Why they’re the right human

As one of the nation’s most influential business and management thinkers, Adam’s insight can help us create a stronger workplace through a culture of learning and exploration,” said Eric Mosley, CEO of Workhuman. “We’re thrilled to have Adam speak again and share his useful tips for thinking more critically, challenging ourselves to rethink our own assumptions and embracing new ideas and perspectives.”

Named one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers and one of the Fortune’s 40 under 40, Grant is a leading expert on promoting generosity, originality and resilience. He has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven straight years, and as an organizational psychologist, studies how we can find motivation and meaning, and lead more generous and creative lives. Adam’s TED talks on original thinkers and givers and takers have been viewed more than 25 million times. His books have been named among the year’s best by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal and praised by J.J. Abrams, Richard Branson, Bill and Melinda Gates, Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Kahneman, and Malala Yousafzai. His new book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, launched in February 2021, examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds.

Why they’re the right human

An international human rights lawyer, equality advocate, and global leader, Amal Clooney has advocated for neglected and exploited groups throughout her career. She also co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice to advance justice in courtrooms, classrooms, and communities around the world.

Throughout her career, Amal has advocated for neglected and exploited groups, including appearing before the United Nations on behalf of thousands of Yazidi women sexually enslaved by ISIS in Iraq and Syria; representing Armenia in the European Court on Human Rights in a case concerning the denial of the Armenian genocide; and co-founding the Clooney Foundation for Justice to advance justice in courtrooms, classrooms, and communities around the world.

Amal is a frequent adviser to governments on international law and has held several posts within the U.N., including senior adviser to Kofi Annan when he served as the U.N. Envoy on Syria. She has also advised the Greek government on the return of the Parthenon Marbles, represented the Chagossians in their legal fight to return to their islands, and challenged the detention of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko at the European Court of Human Rights. She has also been named a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum and currently serves on the Forum’s Global Council on Human Rights.

Amal is the president of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which she co-founded with her husband, George Clooney, in late 2016 to advance justice in courtrooms, communities, and classrooms around the world.

Why they’re the right human

Amy Cuddy is a professor and researcher at Harvard Business School who studies how nonverbal behavior and snap judgments affect people. Her research has been published in top academic journals and covered by NPR,New York Times, Wired, Fast Company, and more. Cuddy has been named a Game Changer by Time, one of 50 Women Who Are Changing the World by Business Insider, and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Her 2012 TED Talk is the second most-viewed talk in TED’s history.

Why they’re the right human

Angela R. Howard currently serves as the director of talent management and culture for Kaiser Permanente’s Washington (KPWA) region. In this role, Angela oversees a team of organizational development, talent management, and learning professionals that help build capability and drive culture change across KPWA.

Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente. Angela has spent over a decade of her career advising organizations and coaching executives on how to build businesses that thrive through people that thrive. Her dedication to and strong philosophy around the untapped potential of the workforce of tomorrow is grounded in intersecting individual passion with company purpose. She coaches, educates, and speaks about transforming organizations into catalysts for hiring, retaining, engaging, and developing their most capable and energized employees. Her personal mission is to bring passion and purpose back into the workplace. She leverages her knack for transforming research and best practice into enterprise-wide and business-specific localized programs and solutions impacting individuals, small teams, and entire global organizations of 300,000+ employees in the areas of employee engagement, strategic talent development, organizational effectiveness, and company culture.

Angela received her M.A. in industrial/organizational psychology, highly specialized field focused on rigor and research around behavior and human potential in the workplace.

Why they’re the right human

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, and a nationally syndicated author who is celebrated as one of the world’s most recognizable commentators and business leaders. In 2006, she was named to the “Time 100,” Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

A renowned cultural observer, Arianna launched The Huffington Post in 2005. The news and blog site has quickly become one of the most widely read, linked to, and frequently cited media brands on the Internet and features special pages on Business, Technology, Healthy Living and Good News, among others. Arianna has written fourteen books and is a sought-after speaker on the topic of life-work balance.

Why they’re the right human

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work.

She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead, which is the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership.

Brené’s TED talk – The Power of Vulnerability – is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world with over 35 million views.

Brené lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Steve, and their children, Ellen and Charlie.

Why they’re the right human

A visionary change-agent, Candi Castleberry Singleton is the vice president of intersectionality, culture, and diversity (ICD) at Twitter, where she leads the new #GrowTogether strategy focused on ICD internally and on the platform. She is also the founder of the award-winning Dignity & Respect Campaign, which has helped organizations create environments of dignity and respect.

Business acumen developed from leading teams in operations and experience in sales and product marketing at Xerox Corporation shapes her approach to partnering with business and community leaders to build sustainable practices for the workplace and community. She has developed successful strategies and initiatives in technology, telecommunications, and healthcare with companies such as Sun Microsystems, Motorola, and UPMC.

As an experienced diversity and inclusion leader, she created The Bolt-On to Built-In Model™, featured in her chapter of “Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference” (Harvard Business School Press). The model has helped her transition companies from compliance-driven processes led by HR to integrated activities that shift the responsibility for achieving an inclusive culture to every employee.

Candi has served as adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University. She received an MBA from Pepperdine and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, and she completed the Stanford Executive Human Resources program.

Why they’re the right human

Caroline A. Wanga is chief diversity & inclusion officer and vice president of human resources at the Target Corporation. She leads Target’s strategic intent to champion an inclusive society with accountability for inclusive guest experiences, a diverse and inclusive work environment, and societal impact. As a cultural catalyst, she fuels Target’s business objectives through the company’s first-ever performance based D&I goals. Launched in 2015, supplier diversity, marketing, philanthropy, retention, hiring, representation, and engagement have significantly improved. Caroline began her Target career in supply chain in 2005, serving in a variety of transformational leadership roles, including modernizing supply chain, business intelligence, digital, and strategy capabilities prior to joining the diversity & inclusion team, in 2014.

Caroline earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas College, and is an inspirational thought leader and public speaker. Her innovative shared-accountability approach to driving business results is featured in “The Innovation Mentality” by Glenn Llopis, “Our Search For Belonging” by Howard Ross, and “The Multiplier Effect of Inclusion” by Dr. Tony Byers. She is a Kenyan citizen, top executive in diversity by Black Enterprise, a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the Talladega College Board of Trustees, the Intersectionality, Culture, and Diversity Advisory Board for Twitter, and a co-chair of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Diversity & Inclusion Initiative. Her greatest life accomplishment is her daughter, Cadence.

