THRIVE Live: Presenters

Angie Bastian

Co-founder, Angie’s Boomchickapop

Bastian, co-founder of Angie’s Boomchickapop, turned a humble popcorn experiment in her Minnesota garage into a global phenomenon. Starting in 2001, she built a beloved brand known for its gluten-free, non-GMO popcorn that quickly gained national and international acclaim. In 2017, Conagra Brands acquired Boomchickapop, recognizing its incredible growth and loyal following.

Bastian’s entrepreneurial journey has earned her widespread recognition. She’s been named a Pioneer in Food and inducted into the Minnesota Women’s Business Hall of Fame. Beyond her own brand, she shares her expertise through board roles with Prospera Foods and Opportunity International Nicaragua. Before diving into business full time, Bastian worked as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. In 2011, she made the bold decision to leave health care and fully embrace entrepreneurship.

Together with her husband of 28 years, Bastian has not only built a thriving business but also raised two amazing children. Her story is one of vision, courage, and relentless drive—an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere.

Judi Bell

Former chief operating officer, People 2.0

Bell is a strategic business leader with more than 30 years of executive experience in human capital management, operational transformation, and technology integration. As COO of People 2.0, she led the company’s evolution from startup to global private equity-backed enterprise, overseeing operations, client services, and a shift to a shared services model. She is known for driving growth, aligning people and technology strategies, and delivering measurable outcomes during times of change. A trusted adviser to boards and executives, she brings deep insight and practical expertise to consulting, speaking engagements, and leadership forums across the professional services and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as an adviser for the Georgia Writers Museum and the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, and she formerly was board chair for the Fund for Women and Girls. She also served as executive director for Women in Insurance and Financial Services.

Tracy Berglund

Founder and chief executive officer, West End Workforce

Berglund is the founder and CEO of West End Workforce, a trailblazing platform delivering customized staffing solutions across North America. With more than a decade of experience, she leads a network of experts skilled in placing exceptional talent in the most demanding roles. A top performer and winner of multiple awards, Berglund consistently surpasses industry benchmarks with her strategic insight and inclusive leadership. Known for her dynamic presence, infectious energy, and signature “yes” mindset, she builds meaningful connections across sectors and levels. She is on a mission to transform the workforce landscape—empowering individuals and redefining what’s possible.

Martin Borosko

Managing partner and staffing practice leader, Becker LLC

Borosko has been the managing member of Becker since 2006. Under his leadership, the firm has grown into one of the premier boutique legal firms in the U.S., with offices in New York, California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Borosko leads the staffing team within the firm dedicated to studying the best legal practices within the staffing industry. His philosophy is to direct clients toward legal strategies that facilitate growth and increase enterprise value in the long term. He often works as part of a team with leading investment bankers, accountants, and risk managers to implement comprehensive growth strategies for clients. He is a frequent contributor to legal and business publications and lectures across the country on emerging issues affecting the staffing industry. He is chair of the Becker Buy-Side M&A Summit, one of the founders of the Launch Staffing Conference, and he sits on the TechServe Alliance M&A Marketplace—Becker is one of its designated law firms.

Lisa Bragg

Author of Bragging Rights: How to Talk About Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion

Bragg helps leaders and businesses gain the recognition they deserve in a world where talent alone isn’t enough. Too often, professionals assume their work will speak for itself, only to find themselves overlooked. A former broadcast journalist turned entrepreneur, Bragg has worked with Fortune 500 companies, global associations, and industry leaders to help them amplify their success and increase their influence.

She is the author of Bragging Rights: How to Talk About Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion and a sought-after speaker across the U.S. and Canada. She teaches people how to claim credit for their work and turn visibility into new opportunities.

Sue Burnett

President and founder, Burnett Specialists

Burnett is a distinguished leader in the staffing and recruiting industry, recognized nationally for her visionary leadership and enduring impact. As president and founder of Burnett Specialists, she has built one of the most respected firms in the field, known for excellence, integrity, and innovation. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades—including induction into the Hall of Fame by the Houston West Chamber of Commerce, recognition as Most Admired CEO by the Houston Business Journal, and designation as Texas Businesswoman of the Year by the Texas Women’s Chamber of Commerce—and this year she will be inducted in the ASA Leadership Hall of Fame. She was also named among the Top 100 in Staffing by Staffing Industry Analysts and honored by Junior Achievement with induction into its Hall of Achievement. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Burnett is a committed philanthropist and civic leader, serving on the boards of four nonprofit organizations. She is also a co-author of two books, further demonstrating her thought leadership in the industry.

