Ebony Thomas
Ebony Thomas
Partner, Strategic Growth and Operations
Grads of Life
Ebony is an accomplished executive with expertise in organizational transformation, serving as the Partner of Strategic Growth and Operations at Grads of Life (GOL). At GOL, she advises leading employers on talent acquisition, workforce equity, and skills-first employment practices, focusing on operational excellence and advisory practices. With a background in finance and management consulting from Goldman Sachs, Fannie Mae, and Booz Allen Hamilton, Ebony specializes in strategic organizational transformation and change management. She has led diversity efforts and supported non-profits such as the Washington Performing Arts Society (WPA), The Campaign School at Yale (TCSY), and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). Ebony holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Spelman College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is certified in Project Management and Change Management, and holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Ebony has received several awards, including Consulting Magazine’s Global Leader Award for Excellence in DEI Programming and recognition from BEYA and The Network Journal. Outside of work, Ebony enjoys cooking, golfing, art collection, and interior design.

Registration Open

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Convention Lounge

Registration Open

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Convention Lounge

Vendor Collaboration Zone

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Lafite 1

First-Time Attendee Welcome

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

Bandol 1

Building a Coaching Culture

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Bandol 2

CULTURE
CULTURE
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 CULTURE
CULTURE
CULTURE
CULTURE
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
CULTURE
CULTURE
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING

VC Talent Partner Summit

1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Bollinger

LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Official Kickoff Reception

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Pavilion

Breakfast

7:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Lafite 1-3 | Sunset Terrace

Registration Open

7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Convention Lounge

Welcome

8:30 AM - 8:35 AM

Lafite 4-9

The Now and Next of Work

8:35 AM - 9:10 AM

Lafite 4-9

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Building a Strong CPO and CEO Partnership

9:10 AM - 9:40 AM

Lafite 4-9

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Special Announcement from Transform

9:40 AM - 9:50 AM

Lafite 4-9

INNOVATION
INNOVATION

The Magic of Opposites: A Banker and a Cowboy

10:20 AM - 10:50 AM

Lafite 4-9

LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

EXP Open

10:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

CULTURE
CULTURE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Harvesting Wisdom: The Value of Mutual Mentorship

11:10 AM - 11:40 AM

Musigny 1 - 2

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
CULTURE
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Mental Health: Legal or Social Responsibility?

11:10 AM - 11:40 AM

Bandol 2

SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING
TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
DATA
DATA
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Talent is Everywhere, Opportunity is Not

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Cristal Ballroom

TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
DATA
DATA
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Decoding Culture: Insights from 90 Million Data Points

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Meursault 1 - 2

CULTURE
CULTURE
 DATA
DATA
WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Lunch & Networking

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

EXP | Wynn Pavilion | Cristal Terrace

Transform Awards Community Celebration

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
DATA
DATA
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

A Tune Up For Employee Mental Health

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
CULTURE
CULTURE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Decoding HR Needs

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Transforming Your Talent Tech Stack

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Musigny 1 - 2

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
DATA
DATA
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 CULTURE
CULTURE

Pendo For Employees

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Cristal Ballroom

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Earned Wage Access in 2024: EWA as a Service

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Championing Women's Wellness at Every Stage

2:35 PM - 3:05 PM

Musigny 1 - 2

WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Talent Diversification: Building Talent at Scale

2:35 PM - 3:05 PM

Meursault 1 - 2

SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
DEIB
DEIB
 CULTURE
CULTURE

Winning the Workplace Tug-of-War

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

CULTURE
CULTURE

Baby Boom: Caring for Parents as Maternity Claims Rise

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Investing in the Next Generation of the Workforce

3:10 PM - 3:55 PM

Musigny 1 - 2

SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

AI@Work: Practical Use Cases

3:10 PM - 3:55 PM

Meursault 1 - 2

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
DEIB
DEIB
 SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Transform DJ Session

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Cristal Ballroom

Reversed Perspectives: The VC Pitch

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Navigating Layoffs in the Digital Age

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Musigny 1 - 2

LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
CULTURE
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Chad & Cheese Live & Unfiltered

4:30 PM - 5:15 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Official EXP Reception

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

Office Hours

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

The Evolution of the Employee Relationship with Work

4:45 PM - 5:15 PM

Cristal Ballroom

CULTURE
CULTURE

Advancing Inclusive and Efficient Hiring with AI

4:45 PM - 5:15 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Featured Book Signing: Crisis-Proofing Today's Learners

4:45 PM - 5:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Breakfast

7:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Pavilion

CULTURE
CULTURE

Menopause is Hot

8:00 AM - 8:50 AM

Lafite 1

SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Registration Open

8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Convention Lounge

CULTURE
CULTURE
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 DATA
DATA
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

EXP Open

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Tapping Into the Power of Wisdom

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Cristal Ballroom

TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Scaling Leadership Capabilities

9:35 AM - 10:05 AM

Bandol 1

LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 CULTURE
CULTURE

Revolutionize Work for your Frontline Workforce

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Cristal Ballroom

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION

MagicDocs AI: Crafting the Ultimate Onboarding Experience

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION

AI Benefits for Tomorrow's Workforce

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Cristal Ballroom

WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 DATA
DATA

The Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Coaching

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

Musigny 1 - 2

Reimagining Inclusion: Debunking Myths

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

Bandol 2

DEIB
DEIB
 SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT

The Business of Compassion

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

Pomerol

CULTURE
CULTURE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Welcome Back

11:00 AM - 11:05 AM

Lafite 4-9

The Modern Board

11:05 AM - 11:35 AM

Lafite 4-9

WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Lunch & Networking

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

EXP | Wynn Pavilion | Cristal Terrace

Corporate Drinker: Charting New Career Paths

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Cristal Ballroom

CULTURE
CULTURE
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING
DATA
DATA
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Advancing Inclusive and Efficient Hiring with AI

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

The Evolution of the Employee Relationship with Work

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Elevating Strategic HR Outcomes

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION

Health Benefits for the Modern Workforce

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

Skills: Boiling the Ocean

2:00 PM - 2:50 PM

Bandol 1

DATA
DATA
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Impact is a Multiplier in Business

2:55 PM - 3:25 PM

Bandol 1

PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

The Science of Flourishing

2:55 PM - 3:35 PM

Meursault 1 - 2

CULTURE
CULTURE
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Future of Search

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

Impact Through Talent

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Cristal Ballroom

INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
WELLBEING
WELLBEING

CHRO Burnout: Navigating Isolation

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Bandol 2

WELLBEING
WELLBEING
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES
CULTURE
CULTURE
 LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
DATA
DATA
 TALENT PRACTICES
TALENT PRACTICES

EXP Closing Reception

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Cristal Ballroom

SOCIAL IMPACT
SOCIAL IMPACT
 WELLBEING
WELLBEING

Official After Party featuring Flo Rida

9:00 PM - 11:30 PM

Drai's Nightclub