Why they’re the right human

Christine Porath is an Associate Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. She is also a consultant working with leading organizations to help them create a thriving workplace.

Her speaking and consulting clients include Google, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, Genentech, Department of Labor, Department of the Treasury, Department of Justice, and National Security Agency.

Christine is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today and has written articles for New York Times (Sunday Review), Wall Street Journal, McKinsey Quarterly, and Washington Post.

She frequently delivers conference talks, including at Conference Board, Human Resources People and Strategy (HRPS), and Work Human. She has taught in various Executive programs at Harvard, Georgetown, USC, and ESADE. Prior to her position at Georgetown, she was a faculty member at Marshall School of Business at University of Southern California.

Porath is the author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior. Her research has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Consumer Research, and many other journals and books.

Christine’s work has been featured worldwide in over 1,500 television, radio and print outlets. It has appeared on 20/20, Today, FoxNews, CNN, BBC, NBC, msnbc, CBS, ABC, and NPR. It has also been included in Time, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Fortune, Forbes, NY Times, The Washington Post, and L.A. Times.

Before getting her Ph.D., she worked for International Management Group (IMG), a leading sports management and marketing firm. Porath received her Ph.D. from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from College of the Holy Cross where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa as well as the women’s basketball and soccer teams.

Why they’re the right human

Claude Silver is VaynerMedia’s Chief Heart Officer, the capstone of a career focused on guiding client relationships, global brand strategies, operations, and management. An abiding passion for creating spaces in which people can thrive defined her previous leadership positions at J. Walter Thompson, Publicis, SAY Media, and Organic, among others. At VaynerMedia, Claude cultivates the heart of the agency’s success: its people. With a purview that includes staff relations, development, recruitment, and retention, each practice is underscored by Claude’s drive to unlock the inner professional potential of every VaynerMedia employee.

Why they’re the right human

Recognized for cultivating a counter-intuitive, reality-based approach to leadership, Cy offers a new lens through which employees and executives can shift their attention inward and sharpen their focus on personal accountability. Cy helps us turn excuses into results and unhappy employees into accountable, successful members of the workforce – simply by ditching the drama.

Wakeman’s New York Times bestselling book, The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace, shows employees how to calculate their true value to their organization. With an original formula for measuring current performance, future potential, and “emotional expensiveness” – the toll an individual’s actions and attitudes take on the people around them – Wakeman shows employees how to become invaluable team members and learn to love their jobs again.

Wakeman has helped companies such as Google, Facebook, Viacom, Uber, NBC Universal, NASA, Pfizer, Johns Hopkins, Stanford Health Care, Keurig Dr. Pepper, AMC Theatres, White Castle, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and countless others learn to navigate our rapidly changing world.

Named one of the “Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow” on Twitter, Wakeman’s influence continues to build. Participants consistently rank her programs as the single most impactful training they have ever received. An expert blogger on FastCompany.com, Forbes.com and The Huffington Post, Wakeman’s ideas have been featured on the TODAY Show, The Social, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Insider, The Daily Muse, Success.com, and SHRM.com.

Why they’re the right human

Dan is a senior fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports entrepreneurs who fight for social good. He is also an entrepreneur himself, having founded Thinkwell, an innovative education company that will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2017. A former case writer for Harvard Business School, Dan was named in 2013 to the Thinkers 50, a ranking of the world’s 50 most influential management thinkers, and also to Fast Company magazine’s list of the Most Creative People in Business.

He has delivered keynotes or workshops for teachers, police chiefs, U.S. senators, interior designers, Navy admirals, healthcare leaders, marketers, ministers, and countless executive teams, across 26 countries on six continents. (He’s still waiting for that invitation from Antarctica.) Dan has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Don’t miss Dan’s knowledge-dropping, working-upstream, future-planning keynote. It’ll be legendary.

Why they’re the right human

Daniel Levy is an Emmy^® Award-winning writer, actor, director, producer, and New York Times Best Selling author, best known for his work on one of the much-beloved, award-winning television series, Schitt’s Creek, where he served as showrunner and executive producer, as well as co-creator and co-star with his father Eugene Levy.

Daniel has also co-wrote, co-hosted, and co-produced critically-acclaimed hits for MTV, co-hosted The Great Canadian Baking Show, made a guest appearance on Modern Family, and has shared the screen with the likes of Tina Fey in Admission and Bette Midler, Kailtyn Dever, Sarah Paulson, and Issa Rae in Coastal Elites. In 2020, he appeared in the hit romantic comedy Happiest Season on Hulu, and in 2021 made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live, for which he received another Emmy nomination. Levy was also recognized as one of the Grand Marshals for NYC Pride 2020, was honored by GLAAD with the Davidson/Valentini Award.

Most recently, Levy signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, and his book, Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek, which he co-wrote with Eugene Levy, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Why they’re the right human

Doyin (doe-ween) Richards is a dynamic keynote speaker who inspires people to be open about mental health/mental illness and embrace anti-racism in the workplace and beyond.

As a keynote speaker, consultant, and workshop facilitator, Doyin provides tangible, actionable solutions that provides results for his clients all over America. Amgen, Cisco, Freddie Mac, 2K, Elsevier, Workhuman, and Salesforce are a few of the companies where he recently delivered a keynote address/workshop.

Mainstream media values his message as he’s often called on to make appearances for NPR and HLN, and has been interviewed by the TODAY Show, ABC News, Essence Magazine, Cosmopolitan, USA Today, CNN, Parents Magazine, Yahoo!, the New York Times, Sunrise Australia, and more. Not to mention, the social media giant LinkedIn is currently airing a commercial featuring Doyin and his anti-racism work.

His message isn’t just for adults. Doyin authored two picture books for children published by Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of mega-publisher Macmillan). His latest picture book WATCH ME tells an inspirational personal story of what it’s like to immigrate to America from a 3^rd world country while overcoming racism and other intense obstacles. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? tackles the tough topic of introducing kids to positive race-relations without raising them to be “colorblind.” Both books were #1 new releases in their categories on Amazon.

Through his books, recent TEDx Talk, workshops, media appearances, and his critically-acclaimed Anti-Racism Fight Club workshop, Doyin regularly demonstrates that he is a leader in the fields of mental health, anti-racism, and healthy masculinity.

Why they’re the right human

Dr. Bernice A. King is a global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator, peace advocate, and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center), which was founded by her mother as the official living memorial to the life, work, and legacy of her father. In this position, Bernice continues to advance her parents’ legacy of nonviolent social change through policy, advocacy, research, as well as education & training through the Kingian philosophy of nonviolence, which she re-branded Nonviolence365™️ (NV365).

