Level Up HR Schedule

LEVEL UP HR 2024 CONFERENCE

April 3-4, 2024 | Virtual & Hybrid Experience

2024 SCHEDULE

This event is a hybrid experience. The first day of the conference will be fully virtual. The second day will have virtual sessions, with the final closing keynote presentation and networking reception in-person at The Inn at Villanova. (The final closing keynote will be live streamed for our fully virtual attendees).

The conference is approved for 6 SHRM & 6 HRCI (general) credits for attending the entire conference.

The theme of the 2024 Level Up HR conference is “Dare to Be Different: Data, Diversity, & Development.” To elevate your organization and career we dare you to think differently about how you infuse data, elevate diversity, and focus on development.

This year’s conference will feature talks focused across three areas:

1. technology and data analytics

2. diversity, equity & inclusion

3. career growth and development

DAY 1 | April 3, 2024

The first day of the conference will be fully virtual. All times are Eastern Time zone.

8:30am - 9:30am | Day 1 Opening Keynote

Time: April 3rd, 8:30am - 9:30am (virtual platform)

Title: The New Science of Interviewing

Speaker: ANNA PAPALIA, CEO & Author of Interviewology

Description:

Job interviews determine the future of individuals and companies, so why don’t we have a common language to discuss and understand them? In our opening keynote, hear Anna Papalia, author of Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing, share her research on how we interview and the solution she found: a standardized language that helps those on both sides of the table to name and understand their unique interviewing tendencies. In this session Papalia will share her own inspiring story of how an interview changed her life and give examples from her own clients with practical and pragmatic tips to help us solve the interviewing problem. This is the session that job seekers and hiring managers alike need in 2024!

ANNA PAPALIA

CEO & Author of Interviewology

Anna Papalia is the CEO of Interviewology, a keynote speaker, and a career influencer with over 1.5 million followers across social media platforms. Author of the new book Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing, she has worked with large companies, such as Cigna and Lincoln Financial, and taught at Temple University’s Fox School of Business for 12 years, where she collected research and discovered the four interview styles. As a former Director of Talent Acquisition turned career coach, she has vast experience on both sides of the interview table and knows what it takes to interview better. She has advised more than 10,000 clients, helping students, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and job seekers in all industries, and taught hundreds of corporate training sessions dedicated to training hiring managers how to interview. Nominated for HR Person of the Year in 2020, she is also a public speaker at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and DisruptHR, and is a highly sought-after thought leader on all things interviewing. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

11:30am - 1pm | Day 1 Afternoon Keynote & Virtual Networking

Time: April 3rd, 11:30am - 1pm (virtual platform)

11:30-12:30pm Afternoon Keynote Presentation

12:30pm-1pm Virtual Networking

Title: Elevate and Uplift the Next Generation of HR Leaders

Speaker: CLAIRE STROH, CEO & Career Coach

Description:

During this session Claire will guide the audience through best practices on learning, using social media, networking and advancing your career as an emerging HR professional. Attendees will learn how to gain credibility in the workplace, build relationships and prepare to advance as an emerging HR professional by learning how behavior, communication, networking and professional development are leveraged.

The afternoon keynote session is focused on emerging HR professionals with 0-8 years of experience but open to all attendees interested in networking and communication strategies for development.

The afternoon keynote session will be followed by 30 minutes of virtual networking via zoom. All attendees are encouraged to join. Small group networking breakouts will be set up and rotated throughout the 30 minutes to give participants an opportunity to connect with several professionals during the session.

CLAIRE STROH, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP

CEO & Career Coach

Claire Stroh, MBA, SHRM-CP is currently the Manager, of Managed Talent Services at Lighthouse Technology Services and CEO of Claire is Coaching. She has used LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and networking to build her personal brand and uncover new opportunities for herself and the companies she’s worked for. She’s passionate about helping others do the same! Claire has more than 10 years of successively diverse human resources management experience with privately-owned and publicly-traded global leaders. She is an active member and blogger for SHRM and served on SHRM’s Emerging Professional Advisory Council (EPAC) for four years. Claire was named a 2022 HR Impact Award Winner by Buffalo Business First and 2022 Community Catalyst Award Winner by HRUnite!

Connect with Claire on her website claireiscoaching.com.

3:30pm - 4:30pm | Day 1 Closing Keynote

Time: April 3rd, 3:30pm - 4:30pm (virtual platform)

Title: Prompt Engineering 101: How to Write So AI Will Listen

Speaker: CLARA DE SOTO, Global Product Marketing Manager, Google Gemini

Description:

In this session, participants will learn essential prompt writing techniques to unleash the power of Generative AI. Discover how to craft effective prompts to get the most out of popular Generative AI tools and explore how AI can be helpful in your work and life. Walk away with an understanding of the building blocks of prompt writing and engineering, as well a thoughtful discussion about Generative AI can shape your industry and the world.

