EQ in C&U

2022 Virtual Conference

Emotional Intelligence in Colleges & Universities

How can emotional intelligence strengthen Wellbeing & Resilience | Equity & Belonging | Student Success?

Online, June 28-30, 8am San Francisco time each day – DAY 1: Students.. DAY 2: Faculty & Staff. DAY 3: Campus & Community. Register for Free (to attend live-online and receive links to recordings).

Pacific times unless noted; click time for world clock

June 28 – Students

 

Keynote Panel 8:00 AM
Emotional Intelligence for Student: Insights and Experiences. Cary Cherniss, Rochonda L. Nenonene, PhD, Deborah Silva, Noah Caesar Kim, Rachel Mintz, Robert Emmerling, Amal Al-Khlewi, Issac Carter
Workshops 1 9:30 AM
It’s an inside job. An experiential workshop to cultivate EQ competencies. Beth DeAngelis & Liza Johnson
Roundtables 1 11:00 AM
EQ : Authentic Conversations: Rosa Heckenberg, Leslie Ortega & Maria Grandone
Workshops 2 2:00 PM
We Are Not Alone: Creating SEL/MIndfulness Movement for Creativity. Laura Mitchell
Roundtables 2 4:30 PM
Coaching for MBA. Joshua Freedman and Bob Lazzarini
Workshops 3 5:45 PM
Achieving Success through Emotional intelligence. Lata Singh Dasila & Chetna Singh
Workshops 3b 5:45 PM
Emotional Intelligence and AI: Bridging the Digital Divide. Aleasa Word and Marie Roker-Jones
in Italiano 9:00 AM ROME
Round Table (in Italian): Students and Wellness – the key to social-emotional skills. Domenico Rega, Federica De Lucia, Alessandra Martelli, Manuel Caviglia

June 29 – Faculty & Staff  

Keynote Panel 8:00 AM EQ for All: A Case Study for a Multi-Prong Approach to Develop Emotional Intelligence Campus-Wide: Beatriz Gonzalez and Sarah Tuskey
Workshops 1 9:30 AM Integrating EQ in Healthcare Education. Dr. Mickey Lebowitz
Roundtables 1 11:00 AM Micro Self-Care: Making yourself a priority every single day. Emily Graham
Workshops 2 2:00 PM Creating Your Personal Mission Statement: Discovering Who You Are While Going Toward Your Noble Goal. Robert Ingram and Matt Perelstein
Workshop ES 2:00 PM El proceso es el contenido: El viaje del autodesarrollo apoyado en la Inteligencia Emocional (registrate aquí). Mariam Ludlim (Puerto Rico)
Roundtables 2 4:30 PM Powerful Questions – Anabel Jensen & Cherilyn Leet
Workshops 3 5:45 PM To Serve With Joy. Bee Leng Seow
Workshops 3b 5:45 PM TRIBE- Developing a Collaborative Culture. Mohamed Azeem Saheer

June 30 – Campus & Community

Keynote Panel 8:00 AM Integrating Emotional Intelligence in Higher Education. Liza Johnson, Deborah Donahue-Keegan, Jaime Franco, Karen Craddock & Issac Carter
Workshops 1 9:30 AM How EQ and Contemplative Practices Can Move PWIs to to Create Campuses of Authentic Belonging. S. Rae Peoples, Rachel Mintz, Deborah Donahue-Keegan
Workshops 1b 9:30 AM From ME to WE – How sharing our personal stories create (comm)unity. Polina Kotseva & Lee Keylock
Workshop ES 10:30 AM El aspecto colectivo del bienestar: Fomentando el bienestar, la pertenencia y resiliencia en la comunidad (Registrate aquí). Mariam Ludlim (Puerto Rico), Eduardo Guerrero (Mexico), Fiorella Velarde (Peru/US)
Roundtables 1 11:00 AM Community Equity and Resilience. Issac Carter & Christian Castro
Roundtables 2 4:30 PM Musicking, Identity & Equity Mindedness: Issac Carter
Workshops 3 5:45 PM ‘Hello old friend’: Connecting with Breath. Pavneeta Singh
Workshops 3b 5:45 PM Creating a World of Belonging : Mindfulness, EQ, and Storytelling for Connection. Kisha Freed
in Italiano 9:00 AM ROME Round Table (in Italian): Culture of Purpose in Universities for sustainable entrepreneurship Panelists: Marianna Del Bello, Gianluca Romani, Rosa Porro
SEL in Higher Education

The last two years have brought to light key challenges in colleges and universities, and EQ can help.

