NOW Conference

Next Opportunity at Work (NOW) Conference Speakers

Jennifer Mora

Director of Development
University Development and Alumni Relations, UC Berkeley

Jennifer Mora is a Director of Development with the Student Experience and Diversity team at University Development and Alumni Relations. In her role, she partners with alumni and friends on philanthropic opportunities to advance the university’s vision for student access and success. Jennifer has been on the UC Berkeley campus since 2007 and began her career in higher education advancement at the Cal Alumni Association. She received her B.A. in Chicana and Chicano studies from UCLA and...

Sabina Morgan

Senior Organizational Consultant
Student Affairs Administration, UC Berkeley

Sabina Morgan is a Senior Organizational Consultant in Student Affairs. Sabina has been a staff member for almost 15 years, is a proud Cal alumni, earning her BA in History and American Studies, and was a Pell grant eligible, Transfer, Re-Entry, Student Parent. She completed her Master’s Degree in Leadership with a specialization in Group Coaching and Team Facilitation at St. Mary’s College. Sabina’s research, work, and personal passion is centered on helping individuals and teams discover and define their own personal vision for wellness and success within the context of their unique,...

Ali O'Malley, PhD

Senior Behavioral Scientist
BetterUp

Ali O’Malley is a Solutions Consultant specializing in the design and implementation of interventions to promote positive growth and development in employees and the organizations to which they belong. Ali has a MA and PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from The University of Akron. Her consulting experience spans a wide variety of industries including higher education, technology, manufacturing and warehousing, agriculture, construction, insurance, and nonprofits (particularly environmental and youth services).

She managed Advanced Analytics and Research...

Justin Oliver

New Student & Pre-College Program Administrator
Summer Sessions & Study Abroad, UC Berkeley

Justin Oliver serves as the New Student & Pre-College Programs Administrator & Lead Diversity Officer for Summer Sessions & Study Abroad at UC Berkeley. In his Administrator role, he manages a portfolio of innovative academic summer programs for newly admitted UC Berkeley students and the Pre-College Scholars program for high school students.

In his role as Lead Diversity Officer, he works in collaboration with his colleagues and leadership to create a more accountable, diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment for...

Nicole Pagano

Chief of Staff
Department of Physics, UC Berkeley

Nicole Pagano serves as chief of staff to Saul Perlmutter, professor of physics and Nobel Laureate at UC Berkeley. She first read the Divine Comedy in college, an experience so formative it inspired her to pursue her master’s degree in art and religion from the Graduate Theological Union. Her studies concentrated on the connections between the philosophical, historical, and aesthetic elements in Dante’s works. In the classroom, Nicole teaches the Commedia as a liberation text, where students can bring their personal experiences into dialogue with Dante’s words for the...

Isela Peña-Rager

Assistant Director L&S Advising + CCN Co-Chair
Letters & Science Advising, UC Berkeley

Isela (she/her/ella) is Assistant Director at L&S Advising, co-chair for the Cal Coaching Network, a member of several staff organizations, a fellow for the UC Berkeley Staff Succession Planning Initiative, and an avid cross-organizational collaborator. Her experience in higher education ranges from teaching to student affairs and immigration/academic advising. Isela is committed to equitable leadership, focused on lifting the voices of the hxstorically underrepresented and marginalized, and passionate about helping to create and sustain a healthy work environment. She believes that...

Michele Rabkin

Associate Director
Berkeley Connect, UC Berkeley
Michele Rabkin is the Associate Director of the Berkeley Connect mentoring program, on the steering committee of the Dismantling Racism Study & Action Group, and a certified facilitator with the Multicultural Education Program. After receiving a Master’s degree from UC San Diego, she joined the staff at UC Berkeley in 1992.

Kevin M. Reyes

Talent Development Manager
Human Resources, UC Merced

Kevin M. Reyes returned to UC as Merced’s Talent Development Manager in 2019 where he focuses on strengths-based, self-reflective, and competency-based employee/leadership development. Before returning, Kevin provided leadership development, safety leadership, and workforce development as PG&E’s Energy Training Center supervisor and Expert instructional designer. Prior to utility work, his interdisciplinary background led to adjunct appointments shepherding writing across the curriculum (WAC)/writing in the disciplines (WID) implementations and teaching at Saint Mary’s College, Long...

Emma Ringer

Senior Prospect Analyst
University Development & Alumni Relations, UC Berkeley
Emma Ringer is in her sixth year as a senior prospect analyst at UC Berkeley where she works with the School of Public Health and Principal Gifts and Strategic Initiatives. Prior to this role, Emma was a prospect management and analytics specialist at the Gladstone Institutes, a non-profit biomedical research lab affiliated with UCSF. She began her career in development as a research assistant in 2011 at her alma mater, California State University, Chico. Emma discovered her passion for nonprofits and fundraising back in 2008 when she began volunteering for...

Kyle Sandell

Solutions Consultant at BetterUp

Kyle Sandell is a Solutions Consultant with BetterUp, where he leverages his background in behavioral science to provide actionable insights that advance organizations’ talent capabilities. Kyle is passionate about helping organizations make informed and data-driven talent decisions, with deep experience consulting in the areas of leader development, employee engagement, and performance management, among others. Kyle holds a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Colorado State University, and currently resides an hour south in...