Transforming by Listening and Humanity: Joe Salmonese at TEDxNJIT

Joe Solmonese is a managing director and founding partner of Gavin/Solmonese a corporate consulting group in Washington DC. Joe leads the firm's Corporate Strategy, Public Affairs and Policy practice, where he advises corporations on organizational effectiveness strategies, and policy development and implementation across a diverse spectrum of topics. Joe also brings his significant experience advising both political campaigns and corporate brand campaigns.

Prior to forming Gavin/Solmonese, Joe served for seven years as the president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy organization. Under Joe's leadership, HRC was instrumental in passing landmark legislation such as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, as well as the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." HRC, under Joe's leadership, also played a key role in winning full marriage equality in eight states plus the District of Columbia. Prior to joining the Human Rights Campaign, Joe spent thirteen years at EMILY's List, one of the nation's largest political action committees, devoted to electing women to higher office. During his final two years there, Joe served as the organization's CEO.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)