2026 SPEAKERS
Our stage features bold thinkers and changemakers redefining the future of work and learning. From visionary business leaders and innovators to entrepreneurs and industry pioneers, these remarkable voices are advancing ideas, partnerships, and practices that expand opportunity for people while driving business success.
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Rebecca Agostino
Prentix
Founder -
Shad Ahmed
Anthropic
Economic Mobility Lead -
Kyle Albert
The George Washington University
Associate Research Professor -
Bridget Altenburg
Skills for Chicago
CEO -
Lara Bach
Strada Education Foundation
Director, Work-Based Learning -
Matt Bahl
Financial Health Network
VP, Workplace Solutions and Innovation -
Robin Baker
Amazon
Strategic Workforce Development Program Manager - Military Talent Pathways -
Steve Beard
Covista
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer -
Sara Beatty
SHRM Foundation
Programs Specialist -
John Betancourt
Humantelligence
CEO -
Sara Blair
Country Maid
Head of Human Resources -
Nicole Bliss
Lead with Bliss
Leadership Coach -
Gary A. Bolles
Singularity University
Emeritus Chair for the Future of Work -
Chrissybil Boulin
Vero Learning
Founder and CEO -
Dr. Naomi R. Boyer
Education Design Lab
Former Senior Vice President, Digital Transformation -
Caitlyn Brazill
Per Scholas
President -
Nick Brenner
City Colleges of Chicago
Director of Workforce Solutions & Partnerships -
Natalie Brown
Ally Financial
Head of Strategic Workforce Partnerships -
Brandon Carson
Docebo
Chief Learning Officer -
Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Schultz Family Foundation
Managing Director -
Laura Davis
Evolve HR & Communications
Founder/CEO -
Brooke DeRenzis
National Skills Coalition
CEO -
Polly Eldringhoff
Peoples Gas
Vice President, Operational Performance and Compliance -
Brian Fabes
Corporate Coalition of Chicago
Managing Director -
George Fatheree
Oro
CEO -
Marcus Felder
Blackstone
Managing Director & Head of Career Pathways in Portfolio Operations -
Chirlie Felix
FSG
Managing Director -
Kelley Frances Fenelon, PhD
Corporate Impact Lab
Managing Director -
Karen Freeman-Wilson
Chicago Urban League
President and CEO -
Alex Gallafent
Gallafent & Company
Founder & Principal -
Nathalie Gazzaneo
Harvard Project on Workforce
Director -
Bob Gerard
JPMorgan Chase
Executive Director -
Haley Glover
The Aspen Institute
Senior Director -
Jobina Gonsalves
Forrester Research, Inc.
Chief People Officer -
Alison Griffin
FutureRise
Principal Consultant -
Chris Grygo
Ford Foundation
Global Director, People & Organizational Development -
Diane Headly
Ford Foundation
Vice President & Chief People Officer -
Laticia Holbert
ComEd
Senior Manager, Workforce Developmentr -
Tammy Hong
Year Up United | Grads of Life
Director of Learning and Advisory Services -
Michael Horn
Job Moves
Author -
Dani Houchin
Origami Works Foundation
Executive Director / Trustee -
Michael Hruska
Baryons
Founder/CEO -
Dr. Angela Jackson
Future Forward Institute
Founder -
Jamal Jessie
Google
Manager, Community & Workforce Development -
Ravin Jesuthasan
Kellogg School of Management and Mercer
Executive Fellow | Global Leader for Transformation -
Serena Jezior
Greater Cleveland Works
Director of Strategic Initiatives -
Erika Johnson
Chief
Senior Vice President of Member Experience -
Brighton Kaoma
Amano So
Founder & Managing Partner -
Shara Hughes Kempster
Phifer Incorporated
HR Manager -
Laura Koch
Origami Works Foundation
Stakeholder Engagement Manager -
Ashish Kothari
Happiness Squad
Founder and CEO -
Justin Lall
Gallup
Principal -
Sophie Lambin
Kite Insights
Founder and CEO -
Tolu Lawrence
Corporate Impact Lab
Founder -
Lucas Levine
FutureFit AI
Chief Commercial Officer -