Since our first conference in 2018, awareness has grown about emotional intelligence (EQ) in higher education. To support the higher education community in applying EQ to improve outcomes, the conference will explore three macro themes:

l

Wellbeing & Resilience

l

Equity & Belonging

l

Student Success

In the face of emotional challenges, we need more emotional intelligence. At EQ in C&U 2022, we’ll explore the latest science and practice of emotional intelligence for learning and working smarter This online conference includes keynote panels, experiential sessions, facilitated group experiences, and resource sharing – in a highly engaging online format. Participants will be educators, leaders/executives, students and scholars from around the globe in a wide range of colleges and universities (community, professional, research, etc).

Discover why & how social emotional learning works in colleges/universities.

Online, June 28-30, 8am San Francisco time each day – DAY 1: Students.. DAY 2: Faculty & Staff. DAY 3: Campus & Community. Register for Free (to attend live-online and receive links to recordings).

EQ for C&U is hosted by Six Seconds, The Emotional Intelligence Network, in collaboration with

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Beatriz Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Beatriz Gonzalez, Ph.D.

President, Wolfson Campus at Miami Dade College

Dr. Beatriz González is Wolfson Campus President for Miami Dade College. Previous to MDC, was Chief Diversity Officer, Vice Provost, and Professor of Counseling at the University of La Verne in California. Prior to La Verne, she served as Vice President for Planning and Enrollment at St. Thomas University in Florida. While at STU, she was also academic dean, chief of staff, and faculty. Dr. González is an American Council on Education Fellow and serves on the National Advisory Council for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity and the Social and Economic Development Council for the Miami-Dade County. Dr. González is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Liza Johnson, Ed.D.

Liza Johnson, Ed.D.

Director of Personal Empowerment and Assistant Director to the President for the University of Dubuque

Dr. Liza Johnson is the Director of Personal Empowerment, Assistant Director to the President for the University of Dubuque (UD), and an EQ Ambassador for Six Seconds. She is the author of a forthcoming SEL curriculum for higher education, a workbook to grow personal and professional success through EQ based on field-tested methods from the program at UD. This curriculum is systematically implemented campus-wide that includes a 3-credit undergraduate course that fulfills a general education requirement. Liza is also working closely with the Dubuque Community Schools, police, and city government on a community-wide implementation plan of emotional intelligence.

Issac M. Carter, Ph.D.

Issac M. Carter, Ph.D.

Executive Equity Coach | Partner at Six Seconds

Issac M. Carter, Ph.D., is a Culturally Responsive Educator, Executive Coach, Higher Education DEI and Leadership Consultant, EQ Assessor, and Practioner. Throughout his twenty-five-year career in higher education, he has served as Chief Student Affairs Officer, Chief Enrollment Officer, Associate professor (tenured), Program and Chair for Social Justice & Higher Education Master’s Program.

He is the founder of the Coaching Imperative, where he helps leaders, teams, and organizations achieve their goals by increasing their internal capacity or the meta-abilities to think, feel, and act from a place of awareness of one’s culture and emotions and the culture and feelings of others. Crucial to Issac’s work are ideas and concepts around intersectionality and emotional hierarchies and their impacts on individuals, teams, and institutions.

Issac is a preferred partner with Six Seconds and is helping to lead efforts further to embed emotional and cultural intelligence into higher education. He is a co-author of an upcoming book; EQ Goes to College, which presents a theory, practice, and conceptual model for EQ in higher education.

Dr. Christian Castro

Dr. Christian Castro

Inaugural Associate Dean for Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity at the UW Madison College of Engineering

Dr. Christian Castro is the Inaugural Associate Dean for Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity at the UW Madison College of Engineering. A national thought leader and expert in inclusive teaching, Chris joined the College of Engineering in January 2022, bringing over fifteen years of experience teaching in a variety of academic fields, scholarship in educational development, and consulting. His research interests span faculty professional identity development, sense of belonging and self-efficacy regulation, and the effects of instructional interventions on student learning. He is the educational expert in residence on the UW Virtual Brain Project, which investigates the effects of virtual reality as an instructional tool in the teaching of functional neuroanatomy. Prior to joining UW Madison, Chris was the Assistant Director for Faculty Development at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, where he designed and implemented the college’s first peer and student review of teaching program; served as an instructional/classroom coach, working directly with medical faculty members in developing skills to facilitate Team-Based Learning, Problem-Based Learning, and Cased-Based Learning; and was instrumental in the college’s first curriculum evaluation and redesign initiative to include evidence-based teaching and assessment methodologies.

Sarah Tuskey, Ph.D.

Sarah Tuskey, Ph.D.

Dean of Faculty - Wolfson Campus, Miami Dade College

Dr. Sarah Tuskey currently serves as the Dean of Faculty at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus. Her research interests focus on identity at work, employee well-being, and technology implications for employee attitudes and behavior. She holds PhD in Business with a concentration in Management.

