Lisa Safran helps leaders stay calm, clear, and compelling in the moments that matter most. A learning and development leader, executive coach, and author, she designs and facilitates practical programs that translate big ideas into behaviors people can actually use at work. She has led facilitator teams and delivered leadership, communication, and change programs for organizations across tech, healthcare, and professional services.

As founder of Safran Consulting, Lisa blends business strategy with creative methodology, using improvisational tools to keep sessions highly engaging and hands-on. Her work centers on psychological safety, inclusive leadership, and real-world application so participants leave with tools they can try in their next meeting, not just their next role. She is the author of Executive Presence, Improv Style and has spent more than 15 years designing and scaling leadership programs that drive measurable results.

Outside the classroom, Lisa has performed with Bay Area improv ensembles including Synergy Theater and Improv For Good, toured the U.S. and Canada as a stand-up comic, and written and performed her solo show Mama’s Approval. A musician and longtime performer, she brings warmth, humor, and a grounded presence to every session. Lisa holds a Master’s in Teaching and a deep belief that learning should feel both safe and a little bit brave.

Work is shifting quickly across industries. Teams are navigating AI integration, reorganizations, new leadership, shifting priorities, hybrid work challenges, and constant change. In moments like these, people need practical skills to stay clear-headed, collaborative, and effective when direction isn’t fully defined.

This interactive workshop helps participants build real-time adaptability: the ability to respond to change, communicate clearly under pressure, and keep momentum moving when information is incomplete.

Using applied improvisation techniques (no performance required), participants practice how to adapt during real workplace moments such as:

Leadership changes or reorganizations

AI or technology integration

Role shifts or evolving job expectations

Reductions in force or resource constraints

Cross-functional misalignment

Hybrid and remote collaboration challenges

Rapid decision-making with incomplete information

Fast-changing priorities

Participants learn how to:

Stay calm and focused during change

Communicate before all answers are known

Collaborate across teams during uncertainty

Adapt quickly when plans shift

Build trust and psychological safety during transitions

Strengthen resilience and learning agility

This session is relevant for individual contributors, managers, and leaders who want to navigate change more effectively and build adaptability as a core workplace skill.

Topics: adaptability, change management, AI integration, resilience, communication, collaboration, psychological safety, learning agility, navigating uncertainty

Improvisational Leader

Staying Grounded Through Change and Uncertainty

Think Fast, Adapt Faster

Jason's journey began with the discipline and precision of military service in the US Army, which transitioned into the structured thinking required in strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company. This unique combination of experiences has equipped him with a deep understanding of leadership dynamics and the importance of clear communication. Now, as a dedicated CEO coach, he focuses on guiding leaders to recognize their potential and communicate consciously within their teams.

His approach stems from a lifetime commitment to studying leadership and personal development, with the conviction that conscious leadership is the key to creating meaningful change. Jason's method is rooted in self-awareness and the ability to inspire trust and connection among team members.

Alongside his practical experience, Jason's formal qualifications and MBA from Yale University enhance his ability to support and uplift aspiring leaders. He stands ready to share his insights and strategies to help others build a foundation of effective and mindful leadership.

For senior leaders and executives, complexity often surpasses capacity. Lengthening to-do lists and increasingly difficult problems can be overwhelming. Many high achievers believe they can meet these growing demands with more effort and late nights, only to find that this approach holds them back.

In "Prioritize Like a CEO," participants will be guided through activities to reshape their mindset. They will learn to develop a personal operating system for better value assignment, distinguish between urgent and important tasks, and adopt a default "no" mindset. This course is designed to help cut out the noise and focus on what truly matters.

Executive coach

Shift into a default NO mindset and start focusing on what really matters

Prioritize Like a CEO

Stacey Levy (she/her) is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and CEO of Levy Leadership Coaching. Stacey brings 25 years experience as a business, marketing and sales leader, which includes leading businesses and teams at Facebook and Google.  Stacey coaches Executives at Fortune 500, Founders, C-Level Executives, Mid Level and New Managers.  She is passionate about Manager Development, knowing the impact that managers have on individuals and teams they lead, while also knowing the importance of managers getting the support they need to unlock their own potential. Stacey is also a full time “strengths finder” (i.e. she is known for always reminding us to get grounded in our strengths).  Stacey leads from both head and heart and grounds her clients in their values that enable them to lead from a place of fulfillment and purpose. In addition to bringing toolkits and recipes for success, one of her values is play, so you will be assured of a great growth learning experience and have fun while doing it in any of Stacey's courses!   

Outside of coaching, Stacey spends time with her husband of 32 years, 3 young adult children, 3 Golden-doodles, and good friends.  You will often find her as amateur sous chef with her husband as they love cooking for family and friends, and you'll often find her outdoors on a hiking trail, a dog walk, or a pickle ball court. 

People Managers are constantly sharing that they need to focus on time management, how to not burn out,  and how to have more work life balance.  But what if we focus less on time management and more on Energy Management?  

What if Energy is the the currency of resilience, productivity, and performance in organizations? 

Stacey Levy is an ICF PCC Coach, Systems Coach, and Subject Matter Expert in People Managers. She led Manager Development at Google.  She recently moderated a panel with the HR Strategy Forum on this very topic of Energy Management for Organizational Performance. 

In this 60-minute, highly interactive session, people managers explore why time management is no longer enough in today’s volatile, complex, AI driven, always-on environment, and how energy awareness and management drives sustainable performance.  Humans are meant to Pulse vs. Push.  We have opportunity to be more intentional about how we pulse through the day, week, quarter, and year vs pushing through. 

Grounded in research and real-world leadership challenges, this highly interactive course, helps leaders shift from “push” to “pulse,” diagnose where energy is being depleted in themselves and their teams, and  identify practical experiments to renew capacity without reducing accountability. Leaders leave with mindsets, skill sets, and a practical toolkit to leverage energy as the currency of resilience and productivity — improving decision quality, engagement, and sustainability.   


International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and ex Facebook + Google Executive 

What if Energy is the currency of resilience, productivity and performance?

 Energy Management

Stephanie Castellanos is a national facilitator, justice & equity strategist, and the founder of Uproot Talent – an award-winning social impact boutique talent advising and executive search firm that specializes in hiring and keeping leadership who mirror and reflect the people they serve. 

Her commitment to co-creating equity in the workplace stems from her experiences as the daughter of immigrants and a single mom, the granddaughter to a Bracero, navigating higher-education as the first-person in her family to graduate from high school, two decades of grassroots organizing, and growing up as a kid from Inglewood, CA.

Her experiences include leading the talent, DEI&J, and recruitment strategy for multiple start-up organizations – including founding a multi-sector grassroots coalition dedicated to recruiting and retaining teachers of color and matching over 600 leaders (90% identify as people of the global majority) to nonprofits, foundations, public school districts, and child welfare agencies across the country. As the creator of WOKESHOP®, she’s also facilitated over 1,000 un/relearning experiences alongside over 23,000 participants since 2015.

Stephanie’s expertise goes beyond the “professional” realm. 

She’s organized thousands of community members to become the first U.S. city to defeat Walmart’s expansion while in high school, spent countless hours preparing her neighbors & family for interviews growing up, and co-founded a standing mentorship program (CAMBIO Academy) for girls of color while a Sociology and Urban Planning & Regional Studies student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

It’s this lived experience that Stephanie centers and uplifts in all she does. 

A person’s career development is not only in their own hands – but the hands of those who manage, support and pour into them in the workplace. How might people managers co-create a culture of care and authenticity that in turn, builds trust and meaningful relationships? This 60-minute learning experience unpacks the way oppressive behaviors show up in career development conversations and provides best practices for holding effective, productive, and inclusive career development conversations with the person(s) you manage. 


Talent + Leadership Expert; Decolonizing Educator. 

Facilitate Inclusive Career Development Conversations that Empower + Support Everyone

Inclusive Career Conversations

As a former high school teacher and graduate school instructor, Aaron Barlin, M.S.Ed. is a learning designer and facilitator who helps organizational leaders "think like a teacher." He owns and operators Elynndí, where he and his teacher team take educational best practices that are otherwise exclusive to classrooms, and apply them to organizational contexts. This tried-and-true methodology enables workforces and their consumers to tackle their hardest learning moments—from onboarding new staff, to launching new services, to adopting whole-scale changes in strategic direction.

Aaron's classroom-based approaches to organizational learning have been published by Fast Company, The Learning Guild, The Training Industry, The Teaching Professor, and Sacramento State University. He has also presented and applied these methodologies to major entities such as Pew Research Center, ERE Media, and Stanford's Graduate School of Education.

On the topic of Change Languages, Aaron's firsthand educational experiences both in and outside of classrooms has made it clear that change is at the heart of learning. So naturally, it was through his experiences with workplace and consumer learning that the Change Languages were conceived.

As a teacher, Aaron knows live learning inside and out, so likewise, he hopes you're excited to be a "student" again—to tap into your inner child's senses of play, humor, and curiosity. He's ready to facilitate an experience as positively unforgettable as some of your favorite classes from grade school.

