Meet the Design Team

Dr. Mateo Cruz (pronouns: he/him) is a nationally recognized teaching-scholar at Bentley University. His primary research focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice (DEIJ), and change in groups & organizations. His recent research examines stereotypes of gay and lesbian managers; job demands & resources experienced by trans & nonbinary employees; the dynamic relationship between trans & nonbinary employees and their cisgender allies; and ways organizations can respond to recent anti-trans executive orders.
Since 2010, Dr. Cruz has taught a wide range of courses including organizational theory, group & team dynamics, interpersonal relations, and applied research. His teaching spans across undergraduate, graduate, executive, military, and education leadership audiences. He has received two “Innovation in Teaching” awards, the Joseph M. Cronin Award for Academic Advising and Mentoring, and the Dr. Earl L. Avery MLK Leadership Award. This summer, Dr. Cruz will receive the national “New Educator Award” from the Management & Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS), a prestigious recognition of his classroom impact and groundbreaking research on teaching and learning in business education.
Dr. Cruz views his work as a bridge between scholarship, leadership development, and social advocacy. He serves as Faculty Advisor to Bentley’s Center for Women and Business and sits on the National Board of Directors for GLSEN, the leading LGBTQ+ education advocacy group in the US. In 2024, he was selected as an inaugural recipient of Bentley’s Presidential Fellowship which provides resources for him to direct Bentley’s first leadership summit for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies.
Dr. Cruz holds a Ph.D. in social/organizational psychology from Columbia University and a B.A. in social work and psychology from the University of Portland.

Kristen Bakalar (pronouns: she/her) is a trusted speaker, facilitator, and practitioner. Kristen brings important and nuanced messages to life inside organizations. As a talent developer, she finds obvious and hidden ways to be more inclusive, challenging the status quo while passionately protesting mediocrity. Author of the book, 'You're Invited: A Non-Fluffy, Straight-to-the-Point, Easy-to-Digest Perspective on Why Belonging is Best for Business, Kristen helps business leaders understand the many benefits to cultivating a culture of belonging. Kristen has helped numerous organizations ‘up their game’ when it comes to their employee experience, and reap the benefits of doing so.
Kristen depth of experience in defining culture, operationalizing culture, and enabling companies to use their culture as the force behind their success have labeled her a 'culture creator and difference maker' in her field. She has conducted a number of ‘culture audits’ where she helps companies understand the gaps between what they say their culture is and what their employees live every day. She is also passionately stuck on creating more inviting workplaces, where employees are proactive and deliberate about inviting difference.
Kristen has a passion for all things human-related. She has a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, she has decades of experience working with and around people, as well as a personal background well-suited for this field.

Before joining Harvard Business School, Alex Hirs (pronouns: he/him) spent over a decade at Bentley University, where he most recently served as Chief of Staff to the Provost, overseeing communications, operations, and strategic initiatives. Throughout his career, he has been deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), developing programs, training sessions, and policies to foster more inclusive environments. As Project Director of a federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women, Alex led a team addressing prevention education, policy development, and responses to sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. Additionally, as Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives in Student Affairs, Alex managed large-scale projects that enhanced students' out-of-classroom learning experiences.
Alex's work has consistently focused on gender equity in higher education and the private sector, including responding to reports of relationship abuse and hostile environments. He has facilitated workshops on Title IX, Title VII, men as allies, and fostering inclusive spaces for all gender identities. Beyond training, Alex played a leadership role in DEI initiatives, serving on university-wide Diversity and Inclusion Councils, co-facilitating an annual faculty and staff Diversity Retreat, co-instructing courses on inclusive management strategies, and leading intergroup dialogues among students, faculty, and staff.

Isabel Zica (pronouns: she/her) is a current senior at Bentley University studying Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her passion lies in giving a voice to those who are often left out of conversations, uplifting underrepresented communities, and fostering more inclusive environments wherever she goes. Upon graduation, she hopes to find work that will give her purpose and have a positive impact on the world while allowing her to continue her advocacy and fight for change.

Dr. David Stamps (pronouns: he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Experience Design Department at Bentley University, where his research explores interpersonal engagement among racialized individuals, media representations of marginalized groups, and the psychological and behavioral effects of media exposure. His work examines how identity, class, gender, race, ability, and geography shape these interactions, with a focus on digital, news, and entertainment media.
David's research has been published in books and peer-reviewed journals such as Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly and The Howard Journal of Communications, receiving numerous accolades, including The Claudine Michel Advocacy and Excellence Award, and research support from organizations like the Congressional Black Caucus and The Social Science Research Council. A former publicist and grant writer, David holds a B.A. from Columbia College Chicago, an M.A. from California State University, Northridge, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dyan Ferraris (pronouns: she/her) has over 12 years of experience as a social scientist and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leader, partnering with executives, HR teams, and leaders across industries to design and implement impactful data-driven strategies that foster inclusion and belonging in the workplace. Dyan holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia University, where she specialized in DEI research and applied methods.
As the Head of People Science and Strategy on Uber's Global DEI team, Dyan advises and supports various functions and initiatives to increase awareness, reduce bias, and promote anti-racism and social justice within the organization. Dyan leads Uber in building global programs to enhance the competency of Uber's leaders to use data and insights to drive positive change. Additionally, Dyan shares her expertise and passion for D&I through speaking engagements, panels, and publications, discussing best practices, challenges, and solutions for creating more inclusive and equitable cultures.
Guest Speakers

