May Virtual: Employee Retention, Coaching and Advancement

Sarah Waltman is the Vice President of Talent Management & Organizational Development for Dentsply Sirona. Sarah is an accomplished talent & organizational effectiveness Leader with extensive history improving performance of global businesses by designing learning structures and comprehensive talent initiatives.

Dentsply Sirona is the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, empowering dental professionals to provide better, safer and faster dental care.

Shannon Flynn is the Vice President, Corporate Human Resources at Fortive.

Vivek has been researching and writing about team participation and remote team behavior for most of his career.  His focus has been on improving team participation so that everyone can be heard. ReTeam is focused on providing tools and processes to be used in course of everyday to improve interpersonal relationships, wellness, idea sharing and team participation without having to pull people away for offsite or meetings. 

Vivek is a published author having written several articles, and holds multiple patents for technical innovations.

LeeAnn Mallorie, founder and CEO of Guts & Grace Leadership, is a transformational leadership coach and trainer with over fifteen years of experience helping leaders and organizations achieve high-performing results by truly walking their talk. She specializes in leadership embodiment and executive presence, supporting her clients to lead mission-critical initiatives and steward organizational change utilizing neuroscience, mindfulness and positive psychology tools. Her client list includes organizations like Nasa, Capital One, Google, Mattel, Logitech, thredUP and Kiva.

LeeAnn’s award winning Guts & Grace leadership curriculum helps female leaders break through internalized glass ceilings and bring their hidden superpowers to work. She is uniquely skilled at helping female leaders reduce burnout and cultivate emotional resilience. Her clients appreciate her keen ability to see right to the heart of the matter, help them clearly articulate visionary goals, and mirror their behavior – both liabilities and strengths – in real time. LeeAnn’s recent book Guts and Grace: A Woman’s Guide to Full Bodied Leadership was published by Conscious Capitalism Press in January of 2020.

Isobel Lincoln is Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield  (URW) in the U.S where she supports the company’s high-performing teams throughout the  U.S. portfolio and Los Angeles headquarters. URW owns, develops and operates sustainable,  high-quality real estate assets in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the United States. 

Along with the U.S. leadership team, Isobel leverages internal talent and encourages and  fosters an inclusive, transparent and empowered culture. Her group is responsible for recruiting,  training, supporting and developing employees at all levels to support the company’s evolution  from legacy shopping malls to multi-faceted mixed-use lifestyle destinations.  

Driven by the opportunity to empower leaders and teams, Isobel and her colleagues have  innovated internal processes and systems to streamline decision making and focus energy on  our retail partners, customers, and flagship redevelopment projects. Isobel and her team  oversee URW Academy, a learning and development platform providing training while sharing  best practices to support the company’s objectives. This is a passion for Isobel, and she strives  to build a partnership with every employee throughout the life cycle of their career by providing  various touch points and development opportunities to help them reach their full potential. 

Isobel started with URW in 2020 as Vice President of Human Resources and Talent  Development before being promoted to her current position. She has spent her career building  teams and implementing strategic and creative solutions for companies in tech, entertainment  and finance industries including Warner Bros., Netflix, The TCW Group, Universal Music Group  and 21st Century Fox. She most recently was the Senior Director of People for Tala where she  headed up Global Organization Effectiveness and People Business Partner Group for North and  South America. Isobel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California.

Yonata Rubin is VP of talent development and management at MGM Resorts International, where she has been an HR leader for more than eight years. Previously, she held leadership posts at the Bellagio and Rio hotels and casinos. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, and has a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Baruch College.

As Founder and CEO of ThinkHuman, Meredith helps transform businesses via services including culture building, CEO coaching and leadership development. Meredith and her team work with fast-growth, entrepreneurial-spirited organizations that are making things that are good for the world. Companies Meredith works with include SoulCycle, Betterment, Spotify and Flatiron Health to create thriving people-centric cultures.

Joining Universal Music Group in 2022, Rice has more than two decades of global experience specializing in building culture, learning and organizational development, talent acquisition, employee relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, executive coaching and directing company strategies to support profitable business results through highly engaged employees. As Senior Vice President of People Development and Organizational Effectives for Universal Music Group, Jennifer Rice works to create innovative and inclusive learning solutions to maximize employee potential, growth and performance across business labels, functions and countries.

