Sue Bethanis hosts Dr. Joel Salinas, a Harvard-trained behavioral neurologist and Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Isaac Health, a telehealth platform focused on brain health and dementia care. Dr. Salinas serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and previously held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a nationally recognized expert in brain health with over 40 academic publications and contributions to eight books in neurology.

Sue and Joel discuss his latest book Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In, co-authored with Robert Bordone. Key topics include:

• The neuroscience behind conflict and our brain’s default threat response patterns
• The three-step framework for developing conflict resilience: Name, Explore, and Commit
• How to build “conflict tolerance” through recognition and holding capacity
• Practical strategies for workplace conflicts, including handling difficult colleagues and power dynamics
• The role of synesthesia and mirror-touch experiences in understanding empathy and human connection
• Building organizational cultures that embrace healthy disagreement

Sue Bethanis hosts Matt Kohut, founding partner of KNP Communications, who has prepared CEOs, elected officials, entrepreneurs, ambassadors, scientists, and best-selling authors for events ranging from television appearances to board meetings to TED Talks. He is the author of Speaking Out: New Rules for Business Leadership Communication and co-author of The Smart Mission: NASA's Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects and Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities that Make Us Influential.

Sue Bethanis hosts Matthew Dixon, a Founding Partner of DCM Insights and leading expert in business development and client experience. Matt is the co-author of the groundbreaking book The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, which reveals why traditional business development approaches are failing in professional services.

Sue and Matt explore:

• The dramatic shift in client loyalty within professional services
• The five distinct business development profiles Matt's research identified among nearly 3,000 partners: Experts, Confidants, Debaters, Realists, and Activators
• The three pillars of the Activator approach and why this approach fosters longer-lasting, more engaged professional relationships, and shields them from unpredictable client-buying behaviors

Sue Bethanis hosts Kathleen deLaski, Founder and Board Chair at the Education Design Lab, and author of the new book, Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter.

Drawing from her groundbreaking research with 125+ colleges and major employers, Kathleen outlines ten design principles to build a new system for getting people the skills they need for the jobs they want. From white-collar internships, hybrid high-school/college degrees, and boot camps to industry credentialing programs and even self-starters learning from YouTube, the future of work exists outside of traditional higher ed, and it’s time to scale up and out.

Sue and Kathleen discuss:

• The historical context of college degrees and how their perceived value is changing in
  today’s economy.
• How we center the needs of New-Majority Learners—the low- and moderate-income individuals, people of color, first-generation college students, veterans, and others who are underserved by traditional higher ed.
• Ten design principles to redefine college as a place where workforce training, corporate education, and traditional college paths merge and make a flexible and inclusive system for today’s learners.

Sue Bethanis hosts Alan Stein, Founder, CEO & Chief Accelerator of Kadima Careers.

Alan has dedicated himself to helping professionals, particularly those from underrepresented groups, build powerful networks and land transformative roles at the world's leading tech companies.

Sue and Alan discuss:

• The power of networking and building your circle of influence
• Strategies for maintaining authentic connections during career transitions
• How to leverage your network during industry shifts
• How to build influence in an increasingly digital world

Sue Bethanis hosts Andrew C. M. Cooper, influential executive leader and author of the book The Ethical Imperative: Leading with Conscience to Shape the Future of Business.

Andrew lays out a new, practical path for corporations to rethink harmful, outdated models and integrate themselves with the communities that they inevitably affect.

Sue and Andrew discuss:

• Why Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly critical of corporations.
• How a conscientious executive can balance the demands of profitability with the need for ethical leadership.
• Ways the recent election will affect how business executives and managers approach leading with conscience.
• Five practical steps executives can take to “level up” their leadership skills.

Sue Bethanis hosts Charlotte Evans, Principal Solutions Consultant at Coursera. Charlotte advises North American companies on their upskilling and reskilling learning solutions. She worked in Asia for five years in student services, where she also pursued a fellowship through the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Learners’ Voice program. Charlotte graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ed.M.) in 2019 and has continued her passion for international education access through her work at Coursera.

Sue and Charlotte discuss the dual role of Gen AI in the world of Learning and Development and:

• The key elements of a skills-based learning and career development strategy
• How AI and automation help identify skills gaps and save time
• Actionable low-tech tools you can start using to foster real connections in your organization

Sue hosts Dr. Joel Pérez, an executive and leadership coach, speaker, and consultant passionate about helping leaders and organizations achieve their goals and develop a posture of cultural humility so they can have the impact and create the culture they desire.

Joel is the owner of Apoyo Coaching and Consulting, LLC, and a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF). He specializes in identity-conscious leadership coaching and coaching professionals who want to develop their cultural humility. He has a certification in the MBTI, is a Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), is a Gallup Strengths Certified Coach, and is a certified coach through the Academy of Creative Coaching. He has over 20 years of experience in higher education, serving in various key leadership roles.

Joel earned his doctorate in higher education administration at Claremont Graduate University. He has been married for over 26 years and has four children. He enjoys cheering on the Los Angeles Dodgers and watching films.

Sue and Joel discuss his new book Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility. The book focuses on helping leaders develop their cultural humility for individual, organizational, and community change.