Alan Astrow, MD

Alan Astrow is Director of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Maimonides Cancer Center in Brooklyn, New York. He came to Maimonides in 2005 after 19 years at St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan. While at St. Vincent's, he cared in his clinical practice for many patients with AIDS related cancers. His current practice at Maimonides focuses on the care and medical treatment of women with breast cancer and gynecological cancers. 

He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale University, with Distinction in History. He obtained his MD from the Yale School of Medicine and did his internal residency at the Boston City Hospital and his fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at NYU Medical Center.

He has published in the medical literature on the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer, on physician-patient communication, on the ethics of informed consent for clinical trials, and on the complex psychosocial and spiritual concerns faced by patients who have been treated for cancer. He is currently the Maimonides site principle investigator for an NIH funded study of communications skills training for oncologists around survivorship care plans. 

Bud Bilanich

Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, is a career success coach, leadership consultant, motivational speaker, bestselling author, influential blogger and cancer survivor. He helps his coaching clients succeed by applying their common sense.
Bud’s career success advice has been featured on CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN and in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Fortune, Success Magazine and Self Improvement Magazine. He is a member of the USA Today Small Business Advisory Panel and frequently posts to his blog (www.BudBilanich.com).

Dr. Bilanich is Harvard educated but has a no nonsense approach to his work that goes back to his roots in the steel country of Western Pennsylvania. His approach to career and life success is a result of over 35 years of business experience, 15 years of research and study of successful people and the application of common sense. He is the author of 19 books including Climbing the Corporate Ladder, Straight Talk for Success, Your Success GPS, 42 Rules to Jumpstart Your Professional Success and Success Tweets: 140 Bits of Common Sense Career Success Advice, All in 140 Characters or Less. He is also a contributor to six other books, including Speaking of Success, The Art and Science of Success and 101 Ways to Enhance Your Career.

His clients include Pfizer, Merck, Glaxo SmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, Abbot Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, PepsiCo, AT&T, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citigroup, General Motors, UBS, AXA Advisors, Cabot Corporation, The Aetna, PECO Energy, Olin Corporation, Minerals Technologies, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and a number of small and family owned businesses.

Dr. Bilanich received an EdD (Doctor of Education) with a concentration in Adult Education and Organization Behavior and Intervention from Harvard University; and MA in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication from the University of Colorado and a BS in Human Development from Penn State.

Jenny Blake

Jenny Blake is an author, blogger, life coach and sought-after speaker who helps others “Wake up, live big! and love the journey.” She has been featured on Forbes.com, US News & World Report and CNN.com and is nationally recognized as a leader among Gen Y. Jenny started her blog, LifeAfterCollege.org, in 2005 and translated it into a popular book, Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want (Running Press, 2011), which serves as a portable life coach for 20-somethings. Jenny recently took her own great leap by leaving Google after five and a half years at the company (on the Training, Career Development and Authors@Google teams) to move to New York City and pursue her passions full-time. Follow her on twitter @Jenny_Blake.

Monica Bryant, Esq.

Monica Fawzy Bryant is a cancer rights attorney, speaker, and author. Ms. Bryant acts as the Chief Operating Officer for Navigating Cancer Survivorship, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and resources on cancer survivorship issues.

Previously, Ms. Bryant was Midwest Regional Director for the Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) where she successfully established and maintained a satellite office in Chicago, the first of its kind for the CLRC. In this role, she forged relationships with cancer organizations, hospitals, law firms, other community partners, and members of underserved communities. Prior to relocating to Chicago, Ms. Bryant served as Legislative Counsel for U.S. Congresswoman Linda T. Sanchez and Law Clerk for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. During her time in Congress, Ms. Bryant focused on health, justice, civil rights, and women’s issues. She was also heavily involved in the nomination hearings for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Throughout her career, Ms. Bryant has provided numerous educational seminars, written articles and blogs, and appeared on community television and radio shows discussing healthcare related legal issues.

Additionally, Ms. Bryant is an Adjunct Law Professor at John Marshal School of Law in Chicago, teaching a class on Cancer Rights. Ms. Bryant also volunteers for the Advocacy committees of the American Cancer Society Illinois Division and the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force.

Julie Jansen

Julie Jansen – speaker, trainer, coach and author -- has helped thousands of professionals find success and satisfaction at work as well as find work that is gratifying. Whether to a CEO, manager, entrepreneur, career changer, or job seeker, Julie offers her practical, no-nonsense approach to mastering business and career challenges, helping them to achieve a more fulfilling and rewarding work life. She has written two books: I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work and You Want Me to Work With Who? Eleven Keys to a Stress-Free, Satisfying and Successful Work Life…No Matter Who You Work With. Julie is often quoted in business publications and has appeared on the Today Show, ABC World News Now, MSNBC, NPR, and CNN Financial News.
Her website is: www.juliejansen.net.

Nadine Mockler

Nadine Mockler is principal and co-founder of Flexible Resources, Inc., a boutique staffing and consulting firm specializing in the policies and practices of the flexible workplace. She and her partner Laurie Young founded the company 24 years ago following careers as advertising executives in New York. They have worked to redefine the category of flexible staffing by creating a variety of non-traditional positions in business ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500 giants. Their anecdotal experiences and their research have been published in their book entitled, "The End of Work As We Know It." Flexible Resources services the NY tri-state area with offices in Stamford, Hartford/New Haven and Fairfield, NJ.

