Concurrent Session

Joe Urbanski believes an Undeniable Culture™ inspires its people to unleash their best selves, take home more wins and less stress to their families, and create incredible value for the company, its customers, and community. For more than two decades, he has worked with HR and training departments, consulting and coaching 750+ executives and leaders at 400+ global organizations, and facilitating 800+ kickass trainings, strategic retreats, and leadership programs for 480,000 people. Joe has a remarkable understanding of how to transform the workplace experience. Plus, you’ll have more fun and laughs than you’d expect.

Carol is a proven executive with extensive experience in building and leading sophisticated, high-performance teams across broad geographies and various industries.  She develops and executes Human Capital strategies that enable and extend corporate strategy - driving performance, engagement, customer satisfaction, and profitability.  Carol’s career spans over 20 years as a transformative leader with tech-savvy and agility, 

Carol has been published in Manage HR Magazine, HR Tech Outlook, CMP’s “C-Suite on Talent” and Bruce Waller’s “Life in the Leadership Lane.”  She achieved her B.S. in Computer Science and her M.B.A.

She was most recently, until August 2023, VP of HR at Halff Associates, a full-service engineering/architecture firm operating in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.  

Kim Crowder, Founder & CEO of Kim Crowder Consulting, is one of the country’s leading Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Speakers, Coaches, Trainers, and Consultants. 

Kim and her team work across industries serving global organizations. From Adobe to Smugmug, the American Library Association, HarperCollins Publishers, and more, Kim and her team provide leaders and companies actionable tools to move initiatives forward long term.

Kim has been named by Forbes as a “Top Anti-Racism Educators Companies Need Now,” A Top 10 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Expert by All American, and Top Influential African-American Business Women To Follow by LinkedIn. She is also a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel and For(bes) The Culture.

She has been featured by The New York Times, Business Insider, Cheddar News, CBS, NBC, FOX, Katie Couric Media, regularly by Forbes, on Hubspot’s podcast, The Growth Show, Workology, and As Told By Nomads.

Kim Crowder, Founder & CEO of Kim Crowder Consulting, is one of the country’s leading Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Speakers, Coaches, Trainers, and Consultants. 

Kim and her team work across industries serving global organizations. From Adobe to Smugmug, the American Library Association, HarperCollins Publishers, and more, Kim and her team provide leaders and companies actionable tools to move initiatives forward long term.

Kim has been named by Forbes as a “Top Anti-Racism Educators Companies Need Now,” A Top 10 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Expert by All American, and Top Influential African-American Business Women To Follow by LinkedIn. She is also a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel and For(bes) The Culture.

She has been featured by The New York Times, Business Insider, Cheddar News, CBS, NBC, FOX, Katie Couric Media, regularly by Forbes, on Hubspot’s podcast, The Growth Show, Workology, and As Told By Nomads.

Ashley T. Brundage is the President and CEO of Empowering Differences. While seeking employment at PNC Bank in the United States, she identified openly during the interview process as a woman of transgender experiance and subsequently was hired after facing years of harassment, discrimination, and homelessness. These factors led her to start her second career as a means of survival while doing research on empowerment & differences. She took a role in the bank as a part time teller and then rose to national Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion in less than 5 years. She captured her research as a 4-Step process of empowerment to cultivate change in her new book and online leadership course. Ashley credits her success to those closest to her for providing actionable allyship including her 2 teenage sons, Bryce and Blake. She also volunteers her time serving numerous nonprofit organizations including serving as the vice chair for the national board of directors for GLAAD who works to accelerate acceptance across all forms of media for the LGBTQ+ community.

Ashley T. Brundage is the President and CEO of Empowering Differences. While seeking employment at PNC Bank in the United States, she identified openly during the interview process as a woman of transgender experiance and subsequently was hired after facing years of harassment, discrimination, and homelessness. These factors led her to start her second career as a means of survival while doing research on empowerment & differences. She took a role in the bank as a part time teller and then rose to national Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion in less than 5 years. She captured her research as a 4-Step process of empowerment to cultivate change in her new book and online leadership course. Ashley credits her success to those closest to her for providing actionable allyship including her 2 teenage sons, Bryce and Blake. She also volunteers her time serving numerous nonprofit organizations including serving as the vice chair for the national board of directors for GLAAD who works to accelerate acceptance across all forms of media for the LGBTQ+ community.