Through her work at The King Center, she educates youth and adults around the world about the nonviolent principles and strategies modeled by her parents. Under her leadership, the Center has implemented numerous initiatives reaching over 500,000 people around the world, including the Beloved Community Leadership Academy, Students with King, NV365 Education & Training, and The Beloved Community Talks, a courageous conversations platform about the difficult racial and social justice issues impacting our world. Dr. King led the development of an NV365 certification program for trainers, which provides individuals with the opportunity to teach the NV365 curriculum on behalf of The King Center. She is an instructor for the program and a trainer.

Dr. King holds a Doctorate of Law from Emory University, A Master of Divinity Degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Spellman College. She also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Wesley College and Clinton College. From 1990 -1992 she served as a law clerk for Judge Glenda Hatchett, the Chief Judge of The Fulton County Juvenile Detention Court. She served for seven years as an Assistant Pastor of Greater Rising Star Baptist Church in Atlanta where she organized and developed several new ministries. In 2007, she established the Be A King Scholarship in honor of her mother at Spelman College. Dr. King spearheaded the 2013 “Let Freedom Ring” event commemorating the 50th Anniversary of The March on Washington and her father’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The global event included President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, and President Jimmy Carter, members of Congress, as well as many other international leaders, dignitaries, and entertainers.

In March 2018, Dr. King was fortunate to have a private audience with his holiness, Pope Francis. As an alumna of Leadership Atlanta (class of 2020,) she effectively utilized her influence to encourage Atlanta Business leaders to become more active in support of major racial equity and social justice issues, including the successful passage of Georgia’s Hate Crime legislation. Dr. King has received numerous awards and recognitions. Most recently she received the Atlanta Business Chronicle Lifetime Achievement Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Additionally, The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation honored her in 2020 with their highest award, The Phoenix Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to society. As a noted author, she has to her credit, “Hard Questions, Heart Answers,” as well as a children’s book entitled “It Starts with Me,” which is a part of The King Center’s Be Love movement.

She is a licensed attorney and member of the State Bar of Georgia; a certified Mediator with the State of Georgia; a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, the International Women’s Forum (IWF), the National Council of Negro Women; a Board member of the National Black Bank Foundation as well as Faith and Prejudice.

Dr. King is an innovative, inspirational, and transformational leader. She is dedicated to ensuring that her parents’ legacy and teachings, The King Center, as well as the work of creating the Beloved Community, with Nonviolence365 as the pathway, are introduced to new generations of influencers.

Why they’re the right human

Dr. Ed Catmull is co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios and the former president of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios. For over 25 years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, thanks in large part to Ed’s efforts to create a workplace where collaboration and imagination are key values.

At Workhuman Live, get access into the nerve center of Pixar and the meetings and “Braintrust” sessions where all the movies you know and love were made. Ed will share his insights and techniques on cultivating an environment that fosters creativity and innovation, as well as how leaders can identify and address hidden barriers to such a culture.

Ed Catmull served as president of Pixar Animation Studios until 2018. Under his leadership, the film studio produced world-renowned blockbusters celebrated for insightful storytelling and industry-leading animation techniques. His book, Creativity, Inc., cowritten with journalist Amy Wallace, is a distillation of the ideas and management principles he has used to develop a creative culture. The book serves as a manual for managers who want to encourage a growth mindset and lead their employees to new heights. It’s also an all-access trip into Pixar’s meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history have been made.

Dr. Catmull has been honored with five Academy Awards^®, including an Oscar of Lifetime Achievement for his technical contributions and leadership in the field of computer graphics for the motion picture industry. He also has been awarded the Turing Award by the world’s largest society of computing professionals, the Association for Computing Machinery, for his work on three-dimensional computer graphics.

Why they’re the right human

Ellen Wilson was appointed executive vice president, human capital, UnitedHealth Group, in June 2013 and was named to the Office of the Chief Executive in November 2014. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of human resources, including compensation and benefits, talent management, leadership and employee development, rewards and recognition, and organization development.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Chief Administrative Officer for Optum, starting January, 2012. In this role, she played a central role in guiding Optum’s mission-critical business alignment and cultural programs.

Wilson brings deep experience in successfully leading large transformations in services-focused organizations. Prior to joining Optum, she served for 17 years at Fidelity Investments, most recently as head of Human Resources.

Wilson earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Bryant University, and an MBA from Babson College. She serves on the Board of Directors for the YWCA and on the Board of Directors for the Walker Art Center, in Minneapolis.

Why they’re the right human

What can New York Times bestselling author and relationship philosopher Esther Perel tell us about workplace success? Turns out, a whole lot. As a famed psychotherapist, Esther Perel brings a fresh perspective to everything that shapes workplace dynamics, connections, and conflict, encouraging leaders to build more trusting and empathetic relationships. She’ll be your guide in boosting culture, engagement, and retention by showing you how to help your employees – and their relationships – thrive. Because – as Esther believes – the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.

Since arriving as a graduate student in the United States, Perel has examined relationships and quality of life from every angle: the nature of cultural and religious identity; the negotiation between tradition and modernity; the ebb and flow between individualism and collectivism; and more. She observed interracial and interreligious couples; the cultural forces that affect gender roles; practices of childrearing; and ultimately, the tensions, obstacles, and anxieties that arise when our quest for love and security conflicts with our pursuit of adventure and freedom.

As a psychotherapist, Perel has helmed a therapy practice in New York City for more than 35 years. In parallel, she serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Fluent in nine languages, Perel’s celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 40 million views and her bestselling books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Perel is an executive producer and host of the award-winning podcast “Where Should We Begin?” Her podcast “How’s Work?” focuses on workplace dynamics and can be enjoyed anywhere you enjoy your podcasts.

Why they’re the right human

Eve Rodsky is the bestselling author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space. She received her B.A. from the University of Michigan, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. After working in foundation management at J.P. Morgan, she founded the Philanthropy Advisory Group to advise families and charitable foundations on best practices.

Rodsky’s Fair Play system creates delineated roles, specific assignments, and explicitly defined expectations that empower both partners to take the lead, stay in their own lane and ultimately— support sustainable relationships that thrive. In her follow-up book, Find Your Unicorn Space, Eve Rodsky realized that even when the domestic workload becomes more balanced, people still report something missing in their lives—that is, unless they create and prioritize time for activities that not only fill their calendars but also unleash their creativity.

Rodsky was raised by a single mom in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children.

