Dr. Samantha Rae, also known as Dr. Sam, is a leading DEI Strategist & Systems Analyst and the dynamic force behind DSRD Consulting. She’s also the creator of the innovative app, DEI Offload, designed specifically to support the mental health of individuals working in the DEI sector. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Sam has brought transformative DEI solutions to organizations like Goodwill, Save the Children, and NIH, impacting over 10,000 employees. Her work also extends to the academic sector, where she’s worked with leaders from over 50 universities across the nation to embed DEI into their processes. Dr. Sam holds a bachelor’s in Biology, a master’s in Public Health, and a Doctorate in leadership & organizational management. Dr. Sam’s work intersects between DEI and business systems optimization and development. In 2022 alone, she partnered with global change-makers from over 30 renowned companies, including AWS, Meta, and Lyft, to improve their workplace culture. She’s also supported over 400 DEI practitioners worldwide.

Rev. Dr. Brian Tillman is the Director of Inclusion and Advocacy and Co-Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Georgia Conference. He was commissioned in 2011 and ordained in 2015. Brian earned his BA degree from Morehouse College in 2003 where his major was Child Development; M.Ed degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2007; M.Div degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in 2011 with a concentration in Scripture and Interpretation; certificate from the Reynolds Program in Church Leadership in 2017; D.Min degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 2023.  He has served in churches in North Georgia in various roles and served for 4 years as chair of the North Georgia Conference Commission on Religion and Race. Brian has created the Racial Healing Framework that equips leaders to pursue racial healing in systems and leads workshops throughout the southeast.

Tanya Cruz Teller is a passionate, creative leader of systemic change founded on principles
of personal transformation, collaborative partnerships, whole systems thinking and
Appreciative Inquiry. As an Organizational Development practitioner, her work is
committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive world through building great organizations.

She has over 20 years’ experience with asset-based design in strategic planning, leadership
development, and stakeholder engagement in international, organizational, and community
development.

Tanya has a Master’s of Intercultural & International Management, has co-authored
“Thriving Women, Thriving World: An Invitation to Dialogue, Healing and Inspired Actions”
(2019); and wrote the Inclusive Leadership: Transforming Diverse Lives, Organizations,
and Societies chapter in the book “Inspiring Inclusion Using the Appreciative Leadership
Lotus Model” (2020).

Tanya is a panelist for the GDEIB, a TAOS Associate, member of the International OD
Networks, and serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Appreciative
Inquiry.

Dr. Liza Howe-Walsh is a Reader in International Human Resource Management (IHRM) at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Liza has published numerous internationally recognised journal articles in a range of top-rated journals such as International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Business Research and Journal of International Management and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Global Mobility and Studies in Higher Education.  Her research has led to multiple invited keynote speeches for both academic and practitioner audiences to support greater inclusion of Women in Leadership. She is the Past President of the Women and Leadership Community, International Leadership Association (ILA). 

Katarzyna Bachnik, PhD, has 17 years of experience advancing the field of marketing and innovation in both business and in academia settings. Her expertise is in international marketing, market research, disruptive innovation and design thinking, and corporate social responsibility, and she is an author of several publications and expertise papers in the aforementioned areas. She has been affiliated with several international institutions of higher education, and she has worked for enterprises in marketing and consultant jobs. Right now, she is a full-time Professor of Marketing and Innovation at Hult International Business School, Cambridge, MA.

Lisa Critchley is the Chief People Officer for Benefit Resource Inc. (BRI) an innovative and dedicated administration of tax-free benefits programs including: Commuter Benefit Plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Reimbursement Accounts and Health Savings Accounts. Lisa’s career spans over 30 years in strategic human resources (HR) business partner leadership roles serving a diverse set of organizations including professional services, manufacturing, real estate, consumer packaged goods, and education. She is known as a highly effective change agent. 

Lisa, founder of Kirk Partners Consulting, LLC, focused on business and leadership performance to guide leaders and organizations to ignite the power of possibility deliver transformational results. Prior to leading her consulting practice, Lisa was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Home Properties, a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) with $6.7 B enterprise value, where she led significant human capital transformation initiatives delivering high-impact shareholder value. 

Her career includes senior HR positions with Bausch & Lomb, ALSTOM Signaling Inc., Harris RF Communications, Hansford Manufacturing, Nothnagle Realtors, and she was the Assistant Dean, at the William E. Simon School of Business Administration.

Lisa earned her doctorate at St. John Fisher University. Her dissertation focused on the application of mindfulness for leadership effectiveness. She holds an MBA, from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts, from St. John Fisher University. Lisa is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-SCP).