Anica Zeyen

Vice Dean Equality, Diversity and Inclusion & Professorin Entrepreneurship and Inclusion, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway University of London (UK)

Dr. Anica Zeyen is a registered blind academic who specialises on the intersection between entrepreneurship, organizing and disability research. She leads multiple research projects in the Global South and North on disability, She employs inclusive and qualitative research methods. Anica is also a disability activist. K. More on her work on her blog and web page.

Oana Branzei

Professor of Strategy, Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada

Dr. Oana Branzei is a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the Ivey Business School, Western University. Her areas of expertise include social innovation, social enterprise, and organizing for self-, society-, and system-transformation in response to grand challenges. She has held editorial positions on the boards of the ‘Academy of Management Review’, ‘Journal of Management’, ‘Journal of International Business Studies’. She is completing her second full term as field editor of the Journal of Business Venturing and co-edited several recent special issues on prosocial, regenerative, place-based and inclusive organizing.

Aleen MacDougall

Associate Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University (Canada)

Dr. Arlene MacDougall is a psychiatrist Associate Professor (Clinician-Researcher) and the Director of Research for the Department of Psychiatry at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. Dr. MacDougall has led / co-led several transformative system initiatives for mental health including the MINDS of London-Middlesex – Canada’s first social innovation lab to tackle complex community mental health system challenges for youth and young adults; Global MINDS @ Western University; CREATE Kenya; the Collaborative Care Network Initiative for Ontario Health Team – London-Middlesex; and Biigajiiskaan (bee-gaw-jees-gawn) – a new model of care that bring Western psychiatry with Indigenous wise practices together to serve Indigenous people living with serious mental illness. 

Ro’nikonkatste (Standing Strong Spirit) Bill Hill

Clinician, Noojimo (Canada)

She:kon, my name is Ro’nikonkatste (Standing Strong Spirit) Bill Hill. I am a registered social worker (RSW 811910) and a registered practical nurse (NSG HD08262) from Six Nations, currently living in London. The principles guiding my practice are Indigenous-based, wise, and person-centred. My approach to helping might be: listening and sharing, using Medicines and Ceremonies in tandem with Western treatment modalities. Some gifts I carry in my wholistic healing practices include being a Lodge Keeper, a Drum maker, and a Shkaabewis (helper). I have experience working with Indigenous people in the following areas: Around the Fire, Sharing Circle, Fasting Ceremony, Self Kindness and Identity Exploration

Neilank Jha

Neurosurgeon & Founder of KONKUSSION.com (Canada)

Dr. Neilank K. Jha is the Executive Chairman & CEO of Neuraseed BCI, a company led by world-class neurosurgeons who are using cutting-edge Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology in the deep brain to provide targeted dosing and real-time monitoring for better patient outcomes. Dr. Jha pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, completed his medical school training at McMaster University, followed by a six-year residency in neurosurgery at McMaster University and subsequently completed a two-year fellowship at the University of Toronto in complex spinal disorders. He is a board-certified Neurosurgeon FRCS(C) and a fellowship-trained Spine Surgeon. Dr. Jha has also pursued his MBA at the Ivey School of Business and has obtained an MSc in Behavioural Economics from the London School of Economics

Nancy Doyle

Visiting Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London (UK)

Dr Nancy Doyle is a Visiting Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London, where she co-directs the Centre for Neurodiversity at Work. Nancy is a Chartered Occupational and Coaching Psychologist and an Associate Fellow with the British Psychological Society and an International Associate of the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology in the USA. Nancy has co-authored Neurodiversity Coaching: A Psychological Approach to Supporting Neurodivergent Talent and Career Potential, as well as a long list of academic papers, guest chapters and business articles for Forbes magazine. Nancy is a section editor for Neurodiversity with the PLOS Mental Health  journal and an associate editor for the Neurodiversity journal, published by Sage. Nancy is a co-founder of the Occupational Psychology special group for the Society of Occupational Medicine and a long time volunteer at the British Psychological Society, currently a member of the Committee for Testing Standards

Judith Clair

Associate Professor, Boston College  (USA)

Dr. Judy Clair’s research focuses on demographic/social identities (e.g., race, gender, social class) and inequalities in the workplace; on development and transitions in professional identities; and on positive organizational experiences such as hope and positive growth.  Her gender- and diversity-focused research includes experiences of “cross-domain” identity change in first-time pregnant professional women; how social class background shapes how women understand their advancement into top organizational positions; how benevolent sexism during pregnancy effects workplace retention of women post-pregnancy; how professional women in STEM fields define and experience benefits from others’ inclusive leadership practices; and how individuals with invisible stigmatized identities manage those identities in the workplace. Professor Clair is also recognized for her contributions to research on how organizations can effectively manage crises and critical events to minimize harm and to facilitate positive growth, as well as her work on teaching pedagogy and the peer-review process. Her publications appear in the top journals in Management and Applied Psychology, including the Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Human Relations, Personnel Psychology, and Academy of Management Learning and Education.