Why they’re the right human

Gary Hamel is one of the world’s most influential and iconoclastic business gurus. He is a highly regarded consultant who’s worked with dozens of leading companies across the globe and is a dynamic and sought-after management speaker. Hamel has written 17 articles for the Harvard Business Review and is the most reprinted author in the Review’s history. His landmark books have been translated into more than 25 languages. His most recent bestsellers have been The Future of Management and What Matters Now. In these volumes, Hamel presents an impassioned plea for reinventing management and lays out a blueprint for building organizations that are “fit for the future.”

During his distinguished career, Hamel has received a host of accolades. The Economist called him “the world’s reigning strategy guru,” Fortune magazine labeled him “the world’s leading expert on business strategy,” and The Wall Street Journal ranked him as the world’s most influential business thinker. Hamel speaks regularly at the world’s most prestigious business conferences, including the World Economic Forum, TED, the World Business Forum, Techonomy, and Fortune Brainstorm. He is also a sought-after speaker at industry and company events. Recent clients have included GE, McKinsey & Company, Cisco, Microsoft, Gartner, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Burberry, HCL Technologies, and the Singapore Institute of Management.

Why they’re the right human

Academy Award winner Geena Davis is one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, appearing in several roles that became cultural landmarks.

Davis received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the offbeat dog trainer Muriel Pritchett in Lawrence Kasdan’s The Accidental Tourist. She was again nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, in which she co-starred with Susan Sarandon. Davis went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of baseball phenomenon ‘Dottie Hinson’ in A League of Their Own.

Earning the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama, Davis broke ground in her portrayal of the first female President of the United States in ABC’s hit show Commander in Chief.

Davis made her feature film debut starring opposite Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. She went on to star in such films as The Fly, Beetlejuice, Angie, The Long Kiss Goodnight and Stuart Little.

Few have achieved such remarkable success in as many different fields as Davis has: she is not only an Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor, but a world-class athlete (at one time the nation’s 13th-ranked archer), a member of the genius society Mensa, and is now recognized for her tireless advocacy of women and girls nearly as much as for her acting accomplishments. She is the Founder and Chair of the non-profit Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which engages film and television creators to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters — and reduce gender stereotyping — in media made for children 11 and under.

Davis was appointed Special Envoy for Women and Girls in ICT for the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and is an official partner of UN Women. She is also co-founder and chair of the Bentonville Film Festival (BFF), whose mission is to champion women and diverse voices in all forms of media.

Geena Davis and festival co-founder Trevor Drinkwater founded the Bentonville Film Festival in 2015 to champion women in media. BFF’s mission is to encourage content creation in film and other forms of media that reflects the diverse — and half female — world we live in. BFF proactively supports content creation by women and diverse voices with a platform to showcase their work and, with the help of our partners, is the only film competition in the world to guarantee theatrical, television, digital and retail home entertainment distribution for its winners. The Festival takes place in early May in Bentonville, Arkansas and is research based and commercially driven.

Most recently, Davis starred in 20th Century Fox’s The Exorcist; a serialized psychological thriller based on the 1971 book of the same name, Marjorie Prime, based on the Award-Winning play and Dear Angelica, one of the first VR narrative films from Oculus.

Davis holds honorary degrees from Boston University, Bates College and New England College.

Why they’re the right human

George Clooney is recognized as much for his global humanitarian efforts as he is for his accomplishments in the entertainment industry.

Clooney’s achievements as a performer and filmmaker have earned him two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes including the Cecil B. DeMille Award, four SAG awards, one BAFTA award, two Critics’ Choice Awards, an Emmy and four National Board of Review Awards. When Clooney received his eighth Academy Award nomination, he earned a special spot in the Oscar record books. He has now been nominated in more categories than anyone else in Oscar history.

Clooney recently wrapped shooting “Catch 22” in Italy with his Smokehouse Pictures partner Grant Heslov.

Other Smokehouse films include Warner Bros’ Academy Award winning drama “Argo”, “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “The Ides of March”. “Ides”, which Clooney starred in, co-wrote and directed, received Golden Globe nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Motion Picture Drama. In addition, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Before his film career, Clooney starred in several television series, becoming best known to TV audiences for his five years on the hit NBC drama “ER.” His portrayal of Dr. Douglas Ross earned him Golden Globe, SAG, People’s Choice and Emmy Award nominations.

Clooney is a strong First Amendment advocate with a deep commitment to humanitarian causes. In 2006, Clooney and his father, Nick, went to the drought-stricken Darfur region of Sudan, which led to him addressing the United Nations Security Council.

Among the many honors received as a result of his humanitarian efforts was the 2007 Peace Summit Award, given at the eighth World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, and the 2010 Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award.

Clooney has produced three telethons: The Tribute to Heroes (post 9/11), Tsumani Aid: A Concert of Hope, and “Hope for Haiti Now”, the latter of which raised a record 66 million dollars from the public.

In December of 2010, Clooney, along with the United Nations, Harvard University and Google, launched “The Satellite Sentinel Project”, which allows private satellites to take photographs of any potential threats to civilians, detect bombs, observe the movement of troops and note any other evidence of possible mass violence in North and South Sudan.

In March of 2012, Clooney and his father Nick were part of the delegation that peacefully demonstrated in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., calling worldwide attention to the human rights violations being committed in Sudan, which resulted in their arrest.

He founded “The Sentry” in 2015 to use forensic accountants to follow the money stolen from citizens of Sudan and South Sudan by their Governments. He has testified in front of Congress, worked with United States presidents, two Secretaries of State and dozens of Senators to help bring peace to South Sudan.

In August of 2016, George and his wife, Amal, launched the Clooney Foundation for Justice. One of their first projects – an ambitious initiative to educate hundreds of thousands of refugees in Lebanon – was showcased at the 2016 United Nations summit hosted by President Obama and UN Ambassador Samantha Power.

Why they’re the right human

Dr. Joe Hirsch helps leaders apply behavioral science to improve the way they listen, lead, and learn. He is a TEDx and international keynote speaker and the author of “The Feedback Fix,” which has been praised by Fortune 500 executives, NFL coaches, and educational reformers for its forward-looking view of human performance. Joe’s work and research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Forbes, Inc., The Wall Street Journal, and other major outlets. He’s helped more than 10,000 people across three continents communicate with impact and hosts the popular podcast, “I Wish They Knew.”

Why they’re the right human

Julia Louis-Dreyfus earned worldwide acclaim and recognition for her portrayal of Elaine Benes in the hit NBC series “Seinfeld,” as Christine Campbell in the CBS hit comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” and most recently as Vice President Selina Meyer in the HBO series “Veep.” Between all shows combined, she has received eight Emmy awards with 22 nominations, a Golden Globe award with eight nominations, seven Screen Actors Guild awards with 16 nominations, two Television Critics Association awards with three nominations, five American Comedy Awards with 10 nominations, and has received the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy.

