Speakers

DR. ANDRÉ LAPLUME, co-author of SPINOUT VENTURES, is a Full Professor in Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management, which is part of Toronto Metropolitan University. Laplume researches the intersections where new entrants and incumbent firms meet with the aim of breaking down the barriers facing entrepreneurs, while helping managers deal with entrepreneurial ambitions in their organizations. His research has appeared in top journals like Human Relations, Journal of International Business Studies, and Journal of Business Research, among others. He received his PhD in Management from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and spent seven years at Michigan Tech, teaching in its MBA program. Earlier, Laplume was a business and information technology consultant, helping clients integrate businesses and automate units. He is a frequent judge at entrepreneurship pitch competitions and an experienced entrepreneur, having launched a startup while in Michigan.

Gary Hamel is one of the world’s most influential and iconoclastic business thinkers. He has worked with leading companies across the globe and is a dynamic and sought-after management speaker. Hamel has been on the faculty of the London Business School for more than 30 years and is the director of the Management Lab. Hamel has written 20 articles for the Harvard Business Review and is the most reprinted author in the Review’s history. His landmark books have been translated into more than 25 languages. His most recent bestsellers are Humanocracy and The Future of Management. In these volumes, Hamel presents an impassioned plea for reinventing management and lays out a practical blueprint for building organizations that are “fit for the future.”

Trinh Nguyen serves as the Chief of Worker Empowerment, and the Director of the Office of Workforce Development (OWD). The Worker Empowerment Cabinet’s mission is to advance the well-being of all working Bostonians in both the public and private sectors through skills and career development for youth and adults, advanced training in post-secondary education, and the promotion of progressive labor standards and worker protection. As the OWD Director, she launched such initiatives as the Tuition-Free Community College Program, the Greater Boston American Apprenticeships, and career pathways leading to living wage jobs in the healthcare, clean energy, and construction sectors. She also created Boston Saves, the City’s children’s savings account program. Prior to her role at OWD, Nguyen was the Chief of Staff at the Boston Housing Authority. Nguyen has nearly 27 years of leadership in legislative affairs, resource development, organizational and leadership development, and fiscal management. She has worked in executive management for various community nonprofits and public sector agencies. She is currently Chair of the Neighborhood Jobs Trust, a Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council, a Board Member of the Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology, and a Trustee of Bunker Hill Community College. Nguyen earned two Master’s degrees as well as an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and was a community fellow at MIT's Department of Urban Planning.

Dr. Judy Ho, Ph. D., ABPP, ABPdN, is a triple board-certified and -licensed clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, and a published author. Her bestselling book Stop Self-Sabotagedetails a scientifically driven six-step program that has been translated into seven additional languages around the world. Her second book, I’ll Give it to Your Straight-ish: What Your Teen Wants You to Know, which she co-authored with Max Dubrow, offers evidence-based tips to help parents raise healthy and resilient teenagers. Her third book, The New Rules of Attachment, which focuses on healing insecure attachment styles at any age to optimize well-being, career, goal attainment, and relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, was published by Hachette Book Group in March 2024. Dr. Judy regularly appears as an expert psychologist on television, podcasts, radio, and contributes to other media, including print and electronic periodicals. She was a co-host on the syndicate daytime television talk show The Doctors, co-host of CBS’s Face the Truth, and host of The SuperCharged Life podcast, which focuses on scientific, tangible tips for physical and mental wellness and strategies for motivation and productivity. She is a Forbes Health Advisor and Contributor for Psychology Today and Reader’s Digest, among other major online periodical outlets. Dr. Judy is an avid researcher and is a two-time recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Services Research Award. She hosts an active research program to improve mental health care for high-need populations and is the chair of the Institutional Review Board at Pepperdine University. Her treatment approaches integrate the scientific principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Dr. Judy maintains a private practice in Manhattan Beach, California, where she specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and expert witness work.

Stela Lupushor is a thought leader, speaker, educator and futurist on a mission to humanize the workplace. She advises startups, venture funds, mature enterprises on the use of design thinking, technology, analytics to create inclusive workplaces.

Solange Charas, Ph.D., is a seasoned Human Capital professional with over 30 years of senior-level experience, specializing in strategic leadership and optimizing human capital ROI. She is recognized for her expertise in human capital analytics, and has held multiple board director and CHRO positions in major organizations.