CLARA DE SOTO

Global Product Marketing Manager for Gemini at Google

Clara de Soto is an award-winning Marketer and serial entrepreneur, currently a Global Product Marketer on Google’s generative AI, Gemini. Prior to that, Clara co-founded Reply.ai, a Chatbot platform ranked by Forrester as “Top 10 Chatbots for Enterprise” with global clients including Coca-Cola, Samsung, and Vail Resorts. Clara's previous company, ClearHart, a wearable tech for live events company, was acquired in 2015. She also co-created the viral hit, KillSwitch App which was named in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Brilliant Companies. A frequent speaker on the topic of AI and Entrepreneurship at CES, SXSW, MWC, she’s been named one of The Next Web’s 100 Tech & Business Women Speakers. Clara started her career at Creative at McCann Erickson, contributing to creative direction on iconic brands including L’Oreal and Mastercard. She’s proud to be of Argentine and Peruvian descent, she majored in English at Boston College and is a huge Star Wars fan.

DAY 2 | April 4, 2024

The second day of the conference will be a mix of virtual and in-person. All times are Eastern Time zone.

8:30am - 9:30am | Day 2 Opening Keynote

Time: April 4th, 8:30am - 9:30am (virtual platform)

Title: Disrupt HR: How Tech is Rebooting the Workplace with Empathy, Efficiency & Effectiveness

Speakers: Expert Panel from Google

HELYNN NELSON, People Manager & Villanova HRD Faculty
ADA-RENEE JOHNSON, People Operations & Change Strategy Expert
PHILLIP GRAY, People Consultant Manager
DANIELLE BLOUNT BRIDEWELL, Equity Business Advisor

Description:

In today's rapidly evolving workplace, HR professionals are faced with the challenge of balancing the human element with the need for efficiency and effectiveness. This seminar explores three key pillars of HR management: empathy, efficiency, and effectiveness, and their role in shaping a successful HR strategy.

HELYNN NELSON

People Manager, Google & Villanova HRD Faculty

With an over 20 year career spanning employment litigation, recruiting, talent strategy and consulting, Helynn has been at Google for nearly 7.5 years. She currently leads a team of People Consultants, however, she has served as a POps People Consultant, a Portfolio Manager (Recruiting) and a member of the Decline/Xoogler team (Recruiting). Her approach to leadership is through radical transparency, disruption, innovation and simplicity. She is passionate about helping others see and find the best version of themselves. She believes in a strong network of people that inspire and aspire you to greatness. In her time in the GX organization, Helynn is seen as a human resources practitioner, a leader and a trusted advisor committed to optimizing every employee’s contributions and development.

She is active in the greater Austin community through Board positions and volunteer opportunities. Helynn holds adjunct professorships at Villanova University in the HR Masters program and at the Thomas Jefferson University School of Business. She is a proud graduate of Tulane University Law School (New Orleans) and Spelman College (Atlanta). Helynn is a 5th generation Texan based in Austin where she spends a lot of time with her favorite people in the world - her two daughters (14yo Sydney and 9yo Sloan), her Xoogler husband (Nekosi) and S’more the guinea pig.

ADA-RENEE JOHNSON

People Operations & Change Strategy Manager, Google

Ada is an accomplished HR/DEI Practitioner with over 20 years of progressive experience in the development and oversight of recruitment programs, employee policies, investigations and DEI initiatives. She is a critical thinker committed to designing and driving the integration of processes and programs tailored to build pathways into tech...bridging the digital divide. For over a decade, Ada supported Google’s growth in a plethora of people-focused roles such as: Google's first Diversity Recruiter, Employee Relations Partner, Diversity Business Partner, Staffing Manager, Head of Diversity Pipeline - Tech, and Human Resources Business Partner where she provided consultative guidance on people strategies across North America and Latin American DataCenters. In her current role as Manager - Central Implementation, Change Strategy & Innovation, Ada leads a team responsible for driving change through the delivery of Google's people products across our global workforce.

PHILLIP GRAY

People Consultant Manager, Google

HR expert and dynamic leader, Phillip Gray, unlocks potential in people and organizations. Over 15 years, he has worked with industry leaders in Tech, Media, Retail, and Government Contracting to empower individuals, build healthy teams, and fuel sustainable organizational success. His approach blends sharp analysis, systems thinking, and a deep understanding of human behavior.