Louis-Dreyfus is currently in production on the sixth season of the HBO series, “Veep.” Directed by Armando Iannucci, the half-hour comedy centers on Selina Meyer, the new vice president of the United States. Louis-Dreyfus won five consecutive Emmy awards, a Television Critics Award, and SAG award for this role, as well as three Golden Globe nominations.

Why they’re the right human

Kat Cole’s Twitter handle reads “Connected-Creative-Conscious-Community building Capitalist, Biz Advisor, MBA, Coffee-loving Chronic Learner.” This not only describes her as a person, it describes the philosophies she applies to business, brands, and life.

Before being promoted to COO and president of FOCUS Brands North America, Cole spent four years as president of Cinnabon, Inc., where she was accountable for leading, evolving, and building the team and multichannel brand.

Her story is often shared for inspiration. At 17 years old, she was working as a restaurant hostess and moved up to server and bartender, then began traveling globally to help open new franchises and learn every job in the restaurant business.

Cole is a sought-after speaker and consultant on leadership development, brand building, change management, and brand innovation and growth. She has been a featured guest on CBS, CNN, Bloomberg CNBC, MSNBC, and more. She was featured with Cinnabon on CBS’s “Undercover Boss” in 2012, was named one of Fortune magazine’s “40 Under 40” in 2013, and included on CNBC’s “Next 25 List of Innovators, Leaders, and Disruptors” in 2014.

Why they’re the right human

Selected for Oprah Winfrey’s inaugural Supersoul 100 list for “elevating humanity,” Luvvie is known for her wit, warmth, and perpetual truth-telling. Putting into words the thoughts few dare to say, she’s the author of three bestselling books, “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual”, “I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual”, and “Rising Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual for Teens”.

Whether it’s doing a TED Talk or jumping out of an airplane, Luvvie is facing her fears and living to tell about it. At Workhuman^® Live, she’ll share her unique approach to personal and professional growth, which will help you recognize that the things we must do to succeed are more significant than our fears.

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, speaker and podcast host who thrives at the intersection of humor, media, and justice. Her critically acclaimed books Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual (2021) and I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual (2016) were instant bestsellers and established her as a literary force with a powerful pen. Her newest book and first book for young adults Rising Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual for Teens (released May 17, 2022) debuted at #3 on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Luvvie is an internationally recognized speaker whose thought leadership on culture, authenticity, and disruption enables transformative action. Her renowned TED talk “Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable” has over 8 million views, has been transcribed into 23 languages, and has placed her in the Top 1% of TED Talks of all time. Luvvie is the host of a podcast of the same name as her book, Professional Troublemaker.

An 18-year blogging veteran, Luvvie writes on AwesomelyLuvvie.com, covering all things culture with a critical yet humorous lens.

As a veteran marketer and digital strategist, Luvvie is adept at creating campaigns that make impact and rise above the noise. Luvvie created Black Business Luvv (#BlackBizLuvv) in August 2021 to fund and amplify small, Black-owned businesses. That month, #BlackBizLuvv infused nearly $500,000 of sales into Black businesses in the month of August for Black Business Month. In 2020, Luvvie was co-creator of #SharetheMicNow, a campaign that magnified the voices of brilliant Black women. She also created LuvvNation, a platform to build community, find courage, and get life and career cheat codes.

Why they’re the right human

Malcolm is the author of five New York Times Bestsellers – “The Tipping Point,” “Blink,” “Outliers,” “What the Dog Saw,” and “David and Goliath.” He is also the co-founder of Pushkin Industries, an audio content company that produces the podcast Revisionist History, which reconsiders things both overlooked and misunderstood, and Broken Record, where he, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam interview musicians across a wide range of genres.

Malcolm’s newest book is actually an audiobook titled Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon. Published by Pushkin Industries, Malcolm and co-author, Bruce Headlam, recorded over 30 hours of conversation with Simon. The result is an intimate audio biography of one of America’s most popular songwriters.

Since 1996, Malcolm has been a staff writer for The New Yorker, and he was previously a reporter for The Washington Post. He was the winner of the National Magazine Award and has been honored by the American Psychological Society and the American Sociological Society.

Why they’re the right human

Michael J Fox is one of the most well-known and well-loved actors of all time, starring in the Back to the Future trilogy, The Secret of My Success, Bright Lights, Big City, Doc Hollywood, and many more. He also made famous the character of lovable conservative Alex P. Keaton on NBC’s enormously popular “Family Ties.”

Fox is the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards for accomplishments in acting, as well as several Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. Fox is the author of three bestselling books, ‘Lucky Man’, ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future,’ and ‘Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.’

Fox has spoken and written extensively about his predisposition to look at challenges — including his Parkinson’s disease – through a lens of optimism and humor. His message has always been one of gratitude for the support he has received from his fellow Parkinson’s patients, and hope and encouragement for every decision to take action — no matter how big or small — to help advance the pursuit of a cure.

Why they’re the right human

Michelle Gielan has spent the past decade researching the link between happiness and success. She is the bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change and was named one of the Top 10 authors on resilience by the Harvard Business Review.

Michelle is an Executive Producer of “The Happiness Advantage” on PBS and a featured professor in Oprah’s Happiness course. She formerly served as anchor of The CBS Morning News, and her research has received attention from dozens of media outlets including The Washington Post, FORBES, and The New York Times.

Why they’re the right human

Michelle Obama transformed the role of First Lady of the United States, becoming a role model, champion, and inspiration for women, families, and young people across America and around the world.

Mrs. Obama attended Chicago public schools until enrolling in Princeton where she studied sociology and African American studies. She graduated cum laude from Princeton in 1985 and received a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. She then joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama.

Following her time at Sidley & Austin, Mrs. Obama served as an assistant to Mayor Richard Daley and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development for the city of Chicago, before becoming the founding Executive Director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares young people for public service careers.

As part of her continued focus on community service and engagement, Mrs. Obama joined the University of Chicago in 1996 as its Associate Dean of Student Services focused on fostering connections between the campus and community. She also served as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Mrs. Obama was born on January 17, 1964. She married Barack Obama in 1992. They currently live in Washington, DC and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

Why they’re the right human

Dr. Pamela Puryear currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Zimmer Biomet, a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare. She joined Zimmer Biomet in January 2019 and is responsible for leading the global Human Resources function and serves as a member of the President and CEO’s Leadership Team.

