Thursday, July 25, 2024

1 PM - 5:30 PM

Civic Hall @ Union Square
124 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003

Currently serving as the Chief Equity Officer at the AdCouncil, I'm an award-winning global learning and development professional and diversity and inclusion practitioner with more than 20 years of global experience in the marketing, strategy, design, and delivery of learning and workforce development solutions and services for clients, partners, industry professionals and the next generation of Talent.

At the AdCouncil, I was hired as the first Chief Equity Officer, where I established the DE&I department to advance DEIB across the workforce, workplace, marketplace, and community. We are committed to investing in programs, products and experiences, both macro and micro, with the goal of increasing representation, creating equitable access, fostering a culture of belonging, and preparing the next generation of leaders to thrive.

As Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Jim Malatras drives research, policy and strategic planning for The Fedcap Group. As Sr. VP of Education, he is responsible for designing and overseeing innovative solutions that expand educational access for children and adults with barriers to sustainable economic well-being.

Dr. Malatras brings a wealth of experience to his work at The Fedcap Group serving twenty plus years in government and higher education, serving as an energetic change leader and a problem solver with a deep understanding of government, education, crisis management, and public policy. Jim served as Director of State Operations for New York State where he was responsible for managing day to day operations of state agencies, the 120,000 plus workforce, and implementation of the $175+ billion annual budget.

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Dr. Malatras served as the 14th Chancellor for the State University of New York—the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the U.S., Vice Chancellor for Policy and Chief of Staff at the State University of New York and President of Empire State College. In these roles he expanded college access and linked higher education with workforce demand—especially for underserved communities. He kept the SUNY system open to in-person instruction during COVID and was responsible for creating post-COVID policies/protocols to reopen the state’s 700 school districts for 2.7 million students.

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Dr. Malatras received his B.A. (summa cum laude), M.A., and Ph.D. in political science from the University at Albany where he won the Presidential Distinguished Dissertation Award

Monica Morales is a six-time Emmy Award-winning PIX11 News investigative reporter for the weekday evening newscasts at 5:45 pm and hosts her own TV show called “Monica Makes It Happen.” 

On her show, Morales honors everyday heroes and celebrities who help their communities thrive. Morales recently scored a one-on-one interview with JPMorgan Chase’s CEO Jamie Dimon to talk about wealth creation in underserved communities in New York City. 

Morales is very active in the Hispanic Community. In 2024, she was elected to New York’s National Academy of Arts and Sciences Board of Governors. She was awarded the 100 Hispanic Women Community Service Award. In 2022, Morales received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Freedom for her advocacy in immigrant communities and was named one of El Diario Nueva York’s Latina of Distinction for her work in the Hispanic community. She also serves on the board of Casa de las Américas at LaGuardia Community College and the Advisory Council of Ellis Island Honors Society.

Morales has received a National Emmy for Breaking News, six local Emmys, and an Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Series and Reporting. In 2020, Morales won a Continuing Coverage Emmy for her “Monica Makes It Happen” series, and in 2021 and 2022, she was nominated for a Community Service Emmy for her daily coverage of New York City’s housing crisis. 

In 2018, Morales was invited to the White House. In 2024, she was inducted into Bottomless Closet’s Hall of Fame for her support of the nonprofits’ work supporting women. In 2023, the Zonta Club of New York, a group active in the United Nations advocating for gender equality, presented Morales with the “Distinguished Woman of the Year Award” for her advocacy.

Elena Agaragimova exemplifies resilience in her journey from academia to leading roles in global corporations. Passionate about human potential, she crafts transformative talent development programs and talent pipelines.

With her unique blend of empowerment and empathy, Elena drives growth in individuals and organizations within the competitive business world. In her high-impact role at a tech consulting firm, Elena brings belief in the untapped capabilities of the human mind, integrating neuroscience to maximize effectiveness. She's also a sought-after speaker delivering messages that resonate with audiences from New York to Dubai.

An entrepreneur at heart, Elena co-founded Bloom Youth and launched Bessern, both tech solutions aimed at enhancing skills and well-being. She's the author of two books: Shift and The Rough Guide to Awesome Leadership and hosts two podcasts: Shift with Elena Agar and Confessions of a Career Coach. Beyond her professional life, Elena dedicates time to mentor young professionals and assist military veterans in transitioning to corporate roles.

Raised by a single mother from the Dominican Republic, Josefina Rodriguez overcame early socioeconomic challenges to become an influential voice in corporate social impact. Josefina started out as a first-generation daughter of immigrants living on Welfare and in low-income housing. Her career path eventually led her to prominent roles at Google, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal, culminating in her speaking engagement at the United Nations, Advertising Week and lecturing at Northeastern University.

As a former Chief of Staff and award-winning multicultural marketer, she has firsthand insight into the complex factors influencing corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), inclusive marketing, and sustainability strategy—and how brands are uniquely positioned to proactively drive positive change. Currently, Josefina is a Strategic Partner Manager at Google, focused on advancing social & economic impact through the collective action of the advertising industry. Josefina holds a B.A. from Boston College and an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business.

Jonathan Conradt is a lecturer for Amazon’s Machine Learning University.  He creates and teaches curriculum on machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Previously he was Director, Internet and Email Engineering Product Management at eBay where he was responsible for machine learning systems for internet marketing.

Prior to eBay, he was an engineering product manager at Google  for the Chrome web browser, and responsible for the Mac and Linux releases. Earlier in his career, Jonathon worked at Microsoft as a product manager for Microsoft TV's Mediaroom Group. He has eight patents related to machine learning and marketing, and was one of the creators of the popular management tool StrengthsFinder.

Jonathan has volunteered and been deployed to support hurricane recovery with the American Red Cross, and is currently the treasurer for the Washington D.C. chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC).

Emma Vites-Patel is an author and Senior Account Director at LinkedIn and has worked for Linkedin in London, San Francisco and currently New York.

Prior to LinkedIn, and since graduating from the University of Nottingham, Emma started as a Graduate Recruiter in the UK and Australia and went on to start her own company, The Apprentice Project, the UK’s first Coaching, Placement and Sales training company utilizing the powerful tools of NLP, IMA, Coaching and DISC to empower businesses to grow and to help young people transform their lives.

Emma is the author of The Graduate Bible, a coaching guide teaching young people how to land their dream job after graduating!