Kendra Cato

Director of strategic partnerships, Advance Partners, a Paychex company

Cato has nearly 20 years of strategic planning, sales, marketing, and research experience and is a highly sought after keynote speaker in the staffing industry. She is responsible for establishing and formalizing partnerships to drive business and client success. For the past 10 years, Cato has been dedicated to serving the staffing industry—as a marketer, thought leader, speaker, author, and one of the founding members of Women of Color in Staffing.

Jaime Donnelly

President, Integrity Staffing Solutions

Since joining Integrity in 2000, Donnelly held roles across nearly every operational area, with a strong focus on finance. This broad experience shapes her approach as president and CEO, enabling her to lead crossfunctional teams with empathy, trust, and collaboration. Donnelly believes in empowering associates with the tools and support they need to succeed and grow. She is deeply involved with clients—designing tailored solutions, negotiating contracts, and ensuring compliance best practices. She prioritizes leadership development and building strong supplier partnerships that drive efficiency and innovation.

Rhona Driggs

CEO, Empresaria Group PLC

Driggs was appointed as chief executive officer in June 2019, having previously served as chief operating officer since November 2018. She has more than 30 years of experience working in international companies within the staffing sector and has a proven record of delivering growth and driving innovation. Driggs has been recognized for the past eight consecutive years as one of Staffing Industry Analysts’ Global Power 150 Women in Staffing and was recognized in 2023, for the fourth consecutive year, as one of Europe’s Top 100 most influential leaders in staffing. Driggs’s most recent role before joining Empresaria was president of Volt Global Solutions, with responsibility for the managed services division. Prior to that, Driggs was executive vice president for the commercial and technical staffing operations in North America, where she ran a $1.2 billion staffing business. She has an in-depth knowledge of the latest trends and operating models in the sector.

Beth Erwin

Chief executive officer, Bestaff

Erwin is a seasoned staffing industry leader with more than 20 years of experience. She began her career at Manpower, advancing from branch manager to regional director, and later held a strategic role as an Enterprise Account Manager. Erwin returned to staffing with Malone Workforce Solutions, where she rose to chief executive officer. Today, she leads Bestaff, the company she co-founded with her husband, delivering top-tier workforce solutions. Recognized on the Staffing Industry Analysts Global Power Women 150 list, she also served on the ASA women in leadership council. Her career is defined by building teams, driving growth, and connecting people with opportunity.

Laine Gandy

Director, strategic programming, Adecco Group US Foundation

Gandy is a director at the Adecco Group US Foundation, responsible for leading programs focused on workplace equality. With a deep commitment to workforce transformation, she leads impactful programs that create meaningful career opportunities, including an award-winning leadership development program, engAGe. Drawing on her expertise in project management, operations, and customer relationships, she drives initiatives that bridge skills gaps, foster inclusion, and empower individuals to reach their full potential. As an advocate for working parents (especially moms), Gandy is dedicated to shaping work environments that prioritize purpose, flexibility, and growth. She loves helping people find meaning and passion in their work and offering resources and opportunities that will empower them to build fulfilling careers while maintaining balance. She was honored with being named one of Paradigm for Parity’s 2023 Women on the Rise.

Beth Garvey

Founder and chief executive officer, BG Strategic Partners

Garvey is a strategic growth advisor, board member, and former president, chief executive officer, and chair of BGSF, bringing over 27 years of leadership in workforce solutions. Recognized globally for her impact on innovation, inclusion, and workforce development, she now focuses on guiding companies through transformational growth, mentoring leaders, and advancing community impact through board service. Garvey has earned widespread recognition, including being named to the Staffing Industry Analysts North America Staffing 100 and Global Power Women 150 lists, D CEO magazine’s Dallas 500, and the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business awards. She was also a finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the southwest region.

Eric Gregg

Founder and customer experience strategist, ClearlyRated

April Hansen

Chief executive officer, Barton & Associates

Hansen serves as chief executive officer of Barton Associates, a large physician staffing company in the U.S. Previously, Hansen was group president, workforce solutions, at Aya Healthcare, achieving record-setting growth through digital transformation. Her career has taken her from nurse to serial entrepreneur to executive and noted business and personal growth expert. A Top 100 Workforce Leader and TEDx speaker, Hansen has appeared in news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, SIA’s 40 Under 40, CBS, and CNBC.

Kortne Harris

Director, technology, AT&T

Harris is responsible for supporting the business outcomes, employees, and strategy of the business technology and product development organization at AT&T. She sits at the intersection of technology and the customer. Over the past four years, her primary focus has been talent, recruitment, and organizational leadership. Her work has been instrumental in the growth of the organization, along with her partnership with talent acquisition to implement “Hiring With a Purpose.” This methodology is intended to set the standard for technical hiring in the technology services organization. Harris is a transformational and collaborative leader who has a passion for mentoring and developing others. As a board member of the NETwork Black Integrated Communications Professionals, she holds the role of chief development officer. She enjoys connecting individuals to enhance their network while providing exposure for employees from diverse backgrounds. Harris has worked for AT&T for 12 years, holding leadership roles in customer care, sales, loyalty, operations, and technical project management. Prior to joining AT&T, she spent nine years at Comcast leading large teams in sales and customer service. Her passion for leading and providing exposure has been evident in her work with career fairs and partnerships with organizations like the UNCF and the Urban League. Harris prioritizes her health and encourages others to do so by running and strength training.

