We brought together more than two hundred visionary speakers for this summit - and the topics they spoke about were equally ambitious. The overall event was divided into central themes based on the topics we covered.

About This Session:

How can we shift the leadership paradigm to include talented individuals with disabilities, and what can we learn about working together in new ways? This discussion explores the ways to collaborate and learn from people with disabilities. [WK1]

Charlotte McClain-Nhalpo

WORLD BANK

Martyn Sibley

PURPLE GOAT AGENCY

Christina Ryan

DISABILITY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

About the Speakers:

• Tiffany Yu, CEO & Founder, Diversability - Tiffany Yu (she/her) is a social entrepreneur, 2x TEDx speaker, and disability advocate. She serves in a mayoral-appointed role on the San Francisco Mayor’s Disability Council.
• Charlotte McClain-Nhalpo, Global Disability Advisor, The World Bank - Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo is a global thought leader on disability rights and inclusion, working to ensure The World Bank’s policies, programs and projects are inclusive of persons with disabilities.
• Martyn Sibley, Co-founder Purple Goat Agency - Martyn Sibley is a disabled entrepreneur, who has a vision for a fully inclusive world. His content, community and businesses all sit at the cross section of entrepreneurship, social media marketing and disability inclusion.
• Christina Ryan, CEO, Disability Leadership Institute - Christina has been an active leader in the disability community for over 20 years, working at an international, national and local level to change the diversity agenda, while mentoring and supporting numerous disabled people to their own leadership success.
  

About This Session:

How can organizations transform the way they identify, recruit and retain new team members to be as inclusive as possible? In this gathering of HR leaders, technologists and hiring experts, you will learn how to reshape your entire process from the ground up to reduce bias and build a more robust and diverse team. [WK2]

Arthur Woods

MATHISON

Scarlett Richards

A MILLION ADS

Simon Minty

DISABILITY CONSULTANT

Shannie Mears

THE ELEPHANT ROOM

About the Speakers:

• Arthur Woods, C0-Founder of Mathison - Arthur Woods is a social entrepreneur working at the intersection of diversity and inclusion and technology; he is the Co-Founder of Mathison, a 3 times TEDx speaker and named to Forbes 30 Under 30; he's the co-author of Hiring for Diversity.
• Scarlett Richards, Head of People at A Million Ads - Scarlett is an HR leader in advertising and an advocate for inclusivity, currently spearheading an awareness and education drive at her company to build inclusion and diversity from the ground up.
• Simon Minty, Disability Consultant - Simon runs a disability consultancy that works with major corporate organizations in the UK and internationally to assist them deliver strategic and innovative programs that improve the recruitment, retention, and promotion of disabled staff and deliver better services to disabled customers.
• Shannie Mears, Co-founder and Head of Talent - The Elephant Room - Shannie is an award winning young exec within advertising. Her role within her agency allows her to adapt her skills of fostering grassroot talent and helping clients adapt to new methods of engaging talent.

About This Session:

How can the modern workplace transform into an environment where the unique talents of individuals with cognitive or neurological differences flourish? Hear from neurodiversity experts who are focusing on how to shift the paradigm from labels like “abnormal” versus “normal” to create an inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive and have their unique talents recognized and valued. [OP1]

Ludmila Praslova

PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY

José Velasco

SAP AUTISM AT WORK

Rajesh Anandan

ULTRANAUTS INC.

About the Speakers:

• Dr. Christopher Manente is an accomplished practitioner, educator, and advocate who has dedicated his career to helping adults on the autism spectrum succeed within their homes and communities throughout the lifespan and across the contexts of school, work, relationships, leisure, and transportation. Dr. Manente is the Founding Executive Director of the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, he is a combat veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, and is a prior special education student.
• Ludmilla Praslova, Director of Research and Professor of Psychology, Vanguard University of Southern California - Ludmila Praslova is a professor of psychology whose passion is bridging academic science and organizational practice, with expertise in organizational effectiveness, organizational culture assessment and change, and facilitating creativity and innovation.
• Jose Velasco, Chief Program Manager, SAP Product Engineering - Software Industry Veteran with experience in companies ranging from Fortune 100 to start-ups and in functions spanning consulting, engineering, product management and marketing as well as diversity and inclusion.
• Rajesh Anandan, Co-founder and CEO Ultranauts Inc.- Rajesh Anandan is co-founder and CEO of Ultranauts, a quality engineering firm named a FastCompany World Changing Idea, with employees in 25 states across the US, 75% of whom are autistic. Rajesh began his career at Microsoft, then joined Bain & Company, and most recently, ran Unicef Ventures which launched Unicef Kid Power, the world's first wearable-for-good named one of TIME’s 25 Best Inventions.

About This Session:

Ageism remains rife in global business and in our culture. Older workers are underappreciated and older consumers are too often ignored, How can you create a culture where older staff are valued and even remain engaged after they retire? What changes can you implement to focus greater attention on consumers over 50 - a powerful yet underappreciated consumer group? This panel has the answers. [OP2]

Carol Fishman Cohen

iRELAUNCH

Wendy Mayhew

WISER AT 50

Julian Harcourt

GREY AFRO

About the Speakers:

• Andrea Roane, Award winning former news anchor-WUSA9 (CBS-DC) - Andrea Roane is a multi award winning television broadcast journalist, known for News anchoring and Medical reporting at WUSA9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC.
• Carol Fishman Cohen, Chair and Co-Founder, iRelaunch - Carol Fishman Cohen, builder of corporate career re-entry programs and leader of the iRelaunch #returntowork​ community, is a pioneer in the career re-entry space.
• Wendy Mayhew, Author, Advocate, Entrepreneur - Wendy Mayhew is an author, speaker and entrepreneur, with more than 40 years’ experience successfully launching and managing businesses.
• Julian Harcourt, Managing Director of greyafro marketing - Julian Harcourt is Managing Director of greyafro, a marketing consultancy that helps businesses understand and target older consumers.

About This Session:

Men have a crucial role to play in helping to create a more equitable world for every gender, but how can we all truly make this happen? In this session a collection of authors, experts and researchers will discuss successful mentorship, allyship, and partnership to offer a roadmap for the practical things every man can do today. [OP3]

Daniele Fiandaca

TOKEN MAN

Bennett D. Bennett

PARTNERSHIPS LEAD
600 & RISING

Alex Prout

NUVEEN,
SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR ADVOCATE

About the Speakers:

• Amy Kean, Founder, Six Things Impossible and Cultures Editor, shots magazine - Amy Kean is a sociologist, futurist and advertising strategist, dedicated to making industry creativity more creative and company cultures more cultural.
• Daniele Fiandaca, Co-founder, Utopia & Token Man - Daniele Fiandaca is a co-founder of Utopia, a culture change business and Token Man, an initiative to inspire men to create more inclusive and diverse work cultures as well as co-author of Creative Superpowers: Equip yourself for the Age of Creativity.
• Bennett D. Bennett is principal at Aerialist and co-founder of Partnerships Lead 600 & Rising, an advocacy group for Black talent in advertising. The 4As MAIP alum has worked for The Drum, BBDO and Interbrand.
• Alex Prout is an activist and Vice Chair of I HAVE THE RIGHT TO. He is a national leader and advocate against gender based violence and a victims rights advocate. Following the assault of his daughter at her high school, he has spent the past four years speaking out on behalf of women and girls, encouraging victims to shatter the silence surrounding sexual abuse and holding complicit institutions accountable.