Our Conference Has Been Upgraded!
Now Offering Two Tracks: Leaders and Practitioners!
(All Times Are Eastern Time)
LEADERS AGENDA
PLEASE NOTE: All panels and activities for the Leaders Agenda is on the 9th Floor.
8:00am-8:45am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:45am-9:00am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Nicholas Antaki, President | VETS Indexes
9:00am-9:30pm
Morning Keynote:
Mona Dexter, Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs | Comcast NBCUniversal
We’re very proud and honored to welcome Mona Choi Dexter as our Keynote Speaker at this Spring’s Conference!
Mona Choi Dexter is the Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal leading initiatives supporting military and veteran communities, including promoting digital opportunity and making the company a top military-ready employer. Previously, Mona served as Chief of Staff and Vice President at Hiring Our Heroes, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation program focused on workforce development and economic opportunity.
Mona’s extensive community leadership experience includes roles in adult learning and career development with federal education and Army Family programs. She serves on the USO Global Advisory Council, the boards of wear blue: run to remember and the Warrior Scholar Project and chairs the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Education. Mona holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Kansas State University. As a former military spouse and proud mother of a U.S. Army soldier, Mona brings a deeply personal commitment to empowering military families.
9:30am-10:15am
5-Star Employer Best Practices for Supporting Guard & Reserve Employees
MODERATOR
Nicholas Antaki
President | VETS Indexes
PANELISTS
Adam Farmer
Branch Manager | United Rentals
Maj Gen (Ret.) David May
Vice President, Military Partnerships | VetJobs
Jason Pandak
Vice President, Capital Markets | Amerivet Securities
Cauldon Quinn
Founder & CEO | Bancroft Capital
10:15am-10:35am
Morning Break & Networking Session
10:40am-11:25am
Fireside Chat: Bridging Military Leadership and Corporate Culture
PANELISTS
Damian Plioplys
Principal | KPMG
Bo DeLaCruz
Equity Capital Markets, Head of Equity Syndicate | Drexel Hamilton
11:25am-12:10pm
Veteran Hiring Excellence – What the Best Employers are Doing Differently
MODERATOR
Carmen White
Chief Operating Officer | Vets2Industry
PANELISTS
Ben Biles
CEO | American Veterans Group
Matthew Easley
HR Project Manager | Spectrum
Arlie Haddix
CEO | Operation Stand Down Tennessee
12:10pm-1:10pm
Networking Lunch
1:15pm-2:00pm
Military Spouse Employment — Building Sustainable Pathways
MODERATOR
Lucie Piper
Career Counselor & Employer Relations Manager, CENTER FOR Military- AfFiliated Students | The New School
PANELISTS
Sultan Camp
Director | Hampton Roads Veterans Employment Centers
Erin Leavitt
Military Spouse Liaison | Merck
Amy Rossi
Vice President of Client Services and Co-Founder | Military Spouse Jobs
2:00pm-2:45pm
Fireside Chat: Employer Pathways to Fair Chance Hiring for Justice-Impacted Veterans
PANELISTS
Caz Walcott
Director, Inclusive Hiring | Responsive Business Initiative for Justice
Brig Gen (Ret.) David MacEwen
Director, Veterans Justice Commission | Council on Criminal Justice
2:45pm-3:05pm
Afternoon Break & Networking Session
3:10pm-3:55pm
Retention, Growth & the Next Generation of Veteran Talent
MODERATOR
Gene Wu
Enterprise Strategy Lead | Bank of America & VetHack Foundation
PANELISTS
Jason Price
Head of UBS Veterans Affairs | UBS
Ed Carr
Senior Director, Military and Veterans Affairs | Comcast NBCUniversal
Auston Stanhope
Associate, Debt Capital Markets | Drexel Hamilton
3:55pm-4:00pm
Closing Remarks
4:00pm-5:30pm
Networking Reception
(All Times Are Eastern Time)
PRACTITIONERS AGENDA
PLEASE NOTE: All panels and activities begin on the 9th floor through the morning break. The Practioners Agenda then transitions to the 10th floor (noted below)
8:00am-8:45am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:45am-9:00am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Nicholas Antaki, President | VETS Indexes
9:00am-9:30pm
Morning Keynote:
Mona Dexter, Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs | Comcast NBCUniversal
We’re very proud and honored to welcome Mona Choi Dexter as our Keynote Speaker at this Spring’s Conference!
