Stephanie Vardavas is an attorney, mediator, arbitrator, writer, product safety / compliance consultant, and an adjunct professor of sports business at the University of Oregon, based in Portland, Oregon. Stephanie has spent 40+ years in the sports industry, is a library advocate, a Macintosh user for over 35 years, a prolific writer on Quora, a Baltimore Orioles fan, a Star Wars devotee, an active Democrat, a proud union member, a theater enthusiast, an unrepentant Anglophile, and a Life Member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. She owns more than 400 pairs of shoes. None of them are brown.

Elena Rossini is an Italian film director, producer, editor and public speaker. Rossini’s most notable film is The Illusionists, a feature-length documentary about consumer culture and the marketing of unattainable beauty ideals around the world. Filming locations included the U.S., U.K., the Netherlands, France, Italy, Lebanon, India and Japan. The film has been featured in Vogue Italy, New York Magazine, Mic, NPR, Fox45 and Teen Vogue, amongst others. Rossini has been taking The Illusionists on tour, showing it at the biggest companies in Silicon Valley (Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter) and at dozens of schools in the United States and Europe (most recently: Harvard University, University of Chicago, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley). Emilie (Mimi) Anagli is a cinematographer, AC, and travel junkie. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2021 with a bachelors degree in Film Studies, Professional and Public Writing, and a minor in French. ​ Mimi recently worked as the Multimedia Producer for the Gretchen Whitmer For Governor 2022 campaign before pursuing freelance ACing full-time. She has written for several film and art publications, including agnés films, Made in Shoreditch Magazine, Women in Hollywood, Directed by Women, and Take 2 Indie Review. She is also a Senior Video Editor for the influencer marketing agency Outloud Media. During her time in undergrad, Mimi had the opportunity to attend the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where she interned for The Hollywood Reporter. The two worked together on the project, The Power of Visibility. They join Max to talk discuss their experiences as women in the filmmaking industry.

Shervin is the founder/CEO of PartnerHero, and prior to that spent much of his career in management consulting and doing two other startups. The burnout from consulting and time spent in the echo-chambers of Silicon Valley chasing validation led him to his version of rock bottom. The On Misogyny project was born out of feedback he received from his partner, whereby she informed him that he wasn't as "woke" as he thought he was.

Gregory Mengel PhD is an educator, workshop facilitator, and writer, working at the intersection of the social, spiritual, and ecological challenges of our time. For over a decade, Gregory has been helping white-identified individuals and groups to examine their racial conditioning and access their inherent potential for transformation. He is a cofounder of Beyond Separation, which offers classes and workshops for white-identified people. In addition, he is a senior teacher in the UNtraining, in their UNtraining White Liberal Racism program and a community teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. Gregory has written for The Good Men Project and The Body is Not an Apology, as well as Medium and  Cosmology of Whiteness.

Eileen Cheng-yin Chow 周成蔭 is Associate Professor of the Practice in Chinese and Japanese Cultural Studies at Duke University, and one of the founding directors of Story Lab at Duke. She is also Director of the Cheng Shewo Institute of Chinese Journalism at Shih Hsin University in Taipei, Taiwan 世新大學舍我紀念館與新聞研究中心, and she co-directs the Biographical Literature Press and its longstanding Chinese-language history journal, Biographical Literature 傳記文學. Eileen also serves on the executive board of the LA Review of Books, and serves as co-editor of the Duke University Press book series, Sinotheory.  Eileen received her A.B. in Literature from Harvard and her Ph.D in Comparative Literature at Stanford.

Gwyn (he/them) is the Director of CX at Meetup, an app that is dedicated to helping people come together around common interests. Gwyn spends a lot of time thinking about and learning about philosophy, cultural criticism, history, capitalism and white-bodied supremacy and the impact it has on the landscape of our reality and culture. He is interested in understanding the experiences of others as a gateway to building bridges for connection and support. Prioritizing self care, rest, sanity and physical and mental wellness is something Gwyn seeks to invite into all spheres - whether at work with his team, at home with his wife and kiddo, or with himself and his community of friends and family. “Progress not perfection” is a creed he lives by, to seek to do better and participate in acts of learning and unlearning and create safe spaces for those around him (including himself). Gwyn is very proud to be Trans and Queer and humbled and privileged to share his experience with others who are interested in learning about it.

Kanchan is committed to Women of CultureTM leading powerfully. As a professional executive coach, facilitator and speaker, the diversity impact is with both culturally diverse leaders and women leaders. Her work draws on over 25 years of organizational leadership experience, and 7 years of executive coaching experience in three countries. Her coaching strengths are using her innate curiosity and ability to build trust to ask bold questions of her clients through a strengths- based approach. Kanchan’s coaching philosophy is ‘In order for personal and organizational change to happen, awareness needs to precede action.’ In addition to coaching, Kanchan has facilitated communication and leadership development programs globally with multinational organizations. Kanchan also has 10 year plus volunteer board work in UK and Canada with organizations empowering women and children in India. And volunteers her time with The Humanitarian Coaching Network, supporting global frontline leaders with the United Nations and One Acre Fund.

