“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”
This podcast is inspired by the Dr. Seuss quote from The Lorax, which reminds us of the role we can each play in making the world a better place.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not”
This podcast is inspired by the Dr. Seuss quote from the Lorax, which reminds us of the role we can each play in making the world a better place.
So many of you wake up each day fueled by purpose and passion, knowing you have the power and skills to have impact at scale. Our guests have tackled some of the world’s most pressing issues and demonstrated the unstoppable power of resolve and determination combined with concrete action.
You’ve landed in the perfect spot if you seek inspiration to live your purpose and scale your impact. We know that very little of importance in the world gets done without individuals who are moved to action with passion and perseverance.
In each episode, we’ll introduce you to remarkable individuals who were moved to operationalize their good intentions with concrete action and systematic improvements. Come with us on a hero’s journey filled with adventure, inspiration, allyship, vulnerability, doubt, lessons, and triumph, and see yourself reflected in their stories.
Unless: The Podcast is hosted by Dr. Hemma R. Lomax and is presented by Compaas360 and thecompliancecoaches.com, and produced by Corporate Compliance Insights.
Show Notes
Mothers’ Day Edition: Celebrating Motherhood
In this special Mother’s Day episode of ‘Unless: The Podcast,’ host Dr. Hemma Lomax honors mothers everywhere by featuring a heartfelt conversation with Laurie Chevalier Fritz, her host mother from a high school exchange program. Laurie shares her journey as a daughter, mother, grandmother, and host mom who has welcomed many into her home and heart. Together, they discuss the trials and triumphs of motherhood, the importance of resilience, kindness, and ongoing learning. The episode is a tribute to all kinds of mother figures and their indispensable roles in our lives.
Check out the special guest intros by two little aspiring podcasters.
Key Highlights include:
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Laurie’s Journey: From Host Mom to Family Matriarch
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The Challenges and Joys of Motherhood
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Coping with the Psychological Load and Self-Care
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Care Packages and Military Life
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Honoring Mothers Everywhere
Biography:
Laurie Chevalier Fritz is a biological mother of four, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, a host mom to students from around the world, and a mother figure to so many more.
A military wife who held the home front while her husband served long submarine deployments and served in many roles, including as a 911 Dispatcher, a tour carriage guide in downtown, Charleston, South Carolina, an active member of the local historical society, a Home Interiors representative, and head of the local PTA. She is the heart of her family and her community. Laurie was a young mom who grew into a wise and deeply rooted matriarch. A woman who has shown up in seasons of joy and in times of deep challenge, including recently, as she’s helped care for her father after a serious hospitalization, working alongside her two sisters to support both parents with love and devotion.
Laurie is also an avid historian, a passionate community activist, and someone who never stops learning—or caring. She has a lifelong dream of competing on Jeopardy!
In this episode of ‘Unless the Podcast,’ Dr. Hemma Lomax interviews Gwen Lee Hassan, Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Unisys, and host of the Hidden Traffic Podcast. Gwen shares her personal journey into the field of compliance, driven by a traumatic family experience, and her commitment to combat human trafficking in corporate supply chains. The discussion covers the importance of aligning corporate values with ethical practices, leveraging technology to identify and prevent human trafficking, and practical advice for fostering a culture of ethical awareness and responsibility. Gwen provides actionable insights on how companies can better trace their supply chains and adopt risk-based approaches to compliance, emphasizing the vital role of education and strategic advocacy.
Key Highlights include:
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Gwen’s Origin Story: From PR to Compliance
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The Role of a Chief Compliance Officer
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Stories from the Hidden Traffic Podcast
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Challenges in Addressing Human Trafficking
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The Importance of Technology in Combating Trafficking
Biography:
Gwen Lee Hassan serves as the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer leading the compliance program globally for Unisys Corporation, a leading digital workplace, cloud, enterprise computing and business process solution company. She previously served as Global Director of Compliance for CNH Industrial, the world’s third largest capital goods maker and second largest manufacturer of farming equipment where she also led the compliance program globally. Prior to CNH, she held legal and compliance roles of increasing responsibility with Navistar and Federal Signal Corporation among other manufacturing and logistics companies. Areas of specific experience include compliance program design, structure and operation; corruption and bribery prevention; trade compliance; supply chain integrity; global compliance investigations; enterprise risk assessment and management; third party due diligence; cross border merger and acquisition transactions; human trafficking prevention; ESG program design and operation; policy development and compliance education and communication.