Phillip currently leads a team providing HR consultations to over 106,000 U.S.-based Googlers as a leader within Google's People Consulting organization. Additionally, he delivers a range of solutions at Google, from providing thought and operational leadership around HR service delivery to focused developments like the enhancement of Mental Health and Wellness-related consultation delivery. Prior to Google, he held HR roles at organizations including CNN, NBC Universal, and Saks / the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Phillip’s HR and consulting practice is bolstered by his M.A. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

DANIELLE BLOUNT BRIDEWELL

Equity Business Advisor, Google

With a professional career devoted to advocating for and supporting global talent, Danielle Blount Bridewell has held various Human Resources roles at Fortune 100, 200, and 500 companies for almost 20 years. Her expertise lies in developing strategies and designing initiatives that address disparities and systemic inequities to promote cultural understanding within an organization through hiring, progression, and retaining talent. Currently, Danielle serves as Google's hiring equity strategist, providing consultation on implementing systems-level strategies and solutions that promote equitable outcomes in hiring at scale.

She is known for her passionate advocacy for DEI in the workplace, where she draws from academic research, industry best and promising practices, and internal research to exercise thought leadership and influence integrated strategies forward. Danielle is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include understanding the role of giftedness in Black girls as they matriculate in public and private secondary institutions and the role that academic hierarchies have on their academic progression, their racial and gender identity development, and their ability to form positive peer relationships. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, when Danielle is not working, writing, or researching, you can find her scoping out the latest trends in hair accessories for her online hair accessories brand, Freely Adorned, or coffee shop hopping in Chicago with her husband, LaRon.

12:00pm - 1:00pm | Day 2 Afternoon Keynote

Time: April 4th, 12pm - 1pm (virtual platform)

Title: Elevating HR with Analytics

Speaker: JOHN BARRY, CEO HR Bench, Inc.

Description:

New advances in technology are enabling data consolidation amongst disparate HR systems. Companies now have access to HR data and metrics that can help them make strategic decisions. I'll explore some of the latest technologies in People Analytics and how you can use these tools to make data-based decisions.

JOHN BARRY

CEO HR Bench, Inc.

John has been working in HR technology for over 25 years and is currently the CEO of HR Bench. He's developed HR tools and data sets used by thousands of companies with solutions from PayFactors, PayScale, Salary.com, and Aon. Now, John is on a mission to bring People Analytics to all HR departments in order to help elevate HR and strategic decision making. John holds an MBA from Villanova University and BS from Widener University.

5:30pm - 8:30pm | In-Person Closing Keynote & Networking Reception

Speakers: Fireside Chat with DEI & Tech Experts

JARVIS SAM, Founder & CEO, Rainbow Disruption
KYLE ALI, Sr. Program Manager, Code Next, Google & Villanova HRD Faculty

Time: April 4th, 5:30pm-8:30pm (The Inn at Villanova)

5:30pm-6:45pm Networking with Food and Drinks

7:00pm-8:30pm Closing Keynote Presentation (streamed to virtual audience)

Title: A Fireside Chat with Technology Experts and DEI Champions

Description:

The landscapes of our households, classrooms, workplaces, and social spaces are changing at a speed we can barely match. But it is imperative that we advocate for the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in these spaces to rebuild our communities, educate our youth, and care for the well-being of our people. Join Jarvis Sam and Kyle Ali to dicuss the changing nature of DEI and technology, and the impact on our workplaces. This session will include a featured talk from Jarvis and a fireside chat with Jarvis and Kyle.

This session will take place in-person at The Inn at Villanova. If you registered for the in-person event, we look forward to seeing you at The Inn beginning at 5:30pm for networking, food, and drinks.

The virtual livestream of the closing keynote session will begin at 7pm here on Thursday, April 4th.

JARVIS SAM

Founder & CEO, Rainbow Disruption

Jarvis Sam is the CEO and Founder of the multi-services DEI firm Rainbow Disruption and the former Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Nike Inc. He was recently named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports class of 2021 as well as Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. In his previous role, he oversaw a team of people focused on driving diverse representation, inclusive leader and social justice education, professional development and the ecosystem of promoting and creating a culture of belonging inside and outside of Nike.

Prior to being named CDEIO at Nike, Jarvis held various roles focused on acquiring new talent capabilities for the company and driving large programs, partnerships and initiatives aimed at impacting representation and accelerating the flow of Nike’s diverse talent pipelines. Jarvis collaborated closely with key stakeholders and partner organizations, internally and externally to facilitate and measure effective workplace diversity and inclusion models. Additionally, he led Nike’s candidate experience and talent attraction/ employer branding efforts – driving best in class approaches and strategies to amplify the company’s employment voice.

