Elevate: Women Transforming Employee Experience

What if the reason your people programs aren't landing has nothing to do with the program itself and everything to do with what you didn't stop to understand first? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Desiree Aprekuma, a people and culture leader, to explore what it actually takes to build credibility, earn trust, and drive real change as a people and culture lead...

What if the career you were meant to build started with a task you never asked for? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Laura McLand, VP of Human Resources at Sun Holdings, to explore what it really means to build HR and a genuine culture of care inside one of the largest franchise organizations in the United States. Laura didn't start in HR. She was an executive assis...

What does it take to move from being brought in at the end to being the first call leaders make? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Meghann Klein, Senior Director of Internal Communications at Marriott International's Revenue and Technology Group, to unpack what strategic internal communications really looks like when you earn the title instead of claim it. Meghann ha...

What if the most important question in onboarding isn't "Here's what we do", but "Who are you at your best, and how will you bring that here?" In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Mary Newville, Director of People Experience at Arctic Wolf, to explore what it really takes to build a culture that makes people feel seen, not just on paper, but at...

What if the reason your employee engagement initiatives aren't gaining traction has nothing to do with the quality of your work and everything to do with where you started? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Vanessa Lecorps, Vice President of Engagement and Belonging at Children's Aid, to explore what 25 years of culture work across corporate, academic, and nonpr...

What happens after the change memo goes out? After the reorg. After the AI rollout. After the town hall. Most organizations put enormous energy into that one moment. But what they truly miss is everything that comes after. In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Jessica Smith, Chief People Officer at Reframing HR, to explore what leaders consistently get wrong about change comm...

What happens when a 42-year-old global company decides it's finally time to build a corporate communications team from scratch? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Marisa Trzemzalski, Corporate Communications Manager at AFL, a global fibre optic and connectivity company with operations across the US, Mexico, Poland, the UK, and Australia. Marisa gets real about what it...

Leadership development often focuses on frameworks, strategies, and systems. But what about the human side of leadership? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Kimberly Fraleigh, Director of Leadership Development at Lippert, to explore what it really takes to grow leaders from the inside out. Before coaching executives and frontline leaders across a global organization, Kim...

What happens when a labor and employment lawyer decides she doesn’t just want to fix workplace problems... she wants to prevent them? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Ashley Wenger, Senior Vice President of Employee Experience, Education and Workforce Relations at Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, with more than 55,000 employees across...

What does it really mean to lead with empathy, accountability, and purpose? In this episode, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Manuelita Cherizard, Chief Human Resources Officer at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), for an inspiring and deeply thoughtful conversation about leadership, mentorship, and building workplaces where people truly thrive. With 20+ years of experience across private, public, and...

What if one of the hardest moments of your career turned out to be the thing that shaped your life’s work? In this episode, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Dr. Mary Hayes, Research Director for People and Performance at ADP, for an honest, deeply human conversation about work, leadership, and what it really means to help people thrive. Dr. Hayes shares the personal turning point that set her on he...

How do you lead and grow a 10,000+ person organization while keeping people at the center? In this episode of Elevate, Mihae Ahn and Amanda Downey dive into leadership, growth, and the human side of talent. Amanda shares lessons learned from leading OSL Retail Services through rapid expansion and change. She also discusses empowering teams, fostering communication, navigating COVID-19, and embraci...

From the military to a career dedicated to supporting veterans, Lisa D. Duckworth’s journey is all about resilience, connection, and growth. In this episode of Elevate, Lisa sits down with Mihae Ahn to share her path from military service to becoming a local veteran employment representative in Utah, where she helps fellow veterans find meaningful careers and opportunities. She opens up about the...

What happens when storytelling becomes more than a skill and turns into a superpower for connection? In this episode of Elevate, Mihae Ahn sits down with Betsy Sikma, a corporate communications leader whose passion for storytelling has shaped her career and the workplace cultures she’s built. Betsy shares how stories became her anchor during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they c...

In this episode of Elevate, Mihae Ahn sits down with Kerri Warner, Head of Employee Communications, Culture & Engagement at PayPal, to talk all things employee experience, from sparking global connection to leading with compassion. Kerri shares her winding journey into internal communications, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and how she’s helping shape a workplace where people feel ap...

In this episode of Elevate, Mihae Ahn sits down with Lara Pagano, a meteorologist turned Senior Employee Experience Analyst at the National Weather Service, to talk about the people side of the workplace. Lara shares how her journey began with Hurricane Bob sparking a love for meteorology, and how that path eventually led her to focus on employee experience and building healthier workplace culture...

In this episode of Elevate, Mihae Ahn sits down with Camille Wright to explore her journey into HR, the importance of servant leadership, and the significance of employee experience. Camille’s journey into HR wasn’t a straight line. It was shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a deep passion for people. Along the way, she’s learned that leadership isn’t about being in front, but about giving, guidi...

In this episode of Elevate, Mihae Ahn sits down with Brittany Reardon to explore what it really means to create an employee experience that lasts. Brittany shares how her background in organizational psychology shapes the way she thinks about work, well-being, and engagement. She reminds us that employee experience isn’t just about making people “happy,” it’s about creating the conditions for peop...

In this episode of Elevate , Mihae Ahn sits down with Angela Mendoza to talk about what it really takes to lead people through change. Angela shares her inspiring journey from customer service to internal communications, reflecting on the lessons she’s learned along the way. From navigating massive organizational changes during COVID — like rolling out a full ERP system to 30,000 people — to findi...

In this episode of Elevate , Mihae Ahn sits down with Regine Nelson to talk about something we all wrestle with: how to manage our time, our energy, and the roles we play at work and at home. Regine shares her journey into internal communications and how she’s now helping to build an inclusive, connected culture at Couchbase in a remote-first world. Along the way, she opens up about her pursuit of...

In this episode of Elevate , Mihae Ahn sits down with Tammy Nienaber for a candid and thoughtful conversation about purpose, resilience, and what it really takes to lead through change, especially in complex environments like franchising. Tammy shares her personal journey and how therapy became a powerful tool in navigating professional highs and lows. From the impact of COVID-19 on communication...