Leaders and their stakeholders are navigating unprecedented levels of change. From rapid integrations of AI, to unpredictable markets, navigating change with clarity and collaboration is paramount for organizational success.

For a concrete and reliable tool for managing change, figure out what your and your colleagues’ “Change Languages” are. Similar to how the “Love Languages” help partners avoid miscommunication when they are in love, the six Change Languages do just that, but when people are faced with change. Figure out what your “change language” is to cultivate the introspective as well as collaborative clarity that these fast-changing times require.

Whether you are personally rolling out an organizational change, or responding to changes being imposed by external forces, the Change Languages provide pathways for generating crucial buy-in and clear messaging for when you inevitably need to depart from comfortable norms. This framework allows you to make that departure relationally and successfully—rather than individually or impulsively.

Avenues for engagement are easily tailored to the learners' needs. If you want help just digesting the concept of Change Languages, lecture format is likely best for you. If you want a "sandbox" to test out the Change Languages, apply them to real-world scenarios, and role-play to practice sticky situations before they happen, then the facilitated learning or workshop experience is best for you.

Change Language Thought Leader

A new way of managing change, rooted in conversational clarity and actual buy-in

The Six Change Languages

Darlene is an expert at the intersection of lifestyle, wellness, and wellbeing.  With a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and certifications in  personal trainer, wellness coach, nutrition coach, yoga instructor, sleep coach, and meditation teacher.  Her workshops have impacted thousands through corporate partners including Blackrock, Reddit, Spotify, Capital One, Oscar, Raymond James, and more.

Darlene has spoken at some of the world's biggest fitness and positive psychology conferences and contributed to some of the most impactful certifications in wellness.  Now she helps individuals and groups build lifestyles of sustained wellbeing.  In 2021 Darlene was named America's Favorite Trainer by BurnAlong.com and she hosts the Better Than Fine podcast on the NASM Podcasting Network.  

Pressure into Purpose offers a straightforward look at resilience in today’s unpredictable work environment. This one-hour session explores resilience as more than perks or flexible schedules, focusing instead on the habits, cultural practices, and strategies that support individuals and teams during challenging times.

Participants will learn how adaptability grows from a foundation of community, purpose, and mindset. The session shares evidence-based practices and personal experiences that help translate uncertainty into opportunities for innovation rather than roadblocks. Practical strategies will be offered to help turn pressure into a driver for creativity.

Attendees will leave with three key tools for maintaining a solution-oriented mindset when facing adversity, along with a framework for building resilience day to day. Designed for people who are navigating workplace change or leading others through uncertain periods, this workshop provides just-in-time skills and perspectives to help move from feeling stuck to finding purpose in challenge.

Lifestyle + Wellbeing Expert 

Building Resilience into Teams and Cultures

Pressure into Purpose

Jessica Chen is author of the bestselling communication book, "Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for all the Right Reasons," a global communication expert, and a former Emmy-Award Winning TV Journalist. She has taught over 2 million people how to improve their leadership communication skills at work and has been featured in the WSJ, Forbes, and Fortune Magazine. She is a highly requested global keynote speaker on:

Developing public speaking skills
Advocating for yourself
Cross-cultural communications
Developing leadership communication skills

Jessica is also an instructor at Columbia University and has spoken at top global organizations, including Google, LinkedIn, Mattel, Chanel, and Harvard Business School.

Praise for Jessica Chen's Speaking:

"Jessica shared valuable tips to our 300+ audience about Building a Strong Career Brand for Workplace Visibility. We invited her back for a second session to speak about Developing Leadership Communication Skills at Work. Jessica is a dynamic speaker who is both inspirational and educational. She is an expert in communication and she has a profound understanding of business solutions. Jessica is amazing and captivated our audience. - Mattel

"Jessica addressed cross-cultural challenges in communication within the global context and provided a clear framework for us to gain an understanding of these realities. It was a wonderful, positive, and empowering experience for our diverse colleagues and allies." - S&P Global

"Jessica partnered with our Multi-Cultural Business Impact Network to conduct three engaging 45 minute sessions to help cover challenging and sensitive topics that can be considered taboo or too difficult to – yet so necessary. She listened to what we were looking to achieve and worked with us to ensure that the messaging were on point – and in the end delivered sessions that spoke clearly and professionally. We received a lot of great feedback from the hundreds of attendees and would recommend Jessica to any corporate organization looking to address topics around cross-cultural communications." - Heward Packard

Advocating for ourselves at work is one of the most important skills we can learn. But how can we do it with tact? In this speaker event, Jessica Chen will share her 3-step framework for how employees can speak up with confidence, including:

Building visibility
Showcasing their wins
Mastering the ask

The result? Better team communication and recognition across all levels.

 Emmy-Award Winner & the CEO of Soulcast Media

A 3 Step Framework for Speaking Up with Confidence 

Advocating for Yourself at Work

Jodi Wellman is a speaker, author, and facilitator on living lives worth living. She founded Four Thousand Mondays to help people make the most of the time they are lucky to be above ground. 
Jodi has a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also an Assistant Instructor in the Master’s program and a facilitator in the Penn Resilience Program. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach; with 25 years of corporate leadership experience, she helps executives, teams, and high performers work well and live even better.
Jodi’s TEDx talk is called How Death Can Bring You Back to Life; with over 1.3 million views, it is the 14th most-watched TEDx talk released in 2022, out of 15,900!
Her book, "You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets" was published in May 2024 by Voracious (Little, Brown & Company), and made Adam Grant’s Summer Reading List. Jodi has been featured in Oprah Daily, Fast Company, CNBC, Forbes, Psychology Today, The Los Angeles Times, and more.

The quest for meaningful work drives job satisfaction for so many of us, so how do we build even more of it? In this session we'll delve into the latest research about meaning at work, and you'll walk away with actionable takeaways to create and sustain a sense of purpose. This session is applicable for both leaders and team members alike... anyone who is looking to make a difference and impact at work and beyond.

Expert on Living Life with the End in Mind 

Seven Steps to Building Purpose and Meaning on the Job

Maximizing Meaning at Work

I believe that everyone has leadership potential. Leadership isn’t just a skill that’s reserved for those in the c-suite. We all have the power to lead in our own unique ways across both social and professional settings. Sometimes we just need a little push in the right direction to get there. That’s why I wrote an entire book about it called Leader By Mistake: Becoming a Leader One Mistake at a Time, which shows how you too can find your inner leader by learning from your mistakes and homing in on the skills you already possess to lead confidently.

I live and breathe this leadership-for-all concept and my expertise is grounded in years of experience across a variety of organizations.

In addition to my work with Scarlet, I currently serve as the vice president of startup programming at AARP Innovation Labs, where I lead a team committed to finding the most promising startups world-wide and identifying how they can move their innovations forward through collaboration.
I also serve as a corporate board member at Plastipak Packaging on the Functional Leadership Development Committee.

While my professional experiences have been instrumental to my success and impact over the years, my hometown and education have been too. Born, raised, and educated in Detroit, I am a Warrior through and through. I proudly hold two degrees from Wayne State University—a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and Master of Education in instructional technology with specializations in interactive technologies and performance improvement.

I’m also a graduate of the Protocol School of Washington, where I focused on international etiquette & protocol, and hold a Six Sigma Green Belt certification in process improvement, which I use to help clients develop systems and processes that will allow them to reach their strategic planning and development goals. Outside of my professional and educational endeavors, I enjoy mentoring both young and seasoned leaders and serve as vice president for 12 Days DC Metro. I also love traveling, watching James Bond movies, and hitting the slopes during the winter for some snowboarding.

STUCK. No one (and no team) wants to feel stuck and we don't want that either. If you're looking for a way to jump start your team, spark new thinking, new approaches and start thinking outside of normal day to day, this course is for you and your team!

You can expect a high-energy, action packed Elective from a former innovation executive who has coached and trained leaders, individuals and startups in areas ranging from health tech to fin tech to social fulfillment and beyond.

Author. Leader. Warrior. 

Generating New Ideas, Solutions & Elevating Mindsets

Embracing Innovation & New Thinking

Alexa Clay is the leading expert on subcultures and innovation from unlikely places. With a BA from Brown University and a MSc. from Oxford University, Alexa works to create bridges and opportunities between misfit subcultures and the formal economy. She believes the underworld is filled with natural-born-innovators and they have more in common with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs or Exxon, than you might think.

Alexa is the co-author of best selling book The Misfit Economy, named the pre-eminent business book to read by The World Economic Forum, TechRepublic, The Telegraph and Huffington Post. In the book Alexa interviews over 500 criminals, including Somali Pirates, LA drug dealers, hackers and NY con artists to unveil their remarkable ingenuity. 

