Maris Krieger is the  Senior Director, Talent Programs at the Hearst Corporation.

Lydia Dishman is Fast Company’s senior editor for growth and engagement. She has also written for CBS Moneywatch, Fortune, The Guardian, Popular Science, and the New York Times, among others.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, The Washington Post, Quartz at Work, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton joined The Denver Post in January 2022 as a business reporter, focusing her coverage on social inequities in business. She writes for Smithsonian Magazine, Delish, Eater and other publications. She covers the Hawaiian diaspora for Ka Wai Ola, a Hawaiʻi-based newspaper. She also serves as a faculty adjunct at Arizona State University, teaching Media Issues in American Pop Culture. 

For two years, she chased after lawmakers on Capitol Hill as Bloomberg Government's agriculture and trade policy reporter. Megan has covered the Venezuelan refugee crisis in Peru, parliamentary affairs in England, White House press briefings in Washington, D.C., and the cannabis industry in Colorado.

Dr. Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He trained at Columbia and Harvard, studying empathy and kindness in the human brain. He is interested in human connection and how we can learn to connect better. His new book is “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness,” which bestselling author Adam Grant described this way: “If you think hope is naïve and cynicism is wise, get ready to think again. Jamil Zaki is at the forefront of the science of beliefs, and he shows that refusing to see possibility makes it impossible to solve problems. This book is a ray of light for dark days.” 

Prior to joining MiTek, Dr. Rotolo serviced as Vice President of Global Talent Management and Organization Development for PepsiCo, where his team was responsible for the global core HR people processes including the employee surveys, performance management, leadership development and feedback, career development tools, team effectiveness and early pipeline succession management. Christopher led the design and launch of
PepsiCo’s LeAD program for high potential assessment and identification. This program went on to win
SHRM/SIOP’s HR Impact Award in 2018 as well as several Brandon Hall Awards (2017, 2018, 2020). Prior
to joining PepsiCo, Christopher led the Leadership Strategy and Research team within IBM’s Global
Executive and Organization Capability group, where he was responsible for developing IBM’s strategy for
leadership assessment and development. Christopher’s other experiences include the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Hay Group, as well as running his own consulting firm.
Dr. Rotolo has presented over 50 sessions at professional conferences spanning over 30 years, and has
authored over 30 articles and book chapters focusing on the topics of leadership, high potential, culture,
and talent assessment. In 2015, he and his co-authors were awarded the Elliot Jaques Memorial Best
Paper of the Year Award from the Consulting Psychology Journal for their submission “How are top
companies designing and managing their high-potential programs?”
Since 2003, Dr. Rotolo has been an adjunct professor at New York University’s Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences in the school’s Master’s program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He teaches
Hiring & Selection, Organizational Climate and Culture, Training & Development, and Consumer
Psychology. He has also taught at Columbia Teacher’s College and Sacred Heart University.
Dr. Rotolo earned his Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Old Dominion University in
Norfolk, Virginia and his M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at University of Central Florida. His
Bachelors of Science was in Psychology from the University of Florida. He is a Fellow of the Society for
Industrial and Organizational Psychology and past-president of Metropolitan New York Association of
Applied Psychology.

Steve has spent the last ten years of his career building technology that helps people to learn, grow, and connect. Before starting Campfire, he spent 5 years at Instructure building a talent management platform focused on career development and human performance. He worked with product, marketing, sales, and strategy teams to grow the business from the ground up to $27 million in annual revenue. While with Instructure, he worked with teams at Disney, Tesla, Lululemon, Johnson and Johnson, and other global brands to strengthen their talent management practices.

Now, Steve is focused primarily on finding ways for people to learn and grow through connected learning experiences called Campfires. The business has strong investment and is responsible for training hundreds of managers in the key skills needed to effectively lead teams. Steve’s experience in technology, content, facilitation, and talent management provide a rich mix of skills for solving these challenges.

Campfire was founded in 2020 at the very beginning of the pandemic and has benefitted from the changes and shifts that allow for us to consider new ways of connecting and working with each other. Steve has three co-founders - Todd, Taylor, and Marinne - who are all passionate about the mission of providing universal access to connected learning experiences.

Matthew is the Head of Future of Work Thought Leadership at Microsoft.

Marcus is the Future of Work Strategist at Infor.

