Building Bridges: Transforming Political Polarization into Positive Workplace Culture

Karishma Patel Buford is the Chief People Officer at Spring Health, where she helps remove barriers to mental healthcare using personalized care plans. With over 15 years of talent management experience, she has previously led teams in People, Communications, and Customer Success at OppFi, focusing on HR infrastructure and business transformation. At Groupon, she managed talent development, DEI, employer brand, and recruiting across 15 countries. Earlier, she worked at BAE Systems on global talent management initiatives. Karishma holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Virginia and a Doctorate of Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. She began her career in executive coaching and leadership development at PDI, laying the groundwork for her corporate HR roles.

Amanda Cox M.S. is a Corporate Culture Consultant and a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach. She owns and operates her own private business where she supports small businesses with their employees’ wellbeing and leadership skills. She has been on the Spring Health Coaching team since December 2022 and has supported dozens of individuals through leadership development and coaching sessions for everyone from new hires in their first professional job to individuals in the sunset of their career.