Neharika Dembla
Neharika Dembla is a facilitator, strategist, and social impact professional with international experience across the UK, Thailand, India, Guatemala, and other global contexts. Her work spans organisational culture, DEI, sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, customer experience, and community building. With a background in law and an MSc in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management from Imperial College London, Neharika brings a strong human centred and entrepreneurial approach to her work. She has designed and delivered programmes focused on gender equity, employee engagement, behaviour change, wellbeing, and inclusion, working with organisations ranging from global companies to startups, NGOs, and community organisations. As a multiple time co-founder, Neharika has hands-on experience turning ideas into experiences, products, and communities. This includes co-founding Friends of Friends in Thailand, where she designed curated offline experiences for groups of up to 80 people, as well as developing ventures in education, wellbeing, and sustainable food. Her approach is grounded in curiosity, creativity, and understanding people before designing solutions. She draws on design thinking, customer journey mapping, stakeholder engagement, and her experience across different cultures to create inclusive and engaging experiences that help people connect, contribute, and move ideas forward.
Elliot Corona
Elliot Corona. With over 15 years of experience supporting an industrial training ecosystem (Aramco), complemented by leadership development (QatarEnergy LNG) and leading virtual learning projects (U.S. Dept. of State), Elliot brings a unique combination of corporate and academic perspectives in developing competency-based learning solutions that address capability gaps and business goals. At Aramco, one hybrid learning project involved working with the Corporate Academy to co-design and implement a Sustainability Awareness Program targeting trainees – Aramco’s largest onboarding pipeline. As the lead designer, Elliot conducted a thorough needs analysis, co-developed the program’s learning framework with SMEs, and co-facilitated the pilot delivery. He subsequently trained 14 facilitators from seven training centers, enabling scalable implementation. Pre-COVID, he led the development of a behavioral change model for the “Quit & Win” smoking cessation program in collaboration with healthcare professionals, a smoke-free steering committee, and a dozen certified facilitators to consolidate data. In three years, these efforts resulted in 100 verified “quitters” kingdom wide. Across initiatives, Elliot has served as a bridge between learners, SMEs, facilitators, and operational stakeholders to ensure that development efforts tackle underlying performance needs rather than satisfying statistical requirements alone. More recently, Mr. Corona has broadened his talent development expertise as a Virtual Educator supporting four U.S. Department of State projects in Bangladesh. Designing integrated modules in job readiness and academic profile-building skills, Elliot scaled a synchronous VILT program from one to five in-person learning hubs. He engaged over 100 participants per cohort by linking EdTech, competency frameworks, centralized reporting, and partnerships with local support systems. In parallel, Elliot facilitated in-person workshops for QatarEnergy LNG via a regional training provider, challenging employees to apply leadership skills in emotional intelligence, creativity, time management, and technical writing in task-based simulations. Outcomes were evaluated through qualitative performance observations, L1 evaluations, and pre/post measures designed to identify competency gains and knowledge gaps using standardized methods. Elliot’s professional experience is backed by a master’s in management from Harvard University with an emphasis in organizational performance, coupled with certificates in L&D and project management. In short, Elliot is a versatile trainer who is ready to contribute to the co-design and development of learning solutions with evolving needs. He welcomes a discussion on how “we” could make a meaningful impact.
Dr. Kerriann Peart
Known for her exuberance and critical thinking, Dr. Kerriann Peart champions work at the intersections or as she likes to say, “the junction of things.” With her Caribbean identity and culture, Dr. Peart has supported work across sectors both private and public, national, and international, always leaning into the efforts of equity and leveraging the insights of those she engages in her efforts, through a strengths-based approach. With her 20 years of professional experience, inclusive of organizational culture design, human capital, systems strengthening, change management, agile leadership, professional well-being and diversity, equity and inclusion practice; Dr. Peart founded Peart Consulting, LLC, in 2020. In this curated space she provides identity informed coaching, consulting, and speaking services, for start-ups, non-profits and small businesses; with a focus on building the capacity of managers within these spaces. Dr. Peart earned her doctorate in International Psychology with a focus on Organizations and Systems, from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She also holds a Master of Public Health, Global Health Communications focus from The Milken Institute School of Public Health, at George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emory University.