She is also the Founder of Wisdom Hackers, an incubator for philosophical inquiry, and when not operating as Alexa, you can find her playing ‘Rebekah, The Amish Futurist’ a provocative alter ego that challenges modern life. Rebekah also gives talks and moderates panels to challenge our reliance on technology.

Alexa has written and appeared in Fast Company, Forbes, Wired, Dazed and Confused, VICE, Harvard Business Review, the New York Times and MTV. She is a regular commentator on topics related to economic transition, misfit subculture, social entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship and technology angst.

This interactive workshop has teams competing to rapidly prototype a cult from scratch. From developing a compelling "origin myth" to fostering an attractive brand and value proposition, the dynamics of cult creation create space for us to reflect on developing meaning at the intersection of community and enterprise. A successful cult requires hustle, charismatic leadership, a business plan for long-term viability, and rituals and commandments for promoting culture and cohesion. As organizations today struggle to shape culture, demonstrate values, and foster community, we look to cults for unlikely lessons in community, leadership and innovation. 

Author and leading expert on subcultures

Lessons in Community Building 

Pop-up Cult Creation 

Nathan founded "The Learning Engine," where he helps people discover how understanding the learning process can shape every aspect of their lives. Drawing from his experiences working in both the United States and Singapore, Nathan spent 15 years teaching science and coaching soccer at the high school level -- plus worked with current and future educators at the university level. His hands-on classroom and coaching experience informed his approach, blending practical teaching with a deep interest in how people learn best.

Nathan’s focus on the science of learning took root during his doctoral studies, where he explored the ways in which learning shapes personal growth and wisdom. He continues to seek out conversations about learning and applies these insights in his work with students and other educators. 

Nathan holds a doctorate and is committed to giving others tools to grow more confident and adaptable through better learning practices.

Some part of your work is not clicking — maybe a new tool everyone assumes you know, a skill your role suddenly requires, or that vague sense of running to keep up while the ground is moving beneath you. This causes you to feel like you are stuck, but you don’t know how to work through the stuck-ness.

Most people experience that stuck feeling and assume the problem lies with themselves. However, feeling stuck is not a failure; feeling stuck is information about where sense-making is breaking down. Once you can read that signal, you gain the clarity to act.

In this workshop, you'll discover how your brain actually builds knowledge and skills by exploring a simple building metaphor. Every building needs four elements: A Foundation on which to build, Materials with which to work, Assembly to connect the pieces, and a Structure you can actually use. Your brain works the same way when learning — and each element can become stuck in different ways, requiring different fixes.

Through guided reflection and real-time application, you'll bring a specific challenge from your work, diagnose exactly where in the building process the breakdown is happening, and leave with one clear action to create momentum this week.

This workshop offers more than theory — you'll leave with a repeatable system for any challenge you face, now and throughout your career. The world keeps changing; this framework gives you a way to keep building, one brick at a time.

The next time you feel stuck, you'll know exactly where to look — and what to do next!

Founder The Learning Engine

Turn confusion into clarity — and clarity into action

The Sense-Making System

Alejandro Jimenez has woven his life into poetry that transcends borders, earning him a distinct spot among contemporary Mexican culture-shapers as featured in TIME Magazine. From Colima, Mexico to global recognition, Alejandro's narrative and craft are showcased in a PBS series documentary, "American Masters: In The Making," spotlighting upcoming cultural figures. His prowess with words brought him to the cusp of global acclaim, securing second place at the 2023 World Poetry Slam Championships.

Alejandro's upcoming work promises to delve into the nuances of identity and experience. His first poetry collection, "There Will Be Days, Brown Boy," eagerly awaited by readers, is soon to be released by MouthFeel Press.

His deep-rooted connection to his heritage, combined with his wide-reaching impact on the arts, anchors his professional journey. Alejandro's formal credentials in literature and his acclaimed contributions to the poetic world make him a memorable presence in the realm of literary arts.

Poetry As The Means We Need, means our words, our stories; and the way we tell those stories, can lead to transformational change - collective and/or individually. It can also lead to a sense of power, a sense of belonging, and being enough, and that who we are, where we come from are not things that should confine us but rather can propel us forward. That is the intent of this class: to explore, examine, and elevate the power of our story through poetry.

In this Electives class, internationally recognized spoken-word poet, Alejandro, will share his personal immigration story to the United States through compelling poetry-storytelling filled with humor, power, and resilience. Participants will not merely be listeners but will also engage in writing their own story through carefully guided poetry prompts and exercises led by Alejandro. Participants will walk out with a “new” sense of their own story and the power of their own journey.

Mexican National Poetry Slam Champion

Storytelling As Power

Poetry As The Means We Need

Radical Adaptability

Dr. Linda Lin is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Emmanuel College whose work focuses on the science of mental health, well-being, and social connection. She is known for translating rigorous psychological research into clear, practical insights for diverse audiences. For more than 25 years, she has conducted research and published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and book chapters on health and well-being. She has delivered over 100 presentations to academic, healthcare, nonprofit, and corporate groups, addressing topics such as the science of happiness and well-being, combating loneliness, stress management, and strengthening relationships in families, schools, and workplaces. In addition to teaching courses in mental health, counseling, and the psychology of happiness, Dr. Lin has worked as a psychotherapist in major medical centers in Boston. She earned her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed her postdoctoral training at Boston University School of Medicine.

Workplace connection has fundamentally changed. As remote and hybrid work reduce organic interaction, many employees find themselves feeling more disconnected at work and at home, often without fully understanding why. In this engaging, research-informed presentation, Dr. Linda Lin draws on psychological science to explain the hidden forces driving modern disconnection, including predictable thinking patterns that discourage people from reaching out and building relationships.

Rather than treating connection as something that happens naturally, this session reframes it as something that can be built through intentional, everyday actions. Participants will learn how to shift from “default isolation” to deliberate connection by adopting small, sustainable habits and more accurate ways of thinking about social interaction.

The presentation focuses on practical, immediately applicable strategies to strengthen relationships, increase engagement, and foster a greater sense of belonging in at work and at home. Attendees leave with clear, science-based tools to create meaningful connection at work, while also strengthening relationships in their broader lives.

Participants leave with clear, science-based tools to build stronger relationships, enhance well-being, and foster a greater sense of belonging, both professionally and personally. This session is ideal for organizations seeking to support more connected, engaged, and thriving individuals across all areas of life.


Psychologist and Professor

Evidence-Based Strategies for Fostering Social Bonds at Work and at Home

The Science of Connection

Matt is the Head Coach for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. He began working with the team in 2006, and has coached it through four Olympics, where in 2018, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall won a gold medal. The team hadn't won a medal at the Olympics since 1976. The team picked up another two medals at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, when Jessie captured a bronze and a silver. 

While coaching cross country ski racers is about maximizing fitness, Matt attributes his team's focus on positive group dynamics as a key to its success. This method can be applied to any person and team in any line of work. If you're looking for new ways to strengthen your team, check out his classes. Matt is a graduate of Middlebury College, where he competed as a racer himself, and currently lives in East Burke, Vermont. 

The Winter and Summer Olympics hit America's mainstream media just once every four years. In a flash, they disappear from sight. It is in this out-of-sight world, when nobody is watching, where the winning teams are built and the champions are made.

In this motivating Elective about the power of a connected team, Matt discusses leadership methods on the U.S. Olympic Ski Team, and shares practices that are sure to stimiluate ideas for growth within the business world. The success of anything, he argues, relies on humans connecting. If you're looking to take your business and team to the next level, you'll need to look at yourself, first. Matt teaches simple concepts used by athletes and coaches on his teams as they strive to become a connected team. 

Gold Medal Winning Olympic US Cross Country Ski Coach

Lifting Physical and Emotional Limits through Positive Team Culture 

The Connected Team

At age 8, Emily experienced a life-altering brain injury that resulted in partial paralysis on the left side of her body. Her journey through emotional and physical challenges has shaped her unique approach to education, particularly around topics of inclusion, belonging, and workplace culture. Emily leverages her personal experiences to inform and engage others, creating a space for impactful dialogue and learning.

A former Head of People, Emily's insights have reached audiences through various creative platforms, including interviews with Monster and Lattice as well as a feature in the LA Times. Her upcoming book, "Dating Disability," scheduled for publication in 2025, delves into the nuances of building better relationships through emotional intelligence skills. 

In her professional capacity, Emily collaborates with organizations to transform workplace culture. Her expertise, enriched by her own experiences, makes her a valuable resource for fostering inclusive and understanding environments. Emily holds a notable position as a strategist and thought leader, consulting and speaking with start-ups, major production companies, and Fortune 500 environments. 

In the "Lead with Emotional Intelligence" class, participants will explore key elements of emotional intelligence, focusing on enhancing self-awareness and self-management. Designed for those eager to improve leadership skills and deepen personal connections, this interactive session provides practical insights through personal anecdotes and exercises.

Participants will discover how to identify and manage emotional triggers, responding with greater composure in various situations. With a focus on ongoing self-reflection, participants will gain practical techniques for personal growth and development.

