HR Fresh Take

Philadelphia SHRM

HR Fresh Take serves to provide insight on the latest national and global happenings impacting our HR community from the perspective of local Philly HR, talent, and business leaders. Our goal will be to provide timely, hyper-local insight to our Philly SHRM community that is easily applicable to their workforce and workplace. HR Fresh Take is a production of Philadelphia SHRM. Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

  1. 2D AGO

    Beyond Interest Rates: What the Fed Wants HR to Know

    Think the Federal Reserve only deals with interest rates? Think again.   In this episode, we sit down with experts from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia to reveal little‑known but powerful tools designed to support workforce and economic mobility. Deborah Diamond and Theresa Dunn break down two resources that can help HR professionals rethink talent pipelines, skills‑based hiring, and local economic impact. Discover how "Eds & Meds" shape Philadelphia’s workforce and why understanding your region’s economic ecosystem is critical for strategic HR planning. A must‑listen for HR and business leaders seeking data‑driven insight. More about our guests: Deborah Diamond As the senior director of engagement and initiatives, Deborah and her team develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders in the Third District to better understand how economic conditions affect residents, workers, and small businesses. She also focuses on the “anchor economy” locally and nationally to understand how universities and hospitals shape local economic opportunity. Theresa Dunne Theresa Dunne is a community development research analyst in the Community Development and Regional Outreach Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Her research interests lie at the intersection of community development and public health. Currently, she works on topics related to digital equity and device access, equitable wealth in the city of Philadelphia, and the broad economic impacts of anchor institutions on regional economies. To learn more about the tools discussed, visit: PhiladelphiaFed.org/OME PhiladelphiaFed.org/AnchorEconomy Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, AI, phillyshrm.org

    41 min
  2. 07/01/2025

    Part 3 - HR in the Age of AI - Opportunities and Obstacles

    In part 3 of our series: HR in the Age of AI - Opportunities and Obstacles, our guests share their diverse perspectives on skills, tools, and relationships HR professionals need to effectively manage and lead in the age of AI.  The conversation also touches upon overcoming the fear of AI with practical advice on low-risk initiatives and personal experimentation. Special thanks to our contributors: Blair Corcoran de Castillo - As Opportunity@Work’s Vice President of Policy, Blair leads the organization’s partnerships with the public sector, guiding the strategy to support policy shifts to enable STAR mobility nationally and in regions across the U.S. Shane Lloyd - As the Chief Diversity Officer at Baker Tilly, Shane leads the firmwide diversity, inclusion, and belonging strategy and advises executive leadership at Baker Tilly. Prior to joining the top 10 professional services firm based in the United States, he worked at Amazon within their Worldwide Consumer and Global DEI teams. Audrey Mickahail - is Senior Vice President, Private Sector & Membership Experience, at Opportunity@Work. In this role, she is responsible for the organization’s Private Sector business as well as the team that ensures a high quality and consistent customer experience with Opportuniy@Work through its service offerings to help employers, philanthropies, regional consortia, and the public sector enable economic mobility for workers who are Skilled through Alternative Routes (STARs). Celeste Warren - is Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence. As the leader for Merck’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence, she is responsible for working with Merck’s global leaders to advance and embed diversity and inclusion throughout the organization to enhance the employee experience and maximize business performance.  Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, AI, phillyshrm.org

    23 min
  3. 06/17/2025

    Part 2 - HR in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Obstacles

    In Part 2 of our series, HR and the Age of AI:  Opportunities and Obstacles, our guests share their unique perspectives on how AI is transforming HR practices from creating culture to enhancing neurodiversity inclusion.  We also discussed the need for critical thinking and human oversight in AI applications, as well as the legal implications and ethical considerations. Special thanks to our contributors: Michael S. Cohen Partner, Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. Michael concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Kevin Davis -  Principal, Epic Insurance Brokers and Consultants.  His focus is on crafting innovative benefits strategies for his diverse clients. He is also a Board member of the Neurodiversity Employment Network (NEN). Catherine Preim, Senior Business Partner, Baker Tilly US, a leading advisory CPA firm.  She serves as a leader within the Talent Management Business Partner team; she partners with leadership in the Pennsylvania/West Virginia market in the development and execution of their people strategy and advises on various people-related matters Merrick Rosenberg, CEO, Take Flight Learning, affectionately known as The Bird Guy, is not just an author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur. He is a true visionary! In 1991, he founded Team Builders Plus, one of the first companies in the United States. His groundbreaking work laid the foundation for today’s team building industry. Business, Engagement, Human Resources, Management, Thought Leadership, Return to work, Inclusion, Hybrid work, AI, phillyshrm.org

    24 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

HR Fresh Take serves to provide insight on the latest national and global happenings impacting our HR community from the perspective of local Philly HR, talent, and business leaders. Our goal will be to provide timely, hyper-local insight to our Philly SHRM community that is easily applicable to their workforce and workplace. HR Fresh Take is a production of Philadelphia SHRM. Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

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