Companies have spent the past few years dealing with unprecedented business disruptions and many are still struggling when it comes to the biggest work challenges. Now, the rubber has met the road and those that have learned from this dislocation are finding themselves at a distinct advantage over competitors.
CNBC’s 2022 Work Summit brings together top names in business, policy, labor, banking, and academia to explore the tough questions facing business leaders and workers alike. These are questions not just about the future of work, they’re about the present of work, as well as what we can learn from the recent past.
Shaping a modern and resilient business in today’s economy requires close collaboration across finance, talent, and technology leadership. CNBC Work provides a forum for senior executives to learn from each other and the world’s most influential voices defining all aspects of the future of work.
Who should join: CEOs, CHROs, CIOs, CTOs, CFOs and other senior executives who have a major role in company-level decision-making, planning, and strategy.
Ramona Hood is President and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical®, a leading North American transportation provider located in Green, Ohio. The company provides a range of transportation capabilities for expedite ground, temperature control shipments and industry specific solutions. The company provides 24/7 service throughout the United States, Canada and internationally, delivering hundreds of thousands of shipments per year. Hood oversees the FedEx Custom Critical executive leadership team and is responsible for the performance and strategic direction of the company.
Hood brings more than 30 years of FedEx experience to her role, having most recently served as Vice President, Operations, Strategy and Planning. Hood started her career at FedEx Custom Critical in 1991 in an entry-level position, and worked her way up to hold various executive leadership positions at FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Supply Chain. Her career path evolved through many areas of the company, including Operations, Safety, Sourcing, Sales and Marketing.
Over time, she began offering innovative and strategic ideas that distinguished her from her peers. Hood not only brought unique approaches to the business, but she did so in a way that brought out the best in
others. These leadership characteristics and values are ingrained through her past and current leadership roles at FedEx Custom Critical, as well as FedEx Supply Chain.
Throughout her career, Hood has been recognized for her exemplary excellence in leadership, responsibility, and passion-driven results in the industry. Hood was recognized by the Greater Akron Chamber with the “30 for the Future” award, acknowledged by Sales & Marketing Executives International with a Distinguished Sales & Marketing Award, and received the Woman of Inspiration Award from Walsh University. In 2010 and 2016, Hood received the FedEx Five Star Award, which is the highest recognition employees can receive at FedEx.
Additionally, Hood received the Crain’s Cleveland, Women of Note Award; Smart Women, Honoree of the Progress Woman Award, and Woman of Influence from the Women in Trucking Association. Hood was recognized in 2019 by the MEECO Leadership Institute with the International Thought Leader of Distinction Award. Ramona was also named a 2020 Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio. Most recently, Hood was recognized on the Crain’s Cleveland 2020 Power 150 list and was named one of New York Moves Power Women (2021).
Outside of the office, Hood is actively involved in several civic engagements. She serves on the Summit Education Initiative, a non-profit committed to the academic success of Summit County students. She is a member of the Kent Area Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and Jack and Jill of America Inc., Akron Chapter. Hood is also chairman of the technology committee for the Transportation Intermediary Association (TIA), and was appointed to serve on its board of directors. Additionally, Hood was appointed to the Summa Health Board of Directors in 2021.
Hood earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Walsh University, and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management.
Simon Sinek is a spark that ignites passion and ideas. He envisions a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and end the day fulfilled by the work they do. As an unshakeable optimist, he believes in our ability to build this world together.
A trained ethnographer, Simon is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest-lasting impact. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act, and communicate and the environments in which people operate at their natural best.
Simon may be best known for his TED talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace, which reached 80 million views in its first week and has gone on to be seen hundreds of millions of times.
He continues to share inspiration through his best-selling books, including global best seller Start With WHY and New York Times best sellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism. In addition, Simon is the founder of the Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and he publishes other inspiring thinkers and doers through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press.
His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention, and he has met with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He frequently works with different branches of the U.S. armed forces and agencies of the U.S. government and is an adjunct staff member with the RAND Corporation—one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world.
Simon is also active in the arts and with not-for-profit work, or what he likes to call the for-impact sector. In 2021, he founded the Curve: a diverse group of forward-thinking chiefs and sheriffs committed to reforming modern policing from the inside out. Their purpose is to build a profession dedicated to protecting the vulnerable from harm while advancing a vision of a world in which all people feel that justice is administered with dignity, equity, and fairness.