(she, her, hers)

Rosa Porro

Rosa Porro

Dipendente dell’Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, CEO del European Crowdfunding Festival , Responsabile del Centro per la Sostenibilità. Autrice del programma radiofonico CrowdUniba. Responsabile ed autrice della rubrica “Oltre la linea su Corriere della Puglia”.  Dottoranda in informatica “Intelligenza artificiale e crowdfunding. Laureata in economia aziendale con abilitazione Commercialista.

Mickey Lebowitz, MD

Mickey Lebowitz, MD

Doctor of Medicine at State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Mickey Lebowitz MD FACE EQAC, PC, CC, a board certified endocrinologist, after leaving private practice he wrote a book entitled, “Losing My Patience: Why I Left the Practice of Medicine.” He served at the Syracuse VA Hospital as an academic hospitalist teaching fellows, residents and medical students. He was then recruited to Crouse Hospital as the Senior Medical Quality Director with the goal of making the hospital more efficient, effective and safer (Excellence in Healthcare Award for rap video, HAC NO). During his time as a Quality Director he also practiced as an endocrine hospitalist, was champion of the diabetes program and developed workshops to teach physician leadership, wellness and burnout avoidance. He was honored with the Community Service award from the Onondaga County Medical Society for his work on wellness and burnout. After 7 years as a Quality Director Dr. Lebowitz became the Chief Medical Officer at MAS, a Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation Company, continued as an endocrine hospitalist and leader of the diabetes program and became the Medical Director of Le Moyne PA program where he was given the NYSSPA Physician Advocate of the year award in 2020. Over the last few years Dr. Lebowitz has achieved multiple certifications in Emotional Intelligence becoming a practitioner, assessor and a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation.

Karen Craddock, Ph.D.

Karen Craddock, Ph.D.

Visiting Scholar, Wellesley Centers for Women

Dr. Karen Craddock (EdM., Harvard University; PhD., Tufts University) is an Applied Psychologist, DEIB/EQ Practitioner, and coach-facilitator. Her expertise in social-cultural contexts and relational frameworks are linked to growth and development along the lifespan and across sectors. With a special focus in Higher Education, she continues to deepen and expand her impact at the nexus of cultural/emotional intelligence, equity, and community engagement. She has focused on the strengths and experiences of communities of color, and her explorations of relationship, narrative, wellness, and leadership are featured in her consultancy, writing, action research and direct practice. Her senior leadership experience includes roles at Education Development Center, Harvard University and the National TA Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention.

Dr. Craddock is a developer of several applied frameworks and models including the Profiles of Psychological Resistance to Marginalization, S.T.O.P neuroscience-based frame on exclusion, W.E. framework on equity and wellness, and the Craddock 3-L Approach and Analysis toolkit. She is the Founder President of KCollaborative Connections coaching, Founding Partner of TruRay44 consultation, and is a Founder and Executive Director of The Wellness Collaborative, Inc. an interdisciplinary collective reimagining health and wellness to address disparities, focusing on integrating culturally anchored modalities of healing, expressive arts, and mental health.

An enrolled citizen of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe, she was the Inaugural Tribal Community Member in Residence at Brown University and is on the Native American Advisory Council for University of Massachusetts Amherst. While Visiting Scholar at the Wellesley College Centers for Women she focuses on Black-Indigenous women’s lives, and among her publications and editorial works include Black Motherhoods: Contours, Contexts and Considerations, Transforming Community: Stories of Connection through the Lens of Relational-Cultural Theory and ‘Why Racialized Exclusion Hurts and How We Can Remain Resilient.
Among other civic and board engagements, Dr. Craddock is on the leadership team of the BIWOC Gathering Circle and is the Principal Investigator for the United Way funded Exploring Culturally Responsive SEL project while serving as board member/chair of the equity & inclusion committee for the Social-Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts, as well National Advisor for Social-Emotional Learning for the United States.

Dr. Craddock is committed to liberatory action, advocacy, and alignment. She is informed and inspired by her journey as a relative, friend, steward, and most committed to her anchoring goal to “alleviate pain and elevate joy.”

Deborah Donahue-Keegan, Ed.D.

Deborah Donahue-Keegan, Ed.D.

Associate Director, GLADC, Tisch College, Tufts University

Dr. Deborah Donahue-Keegan, Ed.M., M.S.W., Ed.D. serves as the Associate Director of the Generous Listening and Dialogue Center (GLADC) and is a Senior Fellow at Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University. She oversees the Center’s Social-Emotional Learning & Civic Engagement (SEL-CE) Initiative. Deborah is also a Lecturer in Tufts Department of Education. She is a member of the university-wide Bridging Differences Task Force, the Tufts JED Campus committee, and the university’s Mindfulness and Resilience Collaborative. Deborah serves as an Advisor for SEL4US, a national SEL advocacy organization. She co-founded and co-leads the Massachusetts Consortium for SEL in Teacher Education (MA SEL-TEd). She has authored articles and chapters focused on Social-Emotional Learning, contemplative Practices, and educator professional development. Deborah’s research and teaching focus on ways that transformative social-emotional learning can be leveraged for belongingness, equity, racial literacy/justice, and inclusive excellence in school environments.

