Self-Care and Transformation for BIPOC Women and Allies

As an innovative leader, Kimberly has experience

developing strategies and programs around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Recently serving as the inaugural Diversity, Equity & Inclusion leader for Stanley Black & Decker, she provided the center of excellence for the Stanley Black & Decker global DE&I community through the development and implementation of best practices, knowledge management, leadership development, and metrics that were deployed by the global HR leadership teams within each business unit. 

Currently, Kimberly is an associate with FDR & Associates, a local consulting firm focused on creating positive, accepting, and life-affirming environments. With 25+ years of HR experience, she has supported and led DE&I initiatives in several organizations across industries, including, investment banking, health care, nonprofit, aerospace manufacturing, and higher education. 

In 2005, Kimberly launched Next Level Development, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the career and personal development of women across sectors, professions, and levels. Williams has been a visiting professor at Holyoke Community College, Westfield State University, and Springfield College, School of Social Work, and previously taught Diversity Management for Non-Profit Leaders at Bay Path University.

Crystal Senter-Brown is an award-winning screenwriter and author with 11 books, 1 movie and 1 screenplay under her belt so far.  She has been featured in Oprah, Essence, and Redbook for her work as a Justice of the Peace. She was six when she discovered poetry in a Tennessee church basement and since then, she has won numerous awards such as the Business West Difference Maker and the Girls Inc. Champion for Girls.  Senter-Brown is also an Actress, Casting-Director, Author and Spoken Word Artist, Poet and admired for Empowering Women & Children. She works as the Director of Employer Relations at Bay Path University in Massachusetts. She is married to the love of her life and has an adult son who is also in the entertainment industry industry.

Zaida Govan is a first-generation college graduate with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She was born in Cidras, Puerto Rico and was brought to Springfield by her parents at age 3. She is the Ward 8 City Councilor and the President of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council in Springfield, Massachusetts. Zaida has been serving her community since 1990 when she began her recovery journey. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and uses her license to advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves, and also has a private practice called "Listening With Love." She believes therapy should be available to everyone. 

Zaida currently serves as a board member of the Choice Recovery Coaching, the Springfield Library Foundation, the Wellspring Cooperative Corporation and Wellspring Harvest Greenhouse.  She is also the Chair of the newly formed Mental Health Committee on the Springfield City Council. This committee will focus on how to make mental health services in the City of Springfield better for the residents of our city. She uses all of her spare time to educate and empower people to change the world for our children because she truly believes they are the future.

Anna is the founder, CEO, and transformational teacher and coach of Edelweiss Group and Edelweiss Academy of Mastery. She empowers people, businesses, and organizations to grow, succeed, and make a difference in the world from a place of inner peace, authenticity, and joy.

Anna started her professional path in teaching, facilitation, and coaching over 20 years ago with delivering business simulations for world-class teams at Dell, GE, Boeing, Microsoft, Praxair, and many others. 15 years later, Anna’s path brought her into studying and practicing psychology and energy work. She became certified as a therapist in IFS, a practical psychological model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz as well as in the Energy Codes under the guidance of Dr. Sue Morter.

Since then, Anna has developed her own methodologies, techniques, and approaches that empower people to step into their limitless potential and creativity of an authentic self. Anna integrates her expertise in business simulations, neuroscience, psychology, energetics and energy work, motivation, and experiential learning to create transformational solutions. Anna has had the privilege to work with many professionals and organizations that include United Technologies, GE, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Dell, Electronic Arts, as well as many entrepreneurs passion- and purpose inspired to grow their businesses and make a difference in the world.

Andréa Hawkins is the Founding Partner of Leading Culture Solutions, a boutique consulting firm serving organizations primarily in six practice areas: Strategic Planning, Organizational Effectiveness, Culture Transformation, Leadership Development, Interim Leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

She has 20+ years of experience in executive leadership roles and leading teams in Finance, Operations, Product Development, IT, Marketing, and Learning at Fortune 100 companies across Healthcare, Finance, and Insurance. Andréa brings her for-profit expertise to the non-profit arena to help organizations expand and build capacity.

Understanding the importance of giving back, Andréa is an active member of her community. She is the Immediate Past President of the Board of Trustees for The Amistad Center for Art and Culture, where she has been a volunteer for more than 23 years. She is the Membership Committee Chair of the Human Resource Leadership Forum and previously served the YWCA Hartford Region’s Board.

Andréa is a highly sought-after facilitator and speaker who captivates her audiences with powerful messages on cultural transformation, optimizing business, and accelerating growth through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. Andréa is currently writing a book, 4L© Framework: Journey to Inclusion, and was recently named as an Affiliate Researcher at the Boston University Center for Anti-Racism Research Center and will study under Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Anti-Racist.