Dan also proudly serves as a board member of the Abilities Beyond Limitations and Expectations (ABLE) employee impact group at Allstate. ABLE advances Allstate’s inclusive diversity, equity, and disability inclusion initiatives by educating and engaging with the Allstate community on the positive impacts of employees with disabilities. 

Dan has a lifelong passion for learning and for helping others grow and develop.   Before joining Allstate, Dan served as an Illinois public-school special education teacher and also coordinated services for the Illinois Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers.  

A passionate and strategic leader, as well as a published author, Elisa’s expertise has guided her ability to be responsible for the entire employee experience, from recruitment to onboarding, retention, performance management, professional development, and career acceleration. She had led teams of professionals who manage benefits and compensation, talent, HR systems and operations, HR reporting and analytics, and internal communications.

She is also a well-known industry expert who has spoken at national events and serves on the advisory boards of Capella University School of Business & Technology and HRO Today North America. She has received multiple awards and honors, including the 2020 CHRO of the Year by HRO Today and the 2023 HR Team of the Year. She is committed to building next-generation women leaders, fostering diversity and inclusion, and aligning talent with organizational vision and strategy. She is an awardee and member of the Exceptional Women's Alliance.

With two decades in sales leadership and founding six companies leading teams of up to 400, Jermaine speaks from first-hand experience of the challenges, complexities and opportunities of building a company.

Jermaine is invited to speak and advise small and large businesses and has to date been part of 200 growth projects across 22 countries and 30 industries, working with organizations like Dell Technologies and London Business School on growth strategies and customer centricity. 

With a degree in Economics, a Master's degree in Behavioral Psychology, and experience as a Program Director at Bayes Business School, City University of London, Jermaine has developed a deep understanding of the principles that underpin sustainable growth. 

Jermaine is a father of six and passionate about creating education and economic opportunities for vulnerable children. Through his programs he has a mission to change the lives of a million children by 2035.

Melissa is currently serving as Vice President of Merchant Success of Americas and Europe at EBANX, the leading payment partner for global companies in rising markets. She leads a global Merchant Success organization focused on driving meaningful impact with global merchants as they navigate the complex and evolving digital landscape, bringing EBANX's merchants' success stories in rising markets to the next level. In this role, Melissa leverages her extensive experience and expertise to navigate complex rising markets, build strategic partnerships, and deliver outstanding results. Previously, Melissa has held leadership and commercial roles at PayPal, Worldpay, and Digital River.

Passionate about advancing women in business, Melissa has completed the Women's Executive Leadership Program, a program offered by UC Berkeley Executive Education, housed within the prestigious Haas School of Business. This program represents an intentional effort to dismantle perceived gender barriers and to foster an understanding of women in business and how their executive management roles influence business agility and a company’s longevity. Imbued with a profound appreciation for the distinctive perspectives and inherent strengths of female leaders, Melissa has emerged from this experience equipped with an invigorated and visionary mindset.

As an Advisory Board member, Melissa will continue to leverage her leadership experience in the technology sector, exceptional communication and negotiation skills, and unwavering dedication to DEIB in business to make a meaningful impact on the Capella University SoBTH Advisory Board's mission and vision.

Melissa is an Advisory Council Member of the Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network (LTEN), a Girl Scout Troop Volunteer Co-Leader and President’s Silver Volunteer Award winner.  She graduated from Lindenwood University with an MBA in International Business and Carthage College with a Bachelor’s in Biology, minoring in Entrepreneurial Studies in the Natural Sciences.

Melissa enjoys the beach, reading, travel, and movies as she and her family are avid Disney and Star Wars fans.  She lives in the Dallas – Ft. Worth metroplex, has been married for 10 years and is the proud mother to one daughter and one dachshund.  Melissa believes in and lives by the following quote from John F. Kennedy – “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

For over 25 years Talila led product and engineering groups. She served as CTO, SVP of Product and Engineering, VP, and General Manager in Fortune 500 companies such as Stanley Black and Decker, Harris, and Motorola, and privately held companies such as Vidyo and Infinite Convergence Solutions. Talila has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, operations, and quality. She led turnarounds and business transformations that resulted in efficiencies and revenue growth.

Talila’s book about leadership in times of change, uncertainty, and complexity, was published in 2024 by New Degree Press. 

Talila Millman holds an M.Sc. from Tel-Aviv University in Computer Science. She holds a bachelor's degree in Math and Computer Science from Tel-Aviv University.

In addition to her corporate role, Tonika is deeply involved in her community running a non-profit organization focused on promoting healthy habits for children while also serving as a dedicated mentor, guiding youth as a Girl Scout troop leader and Board Member.

Tonika is a lifelong learner, reflecting her growth mindset. After becoming a mother in her teens, she returned to school, earning a bachelor's degree and a master's in psychology while juggling family and work. Her grit and determination enabled her to thrive despite early challenges.

