Miami Agenda
Wednesday October 28 2026
Northeastern University
230 NW 24th Street, 5th Floor, Miami, FL, 33127
08:00 – 09:00
Registration, Networking, Meeting and Connections
09:00 – 09:30
Welcome and Setting the Scene
Chris Cummings
Founder, Sonas Group, (Wellbeing at Work)
09:30 – 10:00
The Economic Context: Short-Term Outlook and Long-Term Trends
What can Florida expect in the short term regarding the economic outlook? What are some of the major trends shaping the economy over the long-term?
Speaker to be announced shortly
10:00 – 10:45
Panel – Driving Performance in a Changing World: From Wellbeing to Workforce Advantage
What leadership behaviours and cultural signals sustain wellbeing and performance in hybrid, AI-enabled workplaces? How can wellbeing be embedded as a seamless, data-informed experience across the entire employee lifecycle? How do organisations shift from wellbeing provision to building workforce capability, adaptability, and growth? How can wellbeing be leveraged as a strategic driver of resilience, retention, and innovation in times of rapid change?
Gayle Catropa
Chief Human Resources Officer, Perry Ellis International
Melanie Gonzalez
Chief People Officer, Behavioral Science Research Institute
Ester Gramegna
Head of HR, USA, Aventum
Paola Hernandez
SVP People & Engagement, United Way
10:45 – 11:15
Morning Networking Break
11:15 - 11:50
AI as the Driver of the Future of HR, Wellness and Performance
How will AI impact holistic well-being strategies to drive productivity, lower healthcare costs, and increased profitability? How will AI & personalization elevate engagement through data-driven wellness solutions? What impact will AI-powered coaching and health analytics have on customized well-being plans that improve employee retention and performance? How can organizations prioritize emotional intelligence, trust, and mental health support experience in order to achieve stronger engagement, lower turnover, and higher innovation?
Chris Narmi
Chief Strategist AI and Workflow, Hewlett-Packard (HP)
11:50 – 12:15
Session to be announced shortly
12:15 – 13:15
Leadership Workshop Discussions
Attendees will take their pick from our expert led sessions which will be announced shortly
13:15 – 14:00
Networking Lunch
14:00 – 14:15
Audience Energiser
14:15 - 15:00
Panel: Designing Wellbeing with Inclusion in Mind
How do you deliver wellbeing that truly works across hybrid, multi-generational and neurodiverse workforces? What does inclusivity mean for women’s wellbeing in the workplace? What means are available to better accommodate those with disabilities at organizations today? What can employers do to ensure true inclusion combines belongingness and the valuing of individual uniqueness? What should be done about culture from the perspective of inter-generational workers? How can organizations create non-discriminatory work processes and policies? How do communities in organizations help create a culture of inclusion and thriving together?
Natalie Williams
Director of Education, Miami Children’s Museum
El pagnier Hudson
SVP, Human Resources, Florida International
Retha Boone-Fye
Office of Community Advocacy, Program Director, Black Affairs Advisory Board, Miami-Dade County
Moderated by:
Lisa Bevill
Academic Director, Center for Health & Well-being, IE University
15:00 - 15:30
Networking Break
15:30 - 16:00
Flipping the Script on Well-Being: How and Why Some of the Most Counter-Intuitive Things Help
We need to keep doing all the things that we know prevent stress, anxiety, fear, doubt, or any other negative emotion that leads to being “unwell.” But what if there was more to the story? What if there are some other things to consider that could lead to true transformation within ourselves and our organizations? In this session, Jen, Adriene and Julie will talk about some of the most counter-intuitive things that can create lasting, sustainable outcomes for our well-being. It may not be what you typically think about, so join them for new perspective and a bit of curiosity about how to flip the script!
Adriene McCoy
SVP and Chief People Officer, Baptist Health South Florida
Julie Staub
Author, The Limitless Mind
Moderated by:
Jen Fisher
Founder and CEO, The Wellbeing Team, Global Expert on Workplace Wellbeing & Hope Strategy & Host, The WorkWell Podcast
16:00 – 16:25
The Role of Learning in Boosting Wellbeing in an Ever-Changing Environment
How do organizations provide employees with the skills needed to meet the ever-changing needs of their companies? Developing a culture of learning and development to enable employees to manage rapidly changing working conditions, Ensuring learning and development provides resilience to employees, What can organizations do now to ensure remote workers have the same access to learning opportunities?
Elyse Sitomer
Learning & Organizational Development Partner, Memorial Healthcare System
16:25 – 16:40
Closing Remarks
Chris Cummings
Founder, Sonas Group, Wellbeing at Work
16:40 – 18:00
