Wednesday November 18, 2026
6:30-8:00pm
New England Institute of Technology, Room S 330
1 New England Tech Blvd, East Greenwich RI
Join us as we discuss the organization’s goals, both local and national updates, and welcome guest speaker Akshay Talwar for an inspiring presentation “Values Are the Foundation of Leadership”
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Akshay Talwar's book, Diamonds of Humanity: Moments That Reveal What Matters Most, began as a legacy for his grandchildren. Its short stories grew out of a lifetime of experiences with family, immigration, caregiving, work, kindness and the people he has met along the way. In this program, those stories become the starting point for a conversation about values and leadership.
The central idea is simple: values are the foundation of leadership. Values become visible in the choices we make. Other people see those choices and sometimes follow them. Leadership can therefore come from anyone, with or without a title.
Talwar will share stories and selected readings from Diamonds of Humanity, including experiences from childhood in India, his arrival in the United States at age 20, and more than three decades in senior care. Some stories are serious and reflective. Others are lighter immigrant stories about learning American language, customs and expectations. The readings will allow the audience to experience some of these moments as they appear in the book and use them as a starting point for reflection and discussion.
For occupational therapy professionals, the discussion will focus on everyday human interactions. Dignity, compassion, listening, cultural awareness and individual choice are expressed in small moments with patients, residents, families and coworkers. Those moments can affect how a person experiences care and how colleagues learn from one another.
The program will be story-driven and conversational, combining Talwar's leadership talk with selected readings from Diamonds of Humanity, reflection, audience discussion and questions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Describe how personal values can become visible leadership behaviors, regardless of title or formal authority.
2. Identify opportunities in occupational therapy practice to express dignity, compassion, cultural awareness and respect for individual choice.
3. Discuss how personal experience, cultural background and assumptions can influence interactions with patients, residents, families and colleagues.
4. Recognize how ordinary professional behaviors can influence coworkers and the experience of people receiving care.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Akshay K. Talwar, LNHA, is the owner and CEO of the Briarcliffe Campus in Johnston, Rhode Island, and the licensed administrator of Briarcliffe Manor Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. He has spent more than three decades in senior care. Under his leadership, Briarcliffe Manor has maintained the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star overall rating for 16 consecutive years.
Born in Calcutta, India, Talwar came to the United States in 1969 at the age of 20. His career has taken him through accounting, law, teaching and healthcare administration. He is a lawyer and CPA, a former college instructor, and a licensed nursing home administrator.
He is the author of Diamonds of Humanity: Moments That Reveal What Matters Most, a collection of personal stories about kindness, gratitude, immigration, caregiving, family, leadership and the small human moments that reveal what matters most. The RIOTA program draws directly from these stories and will include selected readings from the book.