As an advocate for empowering others, Tonika draws strength from her journey. She embraces hard-earned wisdom and models resilience and leading by example to create possibilities for those around her.

Stacy’s passion for financial well-being was instrumental in transforming the company’s employer-sponsored education benefits to strategically meet employees’ needs in all life stages.  She also has twenty years’ experience in managing global mobility programs for various companies.  Stacy holds an BS in Management from Post University in Waterbury, CT.

As a creator of the Periodic Table of Leadership Development and a recognized top consultant, Coach and Entrepreneur in Sales Enablement, Ed partners with progressive organizations to build high-performance, sustainable cultures. He does this by focusing on coaching for long-term success rooted heavily within behavior-based organizational strategies.

As a seasoned Coach, Ed leads with emotional intelligence and establishes deep trust-based relationships to help organizations achieve their desired outcomes through high performance.

He is a world-class communicator with deep knowledge in the sciences of sales and business management. Ed has experience pinpointing problems, creating solutions to get results that inspire professionals at all levels from new hires to veterans, frontline to executives alike – applying their talents towards achieving individual goals as well as collective ones too!

Ed is a man of integrity, innovation, and empowerment. He believes in connecting the dots for his clients to make them successful by outshining their competition with increased revenue or growing market share. It's something he frequently demonstrates throughout all aspects of his work--from leading executive conversations at large companies to inspiring individual growth in start-up organizations where people come first.

Ed majored in Business Management, with a Focus in Leadership at DePaul University, Chicago, Ill. 

As an internal leader, Kamaria has held senior roles within Fortune 500 companies, such as Accenture, FIS, and BNY Mellon.  Within Accenture, she led the Futurists and Insights team within Global Employee Experience Transformation for Accenture.  Her team used storytelling and a data-driven approach to create a shared vision of Employee Experience and inform the priorities to bring that vision to life. They also used insights to develop strategies that support the organization’s Future of Work initiatives, with specific focus on creating cultural change and developing leadership capabilities that support new ways of working. 

During her time at FIS, Kamaria was the Head of Curriculum Strategy and Instructional Design. Her team developed, implemented, and communicated the learning strategy for global programs and in support of talent management strategic priorities. Initiatives under her leadership supported FIS in being recognized by Chief Learning Officer magazine in 2018 and 2019. 

Kamaria holds an MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Central Florida and an EdS in Adult Education/Human Resource Development from Florida State University. 

Roy has a rich background in talent development and business strategy. He previously held the role of Senior Director of Cisco's Services Academy, where he was responsible for equipping 20K professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver outstanding customer results. In this role, Roy also analyzed teams and leaders to scale high-performing cultures.

Roy's accomplishments include establishing a Customer Success Academy, reducing costs by 25%, and doubling gender diversity. He has developed role-based frameworks and curricula for thousands of employees, led global skills transformation programs, and created a high-growth practice that delivered $400M in annual revenue. His leadership in developing multi-year technology roadmaps and managing global teams has been instrumental in driving significant business growth.

As a member of the board of advisors for Capella University, he is dedicated to advancing education and helping individuals achieve their fullest potential through innovative learning solutions.

Prior to ShoptoCook, Thompson was Vice President of Strategy and Retail Network Development for Insignia Systems, an in-store media and advertising company, where he managed the access to and growth of more than 20,000 retail locations. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Strategy of Inmar, Inc. where he led the strategy, development and acquisition to support Inmar’s entry into the retail digital marketing industry. Other experience includes leadership roles with Unicous Marketing, Valassis Communications where he was President and General Manager of Valassis of Canada.

Thompson earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology and a master’s of business administration from West Virginia University.

At the helm of Execute Your Intentions, LLC, Kinga develops business educational and advisory services tailored for trailblazing entrepreneurs and CEOs who are forging new paths. Her data-driven approach and deep understanding of the business landscape inform her commitment to equipping leaders with the foresight and adaptability necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving market.

Kinga's career is distinguished by her skillful navigation of mergers and acquisitions, her contributions to SaaS software development, and her resilience in high-stakes environments. She has played a critical role in organizational scaling, agile tech transformations, and cultivating environments that elevate teamwork and individual agency.

In her advisory role at Capella University, Kinga's insights are invaluable in shaping a forward-thinking curriculum that anticipates the future needs of the business community and individual learners. Her dedication to fostering agile leadership and continuous learning is reflected in her work, both as an entrepreneur and as a board member, ensuring that educational programs are relevant today and visionary in preparing students for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Dr. Whitt is a published author and earned her BSN and MSN degrees from Winston Salem State University, and her DHA from Capella University. She is a current Piedmont Triad Oncology Nursing Society (PT-ONS) board member. She is also a planning committee member for the Lung Cancer Initiative (LCI) Triad chapter and the Triangle chapter and volunteers on the board of her local fire department.

