Lisa M.D. Owens
Lisa M.D. Owens spent a decade in the engineering field before becoming a full-time corporate training manager at Procter & Gamble, where she created P&G's first online global training, several training programs for global new hires and the first online internal job posting system for a Fortune 100 company -- for over 80,000 employees at more than 200 sites around the world. She also served as a key adviser for training developed for P&G interviewers who went to college and university campuses to make the first cut on who might be a future employee. Now retired from P&G, Owens founded Training Design Strategies LLC (TDS) so she can continue to equip the doers and the movers of the world to achieve their goals through the help of powerful training, for which she provides the design strategies. She has served on the advisory board for Ohio University's instructional design certificate program, the Executive Advisory Board for The Association for Talent Development, Greater Cincinnati Chapter (GC-ATD) and CorpU's Leaders-As-Teachers Executive Council. Her publications include DESIGNING FOR MODERN LEARNING (2020, co-author), LEADERS AS TEACHERS ACTION GUIDE (2014, co-author), LO START-UP DI UNA CORPORATE UNIVERSITY (Italian) and Leaders Training in Leadership Excellence magazine (2005). Owens earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (1977) and a Master of Education from the University of Cincinnati (1995).
Crystal Kadakia
Crystal Kadakia is a two-time TEDx speaker, organizational consultant and bestselling author with nearly 20 years of experience across diverse industries and sectors, now specializing in climate, ESG and conservation issues. Crystal has a proven track record in enhancing for-profit and nonprofit organizations' capacity to fulfill their missions. She works alongside leaders to transform culture and develop and implement organizational strategy. Notable clients include Sierra Club, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Southern Company, ITC Transco and more. A published author of four books and an accomplished speaker, Crystal has contributed significantly to changing hearts and minds on issues such as generational gaps, hybrid workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, social dynamic and instructional design. Her works include THE MILLENNIAL MYTH, DESIGNING FOR MODERN LEARNING and SOCIAL EQUATIONS. Kadakia is honored to be a Power 30 Under 30, CLO Learning in Practice and ATD One to Watch award recipient. She is also a Georgia Master Naturalist, a board member of the Peachtree Creek Greenway and certified career coach. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s in organization development and began her career at Procter & Gamble. Crystal loves the outdoors, immersing in cultures and the arts and is based in Atlanta, GA with her husband and two children.
Nichole Sims
With 22 years as a senior-level talent acquisition expert, Nichole Sims has led full-cycle internal and external recruiting efforts for an industry leader, earning two Exceptional Achievement Awards. Nichole's passion lies in developing and delivering career-based training through speaking engagements, workshops and coaching. This dedication inspired her to leave her corporate role after 27 years and establish Bold Career Consulting, LLC in December 2021. As Owner and Career Strategist, Nichole trains hiring managers to build strong teams and equip clients with strategies to find, secure or advance in their ideal careers. Her expertise is encapsulated in her program, Career Quest, and its accompanying workbook. For eight years, Nichole served as an adjunct professor at The University of Cincinnati, where she developed the curriculum for her course, Business Professionalism and Character. She has also designed and facilitated workshops for Citi Camp (sponsored by the Cincinnati Police Department) and the leadership development cohort, Advance, created by Empower Gen Now. Nichole holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of Toledo. She has served on numerous university’s Career Service Advisory Boards and volunteers as a leadership development instructor for OneSource Center for Non-Profit Excellence and Kenton County Public Library’s job seeker accountability group. Nichole enjoys recharging by serving as a leader in her local church, hiking and spending time with friends.