Cheryl Shah
Cheryl Shah’s 20+ years of corporate experience have led her to the conclusion that there must be a better way to lead, live and work. Her extensive work experience makes her an accessible and empathetic speaker and facilitator who can connect with the daily challenges of leaders and help uncover their potential to lead with extraordinary compassion and wisdom for higher employee engagement, resilience, and performance. Cheryl is a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, a curriculum developed by Kristen Neff and Chris Germer, through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She has a deep self-compassion practice that has given her resources to support her during times of stress and burn-out at work and given her the courage to make difficult decisions. She regularly works with a mindfulness and self-compassion mentor to embody the skills she teaches. Self-Compassion has given Cheryl more capacity to give compassion to others in her professional and personal life. Cheryl is a Sr Facilitator for Potential Project and a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher for over 7 years at Qualcomm and UCSD, Center for Mindfulness. Cheryl is also the Co-Director of Workplace Programs for UCSD and is a Sr Facilitator for Mindful Leader. Cheryl lives with her husband in San Diego, CA and they have two beautiful adult daughters. She enjoys playing tennis, traveling, hiking, and spending time with friends & family.
Paul Kuhne
Paul Kuhne is the Roundtables Program Manager at the Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE). In this role, Paul oversees CODE’s high-level Roundtables which convene stakeholders and industry experts to identify opportunities for better open data use for federal agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations. He has planned and facilitated over 10 Roundtables on topics related to data in healthcare, climate, and criminal justice. He also co-leads CODE’s Open Data for Racial Equity program, which has convened Roundtables on Open Data for Racial Equity in Healthcare and Improving Data for Racial Equity in Policing. Paul has over ten years of professional experience in community and stakeholder engagement, programs development, and partnership building. He has a Master’s degree in Global Policy Studies at the LBJ School of Public Affairs where he studied open data, transparency, and migration. Paul also received his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2023 through the Project Management Institute.
Ciku Kimeria
Ciku Kimeria is an author, journalist, communication and strategy specialist, adventurer and travel writer. She writes both fiction and non-fiction focusing on African stories that need telling. She is the current Quartz Africa Editor and a longtime contributor to Quartz, having authored almost 60 articles for the site, on topics as wide-ranging as the perils of traveling with an African passport to the optimism inspired by Africa’s first non-fungible token (NFT) art collections. She is the author of two mystery novels (Dance of the Monkeys and Of goats and poisoned oranges), and has written for a variety of outlets, including African Arguments, OkayAfrica, and The Africa Report. Ciku has a wealth of communication and project management experience, having worked for and served as a communication advisor to Dalberg Advisors, Open Society Initiative of West Africa, and The Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund. She has traveled to 56 countries, 23 of them in Africa. She has a bachelor of science degree in management from MIT and speaks English, Swahili, and French.
Katy Mamen
Katy Mamen is a creative and collaborative systems change consultant and facilitator helping leaders, organizations and networks find strategic clarity and build collaborative leadership. Recognized as a highly effective and culturally competent facilitator, systems change capacity builder, and nonprofit & philanthropic strategist with a track record of success working with diverse stakeholders to design aligned strategies for an equitable and regenerative future. Katy is principal and founder of Water Bear Collaborative, a consultancy that supports leaders in the climate change, food and agriculture, and water sectors to envision and implement system-informed strategies in service of social justice and ecological health. Katy is particularly skilled at cultivating the wisdom of the whole, whether that’s an organizational team or leaders spanning a field, creating the conditions for all voices be heard and honored while tending to power dynamics, group culture, and results. Her clients in the philanthropic sector have included Water Foundation, the Energy Foundation, UNFI Foundation, Garfield Foundation, and Lumpkin Family Foundation. Katy is a Fellow of the Academy for Systems Change and previously managed multi-stakeholder policy roundtables and led the California Food System Alliance Network as Director of Programs at Ag Innovations. Before turning to process work, Katy studied emergence in complex systems and the role of traditional knowledge in sustainable agriculture while pursuing her MSc in the UK. She also worked with an international think tank researching the impacts of the international mining sector on indigenous communities and supported traditional agrarian communities in Central and South America, Asia, Europe and North America. Katy currently lives in a rural, consensus-based intentional community in northern California, where she honed her group process skills over the past 20 years.
