Pierre Khawand is the founder of People-OnTheGo and the co-host of the podcast Awakening Mindfulness at Work. Since 2001, he has helped professionals and organizations strengthen productivity, communication, collaboration, and leadership through practical, human-centered approaches. Pierre has worked with leading institutions across higher education, healthcare, technology, and finance, combining organizational effectiveness with mindfulness and well-being. He is the author of several...
Kristina Soriano, MHA is the new Operations and Events Coordinator at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, where she supports programming and helps strengthen systems that advance the science of well-being. Previously, Kristina served as Executive Assistant at the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, where she supported senior leadership within a complex, interdisciplinary research environment. She brings deep experience navigating institutional systems, cross-functional collaboration, and the often-invisible work that sustains mission-...
Shari Berens is the Co-Founder of Bright Bridge Strategies, where she draws on over 20 years of experience with The Walt Disney Company in leadership development and organizational transformation to help senior leaders and teams achieve their highest potential.
A champion for effective leadership, Shari guides her clients in building emotional intelligence and self-awareness, enhancing time and life management, and communicating with excellence.
With more than 20 years of experience leading strategic business teams, Monica Phillips supports leaders at all levels in creating thriving and inclusive workplaces by elevating leadership, mindfulness, and emotional well-being.
She is the founder of the Legal Academy on Equity and Inclusion, and she developed and runs a year-long General Counsel Boot Camp to advance women to the highest levels of leadership.
She has a master’s degree in international education, is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and is a...
Toi B. James, MPA, PMP, ICF-ACC, bridges technological capability and human readiness. As a certified AI consultant and coach - with MIT credentials in Applied Agentic AI - she specializes in legitimacy risk management during digital and AI transformation. With 15+ years leading organizational change, Toi has authored Talk About It and Human, First: Leading with Trust When Technology Moves Faster Than People and created The Trust Test™ framework for ethical AI decision-making.
Emilie (she/her) is the Violence Prevention and Education Program Coordinator at the Center for Support and Intervention. At CSI, Emilie oversees Bears that Care, a student-led Active Bystander initiative, and directly supervises nine peer-educators who facilitate discussions on Social Identity and Microaggressions, Hazing, Consent, and more for the campus. Additionally, Emilie serves as Co-chair for UC Berkeley’s Hazing Prevention Collaborative. She comes with over 6 years of violence prevention experience. Emilie earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from...
Monique Matlock-Dees is an Executive Assistant in the Chancellor's Division at UC Berkeley, where she supports the Chief Campus Counsel and facilitates operations within the Office of Legal Affairs. She is also an ICF-accredited Master Certified Professional Coach and a senior-year psychology student. Her role at UC Berkeley places her at the intersection of leadership and staff experience, offering her a distinct vantage point that is both close to decision-making and deeply rooted in the day-to-day realities of those she serves.
After a decades-long career with the Walt Disney Company, with roles spanning Operations, Finance, HR, and ultimately Leadership Development, Stacey Robbins co-founded Bright Bridge Strategies, where she helps organizations foster growth through intentional leadership and meaningful connection. Her work helps leaders move beyond autopilot, building the bridge between self-awareness and awareness of others to strengthen relationships and create cultures...
Nathaniel Segal is a seasoned professional magician and consultant who spends as much time behind the scenes as he does in front of audiences. A graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in applied mathematics and a theater minor, Nathaniel has been featured on Penn & Teller: Fool Us,Masters of Illusion, and at the Magic Castle, Nathaniel has also served as a magic consultant for David Blaine's Las Vegas show, America's Got Talent semifinals as well as the...
UC Berkeley, Associate Director of Admissions | Founder/Coach for Re.Connect
Rachel York is a coach, facilitator, and higher education professional with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals through change across corporate healthcare and higher education settings. She currently works on the MBA Admissions team at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where she supports prospective and admitted students and contributes to initiatives focused on access, community, and the student experience.
Rachel is also the founder of Re.Connect Coaching & Facilitation, where she offers 1:1 coaching and leads reflective, tools-based workshops that help...
