March 2-3, 2021
March 2-3, 2021 | Virtual
Return on Creativity: The Future Workforce
A virtual 2-day event discussing the future of work
In an increasingly distributed and remote world of work, what is the role of place?
We believe that there is power in creating spaces both virtual and physical for employees and the growing freelance workforce.
Return on Creativity: The Future Workforce blended a vision of the near future with practical ideas for today’s workforce leaders and HR professionals. The conference includes keynotes, panels and breakout sessions that discuss the growing need for diversity and inclusion, the value of hybrid workforces of contract specialists and full-time employees, and how virtual and physical spaces can be used effectively.
Our goal is to bring together thought leaders, business leaders, and practitioners within the workforce development, HR, and employee experience professions to learn, interact, and create new ideas together.
This virtual event featured thought leaders and industry experts discussing the future of the workforce, and how current and future trends will affect employment and growth of companies over the coming months.
Sponsors & Participants
Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Mary-Claire Burick, President, Rosslyn Business Improvement District
Mary-Claire Burick is a strategic leader who focuses on building engagement and leading change. As President of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, she spearheads efforts that define, enhance and continually improve Rosslyn for those who work, live, visit and do business there.
Javier Vasquez, General Manager, Solutions & Technology Microsoft
Javier is responsible for leading sales and technology for Microsoft’s U.S. Federal business. He leads an organization advising, architecting and integrating technology to meet the mission and needs of Government customers. For over 20 years, Javier has been responsible for driving product innovation into Federal, State & Local government agencies to enable their full potential.
Featured Speakers
Calaneet Balas, CEO and President, The ALS Association
Calaneet Balas leads all three mission areas including global research, public policy and care services, which work in an integrated fashion to find a cure, advance treatments and enhance the quality of life for people living with ALS.
Laura Briggs, Author, Six Figure Freelancer
Laura Briggs is a former teacher turned entrepreneur, speaker, and author. Freelancing since 2012, Laura’s an expert on the future of work and has delivered two TEDx talks on how freelancing is changing the economy and workforce. Her second book, Six Figure Freelancer, was released in 2020.
Robb Lee
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership.
Ashish Kaushal, Founder, Consciously Unbiased
A rare combination of chief technology officer and human resources leader, Ashish Kaushal is on a mission to connect the hearts and the minds of people across organizations and industries to spark behavior change and drive inclusion.
Greg Kihlstrom, Co-Founder, CareerGig
Greg is a best selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur.
Kate Kirkpatrick, Studio and Brand Design Practice Leader, Gensler
Kate is a Studio and Brand Design Practice Leader at Gensler whose fascination with people and why they do things the way they do has fueled her career in marketing, communications and brand strategy.
Alex Cooley, Administrator, Economic Development at Northern Virginia Community College
Alex currently leads labor market information services and strategic projects for the Corporate Engagement & Workforce Innovation division of Northern Virginia Community College.
Carleigh Berryman, Founder, Viva Vita
Carleigh is an international virtual reality expert in healthcare. She is recognized for her work and history in delivering virtual reality to hundreds of seniors across the country for better mental health.
Samia Byrd, Chief Race and Equity Officer, Arlington County
Samia leads the County’s work to advance racial equity. She joined Arlington County as a Principal Planner in the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development in 2007 and was promoted to Deputy County Manager in 2017.
Sharon Koifman, President, DistantJob
Sharon Koifman is an author, speaker and entrepreneur who used his 15+ years of experience in the tech, recruitment & HR industries to pioneer the remote recruitment model.
Liza Durant
Liza Wilson Durant serves as the Associate Provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement at George Mason University and Professor and Associate Dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement in the Volgenau School of Engineering.
Cathy Hackl, Author
Cathy Hackl is a leading tech futurist and globally recognized business leader specializing in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), & spatial computing. She is one of LinkedIn’s top technology voices (the highest honor on the platform) and a champion for diversity.
Shelli Holland, VP of HR, Phone 2 Action
Shelli has expertise in leading and developing staff, recommending solutions to improve performance processes, and implementing effective training programs to streamline business productivity.
David Remick, Executive Director, Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council
The Council oversees approximately $1 million annually of federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services to the region’s two American Job Centers, Alexandria City’s Workforce Development Center and Arlington County’s Employment Center.
Dr. Megan Healy, Chief Workforce Advisor to the Governor of Virginia
As the Commonwealth’s highest-ranking workforce officer, Secretary Healy oversees a range of regional, state, and federal programs that connect Virginians to the skills, training, and opportunities they need to thrive in the 21st century.
Tom Wells, Author
Tom Wells is an online author writing for some of the biggest brands in the tech industry.
Josh Olson, Head of Experience Sales, Global, VMware
Helping business executives realize meaningful business transformation in Customer and Employee Experience to achieve their Reason for Being.
Brittany Greer, Executive Director, Rosie Riveters
Brittany Greer is the Executive Director and founder of Rosie Riveters, a non-profit that provides a fun space for girls ages 4-14 to imagine, create and play while developing their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Louise Salas, MISSING LINK
MISSING LINK is podcast media company dedicated to connecting people to intelligent, engaging and informative content. Our mission is to develop experiences that truly connect with our listeners, which in turn, creates marketing opportunities for advertisers to authentically engage with their unique audiences and build effective brand awareness that delivers measurable proven results.
Michelle Silverthorn, Founder, Inclusion Nation
Michelle Silverthorn believes diversity and inclusion needs a new voice for a new generation. She is an in-demand speaker on race in the workplace, recognized organizational diversity expert.
Paula Sorrell, Associate Vice President of Innovation & Economic Development, George Mason University
She oversees the Office of Technology Transfer, the Virginia Small Business Development Center state headquarters, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, four business incubators, the maker spaces, entrepreneurship programming at Mason, and placemaking across Mason’s three campuses.
DeShaun Wise Porter, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, HILTON
strategic thought leader and internal consultant responsible for developing and executing holistic and integrated strategies that are aligned with Hilton’s shared values and contribute to the building of a diverse, engaged, and high-performing organization.