Welcome to the Team

Laura Berland, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Compassionate Leadership, serves as Lead Faculty for the Center’s public certification programs, customized training for organizations, and Compassionate Leadership Teacher Training. At the Center for Compassionate Leadership, she has developed a new model for these turbulent times that melds evidence-based principles of modern leadership and the latest scientific research with the wisdom of contemplative practices. Laura has trained over 500 leaders from 44 countries in the Center’s flagship Compassionate Leadership Certification Program. 

She has been a weaver of transformative organizations and experiences, as a serial media and tech entrepreneur, Fortune 500 executive, transformational facilitator, nonprofit board member, meditation educator, yoga therapist, and executive advisor. She is an E-RYT500 (accredited educator) from Yoga Alliance, and C-IAYT (certified yoga therapist) from International Association of Yoga Therapists. Laura is an alumna of Cornell University and New York University.

Evan Harrel is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Compassionate Leadership. He leads the Center’s thought leadership efforts, the integration of scientific and business research into the work of the Center, and the development and delivery of the Center’s leadership training programs. For the last fifteen years, he has worked in the nonprofit field, including as the executive director of a group of inner-city Houston preschools and of Houston Habitat for Humanity. More recently, as a consultant and board member to several nonprofits, he has focused on developing meaningful measurable outcomes and devising strategies to further organizational mission and impact for a number of clients. Evan has taught about compassion to both nonprofit organizations and for-profit corporate boards.

Prior to beginning work in the nonprofit sector, Evan was an investment manager for over twenty years where he managed a thirty-billion-dollar equity mutual fund. He was awarded a Master of Business Administration degree, with distinction, from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Princeton University.

Patti Freeman Evans is the Research and Board Advisor for the Center for Compassionate Leadership. Over her career, Patti has advised start-up and large companies to flourish in the ever-evolving retail, digital, and online landscapes. After nearly twenty years in traditional retail with companies including Bloomingdale’s and Godiva, she embraced the digital wave and launched Bloomingdales.com. Patti then moved from practitioner to analyst and worked in market research with Jupiter and Forrester Research for 16 years where she focused on digital technology in retail as analyst and VP Director of Research. While doing so she had the opportunity to work with and advise a broad swath of Fortune 1000 companies as they learned about and implemented digital technology, data-based decision-making, multichannel opportunities, and, not the least, the impact each had on their organizations, culture and customers. Patti is an alumna of Franklin and Marshall College. She currently produces and hosts a podcast called Life Over Pain where she interviews people with chronic pain and traumatic brain injury with the goal of providing a resource for those who may find benefit from hearing stories of resilience and courage.

Jeffrey Lee Simons is the Community Content Director at the Center for Compassionate Leadership. He is responsible for the sourcing and delivery of relevant research, articles, and events that inform and inspire our global community of compassionate leaders.

Jeffrey is a skillful wordsmith and marketer who has been lucky enough to enjoy a career on the business side of things people do for fun, from selling wooden ship models and radio control cars in the 80s, to evangelizing Marvel Comics in the 90s, to getting people talking about Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk in the 21st Century. Along the way, he’s co-written a book on cause-related marketing, helped clients like Discovery Channel find their audiences, MasterCard and Citibank conquer the worlds of consumer finance, and the United Nations and Save the Children make the world a better place. Jeffrey received his Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University (Washington, DC).

Advisory Board

David Addiss, MD, MPH, is a leader in the field of compassion in global health. He has formally explored the area since 2008, has written extensively on the subject, and has brought together international religious and public health leaders to discuss the value of compassion. He is currently the director of the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics at the Task Force for Global Health. In addition, he is the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Global Health.

Dr. Addiss received his MD from the Medical College of Georgia and his MPH from Johns Hopkins University. He co-directed the WHO’s Collaborating Center for Control and Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in the Americas, based at the CDC, served as the director of the Fetzer Institute’s program in science and spirituality, and directed the Children Without Worms program at the Task Force for Global Health. Dr. Addiss has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, a book, and several book chapters.

Jennifer Bloom is a facilitator, performer, and social innovator with over 20 years of experience creating experiences that invite clients and participants to expand their mind and heart, open to diverse perspectives, and imagine possibilities for impactful action. Integrating her presence as a mother, poet, scholar, singer, and lifelong learner, her work weaves the intellectual and imaginal worlds, inviting people to embody a greater sense of presence and potential.

Ms. Bloom holds a B.A. in English from Yale University and a Master’s of Science in Health and Social Behavior from the Harvard School of Public Health. Her work integrates varied contemplative and writing traditions, as well as her continued studies through The Neuroleadership Institute, The Mindsight Institute, and Prosocial World. In 2020, after working in academia for 20 years, she co-founded Emerging Perspectives, a consulting group that works with individuals and organizations to create innovative solutions through evaluation, program development, and strategic planning. She also serves as an advisor to the Garrison Institute’s Fellowship Program.

