Live 2023: Los Angeles

David Bator thinks and writes about how work could work. David leads Achievers Workforce Institute, a strategic practice whose focus on Research, Community and Advisory empowers global executives with tactical, practical approaches to changing how the world works.

David is passionate about people, and has spent the last 20 years working closely and consultatively with HR, IT and Communications leaders to build programs that position individuals, teams and companies to grow.

Jess Brown is the Vice President of Marketing at Cariloop, a comprehensive caregiving solution for employees. With a decade of experience in employer-sponsored caregiving benefits, Jess, has served on the front lines of advocating for working parents and senior caregivers during the most critical waves of change in this industry. Previously at LearnLux, and Care. Com, Jess has demonstrated experience in supporting employers and employees with solutions that both support working families and corporate strategies. 

Nicole Hancock Husband is Vice President of People & Culture, leading the HR team for the Warner Bros. Television Group, which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery. In her role, Nicole is responsible for managing the HR team that supports Chairman Channing Dungey as well as the hundreds of employees that work for WBTV. This includes negotiating executive contracts, managing employee relations matters, and coaching and guiding TV employees on many other HR matters.

Before joining HR in 2015, Nicole served as Vice President & Senior Employment Counsel for Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. where she managed the defense of employment litigation, negotiated favorable resolutions of employment claims, and counseled clients on a wide range of day-to-day employment issues.  Before joining
Warner Bros. in April 2004, Nicole was an employment litigation associate at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  Nicole also clerked for the Hon. Gerald Bruce Lee (Ret.) of the U.S. District Court (E.D.V.A.) and the Hon. Gregory K. Scott (Ret.) of the Colorado Supreme Court.  Nicole graduated cum laude from Howard University School of Law and with honors from The Ohio State University (B.S., Finance & International Business). 

Nicole is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, having obtained her coaching certification from The Coaches Training Institute in 2012. A frequent speaker and panelist, Nicole enjoys teaching and training on leadership, personal growth/development, and employment law issues. In her spare time, she loves salsa dancing, Zumba, coloring, games and puzzles, and, most of all, spending time with her husband and 12-year-old daughter.

Jerrold has served as the senior vice president and chief human resources officer for several large-scale, billion-dollar companies, such as Stater Bros. Markets, Hostess Brands and Daymon Worldwide.  He has led all aspects of human resources and has built a reputation as an innovative problem-solver with strategic business acumen.  Jerrold also spent almost a decade in various human resources leadership positions across marketing, sales, and supply chain for the Kellogg Company.

Over the course of his almost twenty years of human resources experience, he has developed and led global human resources teams, while working directly with C-suite and board leaders.  In addition to his practical and hands-on human resources experience, Jerrold has been a licensed attorney for over fifteen years. 

Jerrold is a sought-after speaker, creatively illustrating how he has brought strategic and actionable insights to complex, real-world business challenges.  He now lends his experience and expertise to business leaders by leading them to building and maintaining the optimal cultural to deliver their desired business results.

Jerrold earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Michigan State University College of Law, Cum Laude, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University, along with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, from Liberty University.

Eric Ueno is currently the SVP of Human Resources for Hot Topic Inc. The company is comprised of two retail omni-channel brands, Hot Topic and BoxLunch, and a direct-to-consumer and wholesale business, Her Universe.
 
Eric has over 30 years of HR experience across various industries. Most recently, he was the VP of HR at Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, a women’s denim company.  Previously, he served in HR leadership roles with Gymboree, the Walt Disney Co. and Xerox Corp. 
 
His favorite music is ‘70s pop and ’80 dance music.  Eric watches way too much TV, including a lot of Netflix and PBS.  And he’s a huge fan of anything Marvel.

Faith E. Pinho is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and the creator and host of a narrative podcast the Times is set to launch in Spring 2023. Faith has covered a dynamic range of stories, from California wildfires to weird-looking fish. Her reporting on the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election and the Jan. 6 insurrection earned national attention and awards. Faith is also an active member of her union and a mentor to student journalists. Aside from journalism, Faith is co-founder of the Crimson Community Mentorship Program, an organization to connect high school students with mentors in her hometown of Everett, Massachusetts.

Kimberley Fernandes is the Vice President & Head of Learning and Organizational Development at The Wonderful Company. 

