DON’T MISS

ALEXIS GONZALES BLACK

THREE SESSIONS

The New School Rules: 6 Practices for Responsive and Self-Organized Teams of the Future

A Roundtable Discussion

15 Experiments for more Responsive and Self-Organized Teams

Alexis Gonzales Black is an expert in organizational design and change initiatives with deep experience in the education, retail, and technology sectors. A Principal Designer at the global design firm IDEO, she designs and implements new organizational models to fuel innovation, agility, and engagement.

Alexis earned a B.S in biology from James Madison University, and developed a passion for teaching and social justice as a high school science teacher and Recruitment Director for Teach For America. At Zappos.com, Alexis led college recruiting and diversity initiatives before co-leading the online retailer’s transition to the Holacracy model of organizational design. She founded Thoughtful Org Partners, a consultancy where she partners with organizations to break through rigidity and introduce self-organizing principles and practices.

Alexis’s work has been widely covered in such media outlets as Forbes, Huffington Post, Fox, and CNN Money. She is a board member of Responsive Org and formerly an elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education and the West Ed Board of Directors. She lives in the Bay Area with her family.

Think Like A Girl!

We subtly discourage our girls, as early as preschool, from pursuing interests traditionally targeted for males. How do we change our behavior? As a woman holding degrees in physics and nuclear engineering, I ventured into academic disciplines and professional environments not always welcoming of women. Girls who would do well in STEM aren’t encouraged to pursue it or are left to believe in order to excel in it they must behave like boys, however, the times when I delivered most optimally are the times when I allowed myself, to THINK LIKE A GIRL!

Physicist. Mechanical & Nuclear Engineer. Six Sigma Black Belt. STEM Retention Expert. Philanthropist

A proud native of inner-city Detroit and its public school system, Antoinette ‘Toi’ Massey holds a Masters of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. That journey formally began as a 10th grade member of the first group of 15 recruits from Detroit’s Renaissance High School into the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAP-CEP). She taught math and science in Detroit’s K-12 Public & Charter Schools, as well as adult learners collectively 20 years.

The continuous disproportion of women and students of color in the STEM disciplines set her on a mission to embrace the uninitiated and she founded The JEKL Foundation for STEAM Education, incorporating art & design as the collaborative thread across the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM+Art=STEAM) disciplines. Toi firmly believes that “When girls and students of color see me, they immediately see themselves , when they hear my story they hear my heart and our shared common experiences. We connect and the possibility of their pursuit of and success within a STEM profession just got real.” Speak Series includes: From Backpacks to Briefcases, Successful On Purpose, Think Like A Girl! and Getting To Go: Redesign, Reinvent and Redirect Yourself to Greatness!

A Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, the President & CEO of ANM Innovative Business Solutions (ANMIS), Toi has held memberships with SWE, NSBE, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Public Service Sorority, Inc, The Links, Inc, and past member of Jack & Jill of America. Toi’s speaking credits include MyCEO Beauty, Brains & Business Conference, Jack & Jill of America Central Area Teen Summit, Keynote/UC Long Beach Annual Women in Engineering Conference, and 2016 Mountain Region Business Summit panelist.

Opening Minds is honored to welcome, Patrick Makokoro, a global leader from Africa. As professionals in the United States grapple with quality, safety, transportation, negative parental perceptions about early childhood education, untrained teachers and more, come hear how the Nhaka Foundation has built quality learning programs with much less.

Increasing Access to Quality Early Learning

This session will give attendees an understanding of promoting quality learning environments as well ensuring that children in low resource settings benefit from great early learning programs.

This is just a preview of what’s planned. More sessions, descriptions, and presenters will be added, regularly. Follow us on Facebook, to get updates in real time. The full schedule of listings will be available in January.