Welcome to TEDxClaremontGraduateUniversity! Join us for an inspiring day of thought-provoking talks, innovative ideas, and engaging discussions. This in-person event will be held at the CGU Albrecht Auditorium, where speakers from diverse backgrounds will share their unique perspectives on a wide range of topics. Get ready to be inspired, challenged, and motivated to make a difference in the world. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and be a part of the TEDx experience!

Albrecht Auditorium - Stauffer Hall of Learning (Claremont Graduate University)
925 N. Dartmouth Avenue
Claremont, California, 91711
United States

Alyssa Birnbaum

Founder of Teal Elephant LLC

Dr. Alyssa Birnbaum is an organizational psychologist and the founder of Teal Elephant LLC, an employee listening and organizational development consultancy. Her research focuses on high-quality work connections, work engagement, burnout, and the evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work. Alyssa currently works with organizations to craft ongoing listening strategies to truly listen to employees at work and help create solutions to foster positive work cultures.

Austin Attaway

President, CEO & Professor

Austin Attaway stands at the intersection of organizational behavior, mental health advocacy, and public service, making contributions in each domain. In his Ph.D., he zeroes in on organizational justice, particularly within remote and hybrid work settings. His research, conducted in the Justice and Organizational Behavior Lab (JOB Lab), aims to forge fair policies and spaces, considering both spatial and temporal dimensions to promote equity and respect in the workplace. As CEO and President of a nonprofit mental health clinic, he focuses on expanding access to mental health services for under-resourced communities. In his role on the Human Resources Board for the City of Riverside, Austin applies his organizational expertise to enhance HR policies and practices. As a Professor of Psychology at CSULA, he educates future psychologists and leaders on the principles of organizational justice.

Cindi Gilliland

Clinical Full Professor of Organizational Psychology

Dr. Cindi Gilliland received her Ph.D. in social psychology at Michigan State University in 1992. She has taught 20,000 undergraduate, graduate, and executive students in her thirty-four-year university career. She is currently a Clinical Full Professor of Organizational Psychology in the Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences at Claremont Graduate University (CGU), and President of Gilliland Consulting, a management consulting firm in San Diego. Cindi is also a university award-winning Professor of Practice Emeritus in the Management and Organizations Department at The University of Arizona. Cindi's professional interests include resilience, well-being, love, and positive relationships. She has been married to Dr. Stephen Gilliland for 31 years, and they have two adult children, Austin, 30, a Senior Associate at Breakthrough Properties in London, UK, and Caitlin, 27, a Ph.D. student in clinical neuropsychology at UCSD/SDSU in San Diego, CA.

Crystal Williams

Mediator, Adjunct Professor, and Educator

As a Special Education Dispute Resolution expert, Crystal leads White & Williams ADR Services LLC. With a Master of Dispute Resolution from USC’s Gould School of Law, she expanded her mediation training through Waymakers Dispute Resolution Services and Mosten Guthrie Academy. She has a Master of Arts in Teacher Education with special education credentials from Claremont Graduate University, along with a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University and a BA in Social Science from USC. With 15 years of K-12 teaching experience, she serves as a Social Justice Educator at CGU and the University of Redlands. Crystal is committed to guiding parents through the IEP process as an Adjunct Instructor at the Learning Rights Law Center’s T.I.G.E.R program. She is actively engaged in board positions and advisory roles, as well as a seasoned public speaker, most recently presenting at the 2024 CA State Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference.

Darnell Mauricio

LeAD Labs Data Coordinator at CGU

Darnell Mauricio, M.A., is a leader development expert and the LeAD Labs data coordinator. He has facilitated multiple leadership workshops for both students and police officers. As an Army veteran, he has led teams in disaster response training, and medical combat support training. Additionally, Darnell served as a healthcare administrator, leading projects in healthcare business administration and coordinating with local community members to ensure continuous medical support was provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these experiences has guided him to pursue his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, where his research has focused on helping leaders develop and understand their purpose in life.

Jannatul Maoa

PhD Candidate, Women & Gender Studies in Religion at Claremont Graduate University, Storyteller, and Interfaith Dialogue Practitioner

Jannatul is a storyteller, an interfaith dialogue practitioner, a seeker, and a changemaker! A passionate Ph.D. candidate and versatile social advocate, she is dedicated to unveiling the complexities of gender, religion, and politics. She approaches these dynamics through interdisciplinary lenses, employing visual research methods and ethnographic studies. Beyond academia, Jannatul is passionate about journalism, storytelling, community activism, and facilitation. Collaborating with esteemed humanitarian organizations, she champions causes such as minority rights, women's empowerment, interfaith dialogue, and cultural diversity. With a versatile skill set, she fosters academic rigor grounded in extensive coursework and research experience. Demonstrating a commitment to positive societal change, Jannatul bridges academic insights with practical activism, fostering cultural sensitivity and promoting inclusive narratives.

Len Jessup

President at Claremont Graduate University

Len Jessup is a two-time university president, two-time business school dean, long-time business school professor, and a startup investor and pioneer. Jessup is recognized for his deep interest in innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, building consensus, and organizational change. He is the president of Claremont Graduate University of the prestigious Claremont College consortium in Southern California. He has also served as president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and dean of the business schools at both the University of Arizona and Washington State University. He has received prestigious awards, including the prestigious CEO Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VII. Jessup, the first in his family to graduate from college, holds a doctorate in Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Arizona, an MBA, and a bachelor's degree in information and communication studies from California State University, Chico.

Orly Lobel

Warren Distinguished Professor of Law and Founding Director of the Center for Employment and Labor Policy (CELP) at University of San Diego

Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law and Founding Director of the Center for Employment and Labor Policy (CELP) at USD. A renowned tech policy scholar and the award-winning author of best-selling books and numerous high-impact articles, Lobel graduated from Harvard Law School, and is one of the most cited legal scholars in in law and technology, the second most cited scholar in the nation in employment law, and overall one of the most cited younger legal scholars in the United States. She has received prestigious grants for her scholarship, most recently a grant from the AI and Humanities Project. Her new book, The Equality Machine: Harnessing Tomorrow’s Technologies for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future, is hailed as groundbreaking and was named by The Economist Best Book of 2022 (“brilliant”).

Rohan Sharma

Stanford Seed Consultant

Rohan is a business executive and philanthropic leader with a strong network in industry, academia, and investment community boasting a consistent track record of driving revenue growth and operational performance improvement. Rohan's expertise also includes leading initiatives in Automation, Data Science, and AI for top Fortune 100 companies and in Hollywood, including Apple, Disney, AT&T, and Honda. Rohan is a member of the Advisory Board for Frost & Sullivan, and a mentor at Techstars, UC San Diego Rady School of Management & Maccelerator. Additionally, he is on the Advisory Board for the CCLV and an Advisor to UCLA Anderson School of Management's Venture Accelerator. Rohan is also a Stanford seed strategy consultant & venture growth lead at ExpertDojo. Rohan is a USC-trained engineering leader and holds numerous Industry-leading certifications.