She is the founder and host of the “Hidden Traffic” podcast designed to keep corporate compliance professionals updated about new developments in human trafficking and forced labor prevention and regulation. Gwen serves as an adjunct professor for the Loyola University School of Law where she has taught courses on ESG and corporate compliance law. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Heartland Alliance, an international non-profit, human rights, social, economic and racial justice organization. She is a graduate of DePaul University School of Law and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She and her two children live in Oak Park, IL just outside of Chicago.
Resources:
Hidden Traffic Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/
Show notesWhat if technology could unlock access to legal services for millions who can’t afford it?
In this episode of Unless, Hemma sits down with Zach Posner, co-founder of The LegalTech Fund, who’s on a mission to transform access to legal services —one beautifully designed, engagement-driven tech solution at a time. Zach shares how he went from entrepreneur to impact investor, the spark that led him to focus on legal innovation, and why user experience is the non-negotiable heart of every company he backs.
In this conversation, Zach talks about what drew him to this mission, how he funds and mentors entrepreneurs who are building tech to “do good and do well,” and why he believes the future of legal services lies in a “spectacular user experience.” He explores the opportunities for impact, the power of betting on bold founders moved to build a better world, and the real stories of people getting help they never thought they could afford—all because someone dared to care “a whole awful lot.”
This is an episode about access, innovation, and legacy—and how we can invest in a better world.
Highlights include:
The founding story of The LegalTech Fund
Why beautiful design and user experience matter in legal tech
The qualities Zach looks for in founders and companies
Real-world impact stories from the startups he’s backed
How to play a part in unlocking the potential of many for impact at scale
Resources:
Biography:
Zach Posner is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The LegalTech Fund (TLTF), an early-stage investment fund focused on technology companies transforming the world of law. He also co-founded the annual TLTF Summit, which brings together a curated group of influential and innovative leaders across the legal industry, and has been called “the legal tech world’s answer to Davos” and the “best legal tech conference ever”. At TLTF, he oversees the organization’s team, investments, operational activities, and support for its growing list of portfolio of companies. Before founding TLTF, he founded an EdTech company (sold to McGraw-Hill) and has been an active angel investor. He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Insight Partners, and served in several other roles including as an adjunct lecturer in a master’s program at the University of Southern California. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Finance from Indiana University and is a proud Hoosier.
Shownotes
In this episode of ‘Unless the Podcast,’ Dr. Hemma Lomax interviews Cliona O’Hara, CEO of the Napoleon Hill Institute and inspirational thought leader on personal growth. Cliona shares her inspiring journey from growing up in poverty in Northern Ireland to becoming a leading figure in personal development and coaching.
Tune in to hear Cliona and Hemma discuss the transformative power of thought, the principles of Napoleon Hill’s philosophy, and Cliona’s global vision for the institute, including her plans for helping women and single mothers. Cliona also offers practical advice on finding purpose, overcoming fear, and maintaining a positive mindset through personal anecdotes and teachings from Bob Proctor.
Highlights include:
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From Cliona’s Early Life and Inspirations
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Embracing Purpose and Philanthropy
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How to Overcome a Scarcity Mindset
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Practical Steps to Manifesting Wealth from Napoleon Hill
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The Role of Leadership and Living a Meaningful Legacy
Resources:
Courses, Events, and Coaching: https://www.
Free E-Book: https://www.
Biography:
Cliona was born and raised in Derry, Northern Ireland. When she was 18, Cliona took a huge leap of faith and moved to New York to chase the American Dream.
