Rebecca Haw Allensworth is a David Daniels Allen professor of law at Vanderbilt Law school where she studies antitrust and professional licensing. Her research on professional licensing explores how lawmakers should balance the need for expertise in regulating the professions with the problems that can arise from self-regulation. She is the author of The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work and Why It Goes Wrong (Harvard University Press, February 2025), a deep dive into the pathologies of professional licensing in America. Her work has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and has received the thirteenth annual Jerry S. Cohen Memorial Fund Writing Award for groundbreaking antitrust scholarship.

Professor Allensworth graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School before clerking for Judge Richard A. Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. At Vanderbilt Law she has won six teaching prizes, held the Tarkington Chair of Teaching Excellence, and served as Associate Dean for Research from 2023 to 2025. She teaches Contracts and Antitrust Law.

Dr. Naomi R. Boyer is an educational strategist and innovative leader at Education Design Lab with over 25 years of higher education experience. As the Sr. VP, Digital Transformation, she focuses on the future of work catalysts of durable skills, competency/skill frameworks, skills visibility and validation, digital micro-credentials, skills-based practices and technologies, and skills data for impact. Previous University and Community College roles include: Chief Information Officer; strategy and innovation; high quality, distance education; unique faculty technology professional development; talent pipeline development aligned to economic interests; global initiatives; and the creation and facilitation of continuing education. Dr. Boyer has expertise in competency-based education, leads many non-profit Boards, and maintains scholarship on self-directed learning.

Dr. Scott Cawood currently serves as the CEO of WorldatWork, a global nonprofit association for HR professionals and Total Rewards practitioners, since 2015. With a career dedicated to improving the workplace, Cawood is known for his deep expertise in organizational effectiveness, employee engagement and workplace culture.

Before joining WorldatWork, he held senior leadership roles at W.L. Gore & Associates, where he led global organizational effectiveness strategies, and at Synygy, a global compensation and sales software company. He also contributed to workplace excellence initiatives at Revlon and the Great Place to Work Institute, which curates Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list.

Cawood holds multiple professional certifications, including:

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP®)
• Global Remuneration Professional (GRP®)
• Certified Sales Compensation Professional (CSCP®)
• Certified Benefits Professional (CBP®)
• Work-Life Certified Professional (WLCP®)

His academic background includes:

• Ed.D. in Organization- and Work-Based Learning from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School and Graduate School of Education)
• M.S. in Learning Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
• M.A. in Labor and Industrial Relations, Michigan State University
• B.A. in Organizational Communication, Michigan State University

A passionate advocate for employee-centric workplaces, Cawood is also a bestselling author. His 2023 book, The New Work Exchange: Embracing the Future by Putting Employees First, explores how organizations can thrive by prioritizing people.

Known as a “work nerd,” Cawood believes that treating employees as whole individuals—not just as workers—unlocks innovation, productivity and long-term success.

Kathy Claytor is a Chief Human Resources Officer leading HR over her career, for companies including Delta Dental, a market-leading dental insurer, NorthWinds Technology, One Mind Health-India and other organizations in the financial services, technology and government sectors. A global business leader, she has strategically built and transformed teams and cultures that increased profitability and attracted talent.

Her passion for advancing the HR profession through certification and learning led her to join the Human Resource Certification (HRCI) Board where she currently serves as HRCI Board Chair. Kathy also serves on the Board of the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA) strategically focused on advancing Tech and Biotech solutions and innovation in Virginia.

With a global focus, Kathy led the people operations for an India based tech subsidiary. She later served as a board member for the India based company, providing governance oversight. Other global work includes work with the New Delhi Institute of Management HR program and recognition as a Top 100 Global HR Leader at the World HRD Congress in Mumbai. Kathy has traveled extensively and served on HR Delegations to India, China, Israel and South Africa.

Kathy holds degrees in Business and Economics and completed the Harvard executive education program in Mumbai. She earned the Global Professional in Human Resources, GPHR, and Senior Professional in Human Resources, SPHR, certifications through the Human Resource Certification Institute. Kathy was most recently recognized as a CHRO of the Year Leader of Distinction from HRO Today.

Josh Gage is VP of Social Impact & Government at Lightcast, and a recognized thought leader at the intersection of labor market intelligence, skills data, education, and human capital management. His work focuses on strengthening the partnership between government, industry, and education to create resilient career pathways for the future of work. Prior to Lightcast, Josh has worked as a human capital strategist and consultant for nearly 25 years, supporting organizations like the Department of Defense. Department of Education, American Council of Education, and others with the design of innovative approaches and solutions to support career pathway exploration and decision-making, credit for prior learning skills translation and assessment, and alignment of education and workforce systems.