Martin J. Walsh was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Labor on March 23, 2021. A lifelong champion of equity and fairness, and a proud product of the City of Boston, Secretary Walsh leads the U.S. Department of Labor with a strong connection to working people, and a commitment to creating an economy that works for all.
In 1997, he was elected to serve as a State Representative for one of the most diverse districts in Massachusetts. There, he focused on creating good jobs, protecting workers' rights, expanding mental health treatment, and investing in public transit.
Following his time as a State Representative, Secretary Walsh spent the last seven years as the Mayor of the City of Boston. While mayor, he led the creation of close to 140,000 jobs and helped secure a statewide $15/hour minimum wage, paid sick leave, and paid parental leave. He established Universal, high-quality Pre-Kindergarten for all children, and free community college for low-income students.
Secretary Walsh was a national leader in the response to COVID-19, getting PPE to first responders and nursing homes; funding emergency child care for healthcare and frontline workers; halting evictions and providing rental relief; and setting up multiple funds to help small businesses survive. His work early in the pandemic to pause construction and establish safety requirements has been lauded as a model by both unions and employers alike.
As Mayor of Boston, Secretary Walsh also made his mark as a labor leader. After following his father into Laborers Local 223 in Boston, he rose to head the Building and Construction Trades Council from 2011 to 2013. He worked with business and community leaders to promote high-quality development, and he created a program called Building Pathways that has become a model for increasing diversity in the workplace and providing good career opportunities for women and people of color.
Born and raised in the neighborhood of Dorchester by immigrant parents, Secretary Walsh is driven to ensure our nation's economy works for everyone. Secretary Walsh is a survivor of Burkitt lymphoma and is a proud member of the recovery community who has worked to expand addiction treatment throughout his career. While working full-time as a legislator, he returned to school to earn a degree in Political Science at Boston College.
Honorable Christine Wormuth was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and appointed as the 25th Secretary of the U.S. Army May 28, 2021. The Secretary of the Army is the senior civilian official within the Department of Defense responsible for all matters relating to the U.S. Army.
Prior to confirmation, she was the Director of the International Defense and Security Center at the RAND Corporation where she was a frequent writer and speaker on foreign policy, national security and homeland security issues.
Prior to RAND, she served in several roles during the Obama Administration. From December 2010 until August 2012 she was a special assistant to the president and senior director for Defense at the National Security Council. Wormuth then served as deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces, and led the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review.
From 2014-2016 she served in DOD as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where she advised the Secretary of Defense on the full range of regional and functional national security issues.
Wormuth entered the government as a Presidential Management Intern and began her public service career in the Policy Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1996 through 2002.
After leaving government, she worked in the private sector on defense issues, and then was a Senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for five years.
Wormuth holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and fine art from Williams College and a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Maryland.
She is married to a retired Navy officer and has two daughters.
The number of job openings plunged by more than a million in August to 10.1 million, providing a potential early sign that the massive U.S. labor gap is beginning to close. What does this mean for employers and the market more broadly? We’ll talk with Labor Secretary Martin Walsh about the state of labor in the US, what he sees as the most important labor trends for business leaders to understand, and where he sees the labor economy headed over the next 12 months.
Martin J. Walsh, U.S. Secretary of Labor
Interviewer: Kayla Tausche, CNBC Senior White House Correspondent
Rising from an entry-level position to becoming the first Black female CEO of a FedEx operating company in the global transshipment giant’s history, Ramona Hood has proven herself to be an innovative and strategic leader. We’ll hear from her about the leadership lessons she’s learned along her 30-year journey with the company, get her thoughts on what it takes to keep employees engaged and customers happy, and what she sees for the future as she leads FedEx Custom Critical on its path to continued growth.
Ramona Hood, FedEx Custom Critical CEO
Interviewer: Frank Holland, CNBC General Assignment Reporter
As “the only private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders,” Chief has proven that women executives supporting other women executives is not only good for business, it’s also a very good business to be in. We’ll sit down with Chief co-founder and CEO Carolyn Childers to talk about the importance of leadership training and mentorship and what she sees as the most important next steps companies should make when it comes to developing executive talent.
Carolyn Childers, Chief Co-Founder and CEO
Interviewer: Julia Boorstin, CNBC Senior Media & Tech Correspondent
EMPLOYEE WELLBEING IN A HYBRID WORLD
Sponsored and programmed by Cisco
Companies are striving to create a work environment that supports maximum flexibility, productivity, and wellbeing in a culture of inclusivity and innovation. This session is about ways to enable engagement and collaboration in a hybrid environment and foster organizational health and individual wellbeing.
Kelly Jones, Cisco SVP and Chief People Officer
Interviewer: Jen Rogers, Financial Reporter
MAKING SUPPORTING WOMEN AT WORK THE NEW NORMAL
Sponsored and Programmed by Deloitte
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, 1 million women who quit their jobs in the depths of the pandemic still haven’t returned to work, and research shows that more than half of women globally plan to leave their employers within the next year. Alarming levels of burnout, and reports of harassment and microaggression at work are part of the reason, but also, many continue to shoulder responsibilities at home. This session will focus on ways organizations can work to support and instill a truly inclusive culture.
Emma Codd, Deloitte Global Inclusion leader
Interviewer: Caroline Woods, Business Reporter
THE EVOLUTION OF HR
Sponsored and Programmed by ZipRecruiter
In a historically tight labor market, HR has become central to management. Organizations are struggling to attract and retain talent, while being forced to reevaluate when and where work is performed. This session reveals evolving job seeker and employee expectations and how your response to HR challenges can give you a competitive advantage in any environment.
Julia Pollak, ZipRecruiter Chief Economist
Interviewer: Shibani Joshi, Business Reporter
Vivid Seats CEO Stan Chia has had quite the journey on his way to leading the growing ticket retailer. After three years leading a mechanized infantry platoon in the Singaporean army, Chia spent three years in the GE leadership training program, followed by stints at Cisco and Amazon, and then as the Chief Operating Officer role at GrubHub before finally landing the top job at Vivid Seats. In this interview, we’ll talk with Chia about the leadership principles he brought to his role as CEO, what he thinks about return-to-office for his company, and how he sees the future playing out in the world of live events.
Stan Chia, Vivid Seats CEO
Interviewer: Sharon Epperson, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent
As Dropbox approaches the two-year anniversary of its decision to become a “virtual first” company, we’ll talk with founder and CEO Drew Houston about the company’s bold move into the future of work, what it’s meant for his employees and customers, the tough decisions he’s had to make, and where he sees work, technology, and return to office models going next as he looks ahead to the future.
Drew Houston, Dropbox Co-Founder & CEO
Interviewer: Deirdre Bosa, CNBC “TechCheck” Co-Anchor
Human Security co-founder and CEO Tamer Hassan has said that “the bot problem is one of the most important cybersecurity problems of modern times,” and as bad actors become more sophisticated, the technology to combat bots must keep pace. Hassan, a former combat helicopter pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, shares his thoughts on what companies need to know about the botnet threat, and how to stay safe in an increasingly dangerous world.
Tamer Hassan, HUMAN Security Founder & CEO
Interviewer: Eamon Javers, CNBC Senior Washington Correspondent
Sponsored and programmed by Airtable
Organizational silos are an everyday reality at work, exacerbated by the rapid adoption of digital tools through the pandemic and decentralized decision making. This digital friction costs companies millions of dollars in lost productivity and wasted tech spend. This session will focus on ways leaders can overcome these challenges and empower teams to work they want to work while staying connected.
Howie Liu, Airtable Co-Founder & CEO
Interviewer: Rhonda Schaffler, Business Anchor
In this panel, we’ll talk with three members of the CNBC Workforce Executive Council about how they’re staying competitive in the war for specialized talent, get their takes on the remote/hybrid/return-to-office decision-making, and how they work to keep employees engaged and motivated during good times and bad.
Iesha Berry, DocuSign Vice President and Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer
DJ Casto, Synchrony Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Tiffany Scalzitti Monroe, H&R Block Chief People Officer
Moderator: Steve Kovach, CNBC Technology Correspondent
As the founder of Hearsay Systems and the current CEO of Service Cloud for Salesforce, Silicon Valley veteran Clara Shih knows a thing or two about keeping workers happy and engaged even in the most demanding roles. We’ll talk to Clara about the changing nature of customer relations, get her tips on navigating this new era of remote and hybrid work, and hear her strategies on winning the war for talent in a tight market.
Clara Shih, Salesforce Service Cloud CEO
Interviewer: Frank Holland, CNBC General Assignment Reporter
Data and machine learning sciences are evolving at a rapid rate, and as companies recover from the pandemic downturn, it’s more important than ever that businesses take full advantage of all the tools available to them. We’ll talk with Mastercard Data and Services President Raj Sheshadri about this new data revolution and what every business leader should know when it comes to making data work for them.
Raj Seshadri, Mastercard Data and Services President
Interviewer: Kate Rooney, CNBC Technology Reporter
In this exclusive conversation, we’ll talk to restauranteur Will Guidara and publisher/speaker/author Simon Sinek about Guidara’s latest book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. In the book, published by Sinek’s Optimism Press, Guidara shares his story of how he and a team of dedicated, motivated employees turned Eleven Madison Park from a struggling eatery into the world’s best restaurant by building on principles of honest communication, pride, and a hospitality ethos based on exceeding customer expectations at every turn; and how these lessons can be applied by business leaders everywhere.
Will Guidara, Former owner of Eleven Madison Park and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality
Simon Sinek, New York Times Bestselling Author and Publisher of Optimism Press
Interviewer: Becky Quick, CNBC “Squawk Box” Co-Anchor
The U.S. Army employs over a million people around the world and from the standpoint of a distributed workforce, challenges on recruitment and retention and a new focus on mental health, the armed services is a lot like US companies. We’ll speak to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth about leading during difficult times, how she’s tackling recruitment and retention, and why more veterans in the workforce is better for business.
Christine Wormuth, U.S. Secretary of the Army
Interviewer: Morgan Brennan, CNBC “Squawk on the Street” Co-Anchor
Organized labor is having a moment in America. Stories of organization efforts at places like Starbucks and Amazon have captured headlines and shone a light on often contentious relations between employees and employers. Recent data shows that workers have won 639 union elections so far this year, across a range of industries, for the highest win total in nearly 20 years. And a recent 2022 Gallup survey showed public approval of unions at a 57-year peak. What does this mean for business at large? We’ll talk with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler about the labor transformation and what all employers should take to heart when listening to their workers.
Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO President
Interviewer: Ylan Mui, CNBC Senior Congressional Correspondent
PwC US Chairman Tim Ryan is someone who spends a great deal of his time thinking about how we work today–from the importance of building diverse, inclusive teams to leadership to how companies can meet employees where they are to reduce churn and retain top talent. In this interview, we’ll dig deep on some of the top issues facing employers today and get his insights on how you can navigate the current climate to build for success.
Tim Ryan, PwC U.S. Chair
Interviewer: Sharon Epperson, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent
As the former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Chairman and CEO of Kellogg’s, Carlos Gutierrez has played an integral role in helping shape American business over the course of his 43-year career. In his latest venture, Secretary Gutierrez is bringing that experience to bear as the Chairman and CEO of Empath, a company that uses AI and machine learning to help companies match employee skills to current and future roles. We’ll talk with Secretary Gutierrez about the importance of skills training, get his thoughts on what leaders today can do to manage their teams through ongoing crisis, and get his take on what he sees around the corner for business as we head into 2023.
Carlos Gutierrez, Empath Chairman and CEO; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Interviewer: Tyler Mathisen, CNBC “Power Lunch” Co-Anchor & Vice President, Events Strategy
JUST Capital is an independent non-profit that measures American corporate stakeholder performance across a range of issues and ranks companies accordingly. In this conversation, we’ll talk with JUST Capital CEO Martin Whitaker about the firm’s latest research and what it tells us about where work is headed.
Martin Whittaker, JUST Capital CEO
Interviewer: Kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC Nasdaq Reporter
Founded in 2014 by Kate Ryder, Maven is the most comprehensive platform of its kind, providing critical support across fertility, pregnancy, adoption, parenting, and pediatrics. By providing companies with critical health support for their female employees, Maven helps ensure that more women stay in the workforce and continue their careers, reducing employer costs and providing more opportunities for women. We’ll take with Ryder about the journey her company has been, what she sees as the biggest challenges for women in the workforce and hear what she thinks more employers should do when it comes to retaining their most talented women.
Kate Ryder, Maven Founder & CEO
Interviewer: Leslie Picker, CNBC Finance and Investing Reporter
With recent jobs numbers still showing low unemployment broadly, employee retention among large employers is an ongoing concern. Some employers such as JBS USA, the country’s third-largest meat processor, have employed a range of tactics to keep employees happy and reduce churn. We’ll talk to JBS USA CEO Tim Schellpeper about his approach to competing in a tight labor market and what he thinks are the most important things every leader should know when it comes to building trust with employees.
Tim Schellpeper, JBS USA CEO
Interviewer: Jane Wells, CNBC Special Correspondent
Workers continue leaving their jobs in droves, with 63% citing a lack of opportunity for advancement as one of the reasons. It’s clear workers are seeking more from their employers and want to develop the skills needed for the jobs of the future. Employers who have recognized these trends are increasingly turning to Guild, a CNBC Disruptor 50 company for 2022, to help them compete for talent by providing tuition-free learning programs and career pathways for their employees. We’ll talk with CEO Rachel Romer about the impact the company is having with its corporate clients like Disney, Walmart, Target and Discover Financial; and get her thoughts on where she sees work heading in the future.
Rachel Romer, Guild Co-Founder & CEO
Interviewer: Contessa Brewer, CNBC Correspondent
Sponsored and programmed by Prudential
Having lived and worked through the Great Recession and the pandemic, millennials are bracing for another dose of economic uncertainty. How will they navigate these yet another “once in a generation” event? This session, featuring findings from Prudential Financial’s Pulse survey series, will focus on the largest generation in the U.S. workforce and how setback after setback has shaped their relationship with work, their employers, and their financial security.
Rob Falzon, Prudential Financial Vice Chair
Interviewer: Jen Rogers, Financial Reporter
Research has shown that diverse, inclusive teams perform better and in today’s market, companies need every advantage they can get. In this conversation, we’ll talk with top executives about why robust and practicable DEI practices are essential in today’s business climate, and what every leader should know about how to foster inclusivity and keep employees motivated.
Paulette Alviti, Mondelez Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer
Erin L. Thomas, Upwork Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Moderator: Kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC Nasdaq Reporter
It’s said crisis breeds innovation but rarely is the crisis a world historical moment in global health. In this one-of-a-kind conversation, we’ll talk with Pfizer Chief People Officer Payal Sahni and Pfizer Chief Business Innovation Officer Aamir Malik about how a cultural foundation of innovation, collaboration, and employee support enabled the entire company to rise to answer the challenge of the worst global pandemic in 100 years.
Aamir Malik, Pfizer Executive Vice President and Chief Business Innovation Officer
Payal Sahni, Pfizer Executive Vice President and Chief People Experience Officer
Moderator: Bertha Coombs, CNBC Reporter
As the unofficial “Father of Hybrid Work,” Stanford’s Nick Bloom has spent years studying how we work, and how we will work. He’ll present new research and share his thoughts on what companies should be preparing for as many have begun to enforce return-to-office policies, often with a mixed reception from employees who have grown accustomed to the flexibility of working from home.
Nick Bloom, Stanford University Professor of Economics
Interviewer: Tyler Mathisen, CNBC “Power Lunch” Co-Anchor & Vice President, Events Strategy
REGISTRATION FOR CNBC WORK SUMMIT IS NOW CLOSED. ALL SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
PLEASE EMAIL EVENTS@CNBC.COM TO CONNECT WITH OUR AUDIENCE TEAM.
Airtable is a connected apps platform that enables teams to build workflows that modernize their business processes. Teams at more than 80% of the Fortune 100 use Airtable’s visual, flexible tools to customize workflows that meet their exact needs, whether they’re creating blockbuster movies, designing running shoes, distributing life-saving vaccines, or anything in between.
To learn more, visit airtable.com.
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) helps seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the unconnected. An integral part of our DNA is creating long-lasting customer partnerships, working together to identify our customers’ needs and provide solutions that fuel their success. We have preserved this keen focus on solving business challenges since our founding in 1984. Len Bosack and wife Sandy Lerner, both working for Stanford University, wanted to email each other from their respective offices, but technological shortcomings did not allow such communication. A technology had to be invented to deal with disparate local area protocols, and as a result of solving their challenge, the multiprotocol router was born.
Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit and assurance, tax and legal, consulting, financial advisory, and risk advisory services to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private companies. Our professionals deliver measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets, enable clients to transform and thrive, and lead the way toward a stronger economy, a more equitable society and a sustainable world. Building on its 175-plus year history, Deloitte spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s 415,000 people worldwide make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a global financial services leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2022, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com.
ZipRecruiter is a leading online employment marketplace. Powered by AI-driven smart matching technology, the company actively connects millions of all-sized businesses and job seekers through innovative mobile, web, and email services, as well as partnerships with the best job boards on the web. ZipRecruiter has the #1 rated job search app on iOS & Android. Founded in 2010, the Santa Monica-based marketplace has over 1000 employees in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Israel.
Reid is a Silicon Valley stalwart in the modern technology world. An accomplished entrepreneur and executive, he played an integral role in building many of today’s leading consumer technology businesses, including LinkedIn and PayPal. As an investor, he has been instrumental in the success of iconic companies such as Facebook and Airbnb and has helped fast-growing newcomers like Aurora and Convoy get to scale.
Reid joined Greylock in 2009 and focuses on early-stage investing in products that can reach hundreds of millions of participants. His unique understanding of consumer behavior and a clear-eyed ability to guide startups from inception through ramped-up “blitzscaling” has made him one of the most sought-after advisors, partners, and investors today. Reid was a board observer for Airbnb and currently serves as a board director for Apollo Fusion, Aurora, Blockstream, Coda, Convoy, Entrepreneur First, Microsoft, Nauto, Neeva, Xapo, and a few early-stage companies still in stealth.
Reid’s core focus is on businesses with network effects. In 2003, he co-founded LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network that today has more than 650 million members and a diversified revenue model that includes subscriptions, advertising, and software licensing. Before LinkedIn, Reid served as executive vice president at PayPal, where he was a founding board member and responsible for all of the company’s external relationships.
His foundational thesis of the power of networks extends beyond marketplaces and social ecosystems. Recently, it has led to his investments in autonomous driving technology startup Nauto, cryptocurrency startup Xapo, and shipping logistics provider Convoy.
Reid is a frequent public speaker, known for his approachability and skill at explaining complex topics with lucidity. He is the co-author of Blitzscaling and two New York Times best-selling books: The Start-up of You and The Alliance. He also hosts the podcast Masters of Scale.
A California native, Reid spent most of his life in the Bay Area. He earned a B.S. with distinction in symbolic systems from Stanford University and then earned a master’s degree in philosophy from Oxford University. He has honorary doctorate degrees from Babson University and the University of Oulu.
Beyond startups and technology, Reid has a wide range of interests, including politics, board games, science fiction, philosophy, and philanthropy. He serves on several not-for-profit boards, including Kiva, Endeavor, CZI Biohub, Do Something, New America, the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, and the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change. Reid has received various awards for his philanthropic work, including CBE from the Queen of England and Salute to Greatness Award from the Martin Luther King Center.
Caroline A. Wanga is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Essence Communications Inc. the independent Black-owned consumer technology company focused on merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.
Most recently, Wanga led Target’s strategic intent to champion an inclusive society with accountability for inclusive guest experiences, a diverse and inclusive work environment and societal impact. As a cultural catalyst, she helped fuel Target’s business objectives through the company’s first-ever performance-based D&I goals, significantly improving areas including Supplier Diversity, Marketing, Philanthropy, Retention, Hiring, Representation and Engagement. She also had responsibility for reshaping Target’s organizational culture.
Wanga began her Target career in supply chain, serving in a variety of transformational leadership roles, including modernizing Supply Chain, Business Intelligence, Digital and Strategy capabilities. Prior to that, she held several leadership roles in the non-profit sector.
Wanga earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from HBCU Texas College and is an inspirational thought leader and public speaker. She has been named a Top Executive in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise and one of Savoy’s Most Powerful Women in Corporate America; is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the Talladega College Board of Trustees, and the Intersectionality, Culture, and Diversity Advisory Board for Twitter; and is former co-chair of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Diversity & Inclusion Initiative. Her greatest life accomplishment is her daughter, Cadence.
Matthew McConaughey is an Actor and Author of Greenlights.
Arianna Huffington is the founder of The Huffington Post, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, and the author of 15 books, including, most recently, Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that quickly became one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In August 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a corporate and consumer well-being and productivity platform with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success. She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union. Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night At A Time, both became instant international bestsellers.