Alejandro (Ale’) Mendoza is the Director of Human Resources at Optimax Systems Inc, a precision optics manufacturer, located in Ontario, New York. In this role, he is part of the Board of Directors at Optimax and focuses on aligning the company’s strategic goals and culture with a growing workforce. Before joining Optimax in 2006, Ale’ was a member of the United States Air Force, where he served in a variety of specialized roles. His military career included assignments with Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Space Surveillance, and Aircrew Life Support systems and training. In addition to his current role at Optimax, Ale’ has a passion for collaborating and building relationships with workforce development organizations. Ale’ serves the local community as a member of the Finger Lakes Community College foundation board, YMCA HR advisory committee, Veterans Employment Strategy Team and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce HR Executive forum while regionally, he’s a member of the NY state workforce strategy group – Invest in skills NY coalition and nationally, he serves as a board member of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and partners with the National Skills Coalition and Business Leaders United, including a member of their Manufacturing Industry Recovery Panel. He holds an associate degree from Monroe Community College (MCC), a bachelor’s degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and a master’s degree from St. John Fisher College.

Ivye L. Allen, Ph.D. served 17 years as president of the Foundation for the Mid South, a regional foundation serving Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Foundation supports programs and initiatives that focus on community development, education, health and wellness, and wealth building. The organization’s successes include assisting new and incumbent workers secure and retain employment, improving school district performance, and supporting more than 75,000 families improve their financial knowledge and assets. Dr. Allen previously served as Chief Operating Officer for MDC Inc. and was Director of Fellowship Programs for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. She has held finance and marketing positions in Fortune 100 corporations. Her education includes a Ph.D. in social policy from Columbia University; an M.S. in urban affairs from Hunter College; an M.B.A. in marketing and international business from New York University; and a B. A. in economics from Howard University.

As the president of CAEL, Earl Buford oversees the national nonprofit organization's work to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth for adult learners in collaboration with workforce and economic developers, post-secondary educators, employers, industry groups, foundations, and other mission-aligned groups. Before CAEL, Buford was the Chief Executive Officer of Partner4Work, the leader of the public workforce system for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, as well as Employ Milwaukee, where he was nationally recognized for implementing and integrating a sector-based approach to workforce development. Buford was also the leader of one of the first intermediaries in the country, WRTP/BIG-STEP. Buford is an active board member with several organizations, including the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Apprenticeships for America, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Catalyst Connection, Bridgeway Capital, Cleveland Federal Reserve (Pittsburgh Chapter), and Strada Education Network's National Strategic Advisory Group. He is a former member of Vice President Joe Biden’s Task Force on Effective Workforce Strategies, the National Network of Sector Partners, the Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Minority Unemployment, and the National Skills Coalition Advisory Board, among many others.

Bethia Burke is the president of the Fund for Our Economic Future, a nonprofit organization working to advance a more equitable economy in Northeast Ohio. As president, Bethia brings critical leadership to Northeast Ohio’s most pressing challenges—working with diverse stakeholders to find common ground while advancing real solutions to drive a more equitable, growing economy. Bethia leads the Fund’s governing body—a board representing cross-sector, regional perspectives from the Fund’s 18-county footprint—and team of staff and consulting partners in advancing the organization’s strategic priorities to drive systems change that reduce racial inequities and set the course for a more prosperous, resilient Northeast Ohio economy.  Bethia is consistently recognized across Northeast Ohio for her leadership and influence in philanthropy and economic development, for example as a Crain’s Cleveland Business Women of Note (2022), on Ohio Business Magazine’s ‘Ohio 500’ list of Ohio's most powerful and influential people (2022, 2023), with a Medical Mutual’s Pillar Award for Community Service as a Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award (2022) and with a Progressive Woman Award from Smart Business Northeast Ohio (2024). Bethia attended Case Western Reserve University where she earned dual undergraduate degrees in economics and English. She spent her early career in the greater Washington, D.C., area conducting cost risk reviews of major defense programs while earning her master’s degree in applied economics at Johns Hopkins University.

Kristin Moul Driscoll is the Director of Bloomberg Healthcare Initiatives at Mass General Brigham. In this role, Kristin is responsible for overseeing and managing the collaborative efforts between Mass General Brigham, Edward M Kennedy Academy (Boston Public High School)  and the City of Boston to provide high-quality health careers training programs within the public school system and a $38 million five-year grant funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. 