In the current dynamic work environment, self-awareness is crucial for effective communication and collaboration. This session equips individuals with tangible tools and insights to navigate challenges and succeed both professionally and personally. Real-world examples will illustrate how feedback can lead to positive change, offering participants actionable strategies.

Join this insightful class to gain a deeper understanding of emotional intelligence and leave with the skills necessary to act with confidence in your interactions.

People Leader and Author 

Recognize triggers, achieve greater self-awareness, and build stronger relationships

Lead with Emotional Intelligence

Katharine Manning is the President of Blackbird DC, which provides training and coaching on empathy at work, particularly in challenging times when it matters most. She is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job. She has advised organizations on working with those in trauma for more than twenty-five years, including fifteen years at the Justice Department, where she advised on cases like Madoff, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Prior to her government service, she was an attorney in private practice representing Fortune 500 companies in class actions, insurance, and media cases. She teaches at American University and in the Masters in Trauma-Informed Leadership Program at Dominican University, and is a graduate of Smith College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

It's been a rough few years. As we've faced the pandemic, racial violence, economic upheaval, and political turmoil, workers are experiencing skyrocketing rates of stress, anxiety, and depression. Difficult times can also be an opportunity for growth, though. In particular, when we can support one another through challenges, we build long-lasting trust that yields increased productivity, engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to respond well to someone in trauma.

We say the wrong thing, or we don't say anything at all. We aren't sure how to talk about personal issues at work, or even whether we should.  An opportunity for connection instead becomes awkward, frustrating, and distancing.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Katharine Manning teaches employees the five steps to an empathetic response to trauma at work. You'll gain the skill and confidence to respond well the first time, no matter what challenge arises--and how to take care of yourself along the way. Participants have called it, "a clear and practical approach to responding to employees in trauma" and said, "I can't think of a workplace that would not benefit from this training." 

Trauma-Informed Leadership Professor, and former Justice Dept. Trauma Advisor

5 Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job

The Empathetic Workplace

Andrew Marshall is an HBR-published, ICF-certified executive coach who runs Model Leader, a leadership development firm dedicated to developing leaders who lift society. He has experience developing thousands of leaders and leadership teams in the private, nonprofit and public sector, from aspiring supervisors to seasoned executives. He has extensive experience working with C-Suite leaders managing multi-million to multi-billion dollar budgets and with responsibility for hundreds of thousands of people. These include C-suite leaders across sectors including Bain and Co., Walmart, Wells Fargo, Indeed, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and AmeriCorps, to name a few. 

A thought leader in the field of leadership development, he has designed leadership models, 360 assessment tools, case studies and published with Harvard Business Review and MIT’s Sloan Management Review.

An action-oriented, ICF-certified coach (PCC) and executive facilitator, he partners with leaders in discovering and stepping into the next version of themselves. He challenges and supports them in their quest for model leadership as they deploy their unique strengths, navigate complex change and foster a healthy culture. Andrew is passionate about supporting the leaders who lift society. Strengthening these leaders positively impacts individuals today and generations tomorrow. 

Andrew also comes with his own executive experience. He founded the Public Service Leadership Institute within the Partnership for Public Service, overseeing dozens of staff and a multi-million dollar budget, both of which increased exponentially under his leadership, as did the scale of programming and impact on the organizational mission.

He is certified in the Strength Deployment Inventory, Public Service Leadership 360 Assessment and the EQ-I 360 Assessment. He is a graduate of Georgetown’s executive leadership coaching program.

He is trilingual, a cellist, a writer, a Spiderman enthusiast, an outdoorsman and loves toast. His most important titles are husband, father, brother, uncle, son and grandson. He is madly in love with and inspired by his wife Ariel and in awe of his five remarkable children.

Division is at an all-time high, with Merriam-Webster declaring "polarization" as its 2024 word of the year. 65 percent of people say that the lack of civility and mutual respect is the worst they've ever seen, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. But these trends don't have to persist, and you can be part of reversing them. 

This class offers strategies and techniques on the concept of Complex Unity: the ability to understand, support, and collaborate with those who oppose you, such that you become stronger and choose to work together for a better future. Through concrete techniques and practices, participants will learn to navigate through differences--whether over sensitive political issues or complex business challenges--with confidence and skill. 

You will leave the class with tools to move beyond simply tolerating difference or avoiding disagreement. You will be equipped to build meaningful partnerships and achieve results that would be otherwise unattainable. Together, we can take small, meaningful steps and lead the way toward a stronger, more united future! 

Founder, and Leadership Thought Leader

How disagreement can fuel deeper relationships and better solutions

Complex Unity

Chang Liu is an Inclusive Design and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Leader with a distinguished 15+ year career dedicated to fostering equity & inclusion across a wide range of industries. Chang has played pivotal roles at tech giants such as Google and Meta, steering transformative strategies that have reshaped organizational cultures and product offerings. In addition to per private sector work, she also currently teaches Inclusive Design & Product Equity at the University of Washington.

Chang is passionate about weaving DEI into the ethos of how technology is built. Her course offerings on Electives center topics such as responsible innovation, accessibility, DEI, and culture. She believes by democratizing design and building with the most vulnerable, we can bring value to all. 

In today's increasingly diverse and distributed workplaces, collaboration isn't just about working together- it's about how we work together. This interactive class explores what it takes to foster truly inclusive collaboration across lines of difference, from cultural norms and communication styles to power dynamics and working preferences. 

Participants will build awareness around their own working styles, deepen their understanding of cross-cultural collaboration, and how to co-create shared agreements that foster equity, trust, and belonging. 

Drawing from case studies, practical frameworks, and lived experiences, this session offers real-world tools for navigating complexity, addressing exclusion, and building collaborative environments where everyone can contribute meaningfully. 

AAPI and DEI

A Tactical Guide to Ensuring Every Voice Matters

Collaboration That Includes 

Eldridge H. Gilbert III earned a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and Psychology from Brown University in 2005. After graduation, Eldridge joined Teach For America and worked in Houston for 11 years, during which time he earned his master’s degree in business administration from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. While in Houston, he worked for YES Prep Public Schools and was the founding school director of YES Prep North Forest, a Grade 6 to 12 campus of approximately 850 students. After leaving Houston, Eldridge worked as the Managing Director of Schools for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools in California. In 2018 Eldridge moved to Brooklyn, NY where he served as the Chief Schools Officer for Coney Island Prep charter schools for five years. He is currently the Senior Vice President Head of Scholars at SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) where he manages their High School and College Scholar programs in New York, San Francisco, and Greensboro, North Carolina. Eldridge has led DEI and Leadership training for over 8 years for various organizations including New York City Charter School Center, Good Reason Houston, Teaching Trust (Dallas, TX), and the Myles Family Fellowship program for the KIPP Foundation. He also works as an Executive Coach and Principal Success Coach for the KIPP Foundation. He obtained his Professional Coaching Certification from ICF in June of 2022.

This is a comprehensive course on leading effective one-on-one meetings! In this class, we dive deep into the art and science of conducting impactful individual meetings with your team members. Whether you're a manager, team leader, or simply aiming to enhance your communication skills, this course equips you with the tools and strategies needed to transform your one-on-one interactions into highly productive and meaningful meetings.

Throughout the course, we focus on providing you with meeting formats that promote structure and organization, ensuring that each one on one serves its purpose efficiently. Moreover, we delve into the importance of building strong interpersonal connections, exploring techniques to establish rapport and trust with your employees. We will emphasize the significance of psychological safety, fostering an environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves, sharing ideas, and addressing concerns without fear of judgment or repercussion. We will also explore strategies to cultivate inclusivity and fairness in the one-on-one space, creating an atmosphere where everyone's contributions are valued and respected. Lastly, we provide insights on using one on ones to help your team align their work to their goals, equipping you with the skills to motivate and empower your team to achieve their fullest potential. 

Join our course today and unlock the potential of your one-on-one meetings, leading to stronger relationships, improved outcomes, and a more thriving work environment.

Educator, Leader + DEI Facilitator 

Leveraging meetings to build relationships, inclusivity, and improve results

Leading Effective One on Ones

In today’s digital workplaces, it’s easy for genuine connection and trust to take a back seat. Connection Architecture, led by Jacqueline, explores practical ways to help hybrid teams feel recognized, included, and connected across distances. Drawing on the Prospect-Refuge Theory, participants will examine how physical and emotional spaces impact how teams relate to each other—both in the office and online.

This class goes beyond concepts, inviting you to test simple practices and rituals that make it easier for team members to be seen and acknowledged. As part of the course, you’ll design a custom 30-day micro-shift plan, giving you the chance to pilot one or more new practices in your own workplace. Jacqueline brings her focus on everyday leadership to the approach, encouraging each participant to experiment with belonging and support, no matter your title or role. Connection Architecture offers a hands-on, realistic path to building more meaningful teamwork for today’s changing work environments.