Dr. David S Cohen, Ed. D. has a vision: organizations that thrive by living their values in good times and especially VUCA times. David's first career was in elementary and high school education, where he built a reputation for building school communities based on purpose and social responsibility. Thirty-three years ago, David transitioned to corporate consulting. As a consultant, David earned a reputation as a contrarian consultant because he does not always follow what is popular in his chosen field. David works with leaders helping them understand what is and what is not necessary to build an active and positive organization. He helps leaders' step into life's challenges, inspiring them to create a sustained approach through a values-based focus, resulting in better business results. David has had the privilege of partnering with firms across five continents and all business sectors. Additionally, he has worked with governments, from the local to the federal levels, and not-for-profits.

He has taught at Queens University School of Labour Relations and the executive education program at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Currently, he teaches organizational development at Durham College. David earned his doctorate from Boston University in Humanistic and Behavioural Studies. During that time, he also completed independent studies at the Harvard School of Education, where he was a teaching assistant.

David is a keynote speaker, educator, disruptor, facilitator, team builder, and executive coach. He has authored two books and numerous articles in professional journals.

• The Talent Edge: A Behavioral Approach to Hiring, Developing, and Keeping Top Performers (John Wiley and Sons, August 2001)
• Inside the Box: Leading With Corporate Values to Drive Sustained Business Success (Jossey-Bass September 2006)

When David is not travelling, he is hanging out with his five grandchildren, when possible, attending Toronto Raptor's games, or relaxing with family and friends.

David is honored to be recognized by the GlobalGurus30 as one of the top 30 GlobalGurus in Organizational Culture.

Stephanie Wormington is a Senior Research Scientist and Manager of Global Strategic Research at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). Her current research focuses primarily on promoting equitable and inclusive organizational cultures, exploring collective leadership through networks, and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys. Prior to joining CCL, Stephanie was an assistant professor in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.

Eric Popiel is a 1998 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Prior to being hired by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, he flew Coast Guard missions and instructed pilots in both the HU-25 Falcon Jet and the HC-144 Ocean Sentry. Following his aviation tours, he was assigned to the Emerging Policy Staff under the Deputy Commandant for Operations at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where he managed the Evergreen Program, the Coast Guard's Strategic Foresight Initiative. In this capacity, he utilized various foresight techniques and methods to help the Coast Guard leverage future opportunities, identify emerging threats, and recognize potential blind spots across all 11 statutory missions.

He currently works at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management as a Strategic Foresight Analyst and manager of OPM’s Strategic Workforce Foresight Team (SWFT). He is responsible for the long-term futures program that informs federal workforce policy for OPM and assists 24 CFO Act agencies in Strategic Human Capital Management. In addition, he serves as a co-chair of the Federal Foresight Community of Interest (FFCOI). He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Joint Professional Military Education Level 1 certification, and a Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He has attended the University of Houston Foresight Certification Program, and facilitated multiple workshops for Senior Coast Guard leaders, Senior Federal Executives, and foreign countries. He currently provides foresight guidance to multiple federal agencies.

Dr. Maria Raviele is a senior program analyst and team lead for research on the Survey Analysis (SA) team in Strategic Workforce Planning. Recent research priorities include future of work and hybrid work environments, employee engagement, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Results produced by these projects help track progress on the President’s Management Agenda as well as other Federal priorities.

Dr. Raviele has a PhD in Anthropology from Michigan State University. She has over a decade of experience in applied social science research and evaluation working with non-profits, NGOs, and Fortune 500 companies.

Eric Popiel is a 1998 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Prior to being hired by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, he flew Coast Guard missions and instructed pilots in both the HU-25 Falcon Jet and the HC-144 Ocean Sentry. Following his aviation tours, he was assigned to the Emerging Policy Staff under the Deputy Commandant for Operations at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where he managed the Evergreen Program, the Coast Guard's Strategic Foresight Initiative. In this capacity, he utilized various foresight techniques and methods to help the Coast Guard leverage future opportunities, identify emerging threats, and recognize potential blind spots across all 11 statutory missions.

He currently works at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management as a Strategic Foresight Analyst and manager of OPM’s Strategic Workforce Foresight Team (SWFT). He is responsible for the long-term futures program that informs federal workforce policy for OPM and assists 24 CFO Act agencies in Strategic Human Capital Management. In addition, he serves as a co-chair of the Federal Foresight Community of Interest (FFCOI). He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Joint Professional Military Education Level 1 certification, and a Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He has attended the University of Houston Foresight Certification Program, and facilitated multiple workshops for Senior Coast Guard leaders, Senior Federal Executives, and foreign countries. He currently provides foresight guidance to multiple federal agencies.