When she is not advocating for patients or volunteering, she enjoys running and strength training as well as the challenge of do it yourself (DIY) projects. She is the mom of four fur babies and is currently learning the art of calligraphy.

In her most recent role at Capella University as Executive Dean, Social Responsibility and Community Engagement, Barbara was recognized for her compelling work serving and supporting others to make a difference in lives and communities throughout the country. Previously at Capella, she served as dean of School of Business and Technology and dean of School of Education with leadership responsibility for P&L and growth strategies, external relations and business partnerships, academic programs, learner success outcomes, and faculty and staff. As a key leader at Capella, she worked closely with corporate and community leaders, academic institutions, external accreditation agencies and regulatory authorities throughout the U.S. Additionally, she established relationships with universities and businesses in Latin America, India, and UAE.

Dr. Butts Williams’ roles prior to Capella University included president of Growth Partners Consulting, a firm she founded to provide strategic consulting to small- and medium-sized organizations in organizational change, talent management, strategic planning and business development. She also served as chief global officer, Leadership Development, Talent Management & Succession Planning, and chief education officer at the St. Paul Companies (now The Travelers Companies) and with other premier organizations, such as Wilson Learning Corporation, Control Data Corporation (Ceridian), University of Michigan’s School of Business, and Pennsylvania Department of Health, she held senior leadership roles in marketing, strategic business development, portfolio management, diversity, equity and inclusion, talent management, social responsibility and education administration

Barbara has served on multiple boards including corporate, nonprofit, and private. Her current corporate board assignments include: Chair, Human Resources and Compensation committee and Philanthropy committee member on Allina Health’s board (a $4.4B+ enterprise), and Executive Loan and Credit, Nominating and Governance committees of HMN Financial Inc./ Home Federal Savings Bank (Nasdaq: HMNF). She served as vice-chair and member of the Board of Commissioners for Minnesota’s Sports Facilities Authority (U.S. Bank Stadium) as well as several other nonprofit, civic and education boards where she has served in leadership roles. Barbara’s leadership and board experience afford her a deep understanding and appreciation for governance best practices and future-focused planning. She is a NACD Board Leadership Fellow and Minnesota Chapter of NACD Board Member.

Barbara has received numerous recognitions honoring her exceptional board leadership, governance expertise and leadership in social responsibility and community impact including Twin Cities Business Magazine (Outstanding Board Directors Award 2019), Junior Achievement Upper-Midwest (Business Hall of Fame Laureate 2019), AARP/Pollen 50 over 50 (Top 10 Inspiring Business Leaders Honoree 2017) and Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal (Women in Business Career Achievement Recipient 2016). Dr. Butts Williams is recognized by the National Corporate Board of Directors Association as a Board Leadership Fellow.

As Dean, Dr. Zelihic guided academic programs, designed new initiatives, ensured curriculum quality, and promoted faculty development. As Chair of the Forbes Board of Advisors, she facilitated collaboration between academia and industry experts and was instrumental in establishing the university’s first international partnership.

Dr. Zelihic’s extensive experience with accreditation bodies includes implementing quality strategies to meet requirements, managing quality audits, and enhancing teaching quality and the student learning experience. Additionally, she brings rich global experiences from her time as an Associate Faculty member at several universities, international partnerships, developing e-learning courses, and roles as a guest lecturer and adjunct professor at various international institutions.

Dr. Zelihic received her BA from the University of North Florida, holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Organizational Development and Leadership, and received her Doctor of Business from Capella University.

Dr. Boncuore's areas of expertise include technology, assessment, curriculum design, and creating online communities of practice. She has held leadership roles, serving as Dean of Faculty and Degree Programs; academic director of Distance Learning; and director of Instructional Design and Online Learning.

Dr. Boncuore has earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Professional Studies with an emphasis on academic technology; a Master of Arts in Training and Development with an emphasis on adult learning theories and technology; and a B.S. in Journalism. 

Prior to joining Capella, she was the executive dean for the College of Humanities and Sciences at University of Phoenix. While there, Dr. St. Germain positioned the college as an incubator for continued growth and development to transform students into socially aware, critically thinking global citizens.

In addition to her academic career, Dr. St. Germain is a U.S. Army veteran and served as a major in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. While on active duty, she held assignments as an attorney at military posts including the 82D Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps Fort Bragg, NC.

She holds a Doctor of Education in higher education and organizational change from Benedictine University; a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law; and a Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University. She is admitted to practice as an attorney in Vermont, Virginia, and Maryland, as well as several federal courts. St. Germain’s research focus is on women and leadership.