Humanities & Social Sciences

Esteemed speakers contributing their insights into human culture, behavior, and societal development

Nichi Avina

Nichi Avina

Nichi Aviña is the 2022 California Teacher of the Year, a middle school science teacher at Cielo Vista Charter School in Palm Springs Unified School District, and co-author of Regulate to Educate: An EduProtocol Field Guide for Calm, Caring, and Resilient Classrooms. She holds a B.S. in Biology from UC San Diego and a Master of Education and began her career in cancer research before transitioning to education.

Nichi is a Community Resiliency Model (CRM) Teacher, HeartMath Facilitator, 300-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and advanced Somatic Experiencing student. Her work integrates neuroscience, trauma-informed practices, nervous system regulation, and student leadership to help schools create cultures where students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

She developed the Regulate to Educate framework and the Students Regulating Students peer mentoring model, which trains middle school students to teach and apply regulation skills with younger peers, classmates, and families. Her work has been featured at state and national conferences and focuses on building student agency, belonging, wellness, and resilience through evidence-informed practices.

Through her teaching, writing, and professional learning workshops, Nichi helps educators implement practical strategies that strengthen regulation, relationships, and learning. Her mission is to help schools become sanctuaries of healing, belonging, and leadership—one regulated nervous system at a time.

Nichi Aviña is the 2022 California Teacher of the Year, a middle school science teacher at Cielo Vista Charter School in Palm Springs Unified School District, and co-author of Regulate to Educate: An EduProtocol Field Guide for Calm, Caring, and Resi... Show more

Serhii Savin

Serhii Savin

I'm a data scientist with hands-on experience in Python, PySpark, SQL, and R, specializing in machine learning, geospatial analytics, and A/B experimentation. I’ve developed predictive models, built dashboards, and led initiatives that saved millions. I work across the full data stack from data engineering to modeling to stakeholder communication, and I enjoy turning complex data into actionable insights. My background combines advanced statistical training with real-world impact in high-scale tech environments.

I'm a data scientist with hands-on experience in Python, PySpark, SQL, and R, specializing in machine learning, geospatial analytics, and A/B experimentation. I’ve developed predictive models, built dashboards, and led initiatives that saved millions... Show more

Alicia Alvarez

Alicia Alvarez

Alicia is a Certified Public Accountant, leadership educator, and founder of We are Human First, an initiative dedicated to helping organizations build more ethical, compassionate, and sustainable workplaces.

Drawing from an uncommon combination of expertise in accounting, psychology, theology, and organizational leadership, Alicia helps leaders rethink how they hire, manage, and develop people. Her work explores topics including human-centered leadership, psychologically safe workplaces, accountability without blame, second-chance employment, ethical business practices, and creating cultures where both people and organizations can thrive.

Professionally, Alicia has worked across public accounting, finance, human resources, nonprofit leadership, and business consulting. This broad experience allows her to connect leadership theory with the everyday realities face by managers, business owners, and finance professionals.

She is also pursuing her Doctor of Ministry with a focus on prophetic preaching and the theology of human dignity in modern workplaces, exploring how organizations can honor the inherent worth of every personal while achieving meaningful results.

Whether speaking to accountants, HR professionals, nonprofit leaders, or executives Alicia brings practical strategies, thoughtful research, and genuine compassion to every presentation. Her goal is simple: to help organizations remember that behind every policy, spreadsheet, and business decision is a human being.

Alicia is a Certified Public Accountant, leadership educator, and founder of We are Human First, an initiative dedicated to helping organizations build more ethical, compassionate, and sustainable workplaces. Drawing from an uncommon combination o... Show more

David Aronchick

David Aronchick

I am CEO and co-founder of Expanso, the company behind the distributed compute platform Bacalhau. This means I spend most of my time helping humans to convince machines to be smarter. I am only moderately successful at this.

Previously, I led product management for Kubernetes on behalf of Google, launched GKE, and co-founded the Kubeflow project, and led Open Source ML Strategy at Azure. I have also worked at Protocol Labs, Amazon and Chef and co-founded three startups.

