Meet our Panelists
Billy Bean, Vice President & Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Major League Baseball
Billy Bean serves at MLB as Vice-President & Special Assistant to the Commissioner. As a senior advisor to Commissioner Manfred, his role focuses on player education, LGBTQ inclusion, and social justice initiatives. Among his responsibilities, Bean works with MLB's 30 clubs to advance equality for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees, and stakeholders throughout baseball to ensure an equitable, inclusive, and supportive workplace for everyone.
On July 14, 2014, Bean was announced as Major League Baseball's first-ever Ambassador for Inclusion. He played in the Major Leagues from 1987-1995 playing for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the San Diego Padres.
Billy is a member of the MLB Owner's D, E & I Committee, was instrumental in the development of MLB's bullying prevention education programming, MLB's 'Ahead in the Count' education program, and elevating the visibility of MLB's mental wellness resources. He is the author of the book, "Going the Other Way," and one of the most sought after keynote speakers in professional sports.
Luke Conde, Senior Security Systems Engineer, SMBC
Luke Conde is a Senior Security Systems Engineer based in SMBC's Tralee, Ireland office. Luke joined the organization in January 2020. As a military war survivor and amputee who suffers from severe PTSD, Luke is a strong advocate of the disabilities and mental health community. He is an active member in SMBC's Disabilities, Neurodiversity, and Mental Health Enterprise Resource Group, UNIQUE. As a member of UNIQUE's Learning & Development Committee, Luke helps to educate and provide awareness of disabilities for his colleagues.
Luke joined the military in 2005 as a Radio Operator but quickly progressed to the field of Special Operations and participated in the Arab Spring uprisings across Asia and North Africa. Luke deployed to Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and finally Libya (among other still-classified deployments). In 2011, Luke was injured by a grenade and lost his left leg. He spent the following four years recovering and continuing with rehabilitation and PT, and it was during this time that Luke was diagnosed with Complex PTSD due to the events he had experienced. Luke left the military in 2015 to explore a career outside of the military.
In civilian life, Luke became more immersed in the world of disabilities in workplace and the inclusion of all those with and without injuries as well as the importance of promoting and advocating for people with visible and invisible disabilities.
Since joining SMBC, Luke has felt welcomed by his colleagues in a way that makes him feel very comfortable and his disabilities accommodated.
Luke is a member of the National Certification Committee at Disabilities:IN where he certifies Disability Owned Suppliers (DOBEs) and determines whether they are disability inclusive.
Becky Kekula, Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN
Becky Kekula serves as the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Director at Disability:IN. In her current role, she's responsible for managing all things related to the DEI.
Becky founded DisABILITY In Media, which focuses on positive disability inclusion storytelling through social media and has launched a public speaking business. A prolific public speaker and advocate for disability inclusion on a global scale, she has spoken at over 300 venues, including schools, corporations, nonprofit organizations and government agencies, throughout the United States and beyond. She's really passionate about advancing disability inclusion in schools, the media, workplace, and everywhere else.
Becky currently serves as Employment Chair of Little People of America (LPA). She's also a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) at Arizona State University, Allworthy, Positive Exposure, Understanding Our Differences, and Verizon's Disability Advisory Board.
Susan Warner, Vice President, Talent & Community Engagement, Mastercard / Founder Girls4TechTM
Susan serves as Vice President, Talent and Community Engagement for Mastercard, responsible for talent engagement, global employee volunteerism and global disaster response. She joined the company in 2011 as a Senior Business Leader in Internal Communications. During her tenure, Susan founded the company's signature STEM curriculum, Girls4Tech?, which has reached more than 1.6M girls in 45 countries.
Previously, Susan held the position of Sr. Director, Corporate Communications for Time Warner Cable, where she was responsible for employee engagement and internal communications. In addition, she led Time Warner's global literacy program, Time to Read for underserved youth, and created two signature STEM programs for Time Warner Cable.
Susan received her BA from Hartwick College and now serves on their Board of Trustees. She also serves on the Board of Human Services for the Town of Greenwich as well as the Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation to increase boating safety for children.
Meet our Moderator
Darin Leach, Sales Executive and Best Buddies NY Advisory Board Chairman
Darin Leach is a Mobile Marketing and Advertising Sales Executive with 15+ years based in New York City working with leading agencies and the world's most visible brands. He has been involved with Best Buddies in New York for more than 10 years, beginning as a committee member for the annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk and then as Co-Chair of the Friendship Walk Event Committee. Darin is an active participant in both the Citizens Program and Ambassadors Program and now serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for Best Buddies in NYC.