Chicago Women in Tech Conference

Rocki Howard is the Founder & CEO of The Humanity Practice™ and Chief Operating Officer at YUPRO Placement. A Chicago native with 30 years in HR and workforce strategy — including Chief-level roles at SmartRecruiters, The Mom Project, and Textio — she has spent her career inside the organizations, systems, and moments that shape how people actually experience work.

The Humanity Practice™ exists because most organizations have invested heavily in values, policies, and training — and almost none have built the fourth thing: a practice. Rocki builds that system.

A Harvard Business Review contributor, Forbes HR Council member, and two-time SIA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Influencer, she has delivered keynotes across Transform, HR Tech, RecFest, and the SIA Executive Forum. She speaks from the inside out — not theory, but 30 years of doing the work.

Brianne Caplan is the Founder and Executive Director of Code Your Dreams, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the opportunity gap in technology by empowering youth and communities to build solutions to real-world challenges. A former data scientist and graduate of the University of Chicago, Brianne has taught computer science and creative technology programs for learners ranging from kindergarten students to older adults, in schools, correctional facilities, and community spaces around the world. She has been recognized by Forbes, Crain’s, and the Chicago Tribune for her work expanding access to technology education and building pathways for underrepresented students in tech. Beyond her work in technology and education, Brianne is a children’s book author and a certified kids yoga instructor, blending creativity, mindfulness, and play into her work with young learners.

Lindsey McNeal is a Product Owner at Prudential Financial and the Founding President of the Contact Center AI Association’s Chicago Chapter. With 20 years of experience spanning frontline customer service, operations, consulting, and enterprise product leadership, she has built and modernized contact center technology at scale, including IVR/IVA systems, voice biometrics, NLP-driven self-service, and CCaaS platforms across regulated financial services environments. Most recently, she led the design of an intelligent intent triage system expected to handle over 7 million calls a year using a Voice AI solution. She holds a BS in Economics from Utah State University, an MBA from Strayer University, and is a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).

Claire Podulka is a strategic executive with 20+ years of experience across tech, education, and consulting. She is currently the Chief of Staff at Crisis Prevention Institute, the global leader in crisis prevention and de-escalation training. Previously, she spent nearly a decade at TXI, a boutique digital product consultancy, where she designed, pitched, and earned two new-to-the-organization roles. She writes and speaks on topics at the intersection of culture, operations, and strategy, with a particular focus on prioritization, both organizational and personal. She lives in Chicago with her partner and two children.

Betsy Robinson is the founder and CEO of Tier4 Group and its executive search division, Retained. Tier4 Group is a women‑owned, diversity‑certified firm specializing in connecting top‑tier tech and executive talent with the right opportunities. With a presence in both Chicago & Milwaukee, Tier4 Group blends advanced recruitment automation with a deeply human approach. Under Betsy’s leadership, the firm has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for seven consecutive years (2019–2025), landed on Atlanta’s Pacesetters list five times, and been named a four‑time Bulldog 100 honoree, recognizing the fastest‑growing businesses led by UGA alumni. Betsy’s individual accolades include OUT’s Businessperson of the Year in Georgia (2023), Inc. Female Founder 250 (2024), Georgia Titan100 (2025), and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 (2019). A proud University of Georgia alum, she holds a B.B.A. from the Terry College of Business and currently serves as Board President of Women in Technology (WIT). Above all, Betsy is a wife and mom, often found at the soccer field, on the lake, or cheering for the Georgia Bulldogs. Go Dawgs. Sic ’Em.

Carlie Lavin is a Client Services Manager and Senior Technical Recruiter at Tier4 Group in Southeast Wisconsin, where she partners with companies to build high‑performing, values‑aligned tech teams. She brings a practitioner’s perspective to hiring, balancing efficiency, judgment, and human connection in a rapidly changing talent landscape. Based in Milwaukee, and working in Southeast Wisconsin & Northeastern Illinois, Carlie focuses on growing Tier4 Group’s Midwest presence and supporting clients through complex hiring decisions with clarity and care. Prior to recruiting, she worked in higher education and leadership development, including roles at a women’s membership organization centered on leadership and professional growth—experience that shaped her strengths in trust‑building and career development. Carlie holds a B.A. from Saint Louis University and an M.Ed. from Iowa State University. She is actively involved in the tech community, serving as Treasurer and Secretary for the Southeast Board of Women in Technology of Wisconsin, a member of the MKE Tech Hub, and a volunteer with i.c. Stars.

Madeline is a senior implementation leader for a healthcare startup, and has worked for organizations ranging from a 50 person startup to a Fortune 100.  Deeply active in her community, she also coaches her local high school’s women’s JV soccer team.

Christine is a well-regarded corporate tech leader, business advisor and award-winning author.  She led tech teams in startups and in Fortune 500 including McDonald’s, Dell, VW/Audi and others.  She advises women and teams inside of some of the biggest companies in the world including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Apple and others.

Meighan “Meg” Newhouse started her career in technology training at a large global law firm, believing that by helping people understand how to leverage technology to do their jobs better, then they could be happier at work, and would ultimately enjoy their lives more. That conviction led her to start her first business, Colette Allen Consulting, in 2012, a boutique learning and development firm focused on technology adoption, and later, leadership development at every level.

In 2017, she co-founded Inspirant Group, a disruptive management consulting firm focused on digital transformation. As CEO, she and the “Unconsultants” created a culture recognized as a Best Remote First Company in the U.S. three years in a row, a certified Great Place to Work, and an Inc. Best Workplace. In 2023, she and her partners led the company to a strategic acquisition.

This past April, Meg stepped into the CEO role again, this time for a nonprofit she has a deep connection to. In 2019, Inspirant Group was looking to support a nonprofit partner. Meg learned about i.c.stars’ mission and the team began a years long partnership through volunteering, pro bono hours, and eventually corporate sponsorship. Over the past 7 years, she saw firsthand the impact of their mission of finding talent, training talent, and putting talent to work, and when the opportunity to lead the organization into its next chapter became available, she excitedly said yes.