I am CEO and co-founder of Expanso, the company behind the distributed compute platform Bacalhau. This means I spend most of my time helping humans to convince machines to be smarter. I am only moderately successful at this. Previously, I led prod... Show more

Jeanette & Frode Josepha-Hveding

Jeanette & Frode Josepha-Hveding

Sepha Soul was created by Jeanette and Frode Josepha‑Hveding - partners in life, in vision, and in the belief that the future of wellbeing begins with reconnecting to ourselves. Jeanette brings the intuitive, soulful dimension of the project, while Frode brings the technical imagination and engineering mindset. Together, they form the heart and structure of Sepha Soul.

Sepha Soul was created by Jeanette and Frode Josepha‑Hveding - partners in life, in vision, and in the belief that the future of wellbeing begins with reconnecting to ourselves. Jeanette brings the intuitive, soulful dimension of the project, while F... Show more

Helena Azambuja

Helena Azambuja

especialista em neurocomunicação e comportamento humano, e pós-graduada em Neurociência, Consumo e Marketing, atua há mais de 10 anos no serviço público federal, dedicando-se à comunicação estratégica de políticas públicas, com foco em apresentações de impacto, storytelling e design de mensagens persuasivas para gerar resultados. Já treinou centenas de empreendedores, líderes e equipes técnicas para falarem com mais clareza, influência e propósito — conectando dados, ciência e emoção. É servidora da CINCO - unidade pioneira de inovação e ciências comportamentais em governo, do MGI e Fundadora do projeto Comunicação Além da Oratória. Une conhecimentos em ciências comportamentais, imagem pessoal e cognição visual para transformar como as pessoas se comunicam em contextos profissionais. Sua missão é ajudar servidores públicos e organizações a tornarem suas mensagens memoráveis, engajadoras e eficazes para gerar resultados reais.

especialista em neurocomunicação e comportamento humano, e pós-graduada em Neurociência, Consumo e Marketing, atua há mais de 10 anos no serviço público federal, dedicando-se à comunicação estratégica de políticas públicas, com foco em apresentações ... Show more

Seema Sidhu, Ed.D.

Seema Sidhu, Ed.D.

Dr. Seema Sidhu is a transformative district leader and the 2026 AUHSD ACSA Central Office Administrator of the Year. Currently serving as the Director of Learning and Development for the Anaheim Union High School District, Dr. Sidhu oversees the strategic "braiding" of millions in state and federal programs to move the needle on equity and justice. A former English teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal, her career is defined by a refusal to accept the status quo of top-down governance. Dr. Sidhu is recognized for bringing innovation to compliance, dismantling administrative silos to institutionalize authentic democratic school governance. Her leadership in operationalizing the "Voice to Action" Equity Transformation Cycle has resulted in historic academic gains for English Learners and at-promise youth. A recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award from the California State Senate, Dr. Sidhu is a sought-after speaker on AI implementation, strategic planning, and the power of shared leadership. She holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne and is dedicated to equipping leaders with the tools to transform school systems and level up through student voice and agency.

Dr. Seema Sidhu is a transformative district leader and the 2026 AUHSD ACSA Central Office Administrator of the Year. Currently serving as the Director of Learning and Development for the Anaheim Union High School District, Dr. Sidhu oversees the str... Show more

Danielle Porter

Danielle Porter

Danielle Porter is the Associate Director of Retention in FSU's Division of Undergraduate Studies. She is a double graduate from Florida State University, with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology, and a Master's degree in Higher Education. Since then, she has served in roles revolving around student success and retention at Florida State University. She likes to read, watch football, snuggle her pup, and daydream of playing with cows.

Danielle Porter is the Associate Director of Retention in FSU's Division of Undergraduate Studies. She is a double graduate from Florida State University, with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology, and a Master's degree in Higher Education... Show more

Raj Singh Rajawat

Raj Singh Rajawat

A systemic design thinker working for a better world.

