Maribel R. Diz is the Head of People for Latin America and the Caribbean Region at Visa. She is responsible for developing and
executing people strategies in support of the overall business plan and direction in the region. She is also a strategic business advisor to the Visa Latin America and Caribbean leadership team regarding talent needs and plans for the region, including Miami, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Until March of this year, Maribel was the global People Champion serving as the Chief People Officer’s advisor, enabling her to work closely with the global People community in meeting the strategic priorities of the function.

Maribel has more than 25 years of experience with Visa, and has a proven track record of working very closely across functions and geographies, providing leadership and driving change in the organization, while also promoting the Visa culture and leadership principles with diversity and inclusion across the region. She specializes in transformatinal work focusing on creating high performing leadership teams. Maribel has a Doctorate degree in Business Administration with distinction and a Masters of
Science in Human Resources Management from Florida International University and an undergraduate degree in Business from Nova Southeastern University. She sits on the Center of International Business Education and Research, and Masters in Human Resources advisory boards at FIU, and is an active contributor at local networking organizations. She is a role model for HISPA (Hispanics Inspiring Student’s Performance and Achievement) speaking to high school students inspiring them to stay in school and follow their dreams. She is a published author and accomplished speaker on all things leadership and gender inclusion, and is also specialized in the different workplace generations.

Ana Maria Sencovici is the chief talent officer at Royal Caribbean Group, one of the world’s largest cruise-line companies. Before joining Royal Caribbean, she was global head of change management and organizational advisory services at Genpact, the global professional-services firm. Her earlier roles include head of learning for Bridgewater Associates and VP of global talent development at American Express. She earned an MBA at the Wharton School, an MA in French language and literature at Bryn Mawr, and a BA in comparative literature at Haverford College. 

Ashaki is currently serving as Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and Latin America.  In this capacity, she oversees all aspects of Human Resources which includes Talent Acquisition, Organizational Development, Total Rewards, Employee Engagement and Employee Relations. She reports directly to Beau Ferrari, Chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises.

Prior to joining NBCUniversal in 2017 as Vice President, Human Resources for Global Distribution & International, Ashaki spent time on the HR leadership teams of The Walt Disney Studios and TimeWarner Corporate.  She has also spent a significant portion of her dynamic career leading HR teams in the financial services industry at UBS, JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank and PriceWaterhouseCoopers where she also engaged in HR Information Systems initiatives and Merger & Acquisition projects.

She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University’s Teachers College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The State University at Albany.

Federico Demarin is a global Human Resources leader with 24 years of experience in renowned global companies such as Thomson-Reuters, Swarovski,  3Sixty Duty Free and GroupM, where he has occupied local, regional, and global roles across their different industries.

His education includes a BA in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in HR Direction, and multiple leadership and professional certifications such as SHRM-SCP, Executive Coaching, EQ Coaching and Lateral Leadership.

His passion for helping others succeed has been his career purpose all these years, taking him to collaborate as MBA professor in different disciplines and countries for over 14 years, as well as participating in multiple forums and HR summits as speaker and panelist.

Loren Blandon is the global head of learning, growth, and experiences at advertising powerhouse VMLY&R. Her transformational teachings as a Talent and HR professional have aided business leaders in maintaining their competitive edge by optimizing their strategies to align with the ever-changing trends of the workplace. Known for bringing a radically different perspective to the table, Loren is her network's go-to for transformational solutions.

Abbe Partee is the VP, Head of Global Certified Learning at DHL Supply Chain. Abbe is an enthusiastic leadership and culture specialist who has spent the past 17 years at DHL Supply Chain in various capacities, but always leaning towards the leadership, learning, talent management, and recruiting space. She spent 10 years in the North American business, 5 years in Latin America and is now in a Global Learning capacity where she and her team focus on building a culture of engagement and World-Class leaders. She has a passion for leading teams, coaching, and empowering people to be their best every-day.

Jane Wooldridge is the Senior Director of Journalism Sustainability and Partnerships at the Miami Herald.

Jackie Perez is the VP of HR for Lennar Corp., one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S. In her current role, she is responsible for supporting Corporate Functions and enterprise-wide talent management. Before joining Lennar, she was a senior director of People Operations for Walmart. Her earlier roles include senior director of HR for the Hudson Bay Co. and HR BP for Target Corp.  She earned a BBA from the University of Miami, where she majored in Business Management and Business Law.

Stefano Boero serves as the Senior Vice President of People & Culture and Global HR Business Partner for Amadeus Travel of Amadeus IT Group. Stefano started at Amadeus IT Group in March of 2014. Prior to that Stefano served as an international HR leader at companies like IVM Group and FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

As the Director of Operations for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Ross, Shawn manages the long-term strategy and planning for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). He is a trusted advisor to senior leaders regarding inclusion matters. He also focuses the development and execution of DE&I processes to create an environment of inclusion and community for everyone. 
 