Mona Choi Dexter is the Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal leading initiatives supporting military and veteran communities, including promoting digital opportunity and making the company a top military-ready employer. Previously, Mona served as Chief of Staff and Vice President at Hiring Our Heroes, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation program focused on workforce development and economic opportunity.
Mona’s extensive community leadership experience includes roles in adult learning and career development with federal education and Army Family programs. She serves on the USO Global Advisory Council, the boards of wear blue: run to remember and the Warrior Scholar Project and chairs the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Education. Mona holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Kansas State University. As a former military spouse and proud mother of a U.S. Army soldier, Mona brings a deeply personal commitment to empowering military families.
9:30am-10:15am
5-Star Employer Best Practices for Supporting Guard & Reserve Employees
MODERATOR
Nicholas Antaki
President | VETS Indexes
PANELISTS
Adam Farmer
Branch Manager | United Rentals
Jason Pandak
Vice President, Capital Markets | Amerivet Securities
Cauldon Quinn
Founder & CEO | Bancroft Capital
Maj Gen (Ret.) David May
Vice President, Military Partnerships | VetJobs
10:15am-10:35am
Morning Break & Networking Session
10:40am-11:25am
Workshop: Designing a Veteran Hiring Program from the Ground Up
(10TH FLOOR)
MODERATOR
Matt Watkins
Military Program Manager | Premise Health
PANELISTS
Alec Mizner
General Manager of Military Recruiting | Werner Enterprises
Alex Calfee
EVP | Oplign LLC
Nikita Wallace
Sr. Mgr. Veteran Hiring & Engagement | Hearst
11:25am-12:10pm
Workshop: Startup Ops: Navigating the Business Battlefield – Part 1
(10TH FLOOR)
Sponsored by Fiserv
Veteran and military‑spouse entrepreneurs often face unique challenges when building or growing a business—including limited access to mentors, difficulty asking for help, and a lack of strong entrepreneurial networks. Startup Ops: Navigating the Business Battlefield is designed to break down those barriers.
Hosted by Fiserv and the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services, this interactive, two-part session workshop brings participants together in small groups to tackle real‑world business challenges alongside local and national small‑business experts. Through hands‑on problem‑solving, guided feedback, and diverse perspectives, attendees will strengthen their business knowledge while building meaningful connections with peers and mentors.
Whether you’re in the ideation phase or already a small business, this workshop will equip you with practical insights, collaborative support, and a growing network to help accelerate your entrepreneurial mission.
MODERATOR
Seth Peterson
Manager, Corporate Citizenship | Fiserv
PANELISTS
Amy Amoroso
Director | VBOC at McNulty Center (NY/NJ)
Marcello Rios
Assistant Commissioner for Capacity Building & Corporate Partnerships within the Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity (DEFO) | NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
Charles Devigne
Co-Founder & CEO | Harlem Baking Company
Nicole Orlando
Deputy Chief of Staff | NYC DVS
Henry Stoever
Chief Executive Officer | Dog Tag
Jim Yauger
Program Manager, Entrepreneurship | IVMF
12:10pm-1:10pm
Networking Lunch
1:15pm-2:00pm
Workshop: Startup Ops: Navigating the Business Battlefield – Part 2 (Debrief)
(10TH FLOOR)
Sponsored by Fiserv
2:00pm-2:45pm
Panel: Building Mentorship & Retention Programs That Last
MODERATOR
Annie Brock
President and CEO | Leader Transition Institute
PANELISTS
Jacqueline Harris
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships | American Corporate Partners (ACP)
Nathaniel Lowery
Business Manager, Office of the CEO | Barclays US Consumer Bank
J Warren
Human Resources Generalist | BeneLynk
2:45pm-3:05pm
Afternoon Break & Networking Session
3:10pm-3:55pm
Panel: Not All Veteran Wounds Are Visible – The Employer’s Role
MODERATOR
John McCaffrey
SHRM Military Inclusion Ambassador | NYC SHRM
PANELISTS
Michael Farve
Military Workforce Development | Performance Contractors
Kevin Prego
Army Veteran & Nonprofit Development Consultant | N/A
Hector Rivera
Career Transition Specialist | Wounded Warrior Project