A systemic design thinker working for a better world. Show more

Yino Diaz

Yino Diaz

Yino Diaz is a Dutch-Colombian social entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Niños del Futuro, a community-driven organization in Medellín that helps young people build their futures through entrepreneurship, leadership, and opportunity.

After rebuilding his own life and moving to Colombia in 2019 to reconnect with his roots, Yino discovered that lasting transformation rarely begins with advice. It begins with experiences that change how people see themselves, others, and the world around them.

Over the past several years, he has developed initiatives including Chefs del Futuro, Barberos del Futuro, and Kicks4Kids, mentored vulnerable youth in Colombia and the Netherlands, coached adults searching for purpose, created the Between Worlds conversation card deck, and designed immersive experiences that connect volunteers, founders, educators, and organizations with communities they might otherwise never encounter.

His work sits at the intersection of leadership, service, storytelling, community building, and social entrepreneurship. Rather than delivering motivation or abstract theory, Yino shares practical frameworks shaped by years of building organizations where trust, belonging, and ownership become the foundation for lasting change.

Whether speaking to founders, educators, nonprofit leaders, governments, students, or corporate teams, Yino challenges audiences to rethink what leadership looks like in today’s world. His sessions combine powerful stories with practical tools that people can apply immediately to build stronger teams, more connected communities, and lives driven by purpose.

At the heart of every keynote is one central question:

How do we design experiences that transform people, not just inform them?

Yino Diaz is a Dutch-Colombian social entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Niños del Futuro, a community-driven organization in Medellín that helps young people build their futures through entrepreneurship, leadership, and opportunity. After rebu... Show more

Anastasiya Zhu

Anastasiya Zhu

Synergy creator | Initiator Generalist | All-rounder | With people. For people.
I am an Employer Branding Specialist & your personal HR Business Partner. I stand for diversity, equity & inclusion. Passionate about exploring future trends, digitalization & technologies, and their innovational potential for business developments and society.

Synergy creator | Initiator Generalist | All-rounder | With people. For people. I am an Employer Branding Specialist & your personal HR Business Partner. I stand for diversity, equity & inclusion. Passionate about exploring future trends, digitaliza... Show more

Dr Mamet Amfo-Brobbey

Dr Mamet Amfo-Brobbey

Dr Mamet Amfo-Brobbey, EdD, is an educator, researcher, speaker, and founder of First Pick Education. With more than 20 years of experience in international education, she specialises in teaching and learning, learner agency, assessment, and educational leadership.

Her doctoral research explored the use of heutagogic instruction to foster learner agency and promote agentic engagement, examining how classroom design can empower learners to take greater ownership of their learning. A triple-science teacher, examiner, and staff trainer, she works with educators and school leaders to translate educational research into practical strategies that develop independent, self-directed learners.

Dr Amfo-Brobbey is also an award-winning public speaker and author, known for making complex educational ideas accessible, actionable, and impactful for teachers, leaders, and learners.

Dr Mamet Amfo-Brobbey, EdD, is an educator, researcher, speaker, and founder of First Pick Education. With more than 20 years of experience in international education, she specialises in teaching and learning, learner agency, assessment, and educatio... Show more

Dr. Felecia Tolliver

Dr. Felecia Tolliver

Passionate and experienced educator with over 15 years of experience within the education industry, specializing in faculty administration, organizational leadership, and curriculum development. Adept in overseeing the overall management of educational programs while remaining committed to the organization’s mission and vision. Dynamic communicator with a proven ability to build lasting relationships with teachers, students, and parents. A motivational leader who enjoys actively engaging with all educational partners. Strategic planner and program designer; developed strategic plans, implemented and monitored change initiatives. Sought out collaborator by top leadership within the organization to lead positive outcomes for the betterment of students and faculty.