Creating Sustainable Connections That Support Modern Work

Connection Architecture

Kyle Shaffer is a dynamic educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to leadership development. He is passionate about supporting leaders to create an empowering and inclusive culture so that all stakeholders are engaged and working toward their mission and vision. By focusing on the intersection of adaptive and emotional leadership skills with technical ones, leaders will develop tangible strategies to enhance the effectiveness and inclusiveness of their teams. 

Kyle leads workshops, leadership development cohorts, and individual coaching clients with numerous organizations and companies across the country. Previously, he served as the Vice President of Schools for KIPP St. Louis Public Schools, where he coached and managed the principals of six schools and 3,000 students, as well as provided leadership training for aspiring leaders across the district.  Prior to that, Kyle worked alongside community members in Redwood City, California to found a PreK-8th grade school for over 700 families in the North Fair Oaks community, which was one of the highest performing schools for low income students in the Bay Area. Kyle received his Masters of Education in Leadership through National Louis University.  Outside of work, Kyle spends his time with his wife, two daughters, and one-year old son, is an avid reader, loves music, and enjoys anything active and sports related.

The data is staggering. Over the past five years, feelings of loneliness and disconnection in the workplace have skyrocketed. At the same time, remote and hybrid work have unlocked incredible gains in productivity, flexibility, and work-life balance. So what’s missing?

The truth is, it’s not about how often we connect—it’s about how well we connect. A sense of belonging and trust doesn’t happen by accident, even in person—and it requires even more intention when we’re remote.

In this Elective, we’ll explore research-based frameworks and practical strategies for building authentic connection across distance. Together, we’ll unpack what makes connection meaningful, what gets in the way in virtual settings, and how to design team structures that foster real collaboration, trust, and community—no matter where people are logging in from.

This Elective is designed for anyone who leads, manages, or collaborates in a remote or hybrid environment. Expect a lively, interactive session blending research, stories, and reflection. You’ll leave with actionable tools to strengthen your team’s sense of connection and belonging starting tomorrow.

Educator, Leader, and Connector 

How to Build a Culture of Connection in a Virtual World

Connected Remotely

Sabrina is a futurist, educator, business owner, and highly sought out speaker on innovation, culture and liberation. Through her company, Pause and Effect, she helps organizations reimagine their products, culture and innovation practices so that they transform systems of oppression, into systems that restore joy, healing, liberation, and the wellbeing of future generations.

As the daughter of displaced ancestors, residing on unsurrendered xʷməθkʷəy̓ y̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ x̱ wú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓l̓ í lwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) land, Sabrina commits to the lifelong work of unlearning and remembering. Outside of work, Sabrina satiates her curiosity and pursuit of adventure through speculative fiction and sci-fi, travel, and a good cup of coffee.

In this course, we will delve deep into the cultural norms that are commonly practiced and enforced within organizations, such as urgency, perfectionism, and individualism. Contrary to popular belief, these norms often hinder innovation, impede trust and collaboration, increase risk and burnout, and promote conformity. Together, we will deconstruct dominant corporate culture by examining its historical origins and understanding how common workplace norms can uphold systems of oppression. Through imaginative exercises, we will collectively explore new (and old) practices that allow us to shift towards a workplace culture that promotes wellness, joy, inclusion and our collective liberation.

Futurist, Educator & Business owner

Shifting Towards Wellbeing, Joy, and Collective Liberation

Reimagining Workplace Culture

Joanna Lohman is a force of nature in the world of women’s soccer and a subject-matter expert on impact leadership and performance. A 16-year professional athlete and one of only 270 women in history to have worn the coveted U.S. Women’s National Team jersey, Joanna has racked up 9 USWNT caps and led the U-21 USWNT to multiple international trophies as team captain. At Penn State, she made 101 appearances with 41 goals, garnered Big Ten Player of the Year honors, became a Herman Trophy finalist, and earned the distinction of Four-Time Academic All-American. Her professional club career saw her become the first player in Washington Spirit history to have her jersey retired, capturing fans’ hearts across 52 appearances and 6 goals.

Yet Joanna’s triumphs extend well beyond the pitch. Revered for her staunch advocacy of equal pay based on performance, she embodies the values of courage, fairness, and resilience—showing the world that true leadership demands both passion and principle. She now brings her hard-won insights to boardrooms, keynote stages, and classrooms alike, serving on the Yale School of Management’s Experience Leaders Initiative Advisory Board and empowering individuals to push boundaries, amplify their impact, build cohesive teams, and deliver elite results under pressure. From championing authenticity in sports to forging high-impact strategies for corporate team performance, Joanna Lohman exemplifies what it means to be a game-changer in every sense of the word.


In a world that often equates greatness with perfection and accolades, this experiential class challenges the idea that being the best is the ultimate goal. Instead, true greatness lies in understanding and embracing the value of one's unique contributions.
 
Drawing from two decades of experience as a professional athlete, chasing the elusive shadow of greatness as a part of the most dominant team in sports, Joanna will share the epiphany that transformed her mindset and will enable attendees to find motivation in their specific roles, elevating both their own performance and that of their teams. By playing to their strengths and leveraging them for the greater good, attendees will discover how to create a massive impact and find both personal and professional fulfillment.
 
It Starts With You and Ends With Us will tap into the power of our innate human desire to contribute and enable attendees to realize that greatness isn’t about outshining others or being the absolute best - it’s about fully committing to one’s role, inspiring those around them, and building sustained success together.


US Women Soccer Athlete

The Journey from Individual Excellence to Team Greatness

It Starts With You, It Ends With Us

Guy Ben-Aharon is a cultural entrepreneur, social innovator and stage director.

As the Founder and Executive Director of The Jar, Guy has developed a unique "Convener Model" that creates some of the most diverse, inclusive, and engaged audiences in our country, inspiring folks to build meaningful relationships with those like them, and not like them. Here's a front row seat for what's happening at The Jar: vimeo.com/jumpinthejar/courtland

Since 2010, Guy staged and produced over 50 plays in translation, presented in partnership with over 50 academic and community centers in the United States, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Austria.

A proud Emerson College alum, Guy is a 2013 Theatertreffen Fellow in Berlin, a 2015 AdR Fellow at the University of Cambridge, UK, a 2020 Salzburg Global Forum Fellow, a 2021 Institute for Nonprofit Practice Changemaker Awardee and a member of the ROI Global Entrepreneurs Community. Guy has been featured in numerous press outlets, including The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, WBUR, for his work to promote cultural bridges through the arts.

Finding Home digs deep into the question, "What is Home?", offering an opportunity for building team cohesion, cultivating psychological safety for folks of different backgrounds, and inspiring creative reflection and self expression for individual team members. 

Weaving poetry, song and personal stories, this workshop includes a dynamic conversation, followed by letter-writing that leads to a greater sense of connection among diverse cohorts, and an idea that Home and belonging are feelings that can be created together, in the workplace. 


Cultural Entrepreneur, Social innovator & Stage Director

Building team cohesion + celebrating diversity through stories of home and belonging

Finding Home

I’m a social entrepreneur and education operator who has spent my career building teams, leading complex organizations, and driving results in high-stakes environments.

I’m the co-founder of Backrs, a tech-enabled platform that helps students build skills, networks, and momentum toward strong postsecondary and early-career outcomes. As a founder, I’ve led product development, sales, partnerships, hiring, and team management, while scaling a B2B2C model across schools, universities, and nonprofit partners nationwide. My day-to-day work is less about ideas and more about execution: setting priorities, building systems, managing people, and making tradeoffs when resources are tight.

Before founding Backrs, I spent over a decade leading in K-12 education, including serving as a founding principal, turnaround high school principal, and Head of Schools. In those roles, I managed multi-million-dollar budgets, coached and evaluated senior leaders, built leadership pipelines, and led teams through rapid change. I’ve been responsible for improving performance, retention, culture, and outcomes at both the school and system level — often while navigating competing stakeholder demands and significant constraints.

I approach management as a craft that can be taught, practiced, and refined. My facilitation and trainings focus on practical leadership skills: decision-making under pressure, building aligned teams, coaching for performance, setting clear expectations, and designing systems that scale without burning people out. I draw heavily on real operating experience — what worked, what failed, and why.

Outside of work, I’m an ultramarathon runner, competing in 12-hour, 24-hour, and 100-mile races. Endurance sports have deeply shaped how I think about leadership: pacing, resilience, feedback loops, recovery, and the long game. I believe the same principles that apply to elite endurance performance apply to building strong teams and sustainable organizations.

Most professionals know relationships matter. Very few have a system for building them.

As a result, networking becomes reactive, awkward, or transactional. People reach out only when they need something, forget who they’ve met, and miss opportunities that could have made their work easier or their careers stronger.

In this interactive Elective, Andy Bobowski teaches a practical, human approach to building social capital at work and beyond. This session is not about cold outreach or collecting contacts. It’s about developing a repeatable system for relationships that help you do better work today while quietly creating long-term optionality.