Michael Watson is a talent acquisition expert and artificial intelligence enthusiast who is dedicated to using cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize the world of work. Michael's passion for work began in his early life, as he grew up with military parents who instilled in him the values of hard work, dedication, and service to others. His father dropped out of high school at 16 to join the Navy, and his mother served in both the Air Force and Marines, so Michael knows firsthand the importance of having a strong work ethic and a sense of purpose.  After years of experience in corporate HR and talent acquisition for companies such as Aerotek, Robert Half, Polycom, Western Digital, Workday, Rambus, and Gigamon, Michael joined the artificial intelligence startup Eightfold.ai. As a former customer of Eightfold.ai, he has unique first-hand knowledge of how AI is being used to hire and retain talent.

At Eightfold, Michael is part of a team that is using AI for good, mapping skills to opportunities and enabling the right career for everyone in the world. As the Head of Global Customer Evangelism for Eightfold's products and solutions, Michael frequently interacts with business leaders, customer executives and government officials to amplify the power of Eightfold’s artificial intelligence (AI) and their vision to use artificial intelligence for good and enable the right career for everyone in the world. Michael believes that AI has the potential to help individuals find fulfilling and meaningful work, and he is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to the right career opportunities. He is passionate about helping individuals find work that aligns with their unique skills and interests, and he believes that AI can be a powerful tool to help people achieve their career goals.

Michael is a thought leader in the field of talent acquisition and artificial intelligence, and he is committed to using his expertise to help organizations and individuals navigate the rapidly changing world of work. He is the author of 2 books; Career AI: Navigating the Job Market in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and The AI-Powered HR Professional. He is a frequent speaker and writer on topics related to AI, talent acquisition, and career development, and he is always looking for new and innovative ways to use technology to improve people's lives. Michael attended Fresno State University where he studied Criminology.

When he is not working, Michael is busy working on his family's farm and dedicates a lot of time to coaching youth baseball and softball in his community. He is married and has two children.

Octavius Black CBE is the Co-Founder and CEO of MindGym, which he co-founded in 2000. An entrepreneur, philanthropist, best-selling author and former business columnist, Octavius was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in King Charles III’s 2023 New Year Honours for his services to entrepreneurship, business, life sciences, and community. Octavius has co-authored MindGym’s four books and has written in The Times, Financial Times and The Sunday Telegraph. Prior to founding MindGym, Octavius was a director of the organisational communications consultancy Smythe Dorward Lambert and prior to that he was an analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton. Octavius read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at The Queen’s College, Oxford University.

Rita Stall is the Senior Director of Digital Operations at Tech Elevator. In her role, she is responsible for setting strategies for digital growth to build opportunities and maximize reach to students and hiring partners across the country.  

Rita has been in workforce development and talent operations for over 15+ years and has coached an extraordinarily diverse range of clients. In addition to one-on-one coaching, she worked with thousands of organizations from across the United States, supporting successful staff transitions and career advancement programs. Her passion is developing career pathways for individuals seeking more challenging and fulfilling careers.

Avenica CEO Scott Dettman is a dynamic leader with a strong track record of driving growth through transformation and innovation in the human capital arena.

Scott joined Avenica in 2019 following a six-year stint with ManpowerGroup that included progressive leadership roles spanning analytics and transformation to general management and business development.

Scott has a master’s degree and Ph.D. (ABD) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and most recently completed an Executive Leadership program at Harvard Business School.

Christina Rivera Glennon is Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs and Operations for LS&Co. with over 15 years
of experience in program management, social impact, military affairs, nonprofit management, culture and engagement, and
leadership development.

Christina brings a unique corporate and nonprofit career background, having held leadership roles with Yum! Brands, Taco
Bell Corporation, Starbucks and Sears Holdings as well as nonprofits such as Team Rubicon Global and The Honor Foundation. Christina is a veteran of the United States Army and serves as a subject-matter expert on military
transition programs and veteran/military spouse hiring.

Christina holds a master’s degree from Northeastern University in Corporate and Organizational Communications as well as a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Northern Illinois University. She also has a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion for
HR from Cornell University. Christina is a first-generation American and a native Chicagoan, currently living in Orange County, CA with her partner and two young children.

Matt Stone is business leader and irrepressible optimist who believes that in business and life, we all either win together or we all lose together. As Senior Solutions Consultant for Attuned, Matt enjoys helping businesses make work more meaningful for their most important asset – their people. His passion for supporting human-centered leaders was ignited from the privilege of a ten-year mentorship by a renowned MIT organizational psychologist. Through that relationship, Matt deepened his understanding of both the art and science of human behavior – the drivers that motivate people to accelerate toward their potential and create the conditions for high trust, exceptional performance, and personal fulfillment.