Gabriel DeRita
Gabriel DeRita supports leaders at every level to maximize their impact by aligning with purpose, uncovering meaning, and embodying authenticity. Gabe doesn’t fit neatly into standard categories, and his approach draws on many sources of wisdom and practice from his colorful career and background. Rooted in curiosity, experiential learning, and a spirit of play, Gabe’s work creates an atmosphere of trust and depth that allows individuals and teams to unlock potential and dissolve barriers to connection with self and others. He believes we should never silo ourselves, and calls forth his clients to integrate themselves as fully alive human beings in all aspects of their life and work. His experience across many sectors makes his perspective unique. Prior to starting his own coaching practice in 2019, he held management, sales, and consulting roles in the tech, hospitality, and tourism sectors. He’s coached leaders across many industries, from Y-Combinator tech startup founders to Fortune 500 management teams in hospitality, retail, financial services, and healthcare. In addition to his coaching work, Gabe is a seasoned facilitator. He’s created and delivered a wide range of transformational experiences for participants both virtually and in-person around the world; from boardrooms to Burning Man. Gabe is a connection and communication specialist, and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Bard College in New York. He is trained in Authentic Relating practices as well as CoActive Coaching, and holds a PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Certification from the International Coach Federation.
Chioma Nnaji
Chioma Nnaji is a seasoned public health trainer, facilitator, and organizer with over 20 years of experience advancing racial justice, health equity, and immigrant health. She began her career as a community health worker in HIV and sexual health and has since worked across sectors—including community-based organizations, healthcare, academia, and government—to strengthen systems through participatory training and capacity building. Chioma holds a Master of Education in curriculum development and is a professional facilitator skilled in guiding diverse groups—including youth, families, and public system staff—through collaborative processes that support policy implementation, systems change, and leadership development. Her areas of expertise include racial justice, intersectionality, and community engagement. Chioma specializes in customizing learning experiences—such as trainings, learning communities, and affinity groups—based on the needs and goals of participants. Her facilitation is grounded in adult learning principles, centering interactivity, reflection, and shared ownership. She brings deep experience engaging communities most impacted by health inequities—including Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals, Black immigrants, sex workers, youth, and people who use drugs—and a critical understanding of how intersecting oppressions shape health outcomes.
Caterina Rodriguez
Caterina (Cat) Rodriguez helps organizations redesign how work happens. As an organizational strategist and facilitation leader, she partners with teams to align around what matters, make better decisions together, and build ways of working that support lasting momentum. Across global teams and cross-sector initiatives, Cat works with leaders and distributed organizations navigating strategic inflection points and organizational complexity. She is often brought in when teams are working hard yet struggling to move forward together. Cat brings particular depth to mission-driven organizations where the stakes are high and the work is inherently human. Through thoughtfully designed, participatory processes, she helps teams align on what matters most and redesign the systems and practices that shape decision-making and collaboration. At the heart of her work is a belief that how people work together shapes what becomes possible, and that better ways of working change what organizations can achieve. Originally from the Dominican Republic and fluent in both English and Spanish, Cat facilitates across cultures, time zones, and contexts. She holds Masters degrees from Boston College and Duke University, facilitation certifications from Voltage Control and AJ&Smart, and is a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMPTM).