Alex is a highly experienced employee engagement consultant, trainer and speaker. For over 15 years she has helped HR and business leaders implement strategies that drive true culture change.  Her wealth of knowledge comes from coaching and training thousands of managers from a wide range of industries across the globe. Alex focuses on providing organizations with proven practices that drive results for varied leadership styles and the multiple generations in the modern workforce. Her presentation will leave you motivated and better equipped to lead your organization on a path to a more engaged workforce, making the world a better place to work.

With more than 20 years of experience guiding organizations toward workplace inclusion, Teresa Hopke brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on the importance of establishing cultures of belonging where everyone can thrive. Her unique, trusted, and proven insights on employee wellbeing, women's leadership development, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) make her an incredibly valuable resource as Talking Talent’s President and as a partner to her coaching clients. ​

​Teresa’s career has been focused on building up others in order to achieve the best results, both for the individual and the teams they work with. Her innovative ideas and determination to see real change are the reasons for her success over the last two decades.  She is a nationally recognized thought leader on the topic of inclusive leadership, and she has been featured in many top tier business publications and media outlets such as CNBC, the CBS Morning Show, NBC Nightly News, NPR, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, HR Magazine, Money Magazine, and others. ​

​As a mother of four, Teresa understands the needs of working parents and caregivers. She also continually advocates for people who are underserved, undervalued, and underestimated in the workplace.

Kimberley Fernandes is the Vice President & Head of Learning and Organizational Development at The Wonderful Company. 

Brian Padilla currently serves as Vice President, Human Resources Business Partner for Lionsgate Entertainment. In his role, Brian leads strategic HR Business Partnerships across Lionsgate’s Television Businesses, which include Scripted & Unscripted Television Production, and Worldwide Television Distribution. Brian also leads Production HR, which services Lionsgate’s slate of active television and motion picture productions.

Prior to joining Lionsgate, he held progressive roles in HR at companies such as Miramax, Creative Artists Agency, and NBC Entertainment.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Massachusetts’ College of Liberal Arts, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and an Executive Master of Professional Studies in
Human Resource Management from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations. Brian is an avid supporter of live classical music and an amateur pianist. He currently resides in the Los Angeles area.

Jerrold has served as the senior vice president and chief human resources officer for several large-scale, billion-dollar companies, such as Stater Bros. Markets, Hostess Brands and Daymon Worldwide.  He has led all aspects of human resources and has built a reputation as an innovative problem-solver with strategic business acumen.  Jerrold also spent almost a decade in various human resources leadership positions across marketing, sales, and supply chain for the Kellogg Company.

Over the course of his almost twenty years of human resources experience, he has developed and led global human resources teams, while working directly with C-suite and board leaders.  In addition to his practical and hands-on human resources experience, Jerrold has been a licensed attorney for over fifteen years. 

Jerrold is a sought-after speaker, creatively illustrating how he has brought strategic and actionable insights to complex, real-world business challenges.  He now lends his experience and expertise to business leaders by leading them to building and maintaining the optimal cultural to deliver their desired business results.

Jerrold earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Michigan State University College of Law, Cum Laude, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University, along with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, from Liberty University.

Kim Beauvais serves as Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Business Operations, FOX Sports, a role she assumed in March 2019.

As the network’s lead human resources executive, Beauvais oversees all employee initiatives and operations related to the infrastructure of the business, as well as facilities, policies, and organizational agility. She plays a vital role in adding value and propelling employee growth within FOX Sports while also guiding the process behind new business initiatives.

Beauvais joined FOX in 2007 as a Director of Human Resources for Big 10 Network, where she was part of the original management team that launched the network. In 2013, she was promoted to Vice President, Human Resources & Business Operations and again promoted in 2018 to Senior Vice President.

Beauvais’ passion around supporting employee wellbeing and mental health has forged cultural changes requiring both a top-down and bottom-up approach within FOX Sports. She drives leaders to treat mental health as an organizational priority fostering an environment of transparency and openness across the business.

Beauvais and her business operations team spearhead many new initiatives at FOX Sports, most recently with the launch of the United States Football League (USFL) which included the formation of eight teams, the recruitment of players, athletic training staff and coaches, and the creation of an operational hub in Birmingham, Alabama.

A leader in the human resources space, Beauvais mentors many young professionals in and beyond the workplace. She is actively involved in Women in Sports & Events (WISE) in both Los Angeles and Chicago as well as the Chief Women’s Group in Los Angeles. She has been honored by multiple organizations for her achievements, including the prestigious Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 List in 2016, Cynopsis Top Women in Media in 2019 and Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women List in 2021 and 2022.

Prior to joining FOX, Beauvais served as Human Resources Business Partner for Anschutz Entertainment Group’s (AEG) sports division where she led day-to-day responsibilities for the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer team and Toyota Park. Her sports experience extends to being part of the team that opened The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, as well as working in the front office for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Beauvais was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from Valparaiso University with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration as well as a master’s degree in sports marketing. She currently resides in Chicago with her husband, Mike, and two children.

