2025 Session Speakers

Sofia Angelina Vita-Casquejo

Sofia (they/them) is a College Advisor at the Rausser College of Natural Resources and advises students pursuing the Genetics & Plant Biology major. They co-supervise the college’s peer advising program and they directly supervise 2 student DeCal facilitators. Their approach with their students and supervisees can be described as holistic, taking into account a student’s background and who they are outside of the classroom. Sofia has a B.A in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz and a M.A. in Counseling, specializing in Higher Education & Student Affairs and Professional...

Finley Golightly

Finley Golightly (they/them) is the IT Support and Helpdesk Supervisor at UC Berkeley’s D-Lab and directly supervises the Undergraduate Technician (UTech) team. Finley received their BA in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley, and their experience as a student employee and first-gen college graduate shapes how they lead their students, prioritizing community and compassion. They are also passionate about leveraging data science and technology to solve real-world problems. Outside of work, Finley enjoys spending time with their cat, reading, and playing Dungeons and Dragons...

Kimmie Opoku, PCC

Kimmie Opoku is a PCC-certified executive career coach, leadership consultant, and Civil Rights manager for the state of California. Kimmie is passionate about guiding professionals — especially women and individuals from diverse backgrounds — to step into their power as confident, purpose-driven leaders. With over 20 years of experience across both the private and public sectors, she supports her clients to navigate career transitions, sharpen their leadership skills, and build the confidence to lead authentically.

Her approach is rooted in...

Dr. Kathy James, PCC

Dr. Kathy A. James, an ICF Professional Certified Life Transformation Coach, is dedicated to helping individuals overcome obstacles, embrace change, and create purpose-filled lives. With over 40 years of experience in both the private and public sectors, she has inspired countless individuals to step boldly into their life’s purpose with clarity and confidence.

Dr. James specializes in leadership, life empowerment coaching, and practical solutions that empower individuals to navigate life’...

Dr. Chris Bell

Dr. Christopher Bell is a nationally recognized, award-winning speaker and scholar focused on helping audiences discover the power of storytelling in building healthy relationships, workplace cultures, and organizations. He is the President at Creativity Partners and the Executive in Residence in the College of Media, Communication, and Information at the University of Colorado. Chris is a 1.3+ million views TEDx speaker and a David Letterman Award winning media scholar with a passion for using storytelling and play to unlock creative innovation for organizations.

SESSION:...

Jamie Woolf

Jamie Woolf is a renowned innovation cultivator, speaker, and CEO of Creativity Partners. She was the first Director of Culture at Pixar Animation Studios where she was recruited to be a force for “constructive disruption.”

With 30+ years of experience practicing organizational psychology, Jamie has inspired thousands worldwide to embrace innovation as a catalyst for personal and organizational transformation.

SESSION: Finding Your Authentic Voice...

Diana Stepner

Diana is a Silicon Valley native who believes in the power of putting people first. For over 20 years, Diana built and led global product teams - discovering launching people is even more rewarding than launching products. This awareness led her to focus on coaching, combining extensive product leadership experience with a human-centered approach to help ambitious product leaders unlock their full potential.

Through coaching, Diana partners with clients to develop a deeper self-awareness, aligning actions with vision, and embracing an authentic leadership style. Diana believes every...

Meg Helf

Meg Helf, M.S., CMPC is a seasoned executive, performance and wellbeing coach. She is a certified master resilience instructor by the University of Pennsylvania and a psychological safety external practitioner by the Fearless Organization. Meg has over 16 years of experience working in both individual and group settings with elite, collegiate, and Olympic athletes and coaches, corporate leaders and teams, first responders, and the military. Meg has dedicated her life to inspiring individuals to cultivate authentic relationships, optimize their performances to their full...

Monica Phillips

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 Professional...

Erin Weldon

Erin Weldon is a Senior Associate Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA program at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, bringing over 16 years of experience in graduate admissions. She leads admissions operations and is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive work environment. Enthusiastic about tackling challenges and making a positive impact, Erin explores innovative ways to leverage technology, improve processes, and create effective solutions. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, listening to podcasts, reading, and solving logic puzzles....