Matt also draws on broad experience over twenty-five years as a business development professional, entrepreneur, and former practicing attorney. He brings a global perspective to all of his engagements, having spent over fifteen years of his life living in Europe and Asia. Matt has been a speaker and facilitator on leadership and communication at various events and conferences including the Organization Development Network Conference in the U.S. He has also provided executive facilitation and consulting services in Europe and Asia. Matt earned his B.A. in History from the Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon, and his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii. He is also a Results Trained Coach (NeuroLeadership Institute), trained in learning design, and is a certified mediator. Matt and his wife currently live in the New York City area.

Natasha Wahid is the Head of Content at Blueboard. She’s a natural storyteller who found her niche helping companies connect to their audiences through thoughtful communication. She believes in building spaces—both personal and professional—where people can be their full selves without fear or shame. She’s a seasoned speaker who’s presented at marketing conferences across the U.S. and is an alum of the incredible Shine Bootcamp (google it!)

When she’s not writing words for work, you’ll find Natasha hiking in the BC mountains, reading, laughing with friends, guzzling black coffee, and chasing sunshine.

Karen Moore-Jackson is the Executive Director of Recruitment at Pepperdine University's
Graziadio School of Business. She is also the President and founder of Pro Education Consulting
LLC, a leadership training and recruitment firm. Karen is the Board President of Donna Sternberg Dance Company and a member of Channel Islands Link Inc. She holds a master's degree in organizational leadership from Brandman University and a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Chapman University. Karen is a mother of three and enjoys hiking, cycling, and running 5Ks.

Bertha is the Executive Director of California for NPower. In this capacity she leads the operations, strategic planning, expansion, and the long-term vision for the region. NPower is a national nonprofit and premier technology training organization. They bridge the skills gap for young adults and military-connected individuals from underserved communities and help them launch thriving careers in tech.
NPower’s mission is to create pathways to prosperity for veterans, their spouses, and young adults aged 18 to 26 from underserved backgrounds. The organization achieves this by enrolling individuals in their programs teaching tech fundamentals, cybersecurity, and cloud computing, equipping them with the necessary skills and certifications to thrive in the tech workforce. She was drawn to NPower for its mission, leadership, and results-focused vision. Bertha has over 20 years of experience in workforce development and post-secondary education pathways. Prior to joining NPower Bertha worked at Great Minds in STEM and at an America’s Jobs Center site in various leadership roles. She holds an M.S. in Public Administration and a B.S. in Sociology both from California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA). She has earned certifications in Human Resource, Public Policy, and Executive Leadership Management.

As CEO, Shilpa Pherwani collaborates with leaders to develop innovative, engaging solutions to dismantle systemic inequities and leverage diversity for success. An organizational psychologist by training, she builds trusting, long-term relationships through deep listening and meeting people where they are. Pherwani helps her clients—which include American Airlines, Google, ESPN, Microsoft, Xerox, Gannett/USA Today, Sun Life Financial and University of Missouri—push boundaries to creatively move DEI dialogue to the next level while creating a culture of accountability. Her solutions are scalable, global and sustainable.

As an entrepreneur and thought leader, Pherwani has developed a leading proprietary tool for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) assessment, the Inclusive Organization Framework, which rates fourteen different areas of organizations to gauge where strategic focus can ensure the most progress. She also drives behavioral change at the individual level. Under Pherwani’s leadership, IBIS creates thousands of unforgettable learner moments every month. Booming client demand for Interactive Theater and Instructor-Led Training has matched interest in the firm’s award-winning E-Learning on racial equity and unconscious bias.

Her experience as an immigrant from India, which has guided her to value what she brings to the community rather than assimilate to a dominant culture, is a cornerstone she’s impressed upon her own children as well as her business. Since 1999, Pherwani has led IBIS to partner with powerful companies and universities as they run DEI assessments, develop strategic diversity action plans, and create and deliver nimble, ever-changing DEI curriculum.

“I approach DEI with an abundance mentality,” says Pherwani. “Inclusion signals scarcity to some, but the end goal is equity for all. It takes being intentional about culture to make the shift from ‘us versus them’ thinking. I work with clients to transform the workplace environment from one that tolerates differences to one that truly leverages them—where everyone feels a sense of belonging and can ultimately thrive.”