Dr. Robert Emmerling

Dr. Robert Emmerling

Director and Co-Chair - Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, Rutgers

Dr. Robert Emmerling Director and Co-Chair of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations and is a leading expert in the assessment and development of competencies and emotional intelligence in the workplace. Through his work in the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, a group founded by Dr. Daniel Goleman, he has been involved in some of the most influential work in the field of competencies and emotional intelligence, including the development of best practice guidelines for training and developing emotional intelligence and the identification and evaluation of model programs that significantly enhance social and emotional competencies in the workplace.

S. Rae Peoples

S. Rae Peoples

Associate Director of Diversity & Inclusion Education, Tufts University

S. Rae has over 25 years of experience serving in leadership roles that revolve around justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts, education, political, and nonprofit sectors. She is the founder and principal consultant of Red Lotus Consulting, an inclusion, equity, and justice service boutique and sits on the Board of Directors for North Atlantic Books. Currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Creative Leadership for Innovation & Change at the University of the Virgin Islands, S. Rae is rooted in motherhood, love, and community in Somerville, MA.

Rachel Mintz

Rachel Mintz

Student, Tufts University

Rachel graduated from Tufts University in May 2022 with a BA in Education and American Studies. Throughout her studies she focused on challenging the oppressive nature of the education system and the violence encoded into Western epistemology. Rachel was involved with the Latinx community at Tufts and is passionate about communities of care. She has spent the past two summers teaching middle schoolers with Breakthrough Collaborative and will be moving to Madrid for a year at the end of the summer to teach elementary school students English. 
Deborah Silva

Deborah Silva

Student, Tufts University

Deborah is a rising undergrad senior at Tufts University studying International Relations. Passionate about youth advocacy and service leadership, she is adamant about the need for SEL in primary, secondary, and higher education. When she is not busy serving as co-president for the Tufts’ DREAM Youth Mentorship chapter, she is finding different ways to incorporate her love for studying cultures and languages with her desire to see marginalized children thrive in every situation. She currently works for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts as a Community Engagement fellow and plans to pursue a career in social impact. SEL and EQ practices have been both the foundation and motivation in her pursuit of a world full of service, equity, and compassion.
Rochonda L. Nenonene, PhD

Rochonda L. Nenonene, PhD

Assistant Professor & Co-Director, Urban Teacher Academy, University of Dayton

Rochonda L. Nenonene, Ph.D. is the First Year Experience Coordinator and Founding Co-Program Director of the Urban Teacher Academy at the University of Dayton. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, she teaches the introduction to the profession courses for undergraduate and graduate education candidates. Research interests include: urban teacher preparation, culturally responsive teaching, equity, social-emotional learning and dispositions of teacher candidates. Dr. Nenonene conducts professional development for school districts on culturally responsive teaching, student engagement, classroom management, social-emotional learning and issues of equity.

Beth DeAngelis

Beth DeAngelis

Senior Director, Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, Siena College

Domenico Rega

Domenico Rega

Domenico (Mimmo) Rega è nato a Teramo (Abruzzo, Italia) nel 1959. Per lavoro e per passione si occupa di formazione da oltre 40 anni. Già responsabile dei laboratori di ergoterapia, è attualmente direttore dell’Ufficio Formazione e Qualità e Presidente della Fondazione Piccola Opera Charitas e come tale ha dato avvio a numerosi e innovativi progetti. È membro del Gruppo di Progettazione dell’Ufficio Nazionale di Pastorale della Salute della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI). Provider expert in colloquio motivazionale, sta concludendo un Master triennale in Counseling Umanistico Esistenziale Integrato. EQ Facilitator Six Seconds certificato, ha completato l’intero percorso formativo con Six Seconds ed è abilitato ad utilizzare i suoi strumenti sia a livello individuale che di gruppo, con adulti e ragazzi.

Amal Al-Khlewi

Amal Al-Khlewi

Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems, Jubail University College

Amal Alkhlewi is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at Jubail University College in Saudi Arabia. Working in different administrative roles in Higher Education exposed her to the need for EQ training for faculty and students. Amal is a Six Seconds Certified Practitioner and Educator. 
Noah Caesar-Kim

Noah Caesar-Kim

Student, Tufts University

Noah is a rising senior at Tufts University with a double major in Education and Political Science. During his time at Tufts, Noah has committed himself to student wellness, both inside and outside of the classroom. Noah has spent the past two years as a residential advisor, which has required him to support freshmen through some of the most challenging stretches of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, he has worked to improve Tufts courses through the P3 Pedagogical Partnership Program, which aims to harness student input as a means of improving both pedagogy and content. Through this process, Noah has collaborated with Tufts faculty members to implement SEL and DEI principles in order to promote a thoughtful, equitable classroom environment. Outside of Tufts, Noah has committed himself to teaching, with an emphasis on social justice and closing opportunity gaps in education. In his hometown of San Francisco, Noah volunteered as a tutor at 826 Valencia before taking a position as an English Language Arts teacher at Breakthrough Collaborative, where he is returning as a second-year Teaching Fellow.
Maria Grandone

Maria Grandone

Director, Academic Advising - California State University-Dominguez Hills

Equity minded, proactive professional with over 20 years of progressive experience with delivering successful student success-centered programs and services, including academic advising and student success enrichment programs. Collaborative leader across all levels of the university administration that delivers transformative education that emphasizes equity, access, and inclusion for all students. Extensive experience in the administration of academic policy including academic standing and graduation while supporting all students academically, socially, and emotionally that promote student success and life-long learning. Student centric experience in development and delivery student affairs, student life, and career development tools and resources serving diverse college students. Delivered 200+ hours of training to 10,000+ students on a wide variety of academic, leadership and intercultural topics. Significant experience in developing highly effective teams, external partnerships and campus collaborations.

Anabel Jensen, Ph.D.

Anabel Jensen, Ph.D.

President & Cofounder, Six Seconds

For nearly 50 years, Dr. Anabel Jensen has pioneered the instruction of emotional intelligence competencies. Dr. Jensen is the President of Six Seconds, and was the principal of the Nueva School when Daniel Goleman came and wrote about the model emotional intelligence program there; under her guidance the school also won two Federal Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education. Dr. Jensen has co-authored four books on teaching EQ (including Self-Science, one of the first published SEL curricula) and received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Anabel’s noble goal is, “to use my voice to teach compassion and accountability so that integrity floods the earth.”

Jaime Franco, Ph.D.

Jaime Franco, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University

In late 2010, Dr. Franco left FedEx Express Latin America & Caribbean Division where he managed programs and initiatives in Financial Systems & Controls, Sales Learning & Development, and Leadership Development for 4,000 plus employees based in 50 countries and territories throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. At FedEx, he also managed global citizenship initiatives such as FedEx Cares Week, United Way Campaign, and March of Dimes March for Babies Campaign.

At LITMUS, a CRO. Franco directs and manages all aspects of U.S. and International clinical trials. In addition, he is co-founder and CEO at FRANCO & CO, a leading medical specialty organization with locations throughout South Florida. Dr. Franco also teaches at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and Florida International University, College of Business Administration, R. Kirk Landon Undergraduate School of Business and the Chapman Graduate School of Business.

Laura Mitchell

Laura Mitchell

Associate Professor at University of Houston/Downtown

Laura A. Mitchell is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston-Downtown. She teaches Bilingual Education, Literacy, and Culture in the Department of Urban Education. She completed her Doctorate of Education at Fielding Graduate University in 2009. Laura finds passion in her work with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mindfulness Movement. She also utilizes Emotional Intelligence in her teachings. Laura’s passion for teaching and learning led her to the University of Houston-Downtown. With her experience working in urban schools as a bilingual education teacher, campus coordinator, and an assistant principal for 26 years, she combines her passions for teaching multilingual students, leading teachers to discover their own teaching passions, and researching and scholarly writing.

Joshua Freedman

Joshua Freedman

CEO, Six Seconds

Emotions can be a resource to connect us with what matters most. What if every person, of every age, everywhere, had the skills & support to grow their emotional intelligence?

What if EVERYONE could grow empathy so we connect more deeply…. Increase emotional literacy so we can share what’s really happening… Strengthen abilities to make choices on purpose to make tomorrow better? That’s what we do at Six Seconds!

We’re working in over 200 countries & territories bringing a practical, measurable approach to increase value with emotional intelligence. From leadership & team development programs at places like FedEx, Qatar Airways, UN, US Navy, Microsoft, HSBC… to wellbeing programs at universities… to social emotional learning initiatives in partnership with UNICEF World Children’s Day.

Cherilyn Leet

Cherilyn Leet

Director of Education and Partnerships, Six Seconds

Cherilyn leads SEL initiatives that span 200 countries and territories, certifying educators in a comprehensive solution of assessments and development tools for children and adults. Six Seconds’ tools are on the CASEL and RAND registers of SEL assessments, and these methods are used in dozens of research studies and published case studies. Cherilyn is an instructor and program coordinator of the new EdD with SEL Specialization offered by Antioch University in partnership with Six Seconds.

Kisha Freed

Kisha Freed

Founder of Leadership Inside/Out

Kisha Freed is a mindfulness meditation teacher, certified success coach, and Six Seconds certified EQ Assessor, a speaker and poet. Through her Leadership Inside/Out platform, her goal is to empower our next generation of young adults with mindfulness and EQ tools to be leaders in their lives and become emboldened and conscious leaders in the workplace and community. For ten years, Kisha has facilitated creativity and expressive writing workshops for young people. EQ is a dynamic tool she integrates into her workshops and projects to support the next generation in authentic leadership. Kisha’s pronouns are she/her/hers.

Emily Graham MSED, NCC, LCMHC (she/her/hers)

Emily Graham MSED, NCC, LCMHC (she/her/hers)

Senior Social Emotional Learning Analyst, Western Governors University

Emily is a licensed clinical mental health therapist and military spouse, with a passion for helping people access wellness within.

 Rosa Heckenberg

Rosa Heckenberg

Dr. Rosa Heckenberg is an immigrant, first-generation student, and daughter of immigrants parents. Dr. Heckenberg graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Education and a Minor in Public Administration. A Master of Science in Higher Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs from California State University, Fullerton. Her Doctor Degree in Educational Leadership from California State University, Long Beach.

For the past 15th years, Dr. Heckenberg has served in several Leadership positions at California State University, Fullerton. Also, she had the opportunity to collaborate with the opening of the first USA university in Mexico, serving as the Director of the Student Success Center at Arkansas State University, Campus Queretaro, Mexico. In addition, after returning from Mexico, she served as Director of the Learning & Testing Center at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Now she serves in a new leadership position as a Special Consultant of Student Life/Student Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.

Pavneeta Singh, Ph.D.

Pavneeta Singh, Ph.D.

Emotional Intelligence Practitioner, Six Seconds

Dr Pavneeta Singh, Six Seconds Certified and Mindfulness practitioner- I offer a diverse background in research, social development and empowerment; mindfulness and meditation; education and social emotional learning; and emotional intelligence.

Post doctorate in 2004, I gained a wealth of experience from working closely with people through my social development research projects on varied topics of women empowerment, caste rights, quality of education, water and sanitation, social accountability, participatory approaches, democratic rights and duties etc. (2004 – 2012)

Life’s journey moulded me towards developing a keen understanding about self; and my focus naturally steered towards the area of self-empowerment. I conducted workshops on mindfulness for adults and children. My deep interest in psychology, holistic education and mindful living pulled me to work closely with children. Since 2013, I have actively engaged with children on their social and emotional learning, through school engagements, workshops, programs. I am also trained in Waldorf and IB (International Baccalaureate) pedagogy.

Today I work closely with schools, educators and parents with the vision to build an emotionally intelligent community; the best gift we can give our children.

Lee Keylock

Lee Keylock

Director of Global Programs at Narrative 4

Lee oversees the coordination and administration of all aspects of N4’s ongoing programmatic development. Originally from Britain, Lee immigrated to the United States in 1989 and taught English at Newtown High School in Connecticut for thirteen years. He has served as an adjunct professor teaching Creative Writing and Composition at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, where he also earned his MFA in Creative Writing.

Polina Kotseva

Polina Kotseva

CEO of FUNtazia International

Polina is the CEO of FUNtazia International – an organization in Bulgaria, focused on bringing SEL into curriculum. She is a Six Seconds Certified EQ practitioner, Brain profiler and a certified Narrative 4 facilitator. Polina and her team work with children and adults, parents, teachers, directors, psychologists and business leaders. She consults with schools, universities, and businesses about integrating SEL into the educational or business environment. FUNtazia’s FACT approach is in almost every educational institution in Bulgaria and helps students, teachers and managers to create value from EQ and social-emotional skills and build healthier, more sustainable relationships.

Lata Singh Dasila

Lata Singh Dasila

Founder-Director - MEQ Academy

Hello, I am the founder-director of Meraviglia EQ Academy, and apart from leading a global team of Kids and Parents Life Coaches that I have trained and certified, I enjoy creating the best coaching tools and material for children, coaches, educators, leaders, trainers, and individuals.

Chetna Singh

Chetna Singh

Program Manager at MEQ Academy

Chetna Singh is Program Manager at MEQ Academy and has been creating a lot of Social Emotional Learning material for children and young adults.

Aleasa Word

Aleasa Word

Program Manager, Six Seconds

Become the best version of yourself! I focus on the connection between emotional intelligence, diversity and relationship management as a conduit for growth, personal effectiveness, change, productivity and happiness. We can help you make fear your friend and emotions your superpower.

 Marie Roker-Jones

Marie Roker-Jones

Co-Founder and Head of Business Partnerships for DEI and CSR, Essteem

Marie Roker-Jones is a social impact leader, military spouse, and change agent with over ten years of experience in leading workplace diversity strategies.

