For three seasons, HR Fresh Take has covered topics that affect our business community and how HR is able to meet those challenges. For this episode, we’d like to approach it from a different angle and take this opportunity to share the meaningful experiences of individuals who joined Philly SHRM’s HR Lift Lab in 2024.
With a foundation of leadership self-awareness plus a balanced portfolio of effective HR practices, LIFT LAB elevates people to empower progress.
In a nutshell, Lift Lab’s puts the focus on you, the HR professional and the person.

In Chapter 1, we'll hear about the experiences of the Instructors and Coaches as well as some key advice for our listeners. In Chapter 2, (27:25) we'll hear about the experience from the Learners perspective.

The next cohort will take place from August through December 2025. This 5-month program develops HR leaders to grow themselves to also grow the business and others. Visit phillyshrm.org and click on the HR Lift Lab tab for more information and registration.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

As companies strive to prioritize employee well-being, a concerning trend has emerged: “Care-washing” which is the practice of offering superficial or surface-level wellness programs that fail to address the root causes of employee stress and burnout.

In this episode, we are in conversation with guests Nicole McNeal, Director of Wellbeing at Virtua Health and Anna Greenwald CEO/Founder of On the Goga as well as HR Fresh Take producers and co-hosts Kaela Blanks and Theresa Velykis

We’ll discuss what is “Care-washing” and how HR and business leaders can be more strategic and intentional with their wellness policies that will help employees and avoid programs that are merely performative.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

Silos in the workplace can create divisions that hinder communication, collaboration, and innovation. They often lead to duplicated efforts, missed opportunities, and a lack of cohesion. But what causes these silos to form, and how can we break them down?

In this episode of HR Fresh Take, we’ll talk with Pat Schaeffer, co-founder of Talent Strategy Partners and Barbara Taylor, Business partner of JanBara & Associates. They are the co-creators of Silo-Busting Networking.

We’ll delve into the impact of organizational silos and share strategies to foster a more connected and collaborative environment.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

Born between the mid 1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z is not just another demographic, they are a driving force behind many of the changes we're seeing in today's job market. The challenge for some organizations is figuring out how to engage with Gen Z effectively and how best to utilize their skills within the workforce.

In this episode, we'll talk with Michael Brenner, founder and CEO of Right Chord Leadership. We'll discuss Gen Zs characteristics, expectations and aspirations as they enter the workforce. We'll also discuss opportunities for organizations to tap into Gen Zs talent and what we can learn from them.

Joining in to discussion is Ally Lamson, Area Vice president of Health and Benefits at Gallagher and a member of the Thought leadership committee at Philly SHRM.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

Halloween is around the corner! So come with us as we revisit HR Fresh Take's most fun and popular episode: "An HR Halloween", where we share a few horror stories submitted by the HR community in the Philadelphia area. The names were changed to protect the innocent AND the guilty. We'll also discuss lessons from these cautionary tales. Enjoy!

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

Recently, DEI initiatives have faced significant challenges in boardrooms, state legislatures, and college campuses. Since 2023, 81 anti-DEI bills targeting college programs have been introduced in 28 states and in Congress, with eight signed into law in states like Texas and Florida.

Despite these challenges, a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 52% of employed U.S. adults participate in DEI trainings or meetings at work, and 33% have a designated staff member promoting DEI. However, the landscape is shifting, with some companies slashing DEI teams and prominent corporate leaders like Bill Ackman and Elon Musk publicly criticizing diversity programs.

In this episode of HR Fresh Take, we’ll talk with Tanya Ladipo, Founder and CEO of the Ladipo Group. We’ll highlight the concerns and challenges arising from the shifting landscape that is significantly impacting DEI efforts.
We’ll also examine why ending DEI initiatives is often a reactionary move driven by fear-based decisions and why it’s essential to stay the course.

Joining in the discussion are Theresa Velykis, Director of Human Resources at Mastery Charter Schools and Past President of Philly SHRM, and Ragine Williams, Leader of DEI Reporting, Recruiting and Outreach at SEI, and VP of DEI for Philly SHRM.

More about Tanya...

Tonya Ladipo, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, is
the founder and CEO of The Ladipo Group. She has 25+ years of experience partnering with mission driven organizations to enhance emotional
intelligence and create psychologically safe workplaces where everyone can thrive. Her philosophy, Knowledge is Good, Behavior is Better, underscores her approach to creating lasting behavior change for individuals and organizations.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

With the prevailing mentality that workers should “leave life at the door”, it’s no wonder that the struggle to balance the demands of family and career has only gotten more difficult. This is especially true for employees who care for others such as children, elderly parents, and family members at home who are sick or have disabilities. According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Caregivers are the fastest-growing workplace identity group, making up 73% of the workforce. Employer support of this population will be crucial to remain competitive in attracting, engaging and retaining top talent.

