Prairie Bighorn-Blount, an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Sioux Tribe and raised on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana, has forged an impressive path of leadership and community service. Her journey began with a bachelor’s degree in business from Rocky Mountain College, followed by a master’s in business administration from the University of Montana. Post-education, Prairie served at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC. There, she administered contracts for Native American communities across the U.S., securing over $5 million for indigenous economic development and contributing to federal review panels. Returning to her roots, Prairie served as the Comptroller for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, managing $34 million in federal funding and ensuring timely audits. Recognized for her leadership, Prairie received the 2011 National Center for American Indian Economic Development’s 40 Under 40 Award. She now sits on the board of directors for the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology and contributes as a panelist for MIT Solve’s Indigenous Communities Fellowship program. Currently, Prairie serves as the Executive Director of the American Indigenous Business Leader’s organization, championing the cause of increased American Indian representation in business and entrepreneurship, and continuing her legacy of community development.
Haley Kalmbach is a Senior Software Engineer at Liberty Mutual Insurance. She has been an employee at Liberty Mutual for over 4 years, where she has worked on different internally facing applications. Most recently, she has worked on the creation of the Digital Accessibility Center as part of the DEI initiative.
As the work becomes increasingly more digital, this application was created to provide technical support for ALL employees to ensure they can be successful in their roles. The application was built to be completely accessible, so everyone would be able to use the site.
Haley has a passion for designing and developing applications with an “accessible first” mindset. She believes inclusive design is something that all engineers can incorporate into their development process. It is important to spread awareness around this issue and make sure other engineers know what tools exist to improve the digital accessibility for all.
As a Software Engineer with Liberty Mutual, Jamie has just completed two years with the company. She considers herself fortunate to have begun her career working on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) technology, as it allowed her to develop meaningful work from the get go, and learn early on how impactful to ALL users it is to develop with accessibility as a top priority. Earlier this year Jamie worked as a Product Owner, partnering with stakeholders on DEI initiatives. She and her team have recently inherited several large internally facing applications, impacting over 40,000 users, which has enabled them to apply their accessibility knowledge in a large scale way – shifting these applications to better align with the core values of Liberty Mutual.
AJ Eckstein is a passionate and influential Gen Z advocate, renowned for his insightful contributions to workplace discourse, particularly centered on Gen Z.
AJ’s expertise lies in challenging stereotypes surrounding Gen Z, notably the misconception of their work preferences. His background is impressive:
1. He holds the title of “Gen Z Career Expert,” highlighted by his contributions to major publications and partnerships with LinkedIn Learning and UCLA.
2. As a Gen Z representative, AJ offers a unique and authentic perspective on our generation’s needs and behaviors.
3. With a wealth of experience in both writing and speaking, he has established himself as a go-to authority on Gen Z and the future of work.
A consultant, speaker, and coach serving as a strategist and thought partner to business leaders around the globe, focusing on human centered work experiences.
My current role at EAB is in Talent Operations and Strategy, works with both human resources business partnership and learning and development teams with a central Talent perspective across the employee lifecycle.
A founding partner at PPL MGT, an HR Solutions consulting firm, where I specialize in facilitating behavior change to drive impact for individuals and teams.
In my spare time, I volunteer as a board member, as a National Advisor to ATD chapter leaders across the country, and at a makerspace as a Textile Steward to promote learning and creation.
Experienced and accomplished leader in the health and wellness industry known for effectively guiding individuals and organizations towards improved functioning. Demonstrates exceptional facilitation and influencing skills, adept at cultivating strong relations with key partners. Extensive experience in individual and corporate consultative sales. Challenges the notion of work/life balance by equipping individuals with essential life tools to achieve overall balance in all areas of their lives.
Vanessa is global Leader with over 15 years of experience delivering key strategic initiatives in operational excellence, digital transformation and change management. She is results driven, an insurance expert and an ERG leader with proven strengths in problem solving and enhancing relationships with C-Level stakeholders in complex and ambiguous environments.
Vanessa’s key achievements include creating an inclusive environment while implementing global best practices leveraging Lean and Agile methodologies, most recently leading a technology team delivering key IT capabilities for a Product Journey in the United States and Liberty Mutual’s International operations.
Vanessa holds an MBA from Questrom School of Business from Boston University and just finished an Advance Executive Certificate at MIT’s Sloan School of Business. Originally from Lima, Peru. Vanessa is now based in Boston, MA , married to a Brazilian and enjoys spending time with her two kids.
Michael Nicholson is a Principal, Strategic Research at Seramount. As a DEI and talent researcher, he is equally committed to delightful storytelling and useful knowledge. His responsibilities at Seramount include management of thought leadership, product narratives, and other strategic research initiatives. At Seramount and beyond, he works to create effective messaging for all. Whether in an app or a sonnet, he believes every word counts.
Prior to joining the Seramount team, Michael earned his PhD at UCLA and served as a tenure-track professor at McGill University. As Director of the Montreal International Poetry Prize, he pursued his lifelong love of inclusive storytelling and actionable insights, helping to develop and market the first app-based, character-limited global writing product.
Michael lives in Southern California with his son, Wyatt, where he enjoys hiking along the coast and advancing environmental justice. As a neurodiversity advocate, he’s always looking to connect with fellow wordsmiths with a shared passion for impactful data and accessible communities.
Erick Santero is the Senior Music Content Editor at Gracenote, a Nielsen company where he supports the Latin American and sub-Saharan African markets. Erick is the co-founder of the NATIV (Native American, Tribal & Indigenous Voices) business resource group. Erick is also an Indigenous activist and has been on the front line of Indigenous and Native American movements in the US and Latin America for over 30 years.
Jerrell was born and raised in Minneapolis Minnesota. He is a member of the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe from Leech Lake, MN. Jerrell has worked at Nielsen since 2010 and currently leads a team in the Engineering division there. He is also the co-founder of Native American, Tribal, and Indigenous Voices (NATIV) an Internal business resources group focusing on professional support as well as education and advocacy for indigenous issues.