Sierra Hampton-Simmons, PMI-CPMAI, ICE-CCP is a seasoned executive with over two decades of expertise in digital product development, workforce transformation, and certification innovation. Renowned for her ability to lead high-performing teams and drive strategic growth, Sierra has a proven track record of developing lucrative, high-impact products and simulated work environments that enhance professional learning and certification. Currently serving as Vice President of Certifications and Learning Innovation at the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), Sierra oversees a diverse portfolio of globally recognized credentials, including the CMA® along with modern learning experiences tied to a robust competency model. Through her career, her leadership has contributed to more than 2 million professionals achieving certifications and advancing their careers.

Prior to joining IMA, Sierra enjoyed a long-tenured role at PMI Sierra as the VP, of Certifications & Product Architecture where she focused on building products designed to progress the project management profession. Sierra spearheaded groundbreaking innovations, such as the evolution of the PMP® certification and the launch of PMI Study Hall—an advanced learning platform that leverages cutting-edge digital tools. Recently, Credly recognized PMI as one of its top issuers of digital badges, and Sierra was honored for her role in this achievement.

Her tenure in the professional certifications started in the digital arena: Sierra led Global Certifications at Cisco Systems, where she directed daily operations for a multinational development team responsible for industry-leading IT certification programs, including the prestigious CCNA and CCNP. She began her career at Citrix Education, where she managed the design and development of advanced curricula and certification programs that set new standards in IT education.

Beyond corporate roles, Sierra is an influential voice in the certification and workforce development industries. She served as President of the Performance Testing Council, following a tenure on their Board of Directors, where she championed the adoption of performance-based assessments and best practices. Her passion lies in creating dynamic learning experiences through digital simulations, emulations, and interactive training environments, ensuring professionals are equipped with relevant, real-world skills. She currently is a member of the advisory committee for Space Workforce Institute and active with WorkCred. Sierra is passionate about the intersection of workforce development and emerging industries such as AI, space, and high-tech fields. She regularly engages with professional audiences worldwide, sharing insights on the future of work, digital transformation, and innovations in certification.

Sierra holds a Bachelor of Science in Japanese with a concentration in International Business from Georgetown University and an MBA with a focus on Marketing from the University of Florida. Her unique blend of cultural fluency and business acumen has enabled her to lead diverse, global teams effectively.

Tyson Heath is the Director of Academic Standards and Policies at Western Governors University (WGU). In his role, he collaborates across the university to ensure the value, integrity, and relevance of WGU's programming portfolio. He works to remove barriers for students while upholding academic integrity through establishing the university’s standards, practices, and policies regarding skills, competencies, assessments, pathways, and credentials.

Tyson is deeply passionate about the intersections of higher education policy, accreditation, and reform. He aims to create meaningful pathways to opportunities for all learners. Currently, he serves as a fellow with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Tyson is a trained and active accreditation peer reviewer, a 1EdTech Higher Education Executive Council member, and an engaged participant in the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Credential Lab, where he contributes to the Innovation Center Design Team.

Kate Giovacchini is a higher education technology leader who passionately believes in the power of education to change lives and change the world. She has more than a decade of experience working at Arizona State University where she has spent her time in the areas of process improvement, digital transformation, online education technology, business intelligence, ERP delivery, and large initiative execution.

For the past six years, Kate has been engaged in the digital credential space, working on solutions for learners that utilize distributed ledger technologies. She leads the Trusted Learner Network, an initiative set designed to deliver both the technologies required to revolutionize digital credentials and the trusted relationships to make them valuable. Kate’s passion for digital credentialing emerges from her humanities background in literary criticism (Bachelor of English Literature) and her technology training in systems design and management (Masters of Science in Information Management).

The Trusted Learner Network celebrated its six year in 2025 and is moving forward with higher education partners to make digital, verifiable credentials accessible to all institutions to empower their learners with the achievements of their success.

Jennifer Karan is the Vice President of Communications at CredLens, where she leads external communications focused on sharing the work of CredLens and building relationships and collaboration across the non-degree credential ecosystem. Jennifer also works closely with the CredLens Advisory Boards to ensure that their advice and guidance is effectively translated across the team's work.

Prior to joining CredLens, Jennifer was the Executive Director of College Readiness Assessments at the College Board, where she was the public face of the SAT Suite of Assessments, speaking at more than 50 engagements annually, in addition to leading communications strategies, staff and constituent training programs, and governance activities. Jennifer initially brought her education, marketing and communications experience together at Kaplan, where she drove record growth as the National Marketing Director, Pre-College Programs and again as the Regional Director of Pre-College Programs for California.