Ms. Bloom brings her signature storytelling, poetry, and song performances to audiences all over the country and has facilitated groups ranging from social change leaders to public school students to community coalitions working to address the HIV epidemic. She has authored two poetry books and released two albums of music and spoken word poetry and shares weekly poems and musings via email.

Ms. Bloom lives in a magical treehouse in Austin, TX with her two children, two dogs, a myriad of books and journals, and the critters of the canyon who inspire and delight her. She believes that well-being thrives when we recognize, embrace, and embody our interconnection with all beings and the planet. Learn more at Jennifer-Bloom.com.

Kenya Casey, MSW, serves as senior faculty for the Center for Compassionate Leadership’s Certification programs. Ms. Casey is experienced in creating cultures of safety, connection and belonging within organizations and has catalyzed profound organizational impact and change throughout her career. Her approach is rooted in the importance of relationships, kindness, mentoring, and mindfulness.

Ms. Casey is the Director of Global Safety and Security for Emory University. She strengthens support for Emory students’ and employees’ travel health, safety and security, with a particular focus on ensuring best practices for all international travel. She also leads university wide efforts to enhance health, safety, and security before, during, and after travel to Emory community members who are engaged in and/or support international travel.

Ms. Casey previously served as senior associate director of Overseas Operations for The Carter Center Health Programs for 7 years, managing daily office operations of five program areas and eleven field offices, and serving as senior advisor on security of international staff and Carter Center travelers. While at the Carter Center, Ms. Casey helped foster a movement that continues to this day to deepen the Center’s compassionate culture.

Previously, she worked in Emory’s Center for International Programs Abroad, where she trained administrators on best practices and ways to increase participation and belonging among student groups historically underrepresented in study abroad.

Ms. Casey earned her B.A. in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University and her Master’s degree in social work from Howard University. As a certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator, Ms. Casey leads monthly meditations for The Carter Center domestic and international staff, as well as leading weekly mindfulness sessions for a diverse group of practitioners.

Shelton Davis founded Empathy Lab, Inc. in 2018 to help guide product and technology creators in how to build, support, and practice being empathetic with themselves and others.

From years in the design trenches as a user experience designer, human factors industrial designer, and manager of design processes, he built his career by listening compassionately and empathetically to the needs of others. The Empathy Lab was born out of his deep passion for listening, collaborative prototyping, and innovation.

From the production of arthritis simulation gloves that teach engineers and designers what it's like to experience the pain and discomfort of manual dexterity problems, to researching and designing ways to help retirees transition into retirement, Mr. Davis lives and works through the lens of empathy and compassion for all.

Mr. Davis hails from Southern California and was an All-American decathlete and co-captain of the Track and Field team at USC. He has an Associates Degree from Santa Ana Community College and Bachelors Degree from The University of Southern California, both in Psychology, and a Masters Degree in Industrial Design from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Miriam Eaves is the Head of origination at BP LaunchPad, BP’s business builder. She joined the organization in 2019 to help support BP’s transition into a low carbon energy company and supply the world with clean, reliable and affordable energy.  

As Head of Origination, Ms. Eave’s responsibility is recruiting and investing in new start-ups for LaunchPad to build into large, successful companies.  

Ms. Eaves was an early participant in the New York City technology and innovation ecosystem, growing start-ups backed by world-class venture capital and private equity firms in cleantech, fintech and information services. As a serial entrepreneur, she helped grow three start-ups from launch to successful exit (IPO and acquisition).

Ms. Eaves was Founder and served for ten years as President of Women in New Media, a professional organization for women in digital careers. Additionally, for fifteen years she was on the Board of Director for Women’s Prison Association, an advocacy for women and families, and served as Audit Committee Chair. She is passionate about the environment, women’s rights and creating diverse and fair workplaces.

Renée Edelman serves as a Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources, at Edelman, a global communications firm. She works with the company’s Diversity & Inclusion and Recruitment teams to increase the number of employees with diverse backgrounds at all levels of Edelman. Her passion is helping to recruit young people as they pursue their first jobs after college. She also manages the Edelman Alumni Network to build engagement with the firm’s alumni globally.

Ms. Edelman previously was a senior media strategist in Edelman’s U.S. Technology practice. She brings more than 25 years of experience in building market share and thought leadership on behalf of technology and digital media clients. She has handled multinationals and growth companies, such as eBay, UPS, Gartner Group, Adobe, Oracle, and Fujitsu America.