Ericka Hyson

Chief executive officer, growth advisor, Hyson Advisory

Hyson is the dynamic founder of Hyson Advisory, dedicated to empowering staffing industry CEOs to overcome challenges and drive exponential growth. With nearly 20 years at Ettain group, she played a pivotal role in transforming a startup into a national leader. As president and investor at WorkN, she led the company to 700% revenue growth and a successful acquisition by Avionte. A three-time Global Power Women in Staffing honoree and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Influencer, Hyson actively serves on the ASA women in leadership interest group. She is also a co-author of two industry books—Together We Rise published in 2022 and a new book launching in fall 2025—further advancing the future of staffing while inspiring innovation.

Lauren Jones

Founder and president, Leap Advisory Partners

A staffing industry powerhouse, workforce technology whiz, change management mastermind, fierce female leader champion, and professional storyteller, Jones is also the founder and now president of Leap Advisory Partners (formerly Leap Consulting Solutions). After decades as an innovator and influencer in the staffing industry, Jones founded Leap to make recruiting companies more efficient, more successful, and more human—by helping firms define and understand their technology needs, embrace change, and ensure adoption of a firm’s largest investment.

Janette Marx

Chief executive officer, Airswift

Marx started with Airswift in 2014 and served as chief operating officer for four years before assuming her present role as CEO. She has a passion for investing in the development of people to help everyone achieve their aspirations. Throughout her career, Marx has championed new initiatives, including diversification strategies, sales and recruitment growth improvements, and operational efficiencies. She has led cutting-edge programs to give her teams a competitive advantage. Before joining Airswift, Marx served in various leadership roles with the Adecco Group over a 19-year period. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master of business administration degree. Marx is chair of the ASA board of directors.

Tirranny Nettles

Vice president, client delivery, YUPRO Placement

With more than a decade of experience in staffing and workforce development, Nettles is an innovative and impact-driven leader dedicated to creating equitable career pathways for traditionally overlooked talent. She leads national recruitment strategy and client delivery operations—partnering with mission-aligned employers to design and execute forward-thinking, skills-first hiring solutions. Her expertise spans health care, professional services, and information technology staffing, and she is widely recognized for building trusted client relationships, aligning talent strategy with business goals, and driving results at scale. Nettles brings a consultative, people-first mindset to every partnership, helping clients unlock untapped talent pools while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes. A passionate advocate for skills-first hiring, she believes in shifting focus from résumés to real-world potential.

Michelle Poler

Social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, fear facer, and branding strategist

“After almost a decade of delivering my keynote presentation, I've noticed that people don't see me on stage...they see themselves. Not their current selves, but their most accomplished selves, their bravest selves, their future selves. Crazy, right?

“I show them what could happen if only they had the courage to say ‘hello!’ to their fears; to embrace change; to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities; to trust their bold ideas; to ask for what they want, need, or deserve—to take risks aligned to their values and give themselves (their real selves) a chance.

“In 2015 I chose to change my life by facing 100 fears. I decided to go from ‘autopilot’ mode to living fully, from checking society's boxes to checking my own, and from running away from fear to seeing the opportunities behind it. What I didn't know was that changing my life could also impact millions along the way.

“Sharing my success story in a vulnerable, authentic, and genuine way inspires people in the audience to give courage a chance by reframing the question ‘what's the WORST that could happen?’ into ‘what's the BEST that can happen?’”

Sandra Quince

Co-chair and member of the board of directors, Paradigm for Parity

Quince is the former chief executive officer of Paradigm for Parity, assigned through Bank of America’s Leader on Loan program, responsible for leading all elements of the company’s strategic plan, programming, and operations. She currently holds the role of co-chair and board member for Paradigm for Parity. She has more than 15 years of experience in human resources, where she has driven work efforts in the areas of opportunity and inclusion (O&I), talent management, and development and learning across multiple organizations and industries. This includes previously serving as the opportunity  and inclusion executive for Bank of America, supporting the CEO and chief O&I officer in delivering the global strategy. Quince was also the head of O&I for the bank’s global human resources, an organization of more than 2,500 employees. As CEO of Paradigm for Parity, Quince was selected as one of 50 recipients of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Impact Grant; was named as one of D&I’s most inspiring diversity and inclusion leaders for 2022; and was on the list of honorees in 2021 for Oklahoma’s Journal Record’s “50 Making a Difference.” She has been featured in Essence, CEOWorld magazine, and Fast Company in addition to interviews with radio and television outlets. She serves on several nonprofit advisory boards.