Rob Alan (pronouns: he/him) is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in institutional asset management, business development and consultant relations. As a trusted advisor and thought leader in the institutional investment space, Rob has successfully led initiatives that have collectively raised more than $30 billion in assets under management. Rob has demonstrated a consistent ability to lead in moments of crisis and drive organizational transformation by cultivating high-value partnerships, fostering trust-based client relationships, and delivering long-term value. Most recently, Rob rejoined Putnam and served as Head of Global Consultant Relations. Tasked with revitalizing a pivotal distribution platform and restoring confidence within the institutional consultant community, he led efforts that generated $1.2billion in new business and ensured a seamless transition of these assets during Putnam’s acquisition by Franklin Templeton. His success was grounded in cross-functional collaboration, proactive communication, operational excellence and a focus on end-to-end client experience.
At Cutwater Asset Management, Rob spearheaded the transformation of the firm's distribution platform, leading to the establishment of Insight North America, a subsidiary of BNY Investments. At Insight he spearheaded a consultant relations strategy that delivered several multi-billion-dollar mandates during the firm’s North American expansion. Following these experiences, Rob founded North Broadway Capital Advisors, an independent consultancy where he leveraged his knowledge about capital markets, go-to-market strategies and thought-leadership initiatives to the advancement of emerging asset management firms.
Rob serves on the Board of Trustees at Bentley University and as Chair of the Trustees Affairs & Governance Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he leads initiatives in governance, advancement and diversity and belonging, and on the New Commonwealth Racial Equity & Social Justice Fund. He is deeply committed to civic engagement and social justice.
Rob received a BS in Finance from Bentley University and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. He is a Certified Director by National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).

Rachael Lowell (pronouns: she/her) is a seasoned executive coach, workplace strategist, and influential voice in reshaping modern work dynamics. Since pioneering work-life interventions, she's catalyzed collaboration among C-Suite leadership at prominent global brands. Rachael has successfully guided hundreds of leaders through transformative journeys and helmed dozens of change management projects including recently leading the Dynamic Work efforts at Harvard University.
As a cohost of "The Breadwinners" podcast, she addresses pivotal work-life challenges. A widely-read columnist and sought-after speaker, her insights grace the pages of publications like Slate, Fast Company, New York Times, Forbes, and Wall Street Journal. Rachael holds an M.A. in Social and Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, a B.A. in Psychology from Sarah Lawrence College, and a graduate-level Executive Coaching certification from Brown University’s School of Professional Studies.

Jonathan L. Allen, (pronouns: he/him), is Co-founder and Director of Development at Leadership Brainery, a Boston-based company closing wealth gaps by ensuring underrepresented communities have equitable access to master's and doctoral degrees and workforce leadership.
Since its founding in 2018, Jonathan has raised over $3 million to support Leadership Brainery’s operations, allowing the nonprofit to connect over 3,000 students to resources and degree programs. Jonathan’s experience building social impact ventures earned him the inaugural appointment as Innovator-in-Residence at Boston University.
He is also known for his commitment to public service, evidenced by his 2019 run for Boston City Council and his work with Partners in Health to stop the spread of COVID-19 throughout Massachusetts—helping develop protocols and train teams for equitable data collection.
Jonathan a dynamic and highly sought after speaker and thought leader, and was recently named 40 Under 40 by The Boston Business Journal and one of Boston’s “Most Influential Men of Color” by Get Konnected!

Julia (pronouns: she/her), who pioneered the concept of Behavioral Punctuation™ ("Punctuate Your L!fe. Punctuate Your Organ!zat!on™.") and "The Connection Factor™" has 30+ years of experience in Learning & Development. With her unique approaches, Julia and her Momenteam Team deliver top-rated keynotes and team / leadership development solutions that are engaging, inspiring and value-focused. Through igniting relationships and developing the pivotal skills that leaders and teams most need (Leadership, Presence, Storytelling, Communication, etc.), Julia propels her audiences to new levels of success professionally and personally!
Lead Authentically, Inspire Inclusivity!

Showcase Your Expertise
Supporting Our Community
Pride & Purpose Scholarship
There are a limited number of attendance waivers, please inquire for more info!
Summit Dates
June 12th | 2025: 9am - 4pm
June 13th | 2025: 9am - 4pm
Summit Cost
Attendees:
$160/person until June 1st, 2025
$200/person from June 2nd, 2025
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Refund Policy
Bentley University will grant a full refund for cancellations received at least 30 days before the program start date. A 50% refund will be given for those cancellations made prior to fourteen days of the program start date. No refund will be granted for those cancellations received after that time. Unused registrations can be transferred to another person.