Prior to joining Zimmer Biomet, Dr. Puryear was Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer at Pfizer. She joined Pfizer from Hospira Inc., where she served as Vice President, Organization Development and Chief Talent Officer. Before joining Hospira, Dr. Puryear was an independent external organizational development consultant. Dr. Puryear spent the first 10 years of her career in financial services in the real estate investment advisor industry.

Dr. Puryear’s leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including 2017 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America and 2017 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business from Black Enterprise Magazine, the 2016 Trailblazer Award from the National Associate of African Americans in Human Resources, Illinois’ Most Powerful and Influential Women from the Illinois Diversity Council as well as the Learning In Practice Award from Chief Learning Officer Magazine, among many more.

Dr. Puryear holds a Ph.D. in organizational psychology, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in organizational behavior from Yale University.

Why they’re the right human

Pat Wadors joined LinkedIn in January 2013 to lead its world-class talent and HR team. In addition to hiring, retaining, and inspiring top talent, Wadors is also responsible for all employee-related HR programs at LinkedIn, including compensation and benefits and performance management. She came to LinkedIn from Plantronics, where she was senior vice President of human resources, responsible for leading the company’s facilities and human resources programs across all its worldwide offices. From August 2011 to August 2012, Wadors also served as the HR executive advisor to Twitter. In that role, she worked with Twitter’s head of HR, CEO, and board of directors to help guide their workforce talent strategies to scale the business, while also attracting and retaining key talent. Previously, Wadors also spent more than four years at Yahoo!. As the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Yahoo!, Wadors led Yahoo!’s HR business partner function, which supported 14,500 employees in more than 17 locations. Prior to Yahoo!, Wadors served as the chief human resources officer for Align Technologies and also held senior human resource management positions at Applied Materials, Merck Pharmaceutical, Viacom International, and Calvin Klein Cosmetics. She graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from Ramapo College, with a major in Human Resources Management and a minor in Psychology.

Why they’re the right human

Trained in the field of conflict resolution, Priya has worked on race relations on American college campuses and on peace processes in the Arab world, southern Africa, and India. She is a founding member of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network, a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Values Council and the New Models of Leadership Council, and a senior expert at Mobius Executive Leadership. Her TED talk on transformative gatherings has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.

Priya studied organizational design at M.I.T., public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and political and social thought at the University of Virginia. Priya’s work has been featured in numerous outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, TED.com, Forbes.com, Real Simple Magazine, Oprah.com, Bloomberg, Glamour, the Today Show and Morning Joe. The Art of Gathering was named one of the best business books of the year by Amazon, Esquire, NPR, The Next Big Idea Club and 1-800-CEO-READS. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, Anand Giridharadas, and their two children.

Don’t miss Priya’s interactive session for dynamic, memorable, exciting experience – and the first one of its kind at Workhuman Live.

Why they’re the right human

Reshma Saujani is the author of the international bestseller, “Brave, Not Perfect” and the New York Times bestseller, “Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World.” Saujani’s TED Talk, “Teach girls bravery, not perfection,” has sparked a worldwide conversation about how we’re raising our girls.

Her latest book, “Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work,” discusses the need for corporate reform, government intervention, and a large-scale culture shift to create change for working women.

At Workhuman Live, she’ll dismantle the myth of “having it all” and discuss how to create lasting change by empowering working women, educating corporate leaders, revising our narratives about what it means to be successful, and advocating for policy reform.

Reshma Saujani is a leading activist and the founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms. She has spent more than a decade building movements to fight for women and girls’ economic empowerment, working to close the gender gap in the tech sector, and most recently advocating for policies to support moms impacted by the pandemic. Her new book, “Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It’s Different Than You Think)” presents a bold plan to address the burnout and inequity harming America’s working women today. Reshma is also the author of the international bestseller “Brave, Not Perfect,” and her influential TED talk, “Teach girls bravery, not perfection,” has more than five million views globally. Reshma began her career as an attorney and Democratic organizer. In 2010, she surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. Reshma lives in New York City with her husband, Nihal, their sons, Shaan and Sai, and their bulldog, Stanley.

Why they’re the right human

Rob Lowe was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he began his acting career in local television and theater at the age of eight. After his family relocated to Los Angeles, Lowe began his national acting career starring in the ABC television series A New Kind of Family. Today, Lowe’s charismatic talent and palpable success have radiated far beyond the realm of television.

Lowe’s most recent project, Killing Kennedy, premiered on the National Geographic Channel in November 2013 and broke a record to become the network’s most watched telecast. In the film, Lowe stars as iconic President John F. Kennedy, alongside Ginnifer Goodwin (as first lady Jackie) in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly.

Lowe appeared in the fifteen- time Emmy nominated HBO film, Behind the Candelabra, as Dr. Jack Startz, which aired in May 2013. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by Jerry Weintraub.

In spring of 2011 Rob Lowe added author to his credits with the release of his memoir, Stories I Only Tell my Friends. Complete with adolescent anecdotes, Rob Lowe shares astoundingly personal excerpts as he recalls his encounters, experiences, and the audition that changed his life forever. The book was an instant hit, spending consecutive weeks in the top four of The New York Times best sellers list, and made it onto GQ’s “Best of 2011” book list. Lowe’s follow up, Love Life, released in the Spring of 2014.

Additionally, for four seasons (from 1999 – 2003) Lowe starred as Sam Seaborn on hit NBC drama The West Wing. During that course of time, the show won a record four consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Drama. His performance in the show garnered Lowe an Emmy nomination, as well as two Golden Globe nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He was nominated three times for the Screen Actors Guild award, winning twice.

In addition to his outstanding work in television and film, Lowe has also achieved distinguished success in theatre. In September of 2005 Lowe made his West End debut starring in Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men, receiving fervent reviews at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London. Additional theatre credits include the Broadway production of Little Hotel on the Side and Three Sisters, with Lowe playing Tuzenbach.

Lowe’s feature film debut came in 1983 when Francis Ford Coppola cast him in The Outsiders, a remarkable adaptation to the 1967 novel of the same name by S.E. Hinton. He went on to star in other popular dramas such as St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, and Bad Influence, as well as the blockbuster comedies Wayne’s World and Tommy Boy. After Wayne’s World, Lowe re-teamed with Myers in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Additional film credits include A View from the Top, Class, The Hotel New Hampshire, Oxford Blues, Youngblood, Square Dance, Masquerade, and Mulholland Falls. He has also been successful with highly-rated television miniseries such as Beach Girls for Lifetime, Salem’s Lot for TNT, The Christmas Shoes for CBS, and The Stand for ABC.