Passionate and experienced educator with over 15 years of experience within the education industry, specializing in faculty administration, organizational leadership, and curriculum development. Adept in overseeing the overall management of education... Show more

Igor Graf

Igor Graf

Igor Graf is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, international keynote speaker and business mentor. He is the founder of Freeman's Alliance, a private international community of entrepreneurs, and the author of P.E.R.L., an eight-level personal development methodology for entrepreneurs. Over 20 years in business he has spent more than 13,600 hours on stage and spoken in over 70 countries, including appearances at Mindvalley, UBM and Piterinfobiz conferences. International education work. After GrafSpace closed, Graf focused on education. In January 2019 he earned his first $89,000 from scratch in a new market, and by 2020 had developed the SFERA educational project. According to his team, his teaching methodology achieves a 91–95% student completion-to-result rate against an industry average of about 5%; his clients' combined documented earnings exceed $218 million, with over 30,000 testimonials collected.

Freeman's Alliance. In 2018 Graf founded Freeman's Club (later Freeman's Alliance), a private international community of entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries, running worldwide meetups, masterminds and joint ventures on its own gamified digital platform.

P.E.R.L. methodology. Graf is the author of P.E.R.L. ("Pyramid of Personality Development Stages") — an eight-level model of entrepreneur development, from "Pawn" to "Leader of Nations". Its core thesis: personal growth tools (goal-setting, self-discipline, time management, financial practices) only work at specific development levels and are counterproductive when applied at the wrong one.

Speaking. Graf has spoken at Mindvalley (where he set the NPS record above 90 three times), UBM conferences in Lviv and Kyiv, and the Piterinfobiz international conference (2015, 2016). He has been voted best conference speaker seven times by audience vote. His work has been publicly endorsed by Mindvalley founder Vishen Lakhiani, speaker Brian Tracy and author Joe Vitale. In 2018 he spoke to 1,000 children from Ukrainian orphanages at the WOW Kids Forum.

Since 2020 Graf has been on an ongoing round-the-world journey, living in a new country every month while continuing to speak and run his businesses; he has personally visited more than 70 countries.

Igor Graf is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, international keynote speaker and business mentor. He is the founder of Freeman's Alliance, a private international community of entrepreneurs, and the author of P.E.R.L., an eight-level personal development met... Show more

Lana Lesik

Lana Lesik

With my two core strengths - I'm a psychologist and a software architect with a background in full-stack engineering - I have a keen eye for both technical aspects and team dynamics. In startups or large-scale projects, my contribution extends beyond code, I’m dedicated to accompanying organizations through their digital and cultural transformations.
Passionate about DX and designing solutions that empower users and adapt to diverse environments.

With my two core strengths - I'm a psychologist and a software architect with a background in full-stack engineering - I have a keen eye for both technical aspects and team dynamics. In startups or large-scale projects, my contribution extends beyond... Show more

Iva Silla

Iva Silla

Iva Silla već više od desetljeća vodi maštovite tematske razglede grada pod zajedničkim nazivnikom Secret Zagreb. To je samo dio njenog opusa u kreativnom turizmu i interpretaciji baštine, a trenutno joj je najveća strast razvoj igrificiranih istraživanja diljem Hrvatske.

Iva Silla već više od desetljeća vodi maštovite tematske razglede grada pod zajedničkim nazivnikom Secret Zagreb. To je samo dio njenog opusa u kreativnom turizmu i interpretaciji baštine, a trenutno joj je najveća strast razvoj igrificiranih istraži... Show more

Geoff Antonio

Geoff Antonio

Geoff Antonio Hedgepeth is a musician, keynote speaker, and leadership coach. He blends storytelling and live music to help audiences overcome fear, build resilience, and step boldly into purpose. Geoff empowers individuals and teams to embrace creativity, strengthen leadership, and take meaningful action in their personal and professional lives.

