Dr. Amanda R. Tachine is Navajo from Ganado, Arizona. She is Náneesht’ézhí Táchii’nii (Zuni Red Running into Water) born for Tł’ízí łání (Many Goats). She is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership & Innovation at Arizona State University. Amanda’s research explores the relationship between systemic and structural histories of settler colonialism and the ongoing erasure of Indigenous presence and belonging in college settings using qualitative Indigenous methodologies. She is the author of Native Presence and Sovereignty in College and co-editor of Weaving an Otherwise: In-relations Methodological Practice. She has published in the Journal of Higher Education, Qualitative Inquiry, International Review of Qualitative Research, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and other scholarly outlets. She also has published thought pieces in the Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, The Hill, Teen Vogue, Indian Country Today, Inside Higher Ed, and Navajo Times where she advances ideas regarding discriminatory actions, educational policies, and inspirational movements.

Lori Frisher is an exceptional leader, advocate, and entrepreneur, with a remarkable journey that embodies resilience and determination. As a #1 Amazon best-selling author, Emmy nominee, cancer survivor and public speaker, Lori’s accomplishments reflect her ability to surpass challenges and embrace new opportunities. Navigating severe hearing loss since birth, she now relies on two cochlear implants and lip-reading to communicate effectively.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Lori faced a transformative experience, losing her voice only to find a new voice of advocacy. This pivotal moment led her to discover her true calling and become a disruptive force for change. With unparalleled empathy, personal storytelling, and a spirit of innovation, Lori empowers companies and organizations to foster a culture of success.

As the founder of Ready or Not! Media, Lori is committed to dismantling negative stereotypes and advocating for the inclusion of people of ALL abilities in the workforce and communities. She urges executives and management teams to exemplify inclusive leadership, creating workplaces where every employee feels a sense of belonging.

Having collaborated with diverse entities, from national nonprofits to Fortune 100 and 500 companies, Lori possesses a comprehensive understanding of various workplace environments. Her expertise enables her to view missions through the lens of those facing life challenges, ensuring the support of inclusive learning cultures and fostering creativity and originality. Lori Frisher is an inspiring force, driving transformative change and championing a future of inclusivity and belonging.

Jayde Schmoyer is a Senior Associate on the Insight Analytics team at Seramount, conducting back-end data analyses in support of Seramount’s many DEI initiatives and indexes while formulating insights to help advance organizational DEI efforts around the world.

Jayde graduated from DePaul University with a B.S. in Marketing. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Illinois, Jayde now lives in Chicago where in her free time she enjoys cooking, reading, and exploring the city.

Dani is a bilingual, certified, award-winning DE&I Consultant, Speaker, and Trainer with 17+ years of global experience in Talent Operations, Recruitment, Leadership, and People Management.

Among many other things, Dani is the Awareness & Advocacy Founding Partner at Allies in Recruiting; one of the Founding Members of The Talent Alliance; a volunteer DE&I Expert for the NASA Astrophysics IDEA Practitioners Database, a Career Coach, and a Content creator.

Dani is radically and unapologetically committed to helping organizations analyze and deconstruct biased and inequitable systems. She works (very!) intentionally to nurture cultures that attract and retain talent from historically excluded communities, design processes that minimize biases, and build strategies and systems that foster inclusion, equity, and belonging.

Michelle Howard served 35 years in the United States Navy. She led Sailors and Marines multiple times in her career as the Commander of: a ship, an Expeditionary Strike Group, Task Force, and a Naval theater. Operations in her career include NATO peacekeeping, West African Training Cruise, Indonesia Tsunami Relief operations, and the rescue of Maersk Alabama from Somali Pirates.

In 1999, Michelle became the first African American woman to command a ship in the Navy. In 2014, she became the first woman four-star Admiral in the Navy.

Michelle was the Shapiro Visiting Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University from 2018 to 2020. Michelle was the Chair of The Naming Commission from March 2020 to October 2022. The congressionally mandated Commission identified and made recommendations to remove, rename or modify Department of Defense Assets that commemorated the Confederacy or individuals who voluntarily served the Confederacy.

Jomil Guerrero is New York Life’s Chief Diversity Officer, responsible for building on the company’s  strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) foundation and continuing to embed a diverse and inclusive culture into New York Life’s talent practices, business strategy, and community engagement. 

Most recently, Ms. Guerrero served as Chief Operating Officer of IndexIQ, a New York Life Investments boutique. She joined New York Life in 2011 as Director of Finance for both New York Life Investment Management (NYLIM) and NYL Investors. Since then, she has held positions of increasing responsibility, including Managing Director, head of Global Marketing Operations for NYLIM.

Prior to New York Life, Ms. Guerrero was U.S. Controller for the Riverside Company and Controller at Muirfield Capital Management, both investment firms. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BS in accounting.  

Ms. Guerrero has been a dynamic and passionate driver of DE&I efforts both within and outside New York Life. She served as a co-lead of the company’s Social Justice Working Group advising the Social Justice Steering Committee established in 2020. The Group’s recommendations included evolving New York Life’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion to become the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center for Awareness and Advocacy (DE&I Center), which focuses on continuing inclusion and engagement initiatives while expanding professional development with a goal of personal growth and career mobility for diverse employees. 

In addition, Ms. Guerrero is an Advisory Board Member of New York Life’s Latinos for Excellence, Advancement & Development (LEAD) Employee Resource Group (ERG). She previously served as a Co-Chair of ENABLE, the company’s ERG dedicated to raising disability-focused awareness. 

She also recently became a Board member of the Reasons to Smile Foundation Inc., a non-profit dedicated to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities reach their potential within the workforce and community. For her work in advancing DE&I, Ms. Guerrero was included in Profiles in Diversity Journal’s inaugural list of Latino Leaders Worth Watching in 2021. 

Suzanne Cardwell Serves as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, and is accountable for developing and driving the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy that directly supports employees, customers, and the community.