Myla Ramos

Chief executive officer and co-founder, SearchPros

Ramos is the chief executive officer and co-founder of SearchPros MSP Solutions, a globally recognized leader in workforce solutions. With more than two decades of visionary leadership, she has guided SearchPros in placing more than 20,000 contractors, earning the company seven “Best Place to Work” awards and transforming it into a global managed service provider powerhouse. In 2025, Ramos was honored as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year, a testament to her innovative approach and enduring impact on the staffing industry. Her journey is rooted in resilience and creativity—famously inspired by a can of SPAM, which she turned into a metaphor for her recipe for success. Her story is one of grit, growth, and groundbreaking leadership.

Kara Rogan

Chief executive officer, CoWorx Staffing Services LLC

Rogan, president and CEO of CoWorx Staffing Services, has been a driving force behind the company’s growth and transformation for nearly two decades. As chief operating officer, she led the firm to a 30% revenue increase in 2022 and continues to fuel success through her strategic focus on service, sales, and speed. Under her leadership, CoWorx has achieved major cultural and technological advancements, spurring significant growth in 2024. A recognized industry leader, Rogan has been named to SIA’s Global Power 150–Women in Staffing list (2022–24) and the 2025 Staffing 100 North America list. She was also a Forty Under Forty honoree in 2018. Committed to elevating others, Rogan actively volunteers with the American Staffing Association’s women in leadership interest group.

Cheryl Rosario

Head of diversity, equity, and inclusion and corporate social responsibility, Munich Re

Rosario is head of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Munich Re. She leads initiatives that foster an inclusive culture and amplify the company’s social impact. Previously, she founded CGR Consulting, advising corporations and nonprofits on DEI and philanthropy. She also served as vice president of social responsibility at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and spent a decade at American Express directing global arts and culture philanthropy. Rosario’s career spans roles at Morgan Stanley and Time Warner and more than 12 years in the nonprofit sector, focusing on women, girls, and people with disabilities. She serves on the boards of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and Junior Achievement of New Jersey. A frequent speaker and lecturer on DEI and CSR, she has presented globally, including for the U.S. Department of State. Her writing has appeared in HuffPost and AmCham China magazine.

Michelle Sims

Chief executive officer, Yupro Placement

Sims is chief executive officer of Yupro Placement, a progressive skills-first staffing firm focused on career advancement of historically overlooked talent. A champion of skills-based hiring, she leads a purposeful ecosystem of employers and workforce development organizations that collaborate on and commit to building inclusive hiring practices. Sims is a four-time honoree on the Staffing Industry Analysts Global Power Women 150 list and was recognized as an inaugural honoree on its DE&I Influencers list. She currently serves as chair of the ASA women in leadership council, serves on the Women’s Leadership Board of the HKS Women and Public Policy Program, and is a champion member with the Women Business Collaborative. Sims is a regularly published contributor with the Forbes Business Council as a subject matter expert on employers adopting skills-first hiring practices.

Gina Trimarco

Senior master trainer, Sales Gravy

Trimarco is a dynamic keynote speaker, leadership strategist, and senior master trainer at Sales Gravy, helping organizations embrace a bold “let’s go” mindset. With more than 25 years in sales, marketing, and operations, she fuses humor and strategy to drive cultural and performance breakthroughs. Founder of Carolina Improv Company, Trimarco applies improv principles to elevate communication and team agility. She’s co-author of Ignite Your Courage, host of two leadership podcasts, and an advocate for fearless reinvention. A Chicago native with training from the Second City, Trimarco is pursuing her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership to deepen her impact in transformational leadership.

DeLibra Wesley

Founder and CEO, National Recruiting Consultants

Wesley is the founder and chief executive officer of Texas-based National Recruiting Consultants, which she founded NRC in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and quickly grew into a successful agency serving hundreds of school districts in need of special educators. Wesley has nearly 20 years of health care staffing experience throughout her career. She previously was part of the leadership team at the Delta Cos., where her nearly 14-year tenure progressed to the role of chief operating officer of the company, where she oversaw all aspects of operations from training and compliance to project management and human resources. She was the company’s first minority executive and led its diversity council and is an outspoken advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. She is the founder of Women of Color in Staffing, an online network that connects and empowers women in the industry.She was named ASA volunteer of the year in 2022, was named to the SIA Global Power 150–Women in Staffing list multiple times, and has been on SIA’s DE&I Influencers list multiple times. Wesley is a member of the ASA board of directors.