At the age of 27, Cliona stumbled upon the movie “The Secret,” which would eventually transform her life from poverty and despair to a life of abundance and success. This movie was the beginning of an “awakening” for her as she started studying daily all things “personal development and human potential,” and immediately, her life began to transform.
In 2014, Cliona became dissatisfied with the corporate world and decided to sell her companies in healthcare. One she had started when she was 29 the other was a family business she had shares in was valued at approximately $100million in 2016. She decided to leave the Healthcare Industry behind and pursue her true passion, Personal Development and Coaching.
Cliona has studied personal growth for over 17 years and has worked with some of the masters in personal development. She became a coach with Bob Proctor and soon moved up the ranks to become an Inner Circle Coach and VP of Sales, now she is working with Dr. Joe Vitale and being mentored by Matt Higgins from Shark Tank.
Today, Cliona is living her purpose as she coaches clients all over the world, helping them achieve their goals, know their worth, and create a life of financial freedom, joy, abundance, and health.
Shownotes:
In this episode of ‘Unless the Podcast,’ Dr. Hemma Lomax engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Christian Hunt, CEO of Human Risk and author of ‘Humanizing Rules.’ Christian discusses his extensive background in financial services and regulation and his unique approach to compliance through the lens of behavioral science. Hemma and Christian delve into the concept of ‘human risk,’ the inevitable fallibilities of human decision-making, and the need to balance strict protocols with creating environments where employees can thrive and contribute authentically.
Tune in to hear real-world applications such as the airline industry’s safety measures and the missteps in financial compliance, and the importance of understanding the human element in corporate compliance and risk management. The discussion aims to shift the current mindset from command and control to trust and inspire, making a compelling case for more empathetic and effective management strategies.
Biography and Resources
Christian Hunt has over 27 years of experience in Financial Services, working in Investment Banking, Asset Management, and a Family Office. He is the founder of Human Risk, a consultancy where he helps organizations improve their ethics and compliance programmes to achieve business outcomes. His work benefits from the unique perspective of having held senior roles as a Regulator and Risk & Compliance Officer.
You can find more information about Christian and his services and his book, Humanizing Rules at www.human-risk.com You can peruse his collection of amusing “Compliance in the Wild” spotting on LinkedIn.You can also listen to the Human Risk Podcast.
DESCRIPT LINK – https://share.descript.com/
Show notes
In this episode of ‘Unless the Podcast,’ Hemma interviews Melanie Sponholz, the Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Responsible Investing at Waud Capital Partners and a professor at Fordham Law. Melanie shares her unique career journey, which began as an English major and transitioned through roles in physical therapy and compliance leadership for a leading private equity firm and their portfolio of healthcare companies.
Tune in to hear this engaging discussion on the challenges and opportunities in private equity, including the importance of efficiency and creating a community of practice among compliance professionals. Melanie’s approach to mentoring and professional development within and outside her portfolio companies highlights her dedication to elevating the compliance profession.
Highlights include:
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Melanie’s Career Journey: From Literature to Compliance
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The role of the Unexpected Compliance Officer
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Responsible Investing and ESG Strategy
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Private Equity’s Reputation and Impact
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Mentorship and Building Professional Communities
Biography
In Melanie’s compliance role, she serves as a strategic resource to the firm’s healthcare portfolio companies to support the mission of creating and maintaining a strong culture of ethics and compliance within WCP-affiliated entities. She works in tandem with the WCP investment teams and portfolio company leadership teams throughout the life cycle of every investment to build best-in-class compliance programs, provide effective risk assessment, guide compliance team development, coordinate with legal and outside consultants, provide guidance on due diligence and integration efforts, and prepare for future transactions.
Prior to joining WCP, Melanie served as Chief Compliance Officer at BioScrip, Home Solution, and Fox Rehabilitation. She is a frequent speaker on healthcare compliance and strives to support the compliance professio by mentoring and creating networking and development opportunities for her team and others in the field. Melanie holds a BA, magna cum laude, from Drew University and an MS, with honors, from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as numerous credentials from the Compliance Certification Board.
