Our Facilitators

AJ Conway

AJ Conway (they/them)belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community and is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) through the Society for Diversity, Inc., a graduate of the Standards of Professional Practice Institute through the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and an active committee member for the National Diversity Council and its Ohio Diversity Council chapter. Conway serves as trainer for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEI&B) initiatives for a wide variety of organizations across the country.

Jim Morris

Jim Morris was at ground zero when the Executive Order banning diversity training on racism or sexism was issued in September of 2020. Instead of speaking directly to the issue, critics and skeptics conjured a masterful but misleading strategy, claiming he and other DE&I advocates were teaching a harmful and divisive theory meant to disrupt society and make white people feel guilty. They called it “Critical Race Theory,” and the strategy worked, confusing and paralyzing leaders from school boards to CEOs of some of the largest companies in the world. Jim is the author of Gaslights and Dog Whistles, a practical guide to help forge partnerships across the divide, provide the facts over fiction, and defend the real history of racism in the U.S.

Bex Mui

Bex Mui, M.Ed, (she/her) is a biracial Chinese/Polish, first generation, equity consultant committed to the work of LGBTQ+ affirmation. Bex was the Education Manager for GLSEN’s national office and the Director of the Stonewall National Education Project before founding LGBTQ+ & Equity Consulting, LLC in early 2021. Bex created the online class, Decolonzing Gender, for the Institute for Anti-Racist Education, and has experience consulting for the K-12 school system on the local, state, and national level.

Stan C. Kimer

Stan C. Kimer is a nationally recognized consultant and speaker on all areas of workplace diversity with a deep expertise in LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) diversity. Stan served as IBM’s corporate global LGBT diversity manager, during which time he expanded IBM’s LGBT diversity initiatives globally and established IBM’s procedures for supporting transgender employees, including case management of employees undergoing gender transition while in the workplace. Since retiring from IBM, Stan has trained or spoken in over 125 venues reaching over 7,500 professionals. He is a certified Out and Equal Workplace Advocates Building Bridges Trainer and a certified Training Management Corp / Berlitz Cultural Competency Trainer / Practitioner.

Deanna Jones

Deanna has worked in the Technology field for over 25 years, including 23 years at Cisco and has an MBA from Elon University and a Masters in Instructional Technology from University of Maryland. Deanna is the Area Director at Toastmaster, a member of Harmony LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce currently serving on their Board and a member of Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. In 2020 Deanna transitioned to her authentic self while working at Cisco Systems. She has a DEI from eCornell and has served on various panels for DEI conferences.

Steve Disselhorst

“Steve came to speak with our organization about the Path to Parenthood, and we couldn’t have been happier with the result. Steve speaks with such passion and vulnerability that it feels more like you’re having a conversation with a friend, a trusted friend that opens your eyes to what a journey he’s been on and what he’s learned from it. As part of the conversation, we included a panel of LGBT+ employees that also had gone down the Path to Parenthood, and the remarkable part of the experience was the connection that Steve was able to make with each of these parents and how he used his own story to bring more visibility to each of theirs.”
Lyle Lulich, Chair, Walgreens Pride Alliance

Dio Aldridge and Kristen Surla

Dio Aldridge and Kristen Surla met as Assistant Directors at Oberlin College's Multicultural Resource Center where they led intersectional focused programs and coalition building across LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, immigrant, and first-generation college student communities. Dio and Kris intentionally cultivate spaces for community building, storytelling, and advocacy for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ populations--oftentimes these spaces evolved from "chosen family" gatherings. What made these spaces unique was the pairing of DEIJ advocacy with wellness practices.

Nikki Vega

Nikki is an enthusiastic psychotherapist with an approach focused on incorporating anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and trauma-informed practices with individuals, couples, and groups. Nikki’ achievements include Master of Social Work with a concentration in Clinical Practice with LGBTQ+ Individuals, Couples, and Families. Knowledge of multiple Therapeutic Modalities, including CBT; DBT; MI; EFT (couples); Imago Therapy (couples) Certifications in HIV Rapid Testing Responder; Opioid Overdose Responder; Pediatric & Adult CPR/First AID

ABOUT UPL

Unstoppable Performance Leaders (UPL) empower business leaders who are bold changemakers, to deliver effective performance.