Katie Plumb is a psychotherapist practicing in Long Beach, California. Katie received her undergraduate degree at Scripps women’s college in Claremont CA, where she majored in psychology; she graduated with an MA in clinical psychology from Columbia University in NY, with a focus on trauma and resilience. She received her MSW from University of Southern California, which allowed her to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. For the duration of her academic years and career, Katie has been dedicated to understanding the impact of, and recovery, from trauma. Having overcome much of her own Complex-PTSD through intensive therapy, Katie is passionate about being beside others on their journeys from victim, to survivor, to thriver. She is trained in therapeutic modalities such as Brainspotting (BSP), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) for true trauma resolution. When not working, Katie loves to draw, sculpt, and make silly gifts and cards for friends and family. Walking around Long Beach in the sun is another favorite, as is FaceTiming with her (perfect) nephew. Originally from Washington, DC, Katie came for the education, and is staying for the weather.

Banafsheh founded Tangerine Lab in 2014. Tangerine Lab is a human experience design firm that provides advisory services for a wide range of human-centric challenges organizations are facing today. These challenges include customer or constituent experience, employee experience and leadership experience in a human and design-centered organization. As an early adopter and practitioner and for almost 20 years, Banafsheh has been a leader in operationalizing Human Centered Design in large and small, commercial and social impact organizations. Banafsheh has advised national and global brands and organizations from across many diverse sectors such as mobile and telecommunications, broadcast media, software and cloud startups, digital media, multinational financial institutions, micro-finance and banking, green technologies, foreign governments, and manufacturing. Prior to Tangerine Lab, Banafsheh held senior executive leadership roles at Nextel, Sprint, Nasdaq and the American Red Cross, leading diverse design initiatives from development of innovative technology products and customer experience strategies to disaster relief service delivery and digital transformation. Banafsheh was born in Iran to Iranian parents. Her family found itself in political exile in the UK after the Iranian Revolution. She completed her secondary education in Chislehurst, Kent, right outside of London. Her family immigrated to the United States where she and her brother could pursue their higher education. Banafsheh has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the George Washington University. Banafsheh lives in Washington DC.

Lori Eberly, LCSW is the author of Fuckery and Founder of Radius, a consulting firm that develops self-aware leaders. Her clinical background as a hospice social worker provides a trauma-informed perspective to organizational development, complex systems, and no-nonsense conversations. Addressing workplace conflict and sexual harassment are specialities, along with cultivating psychological safety on teams. She lives in Portland, OR with her family.

Flutist Meret Bitticks maintains an active schedule as a soloist, chamber musician, and clinician in the U.S. and abroad. As a performer, Ms. Bitticks joined U.S. State Department cultural ambassadors, Trio Chicago and Friends, for concert tours of the United Arab Emirates and Australia. She also regularly performs as a soloist and with faculty ensembles and chamber groups. Her recording credits include the Head of Femur album, Hysterical Stars, for the SpinArt label as well as the premier recording of Leslie Basset’s Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols under the direction of conductor Russell Mikkelson. A passionate and enthusiastic educator, Ms. Bitticks is one of only a handful of registered Suzuki Flute Teacher Trainers and the first flutist to receive a Certificate of Achievement for excellence in Suzuki instruction from the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Ms. Bitticks originated the Master’s of Suzuki Flute Pedagogy program at Roosevelt University, the only degree-granting program of its kind for flute. She has been a clinician for workshops in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and all over the U.S. Ms. Bitticks believes quality music instruction can only break down barriers when it is available to every person, regardless of age or economic background. With this in mind, Ms. Bitticks volunteered at music camps for the Ecole de Musique Sainte Trinite and Ecole de Musique Dessaix Baptiste in Haiti and trained the first Haitian Suzuki flute teacher. She worked with foster children through DePaul’s Pathways program and has also been a Tuition-free Conservatory instructor for the Merit School. Ms. Bitticks is an Altus Artist and nurtures a large flute studio at the Music Institute of Chicago. She is also on faculty at Lake Forest College, Roosevelt University, and DePaul University. She lives in Evanston with her husband and two small children.

Jennifer (Jen) Baker’s expertise is in the interdependence of communication theory and practice, where she strives to help others find true self-awareness and confidence in their communication and interaction with others. She has been teaching communication courses for over 20 years, starting at the University of Texas at Austin, moving onto the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and now at Columbia College Chicago and Northwestern University. Baker has worked at a marketing company, an engineering firm, and a variety of educational institutions. Additionally, she has founded an inner-city high school speech and debate team, assisted with photography and animation in independent films, and produced a radio show on communication. Courses taught include Theories of Persuasion, Business Communication, Collective Decision-Making and Communication in Organizations, Strategic Communication, Using Data to Make Informed Decisions, Professional Communication Skills, My Professional Persona, Leading from Design - as well as Theories of Relational Communication, Mad-Sad-Glad: Our Emotional Culture, and Human-Animal Communication. Her most current course was about Communication during COVID. She teaches practicum courses where she is able to champion both the theory of communication and the practical nature of interaction in organizations through the experiential learning model. In her workspace, she has been awarded the SPS Distinguished Teaching Award and has been called the happiest professor that a student has ever known.