Throughout this time, she represented Kaplan as a national spokesperson with major network broadcast appearances and hundreds of print articles in college, local, regional and national publications. Earlier in her career, she held roles as a senior business analyst at a marketing consulting firm, a senior account executive at a public relations agency, and served in leadership marketing roles for boutique luxury businesses. Jennifer started her career as a high school English teacher, where she also served as a Dean of Students, developed curriculum, and served on the senior administrative committee for which she crafted school philosophy and policies. Jennifer holds an MA from Columbia University Teachers College and earned her bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy from Emory University.

Guangming Ling, Ph. D., is a research director of global higher education and workforce at the ETS Research Institute. Dr. Ling's pioneering research is at the forefront of developing and evaluating critical competencies within higher education and workforce environments, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the assessment of skills and interoperable learning and working experience records (LER), and factors related to validity, reliability, and fairness issues in educational and workforce settings. A recognized authority on the assessment and cultivation of durable skills, Dr. Ling's research is featured in over 40 journal articles and more than 120 presentations at peer-reviewed conferences. Dr. Ling’s expertise encompasses essential areas, including critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving. His innovative contributions include holding a U.S. patent for technology that enhances the accuracy and efficiency of automated scoring systems for spoken English responses. and factors related to the validity, reliability, and fairness in educational and personnel selections. Dr. Ling's research on assessment and durable skills is featured in more than 40 journal papers and 100+ presentations at various professional conferences. Dr. Ling’s expertise encompasses essential areas such as critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving. His innovative contributions include holding a U.S. patent for technology that enhances the accuracy and efficiency of automated scoring systems for speaking responses in English.

Jenn McNamara, VP of Strategic Partnerships at BreakAway Games, bridges collaboration between market leaders and creative teams to deliver cutting-edge, technology-driven solutions for authentic education, training, assessment, and performance support.

Jenn draws upon expertise gained over 25 years creating immersive experiences in use by defense, healthcare, homeland security, education, certification, and corporate organizations backed by her advanced education in cognitive and human factors psychology, education and training, business, and AI/agent-based systems. She’s published research on the accessibility, usability, and employment effects of advanced distributed learning applications, design and integration of AI-driven training and decision support tools in complex environments, and the role of games in learning, training, practice, assessment, user experience innovation, and performance support. Most recently Jenn has been focused on helping set the standard for serious game accessibility, delivering immersive products that comply with the ADA’s requirements and accessibility guidelines including WCAG 2.2 AA.

Through speaking at conferences including Serious Play, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the Interservice / Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Game Developers’ Conference, Games for Change Festival, I.C.E. Exchange, and ATP Innovations in Testing, Jenn strongly advocates for the serious applications of games. Jenn serves the community as the PAE&T Subarea Lead for the NDIA Human Systems Conference, Director of the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge for I/ITSEC, Selection Committee Member for the Serious Play Conference, and Chair for the ATP Innovations Fast-Pitch for the ATP Innovations in Testing Conference. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Drexel University and M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design and Development from The Pennsylvania State University, where she completed graduate level coursework and research in cognitive psychology, industrial organizational psychology, and business.

Dr. Muckle is the Chief Assessment Officer with the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), based in Chicago, IL. In his career, Dr. Muckle has been responsible for overseeing the test development and psychometric quality of a variety of credentialing examinations. His work has included the development of innovative item types, consultation and steering of testing policy and strategy, and spearheading an exam-related research agenda. He brings over 20 years of experience in certification, test development and research to his present role. Among his skills and qualifications are: strategic thinking and planning, organizational leadership, statistical analysis, research and publications, team building, innovative assessment formats, and volunteer service to the credentialing industry.

Kate is the Vice President of Engagement for CredLens, where she leads all aspects of business development, revenue, and ecosystem engagement.

Kate brings a diverse blend of industry and nonprofit experience to her current role with CredLens. Prior to CredLens, Kate was the SVP of Employer Partnerships for Climb Hire, an innovative workforce development startup in the non-degree credential space. As the sole revenue leader, she helped grow the organization from an operating budget of $900k-$8mm in four years' time, and built the org's inaugural government affairs function. Before Climb Hire, Kate was an Associate Partner with Arete Partners, a boutique SF-based executive search firm, where she ran VP+ level searches for venture-backed startups globally. Earlier, Kate held leadership roles in sales & recruiting at Frederickson Partners in Menlo Park, where she oversaw business development, co-led the consulting & contracting practice, and ran C-level HR searches for marquee companies nationwide. Kate also led internal Talent Acquisition for Public.com, a retail investing startup based in New York.

Kate holds an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion from Yale University and a B.A. in French from the University of Redlands