Agents of change

Fall Season 2022

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Leaders from different realms of life and industries that have combined their passion and purpose to define to be the change in the world they wish to see.

“You have to be accountable to your actions, to your successes, and learn from your failures and make that part of the culture.”

Dr. Robin Ganzert

President & CEO of American Humane

“Someone who comes from a humble beginning can figure out a way because other people start to invest in them and sometimes other people who are very different than they are, and just say ‘this is a brilliant person, this is genius, we’re just going to help make sure that what they’re working on or what they’re doing actually gets elevated’ and I have a lot of optimism about that being the case here and across the globe”

Aimée Davis

Founder & CEO of Braven

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“We have to point to true authority, to true scarcity, to true social proof, and then we are informing people into ascent. We’re not tricking them. We’re not deceiving them. So the ethics of the process is crucial to the long-term building of  relationships with the people you want to interact with.”

Robert Cialdini

President & CEO of Influence at Work

“We work to ensure that day in and day out that we’re listening to the people that we serve, that we hear what they care about.

Nicole Taylor

President & CEO of Silicon Valley

Community Foundation

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Dominique Side

Co-founder of Vgn Bae

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Melody Wilding

Executive Coach and Author

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Brenden Kumarasamy

Founder & President of

MasterTalk

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DR. ROBIN GANZERT

Robin Ganzert, Ph.D., serves as president and CEO of American Humane, the country's first national humane organization and the first to serve animals, whenever and wherever they are in need of rescue, shelter or protection. Dr. Ganzert is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council, CHIEF and the International Women's Forum and is also the recipient of several prestigious executive-level honors, including the “Global CEO Excellence Award,” BRAVA’s Award for Top Female CEOs, the “Eagle Rare Life” Award and has been awarded the prestigious “Gorilla Prize” by world-renowned zoological organization Loro Parque. She is regularly featured in the nation's leading news and media outlets as an authoritative voice on animal welfare appearing on the TODAY Show, World News Tonight, CNN, Fox Business News, and Fox and Friends. Her perspective has been featured in leading newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and the Boston Globe. She served as executive producer of the full-length documentary, Escape from Extinction and is a published author of Animal Stars, Mission Metamorphosis and The Humane Table. Dr. Ganzert resides in South Florida with her beloved cats and dogs and enjoys spending time with her three wonderful children, Jocelyn, Aidan and Robert.

AIMÉE DAVIS

Aimée is the founder and CEO of Braven which works to ensure underrepresented college students develop the skills, confidence, experiences and networks to get strong first jobs after graduation. She founded Braven based on her deep belief that our next generation of leaders will emerge from everywhere. Aimée spent the majority of her career at Teach For America. She held various senior leadership roles, including leading the organization’s groundbreaking work around its human capital and diversity efforts. Earlier in her career, Aimée taught sixth grade, led the Breakthrough/Summerbridge New Orleans site, and worked for the national organization. She is a recipient of The 1954 Project’s 2021 Luminary Awards, a 2020 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, 2019 Obama Foundation Fellow, Pahara-Aspen fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a Braddock Scholar, a Draper Richards Foundation Entrepreneur, and a Camelback Ventures Fellow. A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, Aimée resides in Chicago with her husband and three children.

ROBERT CIALDINI

Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people to say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and New York Times bestselling books have earned him an acclaimed reputation as a respected scientist and engaging storyteller. His books, including Influence and Pre-Suasion, have sold more than 7-million copies in 44 different languages. Dr. Cialdini is known globally as the foundational expert in the science of influence and how to apply it ethically in business. His Seven Principles of Persuasion have become a cornerstone for any organization serious about effectively increasing their influence. Dr. Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University. Dr. Cialdini received his PhD from University of North Carolina and post doctoral training from Columbia University. He holds honorary doctoral degrees (Doctor Honoris Causa) from Georgetown University, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Wroclaw, Poland and University of Basil in Switzerland. He has held Visiting Scholar appointments at Ohio State University, the University of California, the Annenberg School of Communications, and the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University. In acknowledgment of his outstanding research achievements and contributions in behavioral science, Dr. Cialdini was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2018 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2019.

NICOLE TAYLOR

Nicole Taylor is president and CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. She brings together a rich background in Bay Area philanthropy, nonprofit administration and fundraising with extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. Since taking the helm at SVCF, Nicole has led the organization to renew its focus on the many challenges facing residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. She has championed efforts to increase local giving from SVCF donors and offer donors new avenues for working with the community foundation so they can be effective philanthropists.Prior to returning to the Bay Area, she served as vice president of the ASU Foundation. She also previously served as deputy vice president and dean of students at Arizona State University. Prior to her time at ASU, Nicole was the associate vice provost of student affairs and dean of community engagement and diversity at Stanford University, after serving as president and CEO of Thrive Foundation for Youth in Silicon Valley.Nicole spent more than 15 years with the East Bay Community Foundation, eventually serving as its president and CEO for six years. Nicole received both her M.A. in Education and A.B. in Human Biology from Stanford University, and she began her career as an educator in Oakland public schools. She served on the board of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco for six years and is a board member for Common Sense Media and Joint Venture Silicon Valley.

DOMINIQUE SIDE

Dominique Side is The Luxury Vegan, the world’s leading authority in luxury ethical living. As the co-founder of the 7-figure entrepreneurial multiplex Vgn Bae, her mission is to inspire and support other change-makers and influencers to transition to a compassionate-based vegan lifestyle, without compromising on their luxury quality of life. As a music artist and highly successful serial entrepreneur, Dominique understands first-hand the complexities that come from navigating the transition to compassionate-based veganism while maintaining an elevated lifestyle. Now, Dominique is embarking on her most profound endeavor to date with The Luxury Vegan, the world’s only concierge vegan transition service for individuals who are determined to succeed in their mission to live a more compassionate lifestyle. The lifestyle consultancy guides a selected handful of luminaries and thought-leaders through a bespoke, year-long transition plan into an ethical, compassionate based lifestyle without compromising their exquisite tastes or standards of excellence. From luscious foods and stunning fashion, to uncompromising wellness plans and ecology-friendly travel, Dominique curates a transformative journey where an elevated luxury lifestyle isn’t just possible - it’s the pathway to creating a legacy of lasting change in the world. https://www.theluxuryvegan.com/

MELODY WILDING

Melody Wilding, LMSW is a licensed social worker, Master Coach, and Professor of Human Behavior at The City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter College. She helps executives and entrepreneurs master their inner psychology for career and relationship success. Melody has worked with CEOs running top startups along with published authors and media personalities. Her advice has been featured in New York Magazine, Fast Company, Inc., and more. She has a Masters from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Psychology from Rutgers University.

BRENDEN KUMARASAMY

Brenden is the founder of MasterTalk, he coaches ambitious executives & entrepreneurs to become top 1% communicators in their industry. He also has a popular YouTube channel called MasterTalk, with the goal of providing free access to communication tools for everyone in the world.