Teja Arboleda is the Chief of Global Creative Services at IBIS. He oversees all aspects of global and corporate-focused content development, storytelling and production for interactive theater, digital media and eLearning. He also manages IBIS’ global training and consulting initiative. Arboleda’s international, intercultural and mixed-race lived-experiences have given him the unique ability to understand cultural perspectives and facilitate cross-cultural dialogue on complex issues relating to diversity, equity and
inclusion.

Emtrain founder and CEO Janine Yancey is a passionate advocate for healthy workplace cultures. Janine’s unique approach blends technology, behavioral science, data analytics, and social media-inspired interactions to help inform and improve workplace behavior. Janine presides over a team of experts and an extensive library of content including courses, video, resource guides, checklists and analytic reports that define the modern workplace.

Janine is a proponent of neutral, third-party guidance and problem-solving. By orchestrating a publicly-accessible community interface for employee questions and concerns, Janine stays at the forefront of real-world, real-time harassment, bias, discrimination, and ethics issues.

A tireless visionary, Janine writes extensively, has provided expert testimony and advice to state legislatures, and helps leading companies implement harassment prevention, diversity, ethics, and compliance programs. Janine is a sought-after speaker and has been published and interviewed in the mainstream media including The Washington Post, Fast Company, USA Today, Bloomberg Business, TechCrunch, and Startup Grind. She’s presented at Society of Ethics and Compliance; Techstars FounderCon; Founders Network, and The Club.

Prior to founding Emtrain, Janine was a partner at Employment Law Partners where she specialized in solving labor and employment problems for high tech firms including Google, Intuit and a variety of start-ups. Janine also worked as counsel at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, served as Board Member of the Northern California Human Resources Association, and authored The HR Handbook, designed to help young tech companies navigate workplace laws.

Janine earned her JD at the University of California Hastings School of Law and a BA in English and Political Science at the University of California Berkeley.

Marty Mickelson is a Sales Executive at AXOMO. 

Darren Chiappetta is Global Head of Employee Relations & Workforce Compliance for Roku. Previously, he was the Vice President, People, Employee Relations & Policy at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Nick Wolny is a personal finance journalist and the finance columnist for Out Magazine. He has previously contributed to Fast Company, Business Insider, and Fortune magazine, writing about work life, portfolio careers, digital well-being and LGBTQ policy. Nick is currently working on his first book, “Money Proud”, a book for queer people focused on career fulfillment and financial well-being, scheduled to publish with HarperCollins in 2026. An Illinois boy at heart, he’s now based in Los Angeles.

Stacy Perman is an enterprise staff writer for Company Town covering the business of the film industry at the Los Angeles Times. A former writer and correspondent for Time and Businessweek, her work has appeared in a number of publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Inc. and the Hollywood Reporter. She has written about the Getty, the nasty implosion over the deal to buy Aman Resorts; profiled Martha Stewart, Samantha Bee, and a Hasidic rabbi who is also a Malibu surfing legend, and has investigated Uber’s strained relationship with women and the murder of her childhood best friend and her family. She is also the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-The-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules.

Until her recent retirement, Margot Roosevelt covered California economic, labor and workplace issues as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. A former environmental reporter for the Times, she previously wrote for TIME magazine as a foreign and national correspondent, for the Washington Post on the Congressional beat, and for the Orange County Register focusing on business and the Southern California economy.

Katya Davydova's mission is to create a more joyful world. By day, she is an expert leadership facilitator at LifeLabs Learning, teaching managers, executives, and individual contributors essential skills like strategic thinking, communication, and feedback. She is also the author of Joy in Plain Sight, a collection of stories and essays celebrating wonder in the ordinary against the backdrop of our always-on, always-busy world. Katya received her BA in cognitive science and psychology from the University of Virginia (Echols Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa), and her MS with highest honors in organizational development and knowledge management from George Mason University. Her prior expertise is in people operations, higher education, and consulting, namely, creating company-wide learning and culture programs for large organizations and facilitating workshops and conferences using human-centered design. When she's not working, you can find her exploring both city streets and especially wild trails, adding to her collection of plants, and learning about people in their everyday moments.