Lowe’s pervasive passion and talent in front of the camera transcends even further with his accredited role as producer, writer and director. In 1994, he produced and starred in the film Frank and Jesse for Trimark Pictures. For television Lowe produced the NBC series The Lyon’s Den and the CBS series Dr. Vegas. He also wrote and directed the short film Desert’s Edge, which debuted at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and the Los Angeles International Film Festival. The film subsequently aired on Showtime in 1997.

Why they’re the right human

Simon Alexander Ong is a personal development entrepreneur, coach, and public speaker. His clients are from all walks of life, but they share one trait: They all believe that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself. His work has seen him invited onto Sky News and BBC to be interviewed, while Barclays featured him in a nationwide campaign asking him questions on how families could embrace better lifestyle habits.

His insights have seen him featured in HuffPost, Forbes, Virgin, and the Guardian. He also regularly speaks at organizations – including Salesforce, Microsoft, EY and Unilever – and keynotes public events and conferences. His debut book “Energize” was published by Penguin in April 2022 and received endorsements from the likes of New York Times bestselling authors Simon Sinek, Marie Forleo, and Dr. Marshall Goldsmith.

Why they’re the right human

Simon Sinek is a visionary business thinker and author. He’s known for introducing the importance of organizations asking why they do what they do in his first TED Talk in 2009, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” which is currently the third most-watched talk of all time.

Simon is also recognized for popularizing the concept of “Why” in his first TED Talk in 2009, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” which is currently the third most-watched talk of all time with more than 35 million views. In his TED talk, Simon introduced the idea of the Golden Circle – which emphasizes the importance of organizations asking why they do what they do.

A trained ethnographer, Simon teaches leaders and organizations – from foreign ambassadors to corporations like Microsoft and 3M – how to inspire people. An adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, Simon is also active with the nonprofit Charity: Water and serves on the board of Tami Stronach Dance.

Why they’re the right human

Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, with 32 medals (19 of them gold) from the World Championships and seven medals (four gold) from the Olympics.

She is also the first American woman to win seven national all-around titles and the first female gymnast to earn three consecutive World All-Around titles. She is a three-time recipient of the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year and has received widespread recognition, including TIME 100 Most Influential, Forbes 30 Under 30, Ebony Power 100, People Women Changing the World, USA Today 100 Women of the Century, and two-time Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, among others.

Her autobiography, “Courage to Soar” was a New York Times bestseller and developed into an award-winning TV special on Lifetime. Simone utilizes her platform to help advocate for mental health and support initiatives that provide education and assistance for children and young adults associated with adoption and foster care.

Why they’re the right human

Siobhan Murray is one of the world’s leading burnout experts, author of the bestselling book “The Burnout Solution,” CEO of Twisting the Jar Coaching, course creator, and podcaster. Holding a degree in counselling and psychotherapy, HDip positive health (RCSI), Siobhan combines empathy and corporate knowledge with her natural practicality. After working primarily as a therapist, Siobhan now delivers corporate workshops and training for public and private sector companies globally, all with a focus on burnout prevention, management and recovery, and workplace wellbeing. She was a consultant expert in the 2018 Irish television documentary series “Stressed,” which examined the impact of burnout on the body and was the highest rated science series in Irish television history. She has written and interviewed for Canada Global News, The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC Radio, RTE Radio, Thrive Global, and more.

Why they’re the right human

Steve Cadigan is a highly sought-after talent advisor to leaders and organizations across the globe.  As Founder of his own Silicon Valley-based firm, Cadigan Talent Ventures, Steve advises a wide range of innovative organizations that include Twitter, Eventbrite, Cisco, Intel, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Telefonica, Salesforce and the BBC. He is also regularly retained by some of Silicon Valley’s leading VC firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, Sequoia, and Greylock Partners for his counsel on a wide range of talent topics.

Steve speaks regularly to conferences and major Universities around the world and his amazing work in helping shape the unique culture at LinkedIn led Stanford University to build a graduate- level class around this ground-breaking work.   Steve is frequently asked to appear on global TV and is a regular guest on Bloomberg West and CNBC, and he is also a regular contributor to Forbes. In 2020 Steve was recognized by PeopleHum as one of the top 200 Influencers in the world of Talent, and an article he published about interviewing was recognized by Human Resources Today as the #1 article of the year. Over the course of his career, the teams, cultures and organizations he has led and helped build have been recognized as exceptional, “world class” performers by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine.

In August of 2021 Steve released his first book Workquake – Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working and even before its official ship date it has already become #1 on the Amazon list of Hot New Arrivals.

Prior to launching his own firm, Steve worked as an HR executive for over 25 years at a wide range of companies and industries including ESPRIT, Allianz, Cisco Systems, Electronic Arts and capped by serving as the first CHRO for LinkedIn from 2009 through 2012, taking the company from a private firm of 400 employees, through an IPO and into the powerhouse that it is recognized as today. Today Steve serves on the Board of Directors to three companies (two based in BC: Perk Labs and Certn) and in addition sits on the Advisory Board of several other dynamic organizations. He is nearing completion on his first book which is due out this fall and is focused on the Future of Work and what it means for employers and employees

Steve graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in History and received an Master’s Degree in Organization Development from the University of San Francisco.

Check out Steve’s TikTok here!

Why they’re the right human

Susan Cain is co-founder of Quiet Revolution and author of the bestsellers Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Quiet has been translated into 40 languages, has been on The New York Times bestseller list for over four years, and was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company magazine, which also named Cain one of its “Most Creative People in Business.” Cain is also the co-founder of the Quiet Schools Network and the Quiet Leadership Institute. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her record-smashing TED talk has been viewed over 14 million times and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite talks. Cain has also spoken at Microsoft, Google, the U.S. Treasury, the SEC, Harvard, Yale, West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy. She received Harvard Law School’s Celebration Award for Thought Leadership the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and was named one of the world’s top 50 leadership and management experts by Inc. magazine. She is an honors graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. She lives in the Hudson River Valley with her husband and two sons.

Why they’re the right human

Peloton’s elite cycling and bike boot camp instructor has quickly become known for her empowering and motivational rides that force you to dig deep and open your mind. From addressing human rights and racial injustice to advocating the importance of “Soul Care,” her devoted followers know they are unclipping with a better sense of self every time they strap in.

