2025 Strategic ERG Leadership Summit
July 22 at 7:30 am - July 23 at 5:00 pm PDT
Current & Past Sponsors
Home Page, Agenda, & Speakers
Sponsorships
Innovation & Success Sharing Competition
Certificate Program
Research
The 2025 Strategic ERG Leadership Summit
-The Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) at the USC Marshall School of Business, in partnership with Presenting Sponsor Ecolab Inc., invites you to participate in the in-person edition of the 2025 Strategic Employee Resource Group (ERG) Leadership Summit, taking place on July 22-23, 2025.
Now in its 13th year, this data-driven learning event continues to be a premier gathering for ERG leaders and executive sponsors. Whether you attended in person or are joining us for the first time, the virtual summit offers a dynamic platform for collaborative learning and innovation. Don’t miss this chance to connect with peers and gain valuable strategic insights.
Why you should attend
Innovation & Success Sharing Competition
Develop Your ERG Strategy to Drive Business Growth, Innovation and High Performance
The Innovation and Success Sharing Competition serves as a dynamic platform for ERG leaders to develop strategies and collaborate on ideas that align their initiatives with broader organizational goals and business strategy. Companies or individuals wanting to be part of the Innovation and Success Sharing Competition start visiting the StartupWind platform to begin their application. To facilitate the process, we will be hosting pre-event workshops, already included in the Summit, where they receive guidance on developing a strategy and their ideas and putting together their success or innovation stories. These submissions will then be presented and judged during the virtual component of the summit, allowing participants to showcase their achievements and compete.
Who Attends?
The Strategic ERG Leadership Summit includes leaders from organizations who have established Employee Resource Group (ERGs) or are just getting their programs started. Attendees include:
- ERG Leaders & Executive Sponsors
- HR executives or other leaders who run ERG programs or are considering adding ERGs
Meet the Researcher
Affiliated Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Theresa Welbourne’s work focuses on human capital and leadership strategies that drive growth, innovation and high performance. She is known for her work on employee energy and how energy, direction and confidence come together to stimulate and sustain high sense of urgency cultures and organizational growth.
Benefits of the Strategic ERG Leadership Summit
Data-driven learning offered by top business school and research center
Collaboration across organizations to advance the impact of ERGs
Networking across industries and organizations
Resources to help ERG leaders drive innovation and growth
Career development and recognition
“The ERG Leadership Summit Sponsorship enabled us to be able to bring the learning to multiple members of our ERGs through the in-person and virtual events. Multiplied the learning as all of our ERG members could work together on the competition and work with other organizations to learn from them too. A priority annual event for our team offered from USC Marshall Center for Effective Organizations.”
2022 ERG Summit Attendee
Become an ERG Leadership Summit Sponsor
When you sponsor the Strategic ERG Leadership Summit, you bring actionable insights and innovative strategies back to your organization, backed by the expertise and partnership of the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, and its Center for Effective Organizations, a top 20 business school and leader in ERG research since 2009.
By supporting ERG development and fostering collaboration, you strengthen your organization’s ability to attract and retain top talent, develop future leaders, enhance organizational agility, and drive business outcomes. Sponsorship demonstrates your commitment to empowering ERGs as strategic resources that contribute to measurable success and long-term growth.
2024 Summit Speakers (2025 To be Announced)
Christophe Beck
CEO
Ecolab
Sharon Birt
Vice President, Senior Academy Manager, The Academy for Global Human Resources
Bank of America
Lisa Boysen Kirkwood
Sr. Director of Pharmacy and co-chair of Generations+
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota
Laura Brock
Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer
nVent
Cherokee M. Carroll
Agency Employee Resource Group (ERG) Program Manager Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO)
NASA
David Casey
Chief Inclusion and Social Impact Officer
Tapestry, Inc.
Lynn Casey
CEO/Founder
Shine Scout, Inc.
CJ Casuto
Senior Project Manager
Mission Critical Partners
Wendy Cox
Senior Vice President; Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Bank of America
Dexter Davis
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)
Ecolab
Jeni Demeranville
Co-lead of the Mental Wellness & Disability Associate Recourse Group
Securian Financial
Juan Diaz
Business Development Manager
Ecolab
Rebecca Harris
DEI Director
Elastic
Emmy Harrison
VP, Human Resources, leader of ADAPT
nVent
Elena Imaretska
Director, Global DEI, Commercial Business
Ecolab
Bob Johansen
Distinguished Fellow
Institute for the Future
Soren Kaplan
Award-winning Author, Former Corporate Executive, and Managing Principal of InnovationPoint
Morgan Kinross-Wright
VP Community Relations & Executive Director
Land O’Lakes Foundation
Orson Ledezma
Sr VP & GM Food & Beverage North America
Ecolab
Yolanda Lindsay
Senior Vice-President, Global Human Resources Global Women’s Portfolio & Strategy
Bank of America
Jamie Lorio
Inclusion Lead, Disability Program Advisor, and ERG Program Manager
US Department of Defense
Tariq Malik
Second Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
Securian Financial
Karen Marsh
Vice President of Quality and Process Engineering
Ecolab
Paul Martin
Global Chief Diversity Officer
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Marsha Mihok
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Ecolab
Zoë Muellerleile
MNClusive ERG Vice-chair, State of MN, Vice-Chair, LGBTQIA+
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Danny Ngo
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion ERG Program Manager
Ecolab
Tom Noon
Principal Financial Analyst
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota
Lainie Passero
Diversity & Inclusion Business Management Global Human Resources
Bank of America
Jaime Proman
Second Vice President, Enterprise Strategy
Securian Financial
Rebecca Robinson
Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Jameel Rush
Director of Inclusion Programs
Joseph Santana
Chairman
The CDO PowerCircle
Nash Shaikh
Director, Chief of Staff to the President & CEO
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota
Margi Simmons
Director of Applied Improvisation
Brave New Outpost
Molly Sjostrom
Senior Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Manager
Jennifer Sparks
Director of Corporate Relations & Executive Education
Center for Effective Organizations
Kat Stermer
Manager of Connected Radio Metadata
Xperi
Nichole J. Thompson
SVP, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant Employee Network Leadership Team
Bank of America
Yetta Toliver
Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Xerox
Melissa Walker
Global ERG Program Manager
Ecolab
Angela Walters
Senior Learning and Development Consultant
Chemours
Dr. Theresa Welbourne
Affiliated Senior Research Scientist
Center for Effective Organizations
Event Info
Event Dates
In-Person: July 22-23, 2025
Virtual: September 25-26, 2025
Individual Pricing
In-person Price: $1,195
Virtual Price: $695
15% Discount for teams of 5 or more. Contact us for discount. Virtual registration ends July 7, 2025.
Location
Omni Viking Lakes Resort
St. Paul – Minneapolis
2611 Nordic Way, Eagan, MN 55121
Attire: Business Casual
Need approval to attend? Click here to download a sample email to ask your manager.
Hosting Sponsors
The Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) is world-renowned for its breakthrough research and insights on organizational performance, effectiveness, and talent management. CEO has been at the forefront of research on ERGs, since 2009, including the business impact they have on complex and newer or smaller organizations.
A trusted partner for millions of customers, Ecolab is a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and the resources vital to life.
University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination
This program is open to all eligible individuals. The Center for Effective Organizations operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Vivian Jimenez. We request that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.