Geoff Antonio Hedgepeth is a musician, keynote speaker, and leadership coach. He blends storytelling and live music to help audiences overcome fear, build resilience, and step boldly into purpose. Geoff empowers individuals and teams to embrace creat... Show more

Mark Gatere

Mark Gatere

Mark Gatere is Founder and CEO of C-elo Labs, building AI for low-resource African languages starting with Kikuyu. He works across PyTorch-based fine-tuning, speech models, vLLM inference, and developer education in Kenya. Mark has released public models and datasets on Hugging Face and contributed Google's FunctionGemma tool parser support to vLLM.

Mark Gatere is Founder and CEO of C-elo Labs, building AI for low-resource African languages starting with Kikuyu. He works across PyTorch-based fine-tuning, speech models, vLLM inference, and developer education in Kenya. Mark has released public mo... Show more

Roiber Avendaño

Roiber Avendaño

Soy Product Designer con foco en UX/UI y más de 5 años diseñando interfaces digitales que funcionen para personas reales, en contextos reales.

Soy Trabajador Social, y eso cambia cómo miro los productos, antes de pensar en flujos, arquitecturas e interfaces, pienso en quién queda afuera de ellas. Ese recorrido me llevó a especializarme en accesibilidad y usabilidad de plataformas de gobierno digital, que es lo que investigo actualmente en mi maestría.

Combino evaluaciones técnicas con metodologías de Diseño Centrado en el Usuario para entender no solo qué falla en una plataforma, sino por qué falla para determinadas personas. Cuento con certificación en WCAG 2.2 otorgada por la IAAP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals).

Creo que una buena experiencia de usuario no puede existir sin accesibilidad, y que la accesibilidad digital no es una lista de criterios que cumplir, claro que es un punto de partida.

Soy Product Designer con foco en UX/UI y más de 5 años diseñando interfaces digitales que funcionen para personas reales, en contextos reales. Soy Trabajador Social, y eso cambia cómo miro los productos, antes de pensar en flujos, arquitecturas e ... Show more

Deanna Marshall

Deanna Marshall

Deanna Marshall, known professionally as Deanna Be, helps organizations and professionals build the thinking skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world of work.

As the founder of the learning design consultancy, ChangeHarvest, she creates engaging learning experiences that strengthen critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, and strategic decision-making. Throughout her career as a learning designer and program facilitator, Deanna has helped more than 450 professionals across healthcare, SaaS, and sales strengthen their skills; improving productivity by 17–26% and achieving 93% on average in assessment scores.

Bringing a Master of Arts in Adult Learning & Leadership and nearly a decade of experience designing and leading workplace learning initiatives, Deanna partners with organizations, conferences, and professional communities to deliver workshops and keynote presentations that are interactive, actionable, and relevant.

Deanna Marshall, known professionally as Deanna Be, helps organizations and professionals build the thinking skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world of work. As the founder of the learning design consultancy, ChangeHarvest, she create... Show more

Ghizlane Aroussi

Ghizlane Aroussi

Hi there !
For the past five years, I've been on a rewarding journey as an engineering manager—leading teams, learning continuously, and striving to make work just a little more human (and fun!).
Before stepping into management, I rolled up my sleeves as a 3D developer then a full stack engineer, building web and mobile experiences and solving bugs :)

Today, I have the joy (and sometimes the challenge!) of managing both a vibrant team of software engineers and a dynamic group of RPA engineers. My mission? To design reliable and scalable systems and to foster a culture where experimentation is encouraged and where everyone feels they’re in the right place.

People, communication patterns, and the ever-evolving world of work fascinate me. I’m especially intrigued by how AI will reshape our jobs.

At PayFit, I’m currently navigating our transition to Domain-Driven Design while experimenting with team topologies, the 360 impact on the organization business, people and tech wise is fascinating.

I believe in tackling technical debt gracefully and my goal is to do so while delivering business value and empowering teams to take ownership and make decisions.

More than happy to share my learnings and acquire new ideas on the way!