Outside of her professional career, Melanie enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters, cooking, doing Peleton everything, and daydreaming about her future life on an organic farm with many, many rescue dogs.
Show notes
In this episode, Hemma visits with Margarita Quihuis to talk about Peace Innovation and the role that Responsible Persuasive Technology can play in having an impact at scale. Margarita is the CEO of PeaceX Ventures, the first venture studio dedicated to building ESG-native companies from the ground up. She is also the Executive Director of the Peace Innovation Lab (PIL) at Stanford and the Peace Innovation Institute at The Hague.
Tune in to hear how Margarita defines positive peace not as the absence of conflict but instead as a reflection of how the world works together on a micro-level, interacting with each other and our environment. Leveraging her expertise in behavior design and technology, Margarita helps her clients solve for X, where X is everything from AI to business to urban planning and beyond. If it exists, she’s trying to find a way to build peace into it. If, like Margarita, you agree that the time has come to be done talking about the problems that plague the world and instead find solutions, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Highlights:
- Margarita’s Incredible Journey to Silicon Valley at an inflection point for mobile technology and personal computing
- Behavior design and persuasive technology
- Our role in fostering positive peace in our communities and beyond
Resources:
Biography
Margarita Quihuis is the CEO of PeaceX Ventures, the first venture studio dedicated to building ESG-native companies from the ground up. She is the Executive Director of the Peace Innovation Lab (PIL) at Stanford and the Peace Innovation Institute at The Hague.
Margarita launched Astia, the first technology incubator for women entrepreneurs, and raised $67M in venture funding within 18 months.As a public speaker on entrepreneurship and social behavior, she has addressed many corporations and institutions on ESG, ethical business, and innovation.Margarita divides her time between academia and corporate engagements. As a research team member at BJ Fogg’s Behaviour Design Lab, she combines behavioral change, persuasive tech, and finance for real-world impact.At PIL, she researches innovation, mass collaboration, and social technology to reform society. The focal points of her work have included the application of persuasive technology for government innovation, humanitarian relief, and citizen diplomacy.
Honors include:
- Named “One of the 100 Most Influential Latinos in Silicon Valley” by Latino Leaders Magazine
- Named Manor Labs: “Bright Idea” Innovator by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance at Harvard University
Shownotes:
In this episode of Unless: The Podcast, Hemma visits with David Meltzer, Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and former CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, to learn about the Pursuit of Happiness and David’s mission to empower over 1 billion people to be happy.
Tune in to hear why David has this audacious goal and how he creates energy and action around this movement. David has studied the Masters like Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer, Bob Proctor, Sun Tzu, Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, and many more, and he, in turn, has developed mastery in his own life and business affairs by adding value to the lives of others. Don’t miss David’s proven principles for success that will bring you the same balance and joy he now enjoys and allow him to live his mantra “make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun.”
Key Highlights include:
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How David is empowering 1 billion people to be happy
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The role of ancient wisdom in David’s personal and professional philosophies
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How to get out of our own way when it comes to money and giving
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The secret to turning your possibilities into probabilities
Biography:
David Meltzer is the Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and formerly served as CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire. He is a globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and top business coach. Variety Magazine has recognized him as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year and has been awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
As Executive Producer of the Apple TV series 2 Minute Drill and Office Hours, as well as Entrepreneur’s #1 digital business show, Elevator Pitch, David brings unmatched insights to audiences worldwide. His journey has been featured in books, movies, and TV, including World’s Greatest Motivators, Think and Grow Rich, and Netflix’s Beyond the Secret. His life’s mission is to empower OVER 1 BILLION people to be happy! This simple yet powerful mission has led him on an incredible journey to provide one thing… VALUE. In all his content and communication, that’s exactly what you’ll receive.
