Eric Silverman, Founder and Owner of Baltimore Maryland based Voluntary Disruption (VD), a division of Silverman Benefits Group (SBG), is considered one of the most recognized authorities and disruptive forces in enhanced employee funded benefits (the industry formerly known as “voluntary”).

Eric is widely known as a subject matter expert with more than 22 years of employee benefit sales, marketing, management and recruiting experience. He is often sought after and interviewed by various journalists from multiple industry publications such as BenefitsPRO, ThinkAdvisor (formerly LifeHealthPRO), and Employee Benefit News (EBN) online and print magazines. He is also frequently hired to deliver key notes and to speak on various expert panels at national industrywide and carrier conferences each year.

Eric has received the “Voluntary Adviser of the Year” award by Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) magazine – one of the highest industrywide honors given to only one “voluntary” adviser annually. He is also a contributing author to the Amazon Best Selling employee benefits book, “Breaking Through The Status Quo.”

Eric is the host of his nationally recognized podcast, #RockstarsRocking, which can be found anywhere you consume and download podcasts – including Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon and many others. He’s been honored as a “Rising Star in Advising” by Employee Benefit Adviser magazine and can be found within the online and print pages of American’s Benefit Specialist, BenefitsPRO and EBN magazines as a regularly featured columnist and commentator.

Over the last decade alone, Eric has recruited, trained, and developed more than 2,000 commission sales agents, interns, and broker partners, which led to the securing of more than 2,500 commercial worksite payroll accounts and the generation of more than $200 million dollars in gross annualized sales revenue.

Prior to the insurance business, Eric had zero professional experience; starting his career as a college intern and quickly propelled into management; focusing most efforts on new business development through the procurement and development of new broker partners and the recruiting of college interns and career agents to support his broker focused initiative. His unique management style, coupled with his tenacious focus on detail, customer service, ethics and integrity are what has assured his consistent growth each year.

Cynthia is the GVP People, Experience & Opportunity at Progyny, where she brings her expertise in collaborative, employee-focused leadership to the human resources team. She excels in leveraging data-driven insights and creativity to enhance employee engagement, redesign benefits, and drive meaningful change that fosters growth, alignment, and progress.

Before joining Progyny, Cynthia founded The Talent Strategist LLC, a consultancy dedicated to helping small and mid-sized organizations navigate complex compliance and cultural challenges. Prior to that, she served as Director of Human Resources in the Washington office of Cleary Gottlieb, overseeing all aspects of HR and benefits. In addition to her corporate leadership, Cynthia is a commissioner for the District of Columbia, advising the Mayor on early intervention services for children aged 0-5 with developmental delays.

Matthew Lopez is the Director of Benefits at FanDuel, where he leads the strategy and design of the company’s benefits programs across health & wellness, leave of absence, and retirement. With nearly 20 years of experience in the employer benefits space, Matt brings a thoughtful and strategic approach to building programs that support employees and drive meaningful engagement.

Before joining FanDuel, Matt held a variety of leadership roles in total rewards, including Director of Total Rewards at Rent-A-Center and Director of Benefits and Payroll at Santander Consumer USA. His career has been anchored in helping organizations create benefits experiences that truly resonate with their people.

Matt is based in Plano, Texas, and outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his family and cheering on his daughters at soccer games and cheerleading competitions.

Ed Ligonde is a Partner and Market Director at a modern, tech enabled firm, Nava Benefits, where he is dedicated to redefining employee benefits as the true “benefit of being an employee.” With a strong belief that benefit education is key to creating workplaces where employees thrive, Ed strives to help employers become more enjoyable places to work while empowering employees to navigate a complex benefits landscape with confidence.

Edwige’s journey began at UCLA, where he was part of the #1 recruiting class for the Men’s Soccer program. His time on the field, culminating in a national championship appearance during his junior year, instilled in him the values of teamwork, time management, and camaraderie—skills that have been instrumental in his successful career as an employee benefits consultant.

