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2025 Strategic ERG Leadership Summit

July 22, 2025 at 7:30 am - July 23, 2025 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, diversity, equity, and inclusion executives, 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 insights in the DEI space.

Enjoy 10% off with Early Bird pricing! Book by 12/15/24 and use code EarlyBird10 at check out. Prices increase on 12/16/24.

Why you should attend

Innovation & Success Sharing Competition

The Innovation and Success Sharing Competition provides a platform for organizations to generate new ideas and share their successes. 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 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
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leaders
  • 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 are able to bring new learnings to your organization and teams, all with the partnership and support of a major university, the University of Southern California, an organization that’s been on the forefront of ERG research since 2009, the Center for Effective Organizations.

Participating also can improve your organization’s image, prestige and credibility in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space. Sponsoring the Summit establishes your role as a key leader in your industry and signals your support for DE&I in the marketplace.

Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in the broader community can also help you recruit and retain talent – the best people want to work for the best people. And it also helps show your DE&I commitment to staff members at all levels of your organization.

2024 Summit Speakers

Christophe Beck

Christophe Beck

CEO

Ecolab

Sharon Birt

Sharon Birt

Vice President, Senior Academy Manager, The Academy for Global Human Resources

Bank of America

Lisa Boysen Kirkwood

Lisa Boysen Kirkwood

Sr. Director of Pharmacy and co-chair of Generations+

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota

Laura Brock

Laura Brock

Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer

nVent

Cherokee M. Carroll

Cherokee M. Carroll

Agency Employee Resource Group (ERG) Program Manager Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO)

NASA

David Casey

David Casey

Chief Inclusion and Social Impact Officer

Tapestry, Inc.

Lynn Casey

Lynn Casey

CEO/Founder

Shine Scout, Inc.

CJ Casuto

CJ Casuto

Senior Project Manager

Mission Critical Partners

Wendy Cox

Wendy Cox

Senior Vice President; Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Bank of America

Dexter Davis

Dexter Davis

Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)

Ecolab

Jeni Demeranville

Jeni Demeranville

Co-lead of the Mental Wellness & Disability Associate Recourse Group

Securian Financial

Juan Diaz

Juan Diaz

Business Development Manager

Ecolab

Rebecca Harris

Rebecca Harris

DEI Director

Elastic

Emmy Harrison

Emmy Harrison

VP, Human Resources, leader of ADAPT

nVent

Elena Imaretska

Elena Imaretska

Director, Global DEI, Commercial Business

Ecolab

Bob Johansen

Bob Johansen

Distinguished Fellow

Institute for the Future

Soren Kaplan

Soren Kaplan

Award-winning Author, Former Corporate Executive, and Managing Principal of InnovationPoint

Morgan Kinross-Wright

Morgan Kinross-Wright

VP Community Relations & Executive Director

Land O’Lakes Foundation

Orson Ledezma

Orson Ledezma

Sr VP & GM Food & Beverage North America

Ecolab

Yolanda Lindsay

Yolanda Lindsay

Senior Vice-President, Global Human Resources Global Women’s Portfolio & Strategy

Bank of America

Jamie Lorio

Jamie Lorio

Inclusion Lead, Disability Program Advisor, and ERG Program Manager

US Department of Defense

Tariq Malik

Tariq Malik

Second Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Securian Financial

 Karen Marsh

Karen Marsh

Vice President of Quality and Process Engineering

Ecolab

Paul Martin

Paul Martin

Global Chief Diversity Officer

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Marsha Mihok

Marsha Mihok

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Ecolab

 Zoë Muellerleile

Zoë Muellerleile

MNClusive ERG Vice-chair, State of MN, Vice-Chair, LGBTQIA+

Minnesota Department of Transportation

Danny Ngo

Danny Ngo

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion ERG Program Manager

Ecolab

Tom Noon

Tom Noon

Principal Financial Analyst

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota

Lainie Passero

Lainie Passero

Diversity & Inclusion Business Management Global Human Resources

Bank of America

Jaime Proman

Jaime Proman

Second Vice President, Enterprise Strategy

Securian Financial

Rebecca Robinson

Rebecca Robinson

Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Jameel Rush

Jameel Rush

Director of Inclusion Programs

Google

 Joseph Santana

Joseph Santana

Chairman

The CDO PowerCircle

Nash Shaikh

Nash Shaikh

Director, Chief of Staff to the President & CEO

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota

Margi Simmons

Margi Simmons

Director of Applied Improvisation

Brave New Outpost

Molly Sjostrom

Molly Sjostrom

Senior Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Manager

Jennifer Sparks

Jennifer Sparks

Director of Corporate Relations & Executive Education

Center for Effective Organizations

Kat Stermer

Kat Stermer

Manager of Connected Radio Metadata

Xperi

Nichole J. Thompson

Nichole J. Thompson

SVP, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant Employee Network Leadership Team

Bank of America

Yetta Toliver

Yetta Toliver

Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

Xerox

Melissa Walker

Melissa Walker

Global ERG Program Manager

Ecolab

Angela Walters

Angela Walters

Senior Learning and Development Consultant

Chemours

Dr. Theresa Welbourne

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.

Details

Start:
July 22, 2025 at 7:30 am PDT
End:
July 23, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT
Event Category:

Organizer

Vivian Jimenez
Phone
2137409814
Email
vivianji@marshall.usc.edu

Venue

Omni Viking Lakes Resort
2611 Nordic Way
Eagan, MN 55121 United States
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