Resources:
FOLLOW DAVID MELTZER:
WEBSITE – https:/v/bit.ly/2L052wW
INSTAGRAM – https://bit.ly/2LfIRly
TWITTER – https://bit.ly/2KZWo1b
FACEBOOK – https://bit.ly/2JthVKm
LINKEDIN – https://bit.ly/2uuTHdO
YOUTUBE – https://bit.ly/2Lqr8oB
Write to David at david@dmeltzer.com to request a free copy of his book “Connected to Goodness”
Shownotes:
In this episode, Hemma visits with Roxanne Bras Petraeus, entrepreneur super mom, U.S. Army veteran, McKinsey alum, and CEO co-founder of Ethena.
Tune in to hear about Roxanne’s remarkable journey from serving in the US Army and at consaulting giant McKinsey to tech entrepreneur designing a product to reimagine the future of culture building at work. Roxanne’s willingness to ask audacious questions and do hard things well has opened doors and brought down walls. She gives a masterclass in discovering works when it comes to culture building at work, particularly for female entrepreneurs finding their voice and for those looking to advance technology solutions to enhance the employee experience.
Highlights:
- Roxanne’s experience as a woman in the US Army
- Highs and Lows of being a female tech entrepreneur
- The magic of a stumble and what we can learn
Resources:
Biography:
Roxanne Petraeus is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ethena, a compliance training platform startup with intuitive and powerful admin tools that make required training easy, engaging, and effective.
Roxanne previously consulted for McKinsey, and before that, she was an officer in the US Army. She found that no matter the setting, whether consulting or in the military, there remained an opportunity to make compliance training better. She started Ethena in 2019 with Co-Founder Anne Solmssen.
Ethena enjoys incredibly positive word of mouth within the HR community and is trusted by thousands of companies like Figma, Notion, Noom, Pinterest, and Carta to provide actionable training. The employees love it: Ethena has a 93% positive rating and over 2M positive reviews. Roxanne is a natural leader, and her eagerness to question and reinvent old paradigms is at the heart of Ethena’s ascendance.
Show notes
In this episode, Hemma visits with June Benjamin, a peace warrior, attorney, former entrepreneur in residence at the Stanford Peace Innovation Institute, and founder of Peace IQ, a technology company leveraging the power of AI to offer strategic insights, predictive analytics, and conflict resolution tools, creating pathways to enduring peace.
As Peace IQ’s Chief Visionary Officer, June coined the term “peace intelligence,” a multifaceted approach that integrates AI, wisdom from ancient traditions, and peace data to train AI in providing insights and resolving conflicts.
Is peace a grand scheme for global cooperation, a means to resolve conflicts or a journey of self-discovery? Tune in to find out and be inspired by June’s incredible journey from refugee to peace warrior.
Highlights include:
- The Role of Peace Intelligence in Everyday conflict-resolution
- June’s remarkable impact in her local community and beyond
- How solving for peace is the most important challenge of our time and well within reach
Resources:
Biography:
As a peace innovator and international attorney, June founded Peace IQ to upskill leaders and their teams to resolve conflict and build sustainable cooperation. As the founder of Peace IQ, June coined the term “peace intelligence,” a multifaceted approach that integrates AI, peace data, and insights from wisdom traditions. Peace intelligence leverages the power of AI to offer strategic insights, predictive analytics, and conflict resolution tools, creating pathways to enduring peace.
June’s experience as a former refugee from the Liberian Civil War and Baha’i refugee from Iran, inspired June to pursue a J.D and M.A. in Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University where she received the Dean’s award for Professional Responsibility. She then served as a visiting scholar at the Baha’i Chair for World Peace alongside her work as a human rights attorney.
She now combines her experience at the forefront of AI governance to innovate technology that helps clients turn the small daily decisions that add up to conflict to add up to peace. June partners with the Peace Innovation Institute as the Entrepreneur-In-Residence where she helped to launched the Peacebase network to foster relationships between thought leaders, industry experts, start-ups, and peace technologists to identify exciting new business opportunities in peace innovation.
Show notes
In this episode, Hemma visits with Rani Hong, an Indian-American social entrepreneur, visionary, and CEO of Freedom Seal. Rani is herself a survivor of child trafficking and is using her unique perspective and firsthand understanding of child slavery to help survivors and save victims. Rani is one of the world’s leading voices in the fight against modern-day slavery, and she has worked tirelessly on behalf of people at risk of exploitation – protecting and empowering vulnerable groups and educating businesses and consumers about modern-day slavery.
We are proud to release this episode on International Human Rights Day this year. The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. Human Rights Day honors the individuals and organizations, like Rani and Freedom Seal, that work to protect and advocate for human rights. The theme for Human Rights Day 2024 is “Our rights, our future, right now.” This year’s slogan is “All Human Beings Are Born Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights.”
Highlights include:
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Rani’s journey from child abduction to social entrepreneur
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The role of data and technology in the fight to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking
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Modeling ethical decision-making: from parenting to corporate leadership
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A call to action for those who want to make a difference in this space
Resources:
The Freedom Seal – A Risk Management Company
Biography:
Rani Hong is an Indian-American social entrepreneur, visionary, and CEO of Freedom Seal.
Rani is also a survivor of child trafficking and is using her unique perspective and firsthand understanding of child slavery to help survivors and save victims. She is one of the world’s leading voices in the fight against modern-day slavery.
In 2006, Rani started her philanthropic work and founded the Tronie Foundation, a non-profit global organization focused on driving awareness of child slavery, with her husband Trong Hong, also a survivor of child trafficking.
Since 1999, Rani has advised many governments and has been at the forefront of an international effort to protect women and girls. Her most recent focus has been to eradicate the use of slave labor in all aspects of business.
Rani’s tireless efforts include several speeches before the UN General Assembly and meetings with various world leaders, including presidents.
In 2011, Rani was appointed by the UN as a special advisor to the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, helping to establish the Sustainable Development Goal 8, and establishing the first-ever World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Rani has appeared in numerous broadcast and media interviews, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, BBC, Euro News, and other international media.
On November 6th, 2017, Rani joined the Press Office of the Holy See to ask for concrete action against human trafficking. Over 25 journalists helped carry her message worldwide and speak for those without a voice. In 2018, Rani was named Women of the Year in her home country of India.
As a social entrepreneur, Rani created the Freedom Seal, a certification for companies fighting against Human Slavery by committing to mitigate Financial Crime & Modern Slavery. The Freedom Seal symbolizes a future marketplace where forced labor has been reduced. It represents a dream come true for the estimated 40.3 million people, primarily children and women, still trapped in slavery.
Today, Rani dedicates her time and energy to efforts that lead toward a greater global understanding of human trafficking and continues to speak for those without a voice and for those who are imprisoned, enslaved, silenced, and unable to tell their own stories.
Rani’s ability to overcome trauma, loss, and grief has inspired leaders from all over the world to join the global movement against human trafficking.
Rani lives in Olympia, Washington USA, with her husband and children.
In this week’s episode of Unless: The Podcast, Hemma visits with Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, an inspiring leader and public servant who served as the 45th Surgeon General of the United States Army and as Commanding General in the United States Army Medical Command. Together, they discuss Lt. General Dingle’s approach to strategic and compassionate leadership during some of the nation’s most trying times.
Tune in to hear how Lt. General Dingle’s legacy of leadership, readiness, and adaptation remains ingrained within the cultures of the teams he has led and how he is a powerful source of inspiration for servant leaders across varying industries and backgrounds.
Highlights include:
- Leading the country’s pandemic response and ensuring the health of a nation
- The role of perseverance and ‘keeping your bearing’ as a leader
- Lt General Dingle’s advice for influencing moral leadership (6 Ps)
Biography:
Raymond “Scott” Dingle is the U.S. Army’s 45 th Surgeon General. He retired on 1 March 2024 as the Surgeon General and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command in Washington, D.C. He served for over 35 years to include two combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He commanded at every level from company to Corps and led an Army Medicine Team that consisted of over 120,000 Soldiers, civilians, and contractors. He previously served as the Deputy Surgeon General and Deputy Commanding General (support) in the U.S. Army Medical Command in Falls Church, VA and San Antonio, TX
General Dingle is a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland and is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Morgan State University where he played football and ran track. His degrees include a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, a Master of Military Arts and Science from the School of Advanced Military Studies, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College. He and his wife, Sonja, have been married for 36 years and have four adult children and one grandson.
