Biographies for producers of Ouch!
Leslie Aguilar
Leslie Aguilar is the author of the groundbreaking Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts book, video-based training program and Online Learning Experience as well as Ouch! Your Silence Hurts video and training. She is recognized as a thought-provoking speaker, facilitator, and curriculum developer in the areas of Diversity & Inclusion and Cultural Competence. Leslie authored three instruments: Diversity Competencies Assessment™, Diversity Leadership 360˚™, and DiversiScan™. She served on the national Workplace Diversity Special Expertise Panel – Society for Human Resource Management, 2005 – 2008. Prior to establishing her own firm in 1992, Leslie was part of The Disney Company for 15 years, including HR and Training and Development for Disneyland Paris, and Curriculum Design and Quality Assurance for the Disney University. She has instructed ESOL courses in the workplace (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and served as student advisor for an international school. Leslie was educated in foreign languages in Mexico, Spain, France, Switzerland, and the U.S., and was a Rotary International Scholar.
Joel Lesko
Joel Lesko is an award-winning writer-director-producer who has worked with Al Gore, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Joe Namath and other authors, athletes and influential thinkers. His work has appeared on PBS, the major networks and cable. He has traveled the world to produce shows on a wide range of topics from music to medicine, politics to poetry. Award-winning programs have included: Ayur Veda: The Science of Life, Poets Against the War, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and On Creating Health with Deepak Chopra. Joel’s work has received over a dozen film industry awards including nine Telly Awards, two Summit Awards, one Aurora, three Videographer Awards and the Iowa Film Award for Best Editing. Prior to his career in film and video, Joel implemented stress management yoga and meditation programs for companies in Europe, Asia and the U.S.
Dr. Steven Yacovelli
Steve is a creative, energetic performance consultant with twenty years of experience in training and development, twelve years experience in e-learning management, an M.A. in education policy & leadership development, and an Ed.D. in instructional technology & distance education.
Steve’s competencies include eLearning development and management, leadership development, educational strategy development, executive coaching, facilitation, team building, change management, and corporate communications. He is the author of Overcoming “Poopy” eLearning: How to Create Engaging On-Line Learning That People Will Actually Want to Take (2012).