Speaker Spotlight: Team IWBI Takes on the WELL Summit
Part of the DNA of the WELL Summit is bringing our community closer, and one way to do that is getting to know more about our speakers–and staff–and what personally drives their commitment to the movement. In putting people first, we want to highlight their perspectives on place and space, as well as the role of well-being in their everyday life.
The following staff are supporting various WELL Speaks sessions at the WELL Summit.
Meet: Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, Research, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
Tennis…and laughing with my toddler.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
Playing tennis at the club, or in Tortola on the beach with my family. Pure peace, joy and being in flow.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, Health Pays Back
Putting numbers to words. Taking the business case forward into metrics.
Meet: Jessica Cooper, Chief Product Officer, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I prioritize a healthy diet and good sleep! To me, these are non-negotiable and eas(ier!) habits to maintain.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
Anywhere with an ocean, warm or cold. I love the view, the soothing sounds, and the reminder that change is constant.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, The Heroic WELL AP?
Our WELL APs provide their clients with incredible expertise around WELL and the associated process. I hope our session inspires people with new ideas about how they can engage the right experts and leverage the right tools to meet their health goals with WELL.
Meet: Clare Epke, Senior Manager, WELL Performance Testing, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I incorporate wellness in my life by having a morning yoga routine, providing my body with nutritional foods and movement throughout the day, and by practicing gratitude and prayer in the evening.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
Experiencing the outdoors with others helps me recharge. Whether I am having a walking meeting or rock climbing, the experience of sun on my face and the wind in my hair while sharing this with friends or family, reminds me I am part of something larger than myself.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, Creating a Stellar WELL Performance Testing Submittal?
WELL Performance Verification submittal has many components requiring focus and skill. The learning curve for each component can slow progress or cause undue delays and retesting. We aim to provide clear examples and shared experience for an optimal streamlined and successful WELL Performance Verification submittal.
Meet: Jeff Hochberg, Senior Director, Products and Programs, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I like to walk a couple of miles every day after dinner.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
My favorite place to be is in the mountains, because of the fresh air, beautiful vistas, lack of urban noise and outdoor activities the mountains offer.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, From the Reviewer’s Perspective?
With the documents required in submission for WELL Certification or a WELL rating, providing information to help project teams understand what the independent review teams are looking for is critical for short- and long-term success.
Meet: Melanie Koch, Senior Director, Client Success, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I prioritize getting a good night of sleep. It’s important for me to sleep well so I can be my best self the next day.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
Near the water - be it the ocean, a lake, pond or river! I am most relaxed when I’m in or by the water.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, Delivering on DEI?
The most important take away from my session is to just get started. I hope attendees will see that there are many pathways to making progress, and IWBI provides tools and resources to help organizations assess their starting point, and understand which WELL features will be most impactful for their people.
Meet: Kate Rube, Senior Vice President, Commercial, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I read! The news, and usually part of a book I’m reading. I love learning, especially about other time periods, cultures and parts of the world.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
I love upstate New York, especially around the Minnewaska State Park area. Mountain and lake views, and small historic towns are a total delight for me. =]
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, WELL in Action?
How organizations are successfully engaging their stakeholders across different departments in their overarching WELL and health and well-being strategy, as well as ongoing work and achievements.
Meet: Dr. Angie Scott, Director, Standard Development, Community Concept and Health Equity Lead, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
Pray.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
The beach. It activates all my senses including the texture of the sand, sounds of the waves, wind and birds. The view of the palm trees and grasses, warmth of the sun, and smell of the ocean…all of these give me a sense of peace and happiness.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, Delivering on DEI?
How we support individual neurodiversity needs in a public workplace setting.
Meet: Camila Stacchetti, Associate, Commercial, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
Going on a long walk at least once a day with my dog helps me stay active, spend time outdoors and also reminds me to take breaks during the day.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
With the nice summer weather, I’ve been enjoying more time out on my balcony. It’s nice to sit outside and read, or even do some work with a change of scenery.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, From the Reviewer’s Perspective?
I think one of the main focuses of our session is to make information as accessible as possible. We always want project teams to succeed, and providing them with the necessary tools to do so is a priority for us at IWBI. This session is just one way for us to provide a behind-the-scenes look at all feedback, success stories and other insights that we’ve collected over time.
Meet: Kelly Worden, Vice President, ESG and Investing for Health, IWBI
What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I try my best to go for a walk every day! Preferably in the morning.
What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
My favorite place depends on the activity. For relaxation, I love being on the water –the beach, the river, the lake.
What is the most pressing issue regarding your session, Elevate ESG Performance?
The world of ESG continues to evolve at a rapid pace. It’s critical that we clearly articulate how health and well-being play a roll within ESG both by defining best practices and developing performance metrics that support transparency and disclosure.