Previously, Kristin was the Director of Workforce Development & Internal Mobility at Boston Children’s Hospital where she worked in various workforce development roles for almost nine years. During her time at Boston Children’s, Kristin grew the workforce development team from one staff member to eleven members and added programming in community and incumbent worker areas to increase access to opportunities for all while filling talent shortages. She was also involved in projects such as the Co-Chair/Founder of the Working Parents & Caregivers Special Interest Group, a member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council and the Healthcare Anchor Network workgroup, co-chair of the Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium, and was a Member of the Boston Private Industry Council, Boston’s MassHire Workforce Board. 

Kristin also worked for the Boston Public Schools (Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers as the Health Engagement Coordinator), Boston Private Industry Council (Career Specialist and Coach), and as a consultant supporting non-profits with various programmatic goals. Kristin is a proud AmeriCorps alumna (City Year Boston) and holds her SHRM-SCP certification, Master of Education from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern University. Outside of work, Kristin and her husband are the proud parents to three lively kids and a rescue dog. Kristin is an active member and volunteer in her Boston, MA neighborhood- Dorchester. 

Paula Gilberto has 44 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She capped a 24-year career with United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, retiring in March 2022 as its President and CEO. Prior to that, she served in various management positions with the American Red Cross, Connecticut Region. Paula’s career has included building public/private partnerships to further student achievement, economic mobility, and workforce development. She also held leadership roles in strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational development, as well as developing and replicating education and financial security initiatives regionally and nationally. Paula is a founding member of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s Women United and Women of Tocqueville (Co-Chair), two groups committed to ensuring economic mobility for women and families. She serves on the board of directors of the American Savings Foundation, Connecticut Voices for Children and the YWCA New Britain. She is also a member of the National Organization for Italian American Women/Connecticut Region and United Way NEXT, a national network of United Way leaders. Paula holds a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior from University of Hartford and a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Psychology from University of Bridgeport. She is also a Family Strengthening for Success Fellow from Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Andrea Glispie is a Senior Manager of Community Development at Charles Schwab Bank where she helps to ensure the bank fulfills its obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act. In this role, she facilitates philanthropic contributions from the bank to nonprofit organizations and creates skilled volunteer opportunities so that Charles Schwab colleagues can leverage their expertise in support of community organizations. Prior to this, Andrea served as the site director of the Dallas workforce funding collaborative Pathways to Work. The collaborative invested in career pathways for adult workers and industry partners in the healthcare and information technology sectors, advanced workforce equity, and piloted job quality strategies. She has over 20 years of professional experience, especially in the areas of organizing, advocacy, grantmaking, and community engagement. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Social Work degree from Washington University – St. Louis. She resides in Plano, Texas and is the proud (and often tired) mom of a nine year old boy and is an obnoxious Peloton enthusiast.

Michael Gritton has served as the Executive Director of KentuckianaWorks, the Workforce Development Board for Louisville and its 6 regional counties, for 20 years. KentuckianaWorks leverages federal, state, and local government dollars as well as private philanthropic grants to engage employers, educators and job seekers with resources to build a stronger community through the dignity of work. Gritton is a Louisville native who spent 20 years living in New York, Boston, and elsewhere before returning to his hometown in 2000. He is a graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Duke University and Columbia Law School.

Seung Kim is Senior Vice President at LISC and leads the National Programs unit including Health, Economic Development, Child Care & Early Learning, Safety & Justice, and Sports & Recreation. She guides these programs in delivering technical and financial resources, thought leadership, program innovation and scaling, and external partnerships with an aim to enhance LISC’s impact in communities. Seung has led the strategic expansion of LISC’s national workforce and asset building initiatives, through its network of Financial Opportunity Centers, and its Bridges to Career Opportunities initiative. She was also instrumental to successful program development for LISC’s growing network of business development partners focused on serving small businesses owned by people of color and women. She has championed community-focused and data-driven approaches to pilot, test, and scale promising program strategies.

Whitney Smith began as CEO of Schreiber Philanthropy in July 2023. Working with John and Kathy Schreiber, Smith will lead the effort to scale impact as their giving grows. To date, the family has focused on improving access and success in education, meeting the basic needs of families with an emphasis on immigrants and refugees, and building the capacity of organizations to respond to community health demands. Smith most recently served as Executive Vice President of Programs and Chief Strategy Officer where she oversaw efforts to advance racial equity and economic mobility in the Great Lakes region through support for evidence-based policy change. Prior to Joyce, Smith served as JPMorgan Chase’s Head ofRegional Philanthropy for North America for nearly seven years, which included more than $100MM in grantmaking annually with a focus on workforce readiness, small business development, neighborhood development, and consumer financial health policy and practice. In her volunteer capacity, Whitney chairs the Board of Directors for the National Fund for WorkforceSolutions. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago. Whitney lives in Oak Park, IL with her husband, teenage twins, and a menagerie of pets.