Before joining Edelman, she spent six years as a journalist, working at the New York Daily News; The Home News, New Brunswick, N.J.; and Women's Wear Daily. She earned a B.A. in English from Yale University. She graduated with an M.S.J. from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Ms. Edelman serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM).

Laurent Lam Fontaine has built a career of compassionate service and leadership, bringing together a rich multi-cultural perspective and diverse international business background. In addition to his extensive experience in organizational learning and development, he is passionate about serving others to become the best version of themselves, at work and in their personal life.

Most recently, Mr. Fontaine spearheaded the initial development of compassionate leadership in Asia at Human Capital Leadership Institute which is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Singapore Ministry of Manpower. Previously, he spent several years each at Experian and Booking.com as the APAC head of Learning & Development. Additional clients have included Paribas, Societe Generale, SNCF (transportation), Essilor, and Accor.

Mr. Fontaine has received bachelors degrees from Université Savoie Mont Blanc (with honors) and Institut de Conciergerie Internationale – ICARE (with highest honors) and a Masters from Université Paris – Vincennes-Saint Denis. He has also received numerous professional certifications in leadership development and facilitation, including both traditional and more heart-centric approaches.

While Mr. Fontaine calls France his home country, he has also lived in Germany, UK, USA, as well as at sea. He is currently a resident in Singapore, where he has lived with his family since 2013.

Fernando Gómez-Baquero, PhD, is a nanoscale engineer, an entrepreneur, and a mentor seeking to make the world a better place through the use of knowledge and technology. He is the director of Runway and Spinouts at Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech. The Runway Startup Postdoc Program at Cornell ushers recent PhDs in digital technology fields from an academic mindset to an entrepreneurial outlook.

He is also a co-founder and CEO of besstech (Battery Energy Storage Systems - Technologies), an electrode design and engineering firm based in New York. Dr. Gómez-Baquero is recognized as a leader in the fabrication of nanoengineered electrodes for lithium-ion batteries using semiconductor processes and using nanotechnology to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Dr. Gómez-Baquero has several publications in nanomaterials research and on the economic impact of nanotechnologies.

Dr. Gómez-Baquero is a native of Bogotá, Colombia, and holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de los Andes, and a MS and PhD in Nanoscale Engineering from the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany SUNY.

Professor Liz Grant, MA, PhD, FRSE, FRCPE, MFPH, is one of the Assistant Principals (President) at the University of Edinburgh, responsible for Global Health. She is a Co-Director of the University’s Global Compassion Initiative and Director of the Global Health Academy.

Dr. Grant holds a chair in Global Health and Development. She leads work on compassion as the value base of the Sustainable Development Goals, the science of compassion, and the contribution that faith communities make to the SDGs. She is responsible for developing and supporting global health partnerships with colleagues in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) communities, and for local and global advocacy translating global health research into action.

Her own research interests span planetary health and palliative care in contexts of poverty and conflict – the wisdom of compassion and care in new beginnings and better endings. She sits on the Scottish Government NHS Global Citizenship Board, and is on the executive of the World federation of Academic Institutions for Global Health and a Steering Group member for Health Information for All, Hifa.org. She has been an advisor to a number of global health charities, and serves as a trustee for CBM Scotland.

Jonathan Gregory is an experienced leader in the corporate and nonprofit sectors who models compassionate leadership in his actions. He is the Chief Executive Officer of RMX Resources, LLC, an independent oil and gas company in La Habra Heights, CA. Mr. Gregory is also a director of Royale Energy, where he was previously CEO and Vice-chairman. From 2005 to 2012, Mr. Gregory was an Executive Vice President with Texas Capital Bank in Houston, and head of the Energy Banking Group.

In 1992, Mr. Gregory co-founded Bread of Life, a non–profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Houston’s homeless population, with Reverend Rudy Rasmus, senior pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church. In 1994, he took a one-year sabbatical from his banking career to serve as the organization's first Executive Director. He is also a past director of Small Steps Nurturing Center, a nonprofit organization that provides early childhood education for economically at-risk children in the inner-city of Houston, Texas. Mr. Gregory received an undergraduate degree in finance from Lamar University.

Carson Kelly is the founder and CEO of Benevolently, a social venture aimed at scaling compassion through an Enterprise Wellness platform. He is also the founder of Compassion 2.0, a learning community for professionals bringing compassionate based operational frameworks to their organization.

Mr. Kelly is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in technology start-up management, enterprise software sales, nonprofit governance, civic engagement platforms, product development and positioning, business planning, and strategy.

Mr. Kelly serves in leadership positions as a Director for several nonprofit boards focusing on youth development both in sports and in academics, and he has co-founded and led a 4,000-member progressive civic organization. Mr. Kelly has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Matthew T. Lee, PhD, is Director of Empirical Research at the Human Flourishing Program in the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University. He is co-author of The Heart of Religion and co-editor of the forthcoming volume Measuring Well-Being (both with Oxford University Press). Dr. Lee is also a Distinguished Visiting Scholar of Health, Flourishing, and Positive Psychology at Stony Brook University’s Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics. He previously served as Chair of the American Sociological Association’s Section on Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity.

