Speakers

Kevin Brockman

Kevin Brockman is the executive vice president of global communications for Disney-ABC Television Group. Having played a key role on the executive team that launched UPN, Kevin moved to Disney-ABC Television Group 12 years ago and now oversees all worldwide corporate news and entertainment communications. Kevin’s responsibilities include all corporate, news and entertainment communications for the company, which is home to the ABC Television Network (ABC Daytime, ABC News and ABC Entertainment), Disney Channels Worldwide, Walt Disney Television Animation, ABC Family and SOAPnet, Radio Disney, Buena Vista productions, ABC Studios, international distributor Disney-ABC-ESPN Television, Hyperion publishing and ABC Corporate Initiatives. Kevin earned a bachelor of science degree in organizational behavior from the University of Florida.

Boris Dittrich 

Boris Dittrich is an Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and oversees the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program. Before joining the organization in 2007, he served for 12 years as a member of the Dutch national parliament. He initiated the same sex marriage and adoption bills through which the Netherlands became the first country in the world to open its civil marriage for gays and lesbians. Before being elected to his political seat, Boris was a judge and lawyer. He is author of two books on LGBT rights. He studied at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Urvashi Vaid

Urvashi Vaid is the executive director of the Arcus Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights and conservation of the world’s great apes, with offices in Kalamazoo, Mich., New York City and Cambridge, United Kingdom. Widely recognized for her work as a gay rights activist and leader, Urvashi is an attorney and community organizer who has worked in the LGBT movement for more than two decades. Previous to her role at Arcus, she served as the deputy director of the Governance and Civil Society Unit of the Ford Foundation’s Peace and Social Justice Program, and also led the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Lead Facilitator

Christie Hardwick

Christie Hardwick has more than 25 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and grass root-organizing efforts. She holds a master's degree in organizational development, is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow and an executive member of the Women's Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Christie is the immediate past president of the National Board of Directors for the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network. Christie has held executive positions in change management, human resources and organizational efficiency for technology companies. She is a speaker in a variety of forums, and provides strategic thinking and personal guidance services to several clients across the United States.

Co-chairs

Tara Bunch

Tara Bunch is currently HP's Vice President of Global Customer Support Operations. She is responsible for delivering customer support services across all of HP’s consumer products as well as directing HP’s commercial and enterprise printing services and support portfolio. She began her career at HP in 1985 in the Computer Systems Division. During her career, she has held a variety of management and executive leadership positions in manufacturing operations, as well as product research and development. Prior to her current role, Bunch was vice president and general manager of HP’s Digital Camera and Photography Solutions businesses. She received her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1985 from the University of California, Berkeley and her master's degree in business administration in 1989 from the University of Santa Clara in California. She lives in Colorado with her partner, Susan, daughter Emily, and twin sons, Ian and Aidan.

George A. Kalogridis

George A. Kalogridis was recently promoted to President of Disneyland Resort, and has worked at Disney for 38 years. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer for Disneyland Resort Paris, where he was responsible for leading the operations team and overseeing the highly successful 15th anniversary celebration of the resort. During his tenure with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, he has held numerous executive positions, gaining a breadth of experience beyond operations and sales. In addition to his leadership roles in both Paris and Anaheim, George served as vice president of Travel Operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando. He also served as vice president of Walt Disney World's EPCOT park, where, in addition to overseeing park operations, he led the Millennium Celebration for The Walt Disney Company. George started his career with the company in 1971 as a busboy at the opening of the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. For more than five years, he served as general manager of the Grand Floridian Beach Resort. He has held executive roles in Human Resources at Walt Disney World and served as one of the original Cast Members on the Disneyland Resort Paris development team in 1988.