Joanna Morales, Esq.

Joanna L. Fawzy Morales, Esq. is a cancer rights attorney and the former Director of the Cancer Legal Resource Center, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals coping with cancer-related legal issues.

Joanna has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, teaching a seminar in Cancer Rights Law. Prior to joining the DRLC, Mrs. Morales spent eight years working at the John Wayne Cancer Institute for its Psychosocial Care Program and Positive Appearance Center.

Joanna has presented over two hundred and fifty seminars on cancer-related legal issues throughout the country. In addition, Mrs. Morales has served on numerous cancer community committees and boards, including as the President of the Board of Directors for Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Los Angeles County Affiliate. She presently serves as a member of the ACS California Division Board of Directors and the California Dialogue on Cancer. Joanna has been published in a variety of publications, such as Pscho-Oncology, Coping with Cancer, Women magazine, and a book entitled, “Work and Cancer Survivors.”

Joanna was awarded the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Public Policy Advocate of the Year in 2009. She was also recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 20 Attorneys in California Under the Age of 40 in 2010.

Rebecca V. Nellis, VP of Programs and Strategy, Cancer and Careers 

Since 2004, Rebecca has been developing initiatives to meet the needs of people who are working through cancer treatment and those who support them. Rebecca oversees the program’s long-term strategy for growth and speaks regularly at national cancer conferences, community events and to press on the practical issues of balancing a diagnosis and employment. Among the initiatives that Rebecca has launched are the National Conference on Work & Cancer, the Cancer and Careers Online Coaching Center, the nationally-held Balancing Cancer and Careers Community Seminars, the accredited Educational Series for Healthcare Professionals and Cancer and Careers’ Spanish language resources. In addition, Rebecca is currently serving on an advisory committee for “Work Ability in Young Adult Cancer Survivors (WAYS): A Mixed-Methods Study” being conducted at Wake Forest University. Rebecca has also served on committees for the Livestrong Young Adult Alliance and I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation (aka Stupid Cancer).

Rebecca’s nonprofit experience spans 12+ years and includes working with organizations such as the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, The Jewish Museum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Collective Hole Productions and the International Center of New York. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University. To complete her graduate degree Rebecca wrote a thesis titled “Implications of Cancer Survivorship on Financial Assets, Work Productivity and Employment Circumstances.”

Diane Paccione

Diane Paccione was named QVC’s vice president of jewelry and beauty merchandising in July 2010. In this role, Paccione manages the company’s jewelry and beauty merchandising categories, responsible for developing strategic long-term plans and maximizing sales.

Paccione brings more than 30 years of retail apparel experience to QVC, with a strong background in merchandising, marketing and product development.

Prior to joining QVC, Paccione was president and chief executive officer at Deb Shops, Inc. where she was responsible for executing the company’s strategy, leading the management team and running the business. Paccione has also held executive management positions at Charming Shoppes, the May Company and Sears.

Paccione earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Queens College, Queens, NY.

Ruth Oratz, MD FACP

Ruth Oratz, MD, FACP is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer. She is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine and sees patients with all stages of breast cancer as well as those at increased risk for cancer. Dr. Oratz is especially committed to helping the woman facing cancer continue to live her life actively and fully. She places significant attention on flexible treatment programs. Her practice addresses women's concerns about family life, career, relationships and sexuality.

Dr. Oratz is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. She is a member of the American Society to Clinical Oncology and the American Association of Clinical Research. Dr. Oratz is the Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for Susan G. Komen For the Cure, Greater NYC and sits on several advisory boards of organizations dedicated to education and support for women and their loved ones as they cope with the breast cancer experience – including: Living Beyond Breast Cancer ( LBBC), Sharsheret, and CancerCare. She lectures frequently and has appeared on national and local television and radio broadcasts. She also teaches medicine, oncology, medical ethics and humanities at the NYU School of Medicine.

Diana Sacchi-Martinovic

Diana was the VP Global Human Resources at Avon Products until March 2013. She was responsible for directing all human resources strategies and providing day-to-day HR support to Finance, IT, and Global Sales (since 2007). Diana partnered with the CFO and the General Counsel, to lead the transformation of the of the finance and legal functions.

Diana joined Avon in March 2002 as Director Talent Development after 16 years of Human Resources experience at other global corporations. She moved to the position of Sr. Director, Talent Development EMEA and later was Executive Director, Human Resources Global Marketing. She was promoted to Vice President, Human Resources Asia Pacific in May 2006. Since September 2007 until May 2009 Diana was also responsible for Human Resources in Legal, Global Sales, Global Communications, and Avon Foundation.

Diana holds a B.A. in Psychology and Business from Texas Woman’s University and a M. Ed. In Psychological Counseling and M.A. in Organizational Psychology, from Columbia University. Diana is fluent in Spanish and Italian.

Kate Sweeney, Executive Director, Cancer and Careers 

Kate Sweeney is the Executive Director of the Cosmetic Executive Women Foundation. She co-founded Cancer and Careers, playing a vital role in launching, developing and overseeing the program, now a multimedia, multilingual information clearinghouse on cancer and the world of work.

Kate speaks at cancer conferences, health events, and community seminars around the country. She has served as an expert on cancer in the workplace for National Public Radio, The New York Times, as well as numerous women’s publications. She is also a sought-after guest panelist for national teleconferences, including sessions hosted by CancerCare and the Colon Cancer Alliance.