Katina Sawyer

Associate Professor of Management and Organizations, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona. (USA)

Dr. Katina Sawyer is an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations in the Eller College of Management at University of Arizona. She holds a dual-PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Women’s Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations, and positive organizational scholarship.

Oana Branzei

Professor of Strategy, Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada

Dr. Oana Branzei is a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the Ivey Business School, Western University. Her areas of expertise include social innovation, social enterprise, and organizing for self-, society-, and system-transformation in response to grand challenges. She has held editorial positions on the boards of the ‘Academy of Management Review’, ‘Journal of Management’, ‘Journal of International Business Studies’. She is completing her second full term as field editor of the Journal of Business Venturing and co-edited several recent special issues on prosocial, regenerative, place-based and inclusive organizing.

Alexis Hillyard

Founder, Stump Kitchen (Canada)

Centring disabled bodies and celebrating the unique ways we move through the world is what Stump Kitchen is all about. I do this by transforming my stump into playful, intricate cosplay characters, cooking tasty recipes using my stump as a kitchen tool, and sharing my content through social media. I am driven by society’s lack of authentic disability representation, hoping to fill that gap with my magical stump characters and delicious one-handed recipes. 

As an educator by trade, I am passionate about speaking with audiences of all ages about the importance of disability representation, accessibility, cooking, and cosplays, and share stories that centre my experience as a disabled, queer creator. My Stump Kitchen work has spoken to many different audiences, places, ages, and my online content is enjoyed by folks globally.

José Alcaraz

Associate Professor, Université de Catholique Lyon (France)

Jose M Alcaraz is an Associate Professor at ESDES Business School, and a part-time lecturer at Lancaster University Leipzig. His research interests revolve around innovative pedagogies, sustainability and critical management studies. His work has appeared in Organization, Information & Organization, International Journal of Human Resource Management, German Journal of Human Resource Management—Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, Business Ethics: A European Review, Organization & Environment, Business & Society, Work, Employment & Society, and the Academy of Management Learning & Education.

Keary Shandler

Sustainability Consultant  |  Researcher  |  Collaborator (UAE)

Keary Shandler works in sustainability as a consultant, an educator, and a dedicated advocate, helping food service operators in the UAE understand what ‘good looks like’.  Drawing on her experience across industry and academia, she partners with organisations to support climate action, helping them bridge gaps between science-based concepts and business operations

Catalin Brylla

Principal Lecturer in Film and Television (UK)

Dr. Catalin Brylla is Principal Lecturer in Film and TV, and Deputy Director of the Centre for the Study of Conflict, Emotion and Social Justice at Bournemouth University. His books include “Documentary and Stereotypes: Reducing Stigma through Factual Media” and “Documentary and Disability.” As a film practitioner he has made documentaries about marginalised groups, in particular blind people. See more at his website www.catalinbrylla.com

Kirk Kristofferson

Assistant Professor , Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada

Oana Branzei

Professor of Strategy, Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada

Dr. Oana Branzei is a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the Ivey Business School, Western University. Her areas of expertise include social innovation, social enterprise, and organizing for self-, society-, and system-transformation in response to grand challenges. She has held editorial positions on the boards of the ‘Academy of Management Review’, ‘Journal of Management’, ‘Journal of International Business Studies’. She is completing her second full term as field editor of the Journal of Business Venturing and co-edited several recent special issues on prosocial, regenerative, place-based and inclusive organizing.

Anica Zeyen

Vice Dean Equality, Diversity and Inclusion & Professorin Entrepreneurship and Inclusion, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway University of London (UK)

Dr. Anica Zeyen is a registered blind academic who specialises on the intersection between entrepreneurship, organizing and disability research. She leads multiple research projects in the Global South and North on disability, She employs inclusive and qualitative research methods. Anica is also a disability activist. K. More on her work on her blog and web page.