Participants will learn how to leverage existing relationships, make new connections both virtually and in person, and maintain a lightweight networking rolodex so relationships compound instead of fading. The session introduces the Text, Call, Meet framework, techniques for remembering what matters about people, and a simple weekly rhythm that makes relationship-building sustainable.

This class is designed for high-performing individual contributors and early managers who want more influence, stronger relationships, and a system they can actually maintain.

Social Entrepreneur, Founder, Educator, and Ultra-Athlete

A practical system for relationships that improve performance and long-term leverage

Build Social Capital

Most managers don’t struggle with accountability because they’re unclear or uncaring. They struggle because they’re caught between two bad options: letting things slide or becoming a micromanager. Expectations are discussed, agreements are made, and then execution quietly falls short. The same conversations repeat. Frustration builds.

In this interactive Elective, Andy Bobowski helps managers understand why accountability breaks down and how to rebuild it in a way that is clear, fair, and sustainable. Drawing from experience leading teams where outcomes mattered, Andy teaches managers how to set expectations that are observable, follow up without hovering, and intervene early before small gaps become big problems.

Participants will work through real scenarios, practice accountability conversations, and learn how to distinguish between support, follow-up, and over-management. The focus is not control, but clarity, consistency, and ownership.

Managers leave with a repeatable accountability approach they can use immediately with their teams to reduce ambiguity, improve follow-through, and strengthen trust.

Set expectations, drive follow-through, and coach underperformance with confidence

Accountability w/o Micromanagement

Sophia Koehler-Berkley (she/her) is a former educator & slam poetry coach turned Master Facilitator & Educational Consultant. She curates the conditions for Zoom-Rooms to be 'a whole vibe,' while remaining psychologically safe, to create inclusive & authentic engagement for all team members and their diverse backgrounds.

As a consultant, Sophia is passionate about positively impacting workplace communities and their internal cultures to become more inclusive & supportive for all. She brings her warmth, vibrant energy, and skill of creating high-levels of engagement to every room where she facilitates.

Sophia is a proud New York City transplant who is also Midwest Certified “Indiana-Nice.” She meditates (every-damn-day), drinks her whiskey neat (always), and is humbled by how her stubbornness is no match for that of her toddler son (most days).

There is a shift in many organizations to create a "Culture of Feedback." However, there are few opportunities to dig in and practice honing our feedback skills in a low-stakes environment. In this highly engaging workshop, you will be joined by other peers who deeply care about building trust by integrating practical feedback tools that ACTUALLY get you productive and authentic feedback. 

Tired of only getting murky responses on your engagement surveys or in team meetings? The kind of responses that let you know 'something's in the water,' but you are not sure what it is or how to address it? Tired of 'Feedback Sandwiches' that feel inauthentic and leave you hungry for more substantial ways to build a connected team? Leave this workshop with a feedback protocol, that removes power dynamics and creates the psychological safety that will allow your team to speak honestly & productively and get to the unspoken knowns of your workplace. This class is for you if you already know why feedback is important, but you want to spend your time practicing new tools & a new framework that create trust and stimulate your professional growth.

Educational Consultant, and Social-Emotional Skills Expert

Practical Tools Designed for Psychological Safety

Elicit Honest Productive Feedback

We all recognize that a culture of trust is critical so that our team can maximize its impact and success.  We also likely know that employees that indicate they work in trusting environments are more likely to feel fulfilled by their work and are more likely to stay at their organizations for a long time. 

But if we know it's important, why is it so rare and so difficult to create and maintain a culture of trust? 

Trust can often feel like an elusive destination; we want it, but we don't know how to get there. 

In this Elective, we will break down trust into a clear framework with four key components. These components will enable us to reflect and will give us tangible ways to take action. By breaking down each component and applying specific moves for each, you will walk away with a sense for what you already do well and where you can improve. You will feel empowered and confident that you have the tools to build and maintain trust among your teams. 

This Elective is perfect for managers of all levels and will be a dynamic interactive workshop with a mix of new research-based content, application (role plays, discussion, and thought exercises) with Q+A at the end. Leaders will leave this session with tools that they can implement the very next day, but also a shifted mindset to serve them for the rest of their career, and life.

An actionable approach to building and maintaining trust so that teams thrive

Building a Culture of Trust 

Carole-Ann Penney helps mission-driven leaders navigate their careers with purpose and resilience. As the Founder of Penney Leadership, she guides professionals to step into their authentic leadership and build their toolbox of mindsets, skills, and resources to make a meaningful impact.

A seasoned writer, speaker, and facilitator (in-person and virtually) on topics related to leadership and career development, Carole-Ann works with individuals and organizations across all sectors, industries, and roles. She is a Senior HBR Facilitator for Harvard Business Publishing's Corporate Leadership Development programs and an instructor for Electives, training professionals across the globe. Carole-Ann has led sessions for Fortune 100 corporations, higher education institutions, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, and professional associations, and her writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review. 

Carole-Ann holds a B.A. in Education from Brown University and certifications in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from Tufts University and Professional Coaching from iPEC. She also mentors emerging leaders through Brown University's Women's Launch Pad, Social Enterprise Greenhouse, and the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. When she is not coaching, she’s developing the most important emerging leaders in her life—her two young daughters.

Leadership as a mid-level manager isn’t just about formal authority—it’s about building influence to inspire your team and gain the buy-in of key decision-makers to drive the work forward. In this session, you'll learn how to engage and motivate your team, navigate relationships with key decision-makers, and align with other departments—all through the power of influence. 

We’ll explore practical strategies to inspire commitment rather than mere compliance from those around you. You’ll learn a four-step framework for reaching key stakeholders up, down, and across your organization. You’ll leave the session equipped to execute on your leaders' vision while fostering a collaborative, engaged team.

Leadership Coach and Motivator

Inspire and Lead Up, Down, and Across Your Organization

Influence: Your Manager Superpower

What makes the military one of the most effective organizations in the world? And what can today’s leaders learn from those lessons? In Frontline Leadership Lessons, Jason shares personal stories from his deployment to Afghanistan, where he witnessed firsthand how military teams achieve extraordinary cohesion, resilience, and clarity under pressure. He contrasts those experiences with his later years in consulting, where even top-performing firms struggled with the same challenges leaders everywhere face: aligning teams, creating accountability, and building lasting trust.

This session explores three structural differences that make frontline leadership so powerful. First, the military motivates through a shared purpose and unshakable clarity of mission. Second, accountability isn’t top-down but built into empowered ownership at every level. And third, trust is forged through relentless training, rituals, and shared adversity—creating teams that truly have each other’s backs.

In 60 minutes, participants will not just hear stories, but gain practical ways to adapt these principles to their own leadership. Expect candid insights, actionable tools, and the chance to reflect on what it means to lead with clarity, courage, and trust in any environment.

What military service teaches us about people leadership and high-performing teams

Frontline Leadership Lessons

Dr. Priya Nalkur is the President of the RoundTable Institute. As a teacher, coach and facilitator, she is deeply committed to amplifying the voices of new and seasoned leaders who want to broaden their influence and contribution to the world. Her unique approach seeks to awaken the unconscious potential and wisdom of leaders and teams. A psychologist by training, Priya brings her facility with psychological and communications theory to her students in a bold, fun, smart, and memorable way to model what influence and authenticity look like. She’s got lots of stories to tell about helping her clients overcome the odds and find their most authentic (and effective!) way to lead. 
For over 17 years, Priya has coached and taught senior leaders at technology, pharmaceutical, and financial firms around the world, and has worked with leaders in oil and gas, media & entertainment, biotechnology, research & development, non-profit, academia, and professional services. She has designed and delivered top-rated online and in-person courses for many companies, including one of the most highly rated courses on Managing Conflict at Work. The RoundTable Institute teaches courses on Building a JEDI* Work Culture (*Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion); Giving & Receiving Feedback; Effective Collaboration; Listening; Leadership Styles; Emotional Intelligence; and Empathy, and many other Leadership Development topics.  Priya is a highly sought-after coach, having diversified her range to include performance coaching, diversity & inclusion coaching, team coaching, and group & peer-to-peer coaching. She is certified in many psychological instruments, and is laser focused on furthering her training and knowledge in coaching and facilitation. At the RoundTable Institute, she leads a team of facilitators and coaches and continues to conduct research on best practices in diversity, equity and inclusion and leadership development. 
Priya studied Communications & Social Policy in her post-doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania; completed her Doctorate in Human Development & Psychology at Harvard University; her Masters in Education at Harvard University; her Masters in Public Health at Yale University; and her Bachelors in Physical Education at Western University. She is a Certified Co-Active Coach. 

Building diverse teams isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s also a strategic advantage. But how do you go beyond surface-level diversity to create a truly inclusive team culture where everyone thrives and contributes their best? This course is your step-by-step guide to making inclusion a reality in your team while driving measurable results.

