Keynote

Dr Yaro Fong Olivares

Dr. Yaro Fong-Olivares (she/her) is an influential leader with a rich cultural heritage, combining Afro-Caribbean and Chinese roots from Ayiti and Quisqueya (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti). She brings her diverse background and deep commitment to equity and inclusion to her role as Executive Director of the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business at Bentley University.

A visionary in DEI Organizational Development, Dr. Yaro specializes in systems change, equity, and inclusion. She delivers groundbreaking programs worldwide that tackle complex workplace dynamics through an intersectional equity-centered lens. Her expertise is backed by a doctorate in Organizational and Leadership Psychology with a concentration in the neuroscience of leadership from William James College, an M.S. in Organizational Change Management from the Milano School of Management at The New School, and a B.A. in Sociology from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Dr. Yaro’s leadership extends beyond academia. She has held prominent roles such as Past President of the Executive Committee for the New York Center, Member of the Center for the Study of Groups and Social Systems, Co-Creator of Group Relations International, and Certified Consultant at the AK Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems. Her holistic approach to leadership is also informed by her background as a personal trainer and health coach, with a passion for High-Intensity Interval Training, mindfulness, and yoga.

Join Dr. Yaro in championing a future where equity and inclusion are at the forefront of organizational success.

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Dr. YARO FONG-OLIVARES, she/her – is an Afro-Caribbean and Chinese immigrant from the island of Quisqueya and Ayiti (now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Washington Heights, and now living in Massachusetts. Her most salient identity is as a priest of Yemaya in the Lucumi spiritual tradition. She serves as executive director of Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business at Bentley University, an organization dedicated to women plus leaders from classroom to the boardroom. As an organizational development leader focusing on racial justice, equity, and inclusion, she has developed and delivered programs worldwide that advance an intersectional equity-centered approach to complex, often covert workplace dynamics. Fong-Olivares received an organizational and leadership psychology doctorate from William James College; she has an MS in organizational change management from the Milano School of Management at The New School; and a BA in Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University.

Keynote

Jen Newberg

Jen Newberg, Founder of It’s Lifey

Hi, I’m Jen – and my life has been… lifey. What does that mean? It means life has happened – some beautiful, some terrifying, some exhilarating, and some heartbreaking. Sound familiar?

Here’s what I’ve learned: during life’s biggest transitions – whether joyful, confusing, or devastating – it’s easy to feel alone. Because there’s no playbook for this stuff.

That’s why I started It’s Lifey – to help people find their people. To make sure no one has to navigate life’s hardest (or even happiest) moments alone. To create real, meaningful community through shared experiences such as support groups and retreats.

Personally, I’ve been through my share of curveballs: divorce, blending families, addiction, widowhood. And while I haven’t faced everything, I’ve come to believe one truth across the board: connection changes everything. Whether it’s someone walking the same path or someone who’s made it through, talking to someone who gets it can make all the difference. The antidote to loneliness is connection.

Professionally, I’m a communications and partnerships executive with a background in both the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. I’ve led mission-driven campaigns for brands like T-Mobile, Purina, Dove, and Planet Fitness. My superpower is connecting people – building authentic, value-based relationships that make an impact.

It’s Lifey is where my personal journey meets my professional purpose: creating spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and less alone. Because life gets lifey – but we don’t have to go through it alone.

Let’s find your people.

Comedian

Kelly MacFarland

Kelly MacFarland is a stand-up comedian, writer and actress. Kelly is cute, relatable, and totally magnetic. She delivers a performance with best-friend energy, leaving you with the urge to invite her to dinner. The comedy is bold, hilarious, and unexpectedly heartfelt. Kelly brings deeply relatable stories about love, loss, and everything in between. Perfect for audiences who love comedy with brains, edge, and heart. Kelly has appeared on Comedy Central, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, the Today Show, AXS Gotham Comedy LIVE, Up Early Tonight on Hulu, Dry Bar Comedy, Don’t Tell Comedy and Denis Leary’s Comics Come Home at the Boston TD Garden. Check out Kelly’s comedy special, Wit Happens, streaming now on Prime Video.She has several comedy albums available on iTunes and can be heard on SiriusXM radio.