Concurrent Session

Kathy Kacher, President of Career/Life Alliance Services, (CLAS) and Cofounder of The SMART Workplace, is a workforce transformation expert with a focus on workplace mobility, change management and leadership engagement. She is also a faculty member with World at Work.

Dr. Benjamin Granger is Chief Workplace Psychologist and Head of EX Advisory Services at Qualtrics. He has over a decade of experience building Experience Management (XM) programs across the globe and leads EX thought leadership and research initiatives across Qualtrics and the XM Institute. His research has been featured in academic and practitioner forums, including Forbes, the Journal of Business and Psychology, the International Journal of Training & Development, the Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Ben is a certified XM Professional and earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Benjamin Granger is Chief Workplace Psychologist and Head of EX Advisory Services at Qualtrics. He has over a decade of experience building Experience Management (XM) programs across the globe and leads EX thought leadership and research initiatives across Qualtrics and the XM Institute. His research has been featured in academic and practitioner forums, including Forbes, the Journal of Business and Psychology, the International Journal of Training & Development, the Academy of Management, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Ben is a certified XM Professional and earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Ryan Ellis, a distinguished litigation attorney, boasts considerable expertise in state and federal employment law. Proficient in representing both employers and employees as an attorney,
Ryan's experience also spans business consulting and leading MatrixHR, a comprehensive human resources provider. Proactively assisting clients before lawsuits are filed, he effectively
mitigates risks and fosters harmonious workplace environments. With unique insights and a wealth of expertise, Ryan stands as a trusted authority in the ever-evolving realms of HR and
legal consulting. Licensed in California, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas, his reach extends across multiple jurisdictions.

Jennifer Currence is a Senior Partner of HR Soul consultancy firm in Tampa, Florida, where she delivers results through strategic HR solutions, customized training, and coaching programs for organizational and HR leaders. She is the creator of The SOTO Approach to Leadership and the content architect for the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) international People Manager Qualification (PMQ).

Jennifer is regularly published and featured in industry magazines, webinars, and podcasts, and is the author of three HR books on behavioral business competencies.

Jennifer was named one of the top 100 Influential HR professionals in Leadership and Development in 2023 and Tampa Bay’s HR Consultant of the Year in 2017.  She is a faculty member for SHRM and a former management professor at the University of Tampa.

April Simpkins is an HR professional with 30 years of executive-level Human Resources experience. She has worked with over 1,000 organiztions in 15 different industries helping to align people strategies with business goals. She is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at Questco, a fast-growing national company that provides HR services to small and mid-sized companies.  April, an international keynote speaker has shared her knowledge and expertise on the topics of leadership, culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and mental health.

April, a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)®, has created diversity initiatives for numerous medium- and large-size organizations.  April is also a past Diversity Director For South Carolina SHRM. In 2020 April received the Unsung Hero Award from Greenville SHRM for her exemplary leadership in DEI.  She has also received awards and honors for her business acumen including The 2020 Women In Business Achievement Award from the Charlotte Business Journal and being named one of Charlotte's 50 Most Influential Women by Mecklenburg Times.

Erica started her career designing and facilitating training for social impact organizations. She quickly realized her calling: arming organizations with the capability needed to evolve. Since joining SHRM four years ago, Erica has held three roles. She began her career at SHRM in Research, then moved onto the founding SHRMLabs team. SHRMLabs explores the intersection of work and technology. Now, Erica oversees the enterprise client experience as the Manager of Solution Architecture.

Erica holds a master’s degree in industrial/Organizational Psychology, with a focus in instructional systems design. She earned her SHRM-SCP and consistently speaks on behalf of SHRM on workplace tech, the future of work, DEIB, and upskilling. Outside of work, you can find Erica tending to her indoor and outdoor garden, and giving her cat, Suki, more attention than she wants.    

Esu Ma'at is a trans-disciplinary thought leader who has a distinguished track record of success, driving a 21st century vision for diversity, equity and inclusion. He will work closely with the Magic's executive leadership team and the entire staff, along with the team’s social justice task force, to implement a holistic and impactful DE&I strategy, bringing a powerful impact to the organization, the NBA and the Central Florida community. 

In his role as the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for the Orlando Magic, he focuses on integrating DE&I strategy with the team’s business goals, organizational values and key performance indicators.  This includes attracting, engaging and retaining diverse talent; owning accountability for driving equity and belonging; and enhancing organizational culture, brand reputation and social impact. 

Ma’at earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a master of science degree in sports management from Columbia University and completed his D&I training at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He currently serves as an adjunct lecturer at Columbia University, he was named to the 2022 Orlando Magazine 50 Most Powerful People – One To Watch list, and he is a 2022 Community Impact and Icon Award honoree. 

Former U.S. Department of Justice attorney Michael Johnson has trained thousands of people on skills for detecting signs of deception and truthfulness, including presenting at dozens of conferences for human resource professionals and other busines executives.  

He has spoken at numerous conferences around the world for HR, legal, law enforcement, and other professionals.  He has provided numerous client-specific sessions for international organizations such as the United Nations (in New York, Congo, and Sierra Leone) and the World Bank, government agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Social Security Administration, and dozens of Fortune 500 companies such as Google and Northrup Grumman.

 As an attorney with the US Department of Justice, Michael was the lead attorney on one of DOJ’s first “pattern or practice” sexual harassment cases.  Michael has served as an expert witness in cases challenging the adequacy of employer’s investigation procedures. 

He is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School.

Former U.S. Department of Justice attorney Michael Johnson has trained thousands of people on skills for detecting signs of deception and truthfulness, including presenting at dozens of conferences for human resource professionals and other busines executives.  

He has spoken at numerous conferences around the world for HR, legal, law enforcement, and other professionals.  He has provided numerous client-specific sessions for international organizations such as the United Nations (in New York, Congo, and Sierra Leone) and the World Bank, government agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Social Security Administration, and dozens of Fortune 500 companies such as Google and Northrup Grumman.

 As an attorney with the US Department of Justice, Michael was the lead attorney on one of DOJ’s first “pattern or practice” sexual harassment cases.  Michael has served as an expert witness in cases challenging the adequacy of employer’s investigation procedures. 

He is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School.