Pam Meissner

Pam Meissner is a distinguished leader in finance and operations, having held CFO, COO, and CEO roles across various industries. Renowned for scaling companies to billion-dollar valuations, she specializes in transforming complex financial data into clear, strategic insights that empower executives to make confident, growth-driven decisions. Her global experience—shaped by extensive travel and exposure to diverse cultures—deepens her approach to leadership, emphasizing adaptability, innovation, and inclusive thinking. Pam’s story is also one of remarkable resilience. Recently widowed after 30 years of marriage, she continues to lead with purpose while honoring the partnership that shaped her life. As a devoted mother and advocate, she celebrates her son’s recent college graduation—a major achievement for him as a young adult with autism.

Derek Andersen

For the past 15 years, Derek has focused on building and scaling global communities. He is the co-founder and CEO of Bevy, a SaaS platform that helps companies like Salesforce, Atlassian, Google, Snowflake, and Adobe run both virtual and in-person events. Under his leadership, Bevy has raised $60M from investors such as Accel and Upfront Ventures. He also co-founded Startup Grind, now one of the world’s largest entrepreneur communities with 600 chapters in 125 countries and over 20,000 events hosted since 2012. Previously, Derek co-founded Commonred (later acquired by Income.com) and worked as a product manager at Electronic Arts. He also hosts Divot, a community bringing together top investors, founders, and visionaries who are shaping what’s next.

Liesel Mertes

Liesel Mertes is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, trainer, and workplace empathy expert whose work is rooted in profound personal experience. After the loss of her daughter, Mercy Joan, she gained a deep understanding of what people truly need to feel supported at work during life’s most challenging moments. As the Founder of Handle With Care Consulting, she has pioneered a new category in workplace empathy, helping companies create cultures where compassion, connection, and high performance go hand in hand. Liesel has become a trusted partner to organizations worldwide, including Winnebago, MetLife, the Canadian Government, and Fannie Mae. Her expertise spans grief, change fatigue, and the many disruptions that impact employees’ lives, and she brings this knowledge to her work as a keynote speaker, consultant, writer, and host of the Handle With Care podcast.