Marisa Morgan is a true LA native. Marisa has been in the hospitality industry for over 2 decades. For the last decade, Marisa has excelled in corporate sales and has worked with the top brands, small businesses, restaurant chains, and fortune 500 companies. She was a small business owner herself and owned and managed a restaurant for several years called Chronic Tacos. Currently she has been at Grubhub for almost 2 years as an Enterprises Sales Executive covering the territory in Southern California. She loves working on the Grubhub Corporate Team to help businesses facilitate food ordering to their staff. Her goto phrase is Carpe Diem & live life to the fullest!

Matthew Kessler has 15+ years of experience building and leading world-class, high-performing revenue teams. Prior to joining Snappy, he honed his skills in sales, customer-centricity, and leadership at Torch, The Active Network, and Glassdoor. At Glassdoor, he headed up the Global Sales Organization – overseeing revenue growth from $18M – > $500M during his tenure.

Heather Caruso, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion & Faculty Co-Director, Inclusive Ethics Initiative at UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Jean-Rene Zetrenne – or JR – is the Chief People Officer at United Talent Agency, a leading global
talent, entertainment and sports company. JR is a dynamic, innovative and growth-oriented executive
who leads UTA’s People functions across its global offices.

At UTA, he works to foster a rich and collaborative culture by building dynamic, diverse and highly-driven
teams. He is well-regarded for his relationship-driven approach, where he partners with leaders and
employees to strategize around the critical issues impacting talent, culture and business today. With deep experience working at leading global companies, JR understands that competitive advantage in the
marketplace is very much influenced by a company's ability to attract, develop and retain high-caliber
talent that is in touch with and able to successfully deliver within changing market dynamics. He and his
teams have built world-class programs with significant impact on powering the business including DEI,
organizational design, company acquisition integration, merging cultures, leadership development,
performance management, employee engagement and more.

Prior to UTA, JR served as the Chief Talent Officer at Ogilvy USA for more than a decade. He led Ogilvy’s
people strategy for its 3000 North American employees. He also has held senior human resources
positions with Gillette, L’Oreal, Pepsico and Accenture.

Jean Rene has an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Science
from Boston University. He also serves on boards including; Council of Urban Professionals (CUP),
Waldorf School of Garden City, and he is a member of Board of Trustees at the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater.

Mark Atkinson is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Mursion, Inc., the nation’s leading virtual reality, simulation platform, where professionals develop the human skills required to be effective in high-stakes careers. Mursion has deployed its simulation platform to hundreds of Fortune 1,000 corporations, non-profits, and schools of nursing, business, and education.  Mursion’s highly emotive avatars help learners improve their active listening skills, conversational turn-taking, de-escalation of conflict, effective feedback, and problem-solving skills.  Mr. Atkinson is the Founder of TeachForward, LLC, a virtual coaching platform for K-12 educators that offers programs for alternative certification and professional licensure. Mr. Atkinson founded and served as CEO of Teachscape Inc. Prior to launching a career in educational technology and workforce development, Mr. Atkinson served as Senior Producer and Manager of New Markets for CBS News Productions and worked as an Emmy award-winning News Producer for Peter Jennings Reporting, ABC News, where he produced a series of network specials on U.S. foreign policy in Bosnia, Haiti, and Iraq. He is a recipient of the Alfred I. DuPont Columbia University “Gold Baton” for his work in Bosnia. 

Miki Cisic is the Vice President of Revenue at Northstar where he’s helping the team to deliver financial wellness for the 100%. He was most recently at Lob, and is also a Google, Meraki, and Cisco alum. Originally from Bosnia, he lives in San Francisco where he enjoys being a local tourist, exploring the outdoors, and picking up new hobbies. He speaks 5 languages and is always open to making new connections.

Amy Baker is the Vice President & People Officer of Corporate Functions at Activision Blizzard. 

Brian Padilla currently serves as Vice President, Human Resources Business Partner for Lionsgate Entertainment. In his role, Brian leads strategic HR Business Partnerships across Lionsgate’s Television Businesses, which include Scripted & Unscripted Television Production, and Worldwide Television Distribution. Brian also leads Production HR, which services Lionsgate’s slate of active television and motion picture productions.

Prior to joining Lionsgate, he held progressive roles in HR at companies such as Miramax, Creative Artists Agency, and NBC Entertainment.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Massachusetts’ College of Liberal Arts, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and an Executive Master of Professional Studies in
Human Resource Management from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations. Brian is an avid supporter of live classical music and an amateur pianist. He currently resides in the Los Angeles area.