Marie is a serial entrepreneur and impact-focused business leader with a passion for upskilling and hiring overlooked populations in tech. She has co-founded two social impact startups, OweYaa and Essteem, which create opportunities for women, veterans, and people of color to enter the tech industry. She was the senior editor for The Good Men Project, a diverse, multi-faceted media company and an idea-based social platform for cultural conversations about manhood. As the founder of Raising Great Men, she built a movement for parents, empowering them with resources to raise culturally aware and socially conscious children.

Leslie I. Ortega, MPH, DrPh(c)

Leslie I. Ortega, MPH, DrPh(c)

Program Coordinator, Long Beach City College

I am a first-generation graduate student pursuing a doctorate in Public Health. I graduated with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Chicana/o Studies and a Masters in Public Health with a focus on Community Health Education. I have worked in higher education since 2012 and have gained a wealth of experience working with peers dedicated to moving the needle forward towards equity.
I am the Founder of ColibÍ Community Wellness, where I have the opportunity to evaluate community health needs assessments and design quality improvement tools to help measure the effectiveness of services. I currently oversee the programmatic and administrative aspects of the Tutoring Program at Long Beach City College where I develop and facilitate student training that promotes student social and emotional well-being.  
Manuel Caviglia

Manuel Caviglia

Program Manager - Area Education& Life at Six Seconds Italia

Manuel Caviglia, Program Manager area Education & Life, gestisce i percorsi EQ Assessor in ambito educativo & SEI-Youth Version in modalità virtual e supporta lo sviluppo di programmi di apprendimento socio-emotivo nelle scuole. Cura, inoltra, i percorsi di training e coaching in ambito Life.

Bee Leng Seow, Ph.D.

Bee Leng Seow, Ph.D.

Service Excellence Evangelist

Dr Bee Leng SEOW is passionate to serve with love and joy; and empowering others to do the same. She runs her practice under Continuum Learning Pte Ltd. With warmth and authenticity, Dr Seow, a facili-trainer, designs and facilitates workshops with the focus to serve with love and joy. She creates joyful learning and safe space where learners thrive and grow.

Mohamed Azeem Saheer

Mohamed Azeem Saheer

Human Capital Specialist

Having worked in Sri Lanka, Qatar and U.A.E markets, Azeem possesses an in-depth understanding of assessing diversified learning needs and aligning them with organization’s strategic objectives. With Masters of Business Administration from Napier Edinburgh Napier (UK), Level 3 Qualification in Training & assessing learning- City & Guild (UK) Certified Neuro Linguistic Program (NLP),Design thinking. Azeem is one of the one of first Genos Certified Emotional Intelligence practitioner, Riders & Elephant Emotional Culture Deck Practitioner and ICF certified coaches in the country. Host of Ei café with Azeem Podcast

Robert Ingram, MS

Robert Ingram, MS

EQ Advocate

Bob has been a certified EQ Practitioner, Trainer, Assessor and Advocate for more than 20 years with 30 years as a group facilitator. He believes EQ is his avocation, spending much deal of his retirement from Federal Service (43+ years) time working as a volunteer trainer / facilitator, 6 Seconds Network Leader (NAMER), a Super Mentor for 6 Seconds Pop-up Festivals, and as the Vice President, Strategic Planner, and a Member of the Board of Directors for EQ4Peace Worldwide, Inc. He has two (2) credos: “You are only limited by your imagination” and “Honesty without Compassion is Brutality”.

Matt Perelstein

Matt Perelstein

EQ4Peace

Matt has guided EQ4Peace to schools, homes, and workplaces on 3 continents through speaking engagements and guest lectures. Matt has been teaching emotional intelligence (EQ) for over 35 years for his private company in the USA. He has given over 50 workshops and webinars including 8 universities & colleges, co-managed 15 EQ-related social media sites on Facebook and LinkedIn and been published in “Compass 2: All-in-One Integrated Skills and Grammar” by Sue Frame (Oxford University Press) and authored “Peace Through Emotional Intelligence (EQ): A Handbook for Creating Peace Inside and Around You” (Cyberwit.net).