Karen Willis

Professor, Victoria University (Australia)

Karen Willis is a health sociologist and qualitative researcher, and is Professor of Public Health at Victoria University, Melbourne Australia. Her current research examines the issue of loneliness for people with chronic health conditions, how we can support the mental health of healthcare workers during crises such as COVID, and how people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds think about, and prepare for, extreme weather events. 

Neva Bojovic

Assistant Professor, Kedge Business School (France)

Dr. Neva Bojovic explores emancipation and recognition of marginalized groups within contexts like hearing loss, anosmia, abortion care, Fem-tech, and sex-tech. Her work is published in Research Policy, Social Science & Medicine, Health Policy, Strategic Organization, and others. She is an Associate Editor for Group & Organization Management. 

Johannes Krak

Associate Professor, Kedge Business School (France)

Dr. Johannes M. Kraak is Associate Professor in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior and is the director of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainability at Kedge Business School, France. His primary research area focuses on the exchanges between employers and employees in the wider context of the employment relationship.

Amanda Peticca-Harris

Associate Professor, Grenoble Ecole de Management (France)

Dr. Amanda Peticca-Harris’ research investigates marginalized workers’ career experiences, focusing on themes of well-being and precariousness from an intersectional perspective. She has published in Human Relations, Organizational Research Methods, Journal of Business Ethics, and Organization among others. She serves as an Associate Editor for Group & Organization Management, Career Development International, and Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management.

Angela Owens-Schill

Utah Valley University (USA)

Dr. Angela Owens-Schill’s research centers on inclusion of marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, in terms of navigating the workplace via self- and other-compassion, engaging with allies, and advocacy. She has published in Journal of Business Diversity, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, International Journal of World Peace, and Journal of Intercultural Management.

Prarthana Purkayastha

Reader in Dance & Theatre, Royal Holloway University of London (UK)

Dani Saldo

Songwriter (Canada)

Dani Saldo is a Filipino-Canadian artist & songwriter who creates music that is hyper-vulnerable and lyrically conversational. Using moody melancholia and dreamy coming of age instrumentation, oozing with a knowing nostalgia, Dani’s lyrics are openly honest, genuine & relatable as she effortlessly laments on young love & self-discovery. 

 With a proven track record, Dani is featured on Anna Kendrick’s movie “Alice Darling” with the song “All I Need” which premiered in the 2022 Toronto Film Festival, co-wrote Jillian May’s debut single “Could We Be Happy” which featured on Season 9 of MTV’S Teen Mom OG & on Episode 2 of Season 2 of Netflix’s Love Is Blind, “Nerve” featuring Lauren Light on Teen Mom OG, in addition to being a co-writer on Arcana’s viral hit “Stockholm Syndrome” performed by the dance studio ALiEN in Korea & Ninetone Records Harley Huke’s single “Afraid” & “Joker”.

Jennifer Takhar

Assistant Professor, ISG International Business School (France)

Dr. Jennifer Takhar is an Associate Professor at ISG INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL. She holds a Ph.D in Social Sciences and works in the fields of marketing and consumer culture theory. Her areas of academic inquiry include the marketing and consumption of reproductive technologies and complex medical decision-making. 

Jonatan Södergren

lecturer in marketing, University of Bristol (UK)

Jonatan Södergren teaches branding in Bristol, the home of Banksy, Long John Silver, and the other buccaneers in Treasure Island. His current research explores popular culture and the poetics of consumption.

Niklas Vallsträm

Senior lecturer in marketing, Kristianstad University (Sweden)

 Niklas works as a senior lecturer in marketing at Kristianstad University, Sweden. His research interests span a wide range of topics, including disability, gangster rap, pessimism, and value creation.

Sara Soares Traquina Alves Elias 

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Victoria (Canada)

Sara R. S. T. A. Elias is Associate Professor at the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business. Her research interests include creative entrepreneurial processes, entrepreneurial imagining, craft and arts entrepreneurship, aesthetics in organizations and entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship-as-practice, wellbeing, and qualitative methodologies. She has published in Organization Studies, Organization Theory, Journal of Management Inquiry, and Organizational Research Methods, among others.