Shawn is a proud Army Veteran and serves as leader of the Ross Military Employee Resource Group called VALOR. He is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and International Coaching Federation member. As an executive coach, Shawn works with executives who want to realize their goals while taking a light humorous approach.
 
Shawn brings over 25 years of expertise, in multiple people disciplines like talent planning, training, organizational development, employee relations, compliance, recruiting, and inclusion practices.
 
Fun fact about Shawn: He has been a winning contestant on several trivia game shows.

Zoe Hernandez Wolfe is the VP of Talent Management & Development at Baptist Health. With more than two decades of experience in organizational development and currently leading her company’s learning and organization development, Hernandez Wolfe has implemented projects that have set high standards for employee and leader development, including online learning platforms and an internal coach certification program that was approved by the International Coach Federation.

Hernandez Wolfe holds a master’s degree in human resource management and is certified as a senior professional in human resources. She also holds the associate certified coach credential from the International Coach Federation. Before working in health care, Hernandez Wolfe worked in retail and for luxury cruise lines.

Amy Turner is the Talent Operations Leader, Senior Director at RSM US.

Constance Jones is a two-time Emmy^® nominated journalist who currently anchors the station’s weekday morning newscasts, NBC 6 News Today at 5am and 6am, from the station’s Miramar-based studios. She joined NBC 6 in February of 2021, after anchoring at WRIC-TV in Richmond, VA.

Jones has worked in several television markets, including New York City, Miami, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. She returned home to Miami, where she previously spent nine years as an anchor and reporter at local station WPLG-TV, and also worked at WLRN National Public Radio in South Florida. Jones also worked with veteran news journalist Dan Rather at the CBS Evening News.

Outside of television, Jones worked alongside the Broward State Attorney as the Communications Director for the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Jones has been honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Science, received an award from the Texas Associated Press for her reporting work, and multiple awards and recognitions from several regional chapters of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for Excellence in News Reporting. She was also featured as Miami's “Top 40 under 40 Leaders of Tomorrow” in Legacy Magazine. Jones is a proud member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Jones spent most of her childhood overseas, including time in Timisoara, Romania.

She is married to Miami-based artist Troy Simmons.

Diane Psaras is the Chief Human Resources Officer at VITAS Healthcare.

Drew Holler is the CHRO of Lennar.

Toni Banket is a charismatic Global Talent Acquisition Leader with 20 years of experience in reshaping talent acquisition through digital transformation and data-driven solutions. She excels in leading global recruitment programs across diverse industries and has a passion for championing diversity, equality, inclusion,digital transformation and employee branding. Toni's expertise lies in optimizing hiring efficiency and crafting data-driven solutions by leveraging cutting-edge technology. She's committed to shaping the future of talent acquisition in the digital era and driving organizations to thrive in today's ever-evolving landscape.

Tom Hudson is the Senior Economics Editor & Special Correspondent at WLRN-NPR News.

Rachel Schneider is founder and CEO of Canary, a company helping the 21st-century social net evolve to reflect the future of work. She’s led the development of Grant Circle, a high-impact solution for challenges she uncovered as co-author of The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty. Grant Circle exists so employees can access emergency support in times of financial need and enable them to recover quickly.

She brings experience from Merrill Lynch, Financial Health Network, and The Aspen Institute, as their entrepreneur-in-residence. She credits her commitment to the potential for innovative finance to solve major social problems from her days as a VISTA Volunteer

Willie (he/him) is a keynote speaker, consultant, and facilitator who helps organizations advance vital conversations that unlock connections across differences. His belief in the transformative power of media to change narratives led him to found Abernathy, a magazine for black men backed by companies like Mailchimp, Atlassian, and WeWork. In its four-year run, Abernathy published 400+ articles and produced a series of curated events for diverse professionals across the nation.

Willie served as Founding Technical Lead of Seth Godin’s altMBA program for high-performing individuals who want to level up and lead, and CTO of The Domino Project, an award-winning publishing company founded by business luminary Seth Godin and powered by Amazon.com. He's been featured in documentaries (I’m Fine, Thanks), on HGTV (House Hunters International), and in print (Icarus Deception). Willie is an avid houseplant aficionado and loves to spread the gospel of self-watering planters whenever possible.

Siran is a social entrepreneur, care economy nerd, and recovering Uber alum. Today, Siran is the CEO/Co-Founder of Mirza and on a mission to unlock child care for every employee. Mirza helps employees understand and access government child care programs, and invites employers to be part of the solution with tax-efficient child care stipends. Siran holds a Gender Studies degree from Harvard and Master's from the London School of Economics.