Hi there ! For the past five years, I've been on a rewarding journey as an engineering manager—leading teams, learning continuously, and striving to make work just a little more human (and fun!). Before stepping into management, I rolled up my sl... Show more

Daniel Leão Bonatti

Daniel Leão Bonatti

Daniel Bonatti é cientista político e mestre em Gestão de Políticas Públicas, com trajetória de mais de 14 anos dedicada à modernização do Estado e à inovação na gestão pública. Atualmente, dirige a Diretoria de Mobilidade Interna da Secretaria de Gestão e Governo Digital do Estado de São Paulo, onde conduz a reestruturação da frota pública e a consolidação da Política de Mobilidade Interna, pautada em eficiência, sustentabilidade e transformação digital. Sua atuação combina visão estratégica, experiência administrativa e compromisso com a construção de um governo mais ágil e orientado a resultados.

Daniel Bonatti é cientista político e mestre em Gestão de Políticas Públicas, com trajetória de mais de 14 anos dedicada à modernização do Estado e à inovação na gestão pública. Atualmente, dirige a Diretoria de Mobilidade Interna da Secretaria de Ge... Show more

Michael LeVan

Michael LeVan

Michael is an information architect, qualitative researcher, and subject matter expert of human communication. He's been with Ad Hoc LLC since January 2024.

Michael is an information architect, qualitative researcher, and subject matter expert of human communication. He's been with Ad Hoc LLC since January 2024. Show more

Daina Bouquin

Daina Bouquin

Daina is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at Anaconda, where she creates technical content and speaks at conferences to bridge divides between the people who build Python infrastructure and the developers who rely on it. With a background spanning data science, library science, and astrophysics she brings a uniquely interdisciplinary lens to open source community building and technical education, along with a belief that the best technical work happens at the intersection of disciplines.

Daina is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at Anaconda, where she creates technical content and speaks at conferences to bridge divides between the people who build Python infrastructure and the developers who rely on it. With a background spanni... Show more

Tristan Repolusk

Tristan Repolusk

Tristan Repolusk is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Digital Humanities, University of Graz. He holds a master's degree in Mathematics and a PhD in computer science. His research interests comprise digital humanities, the application of artificial intelligence for the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage, document analysis and retrieval, digital corpora and editions, and the encoding and digitization of historical and contemporary Chinese musical notations.

Tristan Repolusk is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Digital Humanities, University of Graz. He holds a master's degree in Mathematics and a PhD in computer science. His research interests comprise digital humanities, the application of... Show more

Maram Qaddomi

Maram Qaddomi

مرام قدومي قيادية تربوية ومعلمة لغة عربية أمتلك خبرة تزيد على عشرين عامًا في التعليم الدولي ، في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. أشغل حاليًا منصبًا قياديًا في المدرسة العالمية الأمريكية. أقود أقسام اللغة العربية والدراسات الإسلامية وكذلك المبادرات الثقافية من مرحلة الروضة حتى الصف الثاني عشر. أؤمن بأن اللغة العربية هي أداة للتفكير وبناء الهوية والانفتاح على العالم، وأركز في عملي على توظيف الأدب والثقافة لتعزيز التعلم العميق وتنمية مهارات التفكير النقدي لدى الطلبة. )، أسهمت في إنشاء مبادرات تربوية تهدف إلى الارتقاء بتعليم اللغة العربية في البيئات التعليمية الدولية. وكذلك الأمر بالنسبة لتدريس برنامج اللغة والأدب في مدارس منهاج البكالوريا الدولية

مرام قدومي قيادية تربوية ومعلمة لغة عربية أمتلك خبرة تزيد على عشرين عامًا في التعليم الدولي ، في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. أشغل حاليًا منصبًا قياديًا في المدرسة العالمية الأمريكية. أقود أقسام اللغة العربية والدراسات الإسلامية وكذلك المبادرات الث... Show more