Dr. Katy Cook is a social psychologist, coach, and consultant. Her specialty is the role emotional intelligence plays in business. Katy is the author of The Psychology of Silicon Valley: Ethical Threats and Emotional Unintelligence in the Tech Industry and the founder of the Centre for Technology Awareness. She holds a PhD in Psychology from UCL and Masters degrees in Psychology and Cultural Studies. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Society of Consulting Psychology, and the Society of Psychologists in Management. After an eventful, epic decade studying, traveling, and expat-ing in London, Katy now lives back in Southern California.

Monika Viktorova is a tech and AI strategy consultant based in Toronto, Canada. She specializes in AI and tech ethics and is passionate about avoiding dystopia by creating a brighter future with tech instead. She's bi, a first generation immigrant from Bulgaria, and an avocado-toast-loving millennial. In her off time, she likes rock climbing, reading voraciously and long walks with good tunes. Monika believes in using introspection and self-reflexivity to keep interrogating her own biases and be a better ally and force for change. You can reach her on Twitter @mviktoro.

Masarat Daud is the Chairperson of DHP Foundation which is a family non-profit based in Rajasthan, India. She is also the curator of South Asia’s largest TEDx event, TEDxShekhawati, which takes place in a small town in India with attendees from nearby villages and hamlets. Her parallel life is working as a Communications Consultant in London; she currently blogs on Medium under her name. Her interests are in Islam and feminism. She lives in London with her husband and is an Account Director at a feminist consultancy.

Nora graduated from Stanford in 2019 with an individually designed major in engineering, focused on entrepreneurship, design, and society and ethics. She is passionate about causes which help end systemic racism, injustice and inequity. Throughout her career, she would like to work on: civic action, public safety, personal mobility, accessibility, economic empowerment, climate change, and information and communication technologies. Nora grew up in Seattle after her family of five moved from Singapore. Outside of work, she enjoys tennis, hiking and backpacking, alto saxophone, creative nonfiction, and cooking (especially Malaysian, Thai, and Chinese food, as she is half Malaysian Chinese and half Thai!)

Therese M. Leone serves as Deputy Campus Counsel for UC Berkeley. In her role, she advises UC Berkeley’s administration on a broad range of higher education legal issues, including labor and employment, discrimination and harassment, student affairs, Title IX and Clery compliance, free speech and protests, research misconduct, general business matters, and internal investigations. Therese also served as University Counsel for the systemwide legal office of the Regents of the University of California for almost six years. She provided labor and employment advice/counseling regarding faculty, staff and student employees to leadership at the 10 campuses and 5 medical centers in the UC system, and was Chief Campus Counsel for UC Merced. From 2008-2012, Therese was Vice President and General Counsel at Mills College in Oakland, California where she was a member of the College’s executive leadership team. She oversaw all legal matters for the college and also was counsel to the Board of Trustees. Before becoming a higher education attorney, Therese worked as a labor and employment attorney in private practice. Therese served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (“NACUA”) from 2010-13, and has served on numerous board committees, in addition to presenting at conferences and CLEs. For the State Bar of California, Therese served on the Council on Access and Fairness and the California Law Academy Strategic Task Force (CLAS). She is a former Board member for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Therese received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her JD from the BerkeleyLaw.

Jennifer Lee is the principal of Agent Atelier, residential design consulting based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her background in the luxury sector (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander) and house remodeling uniquely combine to personalize and elevate the homes of her clients. Jennifer has an international roster and her residential projects include homes in New York, New Jersey, and California. A native of San Francisco, she has a business degree from Temple University and currently resides in Piedmont, California.

Bay Area native Anastasia Ashman is a global technology and digital media executive. She is known for bringing provocative, forward-thinking thought leadership and strategic transformation to a variety of top roles, currently as COO of a mobile delivery SaaS in a hot new growth sector, and recently as co-founder of 10 Block, an award-winning mobile streaming startup, and Operating Manager of a Monaco-based family office venture fund. She was recognized as a top mentor at UC Berkeley's Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, and the European Innovation Academy, the world’s largest extreme accelerator. She’s also a critically acclaimed cross-cultural communicator, global connector, and educator. Her appearance on NBC-TV’s TODAY show as editor of Tales From the Expat Harem, the internationally bestselling travel anthology that spawned hundreds of trailblazing discussions on 21st century resilience, was particularly notable. She will be most proud when she can bring diversity to corporate boards around the world that drives unprecedented innovation and progress to our societies.