Throughout his career, Ed has had the privilege of working with incredible clients and colleagues, earning numerous accolades along the way. These include recognition as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40, Top Adviser Awards, MVP, Rising Star, and the prestigious title of 2021 BenefitsPro Broker of the Year.

Outside of work, Ed enjoys spending time with his family, wine tasting, traveling, and indulging in his passion for Formula 1. A devoted fan of international soccer, he proudly supports Arsenal.

Krystle Lee is the Vice President of Human Resources at Pro-Vac, where she partners with the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors to align people strategy with business objectives. She earned her Master’s degree in Leadership and Human Resource Development from Louisiana State University and is SHRM-SCP certified. With expertise in organizational strategy, leadership development, employee relations, and change management, Krystle is passionate about helping leaders build healthy, high-performing workplace cultures where people and businesses can thrive. Outside of work, she is a proud wife and mom who believes the strongest leaders never stop learning.

Stephanie Porrino is a resident of the Tampa Bay area, currently working as the Director of Human Resources for Hendry Marine Industries. Stephanie has over 25 years of HR leadership experience at various companies. Over the past several years, she has taken an active role in understanding and transforming employee health benefit plans. At Hendry Marine, and in her previous role, she was instrumental in moving the employee health plans to a self-funded model. Stephanie is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with other HR professionals so that more people understand the benefits a self-funded health plan has for both the company and for employees.

Because of Stephanie’s healthcare knowledge and unique experience in self-funding, she has become a frequent speaker at healthcare conferences across the country. In the past year and a half, Stephanie has spoken at several healthcare conferences including The Best of the Best hosted by the Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value, Workforce Development Partners of Tampa Bay, YOU Powered Symposium, BenefitsPRO, The CFO Leadership Conference, World Finance Forum, and The Validation Institute flagship conferences; she has also been a guest on several podcasts and webinars.

Stephanie is a graduate of William Paterson University, Leadership Tampa – Class of 2012 as well as a member of SHRM, HR Florida, HR Tampa, Leadership Tampa Alumni, a member of the Advisory Board for Workforce Development Partners and the Vice Chair for the Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value. She’s also a licensed healthcare agent in the State of Florida.

Most importantly, Stephanie has a 16-year-old son named Jacob who is special needs and falls on the Cerebral Palsy and Autism spectrums.

Lindsey Garito is an award-winning human resources executive with two decades of experience transforming organizations through strategic and innovative people & culture practices. From talent acquisition to HR technology to total rewards, Lindsey has experience in various domains of human resources across diverse industries such as consumer services, hospitality, and healthcare in both private and nonprofit sectors. Lindsey’s passion lies in empowering people to cultivate workplaces and careers that are totally rewarding. 

Lindsey earned her BBA and MBA from Pace University. She holds SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications. Lindsey is the proud recipient of the 2024 SHRM NYS HR Professional of the Year award and 2023 Susan R. Meisinger Fellowship Award. Her team’s work also won two Workday Healthcare Innovation Awards in 2020 and 2021. 

Beyond her corporate achievements, Lindsey is deeply invested in the HR community and being of service, one of her personal core values. She serves as President-Elect for Westchester Human Resources Management Association and serves on the board of directors for Greater Mental Health of New York. Passionate about mentorship and paving the way for the next generation, Lindsey volunteers as a career mentor with several local and national organizations. 

Lindsey regularly shares her insights and experiences as a speaker, podcast host, features in various publications and media, and as a member of the Forbes Human Resources Council. Lindsey hosts the CEO of Your Career podcast and supports individuals on their professional journey as a career and executive coach. 

Julie Blume is a Total Rewards expert with decades of experience and a proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams. Her expertise lies in designing and implementing benefit programs that are comprehensive, easily understood, and highly valued by employees. Julie places a strong emphasis on offering unique solutions that enhance the overall employee experience, tailoring benefits to meet the diverse needs of the workforce. She serves on the Council on Employee Benefits (CEB) board of trustees.