We’ll begin by unpacking what it means to build an inclusive team, going beyond buzzwords to focus on actionable strategies. Participants will learn how to identify and remove barriers to inclusion, leverage diverse perspectives, and create norms that amplify every member’s voice. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution: we’ll provide tailored techniques for fostering inclusion in your unique workplace setting.

By the end of the course, you’ll have the tools and confidence to lead inclusively, creating high-performing teams that excel because of their diversity, not in spite of it. Get ready to see the power of inclusion in action!

Teacher, Coach & Facilitator

Building Inclusive Norms for Better Collaboration and Outstanding Team Performance

Inclusive Teams, Great Results

Experienced leader in global operations, project management, business transformation and crisis management.

Specializing in implementing innovative global initiatives, capital projects and product development, Ricardo has directed dozens of projects across industries and continents, managing more than $20 billion over the past 25 years.

He shares his expertise and passion with millions of professionals around the globe through his “5 Minutes Podcast,” which he has hosted since 2007 and has reached 12 million views since its release. He has written 16 books on project management, risk and crisis management and transformation, which have been translated into seven languages and sold over half a million copies. 

Ricardo was the first Latin American Chairman of PMI worldwide, where he served for four years. He also serves on the advisory board of Yera, an Estonian startup dedicated to improving employee performance and engagement through technology and artificial intelligence.

He also created and led the Brightline Initiative from 2016 to 2020 and was the director of project management and infrastructure at the United Nations, leading more than 1,000 projects in humanitarian and development projects.

His work as a venture capitalist and entrepreneur in artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, chatbots and machine learning resulted in tools and products that have revolutionized how users bring agility and agile management into project management software.

He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Federal Fluminense University in Brazil, an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

This Elective seeks to introduce the student to the practical concepts of transforming ideas into tangible results and getting things done. Ricardo will share the fundamental principles he learned by managing hundreds of projects across different sectors without prescribing a specific approach. 

The class includes topics ranging from complexity and VUCA environment to issues related to managing change, adaptability, and conflict.  The class also strongly focuses on the human and leadership skills required to deliver the project and, mainly, to provide the value it was supposed to deliver.

Leader in global operations, project management, business transformation and crisis management

Mastering Project Management

From Idea to Results

Trust & Alignment Reset

We are all tired of AI slop–it doesn't resonate. This workshop explores the dual implications of artificial intelligence: how it can both deepen inequities and unlock creativity, opportunity, and access. 

Through real-world case studies, we'll examine when and how to use AI responsibly– where it adds value through pattern-finding and scale, and where human judgement, context, and empathy must take the lead. 

Participants will learn a practical framework to identify the right roles for AI, distinguishing between what can be automated and what must remain deeply human. Because in the next era of innovation, the real competitive advantage isn't in teaching machines to think like us–it's knowing when not to. 

Learn where AI can be a partner–and where it shouldn't replace human insight

Beyond the Slop: AI With Intention

Alexander Miguel is an AI strategy consultant, educator, and founder of The Career Accelerator. He combines the rigor of management consulting with the power of cutting-edge AI to help professionals think critically and solve complex problems faster.

With 2000+ hours of hands-on AI work and experience training over 2000 professionals worldwide, Alexander has developed a unique teaching approach: blending proven problem-solving frameworks with the latest AI capabilities.

His writing on AI, leadership, and professional growth has reached 5 million+ readers and attracted a following of 35,000+ professionals. Previously a management consultant, he has guided more than 20 software development teams through major transformation projects.

Alexander holds a Master of Engineering and is committed to making AI fluency practical, responsible, and accessible for all. His classes—such as AI Strategy Consultant, Complex Problem Solving, AI + Critical Thinking, and The AI Fluency Kit—are known for their interactive, case-based methods that turn abstract concepts into real-world results.

Artificial intelligence now shapes much of what we see and hear—but it doesn’t always present the full picture. AI can reflect existing biases, overlook key details, and sometimes lead users off track. In today’s fast-moving workplaces, relying on its output without question can result in avoidable mistakes and unclear decision-making.

In Critical Thinking in the AI Age, Alexander Miguel draws on his experience as an AI strategy consultant and educator to help participants develop skills for navigating an AI-driven world. This class is designed for anyone interested in making more informed choices, regardless of technical experience.

Through a mix of frameworks, practical prompts, and interactive exercises, participants will learn how to:
- Spot and reduce both AI and human thinking biases
- Ask clearer, more effective questions
- Apply the PIQPACC decision-making framework in everyday situations
- Use a library of prompts to sift through information

Real-world examples and live practice will help cement these tools. The aim: to build habits that keep your judgment sharp so you can use AI while maintaining your own critical perspective. Curiosity is the only prerequisite.

Decision Making

Spot biases and make better decisions by combining human judgment with AI insights

Critical Thinking in the AI Age

Hi All - I'm David. I'm a Facilitator and Coach who has spent the last 20 years uplevelling Independent Contributors, Managers and Executives in a variety of business skills - from Everyday Creativity to Objection Handling to How to be a Great Manager to Hacking Failure (and more). And, frankly, I love it!  For 10 years I had the privilege of coaching and training Google's executives and sales teams, and recently I joined Pinterest to continue my upskilling mission as their Global Sales coach. 

My approach is very human and learner-centric -- meaning everything is really about YOU and how YOU can be better.  I take powerful schools of thought and cutting-edge research and engineer learner experiences so you can develop and apply skills, not just learn information.  Part of that approach means hearing and learning from you.  So all participants should expect their perspectives to be shared, valued, and connected to the learning outcomes - which honestly make my sessions fun.

And, of course, what kind of Bio would this be without some educational information.  So, you should definitely know - 
I am a proud graduate of Univesity of Wisconsin-Madison (undergrad) and a die-hard Badgers fan.
I received my MBA from NYU Stern School of Business - with focuses on Entrepreneurship; Marketing; and Entertainment, Media, and Technology. 
I currently live in Long Island New York with my wife and three daughters (#girldad).
I look forward to meeting you!

Harvard. McKinsey. Google.  Each acknowledges Creativity as one of the most vital skills for any organization to be successful.  It combats stagnation, facilitates growth and innovation, and creates space for teams to work smarter instead of harder, increasing productivity. 

But most Managers and Leaders don't actually understand what "Creativity" in business means - and far fewer understand how to create a culture that supports it.  This can lead to attrition, poor culture, inactivity and lost revenue. 

This 90 minute interactive experience digs into the science and psychology behind how and why we do our best thinking - and helps individuals and teams understand how to inject nuanced behaviors to get the most out of themselves, their teammates, their clients, and their partners. 

Individuals who experience this workshop will leave with a clear understanding of how they can show up in real business contexts to help their business and teams thrive.

Google Executive Coach & Founder of Beyond Impact

Future-proof your business by injecting proven behaviors of a winning culture

Business Creativity + Innovation

Prapti Jha is a strategist and researcher at the Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health. In her current role, she leverages behavioral design to catalyze human-centered and systemic solutions to advance the health and well-being of people at the grassroots level. She specializes in driving interdisciplinary teams to develop experiences and strategic solutions backed by research and accelerated by design methods and tools.

Prapti has nine years of experience in working with organizations across multiple industries. Her experience includes working as an Innovation Catalyst at Ford Motor Company, where she helped multidisciplinary teams across departments to re-imagine the mobility space. She also worked as a Senior Design Strategist at Cisco Systems, where she focused on humanizing and democratizing the cybersecurity space.

Prapti has co-founded an initiative We Speak Innovation, through which she has spoken to people globally in multiple industries about design-led innovation. She believes that at the heart of it all is the focus on people - our behavior, motivations, and all the little quirks that make us human. 

The most successful leaders aren't choosing between human judgment and AI capability; they're learning to combine both effectively. This session is designed for leaders who want to harness AI's analytical power without sacrificing the trust, transparency, and human alignment that drive great decisions.

You'll discover that AI's greatest value isn't in making decisions for you, but in helping you and your team make better decisions together. Through real-world scenarios and hands-on exercises, you'll learn to use AI as a thinking amplifier that expands your options rather than limiting them.

We'll explore practical frameworks for maintaining decision transparency, building team AI literacy, and knowing when purely human judgment should guide the conversation. You'll practice "decision archaeology", a method for learning from your AI-augmented choices and continuously improving your approach.

Whether you're leading strategic planning sessions, navigating complex acquisitions, or fostering innovation within your organization, this session provides the tools to evolve your decision-making practice for the AI era while keeping human wisdom at its core.


Design Led Innovator + Strategist

Leading with Intelligence Without Losing Human Judgment

AI-Augmented Strategic Decisions

In today's rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence, maintaining a strong Emotional Intelligence is more important than ever for leaders. This interactive session explores how technology can enhance human capabilities while fostering greater emotional insight. Participants will learn how to strategically integrate AI into their leadership practices, using it to support and enhance their emotional intelligence rather than diminish it.

The class provides valuable tools and insights, empowering leaders to leverage AI effectively while staying true to their human values. By the end of the session, attendees will have a clearer understanding of how AI can be a beneficial resource in their current leadership roles. They will feel more confident and equipped to use technology in a way that supports their growth as emotionally intelligent leaders.

Join us for this engaging learning experience, where technology meets humanity in a thoughtful exploration of leading with heart and smarts in the age of AI.

 How Artificial Intelligence can Help or Hinder Your Emotional Intelligence

Human Leadership in the Age of AI

Dr. Shar's work spans continents, from Ghana and Cameroon to Germany and Kenya, but what truly defines her approach is how she helps people see what's possible when we stop treating learning and change as something done to people, and start building capacity with them.

She knows intimately what it means to navigate new spaces, translate between worlds, and create belonging where none existed before. She brings that lived wisdom to every engagement, whether she's partnering with organizations on transformative evaluation, designing learning experiences that stick, or coaching leaders to develop their teams, or helping professionals confidently navigate AI as innovators rather than outsiders.

At Electives, Dr. Shar draws on her background in international psychology and public health to create experiences that do more than inform. She asks the kinds of questions that make people pause, reconsider, and ultimately shift how they approach systems and solutions. Her clients describe her work as refreshingly practical, deeply thoughtful, and rooted in what actually works.

Dr. Shar holds a PhD and MPH, but what matters most to those she works with is her commitment to authenticity, accountability, and building others' capacity to lead their own change. She believes the best learning happens when curiosity leads and when everyone in the room has permission to bring their whole selves to the work.

Class Overview
Transform your workflow by mastering collaboration with generative AI. This concise, practical session equips you with immediately applicable techniques to leverage tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and CoPilot in your daily professional tasks.
What You'll Learn

- A proven framework for crafting effective AI prompts that yield better results
- Ready-to-use prompt templates for common professional scenarios
- Strategies to overcome common AI collaboration challenges
- Techniques to maintain your unique voice while enhancing productivity

Why This Matters Now
In today's fast-paced workplace, the difference between thriving and merely surviving often comes down to how effectively you can leverage emerging technologies. This isn't about replacing human expertise—it's about amplifying it through strategic AI collaboration.

Who Should Attend
This workshop is designed for professionals at all levels—from individual contributors to senior leaders—who want to work more effectively in an increasingly AI-enhanced environment. No technical background required.

International Psychologist & Multicultural Expert

Harness AI Collaboration for Enhanced Professional Success

Next-Level Collaboration

Dr. Aviva Legatt is the founder of EdGenerative, an advisory firm helping schools, universities, and organizations integrate AI responsibly and effectively. A longtime educator, strategist, and Forbes contributor on AI in higher education, Dr. Legatt brings a unique perspective at the intersection of technology, ethics, and learning.

Previously, she served as Senior Associate Director of Admissions at The Wharton School and earned her doctorate in higher education at the University of Pennsylvania. Today, she works with leaders and institutions across the country to translate AI from buzzword to practice—helping teams design agentic workflows, build AI fluency, and adopt innovation in ways that strengthen resilience and trust.

Her passion is rooted in the belief that AI should empower people, not replace them, and that every organization can unlock growth by balancing innovation with integrity.

AI offers organizations powerful new tools—but it also introduces complex questions around ethics and accountability. In “Responsible AI in Practice,” participants will examine how bias, trust, and fairness shape AI systems and their real-world impact.

Through practical frameworks and group discussion, the class explores the risks and challenges leaders face when bringing AI into existing processes. Participants will learn core principles of human-centered design and responsible AI, and work through real cases where ethical considerations changed how AI was built and used.

The class includes hands-on exercises where participants apply an ethical assessment framework to an artificial intelligence use case. By the end of the session, everyone will develop a customizable checklist to guide responsible AI implementation in their own projects or organizations.

This course is designed for individuals making decisions about how AI is used—whether within a technical team, in policy work, or in management. No advanced technical background required; curiosity and willingness to engage with tough questions are encouraged.

AI Strategist

Balance innovation with integrity through frameworks that reduce bias and build trust

Responsible AI in Practice

Uncertainty is the only constant. 

However, successful organizations know how to navigate risks and thrive in an uncertain environment. In this Elective, you will learn essential strategies and techniques for identifying, analyzing, and managing risk.

Through discussions and real examples, Ricardo will guide you on developing a proactive approach to risk management, gain a deeper understanding of the various types of risk we face, and explore practical methods for assessing and prioritizing risks. 

You will also discover best practices for communicating risk to stakeholders and developing effective risk management plans.

Whether you are a seasoned risk manager or new to the field, this course will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to make informed decisions and achieve success in uncertain times. 

A Guide to Effective Risk Management

Thriving on Uncertainty

This elective delves into the art and the science of Scenario Planning - a strategic tool designed to anticipate and prepare for the uncertainties of the future. It emphasizes the role of scenario planning within a broader strategic analysis toolkit. 

Through this framework, you will learn to:
+ Identify key strategic issues and set a realistic planning timeframe.
+ Distinguish between predictable trends and unforeseen uncertainties that might affect your business's potential for success.
+ Develop a range of future scenarios based on these identified uncertainties.
+ Apply creativity and brainstorming techniques to vividly visualize these potential scenarios.
+ Assess the adaptability of your business strategy across various scenarios, and identify opportunities for strategic modifications to bolster resilience.

By the end of this elective, we will understand how scenario planning can minimize risk, challenge assumptions, and enhance strategic decision-making. This will empower you to position your business optimally for an array of potential futures.

Mitigate Risk and Leverage Business Opportunities with Scenario Planning

Navigating the Future

The AI Agentic Shift

Wendy Carter is a seasoned Leadership Development Practitioner and Executive Coach with over 15 years of experience in designing and facilitating engaging learning programs that drive meaningful change. Having worked with Fortune 100 companies like The Walt Disney Company and AdventHealth, she has a proven track record of curating customized learning experiences that resonate across industries, including healthcare, entertainment, and leadership development. Wendy is known for her dynamic facilitation style, creating interactive and impactful sessions that leave participants feeling empowered and equipped to apply their newfound insights immediately.

As the Founder of Emerge Development Solutions, Wendy partners with organizations to develop tailored leadership programs that address specific challenges and foster growth. She leverages certified tools like the DiSC and MBTI assessments, alongside her deep expertise in emotional intelligence, to help individuals and teams unlock their full potential. Wendy’s ability to connect with diverse audiences and deliver practical, results-driven strategies has made her a trusted resource for leaders seeking transformative learning experiences.

"Mind Matters" delves into the crucial topic of mental wellness within modern workplaces. This course provides participants with a clear understanding of factors that impact mental health at work. Through engaging discussions and practical activities, attendees learn to recognize common signs of mental health challenges among colleagues. The course also explores effective strategies to manage workplace stress, offering actionable steps to promote a supportive and stigma-free environment. By focusing on these areas, participants are equipped to foster a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health, enhancing both well-being and productivity. The ultimate aim is to create a more inclusive and understanding professional environment where every individual feels supported.


Founder and People Leader

Navigating Mental Wellness in the Modern Workplace

Mind Matters

Drew McClure is the co-founder of People Profit and the innovative mind behind the E3 Coaching Model, dedicated to enhancing leadership and team performance for Inc 5000 companies. With over 2000 hours of one-on-one coaching, Drew has a knack for simplifying human complexities to help individuals achieve their fullest potential.

One of his greatest passions and gifts is communicating life-changing ideas to an audience. He has been invited to speak as a keynote speaker for notable companies like Chick-fil-A.  

As the host of the Zero to 5000 Podcast, Drew shares insights from over 250 founder interviews, cementing his role as a vital contributor to the entrepreneurial community. He's also the author of "Go For It," a practical guide for those seeking to follow their passions and achieve their goals.

Drew lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Caroline and their three children. His professional journey is backed by years of firsthand experience and dedication to encouraging positive change.

Feeling drained despite trying meditation, breathing techniques, yoga, or even mushroom coffee? You're not alone. Many find themselves tired, stressed, and overwhelmed despite their best efforts. This class delves into understanding the deeper causes of energy depletion and burnout.

Participants will explore the four key components of personal energy and uncover the root causes of their burnout. Through engaging and practical guidance, you'll learn how to create a tailored plan that effectively manages your energy levels, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life both personally and professionally.

This course provides valuable insights for anyone looking to enhance their energy and avoid burnout. Whether you're new to these concepts or seeking to refine your current practices, the class offers a straightforward approach to building the quantity and quality of energy in your life. Join us to learn strategies that empower you to thrive without running on empty.

Gratitude in Action

The Psychology of Altruism

The Joy of Regrets

More in This Collection

The Empathetic Workplace

Showing Up

Finding Home

Writing Your Way to Happiness

Courageous Connections

Courage and Boldness

Poetry As The Means We Need

Other Notable Collections

Radical Adaptability

Connection Architecture

Trust & Alignment Reset

The AI Agentic Shift

October 10 is World Mental Health Day

National Caregivers Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Veterans Day is November 11