David Bator thinks and writes about how work could work. David leads Achievers Workforce Institute, a strategic practice whose focus on Research, Community and Advisory empowers global executives with tactical, practical approaches to changing how the world works.

David is passionate about people, and has spent the last 20 years working closely and consultatively with HR, IT and Communications leaders to build programs that position individuals, teams and companies to grow.

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.

Paul Bomberger has been a business journalist for three decades, most recently the business editor of the Miami Herald, from November 2021 until October 2023.  

Before joining the Herald, Bomberger had been a senior business reporter and the business and metro editor at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in California's San Francisco Bay Area for three years.  Bomberger previously had been at the Houston Chronicle as an assistant metro editor/specialty enterprise storytelling. He was also an assistant business editor/weekend editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer.  He had been managing editor of Business Insurance, a Crain Communications publication in Chicago, an assistant business editor at the Palm Beach Post and deputy business editor at the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale.  

Bomberger is a Philadelphia area native and Temple University graduate.

Brian is Market Leader and Executive Vice President of Aon’s Florida operations; he is based in Miami. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of all business operations in Florida. As such, Brian is ultimately accountable for Aon’s financial performance, its business relationships within the region, and for ensuring Aon delivers on its commitments to clients. He also serves as a strategic advisor and executive sponsor to several key regional clients.

Prior to joining Aon in 2021, Brian served as the Northeast Regional Benefits Leader at Brown & Brown Insurance, where he led the firm’s largest employee benefits practice, with offices stretching from the Mid-Atlantic through New England. Critical areas of focus included hiring and developing talent, client development and retention, driving innovation, as well as acquisitions. Prior to that position, Brian worked as President of the New England Employee Benefits Practice at USI Insurance Services. He also worked as a Partner in the CHRO Practice within Heidrick & Struggles and held various leadership and consulting
roles during his 14 years with Mercer, including managing the firm’s third largest U.S. market and several of the firm’s largest global relationships. He has more than 20 years in Fortune 500 consulting, specializing in human resources/human capital, mergers & acquisitions, and benefits/rewards. Over the course of his career, Brian has had the opportunity to work with and advise some of the world’s leading companies.

Joe Johnson is the former local host of “Morning Edition” on South Florida’s NPR news station, 91.3 WLRN.  This is his second year moderating a panel for From Day One. Joe has spent his 45-year radio career in Miami with 30 years at Oldies Radio Magic 102.7 where he won 6 “Achievement in Radio” awards for on -air features and production and in 2015 was named “Best FM Radio Personality” in the Miami market by New Times Magazine. 

In addition to being a contributor to WLRN, Joe writes and produces a national radio show on The Beatles called “Beatle Brunch” and is the Music Host of several rock-themed cruises. He is also emcee of Florida’s Children First’s member events. FCF works with children in the foster care system, advocating for at-risk children and working to change laws on behalf of the youth.

Greg leads Guild's Learning & Outcomes team, bringing the current practice and thinking into our learning space to drive the most innovative outcomes for our Guilders and inspire how we design products and experiences for our members.Until December of 2021, Greg served as the Senior Vice President and People & Performance Evangelist at Workday, where he helped the company achieve extraordinary growth while being recognized by as one of the world’s best places to work. The Great Place to Work Institute recognized Greg’s pioneering work on employee experience and culture with their Innovator of the Year Award in 2019. Before Workday, Greg served as Juniper Networks’ Vice President of Talent where he helped create Juniper’s Talent Matters Practice that has been featured as a pioneering performance management practice by the Corporate Executive Board, Mercer and Strategy & Business. Greg also served as Head of Talent Management for Merrill Lynch’s Global Technology and Operations function and was a Partner in Accenture’s Human Performance Practice.Greg’s articles and work on the growing importance of positive and productive connections and social cohesion have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, MIT Sloan Management Review and Organization Dynamics. Greg’s HBR Cover Story article on How to Succeed in a New Role has been selected as one of the 10 definitive management ideas of the year from Harvard Business Review.

Jonathan Murray is the Head of Empowerly for Business, a pioneering organization that provides college & career counseling to high school, college, and post-graduate students - blending AI technology with personalized one-on-one guidance. As a recognized leader in the post-pandemic integration of EdTech into Employee Benefits, Jonathan has authored impactful research on the effects of college & career planning on mental health, family wellbeing, and employee productivity.

In 2023, EdTech magazine honored him as a Trendsetter for innovations in distribution and Time Magazine named his product a ‘Best Invention of 2022’. He brings experience as a CMO, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of multiple startups. Passionate views about community building, peer mentoring, and societal impacts of technology are a great way to spark a conversation.