Andrew Dufresne leads HR Operations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico at UST, the digital transformation and technology company, with 38,000 employees worldwide. Andrew drives strategic initiatives that enhance workforce engagement, compliance, and operational efficiency. With a strong focus on employee engagement and M&A, Andrew plays a key role in shaping scalable solutions that support diverse employee populations and evolving business needs. His recent work includes leading efforts around compliance in a rapidly-changing US market, audit readiness, M&A process development, and global HR initiatives around employee relations and strategic planning. Andrew is passionate about building resilient HR frameworks that empower teams, develop leaders to meet today’s technology landscape, and foster inclusive workplace cultures.

Jon Harold leads the Sales and Customer Success teams at SoFi at Work, helping organizations offer impactful student debt and financial wellbeing benefits. Over the past seven years, Jon has partnered with hundreds of companies to design and implement programs that have saved employees thousands of dollars. Before joining SoFi, Jon worked in financial consulting and earned his Finance degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Outside of work, Jon is an avid traveler and a hot sauce enthusiast.

Brie Harvey is a talent management leader and digital strategist who writes and speaks about trends within Human Capital Management and the future of work.

Having served in a variety of leadership roles for HR Technology companies over the last decade, she brings expert level knowledge of Total Rewards, L&D, talent acquisition, and how to cultivate workplace cultures that transform employee engagement and the Employee Value Proposition.

Passionate about the intersection between behavioral science, managerial effectiveness and technology, Brie has partnered with some of the world’s largest, most complex organizations to build high performance cultures centered around authentic appreciation, trust and inclusion.

In her role as an Employee Engagement Evangelist, Brie works with the research arm of Achievers, the Workforce Institute, to share data-based insights about how to enhance employee engagement and recognition strategies for a pandemic-era workplace.

Carol serves as Chief Human Resources Officer at Pebl. As the company expands its global footprint, Carol will be responsible for providing strategic leadership for hiring, developing and retaining our global workforce.
Carol is an experienced people leader, board member and advisor with more than three decades of experience across all aspects of HR. She has created, scaled and led diverse teams at companies across different stages of growth from early seed rounds through IPO and as post-public companies. Most recently, Carol was the Chief People Officer at Binance.US, a technology and brand licensee of Binance.com, where she built the people team, grew in over 15 countries, and oversaw an eight-fold increase in headcount growth to a workforce of over 800. Now an empty-nester, Carol lives with her husband in the Bay Area. In her free time, she enjoys remodeling old houses, investing, gardening, and running.

Lisa Richards is the Senior Regional Vice President at LHH. 

Rebecca has been with Eightfold nearly five years (December marks the big milestone!) — first helping to build the Customer Success team, then making the jump to Marketing in 2024, where she now serves as Sr. Director of Talent-centered Transformation. Before that, she spent 20+ years in TA leadership across retail, CPG, agri-business, and restaurants, which means she understands leaders, practitioners, candidates, and vendors.

She’s a connector, strategist, and storyteller who can find patterns in the chaos and cut through noise with clarity — often with a story that makes people nod along and think, “Yes, that’s exactly it.” She partners with leaders and teams to sketch out the art of the possible, spark new ideas, and turn future-focused visions into practical next steps.

Outside of work, Rebecca is just as energized. You might find her off-roading in her FJ, cycling, hiking, watching hockey, or plotting elaborate murder mysteries (the fun kind — written and facilitated, not committed). She’s also a food enthusiast, traveler, bookworm, youth mentor, and proud mom of three adult kids. She grew up outside of Chicago, did her undergrad in Seattle, MA in Minneapolis, and currently lives south of Phoenix.

Her CliftonStrengths are Activator, Strategic, Futuristic, Connectedness, and Includer — a mix that explains why she’s equally at home inspiring vision, building community, and getting things moving.

Arturo is a total tewards leader with more than 30 years of experience working with international companies, with a solid academic education and a span of global experience across multiple leadership roles in consulting, finance, and rewards. He had a career of more than 16 years at Mars, Inc. and currently leads the Total Rewards strategy for a 30,000+ collaborators business in the veterinary industry.

Jennifer Dulski has over 25 years of executive experience leading global teams at top companies, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, and Change.org. 

She is the founder and CEO of Rising Team, a team performance platform that helps companies boost engagement and retention, build trust and connection, and improve manager and team effectiveness. The platform combines software-guided team workshops with a personalized AI leadership coach, and its data from tens of thousands of teams gives Jennifer unique insight into the future of work and how to build high-performing teams that leverage AI without losing humanity.