Passionate about building and evolving culture and leaders to tackle the demands of the future, Rice is spearheading global programs and initiatives to further management and leadership development to create an exceptional employee experience. Prior to joining UMG, Rice was the Chief Learning Officer and Head of Human Resources for Beautycounter in Santa Monica, California. In her role at Beautycounter, she created strategies embedding the mission and values into every day behaviors increasing engagement and learning opportunities for all. To foster inclusion and belonging, Rice launched the first Employee Resource Groups and integrated company benefits to be inclusive of mental and financial health.

Before Beautycounter, Rice was the VP of Human Resources for Hard Rock International overseeing the Café, Hotel and Casino divisions. At Hard Rock, Rice spearheaded a cultural transformation integrating the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Hard Rock International and launched the first mentor programs for underrepresented talent and Women’s Leadership. She also launched a global training program supporting the company mission, values and mottos. Rice served a long tenure as the Global Director of Training and Development at Guess?, Inc. where she implemented dynamic results-oriented blended learning throughout the company. She also led efforts to establish a cutting-edge process designed to enhance customer experience, which was later integrated into all corporate-wide initiatives.

In her spare time, Rice is enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, practicing yoga and going to concerts. Rice graduated magna cum laude from Florida International University with a BA Degree in Psychology and is a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband, Matthew, daughter Zoe and son Desmond.

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.

Carmen joined Yelp in 2022 to lead People Operations. She is an accomplished human resources executive with over 20 years experience helping employees and global organizations succeed. Prior to Yelp, Carmen served as Vice President of Global People Operations & Development at eBay. She was also a Human Resources Director at Home Depot where she provided strategic direction for a variety of operational and corporate functions. Carmen holds a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations from Colby College, an MBA in International Business from Bentley University, and is certified in Executive Coaching through Columbia University.

Erica Ishida believes in the power of resilience, intention, culture, strategy, technology, and disciplined execution, in building
healthy organizations. She has more than years of experience in organization design, change management, leadership
development, and operational excellence, to produce business redesigns and cultural transformations. She has worked in
industries spanning professional services, technology, telecommunications, venture development, and non-profit.

Erica is a founder, owner, and CEO of AI23, a company committed to democratizing GenAI and unlocking human potential. She is
also the CEO of Yellow Cedar Group, a firm that focuses on building healthy, connected, human centered teams and organizations
that are designed to outperform their competition.

Erica has also been a trusted advisor to other CEOs, both as an internal employee and as an external advisor and coach. She has
worked with a diverse group of clients, from C-level leaders to high potentials, across a variety of industries. She has dedicated
her career to designing scalable organizations and processes, building managed cultures, coaching high-potential leaders, building highly effective teams, and managing change. She has deep expertise in coaching, organization design, strategic planning, product and service innovation, change management, leadership as well as sales and client services. Prior to AI23 and Yellow Cedar Group, Erica was the President of Apple Growth Partners (AGP), an accounting and advisory firm in NE Ohio. Prior to AGP, Erica was the Chief Operating Officer at Destination Cleveland; CEO of Leading Edge Alliance, the largest international Accounting Industry Association; founder and COO of LaunchVector, a technology start-up in Cleveland, OH.; and Chief of Staff at AXS/Veritix where she led the integration effort for the AXS and Veritix acquisition and integrations.

Erica was also the National Director of Business Development for BDO, USA, implementing the structure, process and systems for
BDO’s national Business Development function. Erica is certified as an Executive Coach, as well as in Neuroscience for leadership and business. She has experience in start-up and high growth environments as well as Fortune 500 organizations. Erica also occasionally teaches and coaches courses through Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. Central to Erica’s life are her loved ones (human and canine), using food as medicine, exercising, and spending time in nature. She is also committed to the practices of martial arts and meditation, as well as and conservationist efforts.

Sarah began her career in Human Resources at companies like SiriusXM, Coach, and Gilt Groupe before transitioning to the role of Head of Sales at Gilt City—the company’s luxury lifestyle experiences arm. In this role, Sarah ran a 65-person sales team, managed $60 million in yearly revenue, and expanded the brand to top cities across the U.S. It was there that she identified the direct correlation between culture and the bottom line—when employees failed to address their issues with colleagues and managers, revenue suffered.

