Becoming a parent is one of the most profound life transitions an employee can experience—yet workplaces often treat it as a disruption to manage rather than an asset to develop. Drawing from The Parenthood Advantage, their new book acclaimed by BookLife/Publishers Weekly as a “comprehensive guide for business leaders,” Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan reveal how parenthood enhances critical leadership capabilities such as resilience, empathy, and prioritization. This interactive session will explore key themes, surprising findings, and real-world stories uncovered in their research. Participants will gain practical insights into how organizations can build systems and cultures that support working parents—and in doing so, strengthen engagement, retention, and performance across the workforce. The session will begin with an overview and discussion of the book’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations, followed by an engaging Q&A where participants can share challenges, questions, and best practices from their own organizations.

SPEAKER: Mark Kaplan is co-author of The Parenthood Advantage: How Building Cultures That Value Working Parents Strengthens Organizations, The Inclusion Dividend, and Set for Inclusion. He is a founding partner of The Dagoba Group, a leadership and culture consultancy that helps organizations build workplaces rooted in inclusion, accountability, and engagement. For more than two decades, Mark has advised Fortune 500 companies and global organizations on developing inclusive leadership capabilities and transforming organizational culture to meet the demands of today’s workforce. A frequent speaker and facilitator, Mark brings a practical, evidence-based approach to shaping cultures where people and performance thrive together.