Jennifer also serves on the faculty at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she teaches one of the school’s most popular courses, Managing Growing Enterprises, on people leadership. She writes about leadership and the future of work for Fortune, Fast Company, and LinkedIn Influencers, and is the author of Purposeful, a Wall Street Journal bestseller on how each of us can start movements that make a difference.

Tigran Sloyan is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of CodeSignal, the leading skills platform empowering teams and individuals to discover and develop the skills that will shape the future. Tigran is a recognized voice in the industry—a TED speaker, active Forbes Technology Council member, frequent keynote, and contributor to major publications. He is passionate about the intersections of technology, education, and talent acquisition, and his innovative insights are regularly featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Morning Brew, and more.

Before co-founding CodeSignal, Tigran was part of the technology management team at Google, where he spearheaded initiatives like Google Hangouts for Education and Google Login for sectors like Travel and Publishing. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he holds degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics

Michelle Seidel is a Partner at Aon, based in Irvine, California. She works with senior HR and business leaders to design workforce strategies that improve employee experience and align with organizational goals. With nearly 25 years of consulting experience, Michelle helps clients leverage data-driven insights to navigate workforce transformation, optimize total rewards, and enhance engagement. Her focus is on integrating holistic human capital strategies to deliver measurable business impact.

Michelle holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from the UCLA School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She is an executive coach through the Hudson Institute of Coaching and regularly mentors emerging leaders.

Faith E. Pinho is a journalist who has reported at The Los Angeles Times. Faith has covered a dynamic range of stories, from California wildfires to weird-looking fish. Her reporting on the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election and the Jan. 6 insurrection earned national attention and awards. Faith is also an active member of her union and a mentor to student journalists. Aside from journalism, Faith is co-founder of the Crimson Community Mentorship Program, an organization to connect high school students with mentors in her hometown of Everett, Massachusetts.

Portia is the Vice President, Talent and Organization Development, Media Group at NBCUniversal.

Shelley Wooten Colón is Senior Vice President of People + Culture at SiriusXM, where she leads the company’s talent strategy, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, and employee relations for the leading audio entertainment company in North America. Based in Los Angeles, she has been with SiriusXM for more than 18 years, helping to shape its people strategy through periods of transformation and growth. Shelley began her career in nonprofit leadership at United Way of the Bay Area before moving into Human Resources, holding roles across talent acquisition, compensation, and business partner functions. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia and an M.Ed. in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University.

Emtrain founder and CEO Janine Yancey is a passionate advocate for healthy workplace cultures. Janine’s unique approach blends technology, behavioral science, data analytics, and social media-inspired interactions to help inform and improve workplace behavior. Janine presides over a team of experts and an extensive library of content including courses, video, resource guides, checklists and analytic reports that define the modern workplace.

Janine is a proponent of neutral, third-party guidance and problem-solving. By orchestrating a publicly-accessible community interface for employee questions and concerns, Janine stays at the forefront of real-world, real-time harassment, bias, discrimination, and ethics issues.

A tireless visionary, Janine writes extensively, has provided expert testimony and advice to state legislatures, and helps leading companies implement harassment prevention, diversity, ethics, and compliance programs. Janine is a sought-after speaker and has been published and interviewed in the mainstream media including The Washington Post, Fast Company, USA Today, Bloomberg Business, TechCrunch, and Startup Grind. She’s presented at Society of Ethics and Compliance; Techstars FounderCon; Founders Network, and The Club.

Prior to founding Emtrain, Janine was a partner at Employment Law Partners where she specialized in solving labor and employment problems for high tech firms including Google, Intuit and a variety of start-ups. Janine also worked as counsel at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, served as Board Member of the Northern California Human Resources Association, and authored The HR Handbook, designed to help young tech companies navigate workplace laws.

Janine earned her JD at the University of California Hastings School of Law and a BA in English and Political Science at the University of California Berkeley.

Stacy Perman is an enterprise staff writer for Company Town covering the business of the film industry at the Los Angeles Times. A former writer and correspondent for Time and Businessweek, her work has appeared in a number of publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Inc. and the Hollywood Reporter. She has written about the Getty, the nasty implosion over the deal to buy Aman Resorts; profiled Martha Stewart, Samantha Bee, and a Hasidic rabbi who is also a Malibu surfing legend, and has investigated Uber’s strained relationship with women and the murder of her childhood best friend and her family. She is also the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-The-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules.

Kristina is a talent management leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations grow their people, strengthen their cultures, and build leaders at every level. She’s led large-scale talent, performance, and leadership development strategies across corporate, healthcare, military, and public-sector environments with a focus on making work simpler, more human, and more meaningful. Known for turning complex challenges into practical, people-centered solutions, Kristina brings a blend of strategic insight, real-world experience, and a genuine passion for helping others reach their potential. Her career began as a U.S. Army HR Officer, where she learned the power of purpose-driven leadership which is something that continues to shape her work today.

Ken Narita is the Head of Digital and Demand Generation at Pebl.