In this week’s episode of Unless: The Podcast, Hemma visits with Koby Langley, Division Vice President at the American Red Cross, a two-tour combat Veteran, and a Bronze Star recipient for meritorious service.
Join Koby and Hemma for a timely discussion about Koby’s passionate philosophy of social bridging. This practical concept is particularly important this year when we will have seen elections globally in 64 countries, and polarizing partisan politics can do more harm than good. As representatives from all parties call for healing and peaceful collaboration across party lines, Koby’s message that “Service Unites” couldn’t be more timely.
Highlights Include:
- Koby’s journey as a two-tour combat veteran and the lessons he learned
- How the American Red Cross moves volunteers and resources to have impact at scale
- The importance of ethical and moral leadership in corporate organizations and institutions
Biography:
As a Division Vice President, Koby Langley provides oversight and leadership for all nine regions that constitute the Northeast Division. The Northeast Division delivers Red Cross services with a staff of 472 employees and 22,875 volunteers located in ninety-one facilities with a revenue target of ~$90M USD. The Northeast Division supports responding to more than fifteen disasters per day in a densely populated geography identified as one of FEMA’s most risk-prone regions with a population of 43 million. The Northeast Division also supports the nation’s blood supply while facilitating expanded use of Red Cross lifesaving training courses, including CPR, AED, and First Aid as well as providing critical services to our veteran and military families.
Koby previously served as the Senior Vice President of the International Services and Service to Armed forces departments at the American Red Cross for 7 years where he led global programs with a focus on the elimination of measles and rubella, international disaster preparedness, response, and recovery operations for communities in need while overseeing the worldwide support provided to the service members, veterans and their families.
Before joining the American Red Cross, Koby served as the Director of Wounded Warrior, Veteran, and Military Family Engagement at the White House and the Senior Advisor for Wounded Warrior, Veteran, and Military Family Initiatives for AmeriCorps, leading the largest expansion of grants for veterans and military families in agency history. In 2010, Koby was appointed to the Senior Executive Service at the Department of Defense, where he worked as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Senior Advisor for the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy. Koby assumed other roles such as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs, and appointee to the Presidential Review Team for the Department of Veteran Affairs. Koby served as the managing member of a litigation firm and worked as a veteran organizer for the successful congressional race of the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress from 2006 to 2008.
During his military service, Koby was appointed the first in-theater foreign claims commissioner for Iraq. He developed and published the first Foreign Claims Act standard operating procedure in Iraq and paid the first civil reconstruction claims during combat operations.
Koby conducted over one hundred Foreign Claims Act and Laws of Armed Conflict missions/convoys in Iraq and served as an operational law attorney and prosecutor for the 82nd Airborne Division. He also served as litigation counsel for the Army, where he practiced with dozens of attorneys in the Department of Justice, assisting in the successful litigation of over 150 cases. He is published in numerous national news outlets and has conducted visiting correspondent interviews for Fox News and MSNBC.
Langley is a Harvard Law School-certified federal mediator, a two-tour combat Veteran, and a Bronze Star recipient for meritorious service.
In this episode, Hemma visits with Lisa Stevens Gilford, co-chair of the Women for Harris campaign and a commercial litigation partner in the law firm Sidley Austin. Gilford is a lifelong champion of civil rights, a community builder, advocate, activist, mentor, sponsor, and so much more.
Hemma and Lisa explore the power of grassroots community building, leaning in on your existing talents to drive impact, and the fact that democracy demands our participation, and our vote is our voice.
Tune in for a moving account of Lisa’s origin story and how she has leveraged her event planning and fundraising skills to steer a phenomenal grassroots movement at a pivotal time in American history.