Before co-founding Bravely, Sarah launched an EdTech company (accepted into the acclaimed 500 Startups accelerator) that helped educate kids on the importance of environmental and wildlife conservation.
Sarah’s experience in HR, team management, and tech—combined with an ongoing obsession with helping people gain the confidence they need to find meaning in their work—inspired her to co-found Bravely in 2017.

Matt Poepsel is the author of Expand the Circle: Enlightened Leadership for Our New World of Work and host of the Lead the People podcast. He serves as VP, Enterprise Solutions at The Predictive Index. He holds a PhD in Psychology, an MBA, and a Harvard Business School Certificate of Management Excellence. Matt has more than 20 years of leadership experience as a software executive and consultant. He’s also a US Marine, an Ironman triathlon finisher, and a student of Buddhist philosophy.

Anita Hossain Choudhry is the Co-founder and CEO of The Grand, a group coaching platform and community that helps leaders gain clarity, confidence and connection in both work and life. Anita is also an executive coach, previously with Reboot.io, supporting clients on their journeys to become the most effective and intentional leaders they can be. Prior to that, she was Head of Knowledge at First Round Capital, where she designed and launched hundreds of learning initiatives providing entrepreneurs and tech operators resources to stay motivated, accelerate their businesses, and build community. Before joining First Round, Anita was an Assistant Vice President at Deutsche Bank and managed multi-million dollar investment portfolios for Latin American clients. She also worked for MTV and Nickelodeon to create integrated marketing strategies and amplify their social impact initiatives. Anita graduated from Georgetown University and is an MBA graduate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she launched Wharton Storytellers, a community to connect and inspire through stories. The Grand is a culmination of her previous work experiences and inspired by her belief that everyone deserves group coaching and a supportive community.

Jessi Hempel is the host of the award-winning podcast Hello Monday, and a senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn. For nearly two decades, she has been writing and editing features and cover stories for magazines including Wired, Fortune, and TIME about work, life, and meaning in the contemporary age. She has appeared on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox, and CNBC, addressing the culture and business of technology. In 2022, she published The Family Outing, a literary memoir about her family’s transformation, with almost all of them embracing their queer identities. Hempel is a graduate of Brown University and received a master’s in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Brooklyn with her wife and children.

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.”

Sean Allen is a senior-level management consultant and executive coach who is highly experienced in strategy consultation, organization development, assessment, and executive services. He is passionate about partnering closely with senior leaders to achieve strategic priorities and drive business results that have a measurable impact on the bottom line. Sean has managed large scale client engagements, project execution teams, and vendor relationships to deliver client solutions while working closely with Fortune 500 executives. In addition, Sean has led and delivered consulting solutions across the globe, including Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the US.

With MDA Leadership, Sean connects clients in the Western region with MDA services in integrated talent solutions, talent assessment, leadership development, and CEO/board consultancy.

Bryan Walsh is an editorial director at Vox overseeing the tech, climate, and world teams, as well as the editor of Vox’s Future Perfect section, which covers the policies, people, and forces that could make the future a better place for everyone. He is the author of the 2019 book End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World, which is about existential risks like AI, pandemics, and nuclear war, and isn’t really all that brief. Previously he worked at Axios as the Future Correspondent and worked at TIME magazine for 15 years as a foreign correspondent in Asia, a climate change writer, and as the international editor.

Bill Agostini is a senior advisor for strategic HR for Saudi Basic Industries Corp., known as SABIC. The corporation is one of the world’s largest chemical companies, with about 32,000 employees globally. As a seasoned strategic thinker, business partner, and trusted leader in Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Talent Management, Bill brings over 25 years of global corporate and consulting experience across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. His expertise lies in aligning people and organizational strategies with key business objectives. He specializes in creating high-performance team cultures that consistently deliver results. Drawing from his extensive transformation experience, innovation know-how, and ability to influence stakeholders, he can find solutions for even the most challenging situations.

As he describes his career: “I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with clients of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to mid-market firms, spanning various sectors including financial services, technology, private equity, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. My focus centers on driving human capital effectiveness, facilitating organizational transformation, optimizing talent management, and fostering sustainable change. As a pragmatic leader, I thrive in challenging scenarios such as rebuilding, startups, and mergers & acquisitions. My toolkit includes problem-solving skills, change management expertise, and a knack for cultural transformation.”