Steve Pemberton

As the chief human resources officer of Workhuman, Steve dedicates his time and expertise to working with HR leaders and senior management executives around the world to build inspiring workplaces in which employees feel recognized, respected and appreciated. In 2015, he was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to serve on the advisory committee for Competitive Integrated Employment of People with Disabilities.

A passionate human rights champion, Steve has made equality, access and opportunity the foundation of his personal and professional life. His best-selling memoir titled A Chance in the World chronicles his childhood journey as a biracial ward of the state and decades-long quest to find his biological family. Steve’s story was featured on The Today Show and CBS Evening News, and his book has been adapted into a film. His next book, The Lighthouse Effect, will be published in the fall of 2021.

Steve’s tireless advocacy for the disenfranchised has earned him numerous accolades, including honorary doctorates from Boston College, Providence College and Winston-Salem State University, as well as the prestigious Horizon Award by the U.S. Congress, which is presented to private-sector individuals who have expanded opportunities for all Americans through their own personal contributions.

Steve earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Boston College. He serves on several non-profit boards, including UCAN, Disability:IN and his own A Chance in the World Foundation, the non-profit he founded to help young people who are aging out of the foster care system. Learn more about him at https://www.stevepemberton.io/.