Highlights Include:
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The power of leaning into what you enjoy and what you are good at to drive impact
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A massive grassroots effort to participate in democracy
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What’s at stake in the upcoming US general election
Resources:
Biography:
Lisa Gilford is a leading complex civil litigator with a practice focused on class actions, multi-district litigation, product liability matters, and large-scale commercial disputes. Lisa co-chairs Sidley’s Diversity Committee in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Sidley, Lisa was a partner with the AMLAW 50 Firms Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, and Alston & Bird, where she co-chaired the Products Liability practice.
Lisa’s numerous accolades include being named by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of its “Top 100 Lawyers” (2015–2020), “Top Women Lawyers” (2013–2019), and “Top Women Litigators” in California (2013–2018). The Los Angeles Business Journal named her to the “L.A. 500” (2019, 2020), as one of the city’s “Most Influential Women Attorneys” (2018–2020) and among the “Most Influential Minority Lawyers” (2019). The John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles recognized Lisa as a Law Firm Partner Honoree at their 2019
Honoring Excellence in the Legal Profession awards. She was also recognized as the “Consumer Litigation Lawyer of 2018” by the Century City Bar Association and included in The Best Lawyers in America (2018–2021). In 2008, Lisa received the J. Michael Brown Award from DuPont for her personal commitment to diversity, recruiting, and mentoring in the legal profession.
Lisa is dedicated to causes advancing the status of Black women and girls and is a former President and current Emeritus Board Member of the National Association of Women Lawyers. Lisa serves on the Board of Directors of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund; is a former member of the Boards of the California Women’s Law Center and StepUp Women’s Network; a lifetime member of Women Lawyers of Los Angeles and Black WomenLawyers bar organizations; and counsel to the S.H.A.U.N. Foundation for Women and Girls and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
In this episode, Hemma visits with Jonathan Aronie, a partner and practice leader at the law firm Sheppard Mullin, and co-founder of the Active Bystander for Law Enforcement (ABLE) project with Georgetown University Law Center.
Tune in to hear about Jonathan’s tireless efforts to reimagine organizational integrity at scale in the context of law enforcement – using research-backed peer intervention techniques which have applications well beyond law enforcement.
Highlights:
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The origins of the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Program
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Peer intervention as a teachable skill
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Proactive approaches to organizational integrity
Resources:
In this inaugural episode, Hemma invites her friend, Bruce Houlder, CB, KC, DL, a retired criminal court justice, and the founder of the charity, ‘Fighting Knife Crime – London’ to share his inspiring stories of service in action.
Tune in to hear about Bruce’s fascinating journey as a criminal trial lawyer and judge, his appointment as Her Majesty’s first Director of Service Prosecutions for the joint military services in the United Kingdom, and much more culminating in his current mission to inspire collective action to create a supportive culture for today’s youth.
Highlights Include:
- Bruce’s reflection on the scourge of knife crime in the UK
- The role of young people in the criminal justice system and how we sometimes do them a disservice long before they arrive in his courtroom
- How Bruce was personally moved to action
- Bruce’s perspectives on building healthy cultures and the power of pooling talent and resources to create communities for collective action
Biography:
As the Founder of the charity, Fighting Knife Crime London June 2021 launched a broad-based online resource for all young people in Greater London and those wishing to help them. This project goes far beyond issues simply related to knife crime. He now devotes his life to this work and to helping to encourage joint action is finding solutions through encouraging projects leaders and others to work more closely together and by attempting to influence a more proactive and pragmatic governmental approach.
Bruce has practiced criminal law as a Barrister in the UK for 52 years. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1994. He sat as a part-time Crown Court judge from 1986- 2020, ending his judicial service at the Old Bailey. He was Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales in 2001. He served on the Bar Council for ten years. From 2008-2013, he served as Her Majesty‘s first Director of Service Prosecutions. He has done much work overseas, particularly in SE Asia, China and Mexico in an advisory capacity on matters affecting law and the development of human rights-based systems.
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