Speakers

Princess Sarah Culberson

Humanitarian, Actress, Author of "A Princess Found"

Princess Sarah Culberson is a renowned international thought leader, TEDx speaker, artist, and educator known for her work on biracial and cultural identity, as well as her advocacy for Sierra Leone.

Jia Jiang

Inspirational and Emotional Intelligence Speaker

Jiang stepped out of the corporate world and his biggest fear was rejection. He soon discovered that rejection can be much less painful than we believe, and that the fear of rejection is much more destructive than we know.

Chad Foster

Author and Award-Winning Business Leader

Chad was the first blind graduate of the Harvard Business School leadership program. Today, he entertains audiences with his keynote presentations, while breaking down the anatomy of resilience and encourages his audiences to push through setbacks.

Jessica Buchanan

Author, Speaker, Survivor, and Coach

Jessica survived a horrific abduction in Somalia. She went on to write, co-host a podcast, and supports other former hostages and their families.

Lisa Walden

Healthy Workplace Consultant, Author, Speaker

Lisa is seasoned consultant who takes a holistic approach to workplace strategy and prioritizes the pivotal role of people as invaluable assets.

Lucy Leclerc

Author, Executive, Leadership Researcher

Dr. Leclerc helped develop the Human-Centered Leadership model, which focuses on establishing a healthy mindset and self-care practices.

Kay Kennedy

Nurse Leader, Leadership Researcher

Dr. Kennedy had led large nursing teams, serves as the CEO of uLeadership, and helped develop the Human-Centered Leadership model.

Susan Campis

Nurse Leader, Mentor, Chief Wellness Officer

Susan serves as the chief wellness officer of uLeadership and is also a dedicated nurse leader with a commitment to coaching and mentoring.

Patricia McGaffigan

Patient Safety Leader, Committee Member, Speaker

As vice president of Safety at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Patricia oversees a comprehensive range of patient and workforce safety initiatives.

Diane Sieg

Speaker, Author, Coach

Diane empowers nurses and nurse leaders with the skills, structure, and support they need to improve their well-being in work and life with self-leadership.

Travis Reece-Nguyen

General and Pediatric Anesthesiologist, DEI Leader

Dr. Reece-Nguyen, a board-certified general and pediatric anesthesiologist and is a prominent diversity, equity, and inclusion leader.

Brian Ferguson

Founder of Arena Labs, Speaker

Brian Ferguson, a former Navy SEAL Officer, White House worker, and US national security expert, established Arena Labs, a groundbreaking healthcare company.

Hank Balch

Founder & President of Beyond Clean

As the Founder and President of Beyond Clean, Hank Balch embarked on his career in instrument reprocessing as a frontline technician.

Elizabeth Williams

Perioperative Clinical Operations Nurse Manager

With a diverse background including roles as a staff nurse, RNFA, and board charge nurse, Williams currently serves as a clinical operations nurse manager.

Jacqueline Gardocki

Nurse Manager

Holding dual master’s degrees (MBA and MSN) from Grand Canyon University, Gardocki is dedicated to the growth and success of her department and organization.

Lisa Heard

Director, Hospital Quality and Clinical Compliance

Heard collaborates with hospital quality leads, assessing patient safety needs and implementing risk mitigation recommendations.

Josh Wymer

Chief Health Information and Data Strategy Officer

With extensive experience in health information roles, Dr. Wymer has a background in perioperative nursing and leadership.

Cheri Ackert-Burr

Clinical Specialist Education

Cheri is an active contributor and seasoned professional in the perioperative field.

Emily Jones

Perioperative Practice Specialist

Jones is a PhD candidate focusing on the connections between organizational factors and perioperative nurse safety attitudes.

Jamie Ridout

Surgery Center Executive Director

AORN National Secretary, Jamie Ridout, has more than 30 years of perioperative leadership experience.

Melissa Hermanson

Administrator at Ambulatory Care Center

Hermanson is an innovative nurse leader, focusing on patient safety and quality of care delivery.

Storri Blake

Perioperative Nurse Educator

Storri has filled many roles in the perioperative field and has been involved in many training programs.

Vida Tan

Nurse Professional Development Consultant

Tan holds the role of nursing professional development consultant for perioperative services in the Central Valley Region at Kaiser Permanente.