Jarvis frequently liaised with the sports marketing function and product teams to execute on key initiatives with signature Nike athletes like Serena Williams and League partners like the WNBA and NFL. Prior to Nike, Sam worked as the first Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Snap, Inc., (Snapchat) where he was accountable for building the company’s first ever D&I strategy, establishing the first five employee resource groups, and rolling out the initial iteration of the global unconscious bias awareness and implicit association training all whilst driving key technology recruiting approaches to scale the company 6x through IPO. Before that, Sam worked at Google as a Diversity Program Manager and led part of the diversity recruitment practice.

Jarvis began his career as a strategy and operations consultant with Deloitte Consulting in Houston, primarily focused on clients in the oil & gas industry. Jarvis is a graduate of Rice University where he studied History, Public Policy, and Sport Management with emphasis in race and gender rhetoric. Jarvis received his MBA from Brown University and IE School of Business.

He is an adjunct faculty member/ Professor of the Practice at Brown University and University of California- Berkeley and has lectured at numerous universities and institutions of higher learning around the world. Sam has given more than 500 public speeches, fireside chats, keynotes and panels and is considered an expert in the space.

Jarvis’s highly anticipated first book DEI C.R.E.D.E.N.T.I.A.L. was just released in October 2023 and has already received marketing accolades from Nasdaq amongst other media and industry outlets. In his spare time, Jarvis does musical theater, most recently acting as Jimmy Early in a production of Dreamgirls. He loves film, sports, karaoke, and can be frequently seen doing a rendition of Tina Turner’s greatest hits all around the world.

KYLE ALI

Sr. Program Manager, Code Next, Google & Villanova HRD Faculty

Kyle Ali is an advocate for equal educational and workforce opportunities and has excelled as an identifier, cultivator and developer of diverse talent.

As an Education for Social Impact Senior Program Manager, Kyle leads a team and partners with stakeholders to build a diverse pipeline of future computer science professionals through unique educational programs. In previous roles at Google, Kyle has played a significant role shaping team cultures and strategy. He has led several large scale initiatives including a global effort to redefine organizational values and several projects focused on identifying and engaging diverse talent.

Kyle’s commitment to diversity extends well beyond his work in talent development. As Global Chairperson of the Black Googler Network, Kyle lived out his commitment to inclusion through collaboration with senior leaders on initiatives focused on improving the company’s racial and gender climate.

Kyle lends his expertise to companies as a panelist or facilitator on topics ranging from allyship in action to recruiting and retaining millennials. He regularly advises underrepresented professionals on interest-based negotiation strategies through local workshops with and has been a featured facilitator at SXSW, Creatives Meet Business Experience, and BlackX 2023. In 2022, he accepted an Adjunct Professor position at Villanova University and currently teaches “Diversity in a Global Economy” to graduate students pursuing their masters degree in Human Resource Development.

Kyle is an Inaugural Fellow of the African American Leadership Institute. He is actively engaged in several civic pursuits that support youth of color, including his leadership as Chairperson of the Board of Governors at Austin based LifeWorks and through contributions as a Board Member at the Digital Harbor Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland. In recognition of his leadership, Kyle was a nominee for DivInc’s Champions of Change “Rising Star of the Year” award in 2021 and the Association of Fundraising Professionals "Communitarian of the Year" award in 2024.

Before joining Google, Kyle spent five years working toward educational equity as a 10th grade teacher in Baltimore and organizational leader supporting outreach and teacher development in Teach For America's Tennessee regions. Under his leadership, Nashville’s teacher training institute was Teach for America’s highest performing diversity, equity and inclusion program.

Kyle earned his undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Missouri and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Baylor University and a Professional Certificate in Negotiation from Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies.

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Villanova University Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development

LEVEL UP HR 2024 CONFERENCE

2024 SCHEDULE

DAY 1 | April 3, 2024

8:30am - 9:30am | Day 1 Opening Keynote

Title: The New Science of Interviewing

Description:

11:30am - 1pm | Day 1 Afternoon Keynote & Virtual Networking

Title: Elevate and Uplift the Next Generation of HR Leaders

Description:

3:30pm - 4:30pm | Day 1 Closing Keynote

Title: Prompt Engineering 101: How to Write So AI Will Listen

Description:

DAY 2 | April 4, 2024

8:30am - 9:30am | Day 2 Opening Keynote

Title: Disrupt HR: How Tech is Rebooting the Workplace with Empathy, Efficiency & Effectiveness

Description:

12:00pm - 1:00pm | Day 2 Afternoon Keynote

Title: Elevating HR with Analytics

Description:

5:30pm - 8:30pm | In-Person Closing Keynote & Networking Reception

Title: A Fireside Chat with Technology Experts and DEI Champions

Description: