Josh Davies is passionate about helping others make a difference in their lives, jobs, and community. His engaging and connecting speaking style combined with relevant content make him an in-demand speaker across North America, the Middle East, and Asia. In addition to his speaking career, Davies is the founder of The Non-Prophets, an international roundtable bringing together best-in-class leaders from around the globe to provide insight and solutions. Previously, he served as the CEO of The Center for Work Ethic Development, providing curriculum and certification for building foundational workplace skills to organizations around the world. Josh has also been engaged in local, national and international efforts to advocate for and drive awareness around workforce issues.
Dr. Kiko Suárez is a global keynote speaker, high-performance coach, and higher education executive. As Chief Impact Officer at Reach University, he leads efforts to reimagine college through apprenticeship-based degrees for working adults. He also founded MindMentor Institute, where he trains executives, coaches, and athletes to unlock their full potential using mental strength, practical mindfulness, and performance science. A native of Spain, Dr. Suárez holds a doctorate in leadership and change and has advised foundations, institutions, and governments on the intersection of education, equity, and innovation. His upcoming book, Unbreakable, and his idea of hosting a speaking tour called “The Untour” explore the concept of an unlimited mindset, science, and the soul of mental strength for life and leadership. Whether on stage or in the field, Kiko aims to help others unleash their greatness and lead meaningful, impactful lives.
Maria was brought up in a multicultural family and raised on stories of resistance and resilience in the face of oppression. She has dedicated her life to fostering inclusion and belonging, advocating for social justice and equity, and building cultural connections. As the CEO of MSM Global Consulting, Maria has trained and coached leaders across industries to strategically embed the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into their organizations. Maria is passionate about supporting the evolution of equity work. She authored Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Trainers: Fostering DEI in the Workplace (ATD, 2022) to support aspiring training professionals, and co-founded EMBER, a community for social change agents and equity practitioners who are deeply invested in evolving DEI as a profession. Maria lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two future peace teachers, who regularly coach her on managing her runaway amygdala!
Erik Gandini is an Italian Swede documentary film director, producer and professor of documentary film at Stockholm University of the Arts.
After his multi-awarded films Videocracy, The Swedish Theory of Love, Surplus and Gitmo, his latest feature film After Work turn to the nature of work in the 21st century in the wake of the rise of AI and automation. Shot between the USA, Kuwait, South Korea and Italy, the film explores how we can rethink our relationship to work and work ethics.
Dr. Kevin J Fleming is an educator, speaker, producer of multiple, viral animation videos including Success in the New Economy, and author of the bestseller, (Re)Defining the Goal. Dissatisfied with the status quo, he has dedicated over two decades advancing career education forward as both a faculty member and administrator. Dr. Fleming serves as the Founder and CEO of Catapult, which delivers the world’s best thought leaders to all educators, through hybrid-flexible masterclasses. His team’s mission is to Make all Education Relevant. And his dad joke YouTube channel proves he doesn’t always take himself too seriously.
Drew Davies is the founder of Oxide, a civic-minded brand and design consultancy established in 2001. Under his leadership, Oxide has created internationally recognized brands, logos, packaging, and communications. He is a national president emeritus of AIGA and an AIGA Fellow, and the only Nebraskan to have judged the Communication Arts Design Annual.
He has led election and voter information design efforts for states across the U.S., created national ballot design standards for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and collaborated with the Federal Voting Assistance Program to improve voting for citizens overseas. Drew also testified before President Obama’s "Presidential Commission on Election Administration".
Walter L. Simmons is an accomplished nonprofit and workforce development executive recognized as a national leader in public sector workforce development. Walter founded Employ Prince George’s in 2018 and has served as the nonprofit’s President and CEO.Under Walter’s leadership, Employ Prince George’s redesigned the Prince George’s County Public Workforce System to serve as America’s first local workforce system operating as a free membership network. Today, the system serves over 30,000 job seekers and 5,000 businesses annually.The National Association of Workforce Boards awarded Employ Prince George’s and the Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board as their 2022 WIOA Trailblazer, followed by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals honoring Walter as the 2023 Workforce Development Professional of the Year. Walter has also been recognized as one of the Maryland Daily Record’s Most Admired CEOs and one of Maryland’s Most Influential Professionals.
Dr. Tan heads a global Organization Transformation Consultancy, OCTAVE Institute, for a single-owner 4th generation family business in Singapore. He also volunteers as a board member and a mentor for young people, with a non-profit mentoring organization, MentorsHub. Trained as an engineer, and pivoting into education and academia and now finally Organizational Transformation, he uses his talents to coach and develop leaders to align with their purpose and transform from the inside out so that they can be stewards to their teams and community.
Located in Ontario Canada, Jeanette Campbell’s entire career has been spent in the social service sector and has ranged from front-line direct support for people who have a disability, the operation of social enterprises, CEO of a homeless shelter for Youth, to program design and delivery of services for marginalized members of the community, and the development of education programs and national initiatives. Most recently, she was the CEO of the Ontario Disability Employment Network, an organization focused on educating businesses and service providers on disability inclusive employment. Recently 'retired' to begin a new journey becoming a certified Hatha Yoga instructor, with a focus on teaching and supporting Yoga Studios and trainers about disability inclusion, and how to make their practice accessible for all who wish to engage in yoga.
Dr. Christopher Laney is the Vice President of Social Impact and a Labor Economist at Lightcast, where he specializes in education, workforce development, economic mobility, and using labor market data to create a more equitable workforce within communities. Throughout his career at Lightcast, Laney has collaborated with state governments on the development of policies related to education and labor markets. He has also partnered with a variety of stakeholders on key projects related to legislative priorities, including credentials of value, emerging industries, sector analysis, and the economic impact of workforce and career and technical education (CTE) programs. Laney’s research, including his dissertation on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and its impact on the economic mobility of disenfranchised young adults, has influenced both policy and practice.
Kristi Snapp is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in payments within Commercial and Corporate Banking at two of the largest U.S. banks. She has led operational transformations, launched innovative products, and reduced risk to help companies optimize cash flow and make it easier for their customers to move money. Her work has contributed to the widespread adoption of digital payments and the integration of emerging technologies like robotics into the payments space. Known for solving complex problems, streamlining processes, and building high-performing teams, Kristi brings deep industry expertise and a passion for initiatives that drive business growth.
When she’s not immersed in payments, Kristi embraces her favorite side hustles—serving as an Uber driver and sports agent for her kids, supporting their journey to compete at the elite level, and hitting the slopes for some well-earned skiing.
Fa’eq AlOlaiwat is a regional innovation and brand architect and a pioneer creative and design director with more than 25 years experience. He is a Bahraini innovation architect, entrepreneur and one of the region’s leading public intellectuals on creative communication, design innovation & organizational culture.
Fa’eq AlOlaiwat is the founder of “Olaiwat” Creative strategies & learning, an AI-powered platform focused on corporate health and organizational well-being. He deliver talks and workshops on branding, design thinking, innovaton and cultural transformation throughout the region. He is also the founder of DaDeDo, one of the leading Independent agencies of the world**(http://www.dadedo.com). His personal motto is; “Imagine clearly, unite meaningfully, perform purposefully — to build a more compassionate and beautiful future.”