His research explores pathways to human flourishing, benevolent service to others, and the integration of social science and the humanities. Dr. Lee holds a BA in Psychology from Kent State University, and an MA in Criminology and PhD in Sociology from the University of Delaware.

Jennifer Nadel is the Director of Compassionate Politics at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, is a pioneer in the emerging field of compassionate politics. She speaks globally about the transformative power of compassion as a catalyst to accelerate social change and reduce avoidable suffering. She founded the think tank, Compassion in Politics, together with Matt Hawkins in 2018. In 2022 she helped establish the Global Compassion Coalition which now has a global reach of millions. Her Sunday Times Bestseller, WE: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere, co-authored with Gillian Anderson, is a guide to inner and outer change and a rallying cry to move to a less me-centric society. Her most recent book, How Compassion Can Transform our Politics, Economy and Society, co-edited with Matt Hawkins, has been hailed as a guide to creating a more compassionate world. 

Jennifer is a qualified barrister and award-winning journalist who has broadcast for the BBC. and ITV, from around the world. A regular media commentator, Jennifer speaks internationally at organizations including: Google, Apple, Bloomberg, AOL Build, JP Morgan, the Oxford Union, and at leading universities. American born, she’s currently based in London.

Lori Schwanbeck is a passionate advocate for creating lives of meaning and engagement in both personal and professional realms. She is dedicated to supporting others who desire to live in alignment with awareness, integrity and whole-heartedness. She has taught thousands of people in diverse global settings and is known for her ability to foster connection with warmth, humor and authenticity, while inspiring the best in others.

Ms. Schwanbeck is a senior faculty member at Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), where she mentors and trains teachers, and designs and facilitates mindfulness based emotional intelligence programs. She is currently involved in a 2-year project in Bhutan working in partnership with the Gross National Happiness initiative of the Bhutanese government, and is also a curriculum contributor and facilitator at in numerous corporations as well as a faculty member leading nature-based mindfulness retreats at Esalen Institute, Modern Elder Academy, and Canyon Ranch.

Ms. Schwanbeck holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, and a MA in psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. She is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, trained by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through the Greater Good Science Center.

Stephen Trzeciak, MD, MPH is a physician scientist, Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Health Care, and Professor and Chair of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, NJ. Dr. Trzeciak is a practicing intensivist and clinical researcher. His publications have been featured in: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Circulation, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Currently, Dr. Trzeciak’s research is focused on a new field called “Compassionomics”, in which he is studying the scientific effects of compassion on patients, patient care, and those who care for patients. He is an author of the best-selling book: Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference. Broadly, Dr. Trzeciak’s mission is to make health care more compassionate through science.

Dr. Trzeciak is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He earned his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Master’s of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed residency training at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a fellowship in critical care medicine at Rush University Medical Center. He is board-certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine, emergency medicine, and neurocritical care.

Michael West CBE is Senior Visiting Fellow at The King’s Fund, London and Professor of Organisational Psychology at Lancaster University, Visiting Professor at University College, Dublin, and Emeritus Professor at Aston University, where he was formerly Executive Dean of Aston Business School. 

He has authored, edited and co-edited 20 books and has published more than 200 articles in scientific and practitioner publications on teamwork, innovation, leadership, and culture, particularly in healthcare. The Center for Compassionate Leadership considers his latest book, Compassionate Leadership: Sustaining wisdom, humanity and presence in health and social care, an invaluable resource for compassionate leaders.

He assisted in developing the national People Plan for the NHS in England focused on compassionate and inclusive leadership and in Northern Ireland in developing the Collective and Compassionate Leadership Strategy for Health and Social Care, and he led the NHS National Staff Survey development and initial implementation. He is supporting Health Education and Improvement Wales to develop the national health and care compassionate leadership strategy for health and social care. 

He was appointed a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 for services to compassion and innovation in healthcare.

Monica C. Worline, PhD, is one of the leading voices bringing compassionate practices into organizations, having co-authored the foundational book Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power that Elevates People and Organizations. She is the founder and CEO of EnlivenWork, an organization that partners with thought leaders in the field to help organizations tap into courageous thinking, compassionate leadership, and the curiosity to bring their best work to life. Dr. Worline is the Faculty Director for Engaged Learning and Innovation at the Center for Positive Organizations, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. She is also a collaborating research scientist at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and Executive Director of CompassionLab, the world’s leading research collaboratory focused on compassion in the workplace.