Bhavna is the VP, Talent Enablement + Engagement at SiriusXM.

Sumana Srikurmam is the Head of HR for the Network Services Business Unit at Tech Mahindra.

Tech Mahindra, an IT services and consulting organization, operates in over 90 countries, serving more than 1100 global customers, including numerous Fortune 500 companies. As part of the Mahindra Group, one of India’s largest business conglomerates, Tech Mahindra leverages next-generation technologies such as 5G, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence to drive end-to-end digital transformation for its clients. In 2024, Tech Mahindra was honored with the “Best AI Company of the Year” award at the Global AI Summit & Awards by the All-India Council for Robotics & Automation (AICRA), recognizing its exceptional contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and automation.

As the Global HR Head for the Network Services Business Unit, Sumana oversees HR operations for 4500 employees across 50 countries. She along with her team are dedicated to developing innovative programs that support talent development and growth and organizational success. With over 20 years of experience in HR, Sumana has a proven track record in strategic thinking, leadership development, change management, cultural shaping, acquisitions, and fostering talent growth.

Rebecca Warren is the Director of Talent Centered Transformation, at Eightfold AI and has been in and around the TA space for 15+ years at a variety of organizations and industries in both full-time and consulting roles. She has been at Eightfold for just over a year in customer success and the president of the Arizona Recruiters Networking Community (part of the Recruiters Network) and is passionate about helping people succeed.

Laura Mazzullo is the founder and owner of East Side Staffing \, a boutique recruitment firm in NYC focused on the placement of experienced HR professionals. In addition to search, Laura offers Consulting and Coaching to clients all over the globe who are looking to learn how to hire better, upskill their Internal Talent Acquisition teams, and/or train hiring managers. Laura is always looking for new ways to innovate and best partner with her HR network to improve the skill of hiring. Led by the values of Kindness, Curiosity and Humility, Laura combines her recruitment expertise with a consultative approach to offer tailored partnership for her clients.

Jaime McMahon is the Chief Digital Officer at LineZero, a technology company focused on enabling organizations to unlock their digital potential. With extensive experience in the technology industry, Jaime has worked with businesses of all sizes to drive growth through digital transformation. Jaime is a highly sought-after speaker on various technology solutions and has delivered talks hosted by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Facebook, and VMWare throughout North America. His passion for democratizing technology and shifting the perception of its role in business from a cost-centric focus to a strategic enabler of positive outcomes is evident in his work. At LineZero, Jaime is dedicated to leveraging technology to help companies achieve their goals and optimize their operations. His expertise and leadership have positioned LineZero as a trusted partner for organizations seeking to drive innovation and growth through digital transformation. With this deep understanding of the technology landscape, Jaime is committed to providing tailored solutions that empower businesses to thrive in today’s digital age.

Anita Jivani is the Global Head of Innovation at Avanade. 

Matt specializes in leadership development, diversity & inclusion, and collaboration. Matt has spent the past 10 years working as a manager, researcher, and leadership consultant. Matt has spoken at TEDx and SXSW, and his work has been featured in a wide range of media outlets, including Fast Company, Fortune, and NPR. He holds a Master’s degree in communication from Wake Forest University. He’s currently examining the experiences of workers of color during the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons we can learn to build a more equitable and just workplace. His findings will be available in his forthcoming book through Wiley and Sons Publishing, “Essential, Remote, Gig, and Tired: Workers of Color Reckoning with the Workplace.”

Sarika Lamont is a dynamic People Operations executive with over 20 years of expertise in management consulting, talent management, and organizational transformation with a proven track record of driving transformative organizational strategies in high-growth environments. With experience across client delivery, consulting, and scaling operational infrastructure, she has built award-winning people strategies that align business outcomes with employee success. Sarika is passionate about fostering inclusive, high-performance cultures, designing leadership development frameworks, and enhancing employee experience. Sarika has held key leadership roles, most recently serving as Chief Talent Officer for a public, global SaaS company, overseeing people experience across 55 acquisitions in 7 countries. Currently, as VP of People and Culture at Vidyard, she drives the company’s talent strategy and leads all aspects of HR, including Talent Acquisition, People Operations, Total Rewards, and DEI. Sarika is passionate about fostering high-performance cultures, integrating people strategies with business outcomes, and creating inclusive environments where employees thrive.