In this final episode of season 2 of "HR Fresh Take", we’ll talk with TC Riley, Senior Director of Data & Analytics at Cariloop; a digital platform that helps families manage their loved one's care needs by connecting them to an employer-sponsored caregiver support platform. Also joining the conversation is Philly SHRM Chapter President Catherine Priem who’s passion for employer support of caregivers in the workforce is the catalyst for this topic. Your host for this episode is podcast producer, Theresa Velykis.

More about TC
TC Riley has held various data leadership roles throughout his career and worked in the financial compliance and marketing industries before joining Cariloop. The burden of caregiving costs employers both in productivity and talent. Cariloop delivers caregiver support benefits designed to support caregivers, equipping HR leaders to nurture a more effective and loyal workforce. At Cariloop, TC and his team handle all applicable internal and external (client) reporting but specialize in Value Engineering and identifying the true financial impact of providing an employee population caregiving support benefits.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org

Political factors can have a significant impact on how HR manages an organization’s culture, talent, and other areas. Politically motivated trends either brought upon by the C-Suite or employees can leave HR in a precarious position to manage expectations of organizational change in relation to these movements.

In this episode, recorded during the 2024 Philadelphia SHRM Symposium, our podcast hosts got the perspective from 12 of our nationally and locally recognized speakers on the issue of HR and Politics. We asked our guests what HR professionals need to be prepared for the external political influences and movements that may potentially lead to disruption within their organizations.
Sharing hosting duties are cohosts and producers of HR Fresh Take: Dr. Jo Vazquez; Kaela Blanks; Brisilda Doma; Ed Rogers; Kena Sears; Theresa Velykis, and Ragine Williams. They will be asking questions of our guests on this provocative topic.

Please Note: You can listen to all of our speakers or to your favorite one. The choice is yours. You can either scroll to the specific speaker's timestamps or (if your podcast platform supports it) or go to the "Chapters" tab or section and choose.

1:38
Gary Dumais, Psy.D., SPHR is a Business Psychologist & Human Resource Consultant at Select Human Resources. He talks with podcast Executive Producer, Dr. Jo Vazquez
9:31
Andy Sholly, Chief People Officer at National Fitness Partners. National Fitness Partners is one of largest and most successful Planet Fitness Franchisees.
17:22
Bethany Adams Associate Director, Marketing & Strategy, Villanova University. She talks with our podcast co-host, Kaela Blanks.
25:51
Kelly Jones, Philly SHRM Symposium Chair and Moderator of the CHRO panel. He talks with our podcast producer, Ragine Williams
32:16
Sulaiman W. Rahman who is the CEO of DiverseForce, a company specializing in inclusive human capital solutions. He talks with our podcast producer Theresa Velykis.
40:19
Joyel Crawford, an award winning Certified Professional Career Coach, Certified Virtual Presenter, TEDx Speaker, and Leadership Development Consultant at Crawford Leadership Strategies. She talks with Director of Symposium programming, Ed Rogers
48:17
Scott J Prendergast, a Keynote Speaker and Mental Health Advocate based in Philadelphia, PA and owner of Scotty P Inspiration LLC. He is also the author of “From Rock Bottom To Rock Solid: Learning To Navigate Life Through The Lens Of Hope".
53:46
Lauren Williams, CEO of Workplace Harmony, a dynamic group of HR experts (think Avengers) that helps women -owned and minority small businesses thrive with leading high performing teams and building better workplaces.
1:01:48
Kendra Davis-Roberts is Owner & Principal Analyst, KDR Analytics Her expertise spans across People Analytics, HRIS, Recruiting, HR operations, and Program Management.
1:08:39
Dr. Michael Brenner is founder and CEO of Right Chord Leadership. He collaborates with leaders and teams at all levels to strengthen the essential skills needed for peak performance. He talks with podcast producer, Kena Sears.
1:16:44
Michael S. Cohen, a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. Michael concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling.
1:25:39
Naomi Barrett, the Director of Global Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at EisnerAmper, a global Accounting and Advisory firm.
1:34:23
Philly SHRM President Catherine Preim. She is a Senior Business Partner with Baker Tilly US, a leading advisory CPA firm. She talks with podcast producer Brisilda Doma.

Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, phillyshrm.org