CBS This Morning", "NBC Nightly News" and CNN. She is featured on "Close-Up TV" as the CEO of one of the most innovative businesses in the U.S., in CNN/Money as the expert on future workplace trends and in Business Week for FutureWork’s creative approach to “my-job my-way, “my-business our way” and “my perks my-way.” She received the Diversity Innovation Award for this and for her ground-breaking work on diversity education in the virtual world.

Joshua Crary was born with Choroideremia (CHM), a rare, inherited eye disorder that causes retinal deterioration and blindness. 26-year-old Josh is currently serving as Diversity Programs Advisor in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at Berklee College of Music. 

Josh attended undergraduate study at the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Sociology with a dual minor in Women Studies and Race, Class and Power.  He currently is working on an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Boston College.  His experience is strongly rooted in student advocacy for accessibility, universal design of culture and empowering students to become messengers of social justice.  Additionally, Josh works to motivate others with disabilities to go after their most extreme goals by training and running in various marathons.

James Wright of JamesWantsToKnowYou.com is a dynamic and compelling leader with a track record of delivering practical roadmaps for increasing Inclusion and Diversity in global corporations such as Apple Inc., LinkedIn, NBCUniversal, and Time Warner (now WarnerMedia). A featured guest on NBC and FOX, Wright’s articles and commentary appear frequently on LinkedIn and his expertise has been included in The Washington Post as well as several SHRM articles. 

In his practice, James offers transformative training solutions on Gender Equality, Unconscious Bias, Improving Race Relations, and Generational Diversity. In addition, James introduced The Language of Inclusion - a free download of over 135 key terms and definitions to help organizations find a common language to Inclusion. With increased focus on gender and LGBTQIA+ equality, James believes it is important to update these terms to signal where we are today in our journey to ensure diverse communities are truly seen, heard, and valued.

James attended Erskine College in SC & The Catholic University of America in Washington DC.

Over the past 20 years, Bill Fenson has served thousands of individuals with career development, employment counseling, career alignment, job transitions, and small business success. Bill has relocated to Texas from upstate New York, where he started The Skills Emporium, LLC, a private consulting practice. He is a published author of a research book, Implementing and Managing Telework: A Guide for Those Who Make It Happen.

Bill is a past president of the National Employment Counseling Association and has attained their highest honor: the Judy Gohegan-Doi Award of Distinguished Service (March 2008). Additionally, Bill has several years of experience with direct service to veterans, including a close working relationship with Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) and Local Veteran Employment Representatives (LVER) and their direct referrals at workforce centers.

Bill holds a Master of Science in Career and Human Resources Development from the Rochester Institute of Technology.