Meeting/Event Information
Blending Support: Helping Employee Caregivers Thrive at Work
February 19, 2026
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
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Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce
19900 West Catawba Ave
Cornelius, NC 28031
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Event Information:
Attendees will walk away from this session titled Blending Support: Helping Employee Caregivers Thrive at Work with :
- A clear understanding of how caregiving impacts the workplace and actionable ways to respond
- Strategies for leaders to reduce burnout, turnover, and lost productivity while boosting engagement, morale, and culture change
- Guidance on fostering environments where caregivers feel seen, supported, valued, and connected through a sense of community and belonging
- Tools and encouragement for employee caregivers to manage stress, protect their well- being, and stay engaged at work
Key Takeaways
Recognize the Hidden Caregiver Workforce
Understand who your employee caregivers are (beyond just aging parents) and how caregiving stress silently fuels absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover.
Support Caregivers Without Increasing Budgets or Workloads
Explore practical steps leaders can take to build policies, programs, and cultures that meet caregivers’ needs.
Empower Caregivers to Thrive at Work and at Home
Provide employee caregivers with strategies, resources, and mindsets to prevent burnout and stay engaged and productive.
Speaker: Chef Maria Kemp
Maria Kemp is an award-winning French-trained Pastry Chef, former Fortune 100 IT Consultant, and caregiving advocate who empowers HR, DEI, Benefits, Wellness, and ERG leaders to support employees navigating the invisible demands of caregiving while working. She has delivered various signature sessions for organizations including BMW, Kimberly-Clark, Lowe’s, and NBC’s TODAY Show, blending compelling data, relatable storytelling, and desserts or dessert analogies to make caregiving challenges approachable and unforgettable.
After personally balancing 8.5 years of caring for both parents while running her business, Maria understands how caregiving strains mental health, engagement, and performance. She equips leaders with tools to reduce burnout, turnover, and lost productivity while inspiring them to create cultures where caregivers feel seen, supported, valued, and connected through a sense of community and belonging. She also delivers sessions tailored directly to employee caregivers, offering validation, resources, and strategies to help them navigate the dual pressures of work and caregiving while protecting their well-being.
Maria has also spoken for the City of Charlotte, Messer Construction, and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). She is on a mission to make the invisible workforce of caregivers impossible to ignore.
Tickets
$0.00 Member Registration - LakeNormanHR: Full
$0.00 Member Registration - LakeNormanHR: FLEX
$20.00 Member Registration - LakeNormanHR: BASIC
$40.00 Non-Member Registration
$40.00 Guest Ticket
