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NC Biotech Center, Dogwood Room, 15 TW Alexander Dr, Durham, NC 27709
WIB-RTP & ACRP: Beyond Buzzwords – Building a Culture of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging
Creating an inclusive workplace isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about fostering real belonging, equity, and opportunity for everyone. Join WIB & Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) to tackle the challenges and opportunities in building genuinely inclusive workplaces. We’ll explore key topics such as:
Expect insightful conversations, real-world strategies, and a space to connect with like-minded professionals passionate about making a difference. Whether you're a leader, HR professional, or looking to drive change in your organization, this event is for you!
Ticket includes appetizers and two drink vouchers.
Program
5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Check-in and Networking
6:05 p.m. – 7:05 p.m. Panel Discussion
7:05 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Q&A
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Networking
Speaker Bios
Cheryl Gould, HR & Leadership Consultant
Cheryl Gould is the VP of Human Resources for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines and the President and Chief Consultant of Cheryl Gould Consulting, LLC. As a seasoned HR and leadership consultant with over 25 years of experience helping businesses and leaders create workplaces where people thrive. With a background as a strategic HR Business Partner across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, distribution, financial services, non-profit, and hospitality, she understands the challenges leaders face and brings a people-first approach to solving them. As a consultant, she works with growth-focused individuals and businesses to strengthen leadership skills, build inclusive cultures, and align HR strategies with business goals. She holds several professional certifications, including SHRM-SCP, Organizational Development Specialist, Gallup Strengths and Engagement Coach, and Diversity and Inclusion for HR. Outside of work, Cheryl loves to travel with her family, experiment in the kitchen, and volunteer in several community organizations.
George Kafes, Sr. Talent Acquisition Consultant at Beacon Hill Life Sciences
George is a Sr. Talent Acquisition Consultant at Beacon Hill Life Sciences and has over 25 years of experience in professional recruitment. Prior to his current role, he led Talent Acquisition at Humacyte Global, guiding their hiring efforts through the critical commercialization phase of their first FDA-approved product, Symvess. George also headed the global Talent Acquisition team at BioCryst, a Durham-based rare disease company, as they rapidly doubled in size post approval of Orladeyo for the treatment of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE). In addition, he played a pivotal role at Novartis Gene Therapies (formerly AveXis), directly contributing to the headcount scale-up and commercialization of Zolgensma for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Earlier in his career, George led executive talent acquisition at Patheon, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, and spent over a decade at Biogen, where he drove strategic talent initiatives across multiple functions, particularly within the global pharmaceutical operations and technology organization. George holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Georgia and brings a strong passion for innovation in talent acquisition and leadership development.
Orshi Kocsis, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Operations at Ribometrix
Orshi brings over 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Change Management, DEI, and Leadership Development, partnering with leaders worldwide, from Australia to Japan to the US. She has a proven track record of success in building high-performing teams and cultures. She’s the Co-Founder of Coaching Connection where she coaches leaders and high-performing individuals who want to elevate their game. Orshi believes that an organization’s greatest asset is its people. Her motto is: Happy employees ensure happy customers and happy customers ensure happy shareholders!
Ellysa Smith, Chief Human Resources at CuraHuman, Moderator
Ellysa is a Human Resources expert who empowers people in organizations at all levels to become their best self, leveraging the human experience of their vulnerability and uncertainty, to inspire them to cure their human in self-leadership transformation. Ellysa Smith serves as Chief Human at CuraHuman. CuraHuman is about cultivating and caring for your whole human, especially at work, to create transformational cultures. As Chief Human at CuraHuman, Ellysa will Coach Human. She chooses to embrace being human, leading with trust, then innovation. Her work fosters better leadership at all levels, curating, engaging, and lightkeeping culture at work. Ellysa has shined in her decade-long Human Resources career serving with well-known nonprofits in the States, including Phoenix House, QSAC, The New York Academy of Sciences, and Teach for All. She also dabbled in other industries including hospitality, technology, education, entrepreneurship, and healthcare. After moving to North Carolina in 2018, Ellysa worked at Transloc in Durham, Global Skyware in Smithfield, and Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF) in Raleigh. Ellysa holds a Bachelor of Science in General Science with a Philosophy minor from Fordham University. She also holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Development from NYU SPS. She completed her SHRM-SCP certification in June 2022.
Pricing Information
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Note: A confirmation email will be sent after registration has been completed.
Maximum Capacity
80
WIB-RTP
RTP@WomenInBio.org
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