Ivo van den Berk

Ivo van den Berk

Dr. Ivo van den Berk ist wissenschaftlicher Leiter Transfer und Teamleiter Wissenstransfer in der Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre. Mit seinem Team hat er den Transferkiosk (die Projekt- und Maßnahmen- und Publikationsdatenbank der StIL) entwickelt. Zuvor war er u.a. Leiter hochschuldidaktischer Einrichtungen in Emden und Hamburg, an der Universität Hamburg zudem Studiendekan des Master of Higher Education sowie Vertretungsprofessor für Hochschuldidaktik. Er ist Initiator und Mitherausgeber der Online Zeitschriften die hochschullehre und patternpool. Er ist Fellow des Stifterverbands und Mitglied des Netzwerks Lehre-hoch-N. Seine Interessen und Arbeitsschwerpunkte liegen in der Weiterentwicklung von Lehre und Studium, insbesondere durch Verbesserung der Zugänglichkeit zu sowie der Systematisierung von hochschul- und wissenschaftsdidaktischem Wissen.

Dr. Ivo van den Berk ist wissenschaftlicher Leiter Transfer und Teamleiter Wissenstransfer in der Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre. Mit seinem Team hat er den Transferkiosk (die Projekt- und Maßnahmen- und Publikationsdatenbank der StIL) ent... Show more

Howard Bennett Esbin

Howard Bennett Esbin

Howard Bennett Esbin, PhD, has 25+ years senior management, cross-sector, international experience. He returned to university and completed a doctorate in education in his 40s. As founder of Heliotrope Imaginal. his work has explored human development, self-awareness, imagination, and creativity for over two decades .

His writing has been published by Education Canada, UNESCO. the ILO (International Labour Organization) regarding the future of learning, human capability, and workforce development in an era of rapid technological change..

Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and educational practice, his current work examines how imagination contributes to self-awareness, agency, judgment, empathy, future thinking, and Human-AI collaboration across the lifespan.

More specifically, Dr. Esbin has innovated a suite of innovative human development resources employed in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa within both education and business settings.

Howard has worked with students, educators, professionals, and organizational leaders in diverse settings ranging from middle school to graduate education and workforce development. He is currently advancing practical approaches to strengthening uniquely human capabilities for an AI-mediated future.

Howard Bennett Esbin, PhD, has 25+ years senior management, cross-sector, international experience. He returned to university and completed a doctorate in education in his 40s. As founder of Heliotrope Imaginal. his work has explored human developm... Show more

Jessica Womack

Jessica Womack

Jessica Womack is a belonging and continuous improvement leader who works with schools and districts to strengthen discipline systems and support student engagement. Her work focuses on examining how classroom environments, adult decision-making, and system design influence student outcomes.

She partners with site and district leaders to improve consistency across classrooms, reduce discipline referrals, and align practices within a multi-tiered system of supports. Jessica is a trained mediator and brings a systems-focused approach to supporting school climate and student services.

Her doctoral research examined discipline disparities in rural schools, with a focus on how leadership decisions, instructional practices, and school structures shape student experience and access to learning. She developed the ART of Belonging framework to support reflection on awareness, relationships, and system alignment as part of continuous improvement efforts.

Jessica Womack is a belonging and continuous improvement leader who works with schools and districts to strengthen discipline systems and support student engagement. Her work focuses on examining how classroom environments, adult decision-making, and... Show more

Luisa Liesenberg

Luisa Liesenberg

Luisa works at the intersection of leadership, organizational design, and neurodiversity in (tech) companies. She advises founders, tech leaders, and organisations on how to build teams and systems that scale without suppressing the divergent thinking that drives innovation.

Her work focuses on a blind spot many tech organizations share: neurodiversity is widely acknowledged, but rarely translated into leadership and system design. As a neurodivergent leader herself, Luisa combines lived experience with hands-on organizational practice to show where well-intended awareness turns into friction, silos, and burnout.

She is known for challenging neuro-normative assumptions in leadership, meetings, decision-making, and performance models, and for offering practical alternatives that improve collaboration and team effectiveness in complex, high-pressure environments.

Luisa works at the intersection of leadership, organizational design, and neurodiversity in (tech) companies. She advises founders, tech leaders, and organisations on how to build teams and systems that scale without suppressing the divergent thinkin... Show more

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