Hans Hansen

Professor of Management at Texas Tech and an Embrey Human Rights Fellow at SMU

Hans is an Associate Professor of Management at Texas Tech and an Embrey Human Rights Fellow at SMU. His research interests in qualitative methods and narrative approaches across a variety of topics. His research articles have been published in the Journal of Management Studies, Organizational Research Methods, Human Relations, Organization Studies, Journal of Management Inquiry, and even Law Reviews. He is the author of Narrative Change (Columbia Business School Press) and is co-editor of the Sage Handbook of New and Emerging Approaches to Management and Organizations. Dr. Hansen has held positions at the Kellogg School of Management, Stanford University, Copenhagen Business School, and Victoria University New Zealand. Hans teaches Organizational Theory, Organizational Behavior, Negotiations, Innovation, Creativity, and Qualitative Research Methods for the undergraduate, MBA, and PhD programs. 

Emmanouela Mandalaki

Associate Professor, NEOMA (France)

Emmanouela Mandalaki is Associate Professor of Organizations at NEOMA Business School and coordinator of the research group Inclusion, Diversity, Equality. In her research, Emmanouela engages with critical, feminist theories, methodologies and epistemologies to explore alternative ways of engaging with questions of embodiment, ethics, gender, diversity, inclusion, social inequalities and affect in organizations. Emmanouela serves as Editor for the Feminist Frontiers section of Gender, Work and Organization and as member of the Editorial Review Board for the journals Organization Studies and Organization. 

Mar Perezts

Professor of Philosophy and Organizatio, EM Lyon (France)

Mar Pérezts is a Full Professor of Philosophy and Organization at Emlyon Business School, and director of OCE Research Center (Organizations: Critical and Ethnographical perspectives). Originally from Mexico, she applied her training in philosophy at Ecole Normale Supérieure d’Ulm to the study of organizations through her PhD in business ethics through an ethnography of banking compliance.  Her research is transversal, delves into organizational and ethical questions from critical and philosophical perspectives, highlighting epistemological inclusivity, embodiment and resistance to various forms of oppression. Her work has been published in leading academic journals, edited books and press/media outlets. She served as Book Reviews Editor for Organization Studies (2017-2022) and as Research Integrity Editor for the Journal of Business Ethics since 2022. She co-edited of the Oxford Handbook of Phenomenologies and Organization Studies (OUP, 2023).

Debra Meyerson

Co-Founder & Co-Chair, StrokeOnward (USA)

Debra Meyerson is an author, advocate, and a professor at Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Following her severe stroke in 2010,  Debra wrote Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019). Writing Identity Theft began as a critical part of her personal journey to rebuild her own life outside mainstream academia. It became the foundation for maintaining meaning and purpose in her life despite her ongoing disabilities  – helping other stroke survivors and those closest to them rebuild their identities after a trauma like stroke, and navigate the critical and often overlooked emotional journey in recovery.  With her husband, Steve Zuckerman, she co-founded Stroke Onward to expand and accelerate that work. In addition to her role on the board, Debra’s significant volunteer commitment to Stroke Onward focuses on speaking engagements,  deepening the content built into their work, and supporting related research projects.

Prior to her stroke in 2010, Debra’s academic work focused on feminism, diversity, identity, and organizational change. Debra’s most significant contribution from that period was Tempered Radicals:  How Everyday Leaders Inspire Change at Work (HBS Press, 2001). More on her selected publications here. Debra currently serves on the board of the Pacific Stroke Association (PSA), the BU Sargent School Constituent Advisory Board, and the Stakeholder Advisory Board for Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Aphasia research project (University of Pittsburgh). Debra received her B.S. and M.S. from M.I.T. and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Stanford University.

Steve Zuckerman 

Co-Founder & Co-Chair, StrokeOnward (USA)

Steve Zuckerman is an experienced executive who has held leadership positions in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. He is Debra Meyerson’s husband since 1988, carepartner since her stroke in 2010, and an unnamed co-author of  Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019).  In 2019 he scaled back other leadership roles to co-found Stroke Onward with his wife Debra. In addition to his role on the board, Steve’s significant volunteer commitment to Stroke Onward focuses on organizational strategy, fundraising, and governance.

In 2006, Steve launched a California presence for Self-Help, a nationally recognized economic justice nonprofit based in Durham, NC.  In 2008, he co-founded Self-Help Federal Credit Union, where he continues to serve part-time as President and Senior Advisor to Self-Help’s west coast operations. His first career involved 14 years with >McCown De Leeuw and Co., a private equity firm, where he was a Managing Director. Throughout his career, Steve has served on numerous nonprofit boards supporting economic, social and health justice, including Tides Foundation, Positive Coaching Alliance, and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. He currently serves on the BU Sargent Clinical Advisory Board and the ACT for Aphasia Stakeholder Advisory Board (University of Pittsburgh). Steve earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.