At a certain stage in your career - in your life - the question you’re asking shifts from “what’s next?” to “what’s worth it?” So what does reinvention look like for senior leaders who’ve stepped out of formal roles - the title, the career, the reputation, the body of work - and now want to step forward with purpose and clarity towards making an impact? How do they build a meaningful bridge between everything they’ve done and everything they still want to achieve?


For some, it means rethinking retirement altogether - rejecting outdated ideas about what it is and how to prepare for it, and approaching this phase with a new mindset. For others, it means starting fresh - questioning long-held assumptions, reshaping identity, and designing a rhythm for life and work in spaces they may once have supported only from the sidelines.
RoJean brings decades of executive leadership and a clear sense of what contribution can look like beyond the full-time frame. Felicia is building something new from the ground up - translating personal experience and lifelong ambition into human-centred innovation. 

In this session we’ll show you inside the DL program, using real-world examples of how senior leaders are bridging to impact.

Speakers:
• RoJean DeChantal – Nonprofit Co-Founder and Educator; Retired HR Executiv; USC Distinguished Leader
• Felicia Schwartz – Founder & Managing Partner, Bridgeway Digital Advisors; USC Distinguished Leader
* Kamy Akhavan (moderator) – Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future

You'll take away:
* Insight into how time, purpose, and structure evolve after stepping away from traditional roles
* Real examples of how DLs are designing the next phase of their leadership – on their own terms
* Practical tools to help you define what matters most, and what comes next
* A more grounded sense of how to bridge from experience to impact – with focus and intent

Because experience doesn't mean impact until you put it to use... and because your next chapter deserves to be built as deliberately as the last.


 

RoJean DeChantal
Nonprofit Co-Founder and Educator; Retired HR Executive
San Francisco, CA
Passions: Health, Education, Well-Being
“My primary goal is to contribute to something larger than myself — a venture, a design or a new role — leveraging my expertise in organizational behavior and my lifelong observations of political and social change.”

Throughout her career, RoJean DeChantal has redefined human resources, transforming it into a strategic driver of business success. As a USC Distinguished Leader, she is exploring holistic, self-reflective approaches to retirement, with the goal of enhancing quality of life for individuals navigating this transition. RoJean’s dedication to mentorship and lifelong learning positions her as a catalyst for meaningful change.

Felicia Schwartz
Founder & Managing Partner, Bridgeway Digital Advisors
Dix Hills, NY
Passions: Technology, Health, Education & Well-Being
“I am shifting my focus toward improving society, leveraging my expertise in technology and AI to create meaningful change.”

Felicia Schwartz is a seasoned technology executive specializing in digital transformation and innovation. She helps organizations navigate the integration of AI and emerging technologies. Committed to using technology for social good, Felicia joined the USC Distinguished Leaders Program to explore how AI can address mental health challenges, particularly among young people.