Tunde’s book, Speak, will be released in May 2022. Speak is an empowering, inspiring memoir that shows how she transformed grief, setbacks, and flaws into growth, self-confidence, and triumph. Tunde believes that in order to S.P.E.A.K., you must “Surrender, know your Power, lead with Empathy, remain Authentic, and have the Knowledge to back it up.” Speak debuted #1 on Amazon’s List of Movers and Shakers and New Releases on the first day the book was made available for preorder.

A Texas native of Nigerian descent, she began her career as a professional makeup artist and brand educator for some of the most sought-after beauty lines in the world. Tunde developed and harnessed her talents for over 15 years, “gifting people with confidence.” Tunde struggled with her body image and self-esteem throughout her entire childhood and into her adult life until fitness offered her a greater form of self-love.

Eventually, Tunde realized her true calling was to motivate people to join her in becoming the best version of themselves. After starting out as a cycling instructor in Los Angeles, Tunde landed a coveted spot on Peloton’s superstar instructor team. She trains up to 20,000 live riders on any given day through her motivational and unifying classes. “Team Tunde’’ knows they can always rely on her to show up as her authentic self, ready to inspire.

Tunde launched her Instagram Live Series, SPEAK, which spotlights stories and voices of those who have thrived and shown resilience in the face of adversity. Celebrities such as Venus Williams, Common, Cynthia Erivo, Mel Robins, and Allyson Felix have all joined as featured guests supporting Tunde’s mission. Tunde has since announced her partnerships, as a proud like Athlete and the face of Revlon, along with other high-profile brands. She is a leader in Facebook’s “We The Culture” program elevating black voices and hosted her own Facebook Audio Live Show, “The Roots,” featuring guests like Emmanuel Acho, Robin Arzón, and Cat Cora.

Tunde has recently been featured for her powerful work on The TODAY SHOW, Access Live, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, SHAPE, O Magazine, and more.

Why they’re the right human

Vernā Myers is an inclusion strategist, cultural innovator, thought leader, and social commentator. A Harvard-trained lawyer and founder of The Vernā Myers Company, Vernā is the VP, Inclusion Strategy at Netflix. In this inaugural role, she helps devise and implement strategies that integrate cultural diversity, inclusion, and equity into all aspects of Netflix’s operations worldwide. Vernā is the author of Moving Diversity Forward: How to Go From Well-Meaning to Well-Doing and What If I Say the Wrong Thing? 25 Habits for Culturally Effective People. Her inspiring TED talk, “How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward Them,” has been viewed over 4 million times.

Why they’re the right human

Passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless and advocating for more diversity in film and television, Viola Davis is redefining what it means to be a powerful leader in Hollywood. As a humanitarian, she’s involved in the “Hunger Is” campaign that’s bringing food assistance programs to those who need them.

Davis is currently starring on the drama “How to Get Away with Murder,” from ABC Studios and Shondaland. The series, which drew 14.24 million viewers during its 2014 premiere, is a sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller that centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor. In 2015, Davis received the Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series,” in addition to becoming the first African American to receive the Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.” In 2016, she received her second Screen Actors Guild Award and her second Emmy nomination for portraying Annalise Keating. Season 3 premiered in September and the show will return for Season 4 later this year.

As her credits attest, Davis is in constant demand for a wide variety of roles. She was most recently seen in “Fences” for Paramount Pictures. The film was directed and produced by Denzel Washington and is adapted from August Wilson’s play. Davis garnered Critics Choice, Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and an Academy Award in the category of “Best Supporting Actress” for her portrayal of ‘Rose Maxson.’ Davis also starred with Washington in the 2010 revival of the play on Broadway. Her performance earned her a Tony Award, as well as the Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award. “Fences” was also honored with the Tony Award for “Best Play Revival” and was the most profitable theater production of the year.

In 2012, Davis received an Oscar nomination for “Best Actress” for her portrayal of the heart-broken but stoic ‘Aibileen Clark’ in “The Help.” Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard and Octavia Spencer also starred. The film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel, directed by Tate Taylor, was set in Jackson, Mississippi, during the turbulent 1960s, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for “Best Picture.” Davis won the Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice “Best Actress” Awards for her portrayal of ‘Aibileen,’ and was also nominated for a Golden Globe and British Academy Film Award. The film won a Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture” and a Critics’ Choice Award for “Best Acting Ensemble.”

Formed in 2012, Davis and her husband founded a multi-ethnic production company, JuVee Productions, committed to excellence in film, television, and theatre. As their first project, they optioned the rights to Ann Weisgarber’s 2008 book The Personal History of Rachel DuPree. DuPree, a fictional early 20th-century Chicagoan, leaves home to become a rancher’s wife in South Dakota’s Badlands. The neighboring white settlers rely on each other during 1917’s crippling summer drought, but the pregnant DuPree is isolated by both race and geography. The story focuses on her struggle to survive and provide for her family, but also examines the harsh racial struggles facing the rarely-explored lives of black pioneers. JuVee Productions’ other projects include the story of Harriet Tubman, a leader of the Underground Railroad which will be produced in association with HBO Films; Vee-Jay Records, a label that released the first Beatles tracks in America; and a Barbara Jordan biopic.

Davis won the Independent Spirit Award for “Best Supporting Female” in 2003 for her performance in “Antwone Fisher.” Additional film credits include, “Blackhat,” “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “Knight and Day,” “Nights in Rodanthe,” “Madea Goes to Jail,” “State of Play,” “Law Abiding Citizen,” “Disturbia,” “Eat, Pray, Love,” “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” “The Architect,” “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” and “Far From Heaven.” She worked with director Steven Soderbergh on “Solaris,” “Traffic” and “Out of Sight,” and in “Syriana,” which Soderbergh produced for director Stephen Gaghan.

In 2004, Davis starred in the stage in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Lynn Nottage’s play, “Intimate Apparel,” directed by Daniel Sullivan. She garnered the highest honors for an off-Broadway play, including “Best Actress” awards from the Drama Desk, the Drama League, the Obie and the Audelco Award. Davis was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award as well. She reprised her role at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles where she was recognized with the Ovation, Los Angeles Drama Critics and the Garland Awards.

In 2001, Davis was awarded a Tony for “Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play” for her portrayal of ‘Tonya’ in “King Hedley II.” She commanded the attention of critics and audiences alike for her portrayal of “Tonya,” a 35-year old woman who is forced to fight for the right to abort an unwanted pregnancy. Davis also received a Drama Desk Award in recognition of her work.

A graduate of The Julliard School, Davis received an Honorary Doctorate during its 109th Commencement Ceremony and she also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree from her alma mater, Rhode Island College. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.