Gianluca Romani

Gianluca Romani

Laurea Magistrale in Fisica, dopo un breve periodo da ricercatore, ho sempre operato nel campo dell’IT e della consulenza aziendale. Dopo aver aperto e gestito, negli anni ’90, un negozio di informatica con il quale ho creato il più grande nodo internet di Abbiategrasso (MI), mi sono dedicato alla consulenza aziendale, dapprima informatica e poi organizzativa e di processo. All’inizio del nuovo millennio, ho lavorato per un’azienda di consulenza di organizzazione e processo del nord Italia, con clienti in ambito manifatturiero, Oil&Gas, bancario e dell’energia. Nel 2011 sono stato chiamato a Siena da una grande multinazionale farmaceutica per rifondare il team internazionale di gestione documentale elettronica, partecipando anche alla definizione della strategia aziendale di gestione documentale elettronica regolamentata; ho ricoperto vari ruoli manageriali fino alla chiusura della sede di Siena, acquisendo responsabilità via via crescenti di gestione e coordinamento di team locali e internazionali. Negli ultimi anni mi sono dedicato alla valorizzazione delle competenze delle risorse umane e mi sono formato come business & executive coach e valutatore e “allenatore” di intelligenza emotiva. Opero come coach dal 2016 (per i miei riporti interni del tempo) e nel 2017/2018 ho frequentato il “Professional Coaching Mastery” di Asterys Lab, iscrivendomi poi ad ICF e iniziando ad erogare sessioni a clienti esterni. Nel 2018 ho ottenuto la certificazione EQ Assessor da Six Seconds e nel 2019 quella di EQ Practitioner, dallo stesso anno opero come Network Leader per favorire la conoscenza e la diffusione dell’Intelligenza Emotiva in Italia.

Sul finire del 2019 avevo avviato un programma di avviamento all’Intelligenza Emotiva per gli studenti del Santa Chiara Lab dell’Università di Siena, progetto interrotto dalla pandemia di Covid.

Nel 2021 sono stato co-relatore del webinar “6 secondi che fanno la differenza: Intelligenza Emotiva per la vita e per il lavoro” per la Bocconi Alumni Community.

Nel 2021 e 2022 ho tenuto una “lezione” su “Intelligenza Emotiva per startup, inclusività e Comunicazione efficace” per gli studenti del Master “Corporate Advisory e Internazionalizzazione (CARINT)” dell’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano.

Oggi posso vantare oltre 30 anni di esperienza IT, 15 anni di esperienza di organizzazione e ridisegno di processi aziendali, 15 anni di formazione, 15 di IT business analysis, 10 di project management, 5 anni di coaching.

Marianna Del Bello

Marianna Del Bello

I have been working in the Sales Department of Mediolanum Corporate University (MCU), since 1999 until present.

I have been working in a team denominated “Didactic & Digital Evolution”, as a staff member, since 2018 in collaboration with other 4 colleagues who joined MCU, after a long experience in Marketing or IT. This team was created to accelerate digital transformation and adopt new training methodologies, very strategic to respond to turbulent changes. Our team supports other 4 Areas (business, product, role development and compliance) by coordinating transversal activities, by ensuring synergies and alignment with business goals, by encouraging innovation and creativity.

Previously I was responsible for managerial training, so I have many certification in the soft skills area: I have been a ICF Certified coach since 2006. I am an emotional intelligence trainer certified Six Second, as practitioner, assessor, educator (in-school training). Today I use these skills in my daily activities at MCU because I am responsible for a community (Faculty MCU) which includes almost 100 members who are professional Managers or Private Bankers from the sales network. I identify skill gaps of Trainers in order to build meaningful learning programs and to measure their performance.

I am also responsible for special projects to support women who work in sales networks and encourage people to manage their own learning in order to maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance.

Alessandra Martelli

Alessandra Martelli

Nata a Bologna nel 1971. Mamma di Elena, Andrea ed Anna. Docente ricercatore con una formazione biologica ed psicologica. Delegato del Rettore dell’Università degli Studi di Teramo al Welfare studentesco, disabilità e job placement. Interessata ai temi della crescita e dello sviluppo personale, ha fatto “dell’empowerment” una missione così che ciascuno attinga alle proprie risorse interiori per portare concretamente qualità alla vita.

Federica De Lucia

Federica De Lucia

Federica De Lucia è nata in Abruzzo (Italia) nel 1976. È laureata con lode in Giurisprudenza e ha conseguito un Master di II livello in Studi Storico-Artistici e di Tutela e Valorizzazione del Patrimonio Culturale e dell’Ambiente. Al Museo d’Arte dello Splendore per un quindicennio, ha collaborato all’organizzazione di eventi culturali e all’ideazione e realizzazione di progetti didattici rivolti alle scuole di ogni ordine e grado. È membro del Gruppo di progettazione della Fondazione Piccola Opera Charitas. È iscritta all’Albo degli Educatori professionali socio-sanitari. È certificata Educator e Practitioner e sta completando il percorso Assessor  Six Seconds. 

The EQ for C&U virtual conference is produced by Six Seconds, The Emotional Intelligence Network.

Six Seconds is a global nonprofit working to support ALL people to grow and practice emotional intelligence. Make a tax-deductible donation to support this work.

We think the world would be a better place if a billion people were practicing the skills of emotional intelligence (EQ). So, we research and share scientific, global, transformational tools & methods to support that goal. Learn more about Six Seconds’ vision or to go deeper, explore EQ Certification Training for coaching, facilitating, consulting or educating.

© Six Seconds