Winona LaDuke, an Anishinaabe from the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, is a Harvard graduate with a master’s in Rural Development. An author of seven books, including the novel Last Standing Woman, she is recognized as a rural development economist, curator, and long-standing advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental justice. LaDuke began her work in the late 1970s addressing Indigenous rights at the United Nations and has since engaged deeply with energy policy issues, from uranium and coal mining to pipelines and dam projects. In her community, she has led oral history and land rights initiatives, renewable energy development, and fiber hemp production. She is also co-founder of the Giiwedinong Museum of Treaty Rights and Culture. Twice nominated as the Green Party’s candidate for U.S. Vice President, she also received an electoral college vote for President, reflecting her national influence.
Vince Fisher (he/him) is a Senior Digital Marketing Manager at EAB with 7+ years across higher education, marketing, and data analytics. He builds and runs performance-focused digital campaigns and turns data into clear actions that move enrollment and advancement metrics. Vince holds an MS in Interdisciplinary Studies (Higher Education & Business Management) and a BFA from the University of North Texas. He serves as Vice Chair of Programming & Partnerships for MOSAIC at EAB and sits on the OUT at EAB Pride Month committee. Vince also speaks on Transgender and LGBT+ inclusion and Indigenous issues; his recent talk, “Blood Quantum: America’s way of making Indigenous people extinct,” argues for kinship-based alternatives to federal bloodquantum measures.
Nancy Nazarian believes design can change how we build technology by staying hyper-focused on who it’s built for. As Head of UX Design in Microsoft’s AI Strategy and Transformation team, she leads by envisioning AI experiences that are human-centered, responsible, and inclusive by design. Over her 15 years in UX, she’s helped organizations from Deloitte to Google to Nike rethink what’s possible when strategy, craft, and humanity come together. She’s here to challenge leaders to see themselves as architects of a more equitable and accessible future in the era of AI.
David Vuletich is a Managing Director in EAB’s Research Advisory Services and is an expert in both Academic and Administrative Strategy. He provides expert insight into cross-cabinet issues that help institutions set strategy and execute on short and long-term goals. He is responsible for driving value for our partner institutions through decision support, guidance on best practices implementation, and consensus building at the board, cabinet, and senior leadership levels. In particular, his strong focus on financial sustainability helps him support strategic initiatives around university budget models, cost efficiency in administrative and academic operations, and revenue growth through optimization of the academic program portfolio and university advancement.
David’s expertise in education comes from a background that has included numerous touchpoints with the industry. David worked for the American Institutes for Research as a content leader in standardized testing and was a summer Associate at Huron Consulting. Prior to this he was an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at SUNY Brockport, where he helped design and launch a new biochemistry major and started an externally funded research program. From these experiences, David has gained an insightful perspective on the challenges facing a variety of stakeholders at education institutions.
Over the past twenty years, David Attis has worked with hundreds of higher education institutions in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and elsewhere. He supports university leaders at all levels to help their teams make better decisions through research, education, facilitation, and coaching. He regularly presents to a wide range of audiences on the major trends impacting higher education.
His studies have explored data-informed decision-making in higher education, innovative academic program design, university budget models, academic organizational structures, the impact of generative AI on education, and the future of the liberal arts.
Prior to joining EAB, David was a senior director of policy studies at the Council on Competitiveness. While there he worked on the National Innovation Initiative, contributed to the National Academies’ Rising Above the Gathering Storm report, and collaborated with Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School on the Council’s Competitiveness Index.
David holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Chicago, an MPhil in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in History from Princeton University. His book Mathematics and the Making of Modern Ireland: Trinity College Dublin from Cromwell to the Celtic Tiger was published in 2014.
Paul Sullivan is the founder of The Company of Dads, the first platform dedicated to creating a community for Lead Dads – men who are the go-to parents at home, who support their spouse’s careers and who are allies to Working Moms and caregivers in general at work – and partnering with companies to make small policy changes that have a big impact.
A long-time New York Times columnist, Paul became a Lead Dad in 2013 when his wife started her own asset management firm. He spent the next seven years as an Undercover Lead Dad. This all changed in 2020 when without school or camp being a Lead Dad and working full time became untenable.
Paul is the author of the books Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t and The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of The Super Wealthy. He has been interviewed on podcasts, radio and television programs across America, and given key-note talks to corporate and conference audiences from 50 to 500 people in the United States, Mexico and Chile. He holds degrees in history from Trinity College and the University of Chicago.
Ximena Torres is a Senior HR Specialist at Deltek, where she leads strategic hiring across multiple departments including Engineering, Finance, and Legal. With over a decade of experience in talent acquisition, she has successfully transitioned from agency recruiting to corporate HR, earning recognition for her leadership in inclusive hiring and early talent development. Ximena plays a key role in Deltek’s internship program and recruiting operations, supporting offer lifecycle management and onboarding. She is also an active contributor to the Amigos @ Deltek ERG. Ximena holds a Bachelor of Science from Radford University and is known for her collaborative approach and commitment to equity in the workplace.
Josh has been in the consulting profession nearly 28 years, working mainly in technology and governance serving global energy clients. He started at Andersen Consulting and joined KPMG in 2000. Josh and his teams help clients assess, assure and enhance technologies, operations, and risk management capabilities to assist and improve business ventures. He serves as account leader to several global energy companies, bringing the best of the firm’s cross-functional leadership and service capabilities to address client issues.