Sandra Loughlin
EPAM
Chief Learning Scientist -
John Lullen
TEKsystems
Director, Marketplace Inclusion -
LK Mahmood
Impact Networking
VP, Growth Strategy & Transformation -
Jonathan Marek
Guild
Chief Operations Officer -
Ian Marks
Greater Cleveland Works
Manager of Employer Solutions -
Kathleen Mattie
Icon Vendorpass Consultants
Global HR Innovation Leader -
Rebecca Mattis-Pinard
Ford Foundation
Director, Organizational Effectiveness and Excellence -
Taylor McLemore
Tilt
COO -
Susan McPherson
McPherson Strategies
Founder and CEO -
Larry G. Miller
Jordan Brand at Nike
Chairman -
Kason Morris
Merck
Global Director, Future of Work and Skills Based Organization -
Janet Morrison
Total Site Solutions
Chief People Officer -
Bela Moté
Carole Robertson Center for Learning
President and Chief Executive Officer -
Divya Pandove Narula, PhD
The George Washington University
Adjunct Professor -
Kyla Nave
First Batch
Senior Vice President of People -
Naomi Oglesby
Coca-Cola Consolidated
Senior Director, Associate General Counsel -
Ken Oliver
JUMP | Justice & Upward Mobility Project
President & CEO -
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman
Harvard University
Economist -
Jimmy Oribiana
Hitachi Energy
Artificial Intelligence Lead - PGTR -
Thaler Pekar
Thaler Pekar & Partners
CEO -
Azella Perryman
Prenuvo
Director, AI Strategy & Business Development -
Patrick Persichilli
ConAgra Brands
Human Resources -
Mark Peters
Butterball Farms, Inc.
CEO -
Meighan Hackett Poritz
The Learning Forum
Co-Founder -
Noah Rabinowitz
Royal Caribbean Group
Sr. Director Newbuild Transformation Office -
Philip (Dale) Ray
LinkedIn
Director of Global Hospitality Programs -
Sandy Rezendes
D2L
Head of Corporate Learning and Development -
Gayatri Jane Richardson
Walmart Inc.
Senior Director, Global Associate Experience -
Shay Robinson
Aon
Head of US Strategic Partnerships -
Geoffrey Roche
Risepoint
Senior Vice President, Healthcare Solutions -
Michael Rosenbaum
Arena
Founder and CEO -
Anel Ruiz
United Airlines
Managing Director, People Impact -
Kelly Russell
Arena
Chief Commercial Officer -
Ahva Sadeghi
Yello.co
VP of Growth & Business Development -
Michael Sanders
George Washington University
Senior Research Associate -
Victor M. Sanchez
LinkedIn
VP, Global Workplace Strategy -
Ramona Schindelheim
The Future of Work(ers)
Editor-in-Chief -
Samira Searcy
TEKsystems
Sr. L&D Strategist for Military Programs -
Ahnna Smith
Education Strategy Group
Senior Director -
Tadzio Smith
Rapport
Co-Founder and CEO -
Nuwan Samaraweera
P33
COO and EVP of Talent Solutions -
Tony Bashir Sarsam
The SpartanNash Company
Former President and CEO -
Hoai Scott
NBCUniversal
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Universal Pictures -
Carrie Skowronski
Leadology
Founder + CEO -
Isaac Smoak
United Way of Metro Chicago
Director, Community Development -
Ann Shoket
TheLi.st | 10 Minutes to Togetherness
CEO | Founder -
Amy Spurling
Compt
Founder & CEO -
Deana Waintraub Stafford
FirstGen Hiring
EVP, Innovation and Effectiveness -
Tom Strong
Shift Work Forward
Program Director -
Ebony D. Thomas
Year Up United | Grads of Life
Managing Partner -
Rishad Tobaccowala
The Rethinking Work Platform
Founder -
Andy Tonsing
Stand Together
Vice President Future of Work -
Daniel Torrens
TechWolf
Head of Partnerships -
Laura Turner
TIAA
VP and Head of Community Impact -
Kevin Vos, MBA
Corewell Health
Senior Vice President Facilities & Support Sevices -
Bobbi Wegner
Groops | Harvard University
Founder & CEO | Lecturer -
Martin Whittaker
Just Capital
CEO -
Ayanna Wilson
Hitachi Energy
Global Technical Curriculum and New Talent Integration Lead -
Nicole Zube
The SpartanNash Company
Former EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer