Rebels With A Heart

Discover the superpower of human consciousness to achieve greater fulfillment at work and in life!

In this empowering episode, the panelists dive into the transformative realm of self-awareness, consciousness, compassion, and purpose. Listen in to explore how these superpowers unlock new levels of success, well-being, and authentic leadership in your personal and professional life.

Panelists:
Christine Hildebrand, Founder & CEO, Cofinity Consulting, LLC
Andrew Chomer, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Integrated
Scott Shute, Founder, Changing Work, Former LinkedIn Exec

Moderated by: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides

Check your podcast app's chapter feature for chapters, or jump to these timestamps:
00:47 Introductions
10:09 How do you define consciousness?
19:14 Awareness, practice, the mind, and love
26:34 Conscious rituals
31:40 How do you cultivate consciousness?
37:32 How do we bring consciousness to the business world?
41:16 Companies are made up of individuals
48:26 Tools to grow consciousness
50:29 How do we ensure AI elevates humanity instead of harming us?

BIOS:

Christine is a strategist, coach, intuitive, and founder of Cofinity providing consulting and coaching for impact leaders to activate consciousness to create solutions we need in our world. She provides a new value generating framework utilizing evidence-based principles, scientific research, and contemplative practices to support leaders, teams and organizations create energy-inspired workplaces and outcomes.

Andrew is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Integrated, serving as a board member to multiple portfolio companies as well as their sister non-profit, Reconsider. Integrated is a 70M AUM venture fund partnering with value-aligned companies transforming the health and wellbeing of our communities around the globe. He has spent the last 15+ years in executive and advisory roles - leading, growing and transforming businesses in the digital health, adtech & media industries.

Scott is at the intersection of the workplace and ancient wisdom traditions. He blends his experience as a Silicon Valley executive with his lifelong practice and passion as a wisdom seeker and teacher. In his most recent role at LinkedIn, Scott was the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion programs. He has been a pioneer in creating workplace mindfulness programs and advancing the discussion around compassion in the work context. His latest venture, Changing Work, seeks to curate the best practices of conscious business and make them more widely available. He is the author of the award-winning book "The Full Body Yes".

Follow Christine on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-hildebrand-she-her-4b69767/
Follow Andrew on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchomer/
Follow Scott on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottshute/

Michael OBrien, Chief Calm Officer, Pause Breathe Reflect, was convinced that "good enough was good enough."​ He thought living under an umbrella of stress was “business as usual in the corporate world.” He never looked past his own assumptions because he was too busy establishing his career, providing for his family, and driving for results.

Then, in an instant, his life changed.

Listen in to hear how Michael has lived his last bad day and is now mindful in all moments of life.

Check out your podcast app's chapters feature for highlights! Or, use these timestamps:
02:14 My Last Bad Day
15:31 I Matter
20:16 Pause, Breathe, Reflect
28:33 Soft Skills
32:01 Story of Resilience
38:34 Where to Find the App

BIO:
Michael OBrien is the Chief Calm Officer of Pause Breathe Reflect. He elevates successful corporate leaders by preventing bad moments from turning into bad days. He sees Pause Breathe Reflect™ as the symbol of mindfulness. After his accident, he made the choice to recalibrate his approach for the rest of his life.

Follow Michael on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Download your Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation App: http://flowcode.com/p/hUD16YHd4?fc=0

In the era of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), the workplace is undergoing a transformative shift.

Listen in to hear how to thrive in this new landscape, and how to embrace a mindset of continuous learning and upskilling in this rapidly evolving environment.

Panelists:
Alex Seiler, Chief People Officer, GHJ
Angela Cheng-Cimini, SVP, Talent & CHRO, Harvard Business Publishing
Spencer Ray, Senior Director, Human Resources, Banner Health

Moderated by: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides

Bios:

Alex Seiler is a global people leader with over 15 years of experience transforming people functions and putting talent first at companies such as WeWork, Blue Shield of CA, NBCUniversal, Time Inc., and Citi. He currently serves as Chief People Officer at GHJ, overseeing People, Workplace Experience and Internal Communications. Under his leadership, GHJ recently won the Transform Award for “People Activator: Employee Experience of the Year”. Outside of his day job, he acts as a strategic advisor to three start-ups, ChangeEngine, Kindred Minds and When Insurance.

Alex is a champion for DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility), as well as mental health and has been recognized as a thought leader throughout his career. He speaks at numerous conferences, has written and been featured in articles, a book (Hiring for Diversity) and various podcasts.

Angela Cheng-Cimini joined Harvard Business Publishing as Senior Vice President, and Chief Human Resources Officer in 2021. In this role, Cheng-Cimini leads the Human Resources and Facilities and Administration units, spearheading efforts to develop a talent roadmap that supports the business strategy and creates a deeply engaged and diverse workforce.

Angela brings 30 years of both generalist and specialist Human Resources experience, having worked across consumer product goods, professional services, and high-tech as well as nonprofits. She has shepherded businesses through start-up, growth, and maturity with key responsibility for helping organizations identify and build the necessary organizational capabilities. Prior to joining Harvard Business Publishing, Angela was at ClearMotion, Inc. an automotive technology startup where she accelerated the evolution of the HR function from administrative to strategic.

Spencer Ray is an Executive leader and trusted COO, CAO, and CHRO with 15+ years of people leadership, performance, and trusted partnerships. With an outstanding record in aligning/transforming business and human capital strategies, org culture, performance, and unique combination of people focus and operations expertise, Spencer currently serves as the Senior Director, Human Resources at Banner Health. Spencer previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, & Chief Administrative Officer at Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona.

Follow Alex on LI → https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexseiler/
Follow Angela on LI → https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-cheng-cimini-160890a/
Follow Spencer on LI → https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-ray20/

Compassion includes, but goes beyond, empathy. Compassion is often thought of as a verb, not a noun or adjective. It means first noticing, then feeling within our own mind and body, and ultimately taking positive action to alleviate suffering in others. Another important element to compassion is engaging in sensemaking with those suffering.

For better people stewardship, especially in challenging times, leaders need to recognize that compassion is not merely a “nice to have.” Rather, it’s an evidence-based skill that is integral to leading effectively and holding teams together.

Listen in to learn how to lead with compassion as it makes you better able to support people during difficult times, and practice using head and heart to inspire and influence people so they can, in turn, inspire and influence others.

Panelists:
Jeff Jacobs, Senior Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Adobe
Lori Hanau, Founder and Principal, Global Round Table Leadership
Shannon Teixeira, People Solutions Director, Waste Management

Moderated by: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides and Carson Kelly, Founder, Compassion 2.0

Bios:
Jeff Jacobs’ 30+ year career in HR has spanned numerous global leadership roles. He sees authenticity & vulnerability, compassion & mindfulness as the keys to professional and personal success. He is on the boards of the non-profits Project HIRED and Community Solutions, and participates in retreat, music, and prison ministry in Salinas Valley State Prison. Jeff is writing his first book, Still Coming of Age, in which he shares personal stories making the case for a lifetime commitment to learning and self-compassion.

Lori Hanau’s lead from our humanity orientation was instilled in her at an early age from her father’s business. He led with respect and dignity for every person, creating a culture of care and co-creativity. For the last 23 years Lori has coached leaders and teams through organizational learning journeys. She had a ten-year tenure as Faculty and Co-Chair of Marlboro College’s MBA Program, and served on the boards of Social Venture Circle, the Of Many Institute for Multifaith Leadership at NYU and as Fellow of the Nature Based Leadership Institute at Antioch. In 2002, Lori co-founded the Monadnock Mindfulness Practice Center, in Keene, NH.

Shannon Teixeira’s north star is not just creating a great place to work, but to improve the lives of people at work. She believes in a future where all people can become the best versions of themselves while contributing meaningfully. Her passion is unlocking the potential of people to Thrive Through Purpose, an outline supported by an environment built for people to be and do their best work.

Carson Kelly is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in technology and organization development. He founded his first start-up in 1998, brought 150K small merchants online to sell through eBay and Amazon, and worked for 15 years in Enterprise Software Sales. In the last 10+ years, he has been on the Board of Directors for a private school that has led the way in SEL curriculum for 40+ years, and founded the first UN SDG Education Accelerator for youth.

Most recently, Carson has turned his professional focus to “scale Compassion,” having co-founded a company that is a platform for acts of altruism, and another based on proven neuroscientific research that promotes self-compassion and empathy. Carson has also founded a professional community to explore how to bring compassionate architecture to organizational and product design.

Follow Jeff on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffjacobs/
Follow Lori on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorihanau/
Follow Shannon on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonteixeira/
Follow Carson on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonkelly23/

With the rising demand around employee expectations, leaders will be challenged like never before to provide authentic, tailored workforce experiences that empower people to do their best work. Innovative solutions are gaining greater momentum, as employee experience emerges as a defining priority.

Listen to hear why the heightened focus on employee experience is influencing the way employers approach talent challenges in real-time, making the future of work even more fluid.

Panelists:
Colleen Mitchell, DEIB and Culture Leader, Nordstrom
Donald Knight, CPO, Greenhouse Software
Tracy Layney, EVP and CHRO, Levi Strauss & Co.

Moderated by: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides

BIOS:

Colleen Mitchell is the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB) and Culture leader at Nordstrom where she is focused on operationalizing DEIB strategies to achieve equitable outcomes in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Prior to joining Nordstrom, Colleen was the Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Petco where she was responsible for establishing the multi-year DEI vision, strategy and goals for the company. Colleen also served as the DEI leader for Amazon’s global customer fulfillment organization. In this role, Colleen provided leadership and direction to DEI Business Partners as they developed and executed DEI strategies and accountability mechanisms to deliver on key initiatives for more than 700,000 employees globally. She has more than 15 years working across DEIB, HR, and Operations to create inclusive and equitable workplaces for all employees.

Donald Knight is the CPO at Greenhouse Software. He leads with a people-first mentality hoping to unlock the potential of Greenhouse talent globally. With a laser focus on the connection between people and the processes that serve them, Donald and his team create proximity by building bridges focusing on enhanced experiences that nurture culture and develop people. He is responsible for providing global strategy and leadership in developing, overseeing, and administering people programs. Before Greenhouse, Donald served as Senior Vice President of Global Talent for Edelman, where he helped shape the HR brand as a proactive, insightful, and collaborative solution provider.

Tracy Layney is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Levi Strauss & Co.  Tracy is responsible for LS&Co.’s people strategy on a global scale, including diversity, equity & inclusion, recruiting, employee engagement, talent management, compensation and benefits, HR technology and HR communications. Tracy brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources and organization strategy to her role. Prior to joining LS&Co., she served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Shutterfly, Inc., the leading retailer of personalized photo-based products. Before Shutterfly, Tracy spent 10 years at Gap Inc., where she held numerous senior leadership roles in HR, most recently serving as the senior vice president of Global Human Resources and Communications for Old Navy. Prior to Gap Inc., Tracy held positions at LS&Co. and PricewaterhouseCoopers/IBM Business Consulting Services where she worked with Fortune 500 clients in the high tech, financial services, retail and healthcare industries on projects ranging from organization design and development to strategic change management.

Follow Colleen on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenmitchell/
Follow Donald on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/proximityknight/
Follow Tracy on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracylayney/

Trey Whitney, Vice President of People Team at Splunk, joins the Rebel Leader Series to share how he invites people to experience themselves through stories, and how he uses a heart centered perspective to engage in all relationships.

Episode Highlights:

Show Notes:
About Trey: 1:33
Power Over, Power With: 3:53
Why HR: 9:59
Being of Service: 17:23
To be…: 18:46
Embrace Your Inner Voice: 22:21
Bring Your Whole Self to Work: 26:17
Where to Start: 28:20
Where to Find Trey: 30:32

BIO:
Tramayne “Trey” Whitney is an accomplished Global Human Resources Executive, Advisor, and Board Member with more than 20 years of success across the internet, consumer goods, healthcare industries. Trey had previously served as the Director and Global People Consultants for Google, Vice President of Human Resources for Siemens Healthineers, VP of Human Resources for The Hershey Company and the Sr. Director of Human Resources for Chiquita International.

Follow Trey on LinkedIn→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tramayne-whitney-61a6822/details/experience/

Kacy Fleming, Head of Global Well-being, joins the Rebel Leader Series to share her authentic journey to finding her purpose which required heart and hard work.

In conversation with: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides.

Episode Highlights:

Show Notes:
Authentic Truth: 2:07
Having Done the Work: 4:13
Pharmaceutical Jackknife: 9:57
Stopping the Stigma: 16:26
Performance & Wellbeing: 20:31
How to Find Kacy: 33:04

BIO:
Kacy Fleming is the Head of Global Well-Being, where she is focused on equitable access to resources and programs, as well as mental health inclusivity. She is currently working towards her Masters in Organizational Psychology at William James College. Kacy is an avid writer and speaker who has recently authored pieces for Thrive on mid-life career transitions and women’s health. Kacy has worked with increasing responsibility to help her companies build and execute strategy around mental health and overall employee well-being. Other areas of work and focus include diversity, equity and inclusion from a well-being perspective. When not working or attending school, Kacy enjoys reading, yoga, skiing with her partner, Mark, and/or drinking matcha lattes while snuggling her two chihuahuas, Otto and Finn.

Follow Kacy on LinkedIn→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasingact/

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this presentation and on the following slides are solely those of the presenter and not necessarily those of Takeda. Takeda does not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of the information provided herein.

Richard Bilodeau, Professor at University of Southern Maine, joins the Rebel Leader Series to share his professional journey and lessons learned as a Chemist, entrepreneur, and Professor at University of Southern Maine

In conversation with: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides.

Episode Highlights:

Show Notes:
In the classroom: 3:31
Transition to Business: 4:50
Experimenting & Acting: 11:40
Teaching Influences: 13:03
Gratitude: 17:07
The Absurdity of Life: 18:26
What would I do differently?: 22:01
Cognitive Bias: 28:40
How to get people to action: 36:25
Where to find Richard: 37:40

BIO: Professor Bilodeau teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, creative strategies, design thinking, business sustainability, and marketing. He is an entrepreneur who is a partner in two growing businesses (one in the direct marketing and the other in television production and research). He also has an active consulting practice with clients located in the United States, Canada, and Europe. In addition to his teaching, Professor Bilodeau oversees USM’s Center for Entrepreneurship, is the Interim Director of the Center for Economic and Business Research, is the Faculty Chair of the Hussey Leadership Institute, and serves on the Honors Faculty Council. Professor Bilodeau’s current research focuses on the role our neurobiology plays in our creative and business decision-making and design thinking process. He also studies practice models for innovation, sustainability, resilience, and leadership.

Prior to his career in business and education, he worked in a clinical laboratory where he conducted research and testing involving tumor markers.

In his free time, Professor Bilodeau enjoys yoga, meditation, traveling, drawing, and exploring the vibrant restaurant scene in Portland, Maine (where he resides) and Montreal, Quebec (where he visits often).

Follow Richard on LinkedIn→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-bilodeau-487879/

How do leaders tackle all of today’s headwinds? For starters, leaders face a highly-competitive talent landscape, an exhausted, burned-out workforce with mental health at the forefront, along with the incessant pressure to continuously control costs in a (potential) economic downturn. At the same time, the demand for leadership development has never been greater.

Listen in to hear the inside track on how to show up and show care for your people, as well as how to always remain purpose-driven, flexible, and proactive.   

Panelists:
Roshan Kindred, Chief Diversity Officer, PagerDuty
Grant Weinberg, VP Talent Acquisition, Eikon Therapeutics
Dr. Taryn Marie Stejska, Chief Resilience Officer & Founder, Resilience Leadership Institute

Moderated by: Derek Lundsten, President & Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides

BIOS

Roshan Kindred is the Chief Diversity Officer, PagerDuty and is an inclusion strategist, cultural innovator, thought leader, and global business executive. She’s known for her high-energy and inspirational keynotes, her ability to help people bridge differences and connect more meaningfully, and for her ability to mentor executives on the importance of DEI and the business imperative for equitable experiences.

Grant Weinberg is the VP of Talent Acquisition at Eikon Therapeutics. Grant previously served as Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, HR Operations and HRIS at TriNet. He spent the prior 11 years with Gilead in a variety of integral roles, including building and leading TA for the EMEA region across 13 sites, and managing global TA for Commercial, G&A and Emerging Markets. His earlier HR career was spent in the UK with Accenture, Capgemini, and Manpower Group. He earned a National Diploma in Company Administration from Witwatersrand Technikon, and a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from London Metropolitan University.

Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal is the Founder and Chief Resilience Officer of Resilience Leadership Institute, she is recognized #1 international expert on resilience, mental health, and wellbeing in both leadership and life. Her mission is to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people, by enhancing hope, healing, and health as well as increased consciousness and enhanced leadership through the practices of resilience.


Follow Roshan on LinkedIn→https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshankindred/
Follow Grant on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantweinbergmcipd/
Follow Dr. Taryn on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/taryn-marie-stejskal/

Related Links:
https://www.resilience-leadership.com/5-practices-highly-resilient-people-book

Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer of The Granite Group, joins the Rebels Leader Series to share the art and science behind modernizing and changing HR for the better.

In conversation with: Derek Lundsten, President and Chief Culture Officer, LifeGuides.

Episode Highlights:

BIO: Tracie Sponenberg is Chief People Officer of The Granite Group, based in Concord, NH. An award-winning, third-generation family-owned business, The Granite Group has a proud tradition in the plumbing and heating wholesale supply business dating back to the turn of the last century.  Tracie is responsible for leading all People functions throughout the company, which has 45 locations, and nearly 600 employees throughout New England.

With expertise in strategic business planning, technology selection and deployment, employee engagement and wellness, employment branding, culture development and turnaround, leadership and team development, organizational and strategy development, she has gained broad experience across a wide range of industries in her more than 20 years in human resources, with much of her career focused on working with CEOs to develop people strategies to help the organizations grow.  She began her career in HR while in college, interning with a global public transportation company, and advanced through the organization over the next five years.  Tracie found her HR home in small to medium sized private companies, where she could have the most impact on the business.  She’s led the HR function at an award-winning multi-state professional services firm; a Pulitzer-prize winning newspaper and publishing company, and a national wellness distribution and technology